Chapter 8 One Hundred Forty Nine

He was rummaging through some boxes under the Tardis console the next day when Rose came in the room. "Are you going to be long here?" she asked. "No I was just looking for something I want for the house." "Great", she said, "I want to talk about the furniture. We have the whole bottom floor to equip. I've made a list of things I'd like. Do you think we can scavenge a few things from the Tardis? I don't expect to be able to find everything, but at least a few basics."

Her face turned sad. "We may have to go off world and get the rest, though, I don't want to. I'm not ready to leave this place. I'm afraid we won't make it back, or someone will follow us. This is our world now. I don't want to share it." He popped up from beneath the metal grate. "We don't have to go anywhere. The storeroom should have everything we need. Where do you think I got all the bedroom furniture from? Come on, I'll show you." He knew she would be helplessly lost without his lead and he teased her mercilessly.

"Up the stairs, past the bedrooms, third hall on your right, the second door on the left, then past the infirmary." Rose was all turned around. He opened the door and there was a huge warehouse full of stuff. Not just furniture, but statues, and gizmos, and shelves with jars full of heaven knows what. "I think we can find what you want here."

He was proud of this collection. It represented all his time on the Tardis and her previous owners. Things cherry picked from all over space and time and stored here. He was going to have to go through it all one day. He really had no idea what was in this room.

Rose was a little less proud. Despite all the wondrous things she could see, everything was in disarray. Just to get through the piles of chairs and tables, cabinets and cupboards, desks and bookshelves could take weeks. "We'll have to relocate the Tardis to the other side of the lake, unless you want to carry all this husband."

"Of course, She knows the way, don't you dear." He patted the door frame and the Tardis chirped a response. "Well, let's get started." Rose read off the first few items she considered basics. She had pictured the room in her mind and already had a place for all the items on her list. "A comfy sofa and chair or two, end tables and lamps for each, coffee table, curio cabinet and bookshelves, pictures for the walls, a plant stand would be nice, rugs, drapes, pillows, a wall clock, something for the fireplace mantle,"

She would have kept on going, but he interrupted. "Hey, woah. I hope you weren't thinking of all this getting done today." "That's just for the den." she replied very matter-of-factly. Then we have the parlor, living room, the kitchen, the rooms upstairs, the bathrooms, the patio. What's the matter, afraid of a little work? Hmmm? Been sitting on your duff for too long that's the problem. Honeymoon's over, time to get to work. Oh, do you think there's any paint in this place? I'd like the den to be green and the living room blue."

He was chuckling to himself wishing he had never found the house. He reached out and grabbed her around the waist, bringing her close. He breathed huskily in her ear, "You're going to wear me out and then I won't be of any use to you." She smiled pressing herself into him, whispering, "I'll take that chance." He broke into a full laugh. "Go move the Tardis while I start picking things out." Rose was in charge. "And don't think you can sneak off. I know where you sleep."

The room was bigger than Rose dreamed. She found everything she wanted, well, except the paint. It took weeks to find and pull out everything. Then carefully arrange it where she wanted. Some things looked good in the warehouse, but terrible in the room and had to be replaced. He was going to leave the Tardis outside in the yard, but Rose wouldn't hear of it.

She made a special home for the Tardis in the corner of the parlor. A lovely Persian rug for underneath and a plant stand with a fresh blooming plant from the garden. A nice comfy chair and ottoman sat next to her, and a floor lamp with a Tiffany shade to make it easy to keep her company.

By the time Rose was done it was a proper job. The house was warm and inviting with little touches that expressed their personalities. She made sure he picked out some of his favorite things to adorn the tables around the house and fireplace mantle. There was some difficulty when it came to pictures for the walls. She finally had a chance to ask him about the ones in his bedroom. Each planet had a story that made them special to him, but he said he didn't want them at the house. They were from his travels and he considered it a part of his life he'd happily left behind when he married Rose.

She didn't want any pictures of the Earth either. This was her home now and with her mum gone, there was nothing for her there. Now that she had the inside done, she wanted the outside to be just as nice. But the weather did not cooperate, and she resolved to have to leave it until the following spring, much to the Time Lords relief.

So now they had a home to call their own filled with wonderful things. If he had been paying attention, he might have noticed Roses nesting instinct kicking in. But men are the same everywhere and he was caught off guard.

"Rose" he called again. "Rose! Breakfast is ready! You don't get it in bed every day. Come on before it gets cold." There was no response. Not a squeak. This was not at all like her. She was always ready for a good meal, and he loved to show off and cook for her. He went upstairs to their room and found her crying. "Rose?"

He sat distressed next to her on the bed and put his arm around her waist. "Tell me what it is." She looked at him with tears in her eyes and shook her head. "It's nothing." She would only say, "Never mind, I'll be ok." He knew she was lying the same way she knew when he was. "Don't give me that. You're upset. Now what is it?"

She knew he wouldn't stop until he knew. "I told you it's nothing. I'm just having my" she stopped, trying to think of how to put it.

"I'm not pregnant."

He was quiet, not knowing how to feel about it. "I was late, and I thought maybe…but, no." Rose had been thinking about a nursery and baby things for days now. She was clearly disappointed, and as he thought about it, so was he. "Rose, it's ok. It may take a while. If it makes you feel better, It's not you, it's me.

Time lords are not supposed to reproduce. Our genes have been altered to prevent it, well, make it less likely." She objected, "But you said you had children before." "Yes" he said, not liking where this conversation was going. "Well, how long did it take you and your wife to have your son?" She asked, but felt bad, butting into a very personal matter on a painful subject.

"After we were married, we tried for a long time." He hesitated to say how long but knew she would insist on knowing. " I was a proud father at 149 when my son was born. Middle age in my first regeneration." Roses jaw dropped. "149", She couldn't believe what she just heard. "149! I don't have that kind of time!"

He could see this would be a difficult issue for her to face. "You told me we had a good chance of having children. Why didn't you tell me how difficult it was going to be? 149!" He objected, "To be fair my wife was also a Time Lord. We met at the academy and just hit it off because..." The look in her eye told him she wasn't interested in his stroll down memory lane.

"Would it really have made a difference?" He began to parody her, "OH, last night was great but if we can't have children in the first six months then forget it." He didn't realize until too late he was on dangerous ground. When talking to a hungry, hormonal, human woman with cramps who's just had a big disappointment, one should really tread gently.

She was furious. "You're a great one, you are. Making fun of me now. Oh, I see, all sweetness and flowers when you want to kanoodle, but cold and hard when I ask a simple question I have every right to know. Well, that brass telescope in your room is just your type. Made of metal with no feelings to hurt. Maybe you should go sleep with it tonight!" She slammed the door as she left the room. Leaving him to consider his options, which were none.

Rose grabbed a jacket as she ran out the door. She was still angry, but it was giving way to disappointment again. The irony of being sad about not being pregnant and making him sleep in another room was not lost on her. Still, he shouldn't have let her believe it would be easy.

Everything else about him was superhuman, why couldn't this be too? She sat on a bench in the yard to think. He was right and she hated that. They had only been a couple for a few months. There was lots of time yet. It was just that the delay had caused her to hope and think and plan. He came looking for her. "Rose?" She ignored him. After all, she had her pride. He sat behind her but didn't dare get close without a good apology. Unless he wanted an elbow in his ribs.

"I'm sorry Rose. I should have…. That is, I didn't expect…." He heaved a sigh, "Ok, bad Time Lord… Forgive me." She made him wait for it but leaned back on his chest without looking or saying anything. He was cautious, "Can we start this conversation over? I'd like to get it right."

"There's nothing to discuss." She said flatly. He smoothed her hair and rubbed her cheek. "Rose. I'm disappointed too." He felt her mood melt instantly and put his arms around her as she snuggled in close. He decided it was best to let it go for now. "Hey, I brought you a muffin. You didn't have any breakfast." He produced a muffin wrapped in a towel.

"What flavor?"

"Blueberry of course. I didn't need to be sleeping in my old room permanently." She laughed and took the muffin, splitting it in half for him.