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Donna had always been an amazing woman, but for too short of a time she'd wielded the power and intellect of a Time Lord. She'd given the Doctor the solution to growing the new TARDIS quickly.
….by shatter-frying the plasmic shell and modifying the dimensional stabilizer to a foldback harmonic of 36.3, you accelerate growth by a power of 59…..
He couldn't think of those directions in any other way but in Donna’s voice. It hurt like hell to recall it, and he wished every day he could thank her. Her idea was working.
The TARDIS was growing. It wasn't easy, it wasn't always fun, and sometimes it was absolutely tedious, waiting for a new centimeter of growth, or a new telepathic connection to form. Growing the TARDIS had its’ moments of absolute terror as well as complete boredom. The coral had nearly died once, but he and Rose had saved her, together.
It was close to Halloween of their first year together in Pete’s World when the TARDIS was going through yet another stasis period. The Doctor tended to the coral and tried to communicate with her, but she was quiet. At least she was healthy. She just wasn't doing much of anything.
It was during times like these that the Doctor’s wanderlust kicked in. Sometimes they could explore around England. They planned a trip to Cardiff, coming up in November. Right now, however, Rose was in the midst of work at Torchwood that kept her at the office, and unless he wanted to travel alone, he'd be staying put for a while. Staying put was preferable to traveling without Rose any day.
He was still bored. And disheartened and missing traveling time and space. Neither one of them slept well at night. Rose worked late into the evenings and slept fitfully. The Doctor barely slept at all. He found himself being short tempered with Rose and with coworkers at Torchwood, and none of them deserved that because he felt bored and restless. (Well, definitely not Rose. Some of the knobs in R and D deserved it.) He felt the need to make it up to Rose.
In the distance he heard Rose’s car approaching their cottage. She had left work early. Perhaps the day was looking up after all.
*****
“Go on back to the shed. I got this,” Rose waved him away after he kissed her. She was dressed in an oversized jumper and leggings with knee high boots and she looked absolutely delicious.
“Oi there! I haven't seen you for more than three hours awake any night this week! Can't I help you, at least? Did you go to work or go out to the shops? Are those white pumpkins….”
She silenced him with another kiss, her hand cupping his cheek, thumb stroking his sideburn. “Yes, to all of that. I went in for a bit then I went to the shops. And I have a surprise for you, but I'm nowhere near ready. I have it on good authority that, if you're not busy with the TARDIS right now, Tony needs some help with some model airplanes. Why don't you walk up to the mansion and help him?”
He gave a disgruntled sigh. “You're trying to get rid of me.”
“Yeah, love, s’exactly what I'm doin’.” She kissed him again, deeply. “It'll be worth your while.”
“All right,” he acquiesced with a sigh.
“Don't act like you won't love spendin’ an afternoon wreakin’ havoc in Mum’s back yard. You can take your sonic….”
“This must be a hell of a surprise if you're giving permission for that.”
“I think it is.”
Rose gave him the smile he loved, the one that nearly made him refuse to leave. “Go on. I'll call ya when I'm done. Mum has banana nut bread fresh out of the oven.”
Things were looking up. “See you later,” he said, quickly kissing her and heading for the path between the guest house and the mansion. Rose laughed.
“Not wastin’ any time now, are ya!” Rose called after him.
“You lot know me too well,” he yelled over his shoulder. Rose’s laughter followed him down the path.
******
The Doctor had a thoroughly entertaining afternoon and early evening, filled with banana nut bread and hot chocolate and causing chaos. Small model planes with sonically inhanced engines tended to do that. Tony was very impressed. Jackie had to repress the urge to send her future son-in-law back down the path early.
When the weather became too chilly as the sun went down, the Doctor and Tony played several rounds of Mario Kart in their family room. He began to wonder what a surprise Rose had in store for him. It had been over four hours since she had sent him away.
“So, I think maybe I’ll call Rose and see how she's progressing on whatever it is she's doing,”. He tried to sound casual as he cut another slice of bread off the loaf.
Jackie eyed him. “No, you won't. She'll call you when she's done.”
The Doctor lasted all of a few seconds then blurted, “So, what is it?
“You think I'm gonna tell you, you plum? Not gettin’ any information out of me!”
Knowing that most of Rose’s stubbornness came from the Prentice side of the family, the Doctor was fully aware Jackie wouldn't crack. That only left one other avenue for information. He'd resisted grilling Tony, but it was getting late.
“And don't bother askin’ Tony. I didn't tell him. He's too little to keep a secret. He just thinks you're here for a play date. Now, maybe you could go up on the pool house roof and get his fighter plane down before he remembers and starts howlin’ about it. And you're payin’ for that crack in the upstairs guest room window.”
The Doctor pressed his lips together at Jackie’s speech. Then he ate his bread and went out to get the plane off the pool house roof.
He couldn't see their cottage from that vantage point, unfortunately. He did see smoke rising from their fire pit and was slightly disgruntled that she was having a bonfire without him.
*****
The long-awaited call came an hour into The Lion King. Tony was upset that the Doctor would miss their usual duet of “Hakuna Matata,” but the Doctor reminded him that they could watch it together another time.
The path to their cottage was dimly Let by golden sunset shadows through the trees. He hurried, barely noticing the beauty surrounding him.
He was stopped short by the sight awaiting him at the front door. In the fading light he saw Rose, standing in front of the door, smiling coyly. She held a lit lantern in her hand. She'd changed into another jumper, tan and long. Her leggings were different as well, dark purples and blues swirled together, and she'd replaced her boots with chucks decorated with planets and stars. She'd changed her hair as well, fashioning it into two buns high on her head. In the porch light her hair seemed to shimmer silver and purple. As he approached her he realized that her eye makeup also glittered a deep blue.
“Hello,” she smiled.
“Hello,” he answered in kind. “You're gorgeous. Not that you aren't always, but…..wow.” He approached her, and she carefully set down the lantern, opening her arms to him. His eyes darted to her dark lipstick. “Bit afraid to kiss you and ruin that makeup.”
“It’s meant to be kissed,” she told him, so he did. It began gently but she deepened the kiss, running her fingers through his hair. He groaned and she smiled against his lips. The kiss ebbed away and they stood embracing, his forehead against hers.
“What have you been up to today, Rose Tyler? Why the glitter and makeup….not that I'm complaining, mind you. Can't help but be curious after my exile to Jackie’s.”
Rose chuckled. “ Well, durin’ your exile, I've been busy. Been noticin’ that you're a little restless lately.”
“S’ that obvious, huh? TARDIS is in a bit of a lull right now.” He looked down, skimming his fingers over the sleeves of her jumper. “Sorry.”
She kissed him lightly. “You've nothin’ to be sorry for.”
“I've been a right prat lately, though.”
Rose smirked. “Sorta. But I get it. You miss it. You miss the travelin’ and the nebulas and hoppin’ from planet to planet. And so….”. She turned the doorknob. “I can't take you out into the vortex. But I can give you something to tide you over until we can again.” The door swung open and they stepped inside. She led him through their darkened living room to the garden behind their house.
Rose had been busy. The patio was bathed in candlelight from at least a dozen black, purple and silver candles. A few pumpkins were placed near the fire pit. He'd seen them in the back of the car, plain white. Now they were painted in swirls of silver, purple, deep blue,and black. “This is brilliant, Rose. You've made this vortex.”
The pergola set up around their swing was lit with purple and blue fairy lights. She'd placed their telescope in the middle of the yard, with a black and purple plaid blanket. “I have a star chart of some of what is visible tonight painted on that one.” She indicated a pumpkin placed by the telescope. She led him over to the blanket, which was close enough to the fire pit for them to benefit from the heat. The Doctor sat down and pulled her with him.
“This is beautiful, Rose,” he murmured.
“Oh, there's more,” she promised.
She opened a small picnic basket, pulling out wine, two glasses and a plate with fairy cakes decorated in swirls of purple and blue. “Are those edible ball bearings I see?” the Doctor chuckled. They were indeed dotted upon the swirls of frosting like little silver stars.
“Take a bite,” she encouraged.
He did, and his eyes widened in surprise. “Banana. How did I get so lucky today? Your
Mum bakes me banana bread and now you present me with banana fairy cakes. With ball bearings.” He frowned. “I suppose being a right misery has benefits…..I'm so sorry, Rose. It's been tough. Imagine how insufferable I'd be if we hadn't accelerated the TARDIS’ growth.”
“I've already said you've nothing at all to be sorry for, Doctor. I understand. I'm ready to fly. I wish..I wish you didn't have to wait. I wish you were happy and that I could help you more.”
He grasped her hand, kissing her knuckles. “Rose, I am happy. You helped me save the TARDIS’ life when she nearly died. You're there for me every day any time I need help. You encourage me and keep me focused. Rose Tyler, I could not do this without you. I love you, and I don't want you to think you're not enough, or our life together here isn't enough. It is. I miss the traveling but I know we’ll be at it soon enough. You're my universe, Rose.” His voice was quite wobbly by the end of his speech. He barely had time to set his fairy cake on a plate before she was in his lap, hugging him tightly.
“And you are mine,” she murmured in his ear. “You are enough. And our life is enough. When we can fly through space and time again, it’ll be like the frosting on these fairy cakes.” She pulled back to look him in the eye. He grinned, picking up her fairy cakes and offering her a bite. She gave a tongue touched grin and took a bite. He leaned in and brushed his lips against hers, his tongue darting out to taste her.
“You’ve a bit of banana frosting just right here……” He whispered, then he kissed her deeply. Rose’s fingers slipped into his hair, nails scratching his scalp. He couldn’t help the soft moan that escaped.
After a bit Rose pulled away, and even as he chased her lips with his she chuckled and reminded him, “Don’t you want to see the stars?”
The Doctor smirked and replied, “I’m hopin’ to see some stars eventually, yeah.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her.
Rose laughed, smacking his arm. “And you will be seein’ plenty of stars later, I’m sure of it. But we have some travel plannin’ to do!” She indicated the telescope.
The Doctor considered himself quite lucky to be blessed with yet another tongue-touched smile from his love. Those had been in all-too short supply lately. She started to move off his lap but he stopped her and kissed her soundly. “Thank you for tonight. This was just what I needed. I love you.”
“We both needed a break. I cleared a few days off with Dad for both of us. If you want we can take a little trip.”
The Doctor grinned broadly. “Brilliant! But you know what? Maybe we could do a couple of day trips into the city….or something like that. I really fancy waking up next to you in our own bed upstairs, sleeping as late as we want...or whatever else we want to do...and spending some time here. It occurs to me that it’s what I really need. Just some alone time with you.”
“Really?” Rose asked, her eyebrow arched in disbelief. “You’re not gonna go barmy stayin’ ‘round here with me for three full days.”
He shrugged. “Well, maybe. That’s why we’re taking the day trips. And if we hang up a do not disturb sign for your mum we’ll be sure to have some time alone.”
“She entertained you all day and fed you banana bread.”
“I thanked her. Anyway, we could be proper tourists for a change. We’ve gone looking at this universe’s Henrik’s and the Powell Estate...we’ve visited our ‘greatest adventure hits’ so to speak. But we haven’t looked at the foliage in Hyde Park. We haven’t had pasties in a corner cafe. I haven’t snogged you at the top of the London Eye.”
“That is scandalous,” Rose laughed.
“How negligent of me. Well, you’re gonna get snogged, so just get your lips ready, Rose Tyler.”
“Oh, you know they’re always ready, Doctor.” To prove it, she snogged him thoroughly. He whined a bit when she finally got up and moved over to the telescope. “Let’s look at the stars, Doctor. There’s a hell of a universe out there, and we have to be ready for it!” The Doctor beamed.
“What'll we do up there, Rose? What do you think?”
“Oh...fly about. Get into trouble. Help people. Run. The usual.” He laughed and scooted over to the telescope.
“Which way do you wanna go?” he asked, raising an eyebrow mischievously. “That way?” He pointed. She took his arm and shifted the position.
“Nah. That way, I think.”
He kissed her shoulder. “That's brilliant. We'll go that way.”
“Could be fantastic,” she quipped, smiling.
“Oh, it will definitely be fantastic, Rose Tyler. You, me and the TARDIS. Just as it should be.”
After stargazing they checked their baby TARDIS, which had suddenly grown five centimeters and was now projecting a very immature but distinct song they both could sense. The Doctor had swung Rose around in joy.
Then they retired to their room and saw the stars they’d promised each other. After love, they snuggled together, falling easily into a sleep full of dreams of travels in space. And all through their sleep they heard the song of their TARDIS.