Chapter 3

The Doctor fidgeted the entire zeppelin ride back from Norway.

"Relax." Rose told him, giving him a smile. Still not the smile that he dreamt about, the playful smile where her tongue peeked out through her teeth. He knew she was worried about him. He'd been unusually quiet since after they spoke at the hotel.

To be fair, he had a lot on his mind. He was suddenly a different species; he'd gained a son and was reunited with the woman he loved all in one day. On top of it he was on his way to meet said son and that was incredibly nerve-wracking. What if he didn't live up to the man that Rose described? He was the same but he was different. He was no longer an all-powerful Time Lord with a TARDIS. Now he had just one heart and he wouldn't have a TARDIS for five years. He was the same man, but different. Yes, he had the same personality and traits, but he was human now. That made all of the difference. No longer was he the "lonely god," he was free to do as he pleased. Of course, he would probably still play the hero, that was just who he was, but he could have the one adventure he had never had. This was the one adventure that he had never even imagined that he could have. He could live the rest of this short human life with Rose Tyler and they'd raise their son together. If she'd have him.

"What if he's disappointed? What if I don't live up-?" The Doctor began.

"You said last night that you're the Doctor. As long as that's true he'll love you. You're his dad and he'll love you no matter what." Rose assured him.

"Did you tell him that I was coming?" he asked.

"No… I thought that it would be better for him to find out in person." Rose told him. Had she told Tony last night when they'd spoken on the phone, he'd never let his grandfather put him to bed.

"Stop worrying." Jackie ordered him. "He's always talking about how his father, the Doctor, is a superhero. He idolizes you."

She decided to give them some privacy and go to the other side of the zeppelin. Jackie was thrilled with this turn of events. She could kiss the original Doctor. Not only would Rose and Tony have him, she wouldn't lose them. Rose would have a normal life with her son and the man she loved.

"You know," Rose began. "If you're gonna be living a normal human life, you're gonna need a name. We should think about that…"

"Noble." The Doctor said sadly. "I want my surname to be Noble, after Donna."

Rose wondered why he looked so sad when talking about Donna, but she decided to ask him later. She didn't want to push him.

"Alright, have you thought about a first name?"

"James." The Doctor told her. "I once had a companion by that name."

"That's easy enough, James Noble. It's a nice name, but is it ok if I still call you Doctor?" Rose asked.

"I'd like that." He told her, smiling.

"Dad will have Torchwood create your documents and give you a backstory. We'll say you have a Ph.D. so nobody wonders why we call you Doctor." Rose explained. "They'll have to be very thorough with you're backstory because we're in the public eye. They'll be extremely curious about the sudden appearance of Tony's mysterious father. Tony Tyler Noble. I like that, it has a nice ring to it."

The Doctor smiled; thrilled that Rose would publicly acknowledge him as Tony's father.

"How did he explain you?" He asked her, remembering that there hadn't originally been a Rose Tyler in this universe.

"My parents were extremely adept at keeping me out of the public eye." Rose told him with a smile. "I didn't think that they'd believe it, but how could they not when I had school records and everything else. Besides, they forgot how I popped out of nowhere when it got out that I was pregnant and the father wasn't in the picture."

"So they'll have a field day when I show up? How will we explain where I've been?" The Doctor asked, not pleased with the prospect of being the subject of public interest.

"Well… If you work for Torchwood we can say that you were on an undercover mission for the last three years. They can't ask questions because it will be classified and it adds a romantic aspect to our story."

"Our story?" he asked, smiling. "Do we have a story here?"

Rose blushed. "Yes. I still feel the same, I hope you do too."

"Of course I do! I meant everything I said on that beach."

"I'm glad, though I think I'll need some time."

"Absolutely. Maybe we can date properly… Imagine me, dating. Never thought I'd see the day."

"I'd like that." Rose told him, beaming.

"But, Rose, Torchwood? I don't know if I can work there." He admitted.

"Torchwood really is different. We rebuilt it. Mickey, Jake and Dad made sure that it's different. Yes, we protect the Earth, but we don't needlessly harm aliens to do it. We only carry guns with a stun function. There's no more of that 'if it's alien it's ours' rubbish. The only time we use lethal force is if it's a life or death situation. The only time we lock anybody up is if they're dangerous and even then it's only until we can get them back to their home planet." Rose explained. "We'd be even better with you. There is so much that we don't know and you can help us keep things under control. I'm not saying that you have to work with us, but you will need a job, at least until the TARDIS is ready. You can do anything you want, but Torchwood is where you would be most needed."

"I'll think about it. What do you do there?" He questioned, worried that she was in danger.

"I don't do fieldwork. I mainly work in R and D. I also help with diplomatic situations, but I try to keep out of danger. I can't purposely go out into dangerous situations when I have Tony to worry about. I only used the Dimension Cannon myself because it was my project. It wouldn't be fair to send somebody else through it and the universes were in such grave danger. If I didn't go, Tony wouldn't exist to lose me in the first place."

"I understand… I still have to think about it, but it would be nice to have the old team together again." He replied, smiling the smile that made her knees go weak. "Shiver and Shake."

"It'd be great to have you in R and D, and especially the Archives. There's so much alien tech that we can't identify. Some of it would probably help you grow the TARDIS."

"Well," he began, drawing out the word. "I do need a few things to shatterfry the plasmic shell…"

A few hours later they arrived at the Tyler mansion. The zeppelin ride had seemed the longest trip of his life. To be fair his main mode of travel for the past few centuries had disappeared in one place and reappeared in another a moment later.

The Doctor remembered the mansion from the last time he'd been in Pete's world. His heart was beating faster than it ever had. His palms were sweaty and he felt dizzy. If this was how humans dealt with anxiousness, it was rubbish. All of his insecurities and worries were running through his mind. Even if Tony did like him, would he be a good father? He hadn't exactly been father of the year when he'd been a father last. All that he knew was he would love this little boy more than anything in any universe. He hadn't even met him yet and he loved him.

Pete awaited them at the door, Tony in his arms. The Doctor's heart stopped when he saw Tony. He had the same messy brown hair as him, the same eyes, the same nose and his freckles, but his smile was Rose's. He was an amazing combination of the two of them. He was perfect. He was still young but all the Doctor could think of was all of the things he had missed. His birth, his first smile, first words, first steps. The Doctor vowed that he would not miss anything else in this child's life. There would be no more running, at least not without Tony and Rose by his side.

"Mummy!" Tony yelled as soon as he saw his mother get out of the car. He scrambled out of Pete's arms and launched himself into his mother's.

"Oh Tony, I've missed you so much." Rose told him, kissing him on the forehead.

Tony launched into a ramble about the time Rose had missed. He sounded so much like his father. He sounded extremely intelligent for his age, the Doctor noted with pride.

"Grandma!" he yelled when he saw Jackie and she gave him a kiss while he was still in Rose's arms.

"Tony," Rose said, putting him on his feet. "There's someone I'd like you to meet." Tony looked at the strange man, who looked so familiar at the same time, with suspicion.

"This is your dad, the Doctor." Rose told her son, kneeling down to his level. Jackie had tears in her eyes. The Doctor waited with bated breath All he could hear was his single heart beating and blood rushing in his head. His hands were clammy and his face felt hot. He'd never been this nervous in his over nine hundred years.

Tony scrutinized the man who his mother claimed was the Doctor. After what felt like hours but was truly only a few seconds, he broke the silence. "You're my dad?" he asked, with wide eyes.

"Yeah." The Doctor answered, choked up but smiling. "I'm sorry that I'm just here to meet you now."

"That's ok, you were saving the world. Mummy says that you've been keeping us safe. Do you have the TARDIS?" Tony asked, excitedly.

"No," the Doctor answered him, hating to disappoint him. "But I'll have one in a few years. You'll be seeing the stars in no time."

"Are you going to live with us now?" Tony asked.

The Doctor looked to Rose. They hadn't spoken about where he would be living. He hoped that he'd be living with her and Tony.

"Yes, Tony." Rose told her son, but answered the Doctor as well. "You're Dad is going to be with us from now on."

Slowly, Tony climbed out of his mother's arms and walked towards his father. He held his arms up to his father, silently asking him to pick him up. The Doctor obliged and he hugged his son for the first time.