AN: Sorry loverlies that it has been so long since I've uploaded anything...been working literally and working hard on this chapter...it's a super special one for me. Hope you all like it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

For a refresher, I still do not own any of the characters, or any quotes, plot lines form the show.

Chapter 7: As Time Flies By

-One Month Later-

Rose took the elevator up to the top floor from the third carrying a plastic wrapped sandwich for the Doctor, he would forget sometimes that he needed to take a few moments to eat while they were working and it was becoming more and more often now that he was working on this secret project in the very last room on his floor. She had tried not to give in to the need to know what he was up to, but finally today it had just gotten too much. The elevator came to a smooth stop, she got off then walked through the lobby into the lab behind it, she called out for him as she walked past several experiments he was working on, no reply so she walked to the back door that led to the hallway lined with four doors down each side leading to eight private labs, accessible only by his single key. This was a new addition of his as well, intercoms outside each door. These also provided a green light when the room was occupied, she followed the doors until she found the occupied room, she pressed the call button...

'Doctor, you do know these are not living quarters, but labs for testing things that fall into our custody?'

A small laugh could be heard through the speaker, 'I'm offended you'd think I'd give up my side of the bed for a lab?' There was a few seconds of silence on his end. 'I'll be out in a minute.'

Giving an affirmative she released the button and stepped to the side of the door and waited. Shortly after he slid the door open and joined her in the hallway. Leaning down he kissed her on the cheek, she held out the wrapped sandwich to him.

'I missed lunch again, I suppose.'

'Just a bit, but I thought I'd sneak up here to see you and bring you a bite.'

'What would I do without you. Come on let's go sit up front, much more cozy up there.' He took her hand with his and led them back through the main lab. 'So what juicy gossip did I miss today?'

'Surprisingly, none, Donna went out to a diner in town to have lunch with her boyfriend. And Mum and Pete sat off by themselves, Sarah Jane was on the phone with Luke for most of her break, and Martha said she was gonna eat later. So nothing to report to ya, Sir General.'

'I'm sorry I left ya by yourself, but it's nice to have some time alone with you since I've been working late with Pete so often lately.'

'What is it the two of you are working on back there so secretively anyways?'

'Well, we are working on an artificial environment for outer space life forms that start forming in an environment similar to Earth, but move past our atmosphere to finish their formation. The second part is pretty complicated, even for me.'

'What sort of life forms grow in such a way?'

'Oh well, there are a handful, but they'd be pretty hard to find from Earth. And some wouldn't even make it safely from space to the Earth's ground. I just want to see if it was possible to create such a place here on Earth.' He unwrapped his sandwich and took a bite, hoping she'd be good with the answer he'd left her with. Sometimes dodging her questions was easier said than done. She looked to be thinking his response over then gave a small shrug and he mentally gave a sigh of relief. It was hard enough to keep secrets from her like this without her asking questions. 'I'll be home tonight though, going to leave a bit early, because I have a surprise for you at home.'

'Oh, and what kind of surprise is this?'

'Well, if I told you it wouldn't be much of a surprise now would it?'

She gave him a pout which only made him laugh thus leading to a slap on the arm. He got himself under enough control to only have a mischievous grin on his face. She laid her head on his shoulder, she knew it was time to get back to work, but the idea of leaving his side was like tearing off a piece of her heart. Alas, she pulled herself up and gave him a kiss on the cheek as well then went back down to her floor.

He took the elevator all the way down about two hours before Rose would be heading home, Jackie greeted him on the first floor as she pulled her purse over her shoulder. They went out to her little sedan, she was going to help him slightly while Rose was still at work. He hadn't wanted to risk messing this up so he'd gone back to her again and asked if she would just oversee everything, she said she would, but would leave before her daughter had time to get home. She took him to the apartment, told him to go clean up himself and the apartment, and that she would be back in about thirty minutes with the things they would need for the meal he wanted to make. As he hurried inside she drove off; he showered quickly and got dressed in a pair of jeans and a clean shirt. Going into the kitchen and dining room area he found two placemats and put them at the two spots on the table, next he pulled down two plates and two sets of silverware. Those went on to the table; he pulled down two wine glasses and set them slightly about the plates. Next he washed and dried the bowls from their cereal that morning then put them away in the cupboard. By this time Jackie was ringing the apartment door, he went and opened it for her, she carried in four bags from the market around the corner. Fresh cut filet mingion from the butcher, fresh, un-canned veggies, a loaf of Italian bread, and the ingredients to make a lemon cream sauce to spread over their meat. Last but not least a bottle of Resiling, which he immediately stuck in the freezer to chill much faster. They go to work, she spouting out instructions to him, but not touching anything to ensure everything was done by his hands alone.

As the thirty minute mark hit before Rose would be home, Jackie told him the last bit of instruction he would need t know to finish up the meal and reminded him to take the wind from the freezer and just keep it in the fridge until she got home then keep it cool in the wine chiller after he poured the first glass. She kissed him on the cheek then hurried out the door.

He took the loaf of bread and sliced four pieces off and put some butter on it and sprinkled a little garlic powder and finely chopped parsley on each piece, then set them aside on a cookie sheet till right before the rest of the meal was done. He started cleaning and putting away the dirty dishes he'd used while preparing everything; at the ten minute mark he shut off the oven and stove, sticking the bread in the oven on the second rack. Going into the living room he turned on some music and let it play softly throughout the apartment. Back in the kitchen he pulled the bread, now slightly toasted, from the oven.

Hearing the front door click open announcing her arrival home, he stepped into her line of sight as she was putting her purse and keys down.

'Something smells wonderful in here.'

'I thought I'd make us some supper,' he watched a smile slowly spread over her lips. 'It's just now ready if you're hungry.'

'Let me go wash up then we can eat.' She disappeared into their room and returning only a couple minutes later. 'Alright, I'm ready to find out what that delicious smell is, because it is mouth watering.'

Leading her to the table he pulled out her chair before seating himself. She looked over everything excitably.

-Two Months Later-

'Aha! Finally!'

He wizzed around the room like a child after too much candy. Pete and Rose eyeballing him like he'd lost his marbles, which vaguely they believed after seeing that he had built a pond and garden into the room, unsure of what its purpose was really all about. As he looked back at them his excited expression fell.

'What? Don't you find it absolutely spectacular?'

'Oh yes, yes...it's just, what are you going to do with a room like this?' Rose questioned as she continued to look around the room's new features in utter wonder.

'I told you, there are several life forms that require duel environments to grown and mature, but obviously not anywhere near the Earth, but think if one happened to come here, we have a safe secure place for it to live.'

'Well, either way it is an impressive room, Doctor. Can't believe you've been keeping this secret so well from Rose, she's entirely too persistent for her own good.' The Doctor nodded his head in agreement earning himself along side with Pete a glare from the young blonde woman. 'Oh don't give us that look, Rose, you know it's true.'

They had already given in and told her that he hadn't really been staying late with Pete, but really going over to the Tyler Mansion to get cooking lessons from Jackie. Rose had gotten a good laugh in when he explained it as swallowing his pride to ask her mother for help earning himself a pop on the back of the head from the other Tyler woman. Though while she may have laughed she also thought it was very sweet, and made sure to tell him so.

He waited till she'd gone into the bathroom to shower before moving the TARDIS pod, now the size of a football, down to the car. Going in and out of the apartment very quietly. Pete was right, keeping secret s like this from her was no easy task and it got harder as each day passed. He couldn't wait till he could show her the surprise.

-One Year Later-

'So when are you going to ask her?' Donna was being overly nosey, she knew, but this was really exciting and the fact that he asked her and Martha to help him pick out the perfect ring made it even more excitable to her.

'Hopefully soon, I'm going to hold off until my real surprise is ready for her.'

'So what is this other surprise that you have for her? It must be pretty spectacular if you have to wait for it.' Martha arched a perfectly shaped brow at him.

'Can't tell you either because it's pretty much a surprise for everyone...don't worry, I am almost certain it'll be ready within the month.'

'Doctor, look at this one,' Donna called over her shoulder effectively bringing over the other two back to the glass case. 'The princess cut, 1.5 karat diamond, yellow gold band...'

'Hmmm...while very pretty I don't think that's really her style.' He walked between each case examining all the rings carefully. It was the second to last case where he saw it, something inside him just screamed at him that the ring before him was the One he was meant to buy. 'Martha, Donna, come here and look at this one here. I think it's perfect.'

They walked over to where he stood, each gave a small gasp; the ring was on a titanium band, a quarter-inch perfectly square shaped sapphire of the most brilliant royal blue, tilted on the band to mirror the image of a star. There were tiny diamonds connected to each of the four points and having the same brilliance as the sapphire, that the ring gave the illusion of twinkling. The sales assistant walked over to them after noticing how engrossed the three were at the Sapphire Collection.

'Would you ladies like to try any of our Sapphire Collection on, no one has paid much attention to this case quite as much as you have.'

'No, thank you, but I think he may want to purchase this one for his girlfriend,' Martha said, the Doctor nodding curtly in response.

The lady unlocked the glass case and grabbed the ring's display and moved it to the top of the counter for closer inspection. He pulled the ring off the display, examining the stone's clarity more closely by placing an eye spyglass against his eye; the lady was giving him a strange look as Donna and Martha giggled at the lady's reaction. They simultaneously tried to explain...

'He always does this...' They laughed quietly to themselves.

'It's best to just let him do his thing, he tends to know what he is doing as unqualified as he looks,' Donna said matter-of-fact.

'Hey, that's just a bit rude for a temp from Cheswick!'

'This is normal too,' Martha cut in quickly making them snap their mouths closed. 'So, what do you think of the ring? Is it the one?'

'I do believe it is, after weeks of searching I do believe I found the perfect ring, literally...see I knew it was fate that I'd find it with the two of you ladies to help me. Bloody brilliant good luck charms these two.' He handed the ring back to the sales assistant. 'I'd like this one please.'

The lady motioned them to follow her to the back counter to properly box and pay for the ring. 'That will be 2,310 Euros, Sir. Would you like it to be wrapped as well as boxed?'

'Just the box will be fine.' Both Donna and Martha nudged him in the arms as the lady took his money. 'Thank you.'

The little half glance half glares went away and smiles returned to their faces. The lady handed over the boxed ring and his change; smiling he turned and left the store, his two companions following suit. He did hope they could keep this to themselves, they were the only ones who knew about this so far though it seemed everyone that knew them had the idea that it would be inevitable that a proposal would happen eventually. He didn't like the idea of being a git as Jackie so fondly termed males who waited for the woman to propose, stating rather dramatically how unromantic that was. He knew she believed he didn't pay her one mind, but when it came to making Rose happy he was all ears. Already a plan on how to "pop the question" began to formulate in his mind.

-5 Months Later-

'Ok Pete, I have a surprise to show everybody and I was wondering if you could help me gather everyone up here on my floor...except Rose...I'm going to show her a little later.'

'Yea sure, I'll get them up there as quickly as I can, and send Rose out for lunch, that should keep her occupied for a while.' Pete shut down the intercom for the Doctors floor and called down to Rose's station. 'Rose, are you busy?'

'I'm just finishing the repairs to the galactic blaster, something wrong?'

'No, was just curious if you would like to go get lunch for everyone, seems like our eclectic family hasn't eaten as one big group in a while.'

'I 'spose I could do that, give me half an hour to finish up.'

'Thank you, come up and I'll give you my card. Everyone's lunch will be on me.' Getting her affirmative he quickly paged everyone else and got their lunch orders for a local five star diner. When Rose arrived shortly after he handed her the sheet with everything on it and his credit card. Told her to phone when she was almost back and he'd come help her bring it up to the cafeteria. She left his office quickly and he moved to the window to wait and make sure when she left so as not to get caught telling the others about the surprise the Doctor had for them. That would be one experience he never wished to have with his daughter. She was very different from her mother, but at the same time she was very much the same, especially where her temper was concerned. As a shiver ran up his back he saw her climb into her car and pull out, going back to his desk he began to call everyone up to the Doctors floor. They were all asking what it was all about, but he only said that it was a surprise.

Just minutes later all but Rose were conversing in the lobby of the upmost level of the Torchwood establishment. Finally, he emerged from one of the back rooms, he gave them all a cheesy grin, the one that meant he was up to something making them wonder if they should be worried or not. He indicated for them to follow him back down to the back room he'd just came from.

'Doctor, what is this all about?' Donna groaned, not liking surprises.

'Just wait...'

'He won't tell you anything until he is ready, even if he should because it could keep you from giving valuable information to the enemy that could accidently bring the destruction of the Earth into an equation.' Sarah Jane gave him a pointed look as everybody else nodded in agreement.

'Oi, if I told you every little thing that is going on in my head your brain would explode...'

'I didn't say everything, just the need to know on current crisis's. There is a difference, especially with Time Lords.' She remarked with a smirk. She enjoyed getting him all flustered.

'Anywho...I have a special surprise for all of you, but you have to promise not to let Rose know about it just yet. It's still trying to finish its growth, probably take another month. I want it to be done when I show her.'

'Oh just show us already!' Jackie said impatiently.

Typing in the code for the door lock, a click sounded and he slid the door open and motioned for them to go inside. As everyone shuffled in he rested himself against the door frame and waited. It took only half a moment and a collective group of gasps filled the room, his smug grin now taking up residence on his face. He enjoyed blowing people's minds, this was the best one yet.

'So realistic...' Jackie said walking towards it. 'Your memory is very good, Doctor, even got the sign right.'

'Wait, what?' His face scrunched up in confusion and disbelief, he went to move forward but only managed to stumble a step. 'I didn't build it! That's the real deal.'

'Oh be serious, Doctor, where did you find a "real" TARDIS in a universe that has no Time Lords?' Donna said mockingly. 'They don't exist in this universe.'

'Donna, I'm not originally from this universe if you'll remember...and I'm half Time Lord half human, an exact, well almost exact copy of the Doctor in the other universe. And when he left us here he also managed to get into Torchwood and leave a baby TARDIS seed. Now, it takes two types of atmospheres for a TARDIS to fully grow, they are not built, they produce a seed when they sense their death...'

'You say that as if they are living, breathing things,' Pete said.

'They are, well, they are living anyways, don't have lungs to actually breathe. But my point is, my original form left me the seed to the original TARDIS that you all know. I built this special lab to grow a fully functioning ship that can and will travel time and space.'

'And you don't want Rose to know about it?' Jackie crossed her arms over her chest. 'After all she's done for you.'

'I swear you purposefully tune me out, Jackie...it hurts me to know you think I'd not share this with Rose. I just want to wait till everything is finished, it is going to be part of an extra special surprise for her when the ship is complete.'

'What do you mean finish, it looks ready to fly.' Donna's granddad spoke up.

'Externally, yes it is fly ready, but the TARDIS main frame, brain if you will, is still processing.'

'It has a brain?'

'Well, it's more like a computer...and it is still downloading all the information it needs to be operable. And when it's done I'm going to take everyone on a special trip.'

'And 'spose Rose doesn't want to go time travelling again, what will you do then?' Martha said, her eyes curious of what the adventurous man before her would do if the woman he loved refused to get back on board with him. She had no real doubts on the subject, but it would be wise for him to be prepared for her to turn the idea down. 'I don't want to dampen your feelings about it, I just think you should also be ready for her to say no as well as when do we leave.'

Everyone snickered at that last bit.

'I suppose I'll lock her until she's needed. But hopefully that's not the case because there is still so much out there to discover.'

Just then Pete's phone went off, 'It's Rose, she just pulled in the lot, I need t go help her, the rest of you meet us in the cafeteria.'

'What took you so long?' Rose said as he walked out the front entrance.

'Apologies, was consulting with the Doctor on an idea for a new craft that would have the ability to become invisible.'

'And what did he say?' She handed him two bags and taking two more out for herself then shutting the door.

'Said it was too stealthy for his liking'

'Sounds like him, he always did like to make an entrance. I mean when he took me to the last day of Earth before he regenerated into the git we see every day, people were gathering and giving gifts to him and his idea of a gift was breath from his lungs.'

Pete outright laughed, the man upstairs was just weird enough that he could see him doing just that. Then another thought struck him, 'What was his other form like?'

'Angry...and lonely...it's one of the reasons I ran off with him, he just needed someone to make him believe in the point of life again. All that anger he held at the universe made him reckless at times. He was forced to regenerate because of me, I absorbed the Time Vortex from the heart of the TARDIS just so I could find and save him from the Daleks. He had to pull it into himself so I wouldn't burn up from the power running through me.'

They entered the elevator to go up.

'So, he was a good guy even with all the anger?'

'He had his bad moments, when I thought he was the one being the monster, but at the end of the day he was the good guy.'

'The elevator came to a stop and they exited joining everyone else in the cafeteria.

-One Month Later-

She wondered what could be so important that she had to stop her whole experiment to go up to his floor. Her work was just as important as his, and right now she was trying to find a way of disarming an alien war gun that she'd personally pried from the creatures hands after Martha shot it in the leg, and Sarah Jane had stunned it with a special taser they'd put together. The alien hadn't been keen on giving up its weapon even after all the stuff they'd done to get it down on the ground...the bugger still fought like hell, had dug it's claws into her side leaving her with five nasty gashes. She'd managed to keep them hidden from the Doctor over the last couple of days, she didn't want him hovering over her the whole time she had the injury...she knew he meant well, but the human Doctor couldn't shove her into a medical bay and uncap a vile of nanogenes that Jack had given him and quickly have her better, h had to wait, and it made him crazy like a mother hen. The elevator came to a stop, doors opening to a quiet lobby. Her eyebrow rose in question, he usually came and met her up front...this was unexpected. She walked into the main lab, nobody in there either, maybe the "secret lab" as she began calling it. Maybe now she'd finally find out what he was hiding in there, he'd somehow managed to keep it from her for the past year and that just bugged her to death. She typed in the code that allowed her access to the back hallway, as the door opened she was taken back at seeing everyone lined up along the wall, well everyone but him...as she passed each person they handed her a pink rose, Pete was the last person to hand her one and with it he handed over a slip of paper with a code on it and indicated for her to go to the last lab. Reaching the door she looked back at everyone in the hall, they were all smiling in the way that just screamed "I know something you don't know", looking back at the door she typed in the code and the door clicked and slid open...

He was nervous, more nervous than the first time he'd done this, he bounced up off the ground slightly to release a bit of this jittery energy that was running rampant inside him. Over the intercom he had heard the irritation at being pulled away from the delicate job she was currently working on, so he hoped this would disperse that. Looking at the door he let out the breath he just realized he'd been holding, she would be here any moment. The monitor flicked to life by the door indicating Rose had entered the hallway. This was it...

As the door slid open she walked inside, her mouth suddenly falling open, there were no words she could bring forth as she slowly and somewhat unsteadily made her way forward...it was impossible, but surely her eyes weren't deceiving her? She closed them and pinched her arm for extra measure, but as she opened them back up it still stood there with its fresh painted panels. It looked the same as the first day she'd seen it...well more new version of the one she remembered everyday as she woke up. The TARDIS, in all of its blue glory stood before her, she ran her hand over the wood affectionately, a smile forming on her face...she grabbed the handle and opened the door.

The silence was unnerving, he knew it had only been a few moments since she entered the hallway, but it suddenly felt like hours...he almost wished he'd done these separately so he could savor her reaction to seeing the TARDIS; suddenly the door swung open jolting him back to his surroundings.

They stood before one another in a sort of stunned silence, her eyes with his only for a few seconds then looking skyward and around the rest of the room, slowly going around the console. He couldn't help the smirk that crept onto his face; he pulled out the little blue velvet box and held it behind his back with both hands and rocked on his heels as she came back into view.

'H..how did you manage to build an exact replica of the TARDIS?'

'Didn't build it, more like grew it. That's what this room is for, the double atmosphere is how the TARDIS grows. It has taken about two years for the TARDIS to grow and mature. Well, I say mature, but I bet she is just as unpredictable as her mother was, almost never taking us where I told her to go.'

'Mother? This TARDIS is the child of the one I was travelling in with you for two years?'

'Yes, a good way to think of it is to understand the mind of the machine is somewhat psychic and can feel when it will be in almost unavoidable danger of being destroyed so she produces a seed as a form of regeneration.'

'So they regenerate?'

'In a way, usually a little less dramatic as say one of my regenerations though not to say she hasn't done so in the past. Anywho, something must be about to happen to the TARDIS over there, and my other self gave me the seed to grow in this universe.'

'But what about the one there? What will happen to it?'

'I've been cut off from that one ever since they left to go back across the rift. Worst case scenario my other self sacrificed everything by giving us this seed, or two good scenarios: the Mother of this one produced two seeds, rare, but has happened; or she is going to pull something really dramatic.' She only nodded in return. 'I do have two questions for you, Rose Tyler. First being, now that we have a fully functioning TARDIS, will you travel through space and time with me once again?'

'Absolutely, still too much to see and learn, and we have a whole new universe to explore.'

'And my other question, the most important question I've ever asked you...' She looked at him curiously as he moved closer to her leaving only a foot between them. 'Will you not only travel with me through all of time and space, but come with me as my wife?'

Shock, that was the expression he'd put that was currently written on her face, it was soon replaced with an overjoyed smile.

'Is there any other way to go?'

He grinned remembering when they'd landed in Britain during 1953 when Queen Elizabeth was having her coronation. Those words had came from her lips that day as well.

'Can't think of one good alternative.'

'Then I think you are stuck with me,' she held out her left hand, and he took the ring from its case and slipped it onto her finger, his slim fingers gently brushing hers as he pulled his back to himself. He leaned in to kiss her, but she paused him. 'See now I have something to give you too.'

She pulled a titanium band from her lab coat pocket, 'You see, I thought that I might have to do the asking, so I got you a band as well.'

He pulled her to him in a heartbeat but the clear cry of pain had him stopping his movements. 'What's wrong?'

Her hand rested on the one wrapped around her waist holding fast to her. He moved it and saw the blood beginning to seep through. He pushed aside her coat and lifted her shirt up revealing five gashes. She knew there was no getting around this now...

'The creature Martha, Sarah Jane and I dealt with the other day...he was quite stronger than we expected even after being shot and tased, I was having to pry the gun from his hand. That's how it got activated; but he got a hold of my side during the fight...'

'Yea, I can see that...'

'Don't get snarky with me, mister...'

'You're the one who refused to let the Doctor look at it.'

'Martha looked over the wounds when we got back.'

'Martha may be a licensed doctor, but she doesn't have nearly enough alien knowledge...your wounds are infected...' She pulled at her shirt to get a better view. 'You're in luck though,' he leaned over the console and pressed a button releasing a tiny group of nanogenes; they instantly healed the wounds until there were only light pink scarring marks that would fade in a few days.

'There, all better. Now, can I finally kiss my fiancé?'

'You may.' She grinned as his arms wrapped around her waist, she brought her arms around his neck pulling him down for a sweet yet somewhat passionate kiss.

Remember to review, but again please keep them polite, I like to hear people's opinions, but let's not be immature and rude at the same time.

Thanks,

Kerioke