A/N: Today's Rose's last day on this earth. Will Jackie come to terms with Rose's departure.
Continues on Wednesday.
There was a knock on the door.
Nobody ever knocked on his door.
Nobody even knew where his room was.
As he woke he found that he was not alone. He opened his eyes to find his Rose asleep in his arms. He looked around Rose's room in Pete's big house, a smile coming to his face as he remembered their reunion.
His smile suddenly dropped when he saw a slightly angry Jackie in the doorway.
"Breakfast is ready" Jackie said before making a fast exit.
The Doctor returned his gaze to his sleeping Rose to find her awake. As their eyes met, they both smiled and held each other tightly. They hadn't done anything last night, just held each other through the night. Keeping the nightmares that had plagued them since their parting at bay.
"It's not a dream." Rose said.
"Nope. And to prove it...Rose Tyler I love You." She closed the small gap between them and kissed him. As they deepened the kiss, another knock came to the door.
"What!" A flustered Rose shouted at the door.
Jack blundered in and jumped on the bed like a five year waking up his parents on Christmas Day. Gwen was laughing at the door. Jack was not surprised to find The Doctor and Rose in bed together, but was surprised to find them still dressed. Rose had her pink vest and white shorts on and The Doctor was still wearing his trousers.
Jack could tell by the looks on their faces that this was a bad moment and hastily retreated muttering something about breakfast, taking Gwen with him.
The Doctor rolled Rose back onto the bed. "Where were we?" Was all he said before his captured Rose in another Kiss.
Jack woke up full of energy. He felt like a child on Christmas Day, he was so happy. He looked down at Gwen. He so rarely slept that it was a surprise to him how much he slept last night. Gwen put him so at ease that it was so easy to fall asleep with her near.
He carefully got off the bed so not to wake Gwen and entered the en suite bathroom. He had a shower and got dressed.
When he returned to the bedroom, he found Gwen awake, seemingly wondering where he was.
"I was in the bathroom." He said smiling at Gwen, putting her at ease.
There was a knock at the door. "Breakfast is ready." Jackie shouted through the door.
"Well i'll get dressed and see ya downstairs" Gwen said to Jack.
He smiled at her gave and her a quick kiss "Don't be long" He whispered in her ear as he pulled away and left the room.
She quickly got dressed. She only knew Jack here and for that and other obvious reasons she didn't want to be far from him.
As she left the room and walked down past the next room, she peered through the open door. She laughed as she saw Jack jumping on the bottom of a bed, with a flustered and annoyed Rose and Doctor.
It wasn't long before Jack was muttering and leaving the room. She closed the door behind him and followed him down the stairs to the kitchen.
'What am I gonna do?' Martha thought to herself as she laid in bed. Jackie had told her that breakfast was ready, but she wasn't ready to face the group. She knew Jack had said that nothing would change, but he had Gwen. She only had The Doctor on this trip and he had Rose. 'Maybe that Mickey bloke will keep me company'.
Mickey had seemed to be as put out as she was. It was obvious to her that Mickey had feelings for Rose, and that now The Doctor was back that he didn't stand a chance. It was how she felt after all. She had feelings for The Doctor, who wouldn't! He was attractive, good company and had this boyish charm that was irresistible. But he also had this huge amount of sadness hidden behind his eyes that if you were with him long enough you could see it, especially when Rose was mentioned. That sadness had lifted when Jack had solved his problem. It was still there but when you see him looking at Rose, she banishes it away. When they are together, you see the real him.
Deciding that she should show her face at breakfast, she got out of bed and changed. She needed to get out of the borrowed bed clothes, Jackie had got her from Rose's wardrobe. She wasn't Rose, The Doctor had told her that many times. She was Martha, soon to be on the end of a long list of ex companions.
Jackie was in the kitchen. She couldn't sleep. Her only daughter was upstairs, but by tonight she'd be dead to this world. How do you cope with the fact that you will have to say goodbye forever, but not have the comfort of death.
When someone dies, you know they are safe in the arms of whatever God you believe in. You can take comfort in a grave that you can visit, It is the not knowing if they are safe or happy is what hurts.
Tonight Rose will leave this world and her mum and dad won't have the comfort of the grave. They know she will be happy, but they won't know if she is safe. They know how dangerous The Doctor's life is and will never know where she is. But Jackie is well aware how that feels, always waiting for The Doctor to bring Rose home, but he'll never be able to bring her home again.
Pete wrapped his arms around Jackie as she cried. The realisation of today's outcome upset the both of them. During his first encounter with the Cybermen, he lost a wife. Three months later after another encounter with the Cybermen he gained a family. His family was finally complete with the birth of Little Jack, now he was about to lose his daughter. He loved her, and his life felt complete with her around and now she was leaving. He had an idea what Jackie was going through but knew that there was nothing they could do, so he comforts his wife, the only thing he knows how to do.
After the melancholy had passed, he started breakfast for the hoard of people. Jackie helped until it was time to serve out and went to get their guests out of bed before it got cold.
Mickey knew he wouldn't sleep. He was going to lose Rose again, and this time it was forever. When he decided to stay in the parallel universe he saw it then. Rose and The Doctor needed each other. It would always be just the two of them.
But he had got used to Rose being around again. He had thought that after four years, Rose may had thought about giving them another go, but knew that wouldn't happen now He was back. Mickey was no competition for The Doctor. The Doctor always won. Right from Day One.
Mickey got dressed and put on a brave face. He would say goodbye to Rose and get on with his life.
Jack and Gwen were first into the kitchen. When The Doctor and Rose came in they were fighting over the toast. When Gwen realised that they were being watched she let Jack win while turning away to hide her embarrassment.
The Doctor sat down next to Jack and was about to have a go at him about disturbing his antics with Rose until Rose plonked herself down on his knee and distracted him by kissing him.
"Not at the table Rose!" Jackie scolded her with a smile on her face. She loved to see the smile back on Rose's face. "That goes the same for you" She hit Jack on the back of the head with a teatowel as he tried to push his luck by trying it on with Gwen.
"Be glad it was the tea towel and not her hand." The Doctor whispered to Jack. They tried and failed to laugh quietly.
"What was that?" Jackie asked.
"Nothing Jackie" The men chorused. She smiled at the two most important men in her daughter's life, apart from Pete. The man that will love her for eternity and the big brother she always wanted.
Martha joined them not long after and was surprised when she was suddenly engaged in an avid discussion with Rose about The Doctor. Rose wanted to know all about their adventures and if The Doctor had been looking after her, himself and the TARDIS. She was beginning to feel that Jack was right. Everything was going to be ok.
When Mickey entered the room, Pete got him helping with more breakfast. They were a hungry lot, their guests, no wonder The Doctor always looked like he never ate.
When he finally got to sit down, Jack and Gwen had left for a stroll around the gardens and The Doctor and Rose had left to collect the TARDIS. Martha had decided to stay. Even though she felt accepted by Rose, she wasn't ready to spend time with them while they were acting like a pair of love struck teenagers. Pete and Jackie sat down at the table with Mickey and Martha and had their breakfast. Martha made tea while they finished off.
Jackie wanted to know about her relationship with The Doctor.
"I knew about Rose from the first time I stepped on board the TARDIS" She started. "He wanted to make sure I knew that I was not a replacement. Nobody could replace His Rose. At first I was jealous, we'd be on an adventure and he would say 'Rose would know what to say' or he would call for Rose to make him a cup of tea, until I would bring him one and he would apologise and walk into the depths of the TARDIS." She paused to finish her tea. "I found him once. I heard him crying behind a door when I was wondering. It was Rose's room he was in. He was curled up in a ball on her bed, he doesn't know I saw him. I also found that he never slept, but when he did, he would go to her room. Whenever I needed him, there was only three places he would be. The console room, the kitchen or Rose's room."
Jackie looked at the girl in front of her. She had been there for The Doctor when he needed someone. And he did need someone, he needed Rose and now he had her.
Today was going to be a long day.