IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE: I edited the end of chapter 31 on Sunday evening. If you read it before then, you will want to reread from the point where they wake up in the zero room through to the end. It isn't a huge story change, but it's enough of a tone shift that this chapter won't feel right without reading the new ending of 31.

Chapter Thirty-two: The Doctor of Christmas Yet to Come

After a few days of recuperating, the urge to see new places struck Rose again. "You know," she told the Doctor over breakfast, "we never got to go on our date like we planned."

"We didn't, did we?" He leaned back in his chair and stared up at the ceiling. "Hmmm… Where should we go?"

Rose glanced at Donna and Jenny, both sitting on the edge of their seats. "Why don't you pick a fun alien city? You and I can explore together, while Donna and Jenny go off by themselves?"

"Please, Dad?" Jenny chimed in. "I need to see the sky above my head."

The Doctor's chair rocked back onto the floor with a thud, and by the look on his face, Rose knew it hadn't occurred to him that their enforced rest time might be difficult for their companions. She knew she'd needed the time to rest, and she knew neither of them resented her for that, but it was time for all of them to step outside again.

He tugged on his ear. "All right. I think I know of just the place. Julata—plenty of shopping, good food, excellent people watching…"

It was winter when they landed on Julata, and Rose, Jenny, and Donna all pulled on warm coats and scarves before leaving the TARDIS. The Doctor had parked them in an alleyway, and Jenny darted out to the street while Rose locked the door behind them.

"This is perfect!" she said when they joined her. "Look, it's snowed recently!" The pavement had been cleared of snow, but the park across the street still had swaths of pristine snow blanketing the ground.

Rose took the Doctor's hand. "All right, you two have fun. Text me if you get into any trouble, but otherwise, we'll plan to meet back here in time to get dinner together tonight." Jenny and Donna waved them off, then set out down the street.

When they were gone, Rose smiled up at the Doctor. "All right, time to impress me, Time Lord. Tell me about Julata."

The Doctor grinned down at her and swung their hands between them. "Welllll…" he drawled, before kicking off a lecture on the planet and its culture that fascinated Rose.

They'd wandered the city for close to an hour when they stumbled across a shop specialising in Christmas decorations. "Oh, let's go in!" Rose said, tugging on the Doctor's arm. "I know it's months away yet, but I want to have ornaments for Jenny and Donna—they're part of our family now." The Doctor smiled and pressed a quick kiss to her lips, and they entered the shop.

Rose was scanning one of the dozens of Christmas trees laden with ornaments when she felt the funny echo in her mind that heralded the appearance of another Doctor. She squeezed her Doctor's hand, but before she could say anything, they heard a deep voice in a Scottish brogue.

"You know, when I came here to find a Christmas present for my bond mate, I didn't expect to find… my bond mate."

Rose's eyes widened at the implication—they'd never met an older Doctor before. She and the pinstriped Doctor turned around and they both sucked in a breath when they saw a familiar face—one that had not belonged to the Doctor the last time they'd seen it.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" he demanded irritably, his impressive eyebrows drawn tight. A moment later, his expression smoothed out, and he nodded. "Ah. Yes. Caecilius." He looked at his younger self. "There's a reason you'll choose this face, Doctor."

Rose didn't care about the reasons behind his appearance, though. She was more concerned with the moody anxiety she could feel from him. His blue eyes were slightly dull instead of showing the brightness she instinctively knew they were capable of, and there was a permanent line in his forehead that spoke of frequent frowning.

"Looking for a present for me, you said?" She gave him the cheeky smile he loved. "I might be able to help you with that."

"Rose…"

The hand holding hers tightened, and Rose recognised the deep aversion her Doctor felt to letting her out of his sight. She turned and brushed her fingertips over his jaw. "But you won't be letting me out of your sight," she said reasonably. "I'll be with you the whole time."

He sighed, but nodded his head. "All right." He looked at his older self. "One hour," he said sternly. "You remember where we parked?"

"Even if he doesn't, I do," Rose interjected, raising her eyebrow at her Doctor.

"Right. Of course." He sighed and tugged on his ear, then pulled her close for a hug. "I'll see you in an hour," he murmured.

The older Doctor's smile had already brightened by the time they left the shop. "This is just after Midnight, isn't it, Rose?" he asked.

Rose nodded and reached automatically for his hand. It was larger than her Doctor's, and maybe just a little bit rougher, but there was the same instantaneous connection when their hands were clasped together, palm to palm.

The Doctor sighed. "You have no idea how hard it was for me to let you out of my sight."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Bit ridiculous, the way you get jealous of yourself."

To her surprise, the Doctor stopped and looked at her, his thick eyebrows drawn into a straight line. "That was not jealousy, Rose. I thought I'd told you…" He rubbed at his jaw and stared off in the distance. "No, I guess I haven't yet."

A glimmer of concern hit Rose, and she tugged on the Doctor's hand so he would look at her again. "What haven't you told me?"

He opened and closed his mouth a few times before shaking his head. "Tonight when you get home, you need to ask me about Midnight." He shrugged ruefully. "I'd tell you, but you need to hear it from him-me, not me-me. Or rather, he needs to be the one to tell you."

Rose nodded slowly. They hadn't really talked about Midnight at all, save taking care of her lingering headaches. She should have known the Doctor wasn't as fine as he'd been pretending.

The Doctor squeezed her hand and his expression softened. "So, I was going to say no when you asked to go with me, but then you turned those reassuring, pleading eyes on me, and I couldn't deny you." He reached up and brushed his knuckles over her cheek. "I'd forgotten how besotted I was back then."

Rose looked up at the Doctor, her eyebrow raised. "Are you saying you're not anymore?" she challenged. She knew he still loved her—it burned brightly over the bond.

The Doctor stopped and brought her fingers to his lips. "Oh, Rose Tyler… Besotted doesn't even begin to cover how I feel for you now."

Rose let those words resonate through her, exciting her for the years of love yet to come.

They stopped in front of a cafe, and the Doctor bounced on his toes. "Come on!" he insisted, pushing the door open and pulling her inside. "You're going to love this."

After their short walk through the cold, the warmth of the cafe felt heavenly. The scents were even better though, a combination of baked goods and rich, luscious chocolate.

"Oh, my God," Rose moaned, taking a deep breath of it as they got in line. "What is that?"

"That, my love, is why we're here! You've had Gelbronese hot chocolate, but you haven't truly lived until you've experienced the Julata orange mocha—made with real orange zest!"

The barista at the cash register overheard him as they reached the front of the line and looked at Rose. "Two orange mochas?" he asked.

Rose nodded. "If my husband says it's the best, I trust him." The Doctor giggled as he paid, and Rose relished the relaxed joy he projected—so different from how he'd felt when they'd run into him.

She started to ask him about his earlier anxiety, but their drinks were brought out almost as soon as they found a seat. The tall, glass mug was full to the brim, and there was a generous dollop of whipped cream on top of the mocha. Chocolate was drizzled over the top of the whipped cream, and Rose couldn't resist scooping some of it up and licking it off her finger.

The Doctor winked at her when she hummed in pleasure. "The whipped cream is nothing compared to the actual drink," he promised her. "And you know how much I love whipped cream."

Rose clicked her tongue against her teeth. "You're talking this up so much, there's no way it's going to live up to your recommendation." The Doctor's only response was to smirk at her over the rim of his own mug.

One sip of the Julata orange mocha and Rose knew the Doctor was right. The rich chocolate balanced by the dark roasted coffee would have been excellent on its own, but the bright citrus flavour tied it all together in what was easily the best coffee drink she'd ever had.

For a few moments, she floated on a haze of chocolate bliss, only brought back to Earth—or Julata—by the Doctor's laughter. "I did tell you it was incredible," he told her, his blue eyes dancing.

Rose debated teasing him, but decided to just enjoy her drink instead. The Doctor had chosen a seat for them by the window, and he pointed out little cultural things as people walked by. At some point, her hand found its way into his, and they sat clasped on the table just like they had on so many other dates.

With ten minutes left in their allotted hour, they left the cafe and started back to the TARDIS. Rose laced her fingers through the Doctor's and squeezed gently as they walked down the street.

"Now, tell me why you're feeling so out-of-sorts over this Christmas present."

The Doctor's eyes widened, and he dropped her hand as he attempted to bluster his way out of answering her question, even speed-walking in an unconscious attempt to avoid her. Rose lengthened her stride and watched with the same fond amusement she felt when her Doctor found himself facing a question he didn't want to answer.

Eventually, he slowed down and his shoulders slumped. "I hadn't expected you to see through this me so easily," he grumbled.

Rose patted him on the arm. "Oh, Doctor. I know you. That isn't limited to regeneration."

His eyes softened. "Yes, you do." He rubbed at the corners of his mouth, a new nervous tic Rose hadn't seen. "Well. Without spoiling you too much, let's just say you and I have been together for a long time, and I'm afraid I'm running out of impressive gift ideas."

A half-dozen questions sprung to Rose's lips: How long was a long time? Had she regenerated? Was this the Doctor's next regeneration, or was there one or more in between? Had they solved the question of their mismatched lifespans?

They reached the alley where the TARDIS was parked while she was still gathering her thoughts, and the light on top of the ship flashed to welcome the future version of her pilot. Rose smiled and patted the door, then turned to the Doctor.

"Doctor… you know you don't have to give me anything wildly elaborate, right?" she asked, homing in on the most important issue.

He grimaced. "It might be more accurate to say I don't have any gift ideas, at all. Our life has been…" He paused, and she could feel him searching for the right words to explain himself without giving anything away. "More hectic than usual lately. We haven't had much time to be alone, so I just… I don't have any idea what you would want, Rose."

The Doctor started pacing, and his hands found his hair, tugging at the close-cropped curls. "I feel like I don't know you anymore," he admitted at last.

Ah. There it was. The explanation for the vaguely morose attitude that had crept back into his demeanour. They weren't a couple who needed to spend every moment together, but if they'd gotten out of the habit of taking their dates and finding time to be alone together…

Rose tugged his arm gently until he let go of his hair and looked at her. "Well, first of all," she said soothingly, "I promise you that future me is missing you just as much as you're missing me."

The Doctor's eyes were wide and hopeful. "Do you think so?"

Rose snorted. "I'm me, aren't I?" She shook the Doctor's hand until he smiled. "Look, Doctor. I don't know how much time has passed, but one hundred years or one thousand, it doesn't matter. I love you. And if we haven't had time to be alone together—to just be us—then I guarantee you, wherever I am right now, I'm missing you."

"You're with Jack," he said automatically.

"With Jack, and missing you," Rose repeated. "And that takes care of your second question."

The Doctor's brows knit together again, and Rose laughed.

"I love your eyebrows in this body," she said. "Very expressive." She reached up and smoothed them out. "If we're missing each other, then maybe the perfect present isn't a thing this year. Why don't you pick me up and sweep me off for a romantic holiday, just the two of us?" She took his hand and laced their fingers together. "Barcelona, or Esperas, or maybe there's someplace else I don't know of yet that's special to us."

Finally, Rose felt the Doctor's familiar excitement begin to echo through her. "Barcelona," he mused. "We haven't been there since—" He cut himself off and quickly locked down the thought. "Well, in a while."

"There you go, then," Rose encouraged. "Make the reservations right now. Get a room, or rent a private beach house. Get a table at that restaurant in the cliff. Make plans to take the hike again so you can humiliate another tour guide."

The Doctor stepped closer to her and leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Do you know that one hundred years in the future from when we typically visit, that waterfall is no longer classified as a sacred site? I've waited centuries to see you skinny dipping in the moonlight there, Rose."

Rose shuddered when his breath hit her ear, and she turned her head to brush her lips over his jaw. The Doctor sighed, then a moment later, he shifted enough to allow their lips to meet.

The only surprise in kissing a different Doctor was in how right it still felt. When the Doctor wrapped an arm around her waist, Rose swayed into his embrace, letting him control the kiss. His lips moved over hers with gentle adoration, and this glimpse of her own future brought tears to her eyes.

"If you don't mind," a familiar voice drawled from a few feet away, "that's my bond mate."

The Doctor reluctantly pulled away from the younger Rose, and glared at his pinstriped self. "Exactly," he said smugly. "Which makes her my bond mate as well."

Rose shook her head at him, and he could feel the mirth bubbling up inside her. "My Doctors," she said affectionately. "You are both ridiculous, and I will always love you."

The younger Doctor hummed happily, and the Doctor was ready to scoff at the sound when Rose turned to him and cupped his face gently in her soft hand. A purr rose in his throat at the caress, and hearing it, Rose stroked his face again.

"Go on," she urged him. "Whisk me away on a magical Christmas holiday."

The Doctor nodded, then a thought occurred to him and he frowned. Rose tilted her head, then she nodded. "Go ahead," she told him.

With her permission, he pressed his fingers to her temples. This Christmas surprise wouldn't be nearly as much fun if she knew what was coming.

I'm going to be very, very careful, darling, he told her as he approached her memories of that afternoon. Hopefully, I can just conceal your memories of exactly what you suggested for a gift, without hiding the rest of the conversation.

That'd be nice, she agreed. This has been a lovely afternoon.

Rose's innate trust in him humbled him, as it always had. After the attack on Midnight, he wouldn't have blamed her if she hadn't wanted anyone walking through her thoughts as intimately as he was now, but she simply closed her eyes and let him work.

With a delicate touch, the Doctor plucked the few memories of the last five minutes that would spoil her Christmas surprise and wrapped them up on a time delay. When he opened the TARDIS doors on Barcelona later that night and walked on the beach with his Rose, the memories would unlock.

It was a simple operation, despite the delicacy, and he was finished in less than five minutes. When he pulled out of Rose's mind, she took a deep breath and opened her eyes.

Her full lips turned down in a pout. "How long am I going to have to wait to find out what you're getting me?" She reached up and adjusted his tie.

The Doctor cleared his throat. He was very familiar with the persuasive abilities of his Rose. "You agreed," he reminded her.

She sighed and stepped back, into the waiting arms of her linear Doctor. "I know. Just had to tease you a bit."

The other Doctor raised an eyebrow and gestured towards the alley. "That's probably about as much fiddling as the timelines can handle today," he told the Doctor, voicing what they all knew.

The Doctor nodded. "I've got my own Rose waiting for her Christmas surprise." He saluted his past self. "You can keep all of your memories, Doctor. But don't try to figure out when in your future this happens. When the time is right, you'll know."

The other him raised his eyebrow, but he didn't argue.

The Doctor looked at Rose, all pink and yellow in a way she hadn't been for centuries, standing in the arms of the man he hadn't been in almost that long—relatively speaking. "All my love to long ago," he said, echoing the sentiment he'd said to his fifth incarnation, just before they'd been hit by the Titanic.

The younger Doctor smiled. "To days to come."

oOoOoOoOo

The Doctor sighed as he undid his tie. Nothing about the day on Julata had gone quite the way he'd planned.

"Are you still pouting that the other you got to introduce me to Julata orange mochas?" Rose asked from the en-suite, where she was washing her makeup off.

"I wanted to see the look on your face the first time you tasted that perfection." He unbuttoned his Oxford and tossed it in the laundry, then hung up his trousers and jacket.

She crossed the room and kissed his cheek before pulling a thin camisole out of the dresser. "And you will… one day." She pressed her lips together and her eyes danced with laughter. "Think about it this way. If I hadn't gone to the coffee shop with the older you first, the barista wouldn't have though I was engaged in some kind of sordid affair."

That pulled a chuckle from the Doctor as he remembered the note the concerned barista had passed him covertly along with their drinks. "That's an aspect of being a time traveller I never really considered." He hesitated a moment, then put on a pair of pyjama bottoms. It didn't feel like they were going straight to bed.

Rose's laughter was muffled as she pulled her camisole over her head. "What, that people would think your wife was cheating on you with all your different incarnations? They didn't talk about that possibility at Time Lord school?"

The Doctor snorted. "Not hardly. Remember, most Time Lords didn't actually leave Gallifrey."

"True." Rose tied the drawstring on her own pyjama bottoms, then held out her hand. "Come on, there's a fire going in the study. We can sit and cuddle for a bit."

The Doctor strongly suspected she had more in mind than a cuddle, and his suspicions were confirmed almost immediately. Once they were settled in to their preferred positions, with himself in the corner of the couch and her in his arms, she twisted slightly so she could see his face.

There was a furrow in her brow, and he reached out automatically to smooth it away. "What is it, love?"

"You told me something today."

He frowned, then realised she meant his older self had told her something. "I thought I knew better than to mess with timelines."

"Oh, you do," she assured him, resting her hand on his knee. "This is something about us now, something I hadn't thought to ask yet." She shrugged. "He knew I would ask though, and that it was important for you to talk about it."

The Doctor scowled. "Of course he did. The Doctor of Christmas yet to come. Showing you enough of the future to make you act in the present." He sighed and shook his head. "Sorry, love. You know how I get when we meet other versions of me. What did I tell you to ask?"

He was prepared for any number of questions—anything, really, except what she said.

"Tell me what it was like for you on Midnight?"

The memories hit him at gale force, knocking the wind out of him for a moment. Being trapped in his own mind, unable to move or speak on his own. Feeling her agony and knowing how much danger she was in, and not being able to do a thing about it. Finding her on the jump seat, unconscious and non-responsive.

Rose's soft hands pressed against his cheeks, and through the roaring in his ears, he heard her voice calling his name. He blinked once, then again, and then he could see her wide eyes staring down at him as she sat in his lap.

"Oh, Rose," he gasped as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. He buried his face in the crook of her neck and took several deep breaths while she made shushing noises.

"Do you want to just show me?" she whispered, offering the same work around they'd used when they'd finally talked about the aftermath of the bond breaking.

The Doctor shuddered. "Not this time," he replied, his voice raspy with unshed tears. "I can't… it was in my head."

"Right, of course." Rose's fingers combed through his hair, calming him down. "Future you said you needed to talk about it, love."

The Doctor wanted to argue, but he knew he was right. He couldn't go any longer without telling Rose what had happened.

He took a shaky breath and leaned back so he could see her face. "All right. I'll tell you."