Better 12/?
Title: Better (12/?)
Pairing: Human Doctor/Rose, mentioning of Nine/Rose, Ten/Rose
Rating: Teen
Timeline: After Journey's End
Summary:The Doctor is traveling on new territory - a human body with a very human single heart, no Tardis, and no time & space. But there's Rose - and all the emotions that resurface with her return. All he wants to do is be with her - but it's not going to be that easy.
A/N: Jackie and Pete are harder for me to write than I imagined O_o
Want to read it from the beginning? Start here.
***
Rose looked around her room for her car keys. It had been awhile since she last drove. Where could they be?
In setting aside some magazines near her nightstand, she noticed her book bag overflowing with her text and notes. She groaned as she stooped down to pick it up. She'd forgotten about that test. After they returned from her mum's she'd have to make sure to study the best she could. The test was Wednesday and although she already had an almost perfect score in the course, she didn't want to blow this exam.
"Rose, do I need to..." the Doctor's voice trailed off as he noticed her facial expression and the bag she held.
Automatically, his face burst with anxiety, "Did you miss your exam? Can you make it up? Maybe if I go..." Rose's laughter interrupted him.
"I didn't miss it, the exam is until Wednesday - I just forgot about it is all. I'll start studying when we come back from mum's." She set the bag on her bed and continued looking for her keys.
"Well, if it makes it better, we can always skip your mum's and I'll help you study," his voice mimicked seriousness rather well, she thought.
"Doctor I don't think...Oh! There they are," she pulled out her keys from between the nightstand and bed, "Anyway, that's not a good idea. We have to go to mum's. You're going to have a new identity, and meet Tony and besides," she stood up and ruffled his hair, "you can't hide from her forever."
Rose gave him one last smile before heading down the hall to look for her coat.
***
"She's not going to slap you."
It was all Rose could say to his silence as she drove them some ways out of the city and into the vast land of the country. The Doctor attempted to smile at her, but it wouldn't last long until he lost himself in thought as the greenery rolled past his window.
He wasn't really afraid of Jackie slapping him, although he'd have to admit that it was a high possibility of it happening. No, he just wasn't accustom to the situation. He'd spent time with Jackie before, but the threat of danger and adventure always lurked behind every corner - always offering him the easy out of situations. Now there would be none of that. If he wanted to be with Rose, and of course he wanted to stay with her, he'd have to get used to seeing, not only Jackie, but Pete and Tony and who knew who else on a regular basis. He didn't resent it - it just sort of terrified him a bit.
Was this what normal human males felt? Something about meeting the girlfriend's parents and all?
Still, they hardly defined what they were and of course he'd met her parents before...
The Doctor's head started pounding. He lifted a hand and rubbed across his forehead to his temple.
"You all right?" Rose asked. Her voice full of worry as she tried to look at him and the road.
He tried his best to smile at her and urged with a look in his eyes for her to pay attention to the road, which she did after flashing a reassuring smile at him. She reached over and grabbed his hand. Instantly, he felt some version of calm wash over him.
He'd traveled through time and space, he could deal with the concept of family. Although it had been a long time ago, that concept was not as foreign to him as he made it seem. Their fingers intertwined and he gave her hand a squeeze. Things would be okay.
After awhile they finally drove up a hill and a wide, but not outrageously big, white house came into view. There were bits of color all around it, and as they got closer, the Doctor noticed that the specks came from the bright flowers that were planted along the home. There were so many kinds: sunflowers, lilies, carnations and roses. The flowers would have been impossible to grow in Rose's proper world, but here they flourished even against the cold breeze. He stared on at them in wonder as Rose parked her black Sedan on the gravel approaching the house.
Noticing his stare, she said, "It's weird, right? Mum couldn't even keep simple herbs alive back home, but here...it's like...it's impossible to mess them up." He looked over at her and smiled. It was things like that, the unexpected wonderment of the ordinary that reassured him that they would be okay.
Rose smiled at him and nudged him with her shoulder that they should get inside.
***
"Well, it was about time you two get here, come inside."
Jackie ushered, well, pulled, them through the doorway. The Doctor looked up onto the high ceiling and his eyes trailed up a winding staircase. It certainly was more luxurious on the inside than the outside. Things were white and almost shiny, but there was a lived-in feeling as well. Maybe it was the warmth and the sound of a television playing something cheerful off in the background.
"Pete! Tony! Rose and the Doctor are here!" shouted Jackie, the shrillness causing déjà vu for the Doctor.
She led them further down the hallway, past a spot-free sitting room, and a gleaming dining room. The almost-cold looking areas were making him nervous, but then they passed the kitchen and he could see (and smell) that it wasn't much different from the Powell estate. He could smell cookies and the distant aroma of tea. The kitchen looked lived in and it made his heart ache with the memory of it. Jackie kept on walking, talking about something or other to Rose who was nodding and laughing, all the while holding onto his hand. They approached a large room where he could see a Christmas cartoon playing on a large television. There was also a large Christmas tree in the corner, lit with twinkling lights and he could see Pete and a little boy of about 5 sitting next to him on the couch.
"Is it...Christmas?" his voice sounded hurt and perplexed even to his own ears.
Jackie smacked him lightly on the arm, "Not yet, of course! 'bout three weeks shy though. Pete, Tony, come say hello."
Obediently, Pete stood up and smiled warmly at them both. He hugged Rose and placed a kiss lightly on her temple. The Doctor could see Rose happily hug him back. The memory of her crying over a man she couldn't save inched just that much further away in his mind.
He then turned his attention to the Doctor, "Doctor, good to see you again. Ready to get this identity business done with?" The Doctor nodded uneasily.
Rose moved over to him and placed a hand on his back. "It's fine Doctor, whatever you choose is going to be good...just stay away from anything too weird, okay? People will have to call you whatever you choose...remember that." The teasing tone raveled with the words made him feel better.
A tugging on his jeans distracted him suddenly as he looked down and was met with eyes so similar to Rose's that, had he not known this family, he would have thought Tony was her son. The thought made his stomach do a little flip.
The Doctor kneeled down to be at eye-level with the oddly quiet Tony. It was quite the opposite of what Tyler would be, he thought.
"Hello, Tony. I'm the Doctor," he reached out his hand and let out a soft sigh of relief when Tony met it with his own for a tiny shake.
"Rose tells stories about you," he let go of his hand and offered him a shy smile. The Doctor beamed suddenly, which only made Tony's smile widen.
"Well, that's good to know," he stole a glimpse of Rose just as her cheeks reddened, "what are you watching there, Tony?" He pointed to the TV screen.
"Rudolph, wanna come watch?" his eyes held such a sparkle to them that it made him remember so much. He would have loved the Tardis, he thought idly.
Pete interrupted, "We'll come back as soon as daddy and the Doctor get some work done, alright?"
The little boy's smile dimmed a tiny bit, but not much as he ran back to the couch to continue watching his show.
"I'm going to help mum with the food, you gonna be okay?" Rose searched his eyes as he straightened up. He noticed a small ache in his back. That was new.
"He'll be fine Rose, we'll just go get this done and over with so we can have a nice family meal, come on then Doctor," and he walked to the other side of the room, and up some stairs the Doctor hadn't noticed were there before.
He took one more look at Rose and Jackie, gave them a small and hopefully reassuring smile and followed Pete out of the room.
***
Thirteen
Pairing: Human Doctor/Rose, mentioning of Nine/Rose, Ten/Rose
Rating: Teen
Timeline: After Journey's End
Summary:The Doctor is traveling on new territory - a human body with a very human single heart, no Tardis, and no time & space. But there's Rose - and all the emotions that resurface with her return. All he wants to do is be with her - but it's not going to be that easy.
A/N: Jackie and Pete are harder for me to write than I imagined O_o
Want to read it from the beginning? Start here.
***
Rose looked around her room for her car keys. It had been awhile since she last drove. Where could they be?
In setting aside some magazines near her nightstand, she noticed her book bag overflowing with her text and notes. She groaned as she stooped down to pick it up. She'd forgotten about that test. After they returned from her mum's she'd have to make sure to study the best she could. The test was Wednesday and although she already had an almost perfect score in the course, she didn't want to blow this exam.
"Rose, do I need to..." the Doctor's voice trailed off as he noticed her facial expression and the bag she held.
Automatically, his face burst with anxiety, "Did you miss your exam? Can you make it up? Maybe if I go..." Rose's laughter interrupted him.
"I didn't miss it, the exam is until Wednesday - I just forgot about it is all. I'll start studying when we come back from mum's." She set the bag on her bed and continued looking for her keys.
"Well, if it makes it better, we can always skip your mum's and I'll help you study," his voice mimicked seriousness rather well, she thought.
"Doctor I don't think...Oh! There they are," she pulled out her keys from between the nightstand and bed, "Anyway, that's not a good idea. We have to go to mum's. You're going to have a new identity, and meet Tony and besides," she stood up and ruffled his hair, "you can't hide from her forever."
Rose gave him one last smile before heading down the hall to look for her coat.
***
"She's not going to slap you."
It was all Rose could say to his silence as she drove them some ways out of the city and into the vast land of the country. The Doctor attempted to smile at her, but it wouldn't last long until he lost himself in thought as the greenery rolled past his window.
He wasn't really afraid of Jackie slapping him, although he'd have to admit that it was a high possibility of it happening. No, he just wasn't accustom to the situation. He'd spent time with Jackie before, but the threat of danger and adventure always lurked behind every corner - always offering him the easy out of situations. Now there would be none of that. If he wanted to be with Rose, and of course he wanted to stay with her, he'd have to get used to seeing, not only Jackie, but Pete and Tony and who knew who else on a regular basis. He didn't resent it - it just sort of terrified him a bit.
Was this what normal human males felt? Something about meeting the girlfriend's parents and all?
Still, they hardly defined what they were and of course he'd met her parents before...
The Doctor's head started pounding. He lifted a hand and rubbed across his forehead to his temple.
"You all right?" Rose asked. Her voice full of worry as she tried to look at him and the road.
He tried his best to smile at her and urged with a look in his eyes for her to pay attention to the road, which she did after flashing a reassuring smile at him. She reached over and grabbed his hand. Instantly, he felt some version of calm wash over him.
He'd traveled through time and space, he could deal with the concept of family. Although it had been a long time ago, that concept was not as foreign to him as he made it seem. Their fingers intertwined and he gave her hand a squeeze. Things would be okay.
After awhile they finally drove up a hill and a wide, but not outrageously big, white house came into view. There were bits of color all around it, and as they got closer, the Doctor noticed that the specks came from the bright flowers that were planted along the home. There were so many kinds: sunflowers, lilies, carnations and roses. The flowers would have been impossible to grow in Rose's proper world, but here they flourished even against the cold breeze. He stared on at them in wonder as Rose parked her black Sedan on the gravel approaching the house.
Noticing his stare, she said, "It's weird, right? Mum couldn't even keep simple herbs alive back home, but here...it's like...it's impossible to mess them up." He looked over at her and smiled. It was things like that, the unexpected wonderment of the ordinary that reassured him that they would be okay.
Rose smiled at him and nudged him with her shoulder that they should get inside.
***
"Well, it was about time you two get here, come inside."
Jackie ushered, well, pulled, them through the doorway. The Doctor looked up onto the high ceiling and his eyes trailed up a winding staircase. It certainly was more luxurious on the inside than the outside. Things were white and almost shiny, but there was a lived-in feeling as well. Maybe it was the warmth and the sound of a television playing something cheerful off in the background.
"Pete! Tony! Rose and the Doctor are here!" shouted Jackie, the shrillness causing déjà vu for the Doctor.
She led them further down the hallway, past a spot-free sitting room, and a gleaming dining room. The almost-cold looking areas were making him nervous, but then they passed the kitchen and he could see (and smell) that it wasn't much different from the Powell estate. He could smell cookies and the distant aroma of tea. The kitchen looked lived in and it made his heart ache with the memory of it. Jackie kept on walking, talking about something or other to Rose who was nodding and laughing, all the while holding onto his hand. They approached a large room where he could see a Christmas cartoon playing on a large television. There was also a large Christmas tree in the corner, lit with twinkling lights and he could see Pete and a little boy of about 5 sitting next to him on the couch.
"Is it...Christmas?" his voice sounded hurt and perplexed even to his own ears.
Jackie smacked him lightly on the arm, "Not yet, of course! 'bout three weeks shy though. Pete, Tony, come say hello."
Obediently, Pete stood up and smiled warmly at them both. He hugged Rose and placed a kiss lightly on her temple. The Doctor could see Rose happily hug him back. The memory of her crying over a man she couldn't save inched just that much further away in his mind.
He then turned his attention to the Doctor, "Doctor, good to see you again. Ready to get this identity business done with?" The Doctor nodded uneasily.
Rose moved over to him and placed a hand on his back. "It's fine Doctor, whatever you choose is going to be good...just stay away from anything too weird, okay? People will have to call you whatever you choose...remember that." The teasing tone raveled with the words made him feel better.
A tugging on his jeans distracted him suddenly as he looked down and was met with eyes so similar to Rose's that, had he not known this family, he would have thought Tony was her son. The thought made his stomach do a little flip.
The Doctor kneeled down to be at eye-level with the oddly quiet Tony. It was quite the opposite of what Tyler would be, he thought.
"Hello, Tony. I'm the Doctor," he reached out his hand and let out a soft sigh of relief when Tony met it with his own for a tiny shake.
"Rose tells stories about you," he let go of his hand and offered him a shy smile. The Doctor beamed suddenly, which only made Tony's smile widen.
"Well, that's good to know," he stole a glimpse of Rose just as her cheeks reddened, "what are you watching there, Tony?" He pointed to the TV screen.
"Rudolph, wanna come watch?" his eyes held such a sparkle to them that it made him remember so much. He would have loved the Tardis, he thought idly.
Pete interrupted, "We'll come back as soon as daddy and the Doctor get some work done, alright?"
The little boy's smile dimmed a tiny bit, but not much as he ran back to the couch to continue watching his show.
"I'm going to help mum with the food, you gonna be okay?" Rose searched his eyes as he straightened up. He noticed a small ache in his back. That was new.
"He'll be fine Rose, we'll just go get this done and over with so we can have a nice family meal, come on then Doctor," and he walked to the other side of the room, and up some stairs the Doctor hadn't noticed were there before.
He took one more look at Rose and Jackie, gave them a small and hopefully reassuring smile and followed Pete out of the room.
***
Thirteen