The Family Man, Chapter 7
Author's Note: The Doctor is turning his cuteness up to a TEN in this short chapter :D
“Repeat that back to me,” Rose called over her shoulder as she threw Sammy’s PBJ into a reusable lunch sack.
The Doctor put his hands on his hips, but mimicked his wife’s list back unerringly.
“After school Sammy goes to ballet and Wil goes to soccer practice. I have to talk to Sammy’s teacher about next month’s recital and give Mrs. Houshiery back the borrowed CD of Wee Jilliky…?”
“Wee Jilly Jinki’s,” Rose stated, handing him the bag.
“Right. Then make sure Mr. Patterson gets the check for Wil’s overnight at football camp and ask Mrs. Henderson if he can bunk with her son instead of David Allen who has unfortunate bladder control issues.”
“Perfect, but leave that last bit out, about the bladder. Remember ballet is over at 4:00 and football at 5:00, giving you enough time to get the shopping done…”
“Milk, eggs, baloney, toothpaste,” the Doctor listed off.
“And giving me time to get my mani pedi with Donna,” Rose chimed in with a grin.
“How come you get all the fun stuff?” the Doctor whined as he lifted his keys from the counter and picked up Wil’s backpack.
“Because Mondays are Mum Days,” Rose said obviously. “One day a week I treat myself to complete pampered bliss while you do all the housework, chores and errands.”
“Whose bloody awful idea was that?” the Doctor complained as she backed him out the door.
“Yours! Of course!” Rose explained with a wink before shutting him out of the house.
The Doctor blinked, turning to find his children trading excited looks.
“Alright,” the Doctor said determinedly. “Let’s do this.”
--
At the grocery store, the Doctor wheeled his shopping cart along the bread aisle, careful to navigate between other shoppers as Sammy hung off the front end in her frilly pink tutu. As he pitched a cinnamon-raisin loaf into the basket, Sammy frowned disapprovingly.
“That’s not on the list,” she pointed out. “You’re not supposed to get it.”
“You’re not supposed to be playing on the shopping cart,” the Doctor countered as he wheeled her along.
Sammy bit her lower lip and looked at the bread loaf.
“I guess it’s okay,” she allowed. “Just this once.”
The Doctor snickered and pushed the cart forward with a lunge, jumping on the other end so that the two of them sailed down the length of the aisle.
“Oi!” a disgruntled patron exclaimed as he nearly collided with them.
The Doctor pretended to look abashed, but secretly rolled his eyes at his daughter.
She giggled.
--
On the football field, the Doctor watched Wil complete the last of his training exercises while speaking with Mrs. Henderson about away-camp accommodations. After receiving her enthusiastic acceptance, the Doctor found himself nearly bowled over by his son who had bounded over and was now hugging his legs.
“Did you see me make that goal?” he asked happily, his wild hair sticking out on all sides like his father’s.
“Too right!” the Doctor exclaimed, giving all his attention to the boy as he patted his back. “Where’d you learn to shoot like that?”
Wil pursed his lips trying not to smile. “You want to give it a go before we have to run home? I bet you can’t get past me!”
The Doctor scoffed as Wil beamed up with a challenging grin.
“I dunno,” he posited, pretending to think carefully. “I’d hate to shatter your confidence and take you home crying to your mum.”
Wil laughed and kicked his ball backwards onto the field.
“You’re the one who’s going to be crying,” he promised.
Sammy shook her head in disgust as her father and brother raced once another out onto the green.
“Men,” she muttered as Mrs. Henderson nodded in assent.
Within seconds, the other boys saw Wil and the Doctor and decided to join in, running to intercept the ball as the Doctor aimed for the goal.
“Not fair!” the Doctor cried as ten little boys descended upon him and stole his ball.
Wil just laughed as his team performed a series of complicated passes, running laps around his father before sinking the ball into the net on the other side. The Doctor lost his balance at the last second, landing in a puddle of mud just as Wil was turning around to whoop a victory cheer.
He ran over to his dad and collapsed beside him in a fit of riotous laughter, snorting so absurdly that the Doctor laughed hysterically along with him. When they both settled down, Wil turned his head and squinted at his father’s features through the sunshine beating down on them.
“These are the best days,” Wil said lightly.
“Yes they are,” the Doctor replied as he put his hands behind his head and stared up at the clouds. “They really are.”
--
Rose was aghast at her husband and son, who walked into her home covered head to toe in mud. Sammy came along behind them, with an equally disconcerted look.
“They got into another competition,” her daughter explained dryly, mimicking her mother’s crossed arms.
Rose smirked when the Doctor tried to change the subject.
“So how was Mum Day? Get all your pampering in?” he asked hopefully.
Wil held out a bag of groceries with a slight grin, which Rose took gingerly.
“You two get washed up,” she commanded. “Dinner’s almost ready and I don’t want it to get cold.”
Wil took off for the bathroom with Sammy close behind him.
“You too,” Rose said haughtily, eying the Doctor up and down. “You look like a Terillian ground worm. Smell like one too…”
“Careful, Mrs. Tyler,” the Doctor warned as he stepped closer. “Dirt is transferrable.”
“You wouldn’t,” Rose stated, eyes going wide as he came toward her menacingly. “Doctor…Doctor! Doctor!”
Rose screeched as the Doctor bounded after her, running a big circle around the kitchen counter. Rose picked up the closest weapon, which turned out to be a rubber spatula. She held it up ineffectually.
“You’re going to have to try harder than that,” the Doctor cried as he lunged for her.
Rose spun on her heel and landed before the sink, flipping on the faucet and turning the spray on him just before he reached her. His face was priceless, and in just a few seconds they were both slipping on the floor and wrestling one another to the ground.
“Oi!” the Doctor protested as Rose dug her fingers into his sides and tickled.
“Beg for mercy!” Rose demanded, holding him down with her lower body.
“I’ll never surrender!” the Doctor shot back through tear-filled eyes. He grabbed uselessly at her wrists while Rose giggled gleefully.
Rose finally relented when the Doctor managed to capture her by the back of her neck, pulling her down into an unexpected kiss. Both were already breathless from the game, and the kiss only compounded the problem. Rose found herself nearly gasping for air when he pulled away to gaze up at her with a strange expression on his face.
“Rose,” he said softly, hardly speaking at all.
“Doctor,” she answered, letting her hands fall uselessly to the kitchen tile.
“How long have you been in love with me?” he asked, suddenly so completely aware that she was, and probably had been for a long time.
She shifted away and leaned back against the counter, brushing off a bit of dirt from her jeans as she stretched her legs out in front of her. She sat for a moment to catch her breath before answering.
“Always,” she answered. “There was never a time that I didn’t love you. There never will be.”
The Doctor leaned toward her, staring into her eyes intensely before he pressed his lips to hers, infinitely tender.
Rose sighed and leaned her head on his shoulder as he moved to sit beside her.
“You still smell like a worm, though,” she added teasingly.
The Doctor snorted and grabbed her hand.
“One of the joys of fatherhood,” he laughed lightly before sobering. “One of many.”
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