Names, Names, Names
December 1988
The living room at the Williams house was cluttered with books, lists, and unwrapped baby items. Rose was in her final weeks of pregnancy. "Only nine more to go," the Doctor had said happily just that morning.
"Only nine more, he says." Rose had grumbled. "I'm already 42 weeks gone. If this was a normal human pregnancy this little one would be here by now." The Doctor had given her a kiss on the forehead and asked if there was anything he could do. She knew that he would do this himself if he could. He was being so great through all of this, her moodiness, her inability to do things physically that she was normally able to do. They also had to keep up the cover story that they saw a 'specialist in London' instead of the local physician because the baby had a suspected heart condition. Which was technically true, if the baby was human. Their yet to be named baby boy had two hearts.
The Doctor had also been preparing the house for a home birth, not wanting anyone to find out about his unique biology. Once the Doctor could make the baby a perception filter, they wouldn't have to worry about anyone finding anything inhuman about him. So many little domestics that her first Doctor would have hated and very rarely did he ever complain. She was extremely lucky and she knew it.
Currently the Doctor was upstairs putting together the baby furniture. Normally Rose would worry about him tinkering, but she knew that he would never do anything to put the kids in danger. With a small smile she looked over at her baby brother Tony. Well not so much a baby anymore. He had turned seven last month. They tried to give him a birthday that would line up with his linear age rather than his actual birthday.
"Whatcha reading, Tony Baloney?" she asked, propping up her feet, wondering if his school teachers had given him homework over the winter break.
"Oh this?" Tony asked, holding up the book. "Just some baby names."
"Yeah?" Rose gave him a smile. He'd had it rough since they ended up here. Tony missed their parents and had spent many nights crying over them but always putting on a brave face when he faced the world the next morning. It shouldn't surprise her that he showed so much inner strength. He was a Tyler after all. No child should have to be as brave as he had but no one could know that he wasn't the son of Rose and James Williams.
"Which ones do you like?" she prodded, glad to see that he was interested in the baby rather than being resentful.
"I have a couple ideas." Tony picked up the book and came to sit next to Rose on the sofa. He leaned his head on her shoulder and her fingers automatically started stroking his short cropped hair. "I know you and Dad like Jack, Peter and Ian."
Rose held back a small smile when Tony referred to the Doctor as Dad. He'd been doing it in public since they had come here but only in the last few weeks had he been doing it at home too.
"I was thinking Tyler, you know, 'cause that way one of us could be called Tyler. But then if we ever go back to using it as a last name he'd be Tyler Tyler and that's weird. I really like this one. Rory." He pointed to the name in the book. "It means Red King and babies usually come out all red and stuff. Plus he's a baby Time Lord. So I don't know, red king seems to fit."
"Rory, Rory Tyler. Rory Williams," Rose said, letting the name roll off her tongue. "I like it."
"Like what?" the Doctor asked, coming down the stairs.
"Tony has a name suggestion," Rose said. Her husband sat down on the other side of Tony. Placing his arm coming to lay on the back of the couch, wrapping gently around both of his favorite people.
"So, what's the name you both like so much?" James played softly with a few strands of Rose's hair.
"Rory," Tony said quickly.
"And for a middle name?" James asked.
"What about Alan?" Rose suggested.
"Rory Alan Tyler Williams." James rolled the words around in his mouth. "We should keep Tyler off the birth certificate, but I think Rory is a brilliant name. Good job, Tony." He gave the young man a quick hug. Tony beamed happy to have taken part in naming his baby brother.