A/N: Hello again! I worked out a way to integrate this with the story of series 2, so that's a thing that's happening now. Also, the first section of this chapter was meant to be in the previous chapter, but I forgot about it :P. So if the end of the previous chapter feels a bit wonky, that's why.

Hope you enjoy 3

Content warning for mild transphobia.

"So you were saying something about shopping?" enquired Ryan with a cheeky grin, looking up at the Doctor.

"Ah yep, right, shopping," the Doctor pulled himself out of the hug, patting his pockets. "Got a present for you."

"Really?" Ryan asked in a tone of mild surprise. Typically, the Doctor wasn't one for giving presents.

"Yeah, hold on."

The Doctor stuck his hand into one of the pockets on the inside of his jacket. He pulled out a spanner, a paper bag of centuries-old jelly babies and a toothbrush before carefully extracting a carrier bag, and passed it over to Ryan, whose face was painted with an expression of confusion and anticipation.

"Go on," gently encouraged the Doctor, nudging Ryan on the shoulder. Ryan pulled out a few garments in different coloured fabrics, and looked at the Doctor expectantly, searching for some kind of explanation.

"Oh right, they're um, chest binders," the Doctor said, scratching the back of his head, looking as embarrassed as a Time Lord probably could, which wasn't very much by human standards. He quickly continued.

"I didn't know what colour or style you wanted, so I got you all of them. Very nifty little things, made from special 27th century fabric - always fits comfortably and you can wear them safely for 24 hours straight, rather than just some arbitrary number of hours that someone from your time came up with, and was subsequently passed on. Although, you don't have to wear them if you don't want to, just thought you might want something other than baggy hoodies, though you can keep wearing those as well if they make you comfortable-"

"Doctor!" interjected Ryan.

"No, sorry, I shouldn't have, it's none of my business…"

The Doctor started to make his way to the door.

"Wait!" Ryan sighed. The Doctor may be a self-proclaimed genius (and quite rightly so), but sometimes he couldn't quite read the room.

"Thank you."

The Doctor stopped in the doorway and turned around to see Ryan smiling shyly. He breathed out a sigh of relief.

"No problem Ryan, like I said, I'd help you in any way I could," the Doctor started in a chipper voice but quickly trailed off. "Might not be much though…"

"I really think it'll help," Ryan grinned, looking the happiest the Doctor had seen them in weeks.

"Brilliant, I'll leave you to, um, try them on, if you want. I'll be in the console room, doing repairs."

The Doctor backed out of the room, pulling the door shut as he left.

Hardly five minutes had passed when Ryan found the Doctor in the console room, having swapped a baggy hoodie for a slightly more fitted t-shirt. The Doctor peered around the time rotor to see Ryan looking down at themself; he could make out a smile on their face.

"How is it? Feel okay?"

Ryan looked up at him, beaming.

"Fantastic," they echoed the Doctor's previous Northern self.

"I'm glad," said the Doctor with a twinkle in his eye. "Onwards?"

Ryan gave a definite nod, and with that, the Doctor flipped down the de-materialisation lever, taking the pair to their next adventure.

Two weeks later

An intrusive ringing woke Ryan from their slumber. They fumbled around on their bedside table to find the source of the ringing, which turned out to be their phone. Not bothering to read the caller ID, Ryan pressed the answer button and brought the mobile to their ear.

"'Lo?"

"Hello Rose," began a shrill voice.

Ryan winced; it was too early for this, even though the Doctor insisted that since there was no such thing as morning on board the TARDIS, there was no such thing as too early.

"Hi Mum, you alright? We only spoke the other night."

"Oh right, yeah, met this young handsome bloke, helped me with– "

"Mum, can we have the short version please?" Ryan didn't want to hear the details.

"So last night we were gonna have pizza, but he insisted on paying, so I was gonna slip a tenner in his pocket, but I found a photo of you in there. Think he might be after you and the Doctor, seeing as he kept asking about your travels…" Jackie trailed off.

"I'll tell the Doctor and we'll sort it out," Ryan reassured her. "What's the date and time for you?"

Jackie gave them the details.

"Thanks, I'll see ya after. Bye Mum."

"Bye Rose."

Ryan hang up, got dressed and trudged to the galley for breakfast.

Ryan told the Doctor about Jackie's phone call over their breakfast of banana pancakes.

"Bet he's with LINDA, that lot are always trying to find me" the Doctor looked exasperated.

Ryan didn't press him further, too anxious to care. When the Doctor noticed that Ryan hadn't looked up from the mug of tea they were nursing, the Doctor moved his hand across to theirs and rubbed his thumb over Ryan's knuckles, providing comfort with the small gesture.

"You're nervous about seeing your mum." It was a statement, not a question.

Ryan glanced up briefly.

"Yeah."

The Doctor continued to stroke Ryan's knuckles, patiently waiting for them to resume talking when they were ready.

"I think I should say something sooner rather than later, but I'm scared about what she'll think," Ryan confessed quietly.

The Doctor gave Ryan's hand a gentle squeeze.

"You know she loves you."

Ryan nodded slightly.

"And we do have a time machine, we don't have to go now if you don't want to."

Ryan looked up at him, a determined look in their eyes.

"Let's do it."

The Doctor gave Ryan's hand a last squeeze and jumped up.

"I'll meet you in the console room when you're ready."

After dealing with the Abzorbaloff and sorting out Elton, the TARDIS materialised in the Powell Estate courtyard. The Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS, offering his hand to Ryan as they followed. Ryan took it and gave the Doctor a grateful smile. They walked up to Jackie's flat in companionable silence, until they reached the front door.

"Do you want me to say anything, or…" the Doctor trailed off.

"I think I'll be okay," replied Ryan with a slight wobble in their voice. They gave the Doctor's hand a squeeze, which was more for Ryan's comfort than to reassure the Doctor. As if she could sense them, the door was opened in front of them by Jackie.

"Are you two gonna stand outside all day?" Jackie nearly shouted. Ryan and the Doctor quickly let go of the other's hand, but Jackie noticed and rolled her eyes at them. She almost yanked Ryan into a hug, while the Doctor took the opportunity to edge around them, successfully avoiding being pounced on by Jackie.

Jackie stepped away from Ryan to look at them in the face, but Ryan glanced down to the floor, trying to avoid their mother's inquisitive gaze. It didn't take maternal instinct to know that something wasn't right.

"Rose, what's wrong love? What's he gone and done?" Jackie gently asked, in contrast to the glare she was giving the Doctor, who had already picked up the television remote and was fiddling with it.

"He hasn't done anything, I'm fine," Ryan insisted, still unable to look Jackie in the face.

"Rose, you know you're a crap liar, please talk to me," Jackie near pleaded.

"Fine, I'm transgender. I think I should have been born male, y'know, like Mickey's friend Sally, but the other way 'round, I guess," Ryan snapped.

The Doctor looked up from the television remote, his eyes shining with pride for his companion. For once in her life, Jackie appeared to have been stunned into silence.

"But, but, you can't be!" insisted Jackie, close to tears. "You're my daughter!"

Daughter. The straw that broke the camel's back. Ryan suddenly found themselves suffocating, struggling to breathe, unable to hear properly, the flat getting smaller and smaller. Ryan needed to get out, out, out. Fast. So they ran. Maybe the Doctor shouted their name, maybe not.

Jackie watched helplessly as Ryan bolted out the flat, neglecting to shut the door. The Doctor made a move to follow them, but Jackie was quicker, grabbing the Doctor by his coat and pushing him into a wall, trying (and quite possibly succeeding) to intimidate a man who had nearly a foot on her.

"Did you put her up to this?" Jackie sneered.

"I haven't put anyone up to anything, I swear, honest, R-" the Doctor was silenced with a deafening slap.

"Get out."

The Doctor didn't need to be told twice, mumbling an apology as he shut the front door behind him.

The Doctor found Ryan on the roof of Bucknall House, the same place where they saw the Slitheen's spaceship fly overhead before its fake crash-landing. Ryan looked up when they heard the Doctor approach and saw him nursing his cheek.

"Oh my god, she slapped you? I'm so sorry, are you okay?"

The Doctor noticed Ryan's red eyes, an obvious tell that they had been crying.

"I should be the one asking you that," the Doctor said softly. Ryan shrugged, gazing at the city in the distance.

"I…" Ryan took a deep breath. "I can't say I was expecting to go down well, but," their voice cracked. "But it really hurts, actually hearing it."

With that, Ryan started sobbing, and without thinking, threw themself at the Doctor. He wrapped his arms around Ryan, rubbing their back and gently shushing into Ryan's ear to try to soothe them.

Ryan backed out of the Doctor's embrace five minutes later, feeling awkward and like they had overstayed their welcome. The Doctor took this as a signal that they could safely continue their conversation.

"I'm sorry."

"'S not your fault," Ryan insisted.

"She'll come round," the Doctor reassured them.

"How long 'til people can come out as trans and it's just, fine…?" asked Ryan, not really wanting to know the answer.

"Ooh, let's see, 2007, Britain… about ten years until there's widespread public awareness that trans people actually exist, maybe another ten until acceptance and support."

The Doctor saw the sad look on Ryan's face and winced.

"I'm sorry."

Ryan paused.

"I think… I'm gonna go back down. You probably shouldn't come with me if she's angry with you," Ryan told the Doctor.

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

Ryan smiled to reassure him.

"I'll go back to the TARDIS and come back in half an hour?" the Doctor suggested.

Ryan nodded in agreement. Together, they walked back down the stairs, parting after four flights of stairs.

Ryan knocked tentatively on the door. "Mum… it's me."

Jackie opened the door, looking a bit guilty.

"Where's that Doctor of yours?" she asked, not trying to hide the anger she felt towards him.

"We decided together that it was better for us to have this talk just between the two of us-"

"Bloody right it is!" Jackie interjected.

Ryan sighed.

"Look, Mum… this isn't about the Doctor. He's my best mate, and he's just been supportive of me, like any best mate would."

Jackie sighed in defeat.

"Fine, let's just sit down."

Ryan was perched on the edge of the sofa, fiddling nervously, while Jackie was reclined in an armchair, with a mug of tea in her hand. Neither had said a word in five minutes.

"So what's this about you wanting to be a man?" Jackie asked suddenly.

Ryan stopped fiddling with their fingers. Not quite right, Ryan thought, but it'd have to do.

"It's… kinda hard to explain," Ryan began.

Jackie leant forward slightly in her chair.

"Being the way I was before – am now – just doesn't feel right, being called she, a woman, stuff like that."

Jackie nodded slightly, that explained their earlier behaviour.

"I don't like… parts of my body either," Ryan said in one breath.

Jackie's eyes widened.

"Does that mean you're gonna have a sex change?" Jackie asked, not disguising the horror in her tone.

Ryan cringed and rolled their eyes.

"Mum, you know there's no such thing as a sex change, right?"

Jackie appeared to ignore that comment.

"I haven't really thought about medical intervention yet, but if I do, the Doctor would be able to manage everything for hormones and stuff," Ryan tried to reassure her.

"Rose, you know I don't believe that man's ever been to medical school," Jackie bluntly stated.

Yet again, Ryan sighed; it was beyond the point.

No one said anything for a while.

"Look, Rose, I'm not gonna pretend to understand – cos I don't – but you're my daughter and I'm always gonna love you no matter what," Jackie said firmly, breaking the silence.

Ryan looked down at the carpet.

"Son," whispered Ryan.

"Huh?"

"I'm your son. And it's not Rose, it's Ryan," Ryan said, a little louder. "Ryan Peter Tyler."

Jackie nodded.

"That's a lovely name."

"Thanks, I chose it myself," Ryan quipped, more to themself than to Jackie.

"Come here," said Jackie, trying (and failing) not to cry.

Ryan stood and went over to Jackie for a hug.

"Would you like me to cut your hair?" Jackie whispered. "It's the least I can do."

Ryan nodded against her shoulder.

"Please."

Having determined that exactly thirty minutes had passed since he had last seen Ryan, the Doctor made his way back up to the flat.

He knocked hesitantly on the door, fully expecting to face the wrath of one Jackie Tyler, but was instead greeted by a young man with his blond hair swept across his forehead and the side of his face. It was Ryan.

"You look handsome," blurted out the Doctor before he could stop himself.

"For a human?" Ryan teased, grinning.

"Um…" the Doctor tugged his ear.

Deciding to save the Doctor from what looked like a potentially awkward conversation, Ryan invited the Doctor back inside, reassuring him that Jackie wouldn't slap him.

"Here ya go, thirty quid"

Jackie presented Ryan with a couple of notes.

"Get yourself a couple of new outfits."

Ryan looked shocked.

"But Mum, you shouldn't-"

"No love, I want to," she insisted. "And take him," Jackie gestured at the Doctor, "with you. I don't want him breaking my toaster. Again."

"I didn't break it; I was making it more efficient!" The Doctor tried to argue but was stopped by Ryan, who took his hand and tugged him out the flat.

"We taking the TARDIS or…?" Ryan asked, looking up at the Doctor as they crossed the courtyard.

"Nah, let's take the bus."

Ryan paused in surprise.

"Bit domestic for you, innit?" Ryan teased, gently elbowing the Doctor in the ribs.

The Doctor shrugged.

"You know me, Ryan, nine hundred years. I've taken buses."

Two bus journeys, three shops and several purchases later, the Doctor and Ryan wandered back to the TARDIS after saying goodbye to Jackie.

Ryan leant against the TARDIS as the Doctor fumbled for his key.

"Doctor?"

"Mmmm," the Doctor hummed, unlocking the TARDIS door.

"Can you, er, call me he?" Ryan asked nervously. "Feels right, now."

The Doctor turned his head to the left and smiled.

"Of course, Ryan, my main man," the Doctor grimaced. "Remind me to never say that again."

Laughing, they stepped into the TARDIS, onto their next adventure.

A/N: Next time, it's Fear Her. I'm looking forward to writing this, as Fear Her was a very fluffy/touchy-feely episode, and I'd like to investigate how potentially being perceived as a gay couple could affect the Doctor and Ryan. This will probably be two chapters, maybe more, we'll see.

Thank you for reading, and please feel free to leave feedback!