Domestics and Divisions
Here's the next chapter and I hope you enjoy. The next one is half written, thanks to a certain Witch Nova, so hopefully I won't take too long to get that one up too!
Disclaimer: Nothing you might recognise belongs to me.
Part Fifteen: Son of the Father
The Doctor stared at her. "Our son?" he repeated in a whisper.
Rose nodded nervously. "I was a couple of months pregnant when I went to the parallel world," she explained quietly, not sure of his reaction from his face. "I don't know how I got pregnant as we were always careful. I guess we must have just forgotten or something." She shrugged. "All I know is Jonny is your son."
"No, Rose."
She looked up, worried to see his face full of shock and fear. "He's not mine. He can't be."
"But he is," she insisted, her stomach twisting itself into knots, "I haven't slept with anyone else since I met you!"
"You must have done," the Doctor nodded decisively, "He's not my son, Rose."
"Yes, he is!" she retorted, "I'm telling you, I haven't slept with anyone else, Doctor. Only you!"
"Don't lie!" the Doctor shouted, backing out of the room, "He's not my son, Rose, and that's final!" He turned and ran out of the room.
"Doctor!" Rose yelled, hurrying after him but stopping as Jonny, who had been silent all along, began to cry, "Shh, hush sweetheart. Doctor, please!"
Jack appeared, looking worriedly at his best friend, whose desperate and unbelieving sobs were now intermingling with her sons'. "Rose?"
"He won't believe me, Jack," she cried, "I need to go after him. What if he leaves again? Can you take Jonny?"
"I'll go after him," Jack said, determination creeping over his face, "Don't worry, honey. I'll get some sense into him." He gave her a quick hug before running after the Doctor.
"Doctor!" he yelled, once he spotted the Time Lord who was hurrying to the TARDIS, "Stop!"
The Time Lord either didn't hear him or more likely ignored him as he disappeared into the time ship. Jack put on an extra burst of speed and got there just as the blue lights started to flash. "Let me in, girl," he whispered, stroking the door. He'd left his key back in his office, not knowing he was going to need it.
The door opened suddenly and Jack fell face forward onto the metal grating floor of the TARDIS as the ship gave a lurch and slammed her door closed. He gingerly sat up, as he heard the time rotor working away as the TARDIS flew off into time and space. The Doctor was glaring at him from next to the console but Jack was certain he could see elements of thankfulness mixed up with the anger and shock.
"Even my ship's against me," he grumbled.
"Maybe it's because you've just run away from the two most important people in your life," Jack responded hotly. "Good to see you girl, by the way," he added, patting the wall of the TARDIS to which the lights flickered dimly.
"He's not my son, Jack!" the Doctor muttered.
"Oh really?" he answered, more than a hint of sarcasm in his voice, "'Cause he sure as hell looks like you!"
"Maybe she found someone who looked similar to me in the parallel universe?" the Doctor suggested weakly.
"Are you calling Rose a liar? Jack exclaimed, furious.
"No, but…"
"And for that matter, are you seriously suggesting that she would sleep with another man?" Jack continued as if the Time Lord had not spoken, "For God's sake, Doctor! She's still completely in love with you. One of the first things she asked me when she got back was if there was any sign of you! This entire past six months, I know she's not been completely happy because you weren't here. I know she loves me but I also know if she had to pick one of us, it would be you every time! And you seriously think she'd cheat on you?" He broke off, panting heavily, glaring at the Doctor.
The man in question was staring wide-eyed at him, completely speechless. "I… I'm sorry," he managed at last, "I… I know she wouldn't."
"Well, I'm glad you think so!" Jack snapped, still fired up, "So, are you ready to accept that Jonny's your son?"
"No!" the Doctor cried immediately, "I told you, he isn't!"
Jack sighed in exasperation, resisting the urge to shake his friend. "He looks like you, the timing is right- he's three years old and Rose was in the parallel universe for three years. He's too old to have been conceived after we lost her!"
The Doctor shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck in agitation.
Jack growled. How could he be so dense? He glanced around, fully registering that the TARDIS was in flight. "Where are we?" he asked.
"In the Vortex," was the quiet reply.
"What? What about Rose?" Jack yelled, "How could you be so cruel? She's going to be going out of her mind, thinking she's lost you again and taken me with you!"
"I had to get out of there, Jack!" the Doctor argued.
"Go back right now!" he thundered.
"I'll take you home and then go again," the Doctor conceded, "Then at least she'll have you."
"No. No way," Jack said immediately, "You are coming with me for Rose and Jonny's sake."
The Doctor dithered uselessly.
"Doctor!" Jack yelled, "What the hell is wrong with you? This is Rose we're talking about. Rose, the woman who you've loved for years. And I'm willing to bet you've not been near this planet since you lost her because it's hurt you too much!"
Judging from the Doctor's awkward posture, Jack guessed he'd been right. "Please, Doctor," he said, using a softer tone, "I know you still love her; I can see it in your eyes. Go back to Rose and heal those broken hearts. Rose needs you and I suspect you need her too."
The Doctor nodded silently, frowning.
"We can deal with Jonny. We'll take it at your pace but please, just hold her hand. I'm afraid she'll break soon without you,"
The Time Lord sighed. "Alright, Jack," he accepted, "I'll go back to Rose but just… just leave the kid out of it for now."
Jack nodded, happy to go along with this for the time being. He squeezed his friend's shoulder. "Thank you."
The Doctor smiled weakly at him before activating the TARDIS, setting it to return to Cardiff, 2018.
The Doctor took a deep breath as he stepped out of the TARDIS, blinking in the winter sunshine. He shielded his eyes and saw Rose, standing half shadowed at where he knew the main entrance to the base was. He started forward, his hearts constricting as he saw there were tears running down her cheeks. He broke into a jog, not knowing where Jack was but not really caring. He saw Rose start hurrying towards him and increased his speed, not stopping until she crashed into his arms, her head instinctively going under his chin.
"I'm sorry," she sobbed, "I'm so sorry."
The Doctor kissed her temple, cradling her firmly in his arms. "It's OK," he whispered, hoping he was telling the truth, "Everything's going to be fine."
Jack let the reunited couple use his office to talk in while he and the rest of the Torchwood team kept Jonny occupied. The ex-time agent briefed them on the situation and they discussed it over a cup of Ianto's industrial strength coffee.
"He's not accepting Jonny as his son then?" Owen asked.
Jack shook his head, sighing sadly as he watched Gwen play with his godson, making him giggle.
"That's terrible," she stated, "How could anyone reject this sweet little boy?"
"I don't know," Jack admitted, "Maybe he's afraid."
"Of what?" Owen asked in disbelief.
Jack shook his head again. "We'll just have to hope he sorts himself out soon," he shrugged, "Or beat some sense into him. We can't have Rose upset."
His team nodded in agreement.
Rose perched on the edge of Jack's desk, twisting her hands. She could see the Doctor's feet where he was standing directly in front of her, leaning against the glass wall of the office.
"You don't want him then?" she asked quietly.
He sighed. "I… I don't know, Rose. He can't be my son."
"He is. I promise you," she whispered.
The Doctor didn't reply.
"Why?" Rose asked softly after a moment.
"Why what?"
"Why don't you want Jonny as your son? Did I do something wrong or…?"
"No!" the Doctor answered immediately, cutting her off, "God no, Rose!"
"Well, why then?"
He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I don't want the responsibility."
"You don't want to be bothered with a kid?" Rose asked acidly.
"No, that's not it at all!" the Doctor responded strongly, "Rose, I've told you this before. My life on the TARDIS is no life for a child. He'd get hurt!"
Rose sniffed, struggling to retain her composure. "So basically what you're saying is Jonny can't travel with us?"
The Doctor nodded slowly.
"Well, then," Rose said, her voice cracking, "I guess that's it then."
"What's what?" he asked cautiously.
Rose looked up at him, her eyes swimming with tears, unable to believe it had come to this. "If Jonny can't come, then I can't either." She brushed her eyes quickly. "And that means that we're over, Doctor. We can't be in a relationship like this anymore."
He stared at her in complete shock. She… she seriously couldn't be suggesting that they part ways?
"Rose, no!" he said desperately, "I'm telling you we can work something out!"
"How?" she cried, "I'm not leaving Jonny alone and you won't let him come with us! And it's not like you'll stay here on Earth to be with me. You get wandering lust, I know you do! You'd be bored solid!"
"I'd at least give it a try!" the Doctor responded, "We could do it like when you were taking your A Levels. I'd go off every couple of months and then come back."
Rose's face brightened with hope before she realised the major flaw. "It still wouldn't work," she said lowly, "Because you're refusing to accept Jonny. It wouldn't be only me you'd have to take care of. There'd be him as well. We'd argue over him and you might get so fed up, you'd go off on one of your trips and decide to never come back!" She paused, tears running down her cheeks, making the Doctor ache to hold her. "It's best it happens this way." She sniffed, standing up shakily. "I want to love you but you're making that incredibly difficult for me. I hate you so much for being like this right now!" She ran out of the office, leaving a stunned Doctor in her wake.
He watched silently as she tore over to Jack and grabbed her son, muttering tearful answers to Jack's concerned questions. He saw as Jack's face turned from worried to shocked and outraged before saying something to which Rose responded by shaking her head desperately and leaving the Hub, her child clutched firmly in her arms.
"Shall I go after her?" Gwen volunteered.
Jack shook his head. "I will," he decided, "You guys stay here and get on with your work. I need your reports on recent Weevil activity. Cheers." He smiled at his team before striding out after his best friend, not noticing or ignoring the lone Doctor staring forlornly down at him.
Review please. Constructive criticism is gladly received.