So I've gotten some messages basically begging me not to have TenToo called "John" in this story. I understand the aversion to that since the duplicate Doctor is a clone of Ten and people think he and Rose would acknowledge that. I just want to remind people that may have a problem with "John," that this particular story goes out of order so things that occur in these earlier chapters may be explained or elaborated upon in later chapters so there's usually a reason behind the choices. That being said, in this chapter, TenToo is called "John." Sorry if that upsets anyone, but later chapters will go into it. Thanks for the messages and reviews! –R

How can I love when I'm afraid to fall? But watching you stand alone, all of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow. One step closer. I have died every day, waiting for you. Darling don't be afraid, I have loved you for a thousand years. I'll love you for a thousand more. – Christina Perri, A Thousand Years

"Rose! Oh God," his brown eyes widened as he took in the horror before him. "No," he whispered, unable to tear his gaze away, leaning closer, then gasping. "Rose!"

She skidded into the doorway. "What is it?" She took in the scene, scanning the surrounding area for whatever had caused his panic. "What?" She repeated.

He turned to her, eyes like saucers and pointed, speechless. Rose wrinkled her nose. "What?"

"Look," he croaked out. She shuffled closer and followed his gesture.

"Oh," her breath caught and she blinked. There was dead silence for two seconds. Three. She burst out laughing.

"Wha?" He gaped at her. "What?" Whirling back toward the mirror, he narrowed his eyes. "This is a lot of things, Rose Tyler, and funny is not one of them."

"Sorry," she was still giggling and she tried to reign herself in, leaning her body against his, tucking her hand up the back of his shirt to rest against the flush of his skin. "It's not that bad."

"Easy for you to say," he sniffed, only half-joking. Her smile was gentler now.

"It's only a couple grey hairs."

"Three. It's three. Right at the front!" She took a step back, and he scrubbed a hand across his mop aggressively and then glared at himself, breathing a little harder than usual. He took in his morning stubble, the few extra pounds he'd put on lately, the hairs. "Don't really know what's going on here," he motioned toward his entire body and she bit her lip.

"You're at that age now," she murmured.

"I don't even know how old I am."

"Thirties," she responded promptly, and he stared at her, making an impatient gesture. "Mm…thirty-five," she suggested and his nose crinkled in disgust.

"Younger than that," he protested.

"Your passport says you're 35."

"Well that's fabricated. If you'll recall, we were in a bit of a rush when a year was decided upon."

Her head cocked. "How old do you want to be then? Thirty? Twenty-one? Three? You can play around with Donna."

"I dunno," he stole another glance at the mirror. "I'm in my nine hundreds and I never really cared about the aging of this body until this. I'm…I'm getting old." She sighed and walked behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist and tucking her chin into his shoulder. He watched her reflection.

"You're aging," she corrected. "It's a sign of wisdom, of life," she turned her head and kissed the side of his face, right below his ear. "I think it's sexy,"

"Do you?" His voice was an octave too high and she bit her grinning lips.

"Like a brilliant, experienced professor."

He squared his shoulders and looked smug.

"And," she continued "it just reminds me that we're living this life together. And it's a good life, isn't it?" Their eyes met in the mirror.

"Yes," he said firmly and smiled, shifting to wrap an arm around her and pull her close for a proper hug. "Growing old with you, that's not so bad," he murmured and she smiled into his neck at the revised sound of her familiar words, spoken so long ago. Withdrawing a bit, she kissed him, soft and slow. His breath tasted of toothpaste and hers faintly of coffee and she sighed into him, reveling in the familiarity of this act.

"Mummy! Daddy!"

He withdrew slowly, opening his arms as the toddler launched herself into his stomach.

"Well good morning, Donna!" All traces of worry were eliminated from his voice as he scooped her up. "Still in your jimjams? But we're meant to have an adventure today! We've got to get you ready." She giggled, her nose pressed against his cheek, fingers twisted in the very hair that had given him pause moments before. Rose reached out and smoothed the little girl's locks, the brown strands refusing to calm themselves. He exhaled against Donna's neck, making a rude noise and the child broke into riotous laughter. Rose smiled and tugged his earlobe affectionately.

"Right, I'll start Jack's breakfast, you two get dressed," Rose narrowed her eyes and plastered on a serious face, their mischievous eyes seeing right through her ruse.

"Yes, Mummy!" Donna cooed and he chorused,

"Yes, Mummy!"

Alone in the bathroom, he set Donna on the floor and ran a hand through his hair, across his rough cheek, and down his chest, wondering where to start. She watched him expectantly.

"Right," he said slowly. "Race you to your bedroom!" She was off like a shot, shrieking as his hands tickled her sides, their running feet shaking the lights downstairs as Rose walked, unperturbed, with a baby on her hip. She walked into the kitchen, wincing a little as she spotted the forgotten dirty dishes from the night before. She placed her lips against the crown of her son's blond head.

"Okay, breakfast."

Two hours later, Rose was spreading a blanket on a grassy hillside while Donna danced around her.

"John," she said, spitting out chunks of windblown hair from her mouth, and he hurried over, the baby slung in one arm, to weigh the basket down on the edge of the flapping linen.

"Here Jack," he set the infant down on his belly, dangling a stuffed walrus enticingly before him. Rose settled on one edge of the blanket and John sat on the other, Jack sprawled out between them.

"Can I go now?" Donna was jumping up and down, her body practically buzzing with energy. "Can I?" She motioned toward a nearby sandbox and Rose nodded, watching as her daughter jumped with abandon into the dirt and immediately began chattering to a young girl who looked to be around four or five.

"We're going to have to watch that one," John cracked lazily. "Bloody social butterfly already. Wonder where she gets that from?"

Rose rested on her elbows and grinned over at him, her hair blowing in the warm spring breeze. His eyes crinkled as he looked at her.

"What?" She asked, unsuccessfully tucking some strands behind her ear.

"Nothing, you just reminded me of our first time on New Earth."

Her smile softened at the memory. "Because I looked a mess like I do today?"

His hand rested on the baby's back. "Because you looked beautiful like you do today," he corrected. "And because I could barely keep myself from touching you, all the hormones in this new body. Lucky for me you took matters into your own hands and kissed me."

She laughed aloud at his impish smirk. "You mean Cassandra kissed you. I was hijacked, remember?" She reached into the picnic and began munching on some fruit.

He collapsed onto his back and looked up at the clouds. "Way to burst my fantasy. They sure felt like your lips and besides," he turned his head to offer her a wink. "You'd been looking and you liked it."

Rose snorted and threw a grape at him. "Mmhm, just fantasizing about all those parts, barely used," her voice was teasing but he wiggled his eyebrows at her suggestively. She snickered again. "Don't even think about it Romeo, every time you get that look in your eyes I wind up pregnant."

He reached over and she made to smack his hand away, but then she caught the crooked smile on his face, the tender look in his eyes. His fingers brushed her stomach lightly. "Well, don't think we can add another one in there now, no vacancy."

Her hand came to rest on his, feeling the smallest swell there, not yet visible to those who weren't looking for it. She ate a chunk of pineapple, licking the juice from her fingers.

"Good point."

"Yeah?" He sat up and looked at her, grinning when she nodded. "Alright then, let's go!" He grabbed her hand. "Leave the children; Donna's old enough to look after Jack now."

Rose fell back, laughing in earnest now, and he looked down at her, brushing some hair away from her face, leaning to kiss her sticky lips. His face hovered over hers and she traced the faint lines that were appearing on his skin around his mouth and eyes.

"Look at you," she whispered and he smiled in puzzlement. "So different from back then."

"The wonders of time and space," his tone was light but his face was serious, studying her. Her fingers swept under his eye, rubbed his lower lip, stroked the map that was more familiar to her than her own.

"You are wonderful," she said, glancing over as Donna let out a howl of laughter. "Because of you my life is wonderful."

He took her hand in his own, kissing the pads of her fingers. "I love you," he said, simply, directly, and so, so familiar, but her eyes still teared at the sound of it.

Donna called out for him and he wrinkled his nose at her before bounding over to their daughter, lifting her onto his shoulders and hurrying over to an unoccupied swing. Rose picked up Jack, who was beginning to fuss, and placed him close to her chest, comforting him with the sound of her heart.

"Oh for God's sake."

John looked up at Rose's outburst, his eyes guilty and she couldn't help but chuckle. She kept her hands on her hips.

"She's having a good time," he offered and Rose's eyes rolled.

"Not exactly the point of a bath is it?"

"She's squeaky clean!"

Donna stood up, her little body covered in suds. "Look Mummy, no more dirt!"

Rose bit her thumbnail. "Sit in the tub please." Donna promptly sat. "Five more minutes until bedtime."

"Bedtime?" John squealed. "Brilliant! I wonder what adventures Donna will get into tonight?"

"Me too!" Donna splashed some more in her excitement and Rose cringed.

"Okay, five minutes," she tossed over her shoulder as she retreated to the kitchen to dry the dishes. "I'll meet you there."

She could hear them whooping and sloshing in the water behind her, but try as she might, she could not muster up a bit of real annoyance.

"Aliens who ride around in your pocket, good one."

"Thanks."

"I particularly liked your incorporation of the importance of vegetables into the tale," he added and she smiled at him.

"I try." She slipped off her shirt and jeans, sighing at the release of fabric that was becoming just a bit too tight. She rubbed some lotion down her arms and across her stomach and sides. He watched her.

"Today was a good day," he said.

"Yeah the weather's getting gorgeous."

"What's on the agenda for tomorrow?"

She ran a brush through her hair. "Dinner at my Mum and Dad's." He winced and she laughed, knowing it was for her benefit. "She's making your favorite. Went on and on to me about it yesterday. I swear I don't know when you became the golden child."

"When I gave her grandchildren."

She turned to look at him. "Excuse me? Who is the one who carried those children for nine months and pushed them from her body? One of whom was born in the dead heat of summer thank you very much."

"Yes but if it wasn't for me, for my manly, human sperm, those children would never have come to fruition."

"I think I could have found another willing donor."

He tilted his head. "Are you trying to make me jealous?"

"Is it working?"

"Yes."

The smile slid from her face as she felt a tug on her heart. She walked over to him, sitting beside him on the edge of their bed and wrapping her arms around him.

"I only want you."

"That's good." They were serious for a moment and then he grinned. "Separating our names on all those joint accounts would be time consuming."

She pulled back slightly. "Speaking of which, did you pay that cable bill?" He nodded. "Oh good, I meant to ask. Our electric was higher than usual this month for some reason."

"We'll have to see what it is next month when it's warmer. And don't forget, Monday after we drop Donna at daycare we have Jack's checkup. I reminded work yesterday that we'd be late."

He hugged her close again, sighing against her hair in contentment at the banality of their conversation. It was so normal and typical: bills every month and daycare and bedtimes and bath times, and it was lovely. Rose shifted against him.

"Your shirt is still damp." He snickered and stood to follow her when she got up, wrapping his soggy arms around her. "Stop!" She shrieked and pushed him away, eyes shining. "I hope you cleaned that up."

"Water evaporates."

Rose's mouth dropped. "I will slap you."

He grinned and kissed her, laughing against her lips as she pinched his side playfully. "All clean Sarge."

"Thank you," she kissed him again, missing half his mouth. Her hands traveled down to her bare stomach. "Are you ready for this again?"

"I'm excited."

Her tongue poked between her teeth. "Me too." She climbed into bed and began the process of settling.

John slowly undressed, crossing to put his clothes in the hamper. He froze as his reflection caught his eye, and took a step closer, studying his hair one more time. He looked from side to side, mesmerized by the catch of the silver in the light. He was unsure if it delighted or terrified him.

"Are you coming to bed?"

"Yeah."

He stole one last glance at the mirror and decided it was a delicious combination of both. Smiling, he climbed into bed with his wife.