DW: The Gift
Snuggling under the covers, she smiled to herself. Everything was coming back to her…and then she realized that she still felt sick. She groaned as she became aware of the bruises on her right arm where all the needles had been. Throughout her body was a dull ache which reminded her of her stay in the hospital. However, she felt much better now that she was home.
The Tardis’ engine began humming and Rose frowned. She didn’t remember when the humming had stopped…and she was surprised that the Doctor would go anywhere without telling her. Groaning, she sat up, fully intending to find out what was going on.
“Rose? You’re not supposed to get up yet.”
She looked up to see him standing in the doorway of her room, hands behind his back.
“Where did you go?” she croaked.
He smiled at her, “Why don’t you lie down because we are not going back to that hospital.”
“It was…very creepy,” she agreed, obeying his suggestion. “Where did you go?”
“Oh Rose, can’t a man have his secrets?”
She sighed, “Have it your way then.”
The Doctor grinned at her and moved to her bed. She scooted over a bit and he flopped down and positioned a pillow under his head. Rose couldn’t fail to notice him sticking something under the bed.
“How do you feel?” she asked him.
“Oh, I’m alright, never better. You?”
“I’m afraid I’m not quite ready to be chased by aliens yet.”
He flipped over onto his side so that he could see her face. “Good, I don’t want to be chased by aliens today. Much rather stay here, relax a bit.”
Rose raised her eyebrows at him. “You? Relax?”
“I can relax,” he protested. “You’ve seen me relax.”
“Never for very long.”
“Well, that could be true. But we’re not going anywhere until you’re better.”
“Oh? Then where were you?”
The Doctor pulled an innocent face, which might have fooled her if his eyes hadn’t been twinkling. “Whatever do you mean?”
“Just now, Doctor. Where did you go?”
“Oh…just out.”
“That’s all you’re gonna say? ‘Just out’?”
“Well…not exactly. Hold on a tick.” And with that he leaned over the edge of the bed and came back with a small brown paper parcel. Grinning, and seeming immensely pleased with himself, he set the package in the space between them. “I got you this,” he told her, eyes sparkling.
“What is it?” Rose asked eagerly.
“Do you really expect me to tell you? Open it!”
Carefully, she undid the brown paper and opened the box. She gasped. Inside the parcel was a beautiful brown teddy bear. Tentatively, she touched one soft ear with her finger. “It’s beautiful…” she marveled.
“Do you like it then? I wasn’t sure, but I couldn’t resist. He’s one of the first teddy bears, handmade. They don’t make it like this anymore…not in the United States anyway. I was going to get you the seventh Harry Potter book but…” he trailed off and shrugged.
“Doctor, I love it.” She lifted the bear out of the box and admired his brown glass eyes and plump belly. Cuddling it quite close she smiled at the Doctor. “What made you think of it?”
“Well, I don’t know really. When the Tardis landed in the wrong time period I just went looking. Didn’t want to waste a perfectly good landing, even if I couldn’t find you Harry Potter. Besides…who doesn’t like a teddy bear?”
She kissed him softly, loving his simple gift with all her heart. Then she bit her lip and grinned shyly at him.
His brow was furrowed in puzzlement. “There was one more thing…what was it?” He rubbed the side of his face, trying to remember. “Oh, that’s right, let me see him.”
Wordlessly, she handed over the little bear. She watched as the Doctor expertly pushed aside fur, looking for something. “Ah,” he said when he found it. He handed the bear back to her, pointing to the zipper. “Right there,” he said.
Rose looked at him curiously, but unzipped it anyway. A small pouch was built into the bear and something was inside. She reached in and pulled out a delicate silver chain that sparkled in the dim light of her bedroom.
“It’s for your key,” he said quietly. “It doesn’t look strong, but it is. And I thought…”
She sighed happily, “It’s perfect. Thank you.”
A moment later, she moved over to him and laid her head on his shoulder. He didn’t move away, just simply kissed the top of her head and wrapped his arms around her. “You know,” he said quietly, “I could try to get book seven tomorrow…”
“Seriously? You haven’t read it yet?”
“Nah, not yet. Been too busy not relaxing and all that. What do you think? We could read it together?”
“I would love that. It would be…fantastic.”
“Tomorrow then. I bet we could finish the book in one day. Now…go to sleep, Rose.”
She kissed his cheek and smiled up at him before snuggling closer. Tucked under her arm was the small brown teddy bear. Rose never let go of it while she slept and the Doctor held her the entire time.
The Tardis’ engine began humming and Rose frowned. She didn’t remember when the humming had stopped…and she was surprised that the Doctor would go anywhere without telling her. Groaning, she sat up, fully intending to find out what was going on.
“Rose? You’re not supposed to get up yet.”
She looked up to see him standing in the doorway of her room, hands behind his back.
“Where did you go?” she croaked.
He smiled at her, “Why don’t you lie down because we are not going back to that hospital.”
“It was…very creepy,” she agreed, obeying his suggestion. “Where did you go?”
“Oh Rose, can’t a man have his secrets?”
She sighed, “Have it your way then.”
The Doctor grinned at her and moved to her bed. She scooted over a bit and he flopped down and positioned a pillow under his head. Rose couldn’t fail to notice him sticking something under the bed.
“How do you feel?” she asked him.
“Oh, I’m alright, never better. You?”
“I’m afraid I’m not quite ready to be chased by aliens yet.”
He flipped over onto his side so that he could see her face. “Good, I don’t want to be chased by aliens today. Much rather stay here, relax a bit.”
Rose raised her eyebrows at him. “You? Relax?”
“I can relax,” he protested. “You’ve seen me relax.”
“Never for very long.”
“Well, that could be true. But we’re not going anywhere until you’re better.”
“Oh? Then where were you?”
The Doctor pulled an innocent face, which might have fooled her if his eyes hadn’t been twinkling. “Whatever do you mean?”
“Just now, Doctor. Where did you go?”
“Oh…just out.”
“That’s all you’re gonna say? ‘Just out’?”
“Well…not exactly. Hold on a tick.” And with that he leaned over the edge of the bed and came back with a small brown paper parcel. Grinning, and seeming immensely pleased with himself, he set the package in the space between them. “I got you this,” he told her, eyes sparkling.
“What is it?” Rose asked eagerly.
“Do you really expect me to tell you? Open it!”
Carefully, she undid the brown paper and opened the box. She gasped. Inside the parcel was a beautiful brown teddy bear. Tentatively, she touched one soft ear with her finger. “It’s beautiful…” she marveled.
“Do you like it then? I wasn’t sure, but I couldn’t resist. He’s one of the first teddy bears, handmade. They don’t make it like this anymore…not in the United States anyway. I was going to get you the seventh Harry Potter book but…” he trailed off and shrugged.
“Doctor, I love it.” She lifted the bear out of the box and admired his brown glass eyes and plump belly. Cuddling it quite close she smiled at the Doctor. “What made you think of it?”
“Well, I don’t know really. When the Tardis landed in the wrong time period I just went looking. Didn’t want to waste a perfectly good landing, even if I couldn’t find you Harry Potter. Besides…who doesn’t like a teddy bear?”
She kissed him softly, loving his simple gift with all her heart. Then she bit her lip and grinned shyly at him.
His brow was furrowed in puzzlement. “There was one more thing…what was it?” He rubbed the side of his face, trying to remember. “Oh, that’s right, let me see him.”
Wordlessly, she handed over the little bear. She watched as the Doctor expertly pushed aside fur, looking for something. “Ah,” he said when he found it. He handed the bear back to her, pointing to the zipper. “Right there,” he said.
Rose looked at him curiously, but unzipped it anyway. A small pouch was built into the bear and something was inside. She reached in and pulled out a delicate silver chain that sparkled in the dim light of her bedroom.
“It’s for your key,” he said quietly. “It doesn’t look strong, but it is. And I thought…”
She sighed happily, “It’s perfect. Thank you.”
A moment later, she moved over to him and laid her head on his shoulder. He didn’t move away, just simply kissed the top of her head and wrapped his arms around her. “You know,” he said quietly, “I could try to get book seven tomorrow…”
“Seriously? You haven’t read it yet?”
“Nah, not yet. Been too busy not relaxing and all that. What do you think? We could read it together?”
“I would love that. It would be…fantastic.”
“Tomorrow then. I bet we could finish the book in one day. Now…go to sleep, Rose.”
She kissed his cheek and smiled up at him before snuggling closer. Tucked under her arm was the small brown teddy bear. Rose never let go of it while she slept and the Doctor held her the entire time.