XxxxxXxxxxxxx

Chapter 34 – Their Own Christmas

After a quick pop back to the island home to change into something warmer, the Doctor popped himself and Rose into a city. It was frigid and had been snowing. Rose looked around and saw a huge, lit Christmas tree with golden statues around it. A large ice rink lay in front of them. Even though it was late at night, many people still skated around.

Rose smiled as she held his hand. He looked at the scene in front of them, "Rockefeller Center at Christmas. It doesn't get much more Christmas than this!"

"New York, right?" she smiled.

"Yep. Rockefeller Center. One of the foremost architectural projects undertaken in American in terms of scope, urban planning and integration of architecture, art and landscaping. It was developed by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. The original complex of fourteen buildings were constructed between 1931 and 1939, and provided jobs for thousands of laborers in the building industries throughout the depression."

Rose giggled as he looked back at him, "How do you ever remember all of that sort of stuff?"

He smiled at her, "I'm clever."

She nodded her head. "Yes, you are. Did you ever visit here while this was being built?"

He bit his lip and sighed, "I'll tell you about it sometime. Want to skate?"

She giggled and shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not sure if I know how. Do you know how to skate?"

He held her hand as they walked to the skate rental. "I'm sure I have at some point. We'll see if I remember how."

The lady didn't recognize them and gave them two pair of skates. After they thanked her, they walked over to sit down on a bench to put them on.

He mumbled under his breath, "And you have been telling Genie that I'm clumsy."

She laughed, "You are not going to fuss at me now about that, are you?"

He didn't look at her as he put on his skate. "Millions of years old, lived through you wouldn't believe what. My six year old daughter refuses to let me learn how to surf because she says I'm too clumsy."

Rose rolled her eyes at his grumbling. "She's just worried about you."

He sat up and watched Rose tie her skates. She was having a hard time doing it while wearing her gloves. He leaned down and took over, "Here. Let me do that."

Rose rubbed her gloved hands together. "Baby, she's lost so much. She is worried she's going to lose you."

He nodded his head. "Yeah. We talked a bit about that today. That's the reason I'm not fighting her about it."

He slipped their shoes into his bigger on the inside pockets. Then he held out his hands to help Rose to her feet. "Okay. Have you ever skated at all?"

She smiled, "Roller skates. When I was a little girl."

He smiled like a loon. "I bet you drove Jackie mad."

She laughed as he helped her onto the ice. She was unsteady on her feet at first, but quickly remembered found her balance and carefully was able to skate while she held his hand.

"Alright?" he asked.

"I think so."

"Good, you can catch me when I fall." He teased.

"Try not to do that." She laughed at him.

They held hands while they skated around the rink. The snow started to fall again. Rose smiled as she looked around.

The rink didn't have many people there at all. The ones who skated were so concerned with not falling that they never noticed that Rose Tyler was among them. The black, stocking cap she wore didn't hurt to hide her identity.

After several laps around the skating rink, they sat down on a bench.

"What's the matter?" Rose asked.

He looked surprised back at her. "Nothing. I thought you might need to rest your ankle for a bit. Is it sore?"

"Now it is that you have mentioned it." Rose smiled.

He looked back at the skaters and nodded his head. "This cold. The strain on it. I didn't think this completely out."

She smiled as she rubbed his thigh. "I'm fine. Just give it a bit. I love this. Thank you. Very Christmas."

He smiled as he nodded his head. They sat together and watched the skaters.

"Ice skating. James II brought this back to Great Britain from the Netherlands. He learned how to skate when he was exiled there in the 17th century. Mostly the upper classes of people enjoyed it for years after that including, King Louis the XVI of France and someone you remember, Madame de Pompadour."

Rose smiled at him, "Did you go back and see her after that time that we met?"

He didn't look back at her. "Nah. I was so inter wound with her time line, it wouldn't be safe to do that."

She noticed he looked out at the skaters and got quiet. "You fancied her." She teased.

He laughed in disbelief. "Oh geez."

"I can tell. The mention of her gave you a little flutter."

He propped his face in his hand and looked back at her. "A flutter?"

She smiled teasingly, "A flutter."

He laughed under his breath as he continued to look at her with his face in his hand. "What happens when you say your name?"

She smiled as she put her tongue between her teeth. He treaded his fingers between hers as he held her hand. "I'm not really touching you. I don't know if I could tell."

"Oh, you can tell." He smiled.

She leaned over and kissed him as she said, 'Rose', in his head.

Their lips touching helped her feel his emotions more clearly than she was able to before. She felt his love wash over her as if it was a giant ocean wave. She felt his determination to keep her safe. His sadness, worry and his lust for her.

She felt his gloved hand rise to her face and stroke her cheek. The sudden cold touch made her jump.

He laughed, "Oh. Sorry about that."

She giggled as they returned to looking at the skaters.

Rose asked, "I've not asked you lately. How are you?"

He looked confused at her. "Fine. Why?"

"I mean. Being here-"

"Oh. Phhh… I'm fine. Don't worry about me, Rose."

She rolled her eyes.

He looked back at her. "How are you doing? Being here?"

She smiled. "I'm alright. I have you. I have my family. I have a houseful of Quauhtin."

He laughed, "A madhouse for certain."

"I miss Micky. I wish he hadn't left. Although…."

He looked back at her. "Although, what?"

"You two would have fought so much."

He nodded his head. "You're probably right. More than Jack and I do."

"I believe you enjoy arguing with Jack."

He smiled, "I've known Jack a long time."

"You never told me what happened. After the platform and the Daleks, you left him."

He looked back and her and sighed, "He had died. You know that."

"He hadn't. You knew it."

He shook his head. "I really didn't."

"You really did. I know you did. Why?"

He looked surprised back at her. "How do you know that? No one knows that."

She bit her lip and shook her head. "I shouldn't have said that-"

He kissed her hand. "No. It's alright. How do you know that?"

She closed her eyes tightly and shook her head. "It was that voice that I sometimes hear."

He sat stunned at her. After a bit, he simply said, "Huh."

"Baby, please say something."

He raised her hand and kissed it again. "I found Jack again when I was traveling with Martha. We went through a lot together. I dropped Martha off for a while, she needed to go to a party or something. I can't remember what. So, Jack and I traveled together for a while before we went back to pick her up."

"A while? How long?"

He shook his head. "I don't know. I've never thought about it. It seemed whenever we planned to go back to get her, something else would come up. We were gone a long time."

"Does she know this?"

He looked at the skaters and shook his head. "No. She thought it was a few hours later."

"Did you ever do that to me?" Rose asked.

He thought for a moment. "I don't think I did. But, Jack might say differently. I would have to think on it."

She rubbed his thigh. "It's not important."

A woman skated near them. "I'm so sorry to bother you both, but are you Rose Tyler?"

Rose smiled at the lady. "Yes. I am."

She smiled, "Oh wow. I thought that had to be you!" She pointed at the Doctor. "I thought you had a beard."

He smiled, "I shaved it just this afternoon. I'm missing it with this cold. Doctor Johnathon Smith."

She shook his hand, "It is lovely to meet you. I'm didn't mean to bother you, I'm sure you get a lot of that when you go out."

They shook their heads. Rose smiled, "It's not as bad as one would think."

"Well, I just wanted to say that I think these people who have been trying to hurt you and your family should be in jail. Or worse. Anyone that keeps a child from their dreams is cruel indeed."

They nodded their heads in agreement.

"Well, I won't bother you. You came to skate, not to speak to me. Merry Christmas."

Rose smiled and told her, "Merry Christmas" as she skated off. She looked back at the Doctor. "That was nice."

"Want to skate some more?"

She smiled, "Sure."

XxxxxxxXxxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxxx

After Rose decided she had gotten cold enough, they turned in their skates and walked to a place where they could pop away unnoticed. When they arrived back to their island home, Rose immediately shivered. "Okay. I didn't realize I was that cold until we're back where it's warm."

He chuckled at her as he took off his wool coat and gloves, and tossed them on the back of the sofa. Rose handed him her coat, and he tossed it on top of his.

She smiled at him, "Alright. I know you have some big plan-"

He laughed, "Oh, it always seems like that doesn't it?"

"I want you to do one thing for me."

He smiled as he looked at her. "You know I would do anything for you."

She smiled as she walked over and took his hands in hers. "Arla showed me around this island yesterday."

He dropped his head and groaned, "Damn it. I'm sorry. I've been so busy. Rose, I meant to get to that."

She pat his chest. "Baby. It's alright. She told me that there was one room you needed to show me. It has…the Tank?"

His eyes lit up. "Yes! The Tank! You haven't seen that?"

"No. I've heard about it."

He took her hand and pointed at her. "I'll take you there."

She covered his arm. "Don't pop us there. Walk with me down there. I have no idea where it is."

He nodded his head. "Sure, Rose. Sure."

He took her hand and they walked down the stairs together. The house seemed even bigger than it normally did. It was dark and quiet. They were the only ones there.

They got to the sitting room, walked through the hallway and out to the main entry room. Rose stopped and looked around. "Okay. I haven't told you. But, I love this!"

He stopped and turned on a light so she could see the room better. A round table sat in the middle of the room with a large vase of flowers. The stone walls opened up at the top of the room. He pointed to it, "That's a small walkway on the second floor. The children like to throw things down here from there. Lewis started them doing it. They have to hit a certain spot on the wall, or the floor."

Rose smiled as she looked back at him, "Lewis loves playing with the children."

He smiled, "They see it as playing. He's training them. It's what Quauhtin do."

She looked at him curiously, "Explain that."

"The pillow ambushes, foot races, climbing on the nets, throwing stuff at a target, it is how Quauhtin begin to train their children. It's seen as playing by the young so they never question it, but in reality, it's to sharpen their motor skills and make them stronger."

"That's interesting." She smiled as she looked at the opening. I remember seeing this on the blueprints, but it's odd to see it in….ummm…"

"Reality. Yes." He smiled. "Arla probably didn't show you any of this." He walked with her through another hallway. He stopped and held up a finger. He opened a door and turned on a light. They stood in the doorway of the largest room Rose had ever seen in her life. It looked like a stadium. Inside sat a merry go round, a set of full sized playground swings, a football pitch, and a large playground system that looked identical to the one on the ship.

Rose smiled, "The children's playroom?"

"Yes. They need a place they can play when it rains. We're still finding things to copy and put in here. I should put a skating rink in here. That would be good. The children want a coaster, but. Nah."

"Too dangerous. I agree with you on that one."

He chuckled as she let go of his hand and walked into the room. She saw three trees, each with a different treehouse built into the top of it. All three treehouses were joined together with rope bridges. She smiled as she pointed up at it.

He put his hands in his pockets, "Yeah, I'll have to put another one there when Sam gets older. For him."

She smiled as she walked a bit further into the room. "Is that a train?"

He chuckled, "Yeah. Just a small one. The track goes most of the way around the room. That's Zeus' favorite thing. He will ride on that all day."

She walked back over and wrapped her arms around him. "You spoil these children."

He smiled, "Just a little."

She kissed his lips quickly. "Show me the rest."

He smiled as he lead her out of the room and back down the hallway. He pointed at a door. "That's a loo, in case you need to drag me into one."

She rolled her eyes at him.

He pointed at another room. "That's another space I'm going to make bigger, but I'm not sure what I'm going to put in it."

She nodded. "I might have some suggestions."

"I welcome them. There's space on the end of the hallway for more bigger on the inside rooms, too. I wanted to make sure we had plenty of room to grow in the years to come."

She smiled at his words.

He opened another door and turned on light. "This, is the indoor football pitch."

They walked in and Rose saw a full sized pitch to the right. On the left, was the Tank. He walked into the room and pointed everything out. "See, Rose. This is brilliant. There is a regular pitch over there, which I don't think we've ever played on. The children have rode their horse toys on that though, but we usually play in here."

He opened the glass door and they walked inside. "We call it the tank because, well, it looks like that. It's half the size of a pitch. You play all over. There are no rules. Well. That's how we play. You can kick the ball off of the ceiling, the wall, Jack's head, anything goes."

Rose put her hands on her hips. "Anything goes? How bloody do these games get?"

He bit his lip. "Ugh. We won't go into that."

"Do the children watch these games?"

He pointed his finger at her. "Ugh. Come on, and see the rest."

She raised her eyebrow at him as he showed her out of the Tank. "See, a scoreboard for both pitches. The one in the Tank is really loud, but that's because it's encased in there with it. There's seating for people to watch."

He patted the benches as they walked by.

"Who has came to watch?" she asked as he took her hand in his.

"Pete and Jake both sat out here and watched once. He had came to tell me about something."

They walked to the back of the pitches to a hallway. He pointed in a room, "That's the First Aid room. In case someone gets hurt. It has a direct transport to the ship if needed."

Rose nodded her head, "Impressive."

He pointed down the hall, "And there's showers, lockers, toilets, an office. All of that sort of thing down there."

"An office? Who's office?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I suppose it would be Tony's. He's the coach after all. He uses the board in there to write out plays. Want to see it?"

She smiled, "Sure. My brother has an office. Who knew?"

He laughed as he walked down the hallway with her. He opened the door and turned on the light. His mouth dropped open as he saw the familiar blue Police Box sitting in the room.

"What?" he said under his breath.

Rose covered her mouth and smiled. "Baby. It's not what you think."

She could feel his anger nearly overwhelm him. He turned to look at her. "Rose. I'll handle this. I know exactly what to do. Stay here."

"Baby. It's not what you think."

He stormed over to the box. He mumbled something under his breath as he walked to the doors. Rose could feel his rage. "This is just not the day for this shit."

As he tried to push the door open, it wouldn't budge. Rose rushed to him and grabbed his arm. "Sweetheart. Please listen to me. It is not the TARDIS."

She could feel his relief and disappointment. He pulled the door and it opened easily. It was indeed just a regular, antique Police Box. He looked inside and rubbed his chin. Then he closed the door.

Rose took his hand. "Sweetheart. I'm sorry. I probably should have told you this was here."

He shook his head. "Wow. This."

Tears filled her eyes as she felt his shock. "Baby. I found this and asked Lewis to copy it here, for you. Please don't be angry."

He shook his head and quickly grabbed both of her hands. "No. Rose, I'm not angry with you. I'm just a bit…..shocked."

"I shouldn't have done this."

"No. This is fine. It's just. Well." He ran his hand through his hair as he walked around and looked at it.

Rose watched him and her sense of dread continued to grow. He looked back at her and shook his head. "Rose. Don't feel that way."

He noticed the tears in her eyes and quickly wrapped his arms around her.

She cried softly as she explained, "You are growing your TARDIS, and you said it will disguise itself."

He held her, "Shhhh… yes. This one will."

She looked at his face. "I knew you would want it to be able to look like a Police Box like you are used to. They are very hard to find, so I've looked for this one the entire time I was pregnant. I finally found it so you can take it to your growing TARDIS and show it to her."

"So, she will look like my old TARDIS." He smiled.

She nodded her head.

He smiled as he looked back at the Police Box. "I thought it was him. I was going to punch him out."

Rose smiled, "I've never seen you so angry."

"I'm sorry. I should have known it wasn't her." He pulled her into his arms and kissed her on the head. "That was so thoughtful, Rose. Thank you."

Relieved, she sighed into his chest. "I didn't mean to upset you. I didn't think-"

"I'm fine. Don't worry about upsetting me. I'm sorry I made you cry." He stroked her cheek his thumb. "My dear, there is nothing you could ever do that would make me so upset that it would change the way I feel about you."

She smiled, "I know that."

He looked at her seriously, "Do you really? Are you 100 percent certain about that?"

"Maybe like …. 92-"

"92?!" He exclaimed. "I've got some work to do."

She giggled, "Tell me something, that I've just noticed."

He let her go and ran his hand through his hair as they both looked at the blue box.

"This sign says to 'Pull to Open'."

He nodded his head. "The TARDIS originally looks like a ….ummm…. cylinder. One side, where the two doors are, is flat. The doors of a TARDIS open inside of the ship to prevent the doors from swinging open when it's in the Vortex. That would be bad."

Rose put her hand on her hip and looked at him curiously, "Read that in an owner's manual?"

He shook his head, "I didn't have an owner's manual for my TARDIS. Well, I did. But-"

"But what?"

"Oh, hell. I tossed it into a nebula or something. I don't know. It was never very useful."

She crossed her arms and laughed, "That is so you."

"Ah. I usually could figure it out. It was just cluttering up the ship. I needed the room."

"On a bigger on the inside ship. How big was the TARDIS?"

He bit his lip and looked at her. "Big."

"Did it have an end?"

He looked surprised at her. "Huh. Interesting. The voice ask that?"

Rose thought for a moment. "Yes."

He sighed and nodded his head. "It didn't have an end. Nothing that could be measured."

She looked frightened and took a deep breath.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

She held out her hand which he quickly took and kissed. "I'm right here, Rose."

She nodded her head and whispered. "I'm alright."

He pointed to the Police Box and smiled, "So, Happy Christmas, huh?"

She smiled as she wrapped her arms around him again. "Yes. Happy Christmas."

He looked back at her and cupped her face with his hands. "Rose, I really, honestly love it. It's the best thing you could have found for me. Thank you."

He leaned in and kissed her proper.

'Are you warm yet?' he asked her as they kissed.

'Yes. You?'

He smiled as he rubbed his nose to hers. "I'm alright. How's your ankle?"

"It's fine." She smiled.

He laid his forehead to hers as he continued to hold her in his arms. "This is our first Christmas together. I got you something that you asked for. But, I hope I didn't go too far with it."

She smiled, "Baby, don't put all of this pressure on yourself-"

"Says the woman who was just crying because she was worried she had upset me." He pointed out.

She rolled her eyes at him. "I'm not smacking you because it's Christmas."

He raised his eyebrows and smiled. "I wonder how much I can get away with tonight without a smack."

She giggled, "Don't push your luck."

He laughed as smiled at her. "You're right. Sorry. Umm…. Alright. Your gift. It's umm… something that when you get it, I don't want you to feel that you are under any …."

"Expectations?" She filled in the word for him.

"Yes. You asked me to get this for you, so I did. I was drunk when I went to get it and looking at it now, I was a bit…."

"Carried away?" She smiled.

"Oh. Well, you be the judge." He told her as he held her hand and popped them away.

XxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxxx