Chapter Twenty one

The following morning John had woken first and Rose was having a hard time keeping him calm. He was anticipating getting his cast off and was showing her how well he could walk unaided even by his crutches and was currently standing only on the leg with the cast and showing off his balancing skills.

"John! I swear if you fall and hurt yourself I… well I won't let you near me for a week!"

"You'll never last that long!"

"Someone's a bit cocky!"

"You agreed to marry me only yesterday."

"You still haven't asked my Dad." replied Rose cheekily.

"No I haven't but I will and once I get this cast off how about we go and look for a ring?" His face fell as soon as the words left his mouth.

"What is it?"

"A ring. I can't buy you one I have no money or job or…"

"Oh do give over! I don't work either but since we came here money hasn't been an issue."

"How?"

"Look around you John. Dad owns all of this and well this might sound wrong but we charge what we want or need to him. He's never questioned it and Mum says he told her if we ever did he'd be most upset. He views it as making amends for his living here with the other Jackie and leaving us to struggle all those years alone."

"But that's ridiculous, parallels exist but… They are never to be revealed."

"I know, but it's what he says. We are all he has and he won't hear a word about it. I don't take advantage. So don't worry I won't be choosing anything extravagant. Having your love... your forgiveness is a higher gift than any ring."

"You have my love and you never needed my forgiveness…"

"I did shhhhh, I did." she covered his mouth with her own and kissed him hard, leaving him slightly breathless and he sat down heavily on the bed.

"But you'd like a ring wouldn't you?"

"Yes I would but just a token of our love and respect for each other and of our promises to each other."

"Well can we please go now?" whined John.

Rose laughed before replying,

"We'll be far too early, why not have a shower first?"

"No."

"No?"

"No. WE will be having a shower once this thing…" he tapped his cast, "…is off."

"And what if they don't take it off today?"

"I will gnaw it off myself when we get back here!"

"I hope that doesn't prove necessary."

"So do I. Now can we go?"

"Oh alright! I'll get ready and be with you in just a few minutes. Be right back!" she said blowing him a kiss as she left the room.

A little while later and John was just as impatiently waiting but now he was doing that waiting in a waiting room at the hospital's fracture clinic. Rose was absent mindedly flipping through some magazines and glancing at him reproachfully every time he sighed deeply with impatience. Eventually his name was called and they rose as one to see the doctor. He sent them to another waiting room to wait some more before an x ray was taken and after that they waited again for the image to be read.

Finally John was called again and given the happy news that his cast could be removed. He would still have to wear a support bandage until his muscles had built themselves back up and he'd still have to sit with his leg raised and avoid contact sports for a further 4-6 weeks. He winked very suggestively to Rose who silenced comment with a look.

She held his hand as the saw again gave John cause for alarm but before long they were on their way in to town with an exercise sheet and dates and times that Melissa would call on him for his physical therapy.

"We need to buy you some trunks as well. You can't keep borrowing Dad's."

"How about some tiny skin tight Speedos?"

"Not for Melissa you won't be! You can have some nice loose and very unflattering swim shorts for her."

"And something a little more sexy to use with you?"

"What's sexier than swimming naked?"

"I think having you peel tiny Speedos off me would beat even that."

"You could be right. Where did you get such ideas from?"

"I have Donna in here as well you know and speaking of which lets shop!"

It was more hours than Rose cared to count when they finally pulled up to the mansion again.

"Dad's home and I'm guessing we missed dinner."

"Really? It's not that late."

"Really. They eat early as it frees Mum up to look after Tony, remember he is very small."

"Will they be angry? I don't want to ask your Dad if he is angry".

"They might've been if I hadn't sent a text several hours ago."

"I'm sorry." said John as he began to unload the great number of bags they had amassed.

"Don't be. I actually had fun. You are like going shopping with three or four of my girlfriends."

By now he had unloaded and was looking a little like a pack horse. As he walked in through the front door Rose noticed he was limping quite heavily.

"You've over done it." she noted.

"Maybe a little." he winced.

"More than a little." She took the bags from him and continued speaking, "Go and lie down and I'll get us some supper OK?"

He nodded,

"Actually I think I'm too tired to argue but it was fun wasn't it?"

She nodded before asking,

"Where is my ring?"

"Ahh well I need to speak to Pete about that. No don't argue with me. I want to pay for that."

"But what with?"

"This world has a Torchwood."

"It does but he won't let me work there. I occasionally get called in to advise but he is adamant he won't have me placed in danger and I think that will now extend to you too."

"I can advise too. There must be countless creatures that fall to the ground here and with all of this knowledge locked away in here it would be a crime not to offer it."

Rose thought for a moment,

"He might go for that. Does that mean I don't get my ring until tomorrow?"

"I think so. I don't really feel up to Jackie and Pete now."

"You don't look up to them either. She moved him gently towards his room and after divesting herself of the shopping bags she made him lie on the bed.

"Try and stay awake until I get back with something for us to eat OK?"

He nodded but Rose suspected he'd be asleep before she returned.