DW Fic- Should I Stay? 3/3
Title: Should I Stay? 2/?
Author: Salimali
Rating: PG
Characters: TenII/Rose, Jackie, Pete, Ellie
Disclaimer: I don't own DW or any of its affiliated characters, I just like to play :d
Spoilers: I assume you're all familiar with Journey;s End by now.
Summary: Rose gets injured, TenII has to deal with the outcomes
Author Notes: Again, I dip my toe into the writing water. Takes place in the same verse as Meant to Be.
Thank you to the brilliant wishiknewwho and nipplemuggins who are brilliant beta's despite being up to their eyes with work lately :D
Thank you all for reading xx
Chapter 1 Chapter 2
Rose went home the following day with orders from the Doctor to rest and recuperate. Ellie was pleased to see Rose but was distraught when she realised that Rose had been hurt.
“Does that mean you were going away again?” Ellie asked, blinking back the tears, trying to be brave.
Rose saw her distress and realised that Ellie still harboured fears that Rose was going to leave her. Her heart sank as she thought about the emotional scars that Ellie suffered. Rose thought that she had recovered since the Doctor had come into their life, but it was obvious, watching her little girl biting back her tears, eyes firmly rooted on the bandage on her leg, that Ellie was far from recovered. She was still a baby who worried that one day her mummy might not come home. Rose made her decision there and then: there was no way she could continue to put her life at risk; Ellie was worth more than the thrill. It was time for someone else to take the risks and save the universe.
Rose clutched Ellie tightly.
“No Ellie, I’m never going to go away again. I promise.”
Ellie grinned and hugged Rose back. “I love you Mummy.” And with that she kissed Rose and went off to find Dean to play with her dolls with her.
Rose sat back on the sofa and sighed. She had to think now what she could do with her life if she wasn’t going to be Agent Tyler anymore. She’d love to play at being a housewife and mother but knew that she would go mad with boredom once Ellie was in school full time. Maybe she could put off choosing a new career until then. The Doctor would probably encourage her to go back to school, to get some qualifications. She smiled; he would be pleased that she wouldn’t be putting her life on the line anymore. She picked up her phone to call him - he’d gone back to work today to tender his resignation officially and work his notice. It had been understood that Rose would retake her position as team leader once he’d left. But now that wasn’t going to be happening, she’d better let him know so he could arrange replacements.
“Dr. John Noble.” Rose loved that the Doctor had embraced his human life so well and after their initial problems, they had settled down into a family unit, albeit in different houses.
“Hi, it’s me.” Rose smiled; he always knew it was her and she wondered whether he was still a little bit telepathic.
“Hello my darling.” She could hear the sexy tone of his voice as he attempted to seduce her over the phone. “What can I do for you?”
“Well, boss,” she affected an official tone now, “I’d like to hereby tender my resignation as Agent Tyler, second in command…”
“What?!”
“I’m going to resign .You were right yesterday,” Rose replied.
“No, no, no. This is not happening. You can’t resign because I want you to. I won’t make you resign.” He sounded upset with her and she fought to keep her voice under control; she thought he’d have been pleased.
“Yes, I am resigning. But not for you - well, yes, for you, - but really I can’t do this to Ellie anymore.” Rose continued to tell the Doctor about Ellie’s reaction to her that morning and how she’d come to realise that it wasn’t just her anymore that she had to think of Ellie and of course the Doctor. When she had finished the Doctor was strangely quiet on the other end of the phone.
“Doctor? Are you okay?” she asked nervously.
“Rose. I love you. I’ll be home soon.” Rose could hear the barely masked joy in his voice as he told her this.
“Okay…” Rose realised that he had hung up and she was talking to empty air. She laughed as she placed the phone back on the side table, picked up a cushion to cuddle and squealed. Things were definitely going the right way for once.
Rose awoke to the sound of the front door slamming and she quickly sat up and tried to tame her bed head hair before the Doctor came in. She was just finishing when he appeared, arms full of flowers and a massive grin on his face. Oh yes, she thought, I’ve made the right decision.
Definitely.
“Ellie,” he shouted. “Come here, we’ve something to tell you.” Rose looked at the Doctor and smiled her permission at him. Ellie came running with her dolls trailing behind her.
”What, Daddy?” she asked, giggling as he picked her up and swung her around the room like an aeroplane.
“Well, maybe your Mummy should tell you,” he deferred to Rose as he sat down beside her with Ellie on his lap.
“Well,” she began, twirling Ellie’s hair. “Mummy and Daddy have decided to stop working at Torchwood, so you never have to worry about Mummy or even Daddy getting hurt anymore. And Daddy, well, Daddy is going to write stories, you know, like the ones he tells you at bedtime.”
Ellie was looking between them and smiling. Rose knew she didn’t really understand the concept of not working at Torchwood, but she knew that no more getting hurt was good. She watched as Ellie turned to the Doctor and asked him to tell her more of his stories.
They sat there on the sofa together telling stories to Ellie until well into the evening, only moving when Ellie pronounced she was hungry and could they have pizza for dinner tonight.
After Ellie had gone to bed, the Doctor and Rose sat quietly on her sofa talking about their future. The Doctor had encouraged Rose to return to school, but Rose had insisted she was too old to be a student and just because she wasn’t working for Torchwood anymore she still wanted to help other people. They both decided to sleep on it and see if they had any ideas in the morning.
In the end it was Jackie who came up with Rose’s new career. They had been at the mansion for lunch when Ellie had announced their plans. Pete had smiled knowingly but Jackie had been ecstatic, running around the table and hugging them both tightly.
“Oh, that’s wonderful news, sweetheart. I’m glad you’ve finally seen sense and given up that crazy lifestyle.” The only part of Torchwood Jackie liked was that it had allowed Rose to find the Doctor and bring him home. “But what are you going to do now?”
“I don’t know, I just know that I’d like to do something worthwhile, but maybe part time so I can still be a mum to Ellie. I suppose I just want the best of both worlds where that is concerned,” Rose answered truthfully.
“Well, you know you don’t need to work at all, you are the Heiress of Vitex,” Jackie said. “Oh. I’ve just had a thought. What if you were to take on the role of a sort of Ambassador for Vitex - you know, for its charity work? Overseeing the grants and donations. That’s helping. And it wouldn’t have to be full time either. That way you get the best of both worlds.”
Rose looked at the Doctor and Pete who were both nodding. “That sounds like a good idea, Mum, but wouldn’t I be taking someone else’s job?” She directed the question at Pete.
“No, there’s no one in the job right now, my secretary does it. She’s always moaning that she doesn’t have the time, so this way you’re doing her a favour too.” Pete smiled at Rose. “The job is yours if you want it.”
Rose got up from her chair and hobbled over to Pete and gave him a big hug. “Thanks, Dad. Thank you for everything.”
“You’re welcome, sweetheart,” Pete answered, wiping the quickly forming tears away from his eyes.
”Thank you too, Mum, you’ve always been right there beside me in every choice I’ve made. I’m going to make you so proud.”
“Oh sweetheart, you’ve always made me proud. I couldn’t wish for a more wonderful daughter in the world. I’m just glad that the two of you have finally settled down.” Jackie went over and hugged Rose, nodding to the Doctor, involving him too.
“Can we go and play now?” Tony and Ellie, looking up at the adults with matching brown eyes, eager to go and play, interrupted them.
That night, after the Doctor and Rose had made love and were snuggled down in her bed, the Doctor asked Rose to marry him.