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The Doctor eased out of bed, trying desperately not to wake his sleeping companion. Now that the remnants of the regeneration had worn off a bit, he felt a bit more like himself. Oh, he knew his new body would act differently. Each new body did, but this one would be the first that was part human. For the first time since he was created, he was still enough to take inventory of his new body.
He made his way to the living room and sat on the couch. He closed his eyes and turned his gaze inward. He already knew about the one heart. His respiratory bypass seemed to also be missing. He sucked in a deep breath and held it. The burn of not breathing took hold almost immediately. He pushed it away, trying to gauge how well his lungs worked. The Doctor managed to hold his breath for a solid four minutes before he gasped for air again. Longer than the typical human, so there was at least that.
His immune system still seemed to be very good. Maybe not as good as his Time Lord body, but he didn't figure he would have to worry about getting sick. Well, at least not as quickly.
Just as he was about to catalog his mind, he heard a scream come from the bedroom. The Doctor launched himself from the couch and ran. What he saw almost froze his single heart.
Rose was sprawled on the bed, body tense, fighting something unseen. She was screaming, like she was in pain. The Doctor jumped into action quickly. He scrambled atop the bed, pinning her limps to the bed so she couldn't hit him. This seemed to only make her thrash more. He leaned in, placing his lips next to her ear.
"Rose, love, wake up. It's just a nightmare." Rose whimpered, but immediately started calming. The Doctor untangled their limbs, and held Rose tightly to his chest. "Oh, if I'd known you had nightmares, I wouldn't have left the room. I've got you. I've got you and I'm never letting go."
Rose breathing slowly became normal as he rocked her. The Doctor soothed her with softly spoken words and light caresses. Once she was calm again, the Doctor situated himself beneath the covers. So long as she had these nightmares, he vowed he would stay in the room with her. Maybe, eventually, her nightmares would fade. The Doctor took in her sleeping form. Laying with her, he decided, was not the worst way to spend one's night.
~DW~~DW~~DW~
The bright morning sun shining through her bedroom windows is what finally woke Rose. The night before, she had neglected to shut her blackout blinds. It was just as well, really. They had a long day ahead of them.
Rose turned in the bed, seeking out her partner. She was greeted with chocolate brown and a warm smile. Rose couldn't help but smile in return.
"How are you feeling this morning?" The concern in his voice was evident. She opened her mouth to reply that she was fine, but a heaviness in her throat stopped her. Rose tried to swallow, but her throat was killing her. She looked at the Doctor, her face scrunched in confusion.
"You had a nightmare last night. I left the bed for a bit and you started screaming. I managed to get you calm but not before you screamed yourself raw."
Rose nodded then cleared her throat. It still ached, but not nearly as bad as when she originally woke.
"I'll be fine in a bit, promise." It was the Doctor's turn to look at her quizzically. "These nightmares happen every night, Doctor. It will take no more than thirty minutes for my throat to be back in working order."
"You didn't have them at the hotel."
"No, I wouldn't have. I've trained my body to go into a dreamless sleep when not at home. It doesn't do well to hear the boss screaming if she happens to fall asleep at work or on a field mission." The Doctor looked mildly impressed.
"It takes quite a bit of will power and mind control to manage that. Even I couldn't always get it right." She smiled, but it was a sad, far-away look.
"There are a number of things that have happened to me, Doctor. I'm no longer the nineteen year old shop girl from the Estates. I've seen things and done things you wouldn't believe. And I've learned things about myself that I never thought were possible. And one day I might even tell you some of it. But not today." She got out of bed slowly. Rose wouldn't admit it, but her body was still a bit sore from the nightmares.
"Are you sure you're alright, Rose?" She smiled ruefully. The Doctor can't see it. Her back was to him.
"I'm always alright." It was like a slap in the face. Rose fled the room before he could respond.
~DW~~DW~~DW~
After Rose fled, he sat on the edge of the bed, dumbfounded. Of all the traits Rose could have gained from him, why that one? Rose had always been truthful with him. Brutally so, on certain occasions. But Rose had always been one of his best friends. The Doctor ran his hands over his face. A right pair they were.
The Doctor dressed into his suit slowly, trying to give Rose time to herself. When he padded to the kitchen, Rose was nowhere to be found. He scrounged through the cabinets, looking for something to eat. He ended up making two bowls of instant oatmeal. The Doctor was taking the second bowl out of the microwave when Rose made an appearance. She smiled gratefully at him before sitting down and eating.
"You know, Rose, we should probably hit Tesco's before coming in tonight. These cupboards are pretty bare."
"I'm surprised you found even this much. I practically lived off take-out or the cafeteria at Torchwood. I didn't think I had anything edible in this place."
"Well, I'm not sure about you, but I think a few home-cooked meals would do us both good. What do you say, Rose?"
"And who will be doing the cooking? If you've forgotten, I burn water. And I distinctly remember a certain Time Lord who burnt toast trying to feed me when I was sick."
"Oi! I'll have you know Rose that I am an excellent cook!" The Doctor looked slightly affront by her disbelief. "Just because I never cooked before doesn't mean I can't. It was just more convenient to eat wherever we were. Besides, I enjoyed showing you new cuisine. You seemed to enjoy it as well."
Rose smiled at him before getting up and washing her bowl. He followed her to the sink and rinsed his bowl out as well.
"You're right, Doctor. I did enjoy it. But I think you're probably right. A few good meals here at home would probably do me good. But don't you think we're getting a bit domestic here?"
"Rose Tyler." His voice dropped and he stepped close, placing his mouth at her ear. "You are the one person I could see myself becoming domestic with. I have seen myself be domestic with. Fantasized about it. Don't question my sincerity or my devotion to you. I'm yours, however you'll take me."
The Doctor stepped away from her, leaving her breathless. Wordlessly, she followed him from the flat and out into the world.
~DW~~DW~~DW~
The Doctor, much to Rose's delight and his horror, absolutely adored shopping. Maybe adore wasn't the correct word, but he was extremely enthusiastic about it. It only took them about ten minutes to find more suits similar to what he already had. He ended up getting three. One was his customary brown with blue pinstripes. He got another blue, but the stripes were white. The last was black with white stripes. They didn't have his customary bigger-on-the-inside pockets. He wasn't sure yet how he would manage that. Then again, after the incident with the Judoon on the Moon, he made sure to have a couple of spare sonics. If he were lucky, one of those would be in his blue suit.
He also bought henley's and ties in an assortment of colors. No one would be able to claim that his wardrobe was boring. He bought his customary trainers to match each of his suits. Once his "armor", as Rose jokingly called it, was situated, she drug him to the casual section. After much moping and pouting on his part, he began to enjoy himself. He enthusiastically modeled for Rose. He tried jeans and khakis as well as polos and t-shirts. He even modeled a pair of pajamas he managed to find. They were a navy blue with bananas in sleep-wear dancing all over. Rose fell into a fit of giggles when he walked out in them. He grinned cheekily before retreating to the changing room.
Rose phone rang shortly after. Pete called her to make sure they were coming to dinner that night. When asked why, he evaded. Rose grew suspicious but told Pete they would be there.
~DW~~DW~~DW~
They stopped at Tesco's and got a few groceries. Rose put the groceries away, while the Doctor went to change. When he emerged from their shared bedroom, Rose's jaw dropped. Out pranced the Doctor. Instead of his customary suit, which she expected, he was dressed in a pair of khaki pants and a dark blue polo shirt. On his feet, he wore a pair of trainers that matched his polo. He looked like a completely different man. Unconsciously, she licked her lips.
The Doctor raised an eyebrow and sauntered towards her. She took an involuntary step back. It seemed to her that he was prowling across the flat towards her. When the Doctor reached her, he grasped her hands gently in his own. The Doctor leaned in and Rose thought for sure that he would kiss her. Instead, he brought his lips near her ear.
"Thank you, Rose, for everything." He placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. He stepped back, keeping her hands in his, and smiled. It wasn't the manic grin she was used to. This was a softer smile. The sparkle in his eyes conveyed what he wasn't saying with his words. She smiled back as lovingly as she could. It wasn't exactly the situation she imagined she would be in a few days ago, but this was their second chance.
~DW~~DW~~DW~
Rose stepped into the door of her parents' mansion and was immediately assault by an armful of happy 3 year old.
"Wosie! You back!" Rose smiled at her little brother before lifting him and turning him towards the Doctor.
"Tony, I'd like for you to meet someone." The wriggling child immediately quieted and became shy. "Tony, honey, this is the Doctor."
The Doctor watched the child as realization dawned on him. Tony's eyes lit up as he looked at this strange new man. Tony cataloged everything about the man in front of him to what his sister had told him. Something was missing.
"Where's you suit?" The Doctor laughed, pure joy on his face.
"You told him stories about me?" Rose blushed a bit, but nodded.
"It was the easiest way to keep your stories alive, and it gave me hope." The Doctor's smile softened. He turned his attention back to Tony.
"Well, Tony, my suit is needing to be cleaned. But I'll make sure to wear one next time, just for you." Tony smile lit up the room as he wiggled out of his sister's arms. He ran down the hallway, towards the door to the back yard.
"C'mon Wose! Doctah!"
They followed Tony to the back yard where they all romped. Eventually, they began reenacting one of the best adventures the Doctor and Rose ever had. It was one of the few adventures where they didn't have casualties but it wasn't the one the Doctor thought it would be. They reenacted Margaret the Slitheen and the second time they met her.
Jackie and Pete eventually were drawn to the porch to watch them all play. Pete wrapped his arms around Jackie, who hummed happily.
"You know, Jacks, I don't care what their answers to my offers are. I'm just happy that Rose and the Doctor are here with us. This isn't the family I envisioned, to be sure, but I wouldn't trade this for the world."
"I certainly wouldn't have expected it. But I'm glad this is where we ended up."
"You think we should break them up and let them know dinner is ready?" Jackie smiled, a little mischief in her eyes and yelled. Immediately, all three broke apart and stared up at her. The Doctor and Tony's faces were horrified. Rose looked at her mum, a small smirk on her face.
"C'mon you three! Dinner's ready. Time to wash up!" Tony raced inside while Rose and the Doctor slowly made their way in.
~DW~~DW~~DW~
After dinner, Rose and the Doctor followed Pete into his study. He poured himself a drink and offered a drink to both Rose and the Doctor. Both declined, which he had expected. Still, it was polite to ask.
"Now, I've called you both in here to talk about your futures. Rose, as you know, you are still welcome at Torchwood at any time. Doctor, the same goes for you as well. I know that the Torchwood in your world wasn't that great, but ours is different. Rose is our leading liaison to off-worlders. She also runs a great team. Doctor, I know you from seeing how you work and with my own eyes. I would like to hire you as a sort of consultant. Rose mentions you did that at one point for the UNIT in your world. We don't have that here, just Torchwood. But it would be an honor to have you on board."
Pete waited a moment to let his words sink in. Rose had a small smile on her face. The Doctor, however, was hunched over, fingers steepled, deep in thought.
"You don't have to make a decision now. Officially, you have until the end of next week. Unofficially, if you feel like you want to help us, you can let me know at any time." Rose nodded and the Doctor ran his fingers through his hair. Before he could get any more agitated, Rose placed a hand on his arm.
"Tell you what, today is Thursday. Why don't we, on Monday, go up to Torchwood so you can see how we work. You'll need to get with Ianto to build you an identity anyway. Plus, you can help me dismantle the Dimension Cannon. It is still there, right?" Pete nodded at his daughter. He wasn't about to let someone else touch her pride-and-joy.
"Good. Just, come up there and see. That's all we ask. If you take the job, great. If not, that's fine as well. The choice is yours, Doctor."
"I..well...I appreciate that, Pete. And you too, Rose. I'll...consider it."
"Great. In the meantime, take this." Pete handed the Doctor a thick packet. At his questioning look, Pete explained. "Rose should be able to help you with this. It's an information packet so we can build you a life here. Rose actually came up with it herself. She helps integrate offworlders into our society if they come here seeking to stay."
"You give shelter to aliens?" Rose and Pete both smiled widely at the Doctor.
"Yeah, we do. At least a third of the population is alien in nature."
"That's...that's really good. How long has it been since the Cyber War?" Rose answered the Doctor. This was a touchy subject for Pete.
"Five years since the initial invasion. Four years since the first breach. Only about two in the original Universe. Time runs differently between the two. You only notice it if you're hopping from one to the other."
"So, exactly what year is it here, then?"
"2011. Specifically, February 17, 2011."
"It feels a bit warm for February."
"That's because of the breach. Remember, it created heat, which was changing our climate. Well, when Davros started his experiments with the twenty-seven planets, it weakened the walls. And, like the past breach, it generated heat. That was one of the clues that something was wrong. The climate should right itself since the breach is closed."
The Doctor seemed satisfied with these answers. Only time would tell. Rose got up, grabbing for the Doctor's hand. They excused themselves and headed towards home. As they made their way home, the Doctor couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe, he could make a life for himself here.