The final chapter - we got there eventually! Thank you so much if you stuck it out this long, it means so much to me that this received so much traffic. I hope you have enjoyed, and while this may be the end of this particular story, it doesn't have to be over. More on that at the bottom... for now, here's the last chapter, just to wrap things up.
Inexplicably, the Doctor found himself face first against the harsh metallic grating of the TARDIS ramp, one arm tingling with numbness under the weight of Rose, who was just waking up beside him in a confused daze. As their eyelids fluttered and pupils locked, they frowned at each other, slowly began to untangle and clamber back to their feet - with the help of the railing, of course. The reason for their uncomfortable nap was becoming ever more distant as the Time Lord tried to remember what had happened in the past few hours, so he stumbled towards the console and pulled the diagnostics screen close. They weren't anywhere in particular, just drifting through a set of constellations, the great machine waiting on her owner to advise of their next destination. Rose had managed to potter across the room and was now leaning beside him, one hand keeping her head perched upwards whilst the other touched her hip.
"What were we doing?" She furrowed her brows in concentration. "Last thing I remember, we put Laini to bed and said that you had to go somewhere. And then we..."
She let the sentence hang on the air, instead bulging her eyes with a sly smirk and using her hands to recreate a crude action. The Doctor gave an exasperated sigh and waved her off. "Yes, yes, I know. And I don't know. What we were doing, that is. I've set scans off and checked our location - nothing out of the ordinary, all numbers reading normal. The Universe is no longer collapsing. Huh."
"We did it, I guess?" Rose shrugged. "But how?"
"Don't know."
"Okay?"
"I hate not knowing things."
"Well," She stretched and began to head off towards the corridor leading towards the bedrooms. "I'm going to check on Laini. God knows how long we slept for, feels like days."
Referencing their daughter sent a sharp sense of dread stabbing in the back of the Doctor's mind and he had the sudden feeling that something had happened to her. Without warning or explanation, he burst into action, racing past Rose and ignoring her questioning as he thundered down the hall and into the nursery room. Worried, she ran after him, panting as she finally caught up to where he stood over the cot. There was Laini, as peaceful and doll-like as ever, sleeping soundly despite the noise. The Doctor's brows furrowed as he whipped his sonic screwdriver from his breast pocket and waved it over her. Checking the scans, he stuck out his bottom lip.
"All normal." He muttered.
"Why wouldn't it be?" Rose asked. He scanned her too in response, his brows now raising as he shrugged at the results.
"Everything's fine." He sniffed. "I just had a feeling..."
"We're okay." Rose squeezed his hand. "I know you don't like not knowing stuff, but whatever happened, it was for the best. We're all still here, look."
They gazed upon their perfect little girl now, and Rose leant her head into the Doctor's chest, listening as his heartbeats slowed in relaxation. In her sleep, Laini gave small whimpers, perhaps dreaming. Neither of them could ever imagine that something so small and innocent actually contained the now dormant power of Time itself, nor could they ever know that this small child had recently regenerated, having used all her strength and life force helping a God-like entity to knit together holes in the Universe before causing an epidemic of amnesia. Bad Wolf had been kind to the people she now thought of as family, allowing the babe to keep her appearance so as not to cause any further heartbreak or confusion. Even after Rose's intervention, the Doctor knew something was wrong. He knew there was something in his brain that he couldn't access, knew that someone had locked away a memory that was trying to burst free.
He would unlock it in time.
A few months later, Rose had decided it would be best that she head back home to clear out the flat since no one would be living there anymore. It was strange being back on the Powell Estate; the last time they had been here, the ghosts had arrived and everything had changed. Stepping into the flat took her breath momentarily, and she'd half expected her mothers' shrill yet comforting tones to echo from the kitchen, but with each piece of furniture removed and box packed up, it became easier and easier. As soon as the rooms were emptied, she felt a little numb. The Doctor had slipped his hand into hers and led her gently back outside and towards the stairs. He was holding Laini against his chest in a sling, the most un-Doctory thing she had seen him do, though it made her heart swell when she eyed the two of them. As they passed the flat next door but one, the door creaked open and an elderly man popped his head around.
"Rose, is that you, dear?" He enquired, squinting.
"Hiya, Mr Harrison." She stopped to speak with him, and the Doctor turned away to look over the railings, pointing things out to Laini. "Are you keeping alright?"
"Yes, lovely." He nodded and smiled. "Though I haven't seen much of you lately. Or your mother. Have you moved?"
He gestured towards the bin bag full of knick-knacks that she held. As it wasn't exactly a lie, she agreed with his theory. "Yeah, she found a new fella."
"And so have you." Mr Harrison raised his eyebrows in a cheeky manner. "It's so nice to see you with a family of your own. I suppose I shouldn't call you Miss Tyler anymore, Mrs…?"
Old fashion, he expected marriage before having a child. Rose felt her cheeks flush and stumbled for words until the Doctor interjected, holding out his hand to shake Mr Harrisons and grinning widely at him. "Smith! I'm John, by the way. Nice to meet you!"
"Likewise!"
"Okay, we should be off." Rose gave an embarrassed laugh and ushered the goofy alien away from the older man, waving as she went. "Bye. I'll see you around, maybe. Give my love to Olive."
"Oh, okay, will the council be collecting that furniture down there?"
"Yes, Mr Harrison!"
When they reached the TARDIS and closed the doors behind them, she let out the breath she'd been holding since the interaction. The Doctor raised an eyebrow at her quizzically and placed Laini down in a play pen he'd crafted as soon as she'd shown signs of crawling. She cooed happily at him and began to mess around with the various toys, dribble spilling from one corner of her mouth. Her eyes were deep brown, like her parents, and her hair lightening from its initial chocolate to a more caramel tone. After depositing her, the Doctor began checking the time machine's systems – a new hobby of his since they had decided to stay grounded for a while. Rose had been worried that travelling, however fun, wasn't exactly the best option when they didn't have a babysitter. He'd reluctantly agreed to the domestic life, reasoning that it was better to be stuck in one place with the love of his lives than travelling alone forever. Plus, there was always some sort of maintenance he could busy himself with. It wasn't so bad.
Rose fiddled with a strand of hair and frowned at his raised eyebrow. "What?"
"Nothing." He shrugged. "Just seemed a bit flustered back there."
"It's fine, just wasn't expecting it."
"Expecting what?"
"Marriage talk."
The Doctor nodded once, an amused expression on his face. "Settling down frighten you, does it?"
"You can talk!" She laughed.
"Touche."
"Anyway, no, but it doesn't matter. It's not like we will ever get married, is it? Do Time Lords even do that kind of thing?"
The question hung on the air, soft and innocent. The Doctor thought of his Gallifreyan wife, of how they never really got to choose who they were paired with once they had gone to the academy. Had that been why he was a terrible husband and father? Why he'd run away without a second thought or backwards glance? Slowly, he walked around the console, reached into a compartment underneath and pulled out a long piece of white cloth. It was old, marked with Gallifreyan text, and was yellowing slightly on the edges. He toyed with it momentarily, before looking up at Rose, who was stood with her arms crossed in wonder.
"I could do it, right here right now. The TARDIS is alive, can act as witness. It's cheating, but who's going to tell on us? I mean, a Time Lord and a human? Tradition is already out the window! So we can do it, if it's what you would like. And I'm not just saying this because I feel like I have to. I've been considering asking for a while now, waiting till I could take you somewhere spectacular to do it."
He crossed the grating to come within inches of her face, his breath tickling her lips. Teasing. "The Four Moons of Gator Roon. The silver shores of Tundra Seven. I was going to take your breath away."
Her heart thundering in her chest, Rose licked her lips and tried her hardest to keep eye contact with the powerfully handsome man in front of her. "Is this a proposal?"
"Only if you say yes."
"Alright."
"Is that a yes?"
"Go on then, yeah."
The Doctor's face split into a huge, cheesy grin and he began to wrap both their hands with the cloth. Hurriedly, excitedly, clumsily. Once complete, he took a deep breath and looked over his shoulder at Laini, who was obliviously slathering on a wooden brick. "You give your consent, don't you? Yeah, thought so."
He turned his attention back to Rose, eyes glittering. "I pledge my life and all potential lives, to you. I vow to protect you, cherish you, and commit to you. My love for you is eternal. Now, you."
"Oh, um." Rose felt her own eyes begin to well and she giggled with nerves, falling over her words as she tried to repeat his phrasing from memory. "I pledge my life to you, and vow to protect, cherish and… commit to you. Sorry. Um. My love for you is endless. Eternal! Sorry."
"You never have to be sorry to me." The Doctor whispered. "Now, we just have to declare our names and seal the deal with a kiss. Ready?"
She didn't consider the weight behind this as she nodded and replied. "Rose Tyler."
The Doctor sighed deeply. He leant forward into her ear, and whispered. It was quick – she barely had time to register it. His name sang from his lungs, danced in the air and pirouetted neatly onto her eardrum like the frailest of ballets. Before she could react, he had pressed his lips against hers. They kissed, long and deep, hands held together, bound ceremoniously with the cloth. It was he who pulled it away so that he could place one hand on the small of her back, the other in her hair, and she wound her own arms under his, fingers clutching at his shoulder blades. The TARDIS hummed in contentment. Laini gave a delighted squeal, more so at the funny wriggle of her own toes than at the makeshift wedding her parents had treated themselves too. The Bad Wolf slept soundly, awaiting her next move.
For one perfect moment, the Universe was at peace.
The Doctor and Rose Tyler. Gifting each other their forevers.
Once again, thank you for reading, especially if you read it from start to finish! As state above, this doesn't have to be the end. I'm open to writing a sequel - in fact, I'm quite eager to. If you have any ideas of what you think it should involve, please pop it in a review. I'm caught between options so it may help make a decision for me. Bye for now!