Part Six
Rose woke slowly and rolled over. She looked around the room she was in and recognized that it was the room she shared with her husband on his TARDIS. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she stood. "That's different," she said to herself. "I'm taller." She went through to the bathroom and really had a good look at her new appearance.
Of course, she had seen what she'd looked like before she'd gone into her regenerative slumber. She didn't really remember what she was like the last time regenerated, but the first two times she knew it had taken her a while to settle into her new personality and body. Once she'd taken in all of her new features, she decided to clean up and then sort out what she wanted to wear in this regeneration. In her previous life, she preferred jeans (either black or dark blue), a tee-shirt and a blue leather jacket. To top it all off, she wore sneakers.
Wrapping a towel around her body, Rose moved to her wardrobe and pulled out various tee-shirts with a pair of her dark blue jeans. Shaking her head, she threw the items on the bed. "Nope, not me." The next item she pulled out was her blue leather jacket and shook her head again. "Definitely not with the hair." Again, she threw the item on the bed. Something at the back of the wardrobe caught her eye. It was a modest halter neck red dress that accented the bodice and waist and then flared out so it would eventually sit just below her knees. She found some pale, skin toned leggings and some plain black flats she'd be able to run in.
Once she'd donned her new look, she looked herself over in the mirror and frowned. There was still something missing. She made her way to the wardrobe room and took a look around. It didn't actually take her too long to find a light cardigan that looked gorgeous over top of everything else she wore – and it tied everything together. It was black with gold accents. The sleeves ended at her elbows. She absolutely loved the body of it – it had a Victorian style back flare cut, while not calling attention to itself at the front. And she found that it had two inside pockets on either side. She grinned. There were so many things she could put in those pockets.
Shaking out her hair, she pulled it up into a messy bun and decided that she'd spent enough time as it was away from her husband. And she remembered what had happened just before she'd regenerated – where was her baby?
Reaching out along the bond she shared with her husband, she followed it until she found him in the main console room. She didn't spot him at first. But she could tell when he first spotted her. She turned her head in the direction she felt his lust and love coming from. Giving him a smile, she asked, "You like?"
"Oh, most definitely," he returned with a smile of his own. He came down the stairs from their library on the balcony to join her on the main console level. "Now, are you a hugger?"
Rose took her time to think about that. "Mmm, not so much this time. Unless it's with you."
He gave her a nod. "Then you wouldn't mind me doing this?" he asked as he cupped her cheek and rested his forehead on hers. She laid her hand over his wrist and gave him a bright smile. 'I love you, my Bad Wolf.'
'I love you, my Doctor.' Aloud, Rose added, "Where is our baby?"
The Doctor placed a feather light kiss on Rose's head before he pulled away and asked her to follow him. He led her into the nursery and Rose felt her jaw drop as she realized that they didn't just have one child, but two. The Doctor didn't mention that he had mentioned to her just after her regeneration that they had twins, and not just one child.
"I'm terrified, Rose," the Doctor whispered. It didn't matter to him that Rose wasn't her birth name; it was the name he had known her by the longest, it was the name of the woman that first stole his hearts and he knew that he would still call her Rose no matter how many times she changed.
"I am too, Doctor. I don't know who I am. There are three things that I know for sure: I love you, you're mine, and I'm not sure what else to do."
The Doctor moved over to look down at their daughter. "Be nice, little one. That's your mother." He picked the tiny girl up and smiled. Moving back to his wife's side, he admitted, "I haven't named them yet, because I was waiting for your input love. But I thought we could give them a Gallifreyan name and an Earth name. What do you think?"
Rose nodded and smiled. "I thought of a few names while I was captured. At first, I thought about naming a girl after my mother, but then I realized, which mother? So I thought about 'Amalie.'"
The Doctor looked down at the girl in his arm. "Amalie. That's different. I like it. It fits our daughter, somehow. What about a boy's name?"
"Alistair," Rose said with finality. The Doctor looked at Rose as if she was sure and she nodded. "You always spoke of the Brigadier with such fondness. So did Sarah Jane." She looked down at the little boy. "I got to choose the Earth names. You get to give them their Gallifreyan names."
"Our daughter's name is Nestrisdathstrumulladak. Our son's name is Drayvinoniuardidorlum." The Doctor smiled at his wife and repeated: "Nestris Amalie and Drayvin Alistair Tyler-Williams."
NTLNTL
"So, where are we going now?" Clara asked as the Doctor and Rose joined her and Jenny in the kitchen. Both new parents held one of their twins. Both young women looked Rose over, taking in her new appearance and outfit. Jenny smiled, having not really gotten to know any of Rose's previous faces. Clara was a little bit weary still – it had taken her a bit longer to take the Doctor's new regeneration in stride.
"Where would you like to go, Jenny?" Rose asked. "You haven't traveled with the Doctor before, so I would say it's your choice where we go first."
The blond gave her 'mother' an even wider smile. "Could we go visit Donna?"
Rose could feel her husband stiffen at the mention of Donna's name. She knew that they would both really appreciate visiting the redhead – even if she hadn't really spent a lot of time with the woman, she knew that Donna had a lot of influence over John Noble; the man she had loved and lost in the parallel world. The Doctor didn't let his inner distress reflect outwardly. He knew that Jenny meant well, and didn't know the events surrounding how Donna had left him, so she wouldn't know how much it pained him to hear his friend's name come up again. He glanced toward his wife and before he let his temper get the best of him, he strode back out of the kitchen.
Jenny's face fell. "What happened?"
Rose watched the Doctor leave two very confused young women and gave a sigh. Trust him to let her explain things to Jenny as to why they couldn't fulfil her request.
"Jenny, as much as the Doctor would love to take you to visit Donna, it's just not possible. Something happened on Earth in 2008, and Donna ended up taking the Doctor's mind into her own. A human mind cannot handle the vast amount of knowledge the Doctor has. So, to save her life, the Doctor had to remove all knowledge of him, their adventures, – everything involving us – from her mind so that she could live. If she remembers us, even just a little, her mind will burn and she will die." Rose reached out and ran a hand along Jenny's shoulder in a comforting way. "There is someone we could go visit instead. Do you remember the other woman that was traveling with the Doctor at that time?"
"Martha?"
"We could go and visit her, if you wanted."
Jenny smiled. "That would be nice."
NTLNTL
Mickey and Martha Smith looked up from where they were relaxing in front of the TV. They both heard the grating sound that signified the TARDIS was materializing not that far away. Neither of them had seen or heard from the Doctor for nearly five and a half years – not since New Year's 2010. And neither of them had really expected to hear anything from the Time Lord again since he swanned off after he rescued them from Jask the Sontaran.
Martha got up off the couch and moved to the window and looked out over the dark street. Across the road, underneath a streetlamp, stood the TARDIS. Out stepped a man Martha didn't recognize, carrying a newborn.
"Who's that?" she asked.
"It'll be the Doctor," Mickey returned, moving to her side. He pulled the curtain further away from the window so he could also peer out across the street. When he also spotted the older man he didn't recognize, he also frowned. Then out stepped two more women neither of them recognized (the one in the red dress carried another child) before a blond Martha vaguely recognized pulled the TARDIS door closed behind her. "Looks like we've got company. I'll go put the kettle on."
Martha nodded and went to the front door of their two bedroom apartment to let the Doctor and his entourage in. The first person to enter was Clara, and then Jenny, leaving Rose and the Doctor to bring up the rear. When Martha saw Jenny, a grin spread across the black woman's face.
"Jenny!"
"Martha!"
"Hope we're not calling too late," Clara put in. "You must be Doctor Martha Smith."
Martha nodded. "I am. Did Mr. Impressive tell you?"
"No, I did," Rose refuted. "The Doctor hates goodbyes, so rarely talks about past companions with anyone. Where's Micks?"
Martha looked over the second strange woman and frowned. She didn't recognize anyone other than Jenny, and was really confused about how this brunette in red knew both her and Mickey – and even had the gall to shorted Mickey's name.
"Mum and Dad'll explain inside," Jenny put in with a grin. "It's rather a long story. And it's good to see you, Martha."
The five of them moved through to the living area, where the two 'girls' took the two single chairs. Martha offered the couch to her other two guests but the Doctor waved her off. "Don't worry, Martha. Rose and I will take the dining chairs."
"Rose?" Mickey asked from the kitchen door. He took a good look around the room but didn't recognize any of the women in his living room with his wife. Rose was still standing close to her own husband. At the sound of her name issuing out of the man that had been with her for a long time at the start of her previous life, she turned to take in his face.
"Mickey," she whispered. She wasn't prepared for the onslaught of emotions that flooded over her. All the memories she shared with him in the Powel Estate; the ones of the years without her Doctor in the parallel world; Pete and Jackie's death; Tony's death; Jake; even her John's death.
The Doctor could feel Rose's emotional state and knew that she was barely holding things together. It was to no surprise to him when he felt his reactions taking over and that he knew he needed to do something about it. Catching Clara's eye, he indicated to Amalie nestled in her mother's arms. Clara gave a brief nod and took the girl out of her mother's arms. The Doctor moved to his older daughter and handed Alistair over to her. He moved back to his wife's side and pulled her into his arms.
Both Martha and Mickey were surprised when this strange man pulled the equally strange woman into his arms. "Rose, love, it's okay," the Doctor whispered and leaned his forehead against hers. 'It's okay; I'm here. Mickey's here.'
"Okay, what's going on?" Martha asked. "Would somebody like to explain what's going on?"
The Doctor pulled away from Rose and looked at his two former companions. "Hello, Martha Jones. I'm the Doctor." He indicated to Clara and his baby girl. "This is my current companion, Clara, who's holding my daughter, Amalie. You already know my brilliant girl, Jenny, who's got my son, Alistair. And, even if you don't recognize her, you do know my wife."
"Wife?" Mickey hissed, getting up and personal in the new Doctor's face. "What happened to Rose?"
"Yes, wife!" Rose shot back, wiping her eyes. She stepped away from the Doctor's side. "I told you that in the parallel world, after one of the worst days of my life. HE left me back there with Mum and his double."
Mickey turned to face Rose in her new body. "Rose?"
"Hi Mick."
"Prove it."
She smiled sadly and thought back to the first Doctor they both knew. "When we first met the Doctor, back when he was big ears and leather;" Rose mentally chuckled as the Doctor shot her an indignant 'Oi!'; "I turned him down the first time he asked. Said I had to go look for Mum and someone had to look after you. After he left, I got you up on your feet and began to lead you away from the alley. You couldn't stop staring at where the TARDIS had been. Then he came back and said 'Did I also mention it travels in time?' I thanked you for nothing and then ran off with him."
"Oh my god, Rose!" Mickey said. "What happened?"
"I lost everything, got shot, tortured, regenerated," Rose sarcastically retorted.
"Love." That was all it took: that one word from the Doctor for Rose to deflate. He looked down at her and she huffed as she crossed her arms.
'Fine,' she shot at him. 'If you won't let me blow off steam, you explain it to them.'
'You're the one with the words,' the Doctor returned.
'Really? I wouldn't know. It's been what? Three days?'
Clara shook her head at what the Doctor and Rose were doing. She knew that she was the only one who had really known what the two of them were like on the TARDIS. "Get a room!" she called at them, which made the two of them look toward her and the Doctor then pulled Rose to one side so that the other four adults could talk. "Okay, I should probably explain what's been going on lately. This Doctor's more alien than the last one. He's useless at explanations and feelings."
Mickey snorted, "Except when it comes to Rose. Glad that hasn't changed. The big git."
"Sounds like you know him well," Clara responded with a smile. "Anyway, Rose regenerated three days ago so not really sure what her new personality's like yet."
"I thought Rose was human like the rest of us," Martha put in.
"No, she's human plus TARDIS," Mickey refuted. "The Doctor we knew wouldn't have known that unless she told him."
"So this Doctor is older than the one we knew? How do we know that he's the same Doctor though? And how much older is he?"
Mickey gave his wife a smile. "Babe, you remember the pictures of my life before I ran into you? There was one of me, Rose, Jack and the Doctor with the leather and ears?" Martha nodded and Mickey continued, "That was my first Doctor. Before he changed into the man with the trench coat. Rose saw him do that. The Doctor can change his face. And tell me, how many people do you know travel in a blue Police phone box?"
Martha giggled. "Him."
"Yeah, him," Mickey agreed. "Now, what's been going on? We didn't really expect to see him on our doorstep again."
"That would be me," Jenny joined in the conversation. "I wanted to go see Donna, just because she was the one who named me, but Mum said that we couldn't. So she suggested coming to visit you. It's been hard, the last 100 years on my own, so it's nice that Mum and Dad want to do things with me and let me choose."
"Mum?" Mickey asked. "Martha explained to me how you were created, Jenny. I thought the Doctor was biologically your mother and father."
"Yes, but Mum is married to Dad. And she doesn't mind me calling her that. At least, I don't think so."
"I don't, kid," Rose said. "You're as much my kid as Amalie or Alistair." She looked toward her two friends and gave them a sad smile. Mickey looked toward his wife and raised an eyebrow. Martha nodded slightly and her husband stood up and walked over to his childhood friend. He wrapped his arms around Rose. Rose didn't return the hug. Clara snorted as Rose's arms flung out as if she wasn't sure what to do with them.
"She's so your wife, Doctor," she said.
When Mickey pulled away and shot Rose a frown. "Sorry Mick. I'm not much of a hugger this time round. Neither's Scotty over there."
"Are you poking fun of my accent now?" the Doctor asked.
Martha laughed as Mickey returned to her side on the couch. Rose returned her attention to the Doctor and shrugged. She had a smile on her face. "I don't know. Am I? It does take me a while to get the hang of a new regeneration."
The Doctor returned her smile. "I know, love. That's the same with any one just after they regenerate."
"How long has it been for you since we last saw and talked to you?" Mickey asked, directing his attention to Rose. Both he and Martha had discussed Rose's fate, along with the meta-crisis's fate – after they left the TARDIS in Cardiff. "What happened to you after the 27 planets and to Jackie, Pete, Tony and the other guy?"
Rose looked down at her feet. "A lot has happened to me since then, Micks. 150 years. The last eight months, two weeks and five days haven't been a cake walk so I try not to think about how Mum, Pete and Tony lost their lives early on. Tony was only 12."
"You're looking good for 150."
Rose snorted. "Oh, Martha. Don't get me started on age. I'm 629. I think. So hard to keep track of it all." She smiled. "Martha, mind doing me a favor? Could you help me get Amalie to the TARDIS?"
"What?" Jenny objected. "Are we leaving already?"
"Nah, we're not leaving. I need to get back to the TARDIS before I walk through that door." Rose moved to Jenny's side and collected her son from her grown up daughter. She heard the materialization of someone in the kitchen. Rolling her eyes, Rose shook her head. "Martha, some help please." She shot a look at her husband. 'Be gentle, Thief. I've just lost my parents to the Angels in New York. Have fun. See you after all this has blown over.'
The Doctor frowned at her. 'Thief?'
As Rose and Martha made their way to the front door (and out of eyesight of anyone coming from the kitchen to the living room, Rose began to rattle off some endearments over her link with her husband. 'Darling? Honey? Muffin? Sugar? Babe? Mi vida? Querido? My thief that stole my hearts.'
'I am yours, Melody Rose Tyler-Williams, but I prefer it if you don't call me 'Thief',' the Doctor shot back and sent through a wave of love. He could feel her affection rolling back toward him.
Rose paused just before she exited the house and called out to the person that had teleported into the kitchen of the Smith's house: "The audacity of you, young lady!"
River Song stepped out of the kitchen and grinned. Her eyes fell on the Doctor. "Hello Sweetie." Pointing toward the front door, she asked, "Who was that?"
"Hello, River Song," the Doctor returned. "And to answer your question, she's a suitcase full of spoilers."
"Seriously?" Mickey asked. When Clara and the Doctor both nodded, the man whistled. "No wonder she hightailed it out of here with my wife. A little warning would've been nice though."
The Doctor shook his head and focused of his wife's third self. He truly took the woman's appearance in and could tell from all the times he had seen the woman that something was wrong. Granted, River had been particularly good in hiding things from him when he was younger, but after having lived 1000 years since she had first strolled into his life with 'Spoilers' back in the library, he had gotten used to all her little quirks.
"Just after New York?" the Doctor asked. River nodded once, wondering how this Doctor, whom she had only seen once (at her graduation) could read her so well. The lanky 11th Doctor she knew better couldn't read her like this man could.
"How did you know?"
"You know I can't answer that," the Doctor responded. "Was there a reason you came looking for us?"
"Yes, I think I found Gallifrey."
AN: mi vida = my life
Querido = loved one
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