Rose sat in the kitchen, the tea in front of her forgotten. She hadn't of really set out to make it. Drinking tea was something she did when distressed and she was distressed beyond anything. She remembered that was Jackie's responce to something hard; 'let's go have a tea, come on, it'll perk you up'.
Tea, at the moment, was the only thing that made sense to her. The last few hours...
How could the Doctor be her son? Shouldn't she had felt it somehow? She knew he was a boy and she could hear his thoughts during those few precious days. So why hadn't she known? She felt stupid, she felt frightened, she felt...
She was glad the Doctor left her alone, doing whatever he was doing right now. Guilt pawed at her stomach, hissing things like, 'your the parent, why is he acting like the adult?'
It didn't matter that he had been alive far longer then her, it was simply mother's instinct. But how could she follow that instinct when he was old enough to be her great-great-great and even more great grandfather? Okay, so he looking more like an uncle or father, but -
Father. He had brought her back to be with her dad, and he had watched - twice- as he grandfather died. Rose whimpered.
Lights around her dimmed, the Tardis aware that she was in a dark mood and the lights were begining to irritate her. She sighed.
'What now?' She wondered, closing her eyes and just going limp.
The Doctor came in then. She knew it was him because Jack's walk was a bit slower, a bit more determined. Even with the emotional turmoil the Doctor must be feeling, his walk was still just as energetic, just as joyful.
He slid into the seat beside her. "Rose?"
"I don't understand. How can you be here?" She responded.
"Remember when you and I talked of how I servived the Time War?"
"Yeah." She opened her eyes, turning to her ... friend.
"Same principle." It was said as if it explained everything.
"But you died!" Rose shook her head.
"No." Careful, his eyes said, speak carefully. "My human half died. It takes a great deal more to kill a Time Lord. In my timeline my father had taken me." A few seconds of internal battle. "If he hadn't of, you would of buried me alive."
She shuddered and started to cry slightly.
"Oi! None of that, you! I'm fine, right here, see?" He clasped her hand. "Flesh."
"But..."
"Rose, please. Try to understand. My human half died, the part of me that was human. I regenerated, Rose."
Regenerated. Ha! He was what, a week old? A little more? "How could you? You wheren't even born yet!"
"Father did most of it." A shrug. Normal everday thing, Rose, nothing to worry 'bout.
Rose noticed her tea was still idly sitting there. She poked it then decided she didn't want it. Foul liquid. "What now?" She asked quietly.
"Do you want to go back to Earth? I understand if this is too strange-"
"No." It was fierce. She had abandoned him once, not ever again. "I'm not leaving!"
"Alright then."
Rose couldn't help but notice he sounded releived. Suddenly she started to laugh, so hard that she let go of his hand and let her head fall to the table. Her tea spilt. The liquid ran coldly down her neck as it trailed off the table.
"Humans!" The Doctor grumbled crossly, though if he meant the giggles or the tea spilling on the floor Rose didn't know.
"No!" Rose hic-uped. She needed to explain, but she was giggling too hard.
"No?"
"If Mum knew...I mean...she's worried your trying to move in on me." Rose sat back up, locking eyes with the Doctor. He realized what she was saying and grinned.
"Yes, Jackie's responce would be highly entertaining - though I'd want 'bout six miles between us." He grew serious. "Really, though, are you alright with this?"
"I-I don't know. I'm not leaving!" She said quickly, like he'd think of it and leave her back in her flat without consideration.
"Rose, your staying in the Tardis." He said firmly before his face softened. "Rose, your my mother. You are also nineteen. Two years ago you were seventeen. You were not ready for that decision, and it wasn't right for your mother to force you, but how can a child who isn't yet an adult say no to their parent? It wasn't your fault, Rose. I don't blame you. Just don't..." He trailed off. "Leave." He whispered.
His words made her burst into fresh tears. "Why are you being like this?" She asked through tears. "If I were you, I'd hate me."
"Ah, but your not me. Besides, I need someone to entertain Jack when I got a headache."
Rose pouted softly. "Thanks."
"No problem." He flashed her a grin. "And better clean up, yeah?" He wondered over to the teapot, pouring a cup. Rose watched him silently, cringeing at the amount of sugar he was putting into his tea. Too bad she couldn't say something, after all, he was an adult.
She sniffed a bit, then a thought occured to her. She was his mother! Mother's do those kind of things, they don't care how old you are! Rose smiled to herself.
"Doctor?" She asked queitly. He went on his buisness. So she asked louder, and in a sing-song voice, "Doc-tor?"
"Uh-oh." He turned to her. "I know that voice."
"Do you have to put so much sugar in your tea?" She asked sweetly.
"I-sugar?-what!" He looked at his cup. "I put just enough in, thanks."
"Six spoons are not 'just enough'. Your going-"
"I've been having my tea this way all me life!" He protested.
"Could you try it with just five spoons?" Rose pleaded.
"But..." He pouted. "I like sweet tea."
"I know you like sweet tea." Rose found herself speaking in that mother voice they use when your doing something you like but isn't exactly good. Like six spoons of sugar in your tea. "But-"
"Your not going to be doing this often, are you?" He asked suddenly, cutting her off. "I mean...Rose!" He was whining now, really whining, "I'm nine hundred!" Rose giggled. "Hey!"
"Sorry." She stood up. "I-"
"Fine." The Doctor gave in. "Just promise me one thing." Rose looked up at him, curious. "Could you..." He stopped, a slight reddness on his cheeks. "I mean...I can't remember...What's my name?" He looked away.
Rose felt her heart fall. Name! She thought wildly. Started with a 't'...a 't'...Thomas? He didn't look like a Thomas...Terry? Tahmores? No, no. Turner? Trever? ... Thor? Great, just what he needed, to be a Time Lord named The God Of Thunder... Trisha? No, that ones a girl's name...Think, Rose, think, your his mother, what name did you want to give your son? Tocho? Where that come from?
'Crap.' She muttered darkly in her mind. And then, so clearly she almost sighed in releif - "Theta."
"Theta?" He echoed, looking back at her.
"Theta." She nodded, fixing it in her mind.
Theta Tyler, son of Rose Tyler and Yunikoanokliiodortshar, and the last Time Lord.