Title: Domestic Travels
Rating: T
Disclaimer: Anything you recognise from 'Doctor Who' episodes, books, or general canon, is not mine. Izzy, Tim, Rose's extended family and the storyline are mine, however.
Notes: Sequel to 'Domestic Battleground' and 'Domestic Space'. I highly recommend reading at least the latter, because otherwise a lot of this won't make any sense. This is the third instalment in the larger 'Domestic' universe.
Notes 2: Gallifrey is back, through means unknown to any except Bad Wolf. Old friends have appeared, and more will come, as time and space are woven into knots by Bad Wolf. Something is very wrong with the fabric of the universe, and the Doctor is torn between protecting his wife and unborn child, and saving Gallifrey. Things are going to get a lot more complicated. He never really planned for domestic.
Chapter Four
Rose sat on the stone bench in the garden, one hand resting lightly on her swollen stomach. Summer was fading into autumn, and the lawn was liberally sprinkled with fallen leaves in all colours.
She had been here for five months.
Alistair and Doris, as they had insisted on being called, had been very kind to her. Rose had scarcely had to lift a finger since arriving, and she sometimes wondered what the Doctor had said to them. But it had given her a chance to sort out her head – a painful chance. It hadn't been easy.
She wondered, sometimes, why the Doctor – her Doctor, her Theta – hadn't managed to turn up yet. He wasn't stupid, he'd figure it out eventually. She missed him – missed his smiles and his mercurial moods, missed his kisses, missed him clutching her tight in his sleep. She missed him constantly pushing her intellect.
She almost regretted coming here. But not quite.
She looked up with a smile as the Brigadier approached.
"Hello," she said.
"You, my dear, shouldn't be out here without a coat," he said sternly. "You'll catch a cold, and Doris will have my head."
"I'm not cold," Rose claimed. "Besides, the baby likes it." She rubbed her hand over her stomach gently. Alistair smiled fondly. "He's been busy today. He thinks he's a footballer."
"Maybe he will be," Alistair offered.
"Maybe." Rose sighed wistfully. "Maybe this is never going to end." She shrugged. "But the Doctor will find me, and I'll go with him, and back to Gallifrey, back to sort out the mess I made. And my baby will grow up to be a Time Lord."
The Brigadier let out a long, slow breath. This was not the first time she had talked about the Doctor, Gallifrey, and the other things she had left. But this was the only time she had intimated that she would be returning to the Doctor.
"So you'll go with him, when he comes for you?"
"Yes." Rose looked up at the tree above them. "I love him. More than anything else." She watched a blackbird as it hopped from branch to branch. "But I'm so different now," she continued. "This thing inside of me…it's part of me. I think it was always meant to be. And I'm not human, I'm not plain old Rose Tyler anymore. I'm different."
"That's no bad thing, you know," he pointed out.
"No, I know." She smiled at him suddenly. "You're a good friend, Alistair. I'm sorry you've had to play host for so long."
"Oh, rubbish," Alistair said, pretending that he wasn't pleased at her words. "It's a pleasure, Rose, you know that. And besides, you can hardly help it if the Doctor can't land his TARDIS in the right place and time, now can you?"
Rose's smile turned sheepish. "Well, actually…"
"Oh ho! What have you been doing, little Miss Tyler?" he demanded, the corners of his mouth twitching up into a smile.
"I've sort of been…blocking him," Rose admitted. "So he can't land anywhere near, only he doesn't know it's because of me. He thinks the TARDIS is just playing up again." She turned sombre. "It's not a kind thing to do, but I did need some time."
"And have you had enough time?" the Brigadier asked gently.
Instead of answering him with words, Rose leaned down and picked up a fallen leaf. It was still mostly green, tinged with golden-brown. She concentrated on it. A wisp of golden light seemed to light up her eyes and he saw the same light playing over her fingers.
The green slowly left the leaf as the cells died. Golden-brown, then brown, then the leaf crumbled into small pieces and fell from her hand.
"Yes," Rose said then. "I've had enough time."
He had been trying to get to the right time period for a week straight before he finally managed it. He didn't know why, but it seemed as if the TARDIS had been stopping him finding Rose.
He straightened up, suddenly afraid.
Jack put a hand on his shoulder.
"It'll be alright," he assured the Time Lord. "Don't worry, Rose is waiting for you."
"Who's worried?" the Doctor retorted. "I'm just…making sure I've got the date right, that's all." He tried to ignore the knowing look that Jack and Susan exchanged. "Well. Let's go, then."
He strode over to the door and flung it open to reveal the Brigadier's garden. It was just as he remembered it from his last visit, when he'd been in his seventh regeneration.
Except for one vital difference.
He strode towards her, eyes dark with anger. She must have heard him coming, his boots crunching over the dry leaves on the ground, but she didn't turn around to greet him. The Brigadier, seated next to her, stood up and turned.
"Doctor," he greeted, with a tight nod. "Quite a different look for you, I must say."
"Brigadier," the Doctor said tersely, not taking his eyes off Rose. "Excuse us. I need a word with my wife."
Rose shivered, but still didn't turn to face him. She remained sitting on the stone bench, back straight. The Brigadier glanced between them.
"Rose?" he questioned.
"It's alright, Alistair," she said forcing a note of lightness into her voice. "It's fine. Could we…could we have a minute?"
"It'll be more than a minute," the Doctor muttered grimly. Alistair and Rose both pretended not to hear him. The ex-soldier rested a hand on Rose's shoulder for a moment, then made his way slowly back to the house.
"Look at me," the Doctor ordered, his voice low and shaking with anger. "Rose." She shuddered slightly, stood up, and turned to face him.
He sucked in a breath quickly. Rose – his Rose – stood before him, swollen with child. Her jumper was stretched over her stomach, her hands rested lightly over it – almost protectively, part of him noted. Her hair was loose, hanging around her face. She had a light tan – she'd obviously been spending a lot of time outdoors.
She looked like nothing he'd ever seen before. She reminded him of the Great Mother, a deity worshipped on a planet in the outer reaches of the Narn system.
She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
And she was clearly over half-way through her pregnancy. Although his fury abated a little, he was still angry.
"How long have you been here?" he asked, almost biting off the words.
"About five months," Rose answered quietly.
"You – " The Doctor cut himself off and took a deep breath. "Rose. How could you?"
Rose shrugged one shoulder. "You're gonna have to be a little more specific, Doctor," she said.
How could you leave me? the Doctor wanted to ask. How could you do that to me? How could you live somewhere, my child growing in your womb, without me there to see it?
He asked none of these things, choosing to remain silent instead, his eyes condemning her more than words ever could.
Rose shifted, uncomfortable. "Doctor, please," she murmured. "You think this is easy for me?"
"For better or worse," the Doctor said after a moment. "In sickness and health. Did it mean anything to you, Rose?" Rose gasped, stricken. The Doctor looked away, determined not to feel guilty.
The silence was only broken by the birds in the garden around them until Rose took a deep breath.
"I needed some time," she said. "To sort my head out." The Doctor opened his mouth, but she held up a hand. "No, please, Doctor, let me say this, yeah?" He nodded silently. "We never sorted it out. Bad Wolf, and what it is, and what I am now. I needed to do that – Gallifrey was messing my head up."
"You mean I was messing your head up," the Doctor observed flatly.
"No," Rose rapped out sharply. "I don't mean that. It's killed me, these last months – god, every time I turned around I wanted you to be there, Theta! But I needed to do this. I needed to work out what I am, don't you see that?"
The Doctor folded his arms. "I see that you didn't trust me," he snapped. "If you'd told me all this, I would have –"
"How long have you been trying to get here, Doctor?" Rose interrupted him.
"What's that got to do with anything?" he asked. She looked evenly at him. "A week, give or take."
"And it would've been less time," Rose nodded, "if Bad Wolf hadn't been stopping you getting here." He started to speak but she continued, ignoring him. "And a week wouldn't have been long enough, Doctor. Not nearly. I'm only just…" She trailed off, tears in her eyes. She turned and sat back on the bench, exhausted.
"I'm sorry," she said, so quietly that only a Time Lord would be able to hear her. "I'm so, so sorry, Theta. I was such a mess…I don't even know that I knew what I was doing."
She sounded so thoroughly miserable that it was the most natural thing in the world for the Doctor to move around the bench, sit down, and gather her into his arms. She leaned into him, burying her face in his jacket, breathing him in. One hand clutched at the lapel of his jacket, the other clutched at his shoulder.
"Theta," she murmured. "I'm really sorry. I didn't mean for any of this to happen."
"It's not your fault," the Doctor said roughly. "I don't blame you, Rose."
"You did," she pointed out, not pulling away from him. "And I'm sorry." She shifted then, took one of his hands and placed it on her stomach. "He's kicking," she informed him.
He could feel it. Tiny movements beneath the skin, emanating from her womb. A tiny baby, living inside her, taking nourishment, growing, waiting for the right moment to emerge.
"My baby," he murmured. "I've missed so much…"
Rose shook her head. "Not really. And there's photos and things, of the nicer bits. I know it's not the same, but I…" She trailed off, shrugging awkwardly.
"You're right, it's not the same." The Doctor looked up at her, his hand still on her stomach. "Rose…Why?"
"Because I love you too much to put you through what I've been through," Rose said, voice cracking. A tear slid down her cheek. "Doctor…if you'd been here, things would have happened. I know what I am now, I know what Bad Wolf is, but that doesn't mean I can control it all the time. Me bringing back Gallifrey – that's not all I've done or can do. It's linked to you – Bad Wolf, I mean. And it's hurt, and it's been bad, and I didn't want you to have to deal with any of that."
"Rose, I'd go through hell and back for you," the Doctor said honestly. "You think I wouldn't? I wouldn't hesitate. I'd die for you in an instant. You know that."
"I know," Rose said, with a faint smile. "I think I've always known that."
They looked at each other for long moments of silent communication. Accusations, guilt, blame, recriminations – they all faded away.
The Doctor cupped her cheek with his hand and leaned forwards to kiss her. It was reminiscent of their first kiss: beautiful and gentle and kind and loving.
Then Rose flung her arms about him and wept.
"Well, that worked out well," Jack observed, leaning against the TARDIS and watching his friends embrace.
"I suppose so," Susan nodded. She stood in the doorway, fiddling with the hem of her top. Jack glanced at her.
"What's up?" he wanted to know.
"I just feel like I betrayed Grandma," Susan said softly. "And if I hadn't, I would have betrayed Grandfather."
"He would've found out where she was somehow or other," Jack comforted her. "When Rose is missing, or in danger, or whatever, he doesn't see anything else until she's safe. You just helped him get here faster, that's all." Susan nodded, clearly still unhappy. "Hey. C'mon, give me a smile." She looked up at him. "You're so beautiful when you smile," he said coaxingly.
"Grandfather doesn't like you flirting with me," Susan remarked, a smile playing around her lips.
"Do you mind?" Jack asked, pretending not to be serious.
Susan didn't answer; she looked out at the garden, at where her grandparents were sitting talking quietly to each other.
"Sorry," Jack said suddenly. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."
"You have to understand, this is all very strange," Susan said after a moment. "I've never seen my grandparents together – and they're so young. Grandma – Rose – I knew her as an old lady. And Grandfather…"
"I get that," Jack nodded. "This whole situation's got to be really weird for you."
"And I was with this man – David – for several years," Susan continued. "We fought the Daleks, on Earth. He died just a few months ago, from my perspective."
"And me flirting with you upsets you," Jack guessed astutely.
"No – yes – I mean. Oh, I don't know what I mean." Susan sighed and looked properly at him. "I like you," she admitted in a quiet voice. "But I don't know about anything, Jack, and I can't help feeling that there are more important things to worry about. Gallifrey, for one."
"You're right," Jack said slowly. "But if there's one thing travelling with Rose and the Doctor has taught me, it's to take happiness whenever you can find it." He looked across the garden to the bench; the Doctor was kneeling before Rose now, his head resting against his wife's stomach. "And if they can do it," he continued, "everybody should be able to."
"It's not exactly the same though," Susan disagreed. "Grandfather and Rose – they can't not be together. It's not right, for them to be apart."
"Yeah, they're a real Romeo and Juliet couple," Jack nodded. "Susan…"
"It's not about you and me," Susan said determinedly.
"But you want it to be," Jack pressed.
Susan didn't answer. The week spent with Jack and the Doctor in the TARDIS, and her time on Gallifrey – mostly spent with the human – had taught her that she liked Jack, perhaps more than she should. He was an agreeable conversationalist, and a warm and caring individual, despite what he chose to project to the universe.
She had flirted a little with him, but she knew things could never go any further. They just couldn't. She didn't want to think what the Doctor would do. And there were other issues – her family was convoluted enough without adding Jack to the mix. Jack who considered himself to be Rose's sister. It would be like dating her great-uncle.
Only, an insidious voice whispered, he isn't your great-uncle.
She was shaken out of her thoughts by the approach of Rose and the Doctor.
"Rose!" Jack grinned. "Look at you!" He hugged her and then bent over so his face was level with her stomach. "Hey there, I'm your Uncle Jack," he greeted.
"He can't hear you," Rose said, amused.
"You never know," Jack shrugged. "So you've been here a while, huh?" His gaze went from Rose to the Doctor, and then back. "You okay?"
"Everything's fine," the Doctor said authoritatively, wrapping one arm around Rose's waist. "Let's go say hi to the Brigadier." He looked down at Rose. "And you've probably got some stuff you want to bring," he added.
"A bit, yeah," Rose nodded. "And I need to say goodbye. They've been really nice." She leaned against him.
"I wouldn't have let you go somewhere that wasn't," the Doctor pointed out with smug self-assurance.
"Tell me, was he always this full of it?" Rose asked of Susan. Susan, with a quick glance at the mock-outraged expression on the Doctor's face, nodded.
"Oh yes," she said. "He always has liked to think he's better than everyone else."
"I object," the Doctor grumbled.
"It's true though, Doctor," called the Brigadier. He was approaching the TARDIS leisurely. "You drove more good scientists to nervous breakdowns in your time in UNIT than ever happened again!"
"Brigadier." The Doctor smiled and shook the old soldier's hand. "Sorry I was so, er…"
"Quite alright, Doctor," Alistair dismissed his apology. "Now, are you all going to come in for a cup of tea?"
They'd had tea and cakes, and Susan had helped Rose pack up the things she'd accumulated over the last few months. Now the Doctor had disappeared into the TARDIS with Susan, and Jack was waiting while Rose said her last goodbye to Doris and Alistair.
"I'll miss you," she admitted to them both. "I can't tell you how much I appreciate you letting me stay."
"It's been a pleasure," Doris said. "Now, you make sure to stay safe. Keep wrapped up, and make sure you eat enough."
"Yes, Doris," Rose said, smiling slightly. "And you take care of Alistair."
"I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself," the Brigadier grumbled good-naturedly.
"I know," Rose said, tongue firmly in cheek. "Just…take care, yeah?" She hesitated, then wrapped her arms around him. Alistair, cheeks red, hugged her back.
"Oh, come here," Doris said, and joined the hug. "You look after yourself, you hear me young lady?"
"Yeah," Rose said. She pulled away before she could start crying. "I'd better be off." She turned and held out her hand; Jack took it and led the way towards the TARDIS.
But Rose stopped halfway across the lawn, frowning faintly.
"D'you hear that?" she wanted to know. "It sounds like…" She looked at the TARDIS; it was sitting still. Her eyes widened. "Another TARDIS?"
"C'mon, Rose," Jack urged. "Let's get inside, yeah?"
"There's something wrong," Rose said with certainty. Jack stopped trying to pull her along and turned towards the Doctor's TARDIS.
"Doctor, get out here!" he yelled.
The Doctor appeared at the TARDIS door just as the other TARDIS materialised. It had disguised itself as a shed; the door swung open to reveal a man clothed in black.
"Who the hell are you?" Jack demanded, and then the man shot at him and he collapsed to the ground. Rose screamed; the Doctor started running towards them.
"One more step, Doctor, and I'll shoot her," the man threatened, grabbing Rose by the arm and pointing his weapon at her stomach. Rose's breath caught in her throat. The Doctor's mouth had dropped open, and he was staring at them in sheer disbelief.
"You!" he said incredulously.
"Miss Tyler, you are going to move very slowly," the man instructed her in a low voice. "You are going to drag your friend there into my TARDIS, and you are going to sit down next to the wall, and you are going to do everything else I tell you, or I will shoot at your stomach and kill your baby. Do you understand?"
"Yes," Rose rasped.
"Good. Bend over and grab his arms."
Rose slowly obeyed, eyes flitting from Jack to the Doctor and back again. She took hold of his arms and slowly straightened up.
"Drag him inside," the man directed. He moved slightly, so he was between her and the Doctor. His weapon was pointed at the Doctor now. "You should take better care of your companions, Doctor," he said. "You never know when any of them might disappear from time and space." The Doctor frowned; the man backed into his own TARDIS. A moment later it dematerialised, and the Doctor raced into his own ship.
Rose sat next to Jack, checking his pulse, when the man entered the TARDIS. He approached the console, ignoring her entirely, and set the ship in motion. Rose knew enough to not interrupt him while he was engaged in this – she didn't want to end up crashed into an asteroid.
After long, silent minutes, the TARDIS materialised with a gentle thud. Jack gave a groan, and Rose stood up.
"Who are you?" she demanded. "What's going on?"
The man looked at her properly for the first time. He had dark hair and eyes. If the devil had a form, Rose thought idly, this would be it.
"I am the Master," the man said. "I am a Time Lord, and a rival of the Doctor." He glanced at Jack when he moaned. "He will awake soon," he said dismissively. "I presume he is the father of your child? The Doctor would never have taken a pregnant woman aboard before. What's different about you?"
Rose glanced at Jack, thinking quickly.
"I dunno," she said. "We've been travelling with him for a while…since before I got pregnant." She held her hands over her stomach protectively. "What's this all about? What are you doing?"
"Setting a trap, my dear," the Master smirked. "Setting a trap."
To be continued...