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The weather outside was indeed becoming frightful. It was becoming clear that the meteorologists has really underestimated the winter weather about to engulf London. Chiswick, in particular, seemed to be ground zero for the Christmas Eve storm getting ready to blow in.
Sylvia Noble was feeling rather triumphant. What had started out a Christmas Eve dinner and gift exchange had turns into a full fledged slumber party upon her insistence. Jackie was staying, even though she lived in the garage flat formerly occupied by Doctor James Noble. Donna and her husband Lee were spending the night, as well, since Donna was hugely pregnant with fraternal twins. Of course, Wilfred was always there.
Rounding out the guest list were the Doctor and Rose, who had planned on a lovely private evening after they went home from Sylvia's. However, the Doctor had realized that that his ancient blue convertible was just not going to get them home safely. In a fit of Christmas spirit Sylvia let him park his TARDIS in the garage. "Is your baby warm?" Rose asked, grinning, tongue poking out cheekily. The Doctor was just returning from moving the TARDIS.
"Oh, have a laugh. She freezes up and we're back to public transport," he said said, hanging his long coat on a peg by the garage door.
"Public transport worked out pretty well for us before," Rose pointed out, kissing him.
"That it did," the Doctor grinned, capturing her lips in a longer kiss. "Wanna check the bus schedules so we can get home? I hadn't really planned to do a sleepover tonight."
"What's it like out there? I don't want to be out on the road in a bus or any vehicle. Look, love, we'll be home tomorrow and all day Boxing Day....." She quirked an eyebrow suggestively.
The Doctor beamed. "Pajamas optional."
Naturally, Donna waddled into the kitchen at that precise moment. "Oi! Not here, Spaceman. Don't need that picture in my mind. Glad you two are all lovey-dovey but I don't need to know what you get up to." She started rummaging through the leftovers.
The Doctor snorted laughter. "Yeah, wouldn't want to offend your virgin ears, seeing as how you are all innocent to that sort of thing," he said said, gesturing to her large baby bump. Rose burst out laughing. Donna pulled a face and stuck her tongue out at him. The Doctor retorted, "And you, Donna Noble McAvoy, are you or are you not supposed to have your bum in a chair and your feet up?"
"My bum gets tired! This modified bed rest thing is drivin' me barmy. I know I need to enjoy it because I won't be sittin' when Joshua and Ella actually get here but bloody hell am I tired of doin' nothin! I miss the bookstore. Bless you and Amy for takin' on all my work. I don't know what I'd do without the lot of you."
"You know we always have your back. What does your OB say?" Rose asked, reaching up to get Donna a glass so she wouldn't have to.
"She thinks we can go to 15th January. Fingers crossed. Although with my luck, huge snowstorm....you may be delivering twins, Dr. Noble."
The Doctor's eyes widened at the thought. Rose thought that perhaps he'd gone another shade paler. "Not that kind of doctor," he muttered. Donna eyed Rose, chuckling.
"I think I'll just randomly announce I'm having contractions all evening just to watch his face," Donna chucked and left them alone in the kitchen. The Doctor rolled his eyes.
Rose was still giggling. "She's like the boy who cried wolf, y'know. She keeps that up we'll never believe her when she does go into labor."
They followed Donna to the living room. Lee immediately hopped up to help Donna into the big easy chair. The Doctor noted how attentive Lee was, and recalled how well he had coped with all the ups and downs of Donna's difficult pregnancy.
They had announced it shortly after the Doctor's and Rose's wedding, and it wasn't long before the first shock came- two hearts. Twins, and no history of them in either family. Things had progressed well until about twenty weeks, and the Doctor still remembered Rose's frantic phone call as she waited for the ambulance to come for Donna at the bookstore. It had been a very close call, and the entire family felt like it was holding its collective breath for a week, but the babies were safe. Donna had gone on bed rest and Rose and Amy had taken on managerial jobs at the store.
Not for the first time, the Doctor wondered how they'd react in the same situation. He'd been terrified for Donna but Lee had taken it in stride, being the calm partner she needed. The Doctor had been a nervous wreck. He could easily imagine himself in that situation with Rose. That situation, and a million other disasters that could happen with him as a parent.
As he settled in next to Rose on the couch Wilf was telling a story of a Christmas in which he and other soldiers helped German war orphans. The Doctor appeared to be listening, but he was a million miles away.
The snow was coming down in earnest by the time Wilf was distributing the eggnog (and a hot cup of cocoa for Donna). The Doctor stood by the large window, watching silent snowfall blanket the back garden. He wondered if they would be able to get home the next morning. Jackie was talking to Sylvia and the words "Rose" and "pregnant" shook him out of his reverie.
"Oh, Mum, you're just bitter that Sylvia gets to be a gran first," Rose was laughing. "Thought you didn't want to be a young gran."
"I'm just saying. Sylvia's going to be one soon...and I'm betting Francene Jones will be a gran before me. That's all."
"Mickey and Martha won't get married for another six months! And how do you know Francene anyway?"
Rose asked incredulously.
"I do her hair and Sylvia knew her anyway. It's a small world," Jackie explained. "And are you saying you'll have some progress on that front within the next six months?"
"No, Mum! Really, that's our business. And when the time comes, you'll know. I don't get why people think they can just flat out ask us when we're gonna get pregnant! Some of the regulars at the store do that and it drives me nuts!" Rose exclaimed in a huff. Rose glanced at the Doctor, who appeared to be trying to look anywhere but at them. She pictured parenthood as something far off in the future, especially since her husband looked like he wanted to avoid the question at all costs.
Jackie patted Rose's leg and said, "It's because we all know the pair of you will make fantastic parents. We just wish you hurry up and do it!"
The Doctor thought about asking what evidence Jackie had of that. He was sure Rose would be fine. Himself, not so much. He decided to insert himself into the conversation by changing the subject. "Jackie...did you mention you have jimjams for tonight?"
"Oh....yeah, upstairs in the flat. Howard left a couple of pairs. One might fit Lee, too if he wants them. Rose can borrow mine."
"Mum, the pair of you broke up like what, four weeks ago, and you still have the jimjams? Two pairs?" Rose shook her head with a laugh.
The Doctor's face fell as he remembered something. "You did check the pockets for fruit he left behind, right?"
Jackie had to think a for a minute, which did nothing to reassure the Doctor. "Oh, yes, yes I did," she finally decided.
"Y'know...I think I'm good," Lee piped up. Donna nearly spat cocoa out laughing.
****
After pajama and bed assignments were arranged, it became clear to the men that the women would be occupied watching "Love Actually" for a while. Wilf produced a deck of cards and proceeded to teach Lee and the Doctor a card game he played in the Army.
As time passed the conversation supplanted the game. "Jamie, you look like you have something on your mind," Wilf said, dealing another hand. The Doctor shrugged. Wilf smiled. "All that baby talk."
Once again, and the Doctor didn't know how, Wilf had cut right to the heart of the matter. He picked up his cards and nodded.
"Sylvia started on us the day we got back from our honeymoon," Lee said with a smirk.
"Rose is right, y'know. Don't know why on earth people nag other people about somethin' so personal. It'll happen when it happens," Wilfred reasoned.
"We've talked about it, of course. Amorphous plans, mind you.......Jackie didn't bother me, that's just her bein' Rose's mum."
"Not quite ready yet, then?" Wilf asked. He looked at his own cards and winced.
The Doctor laid his cards on the table again. "I....well...no. No, I don't know if I am. I mean, I know Rose will be great. How can she not be with Jackie as her example? Jackie might drive me insane sometimes, but she raised Rose alone, and she brought her up right."
Wilf smiled. "That she did. Rose will be fine, for the record I think you will be, too. You got a fine heart and you love Rose with all of it. Any children you have will be lucky to have parents as in love as the pair of you are. When the time is right, you'll be fantastic."
The Doctor smiled. "I'll be terrified."
"Yeah," Lee agreed.
"Sure you will," Wilf added. The Doctor couldn't help but chuckle at their calm demeanor.
"So I'll be terrified, but I'm gonna love it," the Doctor smirked.
"Basically," Lee said.
"And you'll manage just fine," Wilf added.
The Doctor shrugged and picked his cards back up, wincing at his own hand.
****
The movie was over, and Wilf schooled all the men, winning nearly every hand. Donna was knackered so she and Lee retired to Donna's childhood bedroom. Jackie took the guest room, which left the Doctor and Rose with the sofa bed. They could see the snow falling, soft and heavy from the large living room window. They hadn't changed into their borrowed pajamas yet, and Rose wasn't sure if she'd stay awake long enough to change clothes. She sank heavily onto the sofa bed and sighed. "'S gorgeous out there."
"That it is. Are you disappointed that things didn't go quite according to plans for Christmas morning?" The Doctor joined her in the end of the bed. She snuggled into his side, putting her head on his shoulder.
"How can I be disappointed when I still get to wake up with you? We'll have our private time, after we get home. And the snow will be just the excuse we need to beg off from any other social engagements." She smiled, tongue poking out cheekily. "I have plans for you, my dear."
He raised his eyebrow and smirked. "Pajama optional Christmas morning," he said, nodding knowingly.
Rose shrugged, "Maybe." Then she giggled and looked so breathtakingly lovely that the Doctor couldn't bear to not be kissing her. So he did, slowly and throughly snogging her until they both needed air. When they finally broke apart he nuzzled her nose with his and they both chuckled.
"I'd love to elaborate on this but not in Aunt Sylvia's living room," he murmured.
"We've all day when we finally do get to our house." They snuggled against each other, watching the snow again. She giggled. "Did I ever tell you about the big snow we had when I was eight? That's the last time I can remember being this heavy. It started snowing in the middle of the night and Mum woke me up to see it. We threw on warm clothes and played in the snow at half three in the morning!" The memory made her beam happily.
The Doctor mirrored her smile. "Aw, that's lovely!"
"My mum and I didn't have much, but she made life fun. That's one of my favorite childhood memories. We were probably temptin' fate being out in the estate commons that early in the morning, but we we weren't bothered at all."
The Doctor's smile widened as "Hey, Rose....." He raised his eyebrow with a smirk.
"What?" Rose asked with a grin, although she thought she knew what he had in mind. The Doctor hopped up from the sofa bed and dashed to the kitchen. He poked his head around the wall.
"Allons-y, Rose Tyler Noble!" He ducked back into the kitchen, then he bounced back out happily. "That's French for "let's go!" He tossed her her parka. She caught it with a smile and a chuckle. He had already slipped his parka on and was impatiently wiggling the fingers on his right hand.
"You're a nutter."
"Your very own Christmas fruitcake!" he confirmed cheerily.
******
When the first gust of wind blew powdery snow and stung the Doctor's cheeks he had the fleeting thought that maybe this idea was not the most well thought out one he'd ever had.
But Rose was still smiling, already pink cheeked and exhilarated. He reckoned as long as this adventure didn't end in frostbite they'd be fine.
Rose turned her face to the sky, sticking out her tongue to catch snowflakes. The Doctor laughed, delighted. "Do Christmas snowflakes taste better than your run of the mill winter snowflakes?"
"Well, try it yourself! It's a gourmet delicacy!" She laughed as he did. She ran out to the middle of the yard and spun around, arms out. "Mum and I spun around till we were dizzy. We had the best time."
In that moment, in his mind's eye, he could see Jackie and a little Rose, spinning and laughing in the snow. And it was so easy to imagine an adult Rose and a small child...maybe a girl, he didn't know. But all he could think of was how much he wanted to see her as a mother. He ached with wanting it, which surprised him.
Rose noticed him looking at her. His expression was unreadable. "Something wrong, love?" Rose asked, trudging through the powdery snow to stand by the Doctor's side. He caressed her cold cheek with a gloved hand.
"I could just imagine you and our own child spinning in the snow," he murmured. He broke into a huge grin.
"Yeah?" Rose said, trying to sound neutral. She wanted to see where he was going with this. She had seen his reaction to Jackie's questioning.
"Have you been thinking...."
"Yeah....hard not to with all the baby talk going on."
"I'm sorry Mum keeps harping on us, Doctor. I know that...that's not exactly on our radar at the moment," Rose sighed.
"What if....it could be on the radar? What would you think of that?" the Doctor said hesitantly.
Rose stared at him. "I.... I'd rather like it," she said, the certainty in her own voice surprising her. "But...what about travelin'? You had all these grand plans."
"I hope that we'll be fortunate enough to do all the traveling we want. But if there's one thing I've learned, it's so much better with two. It could be even better with three. Or more."
"Or more? We'll discuss after we see how the one comes along." He chuckled. "If we have a handful like you, it could be too much for me." She gave him his favorite grin, the one with tongue.
"Oi, that's cheeky," he said with mock indignation.
She linked her hands behind his neck, pulling him close to her, looking him in the eyes. "I'm ready whenever you are. I think you will be a wonderful dad, love. I picture it in my own mind a lot."
"You've never said."
"I never thought you were ready to hear it."
He rested his forehead against hers. "I'm scared. I don't know what kind of dad I'll be. My own was a good man, but he was hands-off, and gone a lot. I don't want to do that to my child, or you for that matter. Fatherhood just wasn't his thing. He showed me a lot of wonderful places....but he and I weren't what you'd call close at all."
"And I know for a fact that maybe you didn't have the best example in your own dad...but you had Wilfred growing up, right? Not even your dad or your grandpa, but yet there he has always been. And I think being around him has shown you the dad you want to be. Am I right?"
The Doctor thought of how Wilf's solid presence in his life had affected him. Always there, always steadfastly loyal. He nodded, smiling, but he felt a tightness in his throat. "I'd be proud to be half the dad...half the man he is."
"There you go, then. Don't ever be worried about the kind of dad you'll be, because I believe in you, and you'll be fantastic. Whenever you're ready, I'll be ready too. It doesn't have to be right away. But I can't wait to see you as a father." She embraced him tightly. When she pulled back, his eyes were wet. She wiped the tears with her mitten clad thumb, chuckling. "Your tears will freeze to your face, Doctor."
He laughed. "Point taken. I never used to be this soppy, until I met you."
"Glad to see I bring out the best in ya."
They laughed harder. "I think we shall revisit this topic after the holidays?" the Doctor suggested.
"I agree. And I believe we should practice a lot, so when it's time to make the little one, we know what we're doing."
"Absolutely. Their giddy laughter rang out in the snow silent night air. They were broken out of their reverie by the sound of the back door opening.
"What the hell are the pair of you up to?" Jackie's voice called across the yard.
"I was reenacting our big snowstorm adventure when I was eight, Mum. The one that you yourself decided we couldn't bear to stay inside and watch at half three, remember that?" Rose called back, laughing.
Jackie thought for moment then smiled fondly. "Well....hope you have the sense to come in when you're freezin'," she yelled back. She shook her head, and went inside. She watched them snogging for a few seconds then made her way up to bed, thinking of the good fortune that brought those two together. Even if the Doctor wasn't half daft, she knew her daughter had found her soulmate, and she was glad.
*****
Eventually, the Doctor and Rose made it back inside, shivering and pink cheeked. They put on warm pajamas and curled up close to each other, warming up. They were awakened far too early by people who had no idea of how little sleep they'd gotten. By noon they hitched a ride home in Lee's SUV, leaving the TARDIS safe and warm in Sylvia's garage (much to her consternation.)
Before they left, however, the Doctor made sure to draw Wilfred into a warm hug. "Thank you," the Doctor said, squeezing him tight.
"Well, what for?" Wilf asked.
"For everything," the Doctor said. Wilfred looked confused still, but found himself not minding the thank you kiss on the cheek from Rose at all.
Rose and the Doctor privately decided that whenever they did have a child, Wilfred was their first choice for godfather.
****
Rose and the Doctor finally enjoyed their pajamas optional day together. By the time they went back to get the TARDIS two days later the roads had cleared from the historical snowstorm.
Which was a good thing, since Lee and Donna raced to the hospital on New Year's Eve. Ella Leigh McAvoy came into the world at 11:59, and Joshua Geoffrey McAvoy made his debut five minutes later. The Doctor called the New Year's Eve and New Year's Day births "timey-wimey" and joked about how Ella would always get to say she was born a year before her twin as he cradled Ella and Rose snuggled with Joshua in Donna's hospital room.
Rose didn't really listen, though. She was too preoccupied with the warm bundle snuggling in her arms and the the way her husband looked, so peaceful, rocking the tiny child in his own.