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Rose found the first note a few days after they'd decorated their flat for Christmas. It was tucked into the blooms of the pink poinsettia on the kitchen table. She found it while drinking her morning coffee.
“You are the happy to my holiday,” it read, written in the Doctor’s precise handwriting.
Rose grinned. She was accustomed to finding love notes here and there. The Doctor seemed to be determined to say things that mattered. At first it seemed as though he was overcompensating for the time they spent together before Pete's World, when the things that needed to be said weren't spoken.
In the early days of their pete's world life she had been distant, despite the kiss on the beach. It had taken a couple of months to warm up to their new circumstances. But once she warmed up, things had heated up, and she couldn't imagine her life without loving her half-human Doctor.
He wandered into the kitchen in his plaid flannel jimjams, yawning, but he grinned when he noticed what she was holding. “Hello,” he said in that husky, sleepy voice she loved.
“You're the happy to my holiday too,” Rose declared, hopping up from her chair to greet him with a long, slow kiss that tasted of hazelnut coffee.
Later on, when they were less distracted, she attached the note to the refrigerator with the Big Ben magnet.
*******
Rose found the second note tucked into the frame of the bathroom mirror that evening, which said, “You are the jingle in my bells.” Rose giggled in delight and dashed into the bedroom, where the Doctor was tending to the baby TARDIS in its’ tank. She knelt down behind him and threw her arms around him, knocking him, surprised to the floor. He was rather shocked and pleased to find himself with an armful of Rose.
“The jingle to your bells, yeah?” she murmured. He responded with a saucy smirk and a raised eyebrow.
“You never fail to ring ‘em,” he answered.
She didn't fail to ring them that time, either.
*******
The next two notes, “You are the nut to my cracker” and the “fruit to my cake” made Rose guffaw. He never failed to make her laugh harder than anyone else, even back in his days of big ears and leather. She'd come to a point when it didn't hurt to think of those days any more. It was all down to this Doctor she had now, who loved her as much now as he did then.
She wrote him a note back, placing it in the pocket of his long brown coat.
“You're the present under my tree,” she wrote, after thinking about it for a bit.
He found the note in his pocket later and couldn't stop grinning to Rose all the way through the Torchwood briefing that morning. Rose's office door was locked at lunchtime.
********
The next note brought tears to Rose’s eyes. It was taped to his telescope.
“You are the wish to my star.”
She had purchased the telescope for no reason at all, only because she wanted him to have a way to gaze at the stars and dream about the places they'd visit when the new TARDIS was finally ready to fly. The Doctor assembled it reverently, tempering his excitement to get it put together just right.
As he assembled it he had told her stories about Wilf and Donna, and they both cried over what had been lost. By the time they had an operational telescope, however, they were focusing on what they had found: the stars were back where they belonged, and they were together. When the TARDIS was fully grown, they would travel again, anywhere and anywhen they fancied.
That evening when the Doctor returned home, they bundled up and took the telescope out on the balcony. They wished on another star. “No matter what I wish for, no matter where I wish to go, I always want you by my side, Rose Tyler,” he murmured in her ear as she looked through the lens.
She gazed back at him and kissed him softly. Then she whispered, “Forever.”
*********
Rose found two notes on her desk after a field operation had gone horribly wrong. Two agents were hospitalized, and the Doctor and Rose had argued bitterly over how it all was handled. The Doctor refused to see Rose’s point of view, in her opinion. In his stubborn, always right Time Lord way, he had refused to acknowledge Rose’s experience and expertise in a hostage situation and had barreled in to rescue her when she hadn't needed saving.
Agents could hear their shouting down the hall, even with the door closed. They certainly heard the door slam when he left.
Five and half hours he was gone, and Rose had spent all of it furious and worried. Finally, she left to visit the agents in hospital. She was relieved that they would make a full recovery, but they'd have to spend Christmas there. Their families were determined to make the best of it together.
Some of her anger had dissipated by the time she returned to her office and found the notes. One note read, “I'm sorry.” The other read “You are home to my holiday.”
Rose heard a rustle at her door and looked up to see the Doctor leaning against the door jamb, hands in his pockets. “Ready to go home, Rose?” he asked. He looked as if he was unsure of what she'd say.
“Yeah. S’been a long day,” she answered.
“Wasn't sure if I was….” He tugged his ear nervously.
“Was what?”
“Welcome,” he answered simply.
Rose opened her arms and he rushed to her, wrapping himself up in her. “Love, you're my home, too,” she whispered in his ear. He melted against her.
“You are amazing and brilliant, and you've had more experience in this universe than I have. It's just that...The agents were already hurt. I was terrified…..” His voice shook as he trailed off.
“Shhh…..” Rose held him tighter, running her fingers through his already tousled hair. “Let's go home.”
Later on at home, they sank into bed, too exhausted to do any more than hold each other and make quiet whispered promises of love.
*******
Two days prior to Christmas, Jackie stood in front of the refrigerator, looking at the collection of paper that had been attached to it with magnets. “What’s all this?”
“They're from the Doctor,” Rose said by way of explanation.
“You are the candy to my cane? Well, that's a little saucy, innit?” Jackie snorted.
“Not if you don't take it that way! Blimey, Mum!”
Jackie snickered. “You are the ginger to my bread….the winter to my wonderland,” Jackie said with an eye roll. “Kinda corny, dontcha think?”
“Says the woman who insisted on identical ugly Christmas jumpers for the family Christmas card,” Rose quipped, with an identical eye roll. “He loves me, and he's got a romantic streak.”
“They are not ugly jumpers!” Jackie looked offended and Rose realized with a start that she hadn't intended them to be ugly jumpers on purpose. Rose was about to backpedal on her sweater comment when Jackie continued “‘Bout time you ended up with version with a romantic streak He's always been arse over teakettle, ever since the big ears. I suppose he’s just figured out how to show it.”
Thinking back on it, Rose decided that he'd always shown it, even when he couldn't speak it. She'd always known.
The Doctor entered the kitchen and was immediately attack-hugged by Jackie, who gave him a wet kiss on the cheek. He glared at her and glanced at Rose as if expecting her to rescue him. “Happy Christmas, you sweetheart of a romantic devil, you!” Jackie declared, punctuating her statement with another kiss.
The Doctor was left wondering what he'd ever done to deserve that.
******
Christmas Eve turned out to be quite a busy day with cooking and and last minute gift wrapping. They hauled it all to the mansion, and spent a lovely evening with Pete, Jackie and Tony. The level of boyish Christmas enthusiasm was always doubled when Tony and the Doctor were bouncing off the walls together. Jackie remarked that the Doctor was more hyper than usual.
When Tony finally crashed and was carried up to bed, the Doctor cornered Rose under the mistletoe and snogged her breathless. Then he murmured, “I think it's time to say good night. We'll be back in the morning for presents.”
“Don't you want to watch ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ with Mum and Dad?” Rose knew exactly how the Doctor felt about that, so she asked him with a smirk.
He kissed her again. “I already know I have a wonderful life. I'd like to spend a bit of it alone with you tonight.”
She slid her hands into his hair, causing him to hum happily. “I think that's a wonderful idea.”
They made their excuses and promises to return early the next day for presents, and they made their way home. Rose noticed the Doctor becoming jittery again. He nervously patted his leg, then hers as he drove. He'd pushed his fringe off his forehead for the fourth time when she asked, “What are you so nervous about?”
“What? Nervous? No,” he stammered, laughing nervously.
“What are you worried about?” Her eyes widened. “Are we gonna have an invasion? Did you get some intel that I didn't get?” Rose asked, only half-joking. With the way things happened for them, an alien invasion wasn't out of the realm of possibility.
“Nope, as far as I know, no invasions, or Gelth, or regeneration comas….”
“Thank God.”
“.....scheduled for this year. Do you realize, of all those Christmases this will be the first I've ever been alone with you at midnight? We lived with your parents last year….and things were rather hectic the years before that….I'm just excited, I suspect.”
“I think it's lovely. I'd like to give you one of your gifts tonight,” Rose told him. His eyebrow lifted, and he grinned.
“You read my mind. I wanted to give you something tonight as well.”
Rose chuckled. “Great minds think alike.”
“Well, allons-y then, Rose Tyler.”
*******
The Doctor recommended they change into their jimjams. Rose had to do some searching for the gift she wanted to give him. She had to be extra creative with hiding places since he was quite adept at figuring them out. He already knew about the bright blue converse he was getting, because he found them and couldn't contain his excitement. He still had to wait until morning to open them.
It took her a bit longer than she expected because she'd hidden it too well. “I'm sorry that took so long, but if you weren't so good at sniffing out presents…..” Rose trailed off as she took in the room.
The fairy lights and candles lit on the coffee table were the only illumination in the room. He stood by the tree, smiling, waiting for her to admire his handiwork. She stepped forward and her bare foot brushed over a piece of paper on the floor.
It was then that she realized they hadn't exchanged Christmas notes that day. It had been rather hectic. She grinned and picked it up. “You are the happy to my holiday,” she read.
Rose was confused. They hadn't repeated any of the sentiments before. Then she saw the trail of notes leading from her to him. She picked each one up, the trail leading her closer to the Doctor.
“You are the jingle to my bells.”
“You are the nut to my cracker.”
“You are the fruit to my cake.”
“You are the wish to my star.” (Her voice wobbled as she read that one.”)
“You are my home for the holiday.” (His eyes welled up.)
They chuckled together as she read the ones Jackie found so corny.
“You are the kiss to my mistletoe,” she read as she reached the halfway part and he couldn't resist, he dashed over to her and kissed her long and well, then returned to his spot by the tree.
She continued, laughing. “You are the candy to my cane, the holly to my jolly, the ginger to my bread….”
The Doctor decided he couldn't wait any longer. He handed her two notes. Rose read, “You are the joy to my world. You are the star on my tree.” He took her hand.
He kissed her again, then murmured, “You are the love of my life.”
“And you are mine, my Doctor.”
The Doctor squeezed her hand, and she could feel that his was trembling. “Quite right, too.” He took a deep breath and went down onto one knee. Rose gasped as the Doctor produced a small velvet box. “Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
Rose, nodding as the tears began to flow freely, finally squeaked out a “Yes!” She pulled him up and watched, transfixed as his trembling fingers guided the ring onto her shaking hand. They embraced, and the Doctor picked Rose up and swung her back and forth. When he set her down they kissed, slowly and deeply.
Finally, they had to ease out of the kiss, and Rose held her hand up to look at her ring, glistening in the glow of the fairy lights. It a was beautiful, a radiant sapphire set into a white gold band. “S’gorgeous, Doctor! I love it.”
“I thought...maybe the color would remind you of the TARDIS. When we can go into time and space again, we'll go as husband and wife.” Rose beamed, and kissed him again.
“I can't wait,” she murmured breathlessly afterward. He pulled her over to sit on the sofa. On the way he kicked the envelope she had dropped when he proposed.
“What's this?”
“That's the gift I was giving you tonight. Open it! It goes along with what you said.” He looked at her curiously. “Open it!” She burst out laughing as he destroyed the envelope tearing into it. “Blimey, I hope you don't think it's cheesy.”
“How could I ever?” He pulled out the paper, which was miraculously intact given his assault on the envelope, and read. “You had a star named after us?” asked, awestruck.
“I figured...we helped put ‘em back. And there's the exact coordinates. We could….”
“Visit it when the TARDIS is ready!” The Doctor laughed, delighted. “Oh, you're a wonder, you are, Rose Tyler. I knew I picked the right wife.”
“Quite right,” Rose said, laughing. Then she paused, as a thought occurred to her. “Doctor...all these notes. You've been proposing to me since the beginning of the month, haven't you?”
He chuckled and gave her a smirk. “I suppose I have.”
Rose beamed, and pulled him to her, leaning back against the couch cushions. He captured her bottom lip between his own, gently at first, then their lips moved against each other's more fervently. In between kisses, she spoke breathlessly, “I love you, my Doctor. My husband.”
“My beautiful wife. How long are you gonna stay with me?”
“Forever,” she sighed, then he pressed his lips to hers again.