AN: In this chapter, the Doctor and Rose finally have a long overdue conversation regarding children. If you are one who prefers no kids in this ship, you can stop reading when they sit down in front of the fireplace with their cocoa about 3/4 of the way through. And even though they do decide that they want to have kids together someday, it's not something that will come up again in this story, or even in the series for several more stories.
(It is coming, and when it does, it will be well-labeled.)
Chapter Twenty-two: No Matter What the Future Brings
Rose stretched when she woke up the next morning, feeling languid and just a bit sore. She blinked the sleep from her eyes as she reached for the Doctor, but before her hand touched him, she felt his tension over the bond.
"Doctor?" She sat up, letting the covers pool around her waist. He was sitting with his back against the headboard, and she copied him, though she turned her body slightly so she could look at him more easily. "What's wrong?"
He sighed. "I'm don't know if I'm being daft, or…" He ruffled his hair and looked away from her.
Rose took his hand and sighed in relief when he didn't pull it back. "Tell me what's bothering you, and I'll tell you if you're being daft?" she suggested, hoping to get a smile from him.
Her concern doubled when the corners of his mouth barely turned up. "Please, Doctor."
He looked back at her, and the frown set deep in his forehead bothered her more than anything else. "It's just… Yesterday, when I was poisoned."
Rose tensed; that was not the part of the day she wanted to think about. "Yeah?"
"You said you weren't ready for me to regenerate yet. And I thought… You loved the old me; you've told me that before. So… would it really be so bad if I regenerated?"
Oh. She hadn't really been thinking when she'd said that—she certainly hadn't been thinking about how the words would sound to the Doctor.
Now that he'd told her what was bothering him, he let her feel his vulnerability over the bond, and her heart broke a little knowing she'd accidentally hurt him. Rose scooted closer to him and put her hands on his knees.
That's not what I meant, Doctor, she told him. I loved you then and I love you now. I've even loved the younger versions of you we've met. I'll love every you in the future, I promise.
Then why…
She reached out and took his hand, keeping her touch delicate as she stroked his fingers. These are the hands that touched me the first time we made love. She ran her finger over his eyebrow. These are the eyes that looked into mine when we said our wedding vows.
"Rose…"
His raspy whisper brought tears to her eyes. "And that's the voice that told me you loved me for the first time," she concluded. "I'll love every you, Doctor, because every Doctor is you. But there have been so many of those first moments shared with this you, and I'm not ready to let go of that yet." She bit her lip. "Does that make sense?"
He nodded. "My precious Rose," he whispered as he pulled her into his lap, cradling her in his arms.
"I didn't mean to make you doubt, Doctor." She pressed her hand to his jaw. "I was just being sentimental, that's all." She frowned. "Well, that and I don't like the thought of someone poisoning you," she said frankly. "I will never be okay with someone trying to hurt you."
"Quite right," he agreed. "And that thought did occur to me earlier, when I was being just a little bit daft."
Rose combed her fingers through his hair, scraping her nails over the back of his scalp in the way that always made him groan. "You were a little daft," she agreed. "I'm afraid you'll have to pay the penalty." She shifted closer to him and brushed her nose against his.
"What's the penalty?" he murmured, and his mouth was so close to hers that she could feel his breath against her lips.
"Hmmm… One kiss?" Rose suggested, as if he didn't know exactly what she was angling for.
Agreed, he told her as he pressed his lips to hers. Rose's eyes fluttered closed when he gently took her bottom lip between his and sucked, flicking his tongue over it. The soft caress was matched in the tenderness coming over the bond, and Rose's lips parted on a sigh.
He didn't immediately take the invitation, however, keeping the kiss gentle, almost chaste. Instead of letting them both get swept away by the passion that ran so deeply between them, he touched her reverently as he returned to each of those memories she'd invoked.
Tears sprung to Rose's eyes when he shared the adoration he'd felt when he told her he loved her, the joy that had coursed through him the first time they'd made love, the absolute devotion in his hearts when he'd spoken his wedding vows.
Rose caught his bottom lip between her teeth and nipped lightly. I love you, she told him as she took control of the kiss, sliding her tongue into his mouth.
When he shuddered in her arms, she didn't know what had elicited the reaction. It could have been the way she stroked her tongue against his, or it could have been the remembered emotions she chose to share. The tenderness she'd felt when he told her he loved her, knowing how hard those words had been to say; the ardent delight when they'd first made love, feeling the last barrier to complete intimacy get swept away by their shared passion; her own joy that bordered on wonder as they had finally completed their bond and she had known all of him.
The Doctor groaned and held her close, then shifted until Rose was on her back. I love you, too, Rose, he told her as they stoked their desire with soft touches and tender memories. I love you so much.
When he finally moved to join them completely, the combination of pleasure and love overwhelmed Rose, and he paused to kiss away her tears. Then she tightened her legs around his hips, drawing a deep groan from him. Slowly, they moved together, neither striving for completion, because they knew that this moment—being wholly united in body and soul—was the closest to completion they would ever come.
Later, as they lay together in the afterglow, Rose splayed her hand over his chest in between his hearts. "I will always love you," she whispered fiercely. "Forever, my Doctor."
She felt his breath catch, then he dropped a kiss on the crown of her head. "Rose… Every day, the quote in your ring becomes more true. You are my forever."
oOoOoOoOo
An idea grew in the back of the Doctor's mind as they got dressed and made breakfast. As much as he loved having Jenny and Donna with them, it had been months since he and Rose had spent an entire day alone. The closest they'd gotten was going out for dinner a few weeks ago to celebrate six years of travelling together.
So when Jenny asked what the plans for the day were, he leaned back in his chair and tapped his fingers on the table. "Wellllll…" He looked at her and Donna. "Would you mind if Rose and I went someplace by ourselves for the day?"
Surprised pleasure sparkled over the bond, and he knew he'd made the right choice.
Donna rolled her eyes, but he thought he saw a smile through her sarcastic demeanour. "Well, if you two lovebirds want a day to yourself, I suppose Jenny and I will just have to find something to keep ourselves occupied. If only we lived in a spaceship with a media room, a library, a swimming pool, a snooker room… oh wait, we do."
"What's snooker?" Jenny asked as Donna got up and started clearing the table.
"Tell you what, Jenny," Donna proposed. "Why don't we just spend the day exploring? Oh, or we could go back to the wardrobe room and try on all the clothes!"
Rose laughed. "I did say you could go back and take a closer look later."
"And don't wait up for us," the Doctor added on a whim. "Depending on how the day goes, we might find someplace to stay instead of coming home. We'll text you later if we stay overnight."
Thanks to dimensionally transcendent technology, Rose's shoulder bag worked equally well as an overnight bag. They packed everything they'd need if they chose to stay away from the TARDIS overnight, then put a picnic lunch on top before closing it up.
In the console room, the Doctor added some extra spins and flourishes to his dance as he moved around the console, setting the coordinates for their private date. He glanced over his shoulder at Rose when he reached for the dematerialisation lever, and her wide smile made his hearts skip a beat.
Rose raised an eyebrow, and after he threw the lever and the TARDIS began her journey through the Vortex, he held out his hand and pulled her to her feet. "I just realised you still look at me the same way as you did the first time I took you someplace." He rested his hands on her hips and pulled her close. "Well, the tinge of amazement and disbelief might be gone now, but the wide-eyed excitement and the challenge to really impress you—they're both still there."
She reached up automatically for his tie, and he shivered when her fingers touched the bare skin of his clavicle instead. "I'm pretty sure I'll still be looking at you like that in a hundred years or more."
When the Doctor would have bent down to kiss her, the TARDIS landed, throwing them both off balance. They caught each other with practised ease, laughter bubbling up as they straightened, then looked at the door.
Rose's gaze darted to the door, then back to him, and the Doctor chuckled again. "After you, love," he said warmly.
She beamed at him, then practically skipped down the ramp with him close on her heels. Fresh air wafted into the ship when she opened the door, and the Doctor said a silent thank you to his ship for taking them when and where he'd asked to go.
Rose reached for his hand as they exited the TARDIS. "So, what are we celebrating? First date?"
The Doctor shook his head. "Absolutely nothing." He closed the door carefully, wanting to be sure Jenny and Donna would be safe inside for the day. "I just realised it had been nearly three months since you and I spent a whole day alone together."
He watched the smile on Rose's face deepen, making her eyes glow whiskey-gold. She stepped closer to him and rested her free hand on his arm. "I love you."
A sort of fog of weariness he hadn't been aware of before lifted, and the Doctor resolved not to let three months go by without spending a day alone with Rose again. "I love you, too."
Rose tilted her head back, and he bent down and pressed his lips to hers in a quick kiss. He pulled back before they could get lost in the kiss and chuckled when she pouted up at him.
Then he grabbed her hand, spun around and walked backwards a few steps, pulling her along with him. "You haven't asked where we are," he said as he led her to the trailhead.
He watched her take in their surroundings. "Well, it's not Earth," she said first. "The air feels different. And it's spinning at a different speed than Earth does."
"Well spotted and felt." The Doctor swung their hands between them. "This is Gelbron, which is on the other side of the galaxy from Earth."
"And it's autumn?" Rose said, her voice lifting at the end to make it a question. She pointed at the trees covering the trail. "Or are the leaves red and gold naturally?"
"Nope!" The Doctor bounced lightly on the balls of his feet. "It's autumn, and we're going for a hike." Then he shook his head. "And that's all the information you're going to get from me, Rose Tyler." He tapped her on the nose. "No more spoilers!"
Rose laughed and moved closer to the Doctor, taking his arm and hugging it to her. "I've missed this," she admitted. "I love Donna and Jenny, but I've missed being alone with you."
The Doctor sighed, and then she felt the soft pressure of his lips on the top of her head. "All of last year, spent entirely alone, and then months without being alone at all. We'll work on finding a balance."
Rose nodded, then looked for a way to turn the conversation away from even the semi-serious topics. When she spotted an enormous, gnarled tree with sprawling branches just around the next bend, she casually let go of the Doctor's arm and danced forward a few steps, then looked at him over her shoulder.
"Race you!" she shouted as she took off running.
"Oi!" he hollered, then she heard his feet crunching through the fallen leaves that lined the path.
Rose laughed and sped up, and with her head start, she and the Doctor reached the tree at the same time. She shrieked with laughter when he grabbed her by the waist and tickled her ribs.
"Rose Tyler, you are a cheater," he growled in her ear before blowing a raspberry against the sensitive skin just below it.
She squirmed and managed to twist out of his grip, then backed up a few steps, while the Doctor playfully stalked her. "I prefer to think of it as… finding and exploiting the advantage whenever possible," she retorted, giving him a cheeky smile.
The Doctor huffed and shook his head, but his eyes were dancing. He took a step towards her, and Rose suddenly found herself with her back against the broad trunk of the tree and no easy escape.
"Hmmm…" the Doctor said as he caged her in with his arms. "I think I've just found an advantage." He bent down and bumped his nose against hers. "Mind if I exploit it?"
"Not at all," Rose breathed, just before he swooped forward to catch her lips in a passionate kiss.
oOoOoOoOo
They found and exploited several advantages as they hiked up the mountain. Shortly before lunch, they reached a mountain lake that reflected the surrounding autumn trees in its glassy surface. The Doctor spread his coat out over the crunchy leaves, and they ate their picnic lunch by the lakeshore.
"So," the Doctor said as they packed up the remains of their lunch. "If we keep hiking, there's a village farther up the mountain that has a pub with rooms we could rent for the night. Or we could find another trail and go back down the mountain and be home in time for dinner. It's up to you."
Rose slung the bag over her shoulder and helped him shake the leaves off of his coat. "Oh, let's keep going," she said. "I'll text Donna and let her know we won't be home."
The Doctor grinned at her. He'd hoped she would want to keep going.
After Rose sent a quick text to Donna, he took her hand and they started back up the mountain. As they gained elevation, the deciduous trees gave way to evergreen, and instead of the colourful autumn hike they'd enjoyed in the morning, the were surrounded by the sharp tang of pine needles.
Just like the Doctor remembered, the village was at the edge of the tree line. About half an hour before they reached it, the path got rocky, and he had to let go of Rose's hand so they could scrabble over a few tricky places. But then they came out in a high meadow surrounded by the hardiest of the fir trees, and the village was spread out in front of them.
"It's like something from a story book," Rose said as they passed the first few stone houses.
Locals looked at them curiously as they walked by, and the Doctor waved at them.
"I thought you said they have an inn," Rose said after the fourth person stopped to stare at them.
"They do!" The Doctor pointed at a stone building with a thatched roof and a sign hanging above the door.
Rose pursed her lips. "Then how come they're so surprised to see strangers?" she asked logically.
"Having an inn doesn't mean it's used frequently," the Doctor pointed out, and Rose couldn't deny the truth of what he said.
Despite her surprise, the hostler was more than happy to have guests. After a delicious meal of hearty stew, she handed them a key and directed them upstairs to her best room.
Rose sighed in delight when she turned the key in the lock and pushed open the creaky door. The room was exactly what she'd envisioned once she'd gotten a sense of the Alpine feel of the village. The ceiling on one side tilted in, following the slope of the roof. On the other side of the room, a stone hearth had a fire laid in it, and she looked forward to curling up in front of it when the autumn chill settled into the room later that night.
High windows let the rich, golden light of the autumn evening filter through the gauzy canopy draped over the large tester bed. Rose set their bag down on the short dresser, then walked over to the window and looked out on the picturesque village.
A moment later, the Doctor joined her. "Care to do some exploring before the sun sets completely?" he suggested.
Rose smiled up at him. "Of course." She reached into the bag she'd dropped on the bed for her jacket, then held out her hand once she'd pulled it on. "Show me the most incredible thing possible in the half hour before the sun sets."
Outside, they took the path that led farther up the mountain. "We won't go far, but there's an outcropping up here that gives you a panoramic view of the whole valley," the Doctor explained as they picked their way along the rocky trail.
Rose took a deep breath as they walked, enjoying the way the woodsmoke from the village fireplaces mingled with the earthy scent of rocks and scrubby pine trees. The sun was low on the horizon now, just barely above the mountain peaks in the distance. The bright blue sky had deepened to a dusky colour, and as they took a turn in the path, streaks of orange and pink shot through it.
A few more steps and they reached the outcropping the Doctor had mentioned. "Is this impressive enough for the last shot of the day?" he asked as he gestured at the view.
Rose stared out at the valley. From here, she could see the lake they'd had lunch next to, surrounded by autumn colours set ablaze by the light of the setting sun. Following the slope of the mountain downward, she watched the trees spread out and then finally shift to open fields and meadows like they'd parked the TARDIS in.
The Doctor took her hand, and there was something very familiar about standing on the edge of a cliff hand in hand with him, looking out at a stunning view. It took her a moment, but then she landed on the memory.
"Makuyu," the Doctor agreed, picking up on her train of thought.
Rose nodded and tightened her hold on his hand. "How long are you going to stay with me?" she asked as the sun touched the mountain peaks.
The Doctor sighed and let go of her hand to wrap his arm around her shoulders. "Forever."
She rested her head on his shoulder as the streaks of colour spread across the sky, following the lines of the wispy clouds that had filled the sky all day. "I wish people who laugh when we say trouble is just the bits in between could see things like this," she said quietly. "They ask, 'In between what?' and I never know how to explain."
Rose felt, rather than heard, the Doctor's hum of agreement. They stood on the edge of the outcropping for a few more minutes, both grateful that they could experience the beauty of this moment.
The colours were still spreading across the sky when the sun disappeared behind the mountains. The Doctor pulled his arm back and reached for Rose's hand instead. "We should get back to the village. Night falls quickly in the mountains once the sun sets."
Rose nodded, then took one last, lingering look at the sunset and the valley before turning to follow him back down the path.
They hadn't gone very far before any reluctance to leave the beauty of the mountain top was blown away by the wind sweeping down from the summit. The air cooled rapidly after sunset, and the shift in temperature made the wind pick up. She shivered when a strong gust cut through her jacket, and in answer, the Doctor picked up the pace.
He looked at Rose as they reached the village ten minutes later. Her pink cheeks and stiff shoulders told him she was more chilled than she was letting on, so when they entered the inn, he gestured for her to go up ahead him while he stopped in the dining room to make a request.
When he entered their room a few minutes later, Rose had already changed into flannel pyjama bottoms and one of his henleys. She sat on the edge of the bed to put on fuzzy socks, then flopped backward, sinking slightly into the feather mattress.
"I might never want to leave." She wiggled further into the cosy comfort of the bed.
The Doctor chuckled as he hung his coat and jacket up on the hooks by the bathroom door. Then he leaned against the bedpost and grinned down at her. "You know the TARDIS would give us a different bed if you're tired of what we've got," he pointed out.
Rose sighed and pushed herself upright. "I suppose our bed at home is perfectly comfortable."
Before he could answer that, the expected knock at the door came. Rose raised her eyebrows, but he just gave her a hopefully mysterious smile and went to answer it.
A teenage girl stood on the other side, carrying a tray with two steaming mugs. "Hot chocolate, just like you ordered, sir."
The Doctor took the mugs from her and smiled. "Thank you!" The girl bobbed her head, then reached for the door and closed it, since his hands were full.
Rose was leaning against the back of the couch when he turned around. "Hot chocolate in front of the fire?" she asked, gesturing to the fireplace behind her.
"Yep!" He carefully set the mugs down on the coffee table, then used the sonic screwdriver to start the fire. Once flames were licking away cheerily at the logs, he settled onto the loveseat and patted the cushion next to him. A moment later, he laughed when Rose just swung her legs up over the back of the loveseat and slid down onto the seat.
"Did you enjoy today?" he asked as he handed her one of the mugs.
She nodded. "Yeah, it was brilliant. I love saving planets and stopping giant wasps from killing an entire house party, but really… what I love the most is seeing new things with you."
"Not too boring then?" he teased. "I shouldn't try to find an insurrection for us to stop on our next date?"
Instead of answering that ridiculous question, Rose lifted her mug to her lips and took a cautious sip of her hot chocolate. Her eyes widened as the rich, sweet chocolatey taste spread across her tongue.
"Oh, my God," she moaned. "This is incredible."
The Doctor chuckled and reached out to wipe a bit of whipped cream on her upper lip. He nodded as he licked it off his thumb. "Gelbronese hot chocolate is some of the best in the galaxy."
"I can believe it." Rose took another sip and let the flavour linger on her tongue before swallowing. Her body relaxed into the cushions as the cosiness of the evening set in—there was something deeply comforting about hot chocolate, maybe because it brought to mind all the times her mum had made it for her when she was a kid.
Some of her relaxation faded when thoughts of her own childhood sent her mind travelling down a path it had wandered several times in the last month. She sighed and shifted in her seat, trying to shove the thoughts back into the cupboard she'd been storing them in, but they were persistent tonight.
And for the first time, the Doctor was right beside her when those thoughts intruded.
"What's on your mind, Rose?" he asked quietly.
As she stared into the fire, she knew she needed to tell him. It was only fair to talk to him about this—in fact, that was the fact that had planted the idea in her mind in the first place.
Rose set her mug down on the coffee table, then turned to face him. His eyes were dark with worry, and there was a furrow between his eyebrows as he tried to work out what was bothering her without peeking at her thoughts.
She smiled and reached for his hands, then took a deep breath. "Do you remember the day Jenny was born?" He raised an eyebrow, and she shook her head. "Of course you do. Sorry. Well… you said something that day, and I've sort of been turning it over in my mind ever since."
The Doctor let go of one of her hands to tug on his ear. "I said a lot of foolish things that day."
Rose shook her head. "This wasn't one of those things," she promised him, and some of his anxiety eased. "It's just… you pointed out that couples usually discuss having children, and we never have—outside of you saying it couldn't happen without us planning for it."
He nodded. "It couldn't. Your biology has changed somewhat, but the differing numbers of DNA strands would make an unplanned pregnancy impossible."
Rose gritted her teeth together, then pushed down her impatience. He wasn't trying to ignore the conversation, or redirect it. This was just her Doctor, honestly clueless about her point.
"Yeah, I know. But… that doesn't mean we shouldn't talk about if we want kids," she finally managed to spit out.
The Doctor stared at her, his mouth hanging open slightly. He blinked several times, then shook his head. "Are you…" He cleared his throat. "I suppose you're right," he agreed, his voice still a little higher pitched than normal.
Silence stretched between them as they both waited for the other to start the conversation. Finally, Rose sighed—she had been the one to bring it up, after all.
"So…" She knotted her hands together to keep from fidgeting nervously. "I know you love Jenny, but I also know it was hard for you at first. Would you… would you even want another child? A baby," she clarified, saying the word for the first time.
After five weeks of turning the idea over in her mind, Rose still hadn't decided if she wanted to have a baby. But when the Doctor's face went blank and he carefully concealed his own thoughts from her, the knot of disappointment in her stomach answered her question.
She dug her nails into her palms. She and the Doctor had a fantastic life. A baby in the TARDIS probably wouldn't be a practical possibility, anyway.
Rose had just about talked herself out of wanting a baby when the Doctor shook himself out of his daze and looked down at her seriously. "What do you want, Rose?"
Oh no. The last thing she wanted was to make him feel obliged to have a baby just because she wanted one eventually. "I asked you first," she said, aware that her voice sounded weak.
The Doctor shrugged. "And I want what you want," he said guilelessly. "Now that I've worked through most of the fear of being a parent again, having a second or third or fourth child wouldn't really make a difference." He took a deep breath, then blew it out slowly through his nose. "But if we had a baby of our own, you would be the one going through a half-alien pregnancy. You'd be the one whose body would change." He took her hand and squeezed. "The choice is really up to you, Rose."
Rose pulled her hands back and clasped them together in her lap. "How would a baby fit in with our life?" Even though she knew she wanted a baby, she couldn't completely ignore that concern.
"We'd ask the TARDIS to keep us to safe places while you were pregnant, and maybe when you got far enough along, we'd find a quiet planet to stay on until the baby was born."
Rose gaped at him as he rattled off the answer with the surety of someone who had considered the question at length. Focusing on him now, she could feel a hint of excitement he'd attempted to conceal from her. The Doctor wanted kids, she realised, and he'd never even mentioned it.
She narrowed her eyes at him. It might not be totally fair, but the idea that he'd hidden something so important from her hurt. "Why've you never said anything?" she asked.
The Doctor blinked, and a furrow appeared between his brows. "Well, I've only been thinking about it since Jenny was born," he said slowly. "Like you, I assume."
Rose ran her hand through her hair, tugging lightly to vent her frustration. "Yeah. But you've figured out a lot of the logistics for someone who's only been thinking about it for a month."
The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "I do have a great big Time Lord brain, and four hours a night to be alone with my own thoughts," he pointed out drily. "And this has been one of the main things going through my mind for the last five weeks. That's enough time to come up with a viable plan."
Rose traced her finger over the pattern on the upholstery. "Would you ever have said anything if I hadn't brought it up?" she asked.
The Doctor hesitated for a moment, and she looked up at him through her eyelashes. "Probably not," he admitted finally. "Because, like I said, I wanted the decision to be yours."
"But how was I supposed to make an informed decision without all the information?" she challenged. "All the information, including the fact that you want kids."
The furrow in his forehead deepened. "Rose, when I told you we couldn't get pregnant without a little bit of genetic manipulation, your only comment was to say you'd been wondering about birth control. You didn't say anything about saving that option till later."
Rose opened her mouth, then closed it without saying a word. There wasn't anything she could say—he was right. Most of her frustration with him faded when she realised she'd never given him any indication that she might one day want to have their baby.
The Doctor smiled tenderly. "Exactly. And I didn't want to pressure you. We've been happy together, just the two of us, for four years. Now our family has expanded to include Jenny. We don't need a baby to complete our lives, and I didn't want to make you feel like we did."
She fidgeted with the sleeves of his henley. "And… what if I think I'd like to have a baby one day." She tried to imagine taking time off the way the Doctor had suggested, and somehow she knew they had things to do before they could take a break like that. "Maybe not right now," she added quickly, lest he get his hopes up, "but… eventually."
The Doctor's happiness flooded the bond, taking Rose's breath away. But his voice was measured when he spoke. "Then we'll wait, and when you're ready, we can figure out how to make it happen."
"Yeah?" Rose said breathlessly.
"Oh, yes."
Wild excitement beat in the Doctor's hearts as he opened his arms for Rose. She didn't hesitate to move into his lap, and a moment later, his breath caught in his throat as she traced her fingers over his forehead and down along his jawline.
"Would our baby look like this you?" she whispered as she ran a finger over his wonky ear.
"Maybe," he whispered back. "But Jenny looks like my fifth incarnation—you met him before the Titanic, remember?"
Her fingers paused for a moment as she considered, then she nodded. "You're right, she does."
A sudden, cheeky smile caught the Doctor by surprise, and he waited to hear the thought that had popped into her mind.
"So you mean we could have a little girl with a mass of golden curls, like the sixth you? Would she want to wear your crazy quilt coat, or is fashion sense not hereditary?"
The Doctor pouted, but Rose only giggled in response. He rolled his eyes and tapped her on the nose. "Well I think it's safe to say they'll inherit your cheek," he said drily. "Even Jenny seems to have gotten that, without being biologically related to you at all."
Rose patted him on the shoulder. "You love it, Doctor," she told him confidently.
He sighed and pulled her close, humming in contentment when she shifted so her head was resting on his shoulder. "I do," he admitted. "I love it because it's a part of who you are, and if our children inherited your propensity to tease me, I would love it for the same reason."
They talked about their future children for hours, until the fire was dying in the grate. But gradually, Rose's replies slowed, and the Doctor could feel her mind quiet against his as she drifted off to sleep. His arm was wrapped around her shoulders, and her face was pressed against his chest. It was a familiar position, and one of his favourites.
Still, they needed to go to bed. Rose grumbled when he carefully scooted to the edge of the cushion and slid his other arm under her knees. Sleep, love, he encouraged, and she settled back into his arms.
He stood up carefully, but even so, she scrunched her face up in dissatisfaction. Her scowl softened into contentment when she was draped against him even more completely, and he couldn't resist kissing the crown of her head before carrying her to the bed.
Pulling back the covers with her in his arms was tricky, but he managed. Rose grunted when he set her down, and he quickly took off his shirt and trousers and crawled under the covers beside her.
He shook his head as he considered the impossibility of the conversation they'd just had. In his most secret thoughts, he had wondered if having Jenny on the TARDIS might lead Rose to rethink what he had always figured was a firm decision not to have children. He hadn't really let himself hope for it, though. Having Jenny in their little family was more than he'd ever imagined, and if they were never more than a trio, travelling through space and time together, he would have been completely happy.
And they would remain that happy trio for a while yet, he reminded himself. He couldn't look ahead down their own timeline to see when their family would start, but he sensed it was several years in the future.
The Doctor shrugged and forced down his natural impatience. "Someday" was more than he'd counted on before, and it would come soon enough.
