A/N: In which the time of the fundraiser have come, and Jack has a talk with the Doctor.

The first four weeks came and went quickly. Rose worked with Donna in the morning, and then she and John drove to the school to pick up Jack and Jenny. After that they would all share lunch together, and the Doctor and Rose would return to work once they were done. Jack was very happy with this arrangement, since he got to spend more time with Jenny who was quickly becoming his new best friend, and their nanny Clara, who he absolutely adored. Rose enjoyed it too. She was happier than she had been for years, and it seemed to rub off on everybody she met.

Luckily the fundraiser that the Doctor had invited her to was set to take place on a Saturday, so she had plenty of time to get herself and Jack ready. First she made Jack take a bath, which he wasn't very happy about.

"No, Mummy, no!" he protested, trying to get away from the bath. "I am clean… Pretty please, Mummy," he begged her. He would much rather be playing than this. Even if he had her full attention, he still didn't like getting his hair washed.

Rose shook her head. "You needed a bath anyway, it's been a few days. I know you want to play, and you can do that afterwards," she assured him, putting him into the tub and starting to fill it up. She also put in some of his toys, which made him a little more content with it. "Besides, there are going to be lots of people who will want to dance with you, but if you aren't clean they might not want to anyway."

He considered what she had said. "All right. But you have to hurry, Mummy. I want to show uncle Mickey my new toys."

She nodded. With the added money to their monthly budget, she had finally been able to buy new clothes for them both, and new toys for Jack. She had always felt guilty when she couldn't buy Jack the things he wanted, and even though he understood that they didn't have as much money as his friends' families, she still wanted him to have the best imaginable childhood. She had saved the rest of the extra money for her and Jack's trip to France that was now only 4 weeks away. She had feared that they wouldn't be able to go anyway because of her new job, knowing how much Jack had been looking forward to it, but by a lucky coincidence Donna was going away the very same week, so there was no need for Rose to come in.

"All right. That's a deal, then," she said. She washed his hair as fast as she could without getting water in his eyes, so he wouldn't get impatient. Jack seemed happy with this, and he babbled about what the party would be like the entire time.

"Mummy?"

"Yes Jack?" she asked.

"Will you dance with me?" he asked "At the party."

She smiled and nodded "Yeah, I'd like to dance with you. I'm sure everyone else will be jealous that I get to dance with such a handsome boy, though," she said, ruffling his wet hair.

He nodded happily. "Of course they will. But jealous of me too, cause I have the prettiest Mummy of them all."

She smiled at him, wrapping him up in a big fluffy towel before handing him his robe "Thank you, Jack. Now, you go and put something on. Not what you are wearing tonight, though, and then show uncle Mickey your toys."

After that she took a shower herself, taking her time. It had been years since she had been to anything as posh as this, and she loved that she finally have an excuse to dress up. She was doing her makeup in front of the mirror, thinking about everything that had happened in the last few weeks Oh, she still missed John. Very, very much. Every day. But for the first time in years she felt like she was actually making progress in moving on.

For such a long time, she had been unhappy. But now, she finally started feeling better. Jack had noticed too, and he was happy that his Mummy was better. He couldn't remember very much from before his father died, only snippets of his happiest memories. She sighed, looking at her own reflection. Every morning, when he was still alive, John would walk up behind her and hold her whilst she did her makeup. It had started when she was pregnant with Jack, but after that they had both gotten so used to it that they just continued. It hadn't been terribly practical, but it had been worth getting up 10 minutes early for, because it brightened up both their days.

It had been one of the things she missed the most after he died. It had taken her a few weeks to get out of the habit of waiting for him before getting ready. There had been other little things too. Like when she forgot that she had to cook for two and not three. Or that she would sometimes pass something to him, only for it to fall to the floor and break. When she had stopped doing these things, it had been easier not only for herself but also for Jack. It was then that she realised how much his emotions had been mirroring hers.

So she pretended. For her son. Pretended that she was alright, and because of that Jack was alright too. He became outgoing again, and stopped crying as much. Martha moved in, because it was closer to her work, and it helped Rose pay the bills. But whilst Jack got better, Rose felt like she was wasting away. And then her little baby girl died, and she just couldn't go on any more. Mickey practically lived on their couch, taking care of Jack, while Rose finally mourned properly. She lost a lot of weight, and almost didn't go out in the following months. But then one day she realised something. Jack was avoiding her.

Whether it was intentional or not, he would leave the room almost as soon as she entered. One day she hadn't been able to take it anymore, and she had sat him down with her in the living room.

"Jack, did Mummy do something wrong?" she had asked him, taking his hand.

He shook his head. "No, you're the bestest Mummy in the whole world."

"Then why do you always leave whenever I walk into the room you're in?" she asked, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Uncle Mickey says that you are very sad, and that you need time to yourself," he answered simply.

"Oh, Jack," she said, "You don't have to stay away just because I'm sad. He just meant that I was too sad to cook and clean, and help you get ready for school. Do you know what I really need to get better?" she asked, smiling a little.

He shook his head, finally looking up at her.

"I need lots of lots of hugs. From you. You think you can help me with that?"

He nodded enthusiastically and threw himself into her arms, "Mummy, please get better," he whispered.

Rose held him close. "Don't worry. I think I'm done being sad now, Jack," she whispered back, really meaning it, because in that very moment she realised that even though she had lost everyone else she cared for, she still had Jack so she still had a reason to go on.

After that she had started working in the shop, and after another month Mickey had moved back to his own apartment, when she was finally capable of taking care of herself and Jack again. And here she was, almost three years later, and she was finally starting to be properly happy again.

There was just one thing that made her feel guilty. She was more than a little attracted to the Doctor, but whenever she thought about it, she felt like she was cheating on John. She knew that he would want her to have a fantastic life without him, but all this time she had never considered that some day something like this might actually happen. Whenever she thought about it, she felt bubbly and light, but she was immediately dragged back to earth by the guilt that followed. It was all so confusing, and there was nothing she could do about it.

She finished off her makeup and dressed in loose clothes she could get out of fast, for when she had to change later. The Doctor was picking Rose and Jack up at six o'clock, so she still had forty minutes which was plenty of time for her to finish.

She styled her hair in elegant curls, fastening the hair that framed her cheeks at the back of her head.

"Jack?" she called.

"Yes, Mummy?" he called back, running back to the bedroom.

"Come in here, please. You're getting dressed now."

He ran in, hugging her again. "Jenny called me, Mummy. They are on their way in a big car," he smiled.

"What, Already? We will have to hurry. Sit down," she instructed, helping him change into a shirt a pair of trousers. She handed him his jacket. "You can go and wait for them and tell them that Mummy is on her way, okay?"

He nodded, walking back into the living room. Whilst he waited Martha let Jenny and her father in.

"You look pretty," he told Jenny.

She nodded. "You too."

Jack pulled at the Doctor's trouser leg. "Jenny's Daddy? Can I talk to you?" he asked, trying to sound as serious and grown-up as possible.

The Doctor looked down at him with a bemused smile. "Alright. But we better make it quick. It would be rude of us to leave the girls waiting, don't you think?" he said, while they walked away from Jenny's earshot.

"Sit down." Jack said, nodding towards the couch. The Doctor complied, wondering what this was all about. Jack was obviously trying to appear serious.

"Jenny's Daddy… Doctor," Jack started.

"Yes?"

"What are your n'tenshuns with my Mummy?" he asked, crossing his arms and tried to make a serious face, that looked mostly like a pout.

The Doctor couldn't help but laugh at this. Jack looked so serious, and it was obvious that he cared a lot about his mother, but this the Doctor had not expected. "Well, for now I intend to take her to the party, and we can all four have fun there. Actually, that's my intention. Rose is my friend, and I want to have fun with her," he said.

Jack narrowed his eyes. "My Mummy was very sad," he said. "But now she is happy. I don't want her to be sad again."

He nodded. "Neither do I, Jack. I care a lot for your mother. Trust me, I won't let anyone hurt her."

Jack gave him one last suspicious look before nodding and smiling. "Alright. Let's go back to Jenny."

"I might be tempted to ask you about your intentions for my daughter," he teased.

Jack gave him a funny look "I don't actually know what n'tenshuns means. I just wanted to know if you were going to hurt Mummy. I heard it on the telly."

He laughed. "Well… It means something you want to do. Like a plan," he explained.

"Oh," Jack said. "That makes sense…" he paused, looking to the side. "You look nice, Mummy."

The Doctor looked up, his mouth falling open. 'Look nice' was definitely an understatement. "You're beautiful, Rose," he managed to stammer out. She was wearing a midnight blue dress with a corset. The skirt consisted of several layers of a light material that went down to the middle of her calf. When she moved the material of the dress caught the light, making it look like a starry night.

Rose bit her lip nervously and smiled. "You look pretty handsome yourself."

They just stood there, beaming at each other, until Jack got impatient and pulled at his mother's dress. "Mummy, can we go now?"

Rose turned her head and smiled at him. "Of course we can," she said, carefully lifting him up.

The whole way there, Jack and Jenny went on about how much fun it was to be in a limousine, constantly asking about different features of it. The Doctor was very patient with them, telling them what everything did and why they shouldn't take it apart.

They pulled over, and Rose looked outside. "You never told me there would be photographers" she whispered to the Doctor.

He smiled. "Well, when you are as influential as me, you are bound to attract a few paparazzi," he said.

"Oh, don't be so smug," Rose teased, nudging his shoulder. "Will I do, though? I didn't dress for a red-carpet-event. I thought it would be more down to Earth."

He nodded. "Oh, Rose. You will more than 'do'.. You are absolutely stunning, and I have no doubt that you will be the most beautiful woman in the room."

She blushed. "Nah, I won't" she said with a smile.

"Rose, of…"

She shook her head. "I won't, because Jenny will be there with us."

He chuckled and nodded. "Ah, but you see. She will be the most beautiful girl. You will be the most beautiful woman."

She chuckled. "All right, I surrender. Now, should we get out before they start wondering what's going on in here?"

He blushed. "Let's… And Rose?"

"Yes, Doctor?"

"Will you dance with me tonight?"

She smiled. "Don't worry. I'll be saving my last dance for you… And maybe a few more, if you promise not to step on my toes."

And with that they opened the door and stepped outside, and were swept away in a storm of camera flashes and questions being yelled at them.