Title: Domestic Space

Rating: T

Notes: Sequel to 'Domestic Battleground'. You must have read that in order to understand this.

Notes 2: The Doctor doesn't do domestic, not even now he's married to Rose. But he's about to find out just how domestic things can get – and Rose will find out just why he and the TARDIS don't do families…

Notes 3: I'm sorry about the delay. I hit major block - I knew what had to be written, but it wouldn't write, and then I was having RL problems, including exams, and sighs it's all over now. I won't make promises about when the next part will be out, but the block seems to have disappeared, so it won't be so long. I promise.

Day Four

Rose folded her arms and leaned back in her chair. "I don't see what you think you can get out of me," she commented. "I told you already – I'm not from around here. I don't know anything about your war."

"That's as may be," the man seated at the desk said. She'd heard him addressed as Paul. "But you're here, and I want to know why."

"Want doesn't always get." Jackie's words at times came in handy, although Rose rather suspected that she would have regretted repeating that particular phrase, were she not pregnant.

"What's going on here, anyway? Who're you fighting?"

Paul looked at her in amazement. "Where've you been?" he marvelled. "It's headline news – finally – all over the system. All the way back to Earth, even!"

Rose barely hesitated. "Out of the system. Not Earth. Somewhere else. You wouldn't have heard of it. You gonna tell me what's going on, or am I just going to go back to the cell?"

Paul sighed. "The Falikans have been taking over for decades," he said bluntly. "Taking over the best of our jobs, our farms, our government positions – everything. We don't want that. We're trying to get it back – or at least equalise it."

Rose frowned. "But why do it like this?"

"Because there's no other way," Paul said, with the weariness of someone who'd gone over an argument many times before. "We've tried peaceful ways – tried going to Earth for help, tried motions in the senate. We've tried everything. We've been rebuffed again and again. This was the last option. It was a hard decision to make, but it was the only one available to us."

"There's always another option," Rose bit off. "War is never a good answer. It's never acceptable."

He looked at her curiously. "You speak as though you've been in a war."

Rose looked away. "I…no. Not really. But my husband…he was in a war." She closed her eyes.

"The effects have been devastating. I don't want anyone to have to go through that." She opened her eyes again and looked straight at him. "There must be another way," she said strongly. "Let me help."

Paul leaned back in his chair and observed her. She flushed slightly under his gaze, aware of what she must look like after a night in a cell; her hair hung half out of its ties and her sari-like dress was crumbled and torn and stained with blood from yesterday. On top of that, she reminded herself, she was pregnant.

She had to keep repeating it in her mind, she had found, or she would never believe it. They'd never really discussed the possibility of children – it had simply never occurred to Rose that she might become pregnant without them planning it, although she supposed it should have done. It wasn't like they had ever used protection, but then she'd presumed the Doctor would say if they needed to.

She wondered idly what the Doctor would say when he found out.

"How could you help?" Paul asked, cutting into her thoughts. "You're pregnant. You can't fight, can't be militarily active. And you're an outsider, why do you care anyway?"

"Because this is wrong," she said quietly. "You know it's wrong, otherwise you wouldn't have sent that medic to me and my cousins. You wouldn't have brought me here, you'd have just left me in the cell."

Paul inclined his head in acknowledgement. "True," he admitted. "Did you have anything specific in mind – Rose, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Rose nodded. "I'll need to do some reading up on your planet's history, politics, stuff like that. You got computer access I can use, or anything?"

Paul grimaced. "Rose – don't take this the wrong way, but I can't just give you free run of our system. If you're working for the enemy - "

"Oh, bollocks," Rose said strongly. "Give me a print out then, or whatever. I can help, Paul, I can." She watched him earnestly, trying to make him see that she really did want to help him.

"I believe you," Paul said after a moment or two. "No idea why, but I believe you." He pressed a button on the desk. "Miriam – the medic you saw last night asked that you go to the infirmary," he continued, "to check you over."

"Alright," Rose agreed. "And then can I get some information to read?"

"Yes," Paul nodded. "I'll have you and your cousins moved – it won't be much better, I'm afraid, and you'll still be confined to the room, but it'll be warmer, at least, and comfier."

"Thanks," Rose gave a slight smile. "I appreciate it."

A guard entered the room and stood at attention.

"Take Rose to the infirmary," Paul instructed him. "She's a guest. I'll send someone to collect her later, tell Miriam."

"Sir," the guard nodded. Rose stood up, and he indicated that she should precede him. The infirmary wasn't far away, and she was grateful for that. She was exhausted – she hadn't slept much in the cell, and she'd been sick again earlier in the morning.

"Hello, Rose," Miriam greeted with a faint smile. "Have a seat on the bed, there." She pointed across the room to an empty bed. There were three other people in the room, and Rose took them all in before sitting down. A young man had lost an arm. A woman had what looked like bad 'flu. An older man was snoring.

"Right," Miriam said, wheeling a trolley towards Rose. "Just some basic tests – we can't do anything advanced, we don't have the supplies, but we need to make sure your baby's alright."

"I'm sure it's fine," Rose said, swinging her legs slightly. "If it's anything like it's dad."

"Would you like to know the sex of the foetus?" Miriam asked, ignoring Rose's statement.

"You can do that?" Rose questioned. "It's only, what, two months…"

"Of course," Miriam nodded. "And there's some other tests I'll have to do if it's not a human father."

Rose stilled. "He's not," she admitted. "Is that – I mean, will that make a difference? To the pregnancy, or anything?"

"It shouldn't do," Miriam hurried to reassure her. "Human DNA is so flexible that it can combine with practically any other humanoid DNA."

"Good," Rose nodded, relaxing slightly. "Alright, then. What sort of tests?"

Miriam smiled again. "Do you always ask this many questions?"

Rose shrugged. "Curious nature," she said.

"It's refreshing," Miriam told her. "Most people around here don't ask enough questions." She picked up a flat, rectangular piece of equipment from the trolley. "This is just a basic scanner," she explained. "To make sure you've got enough of all the vitamins and things you need. Not that there's much I can do about it – our supplies aren't great." She moved the scanner over Rose from her head to her feet. "That looks fine," she nodded. "Now the test to see what species your baby is, and its DNA, so I can tell what other tests to do."

Rose flinched slightly. "Really, that's not…you don't need to – "

"Nonsense," Miriam overrode her. "It's important for the baby." She picked up another scanner. "Could you bare your stomach, please?"

Rose moved the sari material to one side, trying to keep her breasts covered but not quite managing it. Miriam scanned her stomach and abdomen carefully, and frowned.

"That's odd," she commented. "There's no DNA match in the databank."

Rose shrugged. "Like I told Paul, I've been out a bit further than most humans have been. Might not be in your databank – or it might be incomplete."

Miriam pursed her lips momentarily. "Not possible," she declared. "The databank is linked with the central systems – it's not incomplete." She shook the scanner. "Oh, wait, here it comes…"

Rose frowned. That, she was almost positive, wasn't possible. Unless the scanner was getting it wrong…

"Gallifreyan," Miriam pronounced with a strange look. "That's odd. Someone must have been messing about with the scanner. Gallifrey is just a myth." Rose winced on the Doctor's behalf; Miriam reached for another scanner. "It's the same result…I don't understand."

"You don't need to," Rose said quietly. "Please…forget about this. Please."

Something in her tone caught Miriam's attention, and the two women silently looked at each other for a long moment. Miriam nodded slowly.

"Alright," she agreed. "I won't mention this. To anyone. But I wish you'd tell me what's going on."

Rose shook her head.

The Doctor was as close to panicking as he ever was. It had been twelve hours since Rose had disappeared, along with Izzy and Tim, and eleven hours since he had discovered the marketplace strewn with debris from a bomb.

It was precisely ten hours, fifty-five minutes and three seconds since he had realised Rose was nowhere to be found. He'd started worrying two seconds later, but it hadn't developed into full-fledged panic until the sun had risen and there was still no sign of Rose anywhere.

He'd checked the hospitals – all three of them. None of them had records of a Rose Tyler, or an Isobel Falconer or a Timothy Radcliffe. He was almost ashamed to admit that he was less worried about Rose's two cousins. He knew Rose could take care of herself in precarious situations, but then again she was, as he had told her on many occasions, the most jeopardy-friendly of all his many companions. And besides that, she was his wife and partner.

He scowled at the humans who were cleaning up the mess in the market square. Stupid humans. Always getting into conflicts with some species or other. Not that humans were always in the wrong, but really, you'd have thought they could make an effort.

He sighed and began his circuit of the market again. This wasn't their fault though, he knew. The time jumper had messed up the time line. It was yet another example of how his people – the Time Lords – would have stepped in and cleaned things up.

But there was only him, and right now he was more concerned with getting Rose and her cousins out of here and into the TARDIS where they would be safer. He wouldn't say so to Rose, of course. She liked to think she was highly capable. But this was different. This wasn't how it should be, and it worried him.

He hadn't even been able to find the time jumper, he thought moodily as he reached out to stop a barefoot Falikan child running over a sharp bit of metal. The creature had almost vanished into thin air, which was impossible.

Unless it had found a transmat, he reminded himself. Or a ship. Or a time eddy. But there would be ripples, in that case. He'd be able to see the wake left behind – and no ships had left Catalla Four in two days. Another wasn't scheduled to leave for another day and a half, and that might be delayed now. He didn't know what the effects of the bomb would be on the security of the city, let alone the planet. He just didn't know enough about what was going on.

He slammed his fist into a nearby wall disgustedly. What sort of a Time Lord was he, he demanded of himself, if he couldn't find one pathetic time jumper? They weren't a problem; they were a just pest species.

He berated himself for that thought instantly. A pest they might seem, but no species was a pest.

He wandered along a street almost aimlessly, trying to think where Rose could be. He couldn't use the TARDIS to find her, because Rose hadn't taken her phone or any other electronics with her.

Next time, he'd make sure she did. Even just a watch would stand out here as different technology. She'd take a watch, no matter how anachronistic it might be.

The solution to his problems hit him as he was approaching the TARDIS, and made him feel incredibly stupid. The attack on the marketplace, he had been told, was carried out by a rebel human group that called themselves the Belli Veriti – a more pretentious name he didn't think he'd ever heard. To find Rose, he had to find the rebels.

It was simple. He hoped.

Rose sat in the new room they had been given, staring thoughtfully at the hand-held data storage device she had been given. It contained the historical and political information she had asked for – and was of absolutely no help whatsoever.

She sighed. "This is hopeless," she muttered.

Izzy joined her on the couch. "D'you want a hand?" she asked. "I did Politics AS level last year…"

Rose hesitated. "I guess," she said cautiously. "It's different to Earth politics, but…" Izzy took the device from her and sat back to read. Rose shrugged and stood up, stretching. Her muscles ached from sitting in one position for so long. She wished the Doctor were here.

"So…why exactly are we helping these people?" Tim wanted to know. He sat at a table on the other side of the room. "I mean…they did set off a bomb."

"It's not their fault," Rose said. "They can't help it. It's the time jumper that's made this happen."

"But you're pregnant," Izzy pointed out absently. "And the Doctor'll be here soon. Will he help?"

Rose shifted uneasily. "Yeah," she said, not exactly lying. "I'm sure he will."

Tim gave her a look. "Rose, you're hiding something."

"I'm always hiding something," Rose responded glibly. "What do you want to know, Tim?"

"The Doctor won't help these people, will he?"

Rose sat back down. "No," she admitted after a moment. "Not exactly. He'll fix the problems in the timeline, and then we'll go back to Earth and drop you two off, and then we'll go off somewhere else."

"But you want to help them," Izzy guessed, glancing up from the data storage device. "Rose, you've been weird ever since you arrived. What's up?"

"I don't know," Rose said softly. "Hormones, I guess." It was almost a question, but Izzy and Tim couldn't answer it for her. Rose smiled after a moment. "So, Izzy, see anything in there that I'm missing?"

"Is there any point?" Izzy asked hesitantly. "I mean, if the Doctor won't - "

"He's not here," Rose said quickly. "Let's work with what we have, yeah?" She reached to the chain around her neck and rubbed her thumb over the TARDIS key. It wasn't even remotely warm, which meant that the Doctor was nowhere near. He'd figure out where they were, she knew. It was only a matter of time, and he was a master of that.

She sighed and was about to release the key when it suddenly burned red hot against her fingers. She gave a cry and dropped the key, scrambling to get the chain and key away from her skin.

"Rose, what is it?" Tim wanted to know, looking up with concern. "Are you alright?"

"TARDIS key," Rose said briefly. The chain now off her neck, she used the edge of her skirt to hold the key carefully. "The Doctor's near." She went to the door and knocked loudly on it. A moment later it swung open and a guard peered in, hand hovering over his gun. "Could I see Paul, please?" she asked.

"Paul's got better things to do," the guard said. Rose bit her lip, trying to look vulnerable and needy, and it evidently worked because the guard sighed. "Alright, I'll make a call," he said. "Can't promise anything, though."

"Thanks," Rose said, and let him close the door. She turned to Izzy. "I guess we won't be needing that information, then," she said with a slight shrug. "The Doctor'll sort it all out now."

Izzy chewed her lip thoughtfully for a moment, then shook her head. "No. I'm going to keep looking through it. You never know, it might come in useful." She bent her head to the data storage device again. Rose smiled faintly. She had missed her cousin's determination, but she was fairly sure that it wouldn't matter much now. The Doctor would come in, whisk them away, fix the problems in time, and then probably wrap her in cotton wool for the next seven months.

She stilled momentarily. The baby.

"Oh, he's going to have kittens," she said faintly.

"Hmm?" Izzy vocalised, not looking up.

"The baby."

"Oh," Tim said slowly. A grin spread across his face. "Oh, I hope I'm there when you tell him…"

"Shut it," Rose muttered half-heartedly. "It won't be pretty." They key was growing ever hotter, wrapped in the material and clutched in her hand, and she knew without looking that it was glowing. The Doctor was getting closer.

A moment later the door swung open and an energetic Time Lord burst into the room. His gaze roved the room the room, taking in everyone, and then he swept Rose into his arms.

"You're alright," he said lowly. "I was worried."

"I'm fine," Rose said, distractedly returning his embrace. She closed her eyes briefly, rubbing her cheek against the lapel of his jacket, and then pulled away. "I suppose we're going, then?"

"Quick as we can," the Doctor nodded. "Are you alright? Not hurt?" She shook her head. "And you two?" he asked her cousins.

"Fine," Izzy answered absently. "This is really interesting, Rose. It's so complex…"

Rose shifted uncomfortably under the Doctor's hard gaze.

"We didn't know when you'd find us," she excused. "And -"

"Rose, this all happened because of the time jumper," he reminded her. "It'll change back once we repair time. Anything we do now could have serious consequences."

"I know," Rose snapped. "I'm not stupid. I just…" She trailed off and shrugged. "I don't know."

He frowned at her, then turned to the doorway. Paul was standing there, watching them.

"What did you do?" he demanded. "You've done something to her."

"They didn't," Rose said tiredly. "Let's just…let's just please go back to the TARDIS." She swayed slightly and put a hand to her forehead.

"Do you need to see Miriam?" Paul spoke up. "I can get her here…"

"Miriam?" the Doctor questioned.

"Medic," Tim spoke up. "Rose?"

"I don't know," Rose said after a moment. "I'm fine. I just…feel a bit funny, that's all."

"From what I've heard, the first trimester of pregnancy can be strange," Paul nodded. "I'll get Miriam." He left, closing the door behind him. Rose met the Doctor's gaze with trepidation.

"Pregnancy?" the Doctor repeated softly. Rose swallowed hard. "Pregnant?"

"Let's go," Izzy said, suddenly interested in the conversation. "We should get back to the

TARDIS, and back to London."

"Rose?" The Doctor didn't stop looking at her, a strange expression on his face. "Pregnant?"

"I didn't know," Rose said, almost apologetically. "I just found out yesterday, their medic told me…" Her hand crept almost unconsciously to her stomach, hovering over her womb. "I didn't know before."

"I know you didn't," he murmured. "It's impossible." Rose frowned, and he gave a brilliant smile suddenly. "That's fantastic. Let's go, then, shall we?"

"No," Rose said. "I want to stay and help these people."

"Rose - "

"Theta."

The use of his name stopped him dead. Usually she only called him by that name - the only one she could pronounce, she had laughingly told him when he'd told her all his different names - in bed, or other intimate moments. It made him look at her afresh, trying to understand her. This was important to her, he realised, and he didn't know why.

"Rose, what's going on?" he asked softly. Rose glanced at Tim and Izzy, not quite comfortable talking about it in front of her cousins. "Rose."

"I just…for once I want to make a difference," Rose admitted quietly.

The Doctor frowned. "You make a difference to a lot of things," he argued.

"No, I don't," she contradicted. "We swan into places and cause chaos and we swan out again. You never stay for the long run. Ever." His face had gone still and stony, but she forged on. "We change things, we help people who can't help themselves, but we never stay and work at something. And this…I can help these people. You've taught me how to help people. And I want to help them." She was frustrated, and didn't feel the tears that were running down her cheeks. "I know…I know that's not what you do. And I know it's not real, it's the time jumper, that it'll go back to the way it was. But I…"

She trailed off and turned away. Izzy approached her and wrapped her in a hug, darting accusing glances at the Doctor. The Time Lord sighed and shoved his hands into his jacket pockets.

"Rose, I'm sorry," he said softly. She hiccoughed but said nothing. "I'm just…look, I don't…I was really worried," he confessed. "I just…want to get back to the TARDIS and sort this mess out, and make sure you're safe."

"It's not safe," Rose muttered. "Never was. You think I want safe?"

"No, I don't." He stepped towards her; Izzy released her and moved out of the way. "Rose…I love you."

She blinked up at him. She looked a mess, and she looked beautiful, and he wanted to kiss her but wouldn't in front of her cousins. It was hard enough for him to express his emotions like this.

"I know you do," she said. "I love you, too." She reached out and took his hand; the familiarity of the gesture soothed them both. "Sorry. Guess I'm a bit hormonal."

A strange expression crossed his face for a moment, then he nodded. "Yeah. That's another reason for getting back to the TARDIS. Best place to make sure you and the baby are alright."

"Miriam said we are," Rose said quietly.

"But she's never dealt with a Gallifreyan baby," the Doctor pointed out, his voice gentle. "Never will again, either."

A slow smile curled Rose's lips, and she pressed her hand to her abdomen. "Another Time Lord."

"Or Time Lady," he nodded, smiling again. "Our baby, Rose." He blinked. "Our baby." He crushed her to him suddenly, his mouth hard and hot on hers, and she gasped into his mouth and clung to him.

"Our baby," she whispered when he released her. "Theta…"

Tim cleared his throat, and the pair of time travellers released each other quickly.

"Thanks," the elder cousin said dryly. "Now can we get out of this room?"

"No," Rose said quickly. "I want to help - at least until you find the time jumper," she added on quickly, looking at the Doctor. "It can't hurt, can it?"

He scowled. "Rose - "

"If it'll all go back to normal afterwards, it can't hurt," Izzy nodded. "And if it'll make Rose feel better…it's not like we'll be missed at home, is it? You can take us back just after we left." The Doctor suddenly found the floor very interesting. "Right?"

"Right," Rose said quickly. "Tim, you up for it?"

"Sure," Tim nodded quickly. "Great. Doctor?"

The Doctor looked from one human to another, and then rolled his eyes. "Outnumbered by a bunch of apes," he grumbled. "Fine. But on my terms."

"Done," Rose said instantly. She reached up on tiptoes and kissed his cheek. "Thanks, Doctor."

Neither Tim nor Izzy missed the fond smile he sent her way as she took the data storage device from Izzy and started reading again.

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