Jackie Tyler had never felt so fancy in her life.
The 'flat' the Doctor had offered her was at least twice the size the one she'd lived in for the last twenty two years. It was furnished in fine leather and hard woods, made her feel like she was in a high end hotel.
She found herself to be exhausted from the morning, from the turmoil of worry that she was aiding in the death of her would-be son in law without Rose even knowing what was happening. Her new flat was fully furnished, and he'd told Jackie it was all hers- so she tucked herself in for a nap.
Jackie hadn't meant to sleep so long, but it was nearly sunset when Rose's voice called her from her slumber.
"Mum. Mum wake up." Rose spoke gently, shaking her shoulder lightly.
"Mmm. Wha' 'sat?" Jackie groaned, sitting up.
"You've been asleep all afternoon." Rose smiled. "We thought maybe you'd want to pop over and eat."
"Oh!" Jackie blinked into the room, eyes adjusting to the light of the lamp Rose must have turned on. "Rose- how are you? Did you- How is everything?"
Rose grinned at her mother, and then pulled her close for a tight hug.
"I'm perfect, Mum." Rose said, "So, so perfect. We talked for a long time, and the Doctor explained everything- why his regeneration had been so... wrong. What happened to me, how I've changed... That he'd told you about it. And of course-"
Jackie took her daughter's left hand and turned it over.
"Of course I said yes." Rose finished as they both looked at the ring she now wore. Jackie cradled her child's face in her hand, a few tears sliding down her cheeks.
"I'm so happy for you, darlin'." Jackie breathed.
"Thank you. And thank you for everything you did." Rose slid down and hugged her mother tightly again. "I like your place, by the way." She added, looking around the room.
"Nice, innit?" Jackie grinned. "My son-in-law got it for me. Doesn't hardly make up for him causin' to me missin' a year of my daughter's life but-"
Rose watched her mother intently as she reached over and laid a hand over her growing stomach that housed her granddaughter.
"This might." She laughed. "I'm so excited. I wish your dad could see you..."
"Mum." Rose smiled through a rough bout of tears that suddenly pushed through. "Mum, dad met the Doctor. The girl who stayed with him-"
Jackie's face paled.
"No-" She whispered, tears swelling up and over the brim in her eyes. "It was you."
"It was. Got to talk with him a bit before it happened. He uh-" Rose swallowed and then gave her mother another watery smile, "He and the Doctor talked, and I didn't even know, and I was there. Not sure when they even had the time. They'd talked and dad flat out ask him if he loved me- mum we went to see him before we ever had any sort of romantic interaction. But dad ask him if he loved me, if we were-" Rose pulled her lips in over her teeth, like she wasn't sure of her words, "Dad gave him his blessing, too. There was a whole- ordeal. The Doctor and I set it right, so you don't remember it. But Dad told the Doctor to take care of me, and that if he wasn't going to see this part, he wanted him to know he had dad's blessing."
Jackie had a similar smile on her face as she cried.
"Our lives are so, so weird." Jackie laughed. "But somehow its the only thing I can imagine for you, now."
"Me too." Rose laughed. "Now- we have Chinese take-away over in our brand new kitchen that we're... not using properly yet." Rose laughed. "Come eat with us?"
Rose was having a hard time not giggling as she lay propped on the soft feather pillows of her new, large bed in her new, enormous house.
The Doctor was snuggled close, one arm propping his head up, the other wrapped around Rose's middle, as he had a conversation Rose could never hope to understand with their daughter. The melodious sound of Gallifreyan flowing from his lips in his deep, northern cadence, whatever it was that he was saying, was obviously entertaining their little girl very much, as she was dancing all sound, kicking and hitting against her father's hand, causing him to laugh.
"What're you tellin' her?" Rose ask, running her fingers through his new, slightly longer chestnut hair.
"Bedtime story." He replied, looking up at her with such joy in his bright blue eyes, it took her breath away. "Its about the first of our people to attempt to measure eternity. A council was called to try and figure out how long eternity was. There were many wise scholars who tried, but all failed to fully quantify 'forever', until finally, a grandmother with millennia to her name came forward and explained to the council that in the realm of 'Forever' stands a mountain made of pure diamond. Each day, a single bird flies to the peak of the great diamond mountain and sharpens its beak on the summit. The grandmother explains that eternity will end when the mountain is worn away by the use of the bird."
"Wow." Rose said after he finished, "That's one hell of a bird."
At Rose's remark, the Doctor fell into a fit of hardy laughter. He rolled onto his back and clutched at his stomach as he laughed fully.
"Yes, I suppose it must be." He agreed. The Doctor rocked back up and placed a kiss against the spot their daughter had swatted so fervently against. He then scooted his way gracelessly up the bed to be level with Rose.
"Hello." She sighed happily, smiling over at him.
"Hello." He grinned back. "Are you okay?"
Rose looked at him for a moment, then she reached down and took his hand in hers.
"I don't think I've ever been so happy in my life." She admitted. "I hate we had such a rough spot, but really, Doctor- this is all just nearly too much. There was never any way I could've imagined a life this good in my realm of possibility."
"I'm still so sorry." He said, pulling her knuckles up to kiss them. "I suppose I should've been smart enough to ask the TARDIS what the plan was rather than trying to meddle."
"You look tired." Rose replied, which she flourished with her own yawn.
"Skipped the biggest part of my normal post-regeneration nap, I did. Your mum made me that same tea that helped at Christmas, though. That and a quick kip while I waited for your cabbie to let me know he'd picked you up got me through today. Bout knackered now though." He said, kissing the tip of her nose.
"Good thing we have this enormous, comfy bed." Rose laughed, snuggling further down into the covers and giving another yawn.
"It is rather nice. I did a good job, I think." The Doctor bragged, clicking off the bedside lamp before wrapping his arms around Rose and dragging her close to him. He slid one hand down and gently stroked at the bump housing their daughter- which caused her to thump against him again.
"See what you started?" Rose teased.
"Hmm. Daddy's girl." He hummed against her hair. "Get some rest, precious girls. I love you, both of you, more than anything."
"We love you, too." Rose smiled, snuggling back into his strong embrace.
A week later saw the Doctor starting his 'full time' tenure with UNIT.
To keep herself occupied, Rose has alternated between picking through interior decoration magazines and going to home goods stores with her mother, and helping her mother with packing up the flat they'd lived in for Rose's entire life.
The entire process of both was bitter sweet.
Jackie kept going on and on about how nice their new home was, and how it was everything and more that she'd wanted for her daughter and granddaughter.
They'd gotten down to the last few boxes of personal affects that needed to be wrapped and boxed when Mickey stopped by to see Jackie- He let himself in without knocking, which previously had been the norm and seemed natural to Rose, but since they had their run in at the grocery, Rose hadn't wanted to see him at all. He'd no sooner stepped into the flat when his eyes met Rose's, then Jackie's- both women being caught off guard.
"So it is true, then." Mickey spat like the Tyler's had personally slighted him.
"Urm-" Rose cleared her throat, head tilted. She glanced at her mum, then down at her stomach, then looked back to Mickey. "I already told you I'm expectin'. You think you can come crashin' in like I've not told my mum?"
"No- You're moving." He was addressing Jackie now. "Also off with that... that... Alien." He finished like the very taste of the word was poisonous to him.
"Oi!" Jackie scolded, "Don't be doin' that to me, Mickey Smith, 'S my son-in-law. He's bought Rose a gorgeous old mansion of a place for them to raise their family in. I'd shut my trap if I wanted to salvage any of the life-long friendship you've been so eager to throw away."
"Me?" Mickey raised his voice, gesturing to himself, "Me?! She kissed me on the cheek and ran off what that... man. Then she's gone a year, you're accusin' me of killin' her the entire time, I almost don't get my life back after that, but I kept my head. Next thing I know, she's tellin' me we're off and never happenin' again. Turn around again and she's up the duff with some sort of, sort of thi-"
"Michael Smith if you say one word about my daughter, so help me..." Rose growled through gritted teeth. "We're leaving. We've got a new life, the Doctor and I are taking mum away from here and we're going to all be together. I was going to try and speak to you about maybe reconciling enough to be at least 'friend-ly' but I can see that won't happen. So hear this- Stay away from me. Stay away from my mother, my fiance, my child... Or you'll have-"
"Me, to deal with." The Doctor finished from where he'd propped in the open front door, blocking Mickey's quick escape. "Go on- Apologize to the ladies."
"How-How did you- You changed..." Mickey stammered, earning an eye roll from the Doctor.
"Don't worry about it. Just apologize to them," The Doctor nodded toward Rose and Jackie, Rose's face red in rage, Jackie's eyes full of tears. "And then leave."
"Rose, Jackie- I'm sorry. I hope you have a wonderful new life. Really, I do." He said, eyes on the floor. The Doctor stepped aside and let him run out, then he pulled the front door to the flat shut.
"You alright?" He ask gently, one arm snaked around Rose, his free hand on Jackie's shoulder.
"I helped raise that boy." Jackie sighed, wiping her tears away. "I just can't believe he'd say such things."
"He's angry at me, not you." The Doctor assured her.
"Can't be too happy with me, either. But he'd been cheating on me for a lot longer than you and I had even thought about crossing the line from friendship. So who knows what's going on in his mind." Rose growled. "I don't care anymore. He started to insult our child and it was done in my head- no friendship left to save."
The Doctor didn't say anything, but he pulled Rose close enough to put a kiss against her temple.
"We've packed the last of it." Jackie said, wiping the last of her tears away.
"Right- Just need to drop the key off for the movers and we can be off for home. Come on, got one last surprise for you." He bounced on the balls of his feet.
"Oh lord- what are you up to, now?" Jackie teased.
"You'll see." The Doctor grinned, holding the door as first Jackie then Rose exited. He lead them down to the ground floor and took Rose's hand. "Rose, cover your eyes, love." He said, grinning. He gave Jackie a wink. "Don't peak. Jacks, you keep a tight lip, don't react when you see, right?"
"You're making me nervous." Rose laughed, her eyes shut tight and one hand covering her eyes.
The Doctor gently guided Rose as the three of them walked, and when Jackie caught sight of what he'd gotten to surprise Rose with in the parking lot, her jaw dropped and the Doctor shushed her, moving behind Rose and replacing the hand she'd covered her eyes with by covering her eyes with his own large hands.
"Are you ready?" He ask, kissing her cheek.
"I think?" Rose nodded against his hands.
"Alright. One- Two-" and he lifted his hands.
Rose felt her knees give just a bit when her eyes fell on the sleek crossover SUV- at first she thought it was black, but as she moved and the light shifted on the car, she saw that it was actually the deepest of royal blues. She covered her mouth with her hands and gave a squeak.
"This one is yours." The Doctor smiled as she ran over and pulled the driver's door open. "Got myself one too, but it's not nearly as fun. Just gonna use it to drive to and from work, this one is the family car."
"Doctor I can't drive." Rose said, already climbing into the car, just to feel the seat. "Used the bus or tube my whole life until you."
"And you can learn. I'll teach you." He replied casually. He propped against the open driver's side door and ducked down to eye level where Rose sat. "So do you like it?"
Jackie had taken the liberty of crawling on into the back, and she cooed at the already installed car seat- deep grey with powder pink flowers. Rose peaked behind the passenger seat at the car seat, and the dam broke. She began to cry nearly hysterically.
"That's a yes, Doctor." Jackie laughed lightly.
Dinner was a bit quiet, with Mickey's eruption still in the back of everyone's mind.
Jackie had seen herself out to her flat after helping Rose clear away their dinner mess while the Doctor returned a work call. He'd came back in to find her curled up on the couch, the tele turned to a music channel with the volume low, and a baby book open on the arm of the couch where she was propped. She had a stuffed giraffe cuddled into her chest.
"Says here that babies will sleep better in their cots if the cot smells like their parents." She said, holding up a soft pink blanket to him. "And the best way to do that is to hold their things."
"Got a bit of time before she's here, yet." He reminded her gently. He still folded the blanket and laid it across his chest as he sat down beside her.
"She needs a name, too." Rose said after a few minutes. She swallowed thickly and looked over at the Doctor, who gave her a gentle smile.
"You have ideas, I'm sure." He said, turning a bit to face her better.
"Do you-" Rose stopped for a moment, licked her lips and furrowed her brow like she was trying to formulate her sentence carefully. He waited, watching as she worked through her thoughts. "I was going to ask if you wanted to give her a name from Gallifrey. But I don't even know yours."
She'd not had any negativity in the statement, he could hear it in her voice and feel her emotions from the hand he held, but the words still stung like needles.
"I-" He paused, and let go of her hand to instead gently hold her cheek, "I can't tell you. Can't say it aloud, and it has no English translation, so I can't write it, either. I could show you, though, if you'd like."
He felt so down, how his Rose now looked at him, feeling his sorrow and loss as her own, her eyes once again brimming with tears. It was becoming a herculean task for him to remind himself each day that her new found habit of frequently crying was mostly due to the hormonal changes in her body, and that he was, at least not now, the one truly causing them.
"You don't have to- I didn't mean..." She shuttered a breath.
"It's okay." He smiled gently again, and stood from the couch. It didn't take him long to return with a scrap of paper and pencil from her new art studio he'd put together in one of the office rooms of the first floor.
He took the baby book from Rose and closed it, using the hard back binding to press on, and he carefully began to write in the swirling circular script that Rose had seen in various places in the TARDIS. She'd known it was Gallifreyan, but had no idea what any of it had said; anything she needed to know, the TARDIS had provided a secondary label in English for her.
The first thing he wrote had many, many concentric and intersecting circles, and was long and complex. Below it was a similar but shorter set.
"This one," He ran the pencil below the line, pointing and underlining at the same time, "Is my full name. And this one," He underlined the second, "Is my family name. Hers, too-and eventually, yours."
"They're so beautiful." Rose gently ran her fingers over the script, thankful he'd used one of her sketch pencils, so that the graphite didn't smudge when she touched it. "Doctor, why can't-"
"I sealed the end of the time war with my name, Rose." He cut her off, his voice sharp. Rose flinched at bit, knowing this was hurting him, not wanting to make it worse by reacting to his tone when it wasn't truly aimed at her. "Our names hold power, and I've bound fixed moments in time together with it. Ending the time war, protecting this existence. Really, it was a small price to pay compared to everything else the war took before I got up the courage to do wha-" His voice broke for a moment, and he took a long, deep breath. "Before I was brave enough to do what I had to do."
"Thank you for telling me." Rose said quietly. She fought hard but eventually gave in to a yawn, and the Doctor smiled gently.
"Come on, my love. Bedtime for sleepy humans and growing time ladies." He helped her to her feet, and she held tight to his hand, silently vowing to try and learn as much about Gallifrey and their people as she could, for both the Doctor and their little girl.