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Chapter 14- Moon
Rose rolled over in bed, stretching her arms above her head. She opened her eyes to smile at John, only to find he was gone. She groaned. Where had he gone? He told her they would spend all day together today, after the episode he had last week about the TARDIS.
She tried to take off work the next day, but Torchwood was swamped, trying to wrap up the stray Sontarans before their big Bastille Day cookout.
Rose apologized profusely to John, but he insisted it was fine, and that work would give him something to keep him busy, and his mind off it. But she would still catch him brooding at the office door, and more than once had to drag him to bed in the wee hours of the morning after finding him hunched over the plant, hastily scribbling notes.
She kicked the covers off and went to walk out of the room to find him, only to find her path blocked by a huge bouquet of daisies. Contrary to popular belief, her favorite flowers were daisies, not roses. Mainly because countless of hormonal teenage boys trying to make bad puns involving her name.
Rose frowned and fingered some the petals. A small card was tucked into the stems and she plucked it from it's position. She opened it to find John's writing staring back at her.
Sorry for the pain that I've been this week, and I'm sorry for being gone after promising we'd spend the day together. Go to your mum's and I'll be around to collect you later. Don't worry about me. Love, John
Rose frowned and rushed to the nightstand for her mobile. The first thing she did was try to call John. No answer. She left a panicky message asking him to please call her when he got the message, and she hung up with a sigh.
The next person she dialed was her mother, who answered on the second ring.
"Hello?" the familiar voice of Jackie Tyler filled Rose's ears, and it was a welcome comfort.
"Mum? It's me. You're not gonna believe this, but John's wandered off again. Honestly, the man sets rules for me, then doesn't follow them!"
Her mother sighed, which wasn't a very promising start. "Rose, sweetheart, 'e's a grown man. 'm sure he's fine. Just let 'im be, yeah? Did 'e tell ya where he ran off to?"
"He left a note with a bouquet, saying he'd come round to collect me at your flat."
"Well, that's better than most men, Rose Tyler, so don't worry 'bout him. He said 'e would come round, and I know he will. Can't be without ya for more than two hours at a time, and you know it. Stop your whinging and come over. Tony misses ya."
Rose sighed. "Fine, mum. Be over in a bit. Gonna hop in the shower, yeah?"
"Alright, sweetheart. Love you!"
"Love you too." Rose rolled her eyes and shut the phone.
Honestly, were they all on his side still?
...
She knocked three times, her trademark, and her mother answered.
She was rewarded with a big smile and a hug. "How's everythin' with John, anyways? You guys have a row or somethin'?" her mom asked.
"Nah, we're okay. We've both just been stressed 'cause of work."
Her mother nodded her head in understanding. "Pete's been the same. I swear these long hours are gonna kill you all!" She waggled a finger at her daughter in dismay. "Now, run along upstairs to play with your brother while I do some cleanin', yeah? An' then we'll have some nice biscuits and tea."
"Mum," Rose complained, "'M not five, ya know. You could just tell me to go upstairs."
"Sorry, sweetheart."
She sighed and climbed the stairs. "Tony, are you in?" she asked.
To answer her question, a five year old blonde haired boy came running at her, and she clung to the bannister for support to keep from falling over. He crushed her in a fierce hug, and she ruffled his hair affectionately.
"How's my favorite little brother, hmmm?" she asked.
"D'you mean your only little brother, Rosie?" Tony asked.
"'Course," she smiled at him. "Whatcha wanna play?"
"Where's John?" Tony frowned.
"He's comin' a bit later, he had some stuff to do. But we'll have lots of fun, yeah?"
Tony smiled brightly at Rose and nodded.
"I got a new train set!" he proudly proclaimed.
"You did?" she asked, sounding very impressed. "I haveta see it!"
...
After the 100th go around the train station, her mobile rang.
Rose dug it out of her coat immediately, without checking who it was and answered. "Hello?"
"Rose!" a bright voice greeted from the other line, and she could tell who it was already.
She sighed in relief, her easy smile when she was around him slipping onto her face. "Thought you'd gotten lost."
"Nah, Time Lord. Superior knowledge and all."
"Half Time Lord," she reminded him, and she winced, as she could feel the brood.
"Right," he said darkly.
"Where are you? You didn't do anything crazy, right?" she asked, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth.
"I'm not five years old, Rose. You don't have to keep tabs on me all the time."
"Sorry," she muttered guiltily, and he sighed.
"It's okay. You know I have a soft spot for blondes," he teased. "As it so happens, I've been doing something for you. Something brilliant!"
"What is it?" she asked, immediately suspicious.
"You'll find out soon," he promised. "I'll come round right after tea. This something is going to take a while," John told her.
"Okay, guess I can wait," she teased, sticking her tongue in between her teeth, even though he couldn't see it.
"That's right. Goodbye, Rose. I love you."
"Quite right, too." She hung up the mobile and turned her attention back to Tony. "Right. Now, where were we?"
...
John showed up exactly after her mother had collected all the teacups and trays from the table. Tony and her had just gotten involved in a game of thumb war.
Tony squealed. "I'll get it!" He jumped out of his chair so fast he almost tripped over his trainers.
"I think you have to stop hangin' round John," she sighed.
"No way!" he protested, going to open the door.
"It's John! It's John! It's John!" Tony chanted from the hall and Rose stood up.
He came into the room and they just looked at each other. From his face, Rose could tell he wanted to leave as soon as they possibly could. He looked very, very tired and disheveled.
What on Earth had he gotten himself into?
"Mum?" Rose called. "John's here! We're gonna leave, and Tony'll be on his own in his room, okay?"
"Alright, wait just a second, sweetheart. Gonna come out to say goodbye."
Rose blew some hair from her forehead and turned to face Tony. "I had a good time today, yeah?" She smiled at him and hugged him lightly.
"You guys are goin' already?" Tony pouted, his lower lip sticking out the furthest she'd ever seen it.
This time John bent down. "Rose and I are going to be be doing dumb grown-up stuff. Really boring, you wouldn't want to join us. But I promise I'll make up for today, yeah? We'll go eat ice cream at that place you like. How's that?"
"Yeah!" Tony exclaimed, crushing John into a hug. "Bye, guys!" He sprinted up the stairs, and Rose laughed.
"You're good with him."
"So are you," John smiled at her.
Rose was about to reply, when her mother walked in.
"An' where are you two lovebirds off to?" she asked, looking between the two of them.
"Oh, nowhere special, Jackie. Just gonna see a movie at the cinemas," he told her.
Jackie nodded. "You two have fun, alright? Have some popcorn for me." She hugged Rose and patted John on the shoulder a little awkwardly.
"Love you, mum," Rose said.
"Love you, too, Rose."
"Bye, Jackie," John said.
"Goodbye, John," her mother smiled.
...
"Okay! Now, this is the surprise part, you can't see where we're going at all! I'm going to tie this blindfold around you while we drive and I won't take it off until we get there. Is that okay?" John asked.
"Yeah, fine." Rose smiled at him, and took his hand, squeezing it. "'m sorry about earlier. I've been awful to you. I can't imagine what it must feel like, someone breathin' down your neck. Think I'd hate it."
"Maybe it'd be different if you weren't so beautiful," he told her, winking. And that was one of those moments he completely took her breath away. He could tell her his feelings. He was completely comfortable telling her she looked beautiful.
You know, for a human... echoed in her mind, and she shook her head to clear it. No, no thoughts of the Doctor today. Just enjoy the moment.
A slip of cloth blocked Rose's vision and she could feel John's careful hands tying a knot in the back.
"Not too tight?" he asked.
"No, 'm fine," she assured.
He took her hand again and led her to the car, helping her sit and buckling her in. She heard him start the engine of their car and then felt the movement below her seat. John was uncharacteristically quiet.
"You okay?" she asked.
"Yeah, promise," he said.
"Okay, it's just, you were quiet."
They rode along for another few minutes and then John got up and opened her door, slipping his hand in hers to pull her up. He led her to a door and she heard it opening.
"I'm gonna sit you down, Rose, okay? I'll be right back, just have to grab something."
She nodded, and she felt the chair underneath her as she sat down. The sound of the door opening alerted her to John leaving.
Rose leaned her head back and enjoyed the solitude until she heard cursing coming from inside in what sounded suspiciously like Gallifreyan.
"John?" she called out cautiously. "Everythin' alright in there?"
The slew of curses stopped abruptly, and he sighed. "I'll tell you in a second, Miss Tyler."
She heard the door opening and the smell of something burning wafting into her nose.
"Did you burn somethin' down?" she asked, panicking and trying to get up. She was stopped by John's strong, cool hands holding her down.
"I'll let you see for yourself," he said sullenly, untying the blindfold.
They were on their balcony. The table was set with a lace tablecloth and the daisies she had put in water from earlier were in the center. A candle sat on either side of the vase, and there were a few rose petals were scattered on the floor.
"What's all this, then?" she asked confused.
"You don't remember?" he asked.
"Remember what?"
"Today is the three year anniversary since you came back to me. Or the other me, I suppose I should say, huh? Anyways, I wanted tonight to be as brilliant as you, and now I've gone and ruined it by burning dinner. I forgot that I was cooking it because I was in a rush to pick you up because I missed you, and then I feel stupid for putting down rose petals, but they're supposed to be romantic. And we were supposed to have a candlelight dinner in the moonlight and I was going to tell you all the ways you're brilliant to me." He growled under his breath. "Damnit, I ruin everything."
Rose laughed. She couldn't help it. He was so cute when he rambled, and he thought she would be upset at him for going through all this trouble, for something that she completely forgot about.
John scowled at her. "Why are you laughing?"
She crossed the floor and threw her arms around his neck. "It's fine you burned dinner, John, really. It happens to the best of us."
"Not to me," he sulked.
"Well, now it did," she pointed out. "We'll just get take-out, yeah? And while we're waiting you can just tell me those reasons while we enjoy the moonlight." Rose stuck her tongue out between her teeth at him, and he kissed her.
He smiled at her after the pull back. "Reason #1: You are a fantastically brilliant kisser."
"Can you even say brilliant as an adjective in a list of reasons why I'm brilliant?" she teased.
"Totally can!" he exclaimed.
"Can not!" she fought back.
They never did remember the burnt dinner.