"Mum, no," Rose Tyler sighed, flopping wearily back against the sofa and closing her eyes. It had been a very long day.
"But listen, sweetheart! Catherine said that he's absolutely charming!" Jackie Tyler enthused, setting down her ever-present cup of tea on the small table next to them.
"I don't care!"
"Just give him a chance! He's smart and handsome, oh, and he's just wonderful with children - "
"I don't need a bloody assis - wait, what does any of that matter?!" Rose exclaimed, sitting straight up.
"I'm just saying... you're not getting any younger."
"Neither are you!"
"And I want to be a grandmother, Rose!" Jackie continued, ignoring her daughter. Rose rolled her eyes.
"Here we go again."
"Well, you just keep dancing around it! Don't you want kids, sweetheart?"
"Mum, don't start," Rose groaned. "Can't you just go bug Tony about it in a few years?"
"I don't understand why we can't at least talk about it!" Jackie exclaimed. "I mean, really, ignoring all the fun parts about it - "
"MUM!" Rose was absolutely mortified.
"Shouldn't you being doin' it just to, I dunno, preserve the line or somethin'?"
"No! Please," Rose grabbed her mother's hands and looked her dead in the eye. "Say it as much as you want to me, but please don't ever ever mention this to - "
"Rose." The quiet voice from the doorway startled Rose and Jackie. Jackie's eyes narrowed slightly as she took in the tall lanky figure leaning against the doorjamb with that exasperatingly familiar, but infinitely unreadable expression.
"Doctor, when do I get grandchildren?" Jackie demanded, standing up to face him. Aghast, Rose yanked her mother back down next to her.
"Mum," she muttered. "What was I just saying?"
"No idea," the Doctor replied distractedly, "I've never gone into your personal future. Well, I may have gone once to check on some things. Well, maybe more like a couple. Doesn't really matter, it would be completely different over here. Rose?"
"Yes, Do-"
"I want grandchildren, do you understand me?" Jackie insisted, jerking her arm from Rose's grasp and marching over to stand in front of the Doctor. His face softened without warning.
"Oh, grandchildren are wonderful," he murmured almost to himself with a smile.
Jackie stared at the man, trying to understand the deep, profound sadness that had somehow woven its way into his gaze. She always forgot for some reason that this youthful looking man-child was decades upon decades older than she was. That even after all this time, she still knew almost nothing about the past of the man who whisked her daughter off of her feet all those years ago.
"So!" The Doctor burst out of his reverie and bounced twice on the balls of his feet. "I'm hoping that your questions have nothing to do with my question, Jackie."
"And what question is that?" Rose asked, laughing as her mother tried to adjust to the sudden change of topic and mood. The Doctor pulled Rose to her feet off of the couch and into his arms. He spun her once before setting her back down. She leaned back into him and sighed contentedly. He reached up with steady hands and gently turned her head slowly in the direction of the large windows. He reached out and pointed at the floor with his right hand. Rose's eyes widened as she looked down; her hand flew to her mouth with a sharp intake of breath.
"Why is there an unconscious child in the living room?" the Doctor asked softly in Rose's ear.