Chapter Nineteen

Sorry, short-ish x

Xavier's first planet was Goranthia, an empty planet full of pure vegetation. It was truly beautiful, surrounded with green shrubbery everywhere, and it had the appearance of a beautiful rainforest. High trees stood everywhere around and an unknown species of purple birds flew around their heads. At first Rose was worried that they may have swooped down and tried to take Xavier, but The Doctor reassured her that the birds were nothing but omnivores, and also the only species on the planet.

The Doctor brought out a basket and blanket from god-knows-where, and the family of three had a picnic whilst Tia and The Professor explored the jungle. They had made it clear that whilst they didn't want to stop travelling with the pair, they weren't going to let them hold them back. Rose and The Doctor knew this, and that they probably wanted some time alone, so they sat around for a few hours, just enjoying the planet on the sunny afternoon. Well, it felt like afternoon.

Xavier looked around attentively, soaking up the atmosphere.

"He loves it, doesn't he doctor?" Rose said, smiling as she watched Xavier's little round eyes swell. She noted that they looked more greenish today. "His eyes have changed colour, is that normal for time lord babies?" she asked, a little perplexed. She could've sworn they were hazel, or were they blue?

The Doctor took Xavier in his arms, and quickly scanned him over with the sonic. "That's, interesting" he said looking at the readings and raising his eyebrows.

"What is it Doctor? Is he okay?" Rose asked, a little worried.

"Oh yes he's fine," The Doctor reassured "He had a genetic mutation, rare amongst you humans. Totally harmless, and probably subject of out mixed DNA, Sectoral Hererochromia Iridium." He rolled the name off his tongue. He didn't say anything else, but then noted the confused look on Rose's face and continued his explanation further. "It means that the pigment found within his iris, called melanin is unevenly distributed and causes distortion in the colours. It's amazing really."

"Sounds long and complicated. But it's very cute that you know things like that" Rose said, grinning at him. The doctor just smiled, "You love my geek talk, just admit it" he said arrogantly, winking.

"Maybe." Rose said, smirking.

"You're very cute, do you know that?" He said out of the blue, smile still plastered on his face.

"Of course" Rose joked.

"Shut up Tyler, I mean it." He said. Then the two of them were quiet for a little while, just staring at each other. The Doctor and Rose were both almost shocked at how comfortable they were together, being able to just sit together in total silence without it being awkward or weird. It was just peaceful, and Rose had a warm feeling in her stomach. Love.

They could have stayed like that forever, but after a minute or so Xavier let out a murmer, as though to express his distaste for the silence, as clearly had enough of the scenery.

"Well that was nice while it lasted," Rose said. The Doctor laughed, and held his hand out in front of Xavier's face, who reached out one of his little arms to grab it. He eventually managed to grab one of The Doctor's fingers, and put it in his mouth, sucking gently.

"I hope your hands are clean," Rose said, laughing a little.

"Why does he do that?" The Doctor asked, perplexed by the baby's behaviour.

"It's just what babies, do, they like to suck on things. Keeps them quiet usually."

"You should've said earlier, I've got something for that" The Doctor said, smiling and reaching into his pocket with his other hand. He pulled out a little grey dummy, with what looked to Rose like a cartoon cyberman on the front, the handle shaped like the connected antenna on top of the cybermen's helmets. The Doctor gently took his finger out of Xavier's mouth and replacing it with the pacifier "Is that a cyberman dummy?" Rose asked, laughing slightly "Where the hell did you get that?" she asked incredulously.

"I've given up how things end up in there honestly," The Doctor said laughing "But Xavier seems to like it."

"He's so perfect, isn't he?" Rose said, watching the baby smile a toothless grin and continue to suck rapidly, like it was the best drug he could ever take.

The Doctor looked up at Rose, and smiled "He is. But that's only because he's got you as a mum."

"And you as a dad"

"You don't think we'll screw him up do you?" The Doctor asked, genuinely concerned as he watched Xavier. So innocent, never seeing bloodshed or hurt or destroyed realms. It was sad that he would definitely experience these in the future.

"Of course we will," Rose laughed "But it doesn't matter, because we're both pretty screwed up, and we seem alright."

"You're right. I don't know what I'm worrying about.

"You're a dad. You're allowed to worry. I worry too. All the time."

The doctor smiled again, "Then I guess we'll just have to worry together."

oOo

4months later

Four months on, and Xavier had grew very quickly. By human standards, he looked and acted like a sixth month old baby, but according to The Doctor by Gallifreyan standards he was still a little on the small side. It was night time, and The Doctor headed into his and Rose's room.

The room was originally his, but since he gotten together with Rose it didn't make sense for them to still have separate rooms. Deciding he couldn't just relocate all of his "Important" things, Rose had moved in and she had altered it drastically. His notebooks and scientific investigations had been shoved into a pile in the corner to make room for things like makeup and hair products, and her clothes were strung everywhere. Also his en suite bathroom had now been almost filled up with all sorts of deodorants, hairsprays, shampoo's and practically every other toiletry that had ever been invented. He wasn't even sure what some of them were for. The TARDIS had still kept Rose's room, but she hardly ever used it. It was nice to know it was there though, so she was glad the TARDIS hadn't deleted it. She had turned his room into their room, but still he didn't mind, because seeing these touches around, symbolized how comfy they were in their relationship. They had been officially together for eleven months, and he was almost amazed at how quickly they had developed couples and parenting habits.

Every night when Xavier had his grumpy period between six and seven pm, he would walk up and down the bedroom rocking him, as Rose had a bath and caught up on one of her favourite TV shows (the TV in the bedroom was also one of her ideas) then, when it got to around seven o'clock, she would give Xavier a bottle and put him to bed. Then when he would wake up multiple times in the night they would take it in turns to settle him down again.

It was around six thirty, and Rose was laying on the bed in one of The Doctor's old jumpers from his ninth form, her hair pulled up into a messy bun and The Doctor's reading glasses perched on the end of her nose. She didn't really need them to read, but she liked the look on his face whenever he noticed her wearing them. Or the jumper. The Doctor had a thing for Rose in his clothes, apparently. She had decided to read a magazine instead of watching TV tonight. Not that she would be able to even here it what with the combined sounds of Tia and The Professor arguing and Xavier's constant wailing. The Doctor sighed as he gently tried to will the dummy into Xavier's mouth, not that he was having it. He could hear Tia and The Professor screaming at each other about god knows what one of them did wrong today. The Doctor and Rose had gotten used to their arguing, but usually they argued during the day, not at night.

"Honestly, when will those two just pack it in..." Rose said, flicking the page.

"Maybe when hell freezes over," The Doctor muttered "Or, perhaps longer, when Xavier stops teething." He added before putting his finger in Xavier's mouth, and running it along his bottom gum "It seems to have come up a little more, but we've still got a hell of a way to go." He sighed

"Great," Rose grumbled "So we have to put up with never ending screaming for the next hour and those two arguing. Sounds like a great night."

"Only half an hour to go," he said, glancing at the clock on the wall.

oOo

One Hour Later.

It did not take Xavier half an hour. Even when The Professor and Tia stopped arguing and moved onto other activities, he still cried. Eventually The Doctor put a little sleep serum into his bottle and he soon crashed out. The Doctor walked through to the baby's bedroom, next to theirs and put him in the cot. He shut the connecting door behind him, and breathed a sigh of relief before flopping down on the bed next to Rose, who had long since discarded the magazine, but not the glasses. Not that he minded.

They could still hear Tia and The Professor across the hall, so Rose sent out a mental note to the TARDIS, who quickly soundproofed the room.

"You're getting good at that," The Doctor said.

"At what?" Rose asked

"Telepathy, you're very strong."

"Yeah well, it still takes a lot of concentrated thought. But I am getting there. But still not soon enough, I feel dirty" Rose joked. The Doctor laughed.

"How comes I don't get any of that?" he asked sarcastically turning on his side to face her. Rose just gave him that grin that she knew drove him crazy and asked one simple question.

"Glasses on or off?"

The Doctor, of course, chose on.