'Surprise!'

Chapter 5: The New Torchwood pt. 3 and Going Home

The shout vibrated through them as they walked off the elevator onto the top floor. As they looked up they saw many of their old companions standing shoulder to shoulder with wide goofy grins on all their faces. Rose and the Doctor stood astounded, how could all these people be here?

'How...how are you all here?'

'They just showed up the day you jumped, they are all from this universe, but with the memories of the other ones, so naturally I brought them on to our plans here; all the companions of the Doctor, working together.'

'Brilliant!' the Doctor swiftly hugged each of the people he never thought he'd see again, the grin on his face an almost impossible feat for any normal human.

Sarah Jane and her son, Martha, Donna and her grandfather all stood before Rose and him once more, and somehow it seemed right that they should all be together.

'And Doctor, we have a special surprise of our own,' Sarah Jane said as she and Luke took a step closer to him. Looking behind her she gave two short whistles calling forward a walking, four-legged robot dog.

'K9!'

'K9-3.0 to be exact!'

'You weren't kidding, Pete, this would have been very distracting.' The Doctor clapped the other man on the shoulder.

'And you still haven't completely unlocked your area. That glass door opens only for you.'

He walked over to the door and took his key back out, unlocking it he and the others walked in to explore the treasures that had been placed there specially for him. There was a desk near the back of the first room, he made his way to that first. Something pulled at him to go there; he found an envelope laying on it that clearly held something small and round in it, his name, not title written across the front. He gave it a curious look, unsure who still lived that could possibly know that. He picked it up and placed it in his inner breast pocket to look at later. Rose walked up to him and laced her fingers in his with a smile.

'What do you think of everything, Doctor? Does it meet your approval?'

'So far, I'd say it's pretty...brilliant and headed in the right direction for a change.'

She smiled and gave him a quick peck on the lips, 'So what did you stuff in your jacket? Don't think I didn't notice you over here by yourself.'

'I'm not sure, but it's from someone who knows my name.'

'That could be anyone you've ever met...'

'No, Rose. I don't mean 'The Doctor', I'm talking about my birth name, the name only my parents and wife ever called me. My wife and parents have been dead for a long time now so there should not be a being alive that knows my real name.'

'I don't have any idea then.'

She looked down at their joined hands almost crestfallen, he noticed the look, surely he hadn't upset her.

'Why such a upset expression?'

'I'm not upset...' She gave him a smile, but it didn't take a genius to tell she was forcing it. He would let it go for now, but when they got home he was going to find out. 'We'd better get back to everyone, I think dad is about to brief everyone on where they are going to be stationed.'

While the others were still turned from them he pulled her behind a large piece of equipment just beside the walkway, she made only a soft noise in protest, but the second his lips touched hers she silenced. He held her face in both hands, her own sliding down to rest on his waist; the kiss only lasted for a few seconds, but to them it felt like blissful minutes. As he pulled back he took her hand and walked out and over to the others.

'Ah good, you've decided to join us,' Jackie said in her all knowing motherly voice making Rose roll her eyes.

'Now, as for where everyone will be stationed starting Monday: Jackie, you will be in charge of level one; Donna, you will be head of level two. Martha, you will be in charge of level five; Sarah Jane, you have level four; Rose, you have level six. I will oversee levels eight and nine; and Doctor, you of course have level ten. I have a few people that can be trusted from the old establishment for each level except ten, that will be strictly up to you if you want a crew up here with you.' Pete looked at each person in turn as he said their areas. 'Jackie, you can oversee the hiring for level one, they will be the most basic level with zero to minimal knowledge of what really lies within these walls. Donna, you will oversee the hiring for level two as well as any advancement from level one; most everyone who gets hired will eventually come to learn what this facility is really about, and will be trained to the new ideas towards dealing with intergalactic forces.'

'Well, now that we have covered all that, how about we go get some supper, I made reservations for all of us at Chateu's, and we need to be there in forty-five minutes,' Jackie said looking at the little watch on her wrist.

'Mum, it'll take us at least an hour to get there.'

'Then, I suggest you drive fast.'

They all went back down the elevator, the Doctor pulling Rose back as he called to Pete that they would catch up to them downstairs. Rose looked at him curiously, but he just gave her a small smile and waited for the elevator doors to close.

'Rose, I know something is bothering you, and I want you to know that you can tell me anything.'

'I'm fine.'

'No, you're not, you can't lie to me,' he gently took her chin between his thumb and fingers so she would look him directly in the eyes. 'When we get home I want to know what you are really thinking about, I don't like it when you bottle everything up from me like you are doing now. Promise me that you'll tell me what's really going on?'

'Promise.' She smiled weakly, why she thought she could hide the hurt from him she had no idea.

After dinner everyone said their goodbyes, hugging one another once more then getting in their respected cars. Rose and the Doctor were the last to pull out of the restaurant's parking lot following Pete's jeep for a little ways before pulling off to the right to go into the city further. The building where Rose's condo resided loomed up ahead of them soon after they had turned off, from the outside it looked like a posh place to live, but once they actually got up to her home he soon realized that condo was an understatement to what she really had. It was more like a one level house at the top of another building, there were three bedrooms, two of which had their own bathrooms and the third was made into a office. The kitchen and living room ran into one another, only separated by bar counter and stools. One whole wall was just a giant window that looked out over the city, the lights glittering brilliantly into the living room. There was a balcony, not overly large, but quite a decent size compared to some he'd seen. She gave a little laugh at his expression and couldn't help herself...

'It's bigger on the inside, right?'

'Quite right.' He gave her a grin that reminded her of all the times in the TARDIS when he would find a place that got him excited.

'Since I couldn't be with you on the TARDIS I made a point to find a home that would make up for not being there, and this building was designed to hide how big the homes in it really are.'

'It's such a clever idea, and this place fits you to the T, Miss Tyler.' He walked around the layout, taking in everything. There were a few pictures placed strategically around the rooms, a few of them were of Rose and him before and after his regeneration. He remembered each of the moments when the pictures were taken. Turning back to her his expression becoming serious, 'Now Rose, you had better spill what has been on your mind.'

'It's nothing, I promise.'

'Again, you can't lie to me, I've known you too long and spent well enough time with you to have figured out when you are not telling me something and when you are not ok, and you are doing both right now. What have I done that has you all upset?'

'You didn't do anything...' she bit her lip as she looked at him warily. 'I just didn't realize you'd been married before...I got jealous I guess.'

'Oh Rose, I'm...well, my other me technically...but I'm over 900 years old, did it really seem such a shock that I would have been married in such a long time? I've mentioned having a family before to you, back on the TARDIS. Remember, it was when we helped that little girl, AHHH, CLOE! Yes, that little girl Cloe and her mum.'

'I remember, but you told me you had been a dad before.'

'Well, they had to have mum too don't ya think?'

'Doesn't mean you were married to her though.'

He looked at her thoughtfully, closing the distance between them slowly, 'Does it bother you that I was married to someone?'

'No, it just took me by surprise that's all.'

He finally stood only a foot from her and took her hands in his bringing them up to his face to kiss the knuckles making her blush a lovely shade of pink.

'Good, because that was a very long time ago, and they were lost to me in the Time War, and when you have no one left to hold on to you start looking for someone new to fill the void. I've had many companions throughout my life, but you Rose Tyler, you are the only one I've seen myself wanting to spend eternity with, and now with this human body I can truly do that. I wouldn't have to watch you grow old while I stay young and regenerate and end up out living the only woman I've loved since the War ended leaving me alone. I love you more than life itself, Rose, and if you'll let me I'd like to live the rest of this life with you.'

She broke her hands from his hold and wrapped her arms around his torso burying her head in his chest, his arms came to hold her tightly to him and she hoped he would always do that, she breathed in deeply memorizing his scent. How she loved this man, he was definitely the man she'd travelled with just in a more convenient body now, the universe was set right again...well almost anyways.

'I love you too, you know.' She gave him her flirtatious smile, her tongue poking slightly out from between her teeth.

'I believe I may know that, but it's good to be told every once in a while.'

They spent the rest of the evening curled up on the sofa in front of a giant fireplace that roared with an almost infinite life that left the room feeling peaceful and lulling them into sleepiness. Finally, she pulled her head from his shoulder and her body from the couch, she pulled at his arm to get him to follow her to the bedroom so they could go to sleep. He followed without hesitation, locking his hand with hers as they walked.