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Chapter 89 -
The flat was quiet. Howie, Caroline, Jacob and Harriet had returned to the Presidential Palace.
Rose and her mum had a long chat after Pete had gone to bed. Rose didn't know that the Doctor had told Jackie that he had used his regeneration energy to heal her. Jackie was very happy, but fussed at Rose for not telling her sooner. Jackie also told Rose how proud she was of her with the physics speeches, and how well she was handling the situation with Genie.
All in all, a wonderful chat. Rose was surprised because usually Jackie drove her crazy. She made a mental note to discuss it with the Doctor as soon as he returned. She hadn't heard anything from him, but knew he was safe. He wasn't even shielding her and Rose was surprised that she could feel his absentmindedness even though he wasn't in the flat near her.
She made herself a cup of tea and walked into their bedroom. She was surprised to find the Doctor sitting on the sofa in there, watching telly. He had his tablet on his lap and was wearing his glasses looking at something. Candy wrappers littered the coffee table he had propped his feet up on.
As soon as she walked in the room, he looked up at her and put his finger over his lips. He motioned for her to come over and look at something.
She walked to the other side of him to see Genie asleep. She was lying at an odd angle against him with her mouth open. She was covered with a small, pink blanket. That was nothing to what Tony looked like. He was sitting upside down, feet on the back of the sofa, sound asleep. His mouth was open and he was snoring.
She smiled at the Doctor who chuckled. "Oh, how I have missed this!" He told her quietly.
Rose giggled. 'Did you put them to sleep?'
The Doctor rolled his eyes. 'No! It's not always me! They both fell asleep that way. We all ate a lot of candy tonight.'
Rose sat down on the coffee table and smiled at him, 'That explains why Tony was so wild.'
The Doctor smiled as he looked at Tony. 'He reminds me of another little boy I used to know. He would be completely worn out, so he would get wilder to keep himself up. I would get him still for ten minutes, and he would go straight to sleep. Just like Tony. We were watching the football highlights. He didn't make it even eight minutes. It was brilliant! Sugar crash.'
Rose pointed at Genie. 'And Genie?'
The Doctor shook his head. 'Genie doesn't like candy as much. She doesn't like the taste of sugar. She got scared once she went to bed, so I went in to get her. She's been here, laying on me since. I didn't want to disturb you and Jackie. Seemed like you two were having a good chat.'
Rose nodded and smiled. 'We did. It was strange. Mum always has driven me mad. I don't know why we were able to get along so well this time.'
He smiled, 'She sees you as a parent. An adult. She spoke to you differently. It's a realization that all parents have with their children. Amazing. It's like a switch that gets flipped. Don't expect it all of the time for a while though. It takes some adjustment.'
Rose smiled at him. 'Everything alright at Torchwood?'
He nodded, 'Yeah, a simple crash. Jake and Jack are sorting it out. Somewhere in Australia. I have allowed Jack to use his Vortex Manipulator to take a small holiday after it is sorted, provided they both return before the morning.'
Rose smiled, 'Are they together?'
He tossed his hands up, 'I don't know. Neither one of them will answer me about it. We need to get Genie the Interrogator to ask them! She could get to the bottom of that.'
Rose smiled as she looked at Genie, 'That should could. Wow. She's something.'
'I told her a new story tonight. Rixalarian fairy tale. She loved it.' He said as he looked down at Genie and ran his hand across her hair.
Rose smiled, 'She's so lucky to have you.'
The Doctor took off his glasses and tossed them on the table in front of him. He rubbed his face and looked up at Rose, 'I owe you an apology. I'm so sorry I reacted the way I did today. I tell you all of the time that you can tell me anything, but I won't let you when you try. I'm so, so sorry. That is just something…..'
Rose sat down on the other side of him on the sofa. She wrapped her arms around him as he leaned into her. 'Sweetheart, it is alright. I know you hate talking about anything to do with him. I had expected you to blow up about it.'
He shook his head. 'No, it wasn't fair to you. I'm not cross with you at all about it, and I'm worried you think I might be. I'm just cross with him. Out of everything he could have said, I can't believe he would pick that.'
Rose laid her forehead on his and ran her hands through his hair. 'You don't have to talk about this. I can tell it's very painful.'
'No more was a declaration I made on a day that I had to make a terrible decision. One I'm ashamed of. One I wish I could have done differently.' He told her.
'I'm sure you had no other choice.' Rose told him as she continued to run her hand through his hair. She could feel him relaxing.
'I felt like I didn't. The High Council had come up with a mad plan they called 'Gallifrey Stands.' All of the soldiers I fought with called it 'Gallifrey Falls'. It was the last day of the Time War.'
Rose sat up and looked at him. She said quietly, "That's what he said! He said to tell you next, 'Gallifrey Falls, No More."
The Doctor looked confused. "Well, that makes no sense."
Rose held his hand, "I'm not going to explain this well. I didn't understand it. He said that it had worked, and he was looking for it. He told me to ask you to try to remember that day. There were three of you there. You worked out a mad plan to hide Gallifrey. Just like a painting."
He looked confused. "Hide Gallifrey? No, Gallifrey was destroyed. Not hidden."
Rose shook her head, "He said it wasn't. He said it took all thirteen of you and all thirteen of your TARDIS's. You pushed it through a cube. Does that make sense?"
"A STASIS CUBE!" he exclaimed causing Genie to stir a bit.
He quickly looked down at her and rubbed her back. "Shhhh…" he said.
'Stasis Cube? Is that what he said?' he asked Rose.
Rose nodded her head. 'I think so.'
He rubbed his beard. 'Wow. That's brilliant! That would take a lifetime of calculations to manage that!'
Rose smiled, 'Clever. He said he returned to the first one of you, well and him, and planted the idea. He said you could even hear it in your screwdriver if you listened. It took centuries to work out, and you had worked on it all of your lives.'
The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and listened to it. He changed some settings and listened again. "No. I don't believe it." He whispered as he shook his head.
Rose looked at him, 'Listen again.'
He put his screwdriver back in his pocket. 'No. I can't think about this right now.' He told her as he rubbed his face. She could feel his heartache.
Rose took his hand, 'I'm surprised at this. Really?'
He shook his head. 'No. I don't believe it. Gallifrey could not have survived. A stasis cube to hide an entire planet?' Nah. He's just trying to wind me up. I'm not going to let him.'
Rose looked surprised at him, 'You hate him so much that you-'
'I don't trust him. Not one bit. Not after what he did to us. If he wants to believe it, fine. But…. he's probably just lying to himself to excuse what he did. What we did. Finally has gone completely mad.'
'What do you mean by that?' Rose asked him.
He looked back at her. She could feel his heartache. He rubbed her thigh. 'This. I might talk about one day, Rose. For him, it's probably been hundreds of years ago that it happened. For me, it's rather recent. I'm not able to ….. I can't really think about it right now.'
Rose kissed his forehead. 'I get that. Sweetheart, I'm here if you need to talk about anything. You have me. You're not alone anymore.'
He smiled and looked up at her. 'I know, darling. Thank you. Neither are you. And, I promise I'll try to keep my temper under control better in the future. Don't let this discourage you from talking to me about anything. Alright?'
Rose put her hand on his cheek and leaned in to kiss him. 'I know it's one of those subjects with you. I'm not cross. Everything is alright.'
He smiled at her. 'Not angry at me, then?'
Rose smiled and shook her head. "Never."
He put his hand on her cheek and looked her in the eyes. "I love you. So much…. I can't explain. More than anything. More than words could allow me to express it."
She giggled, "I love you, my Nehyta. With everything that is me. I know you can feel it. I can feel your love."
He smiled and Rose felt him relax. She didn't realize he had been tense all night. He rubbed his face.
Rose smiled at him. "Tired?"
He smiled and stood up, 'I'll get these children in bed, and then I need to talk to you about something.'
Rose got up and picked up Genie, the Doctor picked up Tony. They tucked them both in their beds and returned to their bedroom, closing the door.
Rose put her hands on her hips, "Are you okay?"
He looked at her and nodded his head as he sat back down on the sofa, "Yes, dear. I'm alright. Don't worry about me."
She laughed. "Alright. Here we go again with that word."
He chuckled. "Yep. The return of alright."
She sat down next to him on the sofa. "What are you even watching? CNN?"
He chuckled, "Yes. This program has a host that interviews people. Howie and Harriet have both been on this show. They said he's really fair. I'm finding it pretty entertaining because of all of the aliens on this channel."
Rose took off her trainers and pulled her feet under her. "Aliens? On CNN?"
He laughed, "Oh yes! Look at this." He brought up his tablet to a listing of all of the news anchors on the station. "He's from Coronae Borealis. Traditionally very dishonest people. I find him very entertaining. These three are from…ummm…..Thuban. Their planet was destroyed in a war about 231 years ago. Most of them immigrated to the United States then. And this one is from, Sualocin, I think. I'm not completely sure."
Rose laughed at him, "This is what you do to entertain yourself?"
He smiled, "I can't even help it. It's a sense I have. Plus, you can tell by how they talk. Certain words they pronounce….. funny…."
"Why are you watching CNN?" she asked putting the tablet on the coffee table.
He put his arm around her shoulder. "Okay, listen to this first. In 1960…maybe it was 1961, the first Presidential Debates were put on the telly from the United States. Nixon vs. Kennedy. Everyone was sure Nixon was going to win the election, even though everyone knew Kennedy's family. They had been in the public eye for a very long time. He was seen as too young and inexperienced to lead a nation."
"Well, that night, Nixon was ill. He went ahead with the debate anyway. The people who listened to it on the radio were sure that Nixon had won the debate. However, everyone watching him on the telly could see how he looked sick. The next morning, everyone who had watched them on the telly had decided to vote for Kennedy because of how he answered the questions, and how he carried himself. They could see him as the president. A war hero who had broken his back. A father of two young children at the time. He seemed very presidential. It completely changed the nations' idea of the man. He went on to win the election that year."
Rose at him looked curiously. "There's a reason you are telling me this. What are you trying to talk me into?"
He smiled as he took her hand, "I want me and you to go on this program. Be interviewed by this man. Tell the world what they want to hear."
"WHAT?!" Rose exclaimed. She stood up and paced the room.
He sighed, "That went better than I expected."
Rose covered her face. "Okay, you talk about my mad ideas. This is the craziest thing I've ever heard!"
He lay down on the sofa and pointed at her. "Martha Jones walked the Earth for a year telling people stories about me saving this planet. All so they could think about me and save me from the Master. Now, that entire thing that happened is way more complicated that I care to explain, but thought is important. This idea of us being aliens has got to be changed."
Rose rolled her eyes. "But, you are an alien!"
He smiled, "But, I look like I'm not. See! I even wear a watch! Ever seen a Time Lord wear a watch?"
Rose threw her hands up.
He jumped off the sofa and grabbed her hands. "There isn't a royal family here. The closest thing the people here have to it is the Tyler family. We've got to change the opinion of the people here while we still can before this terrorism gets worse. Before it's too late. You've seen that they print something about the family daily in the paper. It's even on the news! And none of it is true because we aren't talking about anything, and so they are making stuff up to report. It's gone on for so long that it's going to take us sitting down and chatting about it."
Rose's eyes were huge. "What the hell are we going to say? Tell people you are from…..where?"
He shrugged his shoulders. "I've worked it all out. All of the questions they could ask. I think good on my feet, too. This is important for our safety, Rose. Think about it. I've always been able to talk my way out of anything. There is a reason I'm as old as I am. This is something I don't want to do, but I feel like it's completely necessary! You, me and the reporter."
"Can't we just do a magazine or paper?" Rose asked.
"How did that help Nixon? We are Kennedy in this situation. We need to change the people's option of us! They have to see us!" He reasoned.
Rose covered her mouth. "It's just so…."
"Exposed. I get it. Think of how I feel. At least you don't have to lie about the most basic things." He told her with a sigh.
"How are you even going to explain this entire thing? You?" Rose asked him.
He smiled, "I've got it all worked out. Trust me, Rose."
Rose shook her head, "No! They will take you away!"
"Where? To Torchwood? I'm the damn Director! They won't do that." He shook his head and held her hands. "We have to do this, Rose. It will make you safe. Well, safer. It will make Tony and Genie safe."
Rose looked at him. He could feel her fear. He patted her hand he held in his.
"Think about it." He told her. He rubbed his face as he sat down and put on his trainers. "Let's go someplace real quick. Genie is sleeping. We have a minute."
Rose put on her trainers. "Do we need a jacket?"
He stood up and looked at her wearing the sleeveless dress she had put on when she got back from her speech. He looked at how it hugged her curves. He rubbed his beard as he took it all in.
Rose smiled, "Umm…. Jacket?"
He looked up at her, "Hmmm? Oh yes! Sorry! Jacket! Probably."
"You are so funny." She told him as she put on a jacket and watched him put on his leather jacket.
He walked over and wrapped his arms around her. The next thing she knew, they had popped onto a boat dock. It was night and the wind blew off of the water.
"I didn't even touch your watch!" Rose exclaimed.
He rolled his eyes. "New watch, Rose. You don't have to do that now."
He took her hand and walked down the docks. Large sailboats rocked on top of the water. He smiled, "Wow. I always have loved this. It's so peaceful."
"Where are we?" Rose asked him.
He stopped and looked at her. He bit his bottom lip. "Hmmm…. On a boat dock. That's all you need to know at the moment."
Rose teased him. "You look like Han Solo in that jacket."
He turned and smiled at her comment as he continued to walk and look at the large boats. He suddenly found one that caught his eye. "Oh, I like that one! What do you think, Rose?"
Rose was so confused. "I have no idea about such things. I suppose it's nice."
He let go of her hand and to her complete surprise, stepped onboard the boat he had pointed out. He turned around and held his hands up to her. "Come on, Rose. Let's look at this one."
"Are you mad? This is someone's boat!" she fussed at him.
He put his hands on his hips and laughed, "Oh, I'm sure it is. It's really nice!"
She pointed at him. "You told me that you stole the TARDIS, are you thinking about something illegal?"
He rubbed his face, "Wow. What a man's wife thinks of him. No, woman! Get down here! It's alright."
She allowed him to help her onto the boat. When she stood up and looked at him, he smiled. "There was a reason I had to steal the TARDIS. One day, I'll tell you why."
She was surprised when he took his sonic screwdriver and unlocked the door to go below deck.
"Are you mad?" she asked him.
He teased her, "Maybe. Let's go look!" He held the door opened for her and turned on the light.
She rolled her eyes and stepped inside. Vases of roses were all over the room. Two champagne glasses sat on the cabinet along with a note. The Doctor walked over and popped open a bottle of champagne and poured them both a glass.
Rose's mouth hit the floor. "What is this? Have you bought a boat?"
He looked back at her. "No. Tony gave it to us. I lost a bet today with him, and this is what I would have won. He called me tonight and told me to go ahead and just take it as a wedding gift. I've neglected in doing something important and I really need you to forgive me for it."
Rose smiled at him as she took in the entire scene. "What have you done?"
He wrapped his arms around her waist and shook his head, "No, dear. It's what I've not done. I never took us on a honeymoon. It just got forgotten in all of this mess. I'm so sorry. Where would you like to go? Anywhere you like."
Rose laughed, "Oh, you are so funny! I counted Egypt as our honeymoon."
He smiled at her, "Yeah, that was pretty brilliant, wasn't it?"
"Joining in the desert. That was great." Rose told him. "As long as I'm with you, I'm happy. No matter where we are. Where are we?"
He shook his head, "On a boat. Our boat. I'm so sorry I've been so hard to live with lately."
Rose shook her head, "I don't think you've been hard to live with. What are you on about?"
He let go of her and handed her a glass of champagne. "I feel like I have been. Ugh. My TARDIS hates me. She's stopped growing. It's making me crazy."
Rose was shocked, "What? Is it dying?"
He drank his glass and poured another one, "No. It just has stopped. I can't explain it."
Rose sat down on the sofa. He walked over and handed her a glass of wine. "You've only started being able to hear it. Maybe it takes some time. It needs to get to know you."
"Ugh. It's so frustrating!" he complained as he drank some more wine. He poured himself another glass and leaned against the cabinet. "I have a question, and answer me honestly. Is this normal, yet?"
Rose sat down her glass, "Normal? What do you mean?"
"Back when we were living in your house. Back in London. I thought about just ….. dropping my title. Just being John. You told me that we hadn't had a normal life yet. Have we? Is this normal? Have we had it yet?"
Rose smiled as she slipped off her shoes. "Come here and sit with me."
He rubbed his face and brought over the champagne bottle and sat it on the table as he sat next to her. "Tell me. Honestly, Rose. Is this normal? Is this what life on the slow path is?"
Rose put her hand on his thigh and rubbed it. She smiled at him. "Tell me what you think it is. What do you see?"
He sighed, "Not much different than the life I have lived. Except there are big bits of nothing. Then bits of a million things all crammed together. Things you plan to do, only to get called away to do something else. Shocking revelations. Not knowing what is coming next. Fear of what that might be."
Rose nodded her head. "Yes. That's it. This is our normal. Crazy family. Beautiful daughter. Me and you. A flat. An island with a home soon-"
"Four months! Got the call today. Four months and it will be move-in ready!" he said as he drank the rest of his champagne.
Rose's eyes got huge. "Really? That quick?"
He refilled his glass. "It would have been three, but I asked for some more things. It pushed it out. Sorry."
Rose smiled, "That's totally fine! Wow! Four months."
He refilled his glass and drained it again. He sat the glass on the table and sighed. "Oh, I need a holiday. Already."
Rose laughed at him. "Tough day, huh?"
He chuckled as he sat back on the sofa. "Lots of tough days ahead, I'm afraid. This just really isn't what I expected."
Rose held his hand, "Is everything okay?"
He quickly looked at her, "Oh, yes. Everything is fine. I'm extremely happy. I just…. well…. I don't know what I expected."
Rose lay her legs in his lap as he wrapped his arms around her. "Tell me what you expected."
He shook his head. "Well, Genie was unexpected. But, she's wonderful. Tony and my relationship was unexpected. I love it. Playing football, Jack, having tea with bad guys, becoming Director, Pete getting hurt, getting shot at, getting shot, making friends with a weapons developer, doing things I swore I'd never do, I just…. Is this normal?"
He looked back at Rose. She could feel his concern. She laid her hand on his face. He leaned into her touch.
She smiled, "Yes. This apparently is our normal. I remember Mickey telling you that you never had a plan. You just made it up as you went along."
He laughed, "Yes. I remember that."
"You still do it brilliantly." Rose told him as she leaned in to kiss him. "Normal life on the slow path is just making it up as you go along and hoping for the best. You're doing fine."
He smiled as he looked at her. "Life on the slow path, is just….strange. And I'm worried about Pete. I don't think he's completely back."
Rose shook her head. "We knew that might happen. You've done all you can."
He shook his head. "No, I can do more. Take him someplace. I just have to figure out how to get there."
Rose ran her fingers through his hair. "Sweetheart, everything isn't your responsibility."
He shook his head, "No, this is my family. With Pete hurt, I'm ultimately responsible for everyone. I feel that's what is right. That's what he would want."
Rose continued to run her fingers through his hair. "Isn't there enough on your shoulders?"
He smiled as he looked at her. "Nah, usually it's the entire universe. This is just one world. I can manage this."
"Are you still thinking about just being John?" Rose asked him.
He shook his head, "No. I feel more 'Doctor' than I have in my entire lives now. I don't even think I look like a John. Do I look like a John?"
They both laughed.
Rose kissed him quickly. "Sweetheart. All of this will get sorted."
The Doctor nodded his head, "Yes. The power of positive thinking, Rose Tyler. Rose Smith. Rose Smith…" he tasted the name again. "Nah, I really just don't like that! Is that strange?"
Rose giggled and shook her head. "You loon, so you want me to just think happy things?"
He smiled as he looked back at her. "So come with me where dreams are born and time is never planned. Just think of happy things, and your heart will fly on wings, in never never land."
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The Doctor and Rose will return in the third book of the series, "Perchance to Dream." Thank you for reading!