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Time seemed to be moving in slow motion. The Doctor and Rose were dodging bullets and crouching low behind debris. One second they were running for their lives and the next, the Doctor was grabbing Rose and pulling her inside the TARDIS. The door closed with a thud that echoed through the control room as the Doctor shoved his jacket from his shoulders and placed it on the railing. He tugged on his tie, loosening its too tight grip around his neck, and advanced toward the console. He could hear Rose breathing heavily behind him, and as much as he wanted to comfort her, he had more pressing matters to attend to, like getting them the hell out of there. He popped his knuckles quickly, shook out his arms, and then reached forward. All it took was the push of a button and the pull of a lever before they were swinging through the Time Vortex.
Only when he was sure that they were moving to somewhere far, far away did he turn his attention to Rose. When he looked, she was crouched near the double doors, head pressed against her knees and arms wrapped around her legs. She was still trying to catch her breath - at least he thought so until he moved closer and realized that she was crying, cheeks wet with the tears that were slipping from her clenched eyes.
“Rose?” He said softly, taking a step closer. “Rose, are you alright?”
He waited for a response but all he got was a sniffle and what sounded like a muffled sob. His heart ached at the sound, and like there was some sort of magnetism between then, he was drawn forward. His long arms surrounded her and pulled her against his chest. He expected to have to fight her, his strong little companion, but she didn't. And that was how he knew that something was definitely not okay. She buried her face against his shoulder, nose rubbing against his collar bone as she gasped for breath. Her nails were digging into his back through her shirt where her fingers were tangled in the soft material. He pressed his mouth against her hair, blonde strands sticking to his lips when he pulled away.
“Doctor, please,” Rose sobbed, hands gripping tighter to him as if she was trying to meld their bodies into one entity. “Please don't let me go.”
“I'm not going anywhere,” the Doctor soothed her in a promising tone as he rubbed his hands up and down her arms in an attempt to warm her chilled skin. “I'm not going to let you go.”
The Doctor wasn't exactly sure how long exactly he and Rose stayed on the floor of the control room, him holding her as tightly as possible and helping her work through what he was pretty sure was a panic attack. They were in the Vortex so actual seconds and minutes were irrelevant. His discomfort was not. The cold metal was pressing into his hip bone from an awkward angle, and his spine was starting to ache where the railing was pressing against it.
“Do you want me to take you to your room?” He asked Rose gently. He used his hands to lift her from his chest so that he could trace her face with his eyes. “It'll be a bit more comfortable than this old metal flooring.”
Despite how she was obviously feeling, Rose smiled at him, only slightly, and nodded. She let him help her up and when he started to walk, she grabbed his hand up in hers, threaded her fingers through his and leaned into him. The light in the hallway was brighter than in the control room and as they crossed the threshold into the room that Rose had claimed as hers, the Doctor finally noticed a trickle of blood down her forehead. He hadn't seen it before, most likely due to the light and the angle that he'd been looking at her from, but now he couldn't take his eyes away from the angry red gash on her pale skin.
Instead of leading her to her room, the Doctor took a detour to the small bathroom located just down the hall. Rose didn't protest a bit as he gently pushed her to sit on the closed toilet. She only looked on as he began to root around in the cabinets for the first aid kit. He made a pleased noise when his fingers closed around it, pulling the small white box from beneath a stack of body towels. When he turned back to her with a triumphant smile, she was frowning up at him, strands of her yellow hair sticking to the skin of her face and making her wide eyes look all the more vulnerable.
“Just gonna clean you up a bit, yeah?” the Doctor asked, forcing himself to continue smiling even though his heart was aching. He tore his eyes away from Rose's tense form and began to tear the plastic wrap from the unopened kit. Once he had it open, he removed bandages and alcohol wipes. “Might sting a bit, if I'm being honest. Alcohol and all that. Sorry there isn't anything more gentle.”
The Doctor tried not to frown when Rose smiled at him, a tiny and pathetic sort of smile that didn't reach her big brown eyes, but it was definitely proving to be a difficult feat. He ducked his head and continued ripping the small packages open until he had a sufficient amount to use on her. He cupped her chin in his hand and tilted her head up. Rose let her eyes fall closed, lashes fluttering against her flushed cheeks. She winced as he cleaned the cut, sucking in pained breaths but otherwise remaining still and quiet as he worked on her.
While he was putting the bandage on, she opened her eyes to peer up at him. He didn't notice at first, busy making sure the entire cut was covered but when he did, both of his hearts leaped in his chest, one after the other.
“Doctor,” Rose said, the word leaving her pretty red lips in a soft tone.
“Yes, Rose?” He asked, eyes flicking up to her eyes and back down to her lips.
This time the Doctor was convinced that time was moving slower. His head was tilting downward, lips parting as his eyes met Rose's. She was definitely leaning in, body arching toward his waiting warmth. And finally, their lips were touching. It was a hesitant kiss, the first they'd ever shared. Her lips were soft as flower petals, skin burning under his wandering fingertips. He couldn't stop the contented sigh that left him as her hands rested on his chest. They carried on that way for who knows how long, carefully exploring the others mouth.
But then Rose was deepening the kiss, and the Doctor's breath was hitching in his throat. Her hands were fisted, shirt tightly grasped in them, and he was helping her into a standing position. With their bodies pressed flush together, the slide of their lips grew heated. She began to plead, lips pushing the word 'please' against his between every breath, and even though he didn't know what it was exactly that she wanted, the Doctor knew what it was that he needed. Without pulling away from the kiss, he lifted her until she wrapped her legs around his waist. She made a surprised sound as he turned and walked them both out of the bathroom. He pushed her door open with his foot, not bothering with the light switch or even closing the door back.
The room was dark and quiet, save for the sounds they were making together. The Doctor found himself wondering if this would have happened if they hadn't nearly died tonight or if maybe it was just been a long time coming, building between them like a solid entity that became too big to ignore. Either way, he doesn't let the thought stop him. He peeled Rose's clothes from her body as gently as possible; let her do the same to him. Afterward, as he held her in his arms, he made himself ignore the feeling that was forming in the pit of his stomach. This was just a one time thing.
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A week passed and then another. Rose had expected things to be different but nothing changed. She was in a constant state of wanting, of needing, but the Doctor wasn't picking up on any of the hints she was dropping – whether or not he was doing it on purpose, she didn't know. An entire week they could have spent being together – she couldn't stop thinking about all of the late night kisses and lazy mornings curled up in bed that they were missing out on because of the Doctor's stubbornness.
Rose was pretty sure it was a Tuesday. Sometimes days just blurred together when she was traveling with the Doctor. She woke up with a pounding headache and groaned into her pillow. The fabric was too hot from where she'd been laying on it through the night so she shoved it away and rested her forehead against the cool sheets beneath it. It helped but not much. The longer she lay there, though, the worse it became. Just as she was pushing herself up from the bed, a wave of nausea hit her and she nearly emptied the contents of her stomach right there on her bedroom floor. Rose rushed out of her room, nearly barreling into the Doctor in the hallway between it and the bathroom.
“Rose? Rose, what's the matter?” He asked worriedly as he came into the bathroom behind her. Rose was hunched over the toilet, hands holding her sleep tangled hair away from her face as she threw up. Stomach acid burned her throat and tears prickled at the corners of her eyes. “Are you sick?”
His question reverberated in her mind, bouncing over and over and over as she wiped at her wet mouth with the back of her hand. She accepted the damp wash rag he pressed into her hand but couldn't bring herself to look at up at him. Not when things were coming together in her brain, like locks clicking into place, as she thought back to that night a little over two weeks ago. They had been running for their lives, chased by a group of rogue humans and aliens that she couldn't remember the name of, and all she had been able to think about was him dying or herself dying and the other having to be alone. And she'd wanted him more in that moment than any other time before. She hadn't thought of using protection or anything else, really – all that had mattered was being with him.
“Doctor, do your reproductive parts work the same as a human male's?” Rose found herself asking, voice sounding distant to her own ears, as she finally looked at him.
“That's uh – that's a strange question. I don't – I mean, I'm pretty sure that they do,” the Doctor stumbled over his answer, hand scrubbing at the back of his neck. “Why do you ask? What has that got to do with you being si-?”
Rose could pinpoint the exact moment that realization hit him from the way his eyes widened and his nose scrunched up in what she could only describe as disbelief. She would have found the expression highly amusing under different circumstances.
“You're pregnant,” the Doctor said, eyes going from her stomach to her face and then back to her stomach.
“Sounds about right, yeah,” Rose returned and how did she manage to sound so calm? She felt anything but. Her insides were turning and twisting, her heart was pounding painfully against its bone cage and she felt like throwing up again.
“By...me? You're pregnant by me?”
Rose was surprised to find that a smile was stretching the Doctor's face, his cheeks flushed and his eyes crinkled around the corners. Apparently, it was a contagious sort of smile because suddenly she couldn't stop smiling either. She felt disgusting and desperately wanted to get up from the bathroom floor to shower and possibly spend the rest of the day in bed but there she was – still slumped on the floor and smiling up at a mad man.
“Well yeah. Who else would it be?” The way she said it added a 'but you' on the end and she hoped that he could hear it, hoped he understood what she meant by it without her actually having to come out and say it.
After that, things were definitely different. Some nights the Doctor would join Rose in her room, arm curled carefully around her waist as he slept. She pushed his hair away from his forehead, curled her fingers against his scalp and fell asleep just like that, every single night. The headaches were the worst part, even above the nausea. She would wake up alone in the earliest part of the morning with sweat pooling at the base of her neck and a pounding in her skull. This particular morning wasn't any different. When she finally managed to make her way to the control room with a mug of steaming tea and half a bagel, it had receded a little bit but not enough. She leaned against the rail, nibbling at the warm bread as she watched the Doctor flit around. He turned a knob and pulled a lever, pushed a button and tugged on a handle; he repeated the motion before turning his attention to her just as she was popping the last bite of her bagel into her mouth.
“I thought we could visit your mum,” he said with a hopeful sort of smile.
“Yeah?” She returned the smile before taking a sip of her tea, letting the warm liquid slide down her throat before she continued. “Are you saying that you want to tell her?”
When his eyes flicked down to her abdomen, she realized that she had rested her hand on her stomach. It sent a rush of warmth through her entire body as she took in the ridiculously pleased look on his face. Hadn't he told her before that he'd had children before the war?
“If you're up to it,” the Doctor answered, looking back to the control panel. He started to fiddle with some of the settings. “Thought it might also be a good idea to visit a human doctor. Not saying that I couldn't take care of you myself but, well, Jackie.”
“Good ol' Mum,” Rose said, grinning at him over the rim of her mug.
They stood in companionable silence for a while after that, until Rose finished her breakfast and wandered off to get herself ready. She heard the TARDIS land while she was still in the shower. She hadn't expected to hear the grinding noise over the flow of water; nearly jumping out of her skin and then grinning while she put one hand over her heart and the other on her belly.
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“Whaddya mean you're pregnant?” Jackie cried, the mug of tea she'd been holding nearly sliding from her hands – the Doctor grabbed it from her before it could and she narrowed her eyes at him. “By who exactly?”
“Who do you think, Mum?” Rose said with a sigh. She cradled her own cup of tea against her chest, breathing deeply until her nostrils were full of the sweet, leafy smell of the brand Jackie always bought. “If I had known you would act like you weren't happy for me, for us, I wouldn't have told you.”
“You wouldn't have told me?!” Jackie's voice went an octave higher as she gaped at her daughter, shoulders a tense line.
“I don't think Rose meant that,” the Doctor interrupted then, shaking his head.
“I don't bloody care what you think, mate,” She pointed a shaky finger, complete with a manicured finger, at him as she spoke. “You impregnated my daughter while the two of you were off doing who knows what in bloody space!”
“Mum!” Rose chastised, putting her mug down on the table as she stood up. “You know how I feel about him; you've always known.”
Jackie didn't say anything more, choosing instead to continue on glaring at the Doctor. He shuffled his feet awkwardly against the linoleum, hands clasped together behind his back as he looked at the cabinets, the ground, anywhere that wasn't Jackie and Rose. Rose felt an ache in her heart then, remembering that they hadn't even talked about things like feelings yet. Actually, they hadn't talked about anything. Why hadn't the two of them sat down and had a discussion about what they were going to do yet? Where we they going to have and raise the baby? Did Rose really want to keep it, bring into the life that they lead together?
“Maybe I should give you two some privacy,” the Doctor finally said, breaking the silence that had fallen heavy in the kitchen. “I'll be back in a bit.”
When he was gone, the tension visibly left Jackie's body. She grabbed her cup from where he'd set it on the counter and took a huge gulp of the now lukewarm tea. She winced as it slid down her throat. “I think I'm gonna need something stronger.”
A cup of whiskey and an episode of some awful talk show that had been on the telly when they migrated to the living room later, Jackie had Rose tucked against her side on the couch. Rose's feet were up, legs curled until they were against her chest, and her head rested heavily on her mum's shoulder. A hand gently brushed through her tangled blonde hair, pulling it back away from her face. They were silent, lost in their own thoughts, for quite some time.
Finally, Jackie spoke. “Have you considered abortion?”
She hadn't, actually. The mere mention of it had her stomach twisting into a knot, tears wetting her long lashes as she shook her head. “Absolutely not,” Rose whispered, voice cracking slightly.
“Why not?” Her mum asked in a curious tone.
“Did you consider abortion when you found out you were pregnant with me?” Rose inquired gently, head tilting back so she could get a proper look at her mum. Rose didn't even know where to begin to describe the look on Jackie's face – she looked completely guilt stricken. “Mum?”
“I didn't. Not even once. But my mum tried to talk me into it,” Jackie said softly. “She tried so hard but I already loved you so much. Because you were Pete's and you were mine.”
“Exactly,” Rose nodded before tucking her head against her mum's shoulder, nose enough to her hair that she could smell the citrus shampoo that Jackie used. “Exactly.”
When the Doctor returned to Jackie's small flat, Rose was asleep, curled up on the end of the couch with a blanket tucked up under her chin and Jackie was in the kitchen, long fingers curled around a mug. There was another mug sitting in front of the empty spot across from her, steam still rising from the honey coloured liquid. He silently closed the door behind him and slid into the seat. He wrapped his hands around the white ceramic handle, bringing it up to his mouth to take a sip.
“You better take care of my little girl, Doctor,” Jackie finally said as she considered him from across the table. “And my grandchild. Bloody hell, a grandchild already. Can you believe it? I certainly can't but either way, you take care of both of them. Because Rose? She loves you, she does. Even if I don't have the slightest idea why.”
“I know she does,” He told her, eyes dipping toward the floor and then creeping slowly up to where Rose was still sleeping. He watched her chest rise and fall for a moment before looking back to Jackie, only to find her watching him with a small smile.
“If you hurt them, I'll find you. I don't care where you are or how long it takes. I don't care if I have to build my own bloody time machine and traverse the entire universe to get my hands around your scrawny neck and wring it,” Jackie continued without falter, “I'll make sure you hurt just as much as they do.”
“I know you will,” He chuckled.
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“You're definitely pregnant,” Doctor Ondas, a short, chubby woman with her red-gray hair piled neatly on her head, announced as she reentered the room. “I'd say about a month, maybe a little less than that.” She grinned at Rose, who was sitting in a chair angled toward the Doctor. He had her hand clutched in his and seemed unable to take his eye's off the doctor's face as she spoke. “You'll need to come back in about four months to find out the sex and make sure everything's going as it should be.”
“Sounds good,” Rose agreed flashing her own toothy grin.
“Great, I'll see you guys then,” Doctor Ondas said as she ushered them out of her office.
They went back to the TARDIS afterward, silence spreading in a thick layer between them. The Doctor headed straight for the control panels while Rose waited patiently behind him. Ever since they'd left the doctor's office, she could tell that he had something he wanted to say but he was being his usual stubborn self and wouldn't just come out with it. He fiddled with the controls, studiously avoiding eye contact with her, for nearly ten minutes.
“Are you sure that you want this, Rose?” The Doctor asked softly. His jaw was tense and his body to still and he still wasn't looking at her.
“Yes,” Rose replied without hesitation. She knew it was the right thing to say when he looked at her like he hadn't expected her to say it. “You don't know, do you? I thought you did because, well – it is kind of obvious. The thing is, Doctor, you're it for me. There's no one else in the entire universe who could ever compare to you.” She hadn't realized that she'd been moving closer to him while she was speaking until the toes of her shoes were brushing against his. She tilted her head back to look straight into his eyes. “This baby is mine, alright? She's mine and she's yours and I want to keep her. I want to keep you. I want there to be an us.”
“She?” And of course, out of everything she'd just revealed to him, that was what he'd chosen to comment on.
“Don't you think it's a girl?” Rose asked, head ducking down to look at where his hand had just joined hers on her stomach. “I think it is.”
“I'm going to have a daughter,” The Doctor said voice cracking. He didn't have to add it; she heard the again tacked on at the end.
“We're going to have a daughter,” Rose nodded.
The second month passed without any complications even as they traveled. They ran for their lives on a planet inhabited by giant spider-like creatures, swam with a giant squid that could talk, visited Jackie twice more, and before they knew it, Rose was nearly three months along. When the Doctor woke up, the spot that Rose normally occupied was empty. When he placed his hand over the wrinkled sheet, he found that the bed was still warm – she had just gotten up. As he yawned, he pushed the comforter off and got out of bed. He padded barefoot down the hallway to the bathroom.
The Doctor wasn't expecting Rose to be standing in front of the mirror in the bathroom with her shirt rucked up below her breasts and her hand pressed against her stomach. He hadn't noticed before, too focused on making her comfortable when she got nauseous and her head ached, but he could see it now. Her stomach was starting to round out, pushing forward more than usual. Rose was starting to show signs of her pregnancy and the thought made a pleased sound rumble from his throat. He came up behind her and placed his hand over hers.
“Something the matter?” He asked softly, lips brushing against the nape of her neck.
“I came to take a shower,” She explained, turning her head until she could rest it comfortably against his shoulder. “I'm going to be big as the planet Earth, aren't I?”
“It won't matter – you'll still be beautiful,” The Doctor said reverently.
“You're bloody cheesy this morning, aye?” Rose grinned at their reflection. A laugh pushed itself out of her when he rolled his eyes and shook his head simultaneously. She was still laughing when she asked, “Are there any bagels left or did you eat them all?”
“There might me one left but I'm not making any promises,” The Doctor told her with a smile.
“You saved the last one for me, didn't you?” Rose guessed, pressing her pointer finger against his chest. The smile on her face then could only be described as smug. When the Doctor remained silent, choosing only to narrow his eyes at her, she began to giggle. “How romantic – saving the mother of your child the very last bagel. There will be love songs written about this moment.”
She grew quiet after that but only because the Doctor shut her up the only way he knew how – by kissing her.
Later that day day, the Doctor watched Rose closely. He watched her while they were in the grocery store, while they cooked dinner together, even as she moved around the room to get ready for bed. He couldn't stop watching her until they were curled in her bed together, her back pressed against his chest and her fingers wrapped around his. He pressed his nose against the back of her head, breathing in the sweet smell that followed her, until he could form words.
“Have you thought of any names?” He asked, his voice quiet and his breath warm. “For the baby, I mean.”
Rose was quiet for a while; so long that he was beginning to think that she had fallen asleep. But then she took a deep breath and turned slightly so that she could look at him. “I might have, yeah,” She told him and her voice was so soft, the complete opposite of her thundering heartbeat.
“Yeah? Are you gonna share then?” He whispered, poking her belly playfully.
“I was thinking Tyler if its a boy,” Rose said.
“Tyler Tyler?” The Doctor asked in confusion, his face scrunching up in a way that had Rose cackling loudly. “You can't be serious.”
“God no,” Rose told him with laughter in her voice. “Brandon Peter for a boy.”
“And for a girl?” The Doctor urged brushing his nose against her cheek.
“Olivia Jacklyn.”
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“I don't think you understand,” Rose starts, her hands coming up to rest on the counter. Her shoulders are squared as she glares at the empty pickle jar and the bag that had once held an entire loaf of bread but now only had the end pieces. She could be glaring at a bologna package too if they had even had bologna. “I need this sandwich.”
“You need a pickle and bologna sandwich?” the Doctor asked incredulously. “What kind of person needs a pickle and bologna sandwich?”
Rose swung around with her eyes narrowed and shouted, “Me! Rose Tyler, the only pregnant and starving girl on this bloody spaceship!”
“Five minutes ago you wanted a corn dog with barbecue sauce,” the Doctor argued, crossing his arms over his chest. “Now you're telling me that you absolutely have to have a pickle and bologna sandwich? I don't believe you. Why don't you look in the freezer again? Maybe you'll see something else you want instead.”
He expected her to argue then, could see her lips parted on whatever she'd been meaning to say. But now she was frozen, hand hovering over her stomach and eyes wide. His heart jumped toward his throat and he rushed across the kitchen to her. He grabbed her arm, her chin and forced her to look at him.
“What's wrong?” He cried. It took all he had in him not to shake her until she answered him. “Rose, what's the matter?”
“I....I think I felt her kick,” Rose sounded awestruck as she met the Doctor's gaze. His heart jumped again but for a completely different reason this time. Being told that there was a baby growing inside of Rose was one thing, but having it move and make itself known was another. Suddenly she was grabbing for his hand, pulling him closer to her and forcing him to touch her stomach. When his fingers were splayed over the fabric stretched across her belly, he felt it – the press of little hands and feet against where his hand was resting. “Did you feel it?”
All he could do was nod his head.
After that, Rose managed to talk him into landing near a market that sold Earth foods. There was row after row of tables with rainbow coloured foods that Rose had never seen. The Doctor tried to get Rose to taste it, holding it up to her mouth, but she wasn't interested in any of it. The unusual aromas that danced in the air around them would have made her curious on any other day, but that day they were only making her stomach roll. They eventually found the area with foods that she recognized – fresh fish and bread, all sorts of tea and even a few prepackaged and refrigerated items. She grabbed a package of bologna, the biggest jar of pickles she could find and a loaf of bread. She looked on with an utterly satisfied look on her face as the Doctor paid the vendor.
As they were making their way back to where the Doctor had parked the TARDIS, chaos broke out amongst the vendors. Rose stood at his side, clutching the handle of her shopping bag tightly between her fingers, as he spun around trying to figure out what was happening.
“I believe that vendor, the big green fella, thinks the Trakela couple across the way took his daughter just now,” The Doctor explained to Rose.
“Why would they do that?” Rose asked.
“I don't know but I plan on figuring it out,” He answered. “You should go back to the TARDIS until I'm done here.”
Rose paused from memorizing their surroundings, slowly looking at him with a bewildered expression across her features. “What?” She asked in a disbelieving tone.
He turned to her then, reaching out to grasp her shoulders as he leaned in close. “If something bad is happening here, it isn't safe for you, do you understand? It isn't safe for you and it definitely isn't safe for the baby.”
The urge to disagree with him was so strong, she almost couldn't bring herself to let him know that she understood. She nodded her head to let him know that he was right; it wasn't safe for the baby. She had to remember now that she was carrying someone else and it was her responsibility to ensure its safety. Any other time, she would have gone right into the mess sticking by the Doctor's side at every twist and turn. But she couldn't endanger their baby.
Rose waited in the TARDIS for barely an hour, puttering around and cleaning up, before the doors were swinging open and the Doctor was stumbling inside, sweat a thick layer on his skin. He leaned against the back of the door, panting as he tried to catch his breath. She rushed to his side, hands instantly clutching at the front of his jacket as she checked him over for any injuries.
“Are you okay?” She asked as she inspected his face. There was several small scratches dotting his face but they weren't deep or bleeding.
“Oh. Oh yeah. I'm fine,” The Doctor grinned at her, lips pulling back to reveal his teeth and she couldn't help but return it. “It turns out that the Trakela did indeed take that frog man's daughter. It also turns out that they've been traveling to markets all over the galaxy and taking children. Thankfully, this galaxy has a police force. They've just arrived to take care of things.”
“But why are you scratched up and sweaty?” Rose inquired, gently pressing her fingertips against the angry red line across his cheek.
“I helped the frog man get his daughter back but she didn't want to leave,” The Doctor began to laugh. “The Trakela have sweets and fun games, she informed me as she clawed at my face. Who knew frogs even had claws?”
“Oh my god,” Rose pressed her forehead against his shoulder as her own began to shake with laughter. She tried to keep it silent but couldn't hold it in. She could only imagine him getting attacked by a small girl – the real picture must have been a thousand times more amusing. “I wish I could have seen it,” she told him honestly.
“I bet you do,” He laughed, winding his arms around her waist and pulling her close.
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“It's so good to see you!” Doctor Ondas sat in the roller chair next to where Rose was lying with her shirt rucked up over her growing belly. “Have there been any complications? Any sort of problems?” As she spoke, she picked up a tube and uncapped it.
Complications? Rose thought. You mean like a herd of carnivore Antelopes trying to eat the father of my child? Or perhaps you mean something like the Trakela following us across the galaxy, trying to bloody kill us. Instead, she smiled and said, “No. Everything's been perfect.”
“That's good to hear!” Doctor Ondas smiled. “Now, this is gonna be a little cold but it'll help me in finding out what sex the baby is. Are you guys ready?” When they both nodded at her, she proceeded to spread the gel across the swell of Rose's abdomen. Rose winced at the temperature but didn't move. She remained completely still as the doctor pressed the sonogram against her stomach; she only watched as the doctor moved it around with her eyes glued to the little screen. “Ah, there it is! It appears that you two are having a little girl.”
Rose looked up at the Doctor, who had remained silent for quiet some time, with the corners of her lips pulling up. He squeezed her hand gently, pulling it towards him until he could place a kiss on her knuckles. When Rose looked back to Doctor Ondas, she was watching them with a soft expression.
“What is it?” Rose asked.
“You don't seem surprised. Most parents have some sort of reaction – the mother always cries and the father almost always looks disappointed. But you two look like you already knew,” Doctor Ondas explained as she helped Rose wipe the now warm gel from her stomach.
“We kind of did,” Rose answered, honestly. “Somehow, we just knew.”
“Have you decided on a name?”
“We're naming her Olivia Jacklyn Tyler,” Rose said and smiled when the Doctor gave her hand another squeeze.
“That's a really beautiful name,” Doctor Ondas told them. “Have you thought about your birth plan? You need to decide if you want to have it naturally or if you want to have the epidural. Also you have to decide who you want to deliver Olivia when the time comes.”
“Well we were hoping,” Rose started, glancing at her companion who nodded at her. Such a silent fellow. “We were hoping you could deliver her?”
“I most certainly could,” She promised with a fond sort of smile.
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Rose watched, eyes narrowed, as the Doctor shuffled past her with a large unmarked box in his hands. He gave her a small smile before he closed the door behind him. It was a pale yellow door, one that she most certainly would have noticed before. It has to be new, she thought as she took a small sip of her tea. But what could possibly be inside? What was it that the Doctor had been doing with the door locked for nearly two weeks now? He'd only come out to gather more supplies, to take Rose out for food or a relatively safe adventure, or to go to bed.
She'd find out eventually but for now? It was time for lunch. Or perhaps brunch.
The slices of bacon she'd been frying were just starting to crisp when the Doctor entered the kitchen. He remained silent until she was done cooking, having separated the bacon on two plates next to toast and scrambled eggs, and then he approached her. He placed his hands on her hips and leaned forward to kiss her. It was a slow, lazy sort of kiss that made her stomach flutter like there was a thousand little wings inside of her. Rose threaded her fingers through his hair, holding him there when he tried to pull away. She kissed him until she couldn't hold her breath any longer and only then did she pull away.
“I have something to show you,” he panted and she could feel the words against her lips. She only managed to get out a whispered 'Yeah?' between deep breaths. “Come on.”
Rose realized she would be finding out what was behind the pretty yellow door sooner than she had expected when the Doctor reached for the dark blue doorknob. He looked over his shoulder at her before turning it and pushing the door open. It made a soft creaking noise but she ignored it as she took in everything that was inside. The walls were the same colour as the door, with a trim along the ceiling and floor that was the colour of the doorknob. There was a dark wooden rocking chair in one corner and a bookcase pressed against the wall near it. On the other side of the room, there was a changing table and a wooden toy chest.
But Rose's favourite part was the crib. It was beautiful – the stained wood shiny and a row of navy blue ribbons tied around each bar. The blankets folded inside it were yellow with a blue trim. Hanging from the ceiling above it was a mobile with yellow birds. When she pushed it, they sang a lullaby she had never heard before but found more beautiful than any she had.
“Do you like it?” The Doctor queried. “I wanted it to be a surprise, that's why I was so secretive about it.” When Rose didn't answer, he kept talking in a choked sounding voice. “Maybe I should have talked to you first, about the colour scheme or if you even wanted her to have a nursery on the TARDIS. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.”
“Mum is gonna want one at her place too,” Rose finally said. “And I love the colours. No, I love everything. Doctor, it's absolutely perfect.”
“Really?” He asked hesitantly.
“Really really,” She laughed, pulling him in for a kiss which he returned fervently.
They were curled together in Rose's – in their bed again that night when Rose finally allowed her doubts to form words.
“If you don't want to keep us with you, I'll understand. And I'm sure Olivia will too, when she's old enough to understand what you do and why you do it,” Rose's words were so quiet, even in the silence that filled the room. “As long as you come to see us.”
“Is that what you want?” The Doctor's voice sounded strained.
“I want whatever you want,” She told him. She didn't stop trailing her fingers up and down his arm, letting his warmth comfort her as she waited for him to tell her that he wanted them to go, that he wanted them to stay on Earth while he traveled. Maybe he'd even find someone else to travel with him and they'd never see him again. But the moment never came.
“I want you, both of you, with me. Do you understand?” He asked. “I love you, Rose. I love you so much. And I love our daughter. Wherever I go, I want you to be with me. And the same goes for you. Even if you want to go back to London, to live with your mum, I'll go with you.”
“I love you too, Doctor,” Rose whispered.
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Eight months in, they decided to stay on Earth until after the baby was born. They were still getting used to the way things worked when they weren't traveling three weeks later. The Doctor, Rose and Jackie were about to leave to grab breakfast from a diner down the road from Jackie's when it happened. The Doctor had stepped into the living room to give Rose some space as she dressed herself. Jackie was puttering around in the kitchen, tidying up, when Rose shouted.
“Doctor! Mum!” They were both in the room before she could continue. “It's time.”
“Time for what?” Jackie asked as she tried to catch her breath.
“The baby, Mum. She's coming.”
The next twenty four hours passed in a flash, at least for the Doctor. There was a lot of crying, mostly for Jackie and Mickey, who had arrived just after Olivia was born. Rose was surprisingly calm, and no matter what any of the movies they'd watched together told him, she didn't shout at him or blame him for the pain she was enduring. He wasn't sure if she was just that strong or if it was the medication they'd pumped into her body right before she'd started to dilate. Before he knew it, Doctor Ondas was passing a bundle of crying pink blankets to Rose.
“Congratulations,” She told them but neither of them heard her.
They were in awe of their perfect little girl. Her cheeks were red and wet with tears. She looked up at them with honey coloured eyes, a tuft of soft blonde hair sticking straight up from the top of her head. The Doctor carefully took her tiny little fist into his hand. When her chubby fingers curled around his, Rose choked on a sob that sounded happy and so beautiful. The Doctor hadn't expected to cry. He'd cried when he lost his son and his wife and the daughter he'd never gotten to meet but that was during the war. He hadn't cried since. But there were fat tears sliding down his cheeks, salty and stinging his chapped lips when they reached his mouth.
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“Olivia, help Mummy with the blankets,” The Doctor called from the kitchen. He was packing away the last of the food, tucking a container of potato salad under the box of strawberries in the picnic basket. He heard her little feet scuttle past the kitchen door and couldn't help but smile at the sound. They still couldn't convince her that shoes were good and not 'bad, Poppy; Badbadbad' like she thought.
When he finally made his way into the control room, picnic basket in hand, they were both waiting at the door with blankets bundled in their arms and grins on their faces. Rose had her blonde hair pinned away from face and a light green cardigan over her white tank top. Olivia was dancing beside her, little bare feet pattering against the metal floor and her now brown hair – their pediatrician swore it was normal for a child's hair to change colour as they got older - flopping against her shoulders with each jerk of her small tutu-clad hips.
“Are the ladies of the TARDIS ready to see where we'll be picnicking today?” The Doctor inquired wiggling his eyebrows at them. Olivia giggled and nodded excitedly, feet beating a quicker pattern against the floor. “Open the door then, little bird.”
The planet Katrune had a beautiful forest, with trees as tall as skyscrapers and grass the colour of the Earth sky. It was also a peaceful planet inhabited by a race of purple skinned aliens he had once saved. The Doctor watched as Rose and their daughter spread the blankets on the grass, watched as Olivia kicked her bare feet at the orange sky and Rose kicked her sandals off before laying down to copy her movement. Eventually he joined them but he was content with just watching the two of them. He'd endured so much in his long life, lost family, friends and his home and yet... There he was, three years after the birth of Olivia, with a new life, a new family, and he could proudly say that was finally happy again.