"Rose Tyler," calls the nurse from the half open door as she looks around, "Ah there you are. Miss Tyler the doctor is ready for you now, come this way please."
Rose and Jon stand and follow the nurse into the room. Jon takes a chair in the corner and Rose sits on the bed to wait for the doctor. "Are you sure this isn't going to be…weird for you. Seeing Martha as your doctor?" Jon asks.
"No, I'm okay with it," Rose replies grinning mischievously at him, "You on the other hand seem a bit worried though. Is there something I should know before she gets here Jon?" she says teasingly.
"What? No, of course not. You know nothing happened," Jon says defensively before he realizes she's messing with him, "Also, what if it's awkward for her. I just think that maybe we should look into seeing a different doctor is all."
"Jon," Rose begins to say as the door opens and she stops.
"Miss Tyler, I'm Dr. Martha Jones," she says without looking up yet, "I'll be seeing you through your…" Martha lets the words trail off as she takes in the patient in the room.
"Hello, I'm Rose Tyler. It's a pleasure to meet you Dr. Jones and thanks for getting us in so quickly," Rose says standing to shake her hand.
"Jon?" Martha asks in a surprised tone.
"Hello Martha, it's lovely to see you," Jon says bounding from his chair and waving at Martha.
Oh God! Dammit Martha get yourself together. You are a doctor, a professional and nothing even happened between the two of you and you're engaged to Tom. Right, no issue. I can do this easily enough, she thinks to herself as she straightens her shoulders and replaces the surprised look on her face with a more professional smile. "So sorry, Miss Tyler," Martha says shaking her hand, "I'm not used to seeing people I know in the exam rooms. It just caught me off guard for a moment. So this is your first prenatal visit correct?"
"Yes, we just found out last week that I was pregnant," Rose says, offering the pages from the test she had.
"These are your results from the previous doctor you saw?" asks Martha.
"Yep, nothing much in there really, just the results of the blood test and some notes on prenatal care," Jon responds.
"Congratulations Miss Tyler, you are definitely pregnant," Martha says as she reviews the results, "This initial appointment is really just a gathering of information and to answer any questions you may have at this point. Did you have a chance to fill out the paperwork?"
"Yes, it's all right here," Rose smiles and hands the stack of papers to Martha.
"Thanks," she says taking the papers and sitting on the stool next to the bed, "I know all the initial paperwork is a pain, but it really does save a lot of time and can help answer a lot of potential health issues that crop up."
"What?" Jon squeaks out, his voice rising to that pitch he despises, "What uh…what health issues?"
"Not to worry, it's just in case. I'm not saying Miss Tyler will have any issues, we'll discuss all those possibilities and what signs to look out for today," Martha replies, looking over the initial visit paperwork.
"You can call me Rose…please. Miss Tyler…it's, I don't know, my mum or just odd. Just Rose is fine thanks," Rose says still smiling. She's beginning to think Jon was right about a different doctor. Though she may not take issue with Martha being their doctor, it's certainly obvious that both Jon and Martha seem incredibly uncomfortable with the situation. She can feel Jon's anxiety and apprehension about the visit through the bond and Martha…well one doesn't need to be an empath to feel the discomfort and shock that seeing Jon sparked in her.
Martha scans the new patient paperwork and quickly finds that yes, Jon is the father. Rose's listed address is the same as his, so they live together at the minimum and she quickly glances at Rose…yep there it is, engagement ring on her left hand. How long has it been since she'd seen him? Maybe a few weeks at most? A month maybe if she pushes the time out as far as possible. In a month he's managed to get engaged and get her pregnant? He wasn't seeing anyone the last time they spoke, she had asked and he said no. Why is this bothering her so much? She's engaged too. She's moved on from him, she's certainly not in love with him any longer, so why is this bothering her? Martha shakes her head to clear the cobwebs, still a doctor, be professional Martha she chides herself. "So everything looks fine with the paperwork. Did either of you have any questions about anything?" she asks, smiling a little too widely, voice holding too much enthusiasm.
"Dr. Jones, if this is going to be awkward for you, we can find another doctor to see," Rose says gently.
"What?" Martha says surprised, "No, not at all. Why would it be awkward, we've just met."
"I was referring to your past with Jon," Rose says kindly, "Listen, I'm not the type to play games and I have enough stress and crap in my life that I honestly do not need anymore. So…if this is too weird or uncomfortable for you due to your previous feelings for Jon…"
"My what?" Martha tries not to shriek interrupting Rose and looking over at Jon. She wants to be angry at this girl coming in here and making her feel like a teenager with a crush and a broken heart. Martha looks over at Jon and sees he has completely deflated into the chair, head down, one hand pulling on his ear and the other covering his face. For the first time she realizes he knew, all that time he knew how she felt about him and was playing dumb. She is momentarily mortified at how obvious she must have been to him.
Rose stands from the chair and begins picking up her things and says, "I'm very sorry to have embarrassed you Dr. Jones. That was not my intention at all. I just assumed we were all going to be able to handle this as adults, I'm sorry that I was mistaken," she says trying for kind but coming of snappy, "If you could please just refer us to another doctor for our further appointments. Rory had recommended you so Jon and I hadn't even looked into any others. If Rory trusts you though, I'm sure we can trust your judgment as well. Thank you for your time and it was…nice meeting you."
Rose is livid; Jon can feel it slithering under his skin and through his blood. He's not even trying to tap into the bond and he can feel it. Jon had hoped this would not be an issue. Martha is engaged now, certainly being engaged means she'd moved on from her crush on him right? Sure a certain amount of shock is warranted he thinks. It's only been just a few weeks since he last talked with Martha and at the time he was still just Jon. He was still alone, miserable, sad, pathetic, unable to even think of any kind of real intimacy and certain he would die alone. Now though, now he has Rose. He has Rose and she is giving him a child and a life he didn't even try to dream of before. As that settles in him he starts to calm, Rose is right…as she usually is he's coming to find. If Martha cannot be a professional about this then they will simply need a new physician. It's imperative they are comfortable with whatever doctor they see. Rose is going to have gynecological exams repeatedly throughout the pregnancy and due to her past…well she needs to be okay with whatever doctor…female doctor, he amends, that they see.
"I'm sorry Martha," Jon says sheepishly as he entwines his fingers with Rose's, "I hadn't thought there would be an issue and I wanted Rose to be comfortable with our doctor. Once Rory recommended you….it doesn't matter, we should be going. It was nice seeing you again," he says, pulling Rose from the room.
"Okay, so the next doctor needs to be a woman whose heart you didn't break," Martha hears Rose say as they leave the room.
Martha is horrified at her behavior, not just as a jilted crush but as a doctor as well. She was incredibly unprofessional, couldn't even get words out after Rose had confronted her. Jealousy is a bitch, she thinks walking out of the room after Jon and Rose. She needs to fix this now, right now. Martha will not have people thinking that she cannot separate her professional life from her personal life and this is just…Grrrr…why is this so bothersome to her? Maybe she should let them get another doctor, it was really awkward in that room, and poor Rose. Yeah poor Rose, she thinks. Poor beautiful, blonde, petite, engaged, pregnant little Rose, with her perfect attitude and her perfectly beaming smile and her perfect fiancé and her perfect fucking life! Martha thinks to herself as she slams her hand against the wall. "Maybe now isn't the best time to apologize," she mumbles to herself, turning around, running right into Rose and knocking her to the floor.
"Oof," Rose exclaims as she makes contact with the linoleum flooring.
"Rose!" Jon says scrambling to pull her off the floor, "Are you alright?"
"Fine, I'm fine," she waves off his concern. "This would be why my mother didn't name me Grace," Rose says smiling lightly and trying to laugh…just a little.
"I'm so sorry Miss Tyler," Martha states flushed with irritation and now embarrassment.
"It's fine really, I'm fine. Just a little tumble," Rose says still smiling, "Jon could you bring the car around please? I'll wait here," she says looking at Martha.
"Sure, yep…I'll just…grab the car," Jon says stammering and retreating through the doors. He's not sure what's about to happen but he knows he wants no part of that discussion.
Rose waits until Jon is clear of hearing range and says, "Are you alright Doctor Jones? You look…I don't know upset. I am very sorry that I embarrassed you; it really was not my intention at all. I think Rory and Jon as well may have underestimated your interest."
"I'm so sorry Miss Tyler for my behavior earlier. I think I was just a little shocked, regardless it was very unprofessional and…well rude. Please accept my apology," Martha says offering her hand to Rose.
Internally Rose is seething. She is trying to handle this as an adult and not a petty jealous child, but Martha is everything Rose will never be. She's beautiful, smart obviously, a doctor for fucks sake. She'd make a much better match for Jon than Rose does. Martha would probably have no issue with Jon being a King or his money. It doesn't matter that Amy dressed her up in pricey clothes, had her hair and nails done professionally; none of that matters because underneath all of the makeup and new clothes and hair she's still just Rose Tyler, estate trash and no good for anything…damaged goods. Stupid, stupid, STUPID FUCKING ROSE BRAIN! She feels like she'd tricked herself into believing she could be the kind of woman Jon needs and now…well now she's up the duff and engaged to a man who will undoubtedly realize how far beneath him she is. Suddenly she's no longer angry; that emotion being replaced with self loathing and a sick feeling in her stomach as tears start coursing down her face.
Martha watches as Rose disintegrates in front of her having no clue what to do now. Should she try and comfort her, should she apologize again? "Miss Tyler are you alright? Was it the fall? Are you injured?" Martha rushes out.
(Deep breath in, deep breath out) "No I'm fine," Rose sighs, wiping the tears from her face, "Just being a bit ridiculous," she says quietly. She is too, she knows she is. Rose has no doubt that Jon loves her, wants her and this family and life they are building together. She shakes her shoulders, stands up straighter and pushes her insecurities aside.
"Probably just the pregnancy hormones," Martha says, "We hadn't the chance to discuss these details before, but it's very common to become overly emotional, especially during the first trimester. Once you hit around the fourth month or so it should even back out. Did you want to sit down while Jon brings the car around? There's a table and some benches just there," she says pointing to the left.
"Yeah, thanks," Rose replies meekly, making her way to the bench, Martha following.
Are you dizzy or anything? That's pretty common as well during the first trimester. Morning sickness typically hits at about 6 weeks, so maybe 2 or 3 weeks for you. I'd recommend saltines, the no salt kind and water, lots of water. Morning sickness is different for everyone so there's no way I can tell you ahead of time how bad it will be. Some women have it really rough and some never get it at all. Are there any questions you have? Anything you're worried about?" Martha asks. She thinks maybe she can do this. It's not nearly as awkward as it was in the exam room. Initial nerves probably, no woman ever wants to see the man she spent years pining after happy and in love with someone else. But, as she sits here now talking with Rose, she realizes she is over Jon, she loves Tom and she can do this.
"Rose," she says hesitantly, "I am very sorry for what happened earlier. I imagine it wasn't easy coming in to see me. Clearly you know about the feelings I had in the past for Jon and you were still willing to come here, that takes courage. I was…no woman wants to see someone she loved happy with another person and I was being petty. Please understand that I am engaged now and have moved past my feelings for Jon. I am so sorry I upset you and made you uncomfortable, if you still would like me to work with you through your pregnancy I'd be happy to do so."
Rose knows she's being genuine, she can feel it; which is odd. Maybe she's imagining it? This whole bond thing has her loopy maybe? She gets that she can feel Jon's emotions, that's the bond…but she shouldn't be able to sense anyone else's. It's not strong at all, just a light touch of emotion on the periphery of her brain, but she thinks it's definitely there. Rose pushes it way for now; she needs to focus on the conversation at hand.
"Uh…well I don't know Dr. Jones. I do appreciate the offer but I don't want to make you any more uncomfortable than I already have," Rose stutters out.
"Honestly Rose, it was just a moment of…shock or jealousy. It won't happen again and I am very sorry," Martha says.
There it is again…why is she feeling that? "Um…well…okay. I'd really like that. Rory said you were the best OBGYN he knew and Jon…he's um…well…he's rather protective and I think knowing you personally as well as professionally would put him at ease some. So what now?" Rose asks timidly without making eye contact.
"I'm just going to say this," Martha says directly, "If I cross a line here please just tell me, but you seemed very uncomfortable in the exam room. If you'd prefer we could do most of the visits at your home. Really until you're almost through the pregnancy you shouldn't need to come in the office unless there's an issue. We have a portable scanner to do the ultrasounds for…situations such as this."
"So right to the doctor stuff then," Rose says calming down.
"Figured it was best. No need to dwell on my atrocious behavior from earlier and I did notice you seemed uncomfortable, thought we'd get that handled right away," Martha says, inspecting Rose more closely now that she's done throwing a fit. She takes in Rose's posture and the way she folds her arms around herself, her lack of eye contact and the diminutive tone of her voice. Rose exhibits classic textbook signs of an abused woman. Martha does not for one minute think Jon has abused her, but she is certain that Rose was abused…and recently.
"You can just come to the flat and do the appointments?" Rose asks, "Is that…I don't know safe or sanitary or whatever? Is that something you offer everyone? I don't want you to get into trouble catering to me because of Jon," she rushes out.
Martha places her hand on Rose's arm drawing her attention to her face and says, "No, it's not special treatment Rose. I won't get into trouble and yes it's something we offer to patients who we feel would be more comfortable." Martha sees Rose deflate just a little and the tension leave her shoulders some.
"I would…yeah that'd be better I think. I don't uh…well…I don't really care for hospitals and such. I didn't realize it was that obvious though," Rose says with a small laugh, "I thought I'd done much better at hiding it."
"Oh don't fear your acting skills Rose, we're trained to look for certain behaviors. Someone not a doctor would likely have never known," Martha says trying to reassure her, "I think Jon's waiting on you, he's been parked there for a bit now."
"Yeah, I know he's there. I just wanted to get this straightened out before I left. I'm glad we were able to talk. So do I just call to make an appointment or do I need to let them know it will be at the flat?" Rose asks.
"Nope, I'll have my secretary call you to set up then next appointment, she'll know it's to be at the flat," Martha says standing up, "It really was nice to meet you and I am very happy for both you and Jon. I'll see you in a few weeks unless you have concerns over something."
"Thanks Martha," Rose says quietly walking toward the car and Jon, waving goodbye.
"Is everything okay?" Jon asks panicked as she gets in the car, "One minute you were really, really angry…Please don't ever get that angry with me Rose…next you were…well you know what you were feeling so I don't need to say and I'll just stop talking and drive the car…yep, that's what I'm going to do," he says quickly as he sees the look on Rose's face.
"Clearly you underestimated the extent of Dr. Jones's feelings for you. So that was fun," Rose snaps at him while staring at the passing scenery.
"Wait, why am I in trouble?" Jon whines and pouts.
(Deep breath in, deep breath out) "You're not in trouble. It's…Dr. Jones says it's my hormones going all crazy. She said that I'll be very emotional and not to worry because it's normal for the first trimester, she also said I'll be sickin' up my toenails in about 2-3 weeks," Rose says whining back at him.
"Okay just tell me what you need or want or both. I will be available to your every whim. Chocolate at 3 am, no problem," he says grinning at her.
"Jon," Rose starts and hesitates.
"What?" he asks as he parks the car. He looks over to her and can see as well as feel the panic in her. "Rose, what's the matter? What's happened?"
"I…I think I was able to feel Dr. Jones's emotions," she rushes the words out.
"What?" he says again. That shouldn't happen; well he thinks that shouldn't happen. He has no idea if that should happen actually. Jon knows pretty close to nothing about what's going on with the bond. He steps from the car and opens the door for Rose, entwining their fingers and walking to the lift. Once inside he pulls his phone from his pocket and dials Amy.
"What's up Jon?" Amy answers overly chipper.
"Are you and Rory at your flat or ours?' Jon replies shortly.
"We're at yours. Why? What's the matter?" Amy says worried.
"We'll be up in a minute and we'll tell you then," Jon says disconnecting the phone.
"It'll be fine Rose, I'm sure. Please don't start worrying too much until we discuss it with Amy and maybe Matt," Jon says softly.
"It's not me that's freaking out Jon," Rose says with a touch of amusement, "Yes it was odd, but that seems to be our life now yeah? I'm sure I was just imagining it. It's not happened with anyone else and I was a little…upset earlier," she says trying to calm him down some.
Jon rushes through the hall to the living room and places Rose on the couch while hollering for Amy and Rory. "We're here, right here. No need to shout, what's happened?" Rory says only slightly worried, pulling his stethoscope and other various instruments from his bag.
"Amy, something happened today with the bond…I think. I don't know, it could have been my imagination," Rose says flatly.
Jon sits next to Rose on the couch and Amy and Rory both sit on the coffee table in front of them. "Okay, well what do you think you imagined happening, "Amy asks much calmer now.
"Well I…uh…when we were with Dr. Jones today I could…well I think I could feel her emotions too. Not all of them just some and it was very faint, but it was definitely there…I think," Rose stutters out.
"You think you definitely felt someone else's emotions, other than Jon's?" Amy clarifies.
"Yes, it was odd, but odd seems to be common these days. Jon however is freaking out about it," Rose teases.
"I'm…that…should she be able to do that? Read other people as well? You never said anything about that Amy!" Jon exclaims, rising and pacing.
"Well I never said because I didn't know Jon," Amy replies calmly. She can see Jon is freaking out and the last thing she wants is to set off his over protective streak regarding Rose. "My best guess would be that being as Rose is a natural empath, either the bond or the pregnancy has strengthened her natural ability," she says shrugging her shoulders, dismissing Jon's concern.
"What?" Rose asks, "What do you mean natural empath. I never felt people's emotions and stuff before. It's only been Jon."
"No Rose, you've always been an empath. I knew it right after we met. It's part of the reason people feel drawn to you. You have the innate ability to see past someone's façade, see their real emotions. Of course it was on a much lesser scale than it is now, but it's always been there; probably since you were a child actually. Then as you grew up and especially after Jimmy, you became more astute at using the ability. It makes sense when you think about it," Amy says nonchalantly.
"How exactly does it make sense?" Jon asks, sitting next to Rose.
"Jon, try thinking of this in terms of evolution rather than within the confines of the bond," Rory says, "Throughout history humans have evolved and developed many things for survival right? Well this is no different really. If Rose has always had the ability to be an empath as well as the…prospect of being a Twin Flame then the chance of increasing that ability always resided within her. After Jimmy and everything she went through, her brain merely enhanced the ability she already had as a form of self preservation; heightened her senses so she could better determine if someone was a potential threat to her safety."
"Okay, that…well that makes sense I suppose," Jon replies running his hand along Rose's thigh, "Is it permanent? Will it continue to increase? Will there be a time when she can feel everyone's emotions?"
"No clue, but I'll have Matt start looking into it. He has access to information that I don't due to the University, and I'll continue to research as well, see if I can come up with something," Amy says, "So how did the appointment go?"
"That's it," Jon states with irritation, "You're just moving on? Don't you think there should be some discussion or we should start looking into this right now?" he says loudly, standing and pacing again.
"No, I really don't Jon," Amy says sternly, "There's nothing we can do right now and it's not as if Rose or the baby are in any danger. You need to calm yourself down; you're upsetting her more than the empathy issue right now."
Jon looks over to Rose and taps into the bond, sure enough he can feel she's upset again. He walks over, takes her hand and says, "Rose Love, I'm just worried. I don't know what this means for you or the baby and…"
"I get it Jon, it's fine. You can't control your protectiveness anymore than I can control the empathy thing. It's just frustrating is all. We'll eventually get a better handle on things, it's only been a few weeks yeah?" Rose says calmly, pulling him back down to the couch with her, "As for the rest of the appointment, it was fine. We talked about morning sickness…really looking forward to that and we discussed how my hormones are going to make me an even more crazy bitch, so yeah umm, pregnancy's looking to be a fun time," Rose says tersely.
"Are you hungry Rose?" Amy asks with an obvious sidestep to her rant about hormones. No need to discuss what is as obvious as the nose on Rory's face she decides.
"Yes…no…Ugh…I need caffeine," Rose sighs, closing her eyes and falling further into the couch, "It's been days since I've had coffee," she whines, "Rory you're a doctor, is it okay if I have coffee, a real coffee, not this decaf shit Jon's trying to trick me with every fucking day."
"Ah, you caught that huh? I was hoping you wouldn't," Jon says sheepishly.
"Yes I did," she responds pouting, "By the way even if by some miracle you fooled me with the taste, which let's be honest…never gonna happen, you're guilty conscience is a dead giveaway. You may be able to pull it off with others but the next time you get sneaky remember…" she trails off tapping his temple, "I will know," she smiles and kisses him.
"A cup of coffee isn't going to harm you or the baby," Rory says rolling his eyes, "and you two really need to read some books on pregnancy. I do not want to be woken up with questions about coffee at 2 am."
"All I heard was that I can have coffee," Rose says, bounding from the couch, grabbing her purse.
"Headed to the shop?" Amy asks.
"Yep," Rose replies throwing her coat on.
"Rose, its 6:45, the shops closing up, but I'm sure if you text Jack he can bring you a coffee home. If he's coming home that is," Rory says smiling.
"Must I do everything around here," Amy says sarcastically, heading to the kitchen, "You'd think between Jon being a genius and Rory being a doctor, one of you would have just come in and made a cup of coffee for the crazy pregnant lady." A minute later Amy comes back out with a cinnamon latte for Rose and a cup of hot cocoa for herself.
"Coffee, coffee, coffee…oh bliss," Rose sighs with a happy expression, "Thank you Amy. Is this…did you make this with cinnamon?"
"Yep, had to go with what we had. You'll need to make a run to the shop for syrups and what not, maybe head to Tesco's for some milk, but that machine in there will do just fine. Pregnancy brain kicking in already Rosie?" Amy snickers.
Rose waves off her comments as she continues sipping her coffee and says, "So attorneys tomorrow right? And then Wednesday is the meeting with the adviser from the University about classes, Thursday is free still and Friday my mum comes in. That's us for the week. What about you two?"
"Well tomorrow is nothing, Wednesday is…nothing, Thursday, Thursday, Thursday…also nothing. I'm sensing a trend here, "Rory says laughing, "But really, we have nothing going on until I start my new position at the hospital."
"And how long till that starts," Jon asks.
"Bout' 2 weeks left, just under actually," Rory answers as Amy heads for the loo.
Once the door to the loo closes Rose looks over at Rory. "You should take her somewhere nice Rory. This whole thing has been stressful on her and she's worked really hard to help Jon and me. She deserves a trip," Rose says firmly as she waves off Rory's protest, "I know Jon and I still may need your help, but we seem medically fine…for now at least. Just take her for the weekend, plan something nice for her. Besides my mum will be in this weekend and I have to explain about the baby and Jon being…" she trails off as a flash of fear courses through her and she looks over to Jon.
"Jon being? Were you going to finish that statement Rose?" asks Rory.
"No, yeah…just his over protectiveness and stuff. I don't want her thinking he's off or something if it happens when she's there. My mum's going to have a hard enough time accepting that I'm pregnant ya know?" she says not making eye contact.
"Worst liar I have ever met," Rory teases her.
"Okay yeah I am," she giggles lightly, "It's just some stuff we want to talk with mum about before everyone else is all," and she can feel Jon's fear lessening as Rory accepts her explanation.
"Actually, I was thinking of taking Amy away for a few days anyways," Rory says quietly," I uh, well…I'm going to propose…I think…pretty sure…mostly sure that I'm maybe going to propose."
"You're mostly sure that you may propose?" Jon says quietly laughing, "Well you two have only been together 7 years and you're right, maybe you want to take another few just to be sure."
"Look Jon, not all of us have some mind meld with our significant other. Just because Amy was all gung ho for marriage and babies last week does not mean she is this week. You know her, she's very…excitable," Rory says harshly, "Amy is…well Amy. She's complicated and a bit flighty, whimsical."
"Rory," Rose says rubbing his arm, "Amy loves you and she wants to marry you, we've talked about this…her and I, not you and I. She wants to have a family with you, so quit being such a wuss and get to it."
"Yeah? She'll say yes right?" he asks.
"Even if she doesn't, it will still be a lovely weekend away, maybe give you two time to discuss it, see if it was just spur of the moment excitement or if she really is in that place," Jon says shrugging his shoulders.
"Yeah, okay. I'll work on the planning tomorrow while she's…oh the shop. I'll have Jack ring her to help at the shop, I can get it all worked out then," Rory says with excitement in his voice.
"Rory, I think I downed that hot cocoa too fast. I'm not feeling so great; maybe we should head home for the night?" Amy says, picking up her belongings.
"Have a good night, feel better Amy," Rose says walking them to the door and locking it behind them.
"How long is your mum going to be staying Love?" Jon asks as she comes back into the room.
"As far as I know just the weekend, why?" Rose responds downing the last of her coffee.
"I had a thought about telling her…well everything," Jon says nervously.
"Maybe if it's making you this nervous it's a bad thought," Rose says sweetly, coming to stand in front of him and running her nails along his scalp.
(Deep breath in, deep breath out) "I was thinking she could stay for a week. We could take her to Gallifrey with us. If she sees it herself, it will save all the time and hassle of her denying it," he rushes the words out, wrapping both his arms around her waist and placing his forehead on her belly.
Rose stays quiet, continues running her hands though his hair as she considers his idea. To be honest she has no clue how to impart all of this information to Jackie. It's something she's been worrying over and maybe taking her there, showing her irrefutable proof that this entire fantastical story is true is the best way to do that. She can hardly argue with what's right in front of her face, well okay it's Jackie, so she very well could but maybe it would be less of an argument. "I could see if she'll come in on Wednesday night, after the meeting with the University. We could leave Thursday morning. How long will it take to get there?" Rose asks softly.
"Private Jet, only a few hours. We could leave Wednesday night, maybe just have her meet us at the airport," Jon responds just as softly, placing a small kiss on her belly and sighing peacefully. He loves this part; well he loves all the parts of being with Rose he thinks. This part though, when it's just them and everything is calm and quiet…peaceful. They have been rare since the start of this whole thing and he cherishes every moment like this that comes along. Neither one of them freaking out over anything, no one feeling sick, no overwhelming colors or emotions, just an average normal bloke with his devastatingly beautiful fiancé and baby…yes he definitely loves these moments.
"I'll have to call mum and see if she'll go. What do I say? Just that we want to take her away for a few days?" she asks.
"Mmm, sound good to me," he responds in a sleepy tone.
"How about you get ready for bed and I'll call mum. Maybe find something to put on telly to fall asleep to yeah?" Rose suggests.
"Okay," he says standing and kissing her softly, before heading to their room.
Rose sits on the couch and tosses her phone from hand to hand trying to think of how to get Jackie to go along with this. The longer she thinks about it the more panicked she becomes until she's close to a panic attack. She tries calming herself, breathing like her therapist had taught her. She lowers her head between her knees, closes her eyes, breathes in and out deeply and slowly, tries to regulate her pulse rate and stop the blood that's rushing through her.
For Jon, the moment the panic attack sets in is akin to someone scraping their nails down a chalkboard…inside his brain. He immediately turns back and heads towards where he left Rose. When he makes the corner he sees her sitting on the couch, head between her knees and breathing slowly. Jon wants to go to her, hold her, tell her everything will be okay…he will make everything okay, but he knows he can't. He knows he needs to quit trying to make her into a damsel in distress. Rose is intelligent and capable, strong and resilient and he has to start treating her as such. He thinks it's probably been a nice respite for her, having other people to worry over her and take care of day to day things for her, but he also knows that will only be appreciated for so long.
Eventually Rose is going to get annoyed with everyone treating her as if she hadn't been caring for herself all these years. So he doesn't interrupt her, doesn't go to her and try to fix this for her. He does however tap into the bond and leaves it open. Now that he's figured out how to do that, he tries for the most part to keep it closed, but right now…well she's upset…he's not rushing in to fix it for her but he wants to know immediately if she needs him, so he leaves it open and heads back to the room to give her privacy.
About 15 minutes later, Rose has her emotions back under control and her stress lowered enough to make the call to Jackie. As the phone starts to ring she still has no idea what she's going to say. "Rose, I'm so glad you called," Jackie says excitedly.
"Hi mum, how's life in London?" Rose asks.
"Pftt, same as ever," Jackie replies, "Works been slow, money's been tight and men are slim pickins. What goin' on with you? I wasn't expecting to hear from you till Thursday when you called and texted a million times to confirm my arrival time and what not," Jackie says laughing.
"That's uh…well that's um why I'm calling actually," Rose says hesitantly.
"Rose Marion Tyler! Are you cancelling our weekend? After not seeing me for 10 years you're going to cancel our time together? Rose why? Did I…I thought we were getting on better?" Jackie ends in a whining tone.
"No mum" Rose says quickly, "I'm not cancelling. In fact Jon and I were hoping to extend your visit by a few days."
"Oh," Jackie says surprised, "I…well how much longer did you want me to stay Rose?"
She can hear the excitement in Jackie's voice and she swears she can feel her nervousness over the phone. "Uh, well Jon…he umm…he wants to take us to his home, show us around some. We'd like you to come on Wednesday and we'd leave that night. Maybe be gone through the weekend, come back on Monday likely," she says stuttering and very quickly.
"What do you mean home? I thought you two lived in Cardiff? Didn't he say he owned his flat there?" Jackie asks suspiciously. Clearly she has not been given all of the information, which really with Rose she should have assumed that. It's always been this way with her, never the full story, always bits and pieces handed out over time. On the one hand Jackie had hoped she'd matured past that through the years, but on the other hand she's overjoyed at another piece of Rose that has remained the same, familiar, still her Rose.
"Yeah we do live in Cardiff, but he wasn't born here mum. He didn't live here his whole life yeah? Remember, Jon told you he's only been in Cardiff for about 12 years or so. Anyways," Rose says, frustration lacing her tone, "Did you want to come with us or not? I mean you don't have to. We can plan it for another weekend. I know I just kind of sprang this on you last minute so if you don't want to go I'll…"
"No Rose, I'll go," Jackie replies interrupting her, "I'm sure it will be lovely. Are we going to meet his family?" she asks back to being nervous. Jackie doesn't really know how to behave around posh people and she's not really adept at moderating her behavior.
"Mum, Jon doesn't have any family," Rose says soft and sad, "There's Donna, they grew up together and she's his best friend, more like a sister, but he doesn't have any blood relations…anymore."
"That's awful Rose, what happened to them all? He has no parents or cousins, aunts, uncles? No one?" Jackie asks sadly.
"He has me now, and I'm never gonna leave him," Rose says with quiet determination.
Jackie can hear the resolve in her daughters voice as she says it, knows 100% that if she is to have Rose in her life she will have to accept Jon as well. Accepting Jon means accepting his life, however different it is and uncomfortable Jackie may be with it. She had let Rose down before, was never the kind of mum she should have been after Pete died and Rose is giving her an opportunity to repair that damage now. "I know Rose. I know you love him and he loves you. It was clear as day when you two were here. I Promise I'm not trying to cause issues, was just trying to get a feel for what to expect you know? I don't want to embarrass either of you and well…" Jackie says, allowing the sentence to trail off.
"Well what?" Rose pushes.
"I don't know nothin' bout bein' posh do I?" Jackie says defensively, "Not like I grew up rich or nothin' is it? How do you need me to act? Do I need to buy new clothes? Am I gonna have to eat weird foods that posh people eat even though they taste like a cat sicked up on the plate?"
"Mum," Rose says gently, "No, I just want you to be you. I'm not asking you to be something or someone you aren't. I just want you to come with us yeah? It's…well this is all kinda scary for me and I…it would be nice if you were there okay?"
"Course Rose, I'll always be there if you need me, please never doubt that," Jackie says trying to conceal her crying. After 10 years of living without her daughter, of truly believing she had committed acts beyond redemption, here was Rose offering absolution for her atrocious sins, offering forgiveness when Jackie knows she doesn't deserve it. Rose was always so caring, so loving and compassionate, even as a child. Jackie can still remember all of Rose's friends coming to her in troubled times. If they ever had an issue big or small, Rose was always the first person they came to for help or support. Jackie had worried over the last 10 years that she'd killed that part of Rose with her drinking and horrific treatment of her. But no, here she is…same loving, forgiving, compassionate girl she'd always been and that fills Jackie with a sense of joy and pride she hadn't felt in so long.
"I…mum don't cry. Just come up on Wednesday, text me when the trains almost here and I'll come get you. It's been a long day and I'm going to head to bed for the night. I love you mum," she says disconnecting the line and going into the bedroom.
Her eyes immediately search out Jon, he's in bed under the covers, book in hand and smiles to her has she makes her way over to him. "Rough call?" he asks as she starts stripping her clothes off. Oh, he wishes she would have changed in the loo. Jon knows he shouldn't be thinking about making love to her right now. He knows she just had an emotional call with her mum, knows she had a panic attack, knows she stressed out beyond the telling of it, but well…naked Rose…that image tends to wash away every other thought expect yes please, now and more and always and mine, mine, mine.
"Yeah," she says quietly, sliding beneath the covers, curling into him, "She's coming though, on Wednesday. So we can leave that night yeah?"
"Yes," he responds just as quietly, "I'll call Donna in the morning and let her know. She'll want to come with us I'm sure. Plus having her there, she's been managing the go between for me and the council, they'll expect to see her as well," he says as he turns the lights and telly off.
"Thought we were gonna watch telly for a bit?" Rose says, cuddling further into him.
"Mmm…yeah we were, but you're tired and we have attorneys coming over in the morning, maybe some good sleep would be best," he whispers, kissing her forehead.
"Is it ever going to get easier Jon? Our life…is it always going to be like this? One stressful thing after another after another. It's as if the catastrophes have lined up and are waiting their turn to mess with us," she says, exasperation clear in her tone.
"Better they take turns than come at us all at once," he says lightly running his arm up and down her back, "At least we've managed to get one thing taken care of…or mostly taken care of before the next issue arises. It will get better Rose, I promise. Starting a life together is hard on everyone; we just have a little more…accommodating to incorporate is all." He feels her breaths coming in slow and steady against his chest and knows she's fallen asleep. Jon reaches over for the remote and puts the lights on dim, grabs his book and continues to read. He knows he should try and sleep as well, but he's not ready. His mind is buzzing with all of the new possibilities this trip brings. He's going home, Gallifrey…it's been so long and he has no idea what type of reception he'll receive.
Jon knows he didn't abandon his duties as King; he has after all been running things from Cardiff with a significant amount of help from Donna. Still though, he's been gone from Gallifrey and the public eye for a long time and he's not so sure the public will be as understanding and forgiving as his council members. He thinks the homecoming will be more pleasant with Rose there. She'll be calming for him as well as provide an air of stability to his title, should they choose to keep it. His reign has been unusual in more ways than one. First his parents died before he could be crowned, years before he should have even had to worry about such things. Then…the basement and Davros and River and the aftermath of that. He knew when they escaped he couldn't go home, couldn't be what Gallifrey needed him to be, he was just far too broken to be in charge of anything. Once he started getting his life together, started thinking maybe he could go home, his inability to form a connection to a potential partner stopped him again.
If he was to be King…properly, than he'd need a partner by his side and he just couldn't seem to make that happen…until now…until Rose. She's so strong, has so much determination and courage packed into that tiny little body of hers. Jon thinks she's going to make a wonderful Queen, fair and strong, compassionate, intelligent. In so many ways…the most wonderful of ways Rose reminds him of his mum. Jon had given a lot of thought over the years, mostly at Donna's urgent request, as to whether or not to abdicate his throne. It was never something he took lightly and was never something he was able to convince himself of doing. Also, he needs to explain to Rose that he technically in NOT the King…yet. At this point he's still the Prince of Gallifrey. He never returned after the death of his parents, well that's not true either. He did return once, for the burial ceremony, but he's not been back since that day. There are several customs and procedures that need to be adhered to before he can actually be the King.
His attorneys will be here tomorrow, they will be able to explain the legalities of the situation to Rose. Jon knows they will be able to give her all of the proper information in a more…informative manner. He tends to become overly emotional and incapable of providing complete and proper information on the topic of Gallifrey. He places the book on his nightstand and turns the lights off before sliding as close to Rose as possible. Once he closes his eyes it takes but a second to bring up the last image he saw of his home and that is what he falls asleep to…home…Gallifrey…Rose.