Doctor Who Fic: Miraculously Their Own (3/?)
Title: Miraculously Their Own
Author: RamblingRose / irishlullaby
Rated: R... ish.
Beta Babe: crimedoc1
Disclaimer: DW & co are not mine. I am just playing with them.
Warnings: baby!fic, eventual adult situations.
Spoilers: Most of S1
Characters: Ninth Doctor, Rose, Jackie, Others.
Pairings: Nine/Rose
Summary: "If it's not what it looks like, then why does my nineteen year old daughter look pregnant?"
banner by angelfireeast
Chapter Three
The Doctor carefully approached the woman who was standing at the very edge of the roof over-looking Cardiff. “Sarash’ka… please…”
“You are going to keep after me until I come with you,” Sarash’ka stated.
“As long as it takes.”
She turned, her long black hair whipping around her face and body. Tears were streaming from her lilac eyes, which were puffy from crying. “They’re gone.” She finally met his gaze. “I felt each of them, one by one, disappearing from my mind, Doctor. My own mother’s screams are echoing in my head… she was the last to die, you know. They kept her alive to torment me. Do you know what it feels like to have no one in your mind to touch? That the last thing you hear is your people pleading for you to save them and there is nothing you can do?”
“More than you realize,” the Doctor replied gently. “My people are gone too. We were a telepathic race, you know. My mind has been empty for… ages. But I couldn’t go back no matter how much they begged I had to listen to them all die, screaming, as my planet burned.” To prove it, he reached toward her mind with his own.
She gasped softly, her eyes filled with emotion. “Stop it! It’s not the same!” she shrieked.
The Doctor pulled back mentally. “I was the same way, Princess. The pain doesn’t go away but it does get better if you have someone with you.” He held his hand out. “You have a son who needs his mum back.”
Sarash’ka looked up at the moon over head. “How can I take care of a child now, Doctor. I’m alone.”
“You’ll have me,” the Doctor whispered. “And Rose… oh, and Jackie! Jackie adored you. And that’s saying something; she hates me. And most importantly, you’ll have your baby. You’ll have someone you can mentally bond to again. One of your own species.”
She shook her head. “It isn’t the same. Humans are no substitute for my people. My family.”
“We can be your people, your family if you’re just willing to see it. Come away from there, Sarash’ka. Please? How do you know it won’t be fantastic? Having us as your new family…” Holding his hand out in invitation, the Doctor gave her a reassuring smile.
“And you would accept me without a second thought after what I have done?” She wiped away the tears with the back of her hand.
“So long as you tell Rose you’re sorry. I have friends that can give you an entire family background, all the protection you could ever need. It will be fantastic Sarash’ka. The Earth is a wonderful place if you just give it a chance.”
Her eyes softened and a smile ghosted across her lips as she eased along the narrow ledge of the building, reaching for the Doctor’s hand. She was less than a meter away when her body suddenly went rigid. Her eyes widened. “Oh Goddess…” she whispered as something dark trailed from the corners of her eyes. “They’ve found me…”
“Who found you? What’s happening Princess?”
She grabbed her head, squeezing her eyes shut tightly. “My head… They’re killing me…” She met his eyes fearfully. Her body jerked and her eyes widened, completely devoid of life, “Keep your mind closed Doctor. Or they’ll find you too,” she intoned before she tumbled sideways and fell.
The Doctor almost fell over the ledge of the building himself, reaching out desperately to grab her before she fell off of the ledge. But, he was too late and she was too far out of reach.
88888
The Doctor spent the next several days gazing blindly out of a window, completely ignoring the inhabitants of the flat. Several times, Rose had to spot her mum from accosting him, each time silently shaking her head and leading her away from the motionless figure. She was familiar with the Doctor’s moods. After the third day, Rose went with her mum to Tesco’s and explained quietly that it was a bad idea to approach the Doctor until he was ready to talk.
Though it nearly drove Jackie insane, she kept her distance afterwards. Rose had to give her mum credit… as much as she complained about the Doctor at times, she couldn’t resist trying to help when she saw him this distraught.
For days, the Doctor said nothing, did nothing, just stood motionless staring out of the window. Jackie didn’t even have the heart to complain about the TARDIS being parked in the living room. Then, one day, as Rose was walking through the living room, balancing a basket of laundry on her hip, the Doctor turned and met her eyes. Rose dropped the basket immediately and rushed over to him, taking his hands.
He said nothing at first, just pulled her into a warm embrace, his face buried in her hair as he inhaled deeply. “I’m sorry,” he eventually whispered. His arms tightened around her as he kissed her temple. “I’m so sorry…”
After a while, Rose pulled back just enough to look up into the Doctor’s eyes. “What happened?” she asked gently, reaching up and cupping his cheek in her palm. He closed his eyes, sighing as he nuzzled against her hand.
“I couldn’t save her. I had talked her away from the ledge…” His eyes were still closed, his voice low and full of pain. “She fell… I couldn’t save her.” He softly repeated his last four words like a breathy mantra.
“It wasn’t your fault Doctor,” Rose said quietly, trailing her fingers up and around the shell of his ear. His eyes drifted closed and he reached up and grasped her fingers in his trembling hand.
“And now you’re stuck. You’re stuck here and you’re pregnant and it’s my fault…” he stepped back, her hand dropping from his face as he moved.
Rose took his hand before he could pull away any further. “I’m sure you would have saved her if you could have. It’s not like you to just let someone die that can be saved.”
The Doctor brought his free hand up to her cheek and ran his thumb across her bottom lip. His eyes went to her mouth and lingered there before drifting to her eyes. “You really think so?”
“Yes.” She cast her gaze downward. “I know that better than anyone don’t ya think?” Images of her father holding her hand as he died filled her mind.
“I’m sorry, Rose…”
Rose managed a small smile. “Right. Moving on and moving forward… here and now, no looking back.” The Doctor gave a small, half-hearted laugh at her imitation of his usual tone. “I know I can’t go on trips while I’m carryin’ the baby. How long after do we have to wait?”
For some reason, Rose had always known it would end with the transfer not being made again. The moment she had regained consciousness on the TARDIS after the transfer, with a vague memory of it taking place, she had known that she was going to have to be the one to carry the baby. But she never would have imagined that it would have been because Princess Sarash’ka was dead.
The look in the Doctor’s eyes became even more anguished. “Fifteen at the earliest. Perhaps. Depending on how quickly his species reaches full maturity, or at least mature enough so that the background radiation from the TARDIS doesn’t cause problems.”
Rose felt her jaw drop. “Fifteen years?!”
The Doctor looked away. “It’ll be over before you realize it.”
“It’ll be… thirty four… no, thirty five years old!” Rose yelped. “What if you don’t want me to travel with you anymore? What if… what if… what if you find someone else?”
“How could I find someone else…” he said softly, then hastily added, “I’m going to be here with you.”
The Doctor looked toward the window and then pulled Rose over to it. He turned her to look out at the darkening sky. Already there were tiny dots of light sparkling in the sky. His hands came to a rest on Rose’s waist. “We’ll be back out there one day, together, I promise. We’ll visit every star… we’ll go back in time to see a star born, then go forward in time to watch it die. We’ll watch the birth of a new species on a planet the star warms and makes ready to support life and we’ll see that species learn and grow and develop…”
Rose’s heart beat faster as she felt the Doctor’s lips move closer to her ear and she could feel a soft flutter in her womb. Three months along. Fifteen and a half years to go. Then she could go back and play in the stars with the Doctor.
“You, me, the prince… and the TARDIS,” he whispered in her ear. “One small and reasonably happy family. Travelling through space and time. Together.”
Family? Rose blinked in surprise. She and the Doctor as a family? First a kiss and now the idea of a family with the Doctor? She felt as if she were dreaming.
"But, Doctor," Rose managed, breathless from the feel of him behind her and the promises he was whispering in her ear. "I'm scared."
"He's the last of his kind, Rose," the Doctor murmured gently. "The Lost Son of Shairek. By the time he's fifteen he will be a legend. I can already see it… His mother would have been proud if she had known."
There was no denying it. Rose would be the mother of a child she was in no way related to by blood. She had panicked at the thought of having to be a single parent and been afraid that she would no longer be able to travel the stars with the Doctor. But slowly all the fears and worries that she had harbored during the past few days were starting to be soothed away by his soft voice and gentle touch.
"There's no reason to be scared, Rose," the Doctor whispered. "No matter what, I will be here. I put you in this situation, I'll take care of you."
Rose's breath caught and she suddenly felt cold. Was he staying because he actually wanted to be with her or because he felt guilty about getting her pregnant with another woman's child? She turned her head to look over her shoulder at him. She had to know that she wasn't forcing the Doctor to stay... That he wanted to here with her, wanted to be here with the baby she was carrying. That he wasn’t staying only out of guilt and remorse.
Her questions died before they could be uttered as she felt the Doctor's cool lips upon hers. She responded immediately, opening her mouth to receive his questing tongue and turning in his arms to entwine her fingers behind his neck, holding him to her. His fingers spanned her back, applying just enough pressure to let anyone who might witness the kiss that she was his and he, hers.
This kiss was far less chaste than any they had previously shared. It felt as if the entire purpose of the kiss was to assure her that he did, in fact, want to be here. Not only because of the baby but because he would be with her.
After a moment, a sense of desperation worked its way into the Doctor’s kiss. He held her more tightly and his mouth became more aggressive as it possessed hers. Rose felt him nibble lightly at her lower lip before sucking it into his mouth. She moaned softly, pulling away only so she could dive right back in and return the gesture.
They never knew how long they had been standing there, kissing like lovers long denied. Or how long they would have been there if the sound of Jackie loudly clearing her throat hadn’t snapped the Doctor’s attention away from Rose. His blue eyes widened fearfully and he stepped hurriedly behind Rose.
A slight smile tugged at the corner of Jackie’s lips, belying the scolding tone in her voice when she said, “Right then, might want stop that, you lot. If you want to eat tonight, I need my daughter to help me cook supper.” She nodded toward the TARDIS. “Might want to move that somewhere that it doesn’t block the telly. There’s a new series premiering tonight and I don’t want to miss it.” She started toward the kitchen, continuing her casual banter. “Something about a crew of blundering idiots in Cardiff trying to save the city from aliens… Beth said it’s supposed to be really good according to the critics… Sounds like something you two might enjoy also.”
The Doctor and Rose blinked in confusion.
Jackie poked her head out of the kitchen. “Well get to it, then. TARDIS outside, Rose in the kitchen.”
When Jackie disappeared from sight again, the Doctor looked at Rose. “Who is that woman and what has she done to your mother?”
“Was about to ask you the same thing.”
88888
“What was that then?” Jackie asked, passing Rose a few potatoes to peel. The TARDIS had just finished dematerialising from the living room, and it would take a few minutes for the Doctor to get back from his parking spot and back to the flat. So Jackie saw this as the perfect time to start asking questions. “Oh, wait, let me guess… you needed for mouth to mouth so he gave it to you? Or maybe you had something in your eye he was helping get out?”
“Mum!” Rose yelped.
“I got a few more.” Jackie smirked slightly as her daughter turned a faint shade of pink. “Thought he told you that sort of thing would be a bad idea?”
“He did!” Rose squeaked. “I don’t know why he kissed me. You act like I know what goes on in that massively impressive Time Lord mind of his!”
“Is it really massive and impressive?”
Rose glared at Jackie, knowing from the amusement on her mother’s face that she very well wasn’t referring to the Doctor’s mind.
Jackie continued handing various items of food to Rose to prepare. Occasionally the girl would get a faraway look in her eyes and Jackie would bring her out of with a playful bump of the hip. Jackie was halfway through peeling a potato of her own when she realized something very important. “Oh my God! I’m goin’ to be a grandmother!”
Rose looked at her, surprised. “What?”
Jackie nodded toward the barely showing bump barely visible under Rose’s hoodie. “You’re having a baby, yeah? That means I’ll be a gran!”
“I… I don’t know,” Rose said quietly. She looked blankly at the carrots she was rinsing off, as if they would have an answer for her. “I’m goin’ to be a mum…” The vegetables dropped from her hands. “Oh my God. I’m going to be a mum. The mother of an alien.”
Jackie looked at her daughter. She had no idea how many nights she had worried Rose would come home, pregnant, with the Doctor’s baby. But she imagined that Rose would come home pregnant by the mother of a completely different species. She had always thought it would be the Doctor’s. Always… Just the way they looked at each other…
“What if something goes wrong?” Rose whimpered. “What if the people of Shairek and humans don’t have similar pregnancies? What if they have pregnancies that last… I dunno, 15 months? What if it only lasts 7 months? What if I do something wrong and he turns out to be a right little bugger? What if when the baby is born it bursts out of its mum’s chest?”
Jackie cocked an eyebrow. “I’m sure if something like that would happen the Doctor would have told you. Besides, he said the mums have another one as soon as they recover. So if they can recover and have another baby, then having them can’t damage them or anything.” Se pulled Rose into an embrace and stroked her hair. “I know it’s not the alien you wanted to be havin’ a baby for…”
Rose pushed away, frowning. “I don’t want have a baby for any alien Mum. I’m not ready! I didn’t have a choice! I’m not even twenty yet an’ now I got to spend at least the next fifteen years raising him and --” Her voice cut off as she heard the entry door open.
Jackie and Rose looked at each other when they heard the Doctor call for Rose. “In ‘ere!” Jackie responded.
Rose went back to rinsing the carrots, keeping her eyes on them as she did so. The Doctor breezed in, grinning proudly. He pulled a device that resembled a calculator from his inner pocket. “Ask me what this magnificent device is, Rose. C’mon.”
“Just tell me,” Rose groaned, never once looking up from her task.
The Doctor looked completely heartbroken over the fact Rose didn’t want to guess. Jackie took pity on the poor bloke and asked, “What’s that device then, Doctor?”
His face instantly lit up. Now she could see why her daughter fancied him so much. Yes, he was constantly asking for verification he was brilliant beyond human comprehension, but he got it, you were rewarded with that insanely excited grin. Not much different from a puppy learning a new trick and finally getting the hang of it, really. Jackie had to admit that he did look rather handsome when he smiled.
“This fantastic device will let us keep a good watch on the little prince as he grows,” the Doctor announced proudly. “I’m pretty sure there shouldn’t be any complications. But just in case there are, we have this to help catch it before it gets dangerous.” He gave the device a playful shake, and then realized Rose still wasn’t paying attention. The manic grin disappeared and he frowned. “Rose?”
Jackie took a step back as Rose chucked the carrots hard into the sink then ran out of the kitchen. A few seconds later they heard Rose’s bedroom door slam shut. “You really are an idiot, aren’t you?” Jackie huffed, glaring at the Doctor.
“What? I thought… Shouldn’t it make her feel better that I can keep a watch…” the Doctor asked. “Did I upset her?”
“Did it never occur to you that she’s scared out of her mind no matter how much she gets told she’ll be all right?” Jackie scolded. At the Doctor’s hurt expression, Jackie sighed heavily. “She’ll be all right in a few minutes, just help me out until she comes back, will you?”
Much to her surprise, the Doctor pocketed the device and trudged over to the sink without another word.
88888
Rose lay upon her childhood bed and stared up at the ceiling. She wiped her eyes with the heels of her hands and sighed. Why was she so scared? The Doctor had promised to be there. Odds were, nothing would go wrong with the pregnancy or the birth. She had nothing to worry about, so why did she feel like crying and then hitting the Doctor as hard as she could with a cricket bat… repeatedly.
No matter what her mum said, this couldn’t be natural. No woman would be this irrational, even whilst having their PMT’s. This felt like the PMT’s only five times worse. Her brain was buzzing with excitement and dread, happiness and sadness all at the same time. Along with a healthy dose of confusion at the Doctor’s most recent behaviour.
The kiss had been… fantastic. Like he had spent all of his 900 years to practicing for that very moment. There had been no mistaking his body language when he had held her tightly against him. Nor had there been any mistaking that firmness in the front of his jeans.
He wanted her. After all their dancing around it, there was no denying anymore that he wanted her. But now she didn’t know if it was just because he felt guilty about the baby or… Rose growled and pulled her pillow over her face to muffle a yell. She kicked her feet against her mattress in frustration.
Fifteen years! Fifteen years of living on the council estates she grew up on after hoping she would only have to return when visiting her mum. She screamed into her pillow again. It wasn’t fair. What had she done to deserve this? There had to be some sort of logical explanation for this happening to her -- beyond the fact the Doctor had done the transfer. There must be something on a karmic scale she had done to deserve this. She pulled the pillow from over her face, and jumped slightly when she saw the Doctor standing in her doorway.
“What do you want?” she snapped venomously.
“To say I’m sorry.” His gaze dropped to the floor and he shifted his feet uncomfortably. Rose felt her heart immediately melt.
“I’m sorry too,” Rose whispered. “Didn’t mean to snap at you. I’m just…”
The Doctor returned his eyes to her face and grinned faintly. “Frustrated? Angry? Happy, sad, worried, all at once?” He strode across the room and sat on the edge of her bed. Rose felt her heart beat faster as the Doctor leaned over her, putting a hand at the furthest side of her head to prop himself up.
“Why did you kiss me?” she asked softly.
“Did you not want me to?”
“No! I mean… yes… no… I wanted you to. I just want to know why. You’ve been on about it being a bad idea for ages. And suddenly… it’s all right. What changed?”
“Things change all the time Rose.” He used the hand not bracing him upright head to gently stroke her cheek. “I’m going to be here with you until he’s old enough to go on the TARDIS.”
Rose narrowed her eyes. “Get out of my room.” The Doctor looked perplexed, his mouth trying to form a question as he stood up. She sat up and glared at him. “You can’t just say ‘no’ for months and months and then suddenly, just because you’re stuck here, decide it’s all right to start returning the affections.”
“Rose…”
She picked up her pillow and swung it at him, only narrowly missing him when he jumped back. “Get out of here! I don’t need you here just because you feel sorry for me!”
Something flared in the Doctor’s eyes and he snatched the pillow out of her hands. Rose gasped as he leaned down, his face almost level with her own. “I’m not here because I feel sorry for you. I’m here because I made a mistake and I want to make sure nothing goes wrong with you or the prince. I kissed you because we’re going to be here for at least fifteen years. As far as I see it, I have no reason to hold back anymore.”
Rose felt her breath catch in her throat. It took her a moment, but she managed to respond, “Did you think I was going to leave? Is that why you suddenly see no… no rea--” she shook her head to clear it. “No reason… to… hold back?”
The corner of the Doctor’s lips pulled into a smirk. “Yes…”
Her heart skipped a beat. “You’re only here because you made a mistake…”
“A good mistake,” the Doctor said softly. “One I’d do again if I had the chance.”
She could feel all traces of her anger floating away. Rose grabbed the front of his jumper and yanked him forward for a kiss. He pulled away slightly at first but then leaned back in to return it. She had just pushed her tongue into his mouth when she heard a throat being cleared from close to her door. Pulling back, Rose’s eyes went to her door.
Her mother was standing in the doorway, eyebrow arched questioningly. “I heard yellin’ and thought I should make sure you hadn’t killed him. I’ve made tea if anyone wants some.” She nodded slightly then turned and walked away.
“We should get our own flat,” the Doctor suggested.
Rose grinned slightly. “What are we gonna use for money, then?”
“The money I have in one of my old accounts.”
Looking up at him, Rose gave the Doctor a confused expression. “What old accounts?”
Author: RamblingRose / irishlullaby
Rated: R... ish.
Beta Babe: crimedoc1
Disclaimer: DW & co are not mine. I am just playing with them.
Warnings: baby!fic, eventual adult situations.
Spoilers: Most of S1
Characters: Ninth Doctor, Rose, Jackie, Others.
Pairings: Nine/Rose
Summary: "If it's not what it looks like, then why does my nineteen year old daughter look pregnant?"
banner by angelfireeast
Chapter Three
The Doctor carefully approached the woman who was standing at the very edge of the roof over-looking Cardiff. “Sarash’ka… please…”
“You are going to keep after me until I come with you,” Sarash’ka stated.
“As long as it takes.”
She turned, her long black hair whipping around her face and body. Tears were streaming from her lilac eyes, which were puffy from crying. “They’re gone.” She finally met his gaze. “I felt each of them, one by one, disappearing from my mind, Doctor. My own mother’s screams are echoing in my head… she was the last to die, you know. They kept her alive to torment me. Do you know what it feels like to have no one in your mind to touch? That the last thing you hear is your people pleading for you to save them and there is nothing you can do?”
“More than you realize,” the Doctor replied gently. “My people are gone too. We were a telepathic race, you know. My mind has been empty for… ages. But I couldn’t go back no matter how much they begged I had to listen to them all die, screaming, as my planet burned.” To prove it, he reached toward her mind with his own.
She gasped softly, her eyes filled with emotion. “Stop it! It’s not the same!” she shrieked.
The Doctor pulled back mentally. “I was the same way, Princess. The pain doesn’t go away but it does get better if you have someone with you.” He held his hand out. “You have a son who needs his mum back.”
Sarash’ka looked up at the moon over head. “How can I take care of a child now, Doctor. I’m alone.”
“You’ll have me,” the Doctor whispered. “And Rose… oh, and Jackie! Jackie adored you. And that’s saying something; she hates me. And most importantly, you’ll have your baby. You’ll have someone you can mentally bond to again. One of your own species.”
She shook her head. “It isn’t the same. Humans are no substitute for my people. My family.”
“We can be your people, your family if you’re just willing to see it. Come away from there, Sarash’ka. Please? How do you know it won’t be fantastic? Having us as your new family…” Holding his hand out in invitation, the Doctor gave her a reassuring smile.
“And you would accept me without a second thought after what I have done?” She wiped away the tears with the back of her hand.
“So long as you tell Rose you’re sorry. I have friends that can give you an entire family background, all the protection you could ever need. It will be fantastic Sarash’ka. The Earth is a wonderful place if you just give it a chance.”
Her eyes softened and a smile ghosted across her lips as she eased along the narrow ledge of the building, reaching for the Doctor’s hand. She was less than a meter away when her body suddenly went rigid. Her eyes widened. “Oh Goddess…” she whispered as something dark trailed from the corners of her eyes. “They’ve found me…”
“Who found you? What’s happening Princess?”
She grabbed her head, squeezing her eyes shut tightly. “My head… They’re killing me…” She met his eyes fearfully. Her body jerked and her eyes widened, completely devoid of life, “Keep your mind closed Doctor. Or they’ll find you too,” she intoned before she tumbled sideways and fell.
The Doctor almost fell over the ledge of the building himself, reaching out desperately to grab her before she fell off of the ledge. But, he was too late and she was too far out of reach.
88888
The Doctor spent the next several days gazing blindly out of a window, completely ignoring the inhabitants of the flat. Several times, Rose had to spot her mum from accosting him, each time silently shaking her head and leading her away from the motionless figure. She was familiar with the Doctor’s moods. After the third day, Rose went with her mum to Tesco’s and explained quietly that it was a bad idea to approach the Doctor until he was ready to talk.
Though it nearly drove Jackie insane, she kept her distance afterwards. Rose had to give her mum credit… as much as she complained about the Doctor at times, she couldn’t resist trying to help when she saw him this distraught.
For days, the Doctor said nothing, did nothing, just stood motionless staring out of the window. Jackie didn’t even have the heart to complain about the TARDIS being parked in the living room. Then, one day, as Rose was walking through the living room, balancing a basket of laundry on her hip, the Doctor turned and met her eyes. Rose dropped the basket immediately and rushed over to him, taking his hands.
He said nothing at first, just pulled her into a warm embrace, his face buried in her hair as he inhaled deeply. “I’m sorry,” he eventually whispered. His arms tightened around her as he kissed her temple. “I’m so sorry…”
After a while, Rose pulled back just enough to look up into the Doctor’s eyes. “What happened?” she asked gently, reaching up and cupping his cheek in her palm. He closed his eyes, sighing as he nuzzled against her hand.
“I couldn’t save her. I had talked her away from the ledge…” His eyes were still closed, his voice low and full of pain. “She fell… I couldn’t save her.” He softly repeated his last four words like a breathy mantra.
“It wasn’t your fault Doctor,” Rose said quietly, trailing her fingers up and around the shell of his ear. His eyes drifted closed and he reached up and grasped her fingers in his trembling hand.
“And now you’re stuck. You’re stuck here and you’re pregnant and it’s my fault…” he stepped back, her hand dropping from his face as he moved.
Rose took his hand before he could pull away any further. “I’m sure you would have saved her if you could have. It’s not like you to just let someone die that can be saved.”
The Doctor brought his free hand up to her cheek and ran his thumb across her bottom lip. His eyes went to her mouth and lingered there before drifting to her eyes. “You really think so?”
“Yes.” She cast her gaze downward. “I know that better than anyone don’t ya think?” Images of her father holding her hand as he died filled her mind.
“I’m sorry, Rose…”
Rose managed a small smile. “Right. Moving on and moving forward… here and now, no looking back.” The Doctor gave a small, half-hearted laugh at her imitation of his usual tone. “I know I can’t go on trips while I’m carryin’ the baby. How long after do we have to wait?”
For some reason, Rose had always known it would end with the transfer not being made again. The moment she had regained consciousness on the TARDIS after the transfer, with a vague memory of it taking place, she had known that she was going to have to be the one to carry the baby. But she never would have imagined that it would have been because Princess Sarash’ka was dead.
The look in the Doctor’s eyes became even more anguished. “Fifteen at the earliest. Perhaps. Depending on how quickly his species reaches full maturity, or at least mature enough so that the background radiation from the TARDIS doesn’t cause problems.”
Rose felt her jaw drop. “Fifteen years?!”
The Doctor looked away. “It’ll be over before you realize it.”
“It’ll be… thirty four… no, thirty five years old!” Rose yelped. “What if you don’t want me to travel with you anymore? What if… what if… what if you find someone else?”
“How could I find someone else…” he said softly, then hastily added, “I’m going to be here with you.”
The Doctor looked toward the window and then pulled Rose over to it. He turned her to look out at the darkening sky. Already there were tiny dots of light sparkling in the sky. His hands came to a rest on Rose’s waist. “We’ll be back out there one day, together, I promise. We’ll visit every star… we’ll go back in time to see a star born, then go forward in time to watch it die. We’ll watch the birth of a new species on a planet the star warms and makes ready to support life and we’ll see that species learn and grow and develop…”
Rose’s heart beat faster as she felt the Doctor’s lips move closer to her ear and she could feel a soft flutter in her womb. Three months along. Fifteen and a half years to go. Then she could go back and play in the stars with the Doctor.
“You, me, the prince… and the TARDIS,” he whispered in her ear. “One small and reasonably happy family. Travelling through space and time. Together.”
Family? Rose blinked in surprise. She and the Doctor as a family? First a kiss and now the idea of a family with the Doctor? She felt as if she were dreaming.
"But, Doctor," Rose managed, breathless from the feel of him behind her and the promises he was whispering in her ear. "I'm scared."
"He's the last of his kind, Rose," the Doctor murmured gently. "The Lost Son of Shairek. By the time he's fifteen he will be a legend. I can already see it… His mother would have been proud if she had known."
There was no denying it. Rose would be the mother of a child she was in no way related to by blood. She had panicked at the thought of having to be a single parent and been afraid that she would no longer be able to travel the stars with the Doctor. But slowly all the fears and worries that she had harbored during the past few days were starting to be soothed away by his soft voice and gentle touch.
"There's no reason to be scared, Rose," the Doctor whispered. "No matter what, I will be here. I put you in this situation, I'll take care of you."
Rose's breath caught and she suddenly felt cold. Was he staying because he actually wanted to be with her or because he felt guilty about getting her pregnant with another woman's child? She turned her head to look over her shoulder at him. She had to know that she wasn't forcing the Doctor to stay... That he wanted to here with her, wanted to be here with the baby she was carrying. That he wasn’t staying only out of guilt and remorse.
Her questions died before they could be uttered as she felt the Doctor's cool lips upon hers. She responded immediately, opening her mouth to receive his questing tongue and turning in his arms to entwine her fingers behind his neck, holding him to her. His fingers spanned her back, applying just enough pressure to let anyone who might witness the kiss that she was his and he, hers.
This kiss was far less chaste than any they had previously shared. It felt as if the entire purpose of the kiss was to assure her that he did, in fact, want to be here. Not only because of the baby but because he would be with her.
After a moment, a sense of desperation worked its way into the Doctor’s kiss. He held her more tightly and his mouth became more aggressive as it possessed hers. Rose felt him nibble lightly at her lower lip before sucking it into his mouth. She moaned softly, pulling away only so she could dive right back in and return the gesture.
They never knew how long they had been standing there, kissing like lovers long denied. Or how long they would have been there if the sound of Jackie loudly clearing her throat hadn’t snapped the Doctor’s attention away from Rose. His blue eyes widened fearfully and he stepped hurriedly behind Rose.
A slight smile tugged at the corner of Jackie’s lips, belying the scolding tone in her voice when she said, “Right then, might want stop that, you lot. If you want to eat tonight, I need my daughter to help me cook supper.” She nodded toward the TARDIS. “Might want to move that somewhere that it doesn’t block the telly. There’s a new series premiering tonight and I don’t want to miss it.” She started toward the kitchen, continuing her casual banter. “Something about a crew of blundering idiots in Cardiff trying to save the city from aliens… Beth said it’s supposed to be really good according to the critics… Sounds like something you two might enjoy also.”
The Doctor and Rose blinked in confusion.
Jackie poked her head out of the kitchen. “Well get to it, then. TARDIS outside, Rose in the kitchen.”
When Jackie disappeared from sight again, the Doctor looked at Rose. “Who is that woman and what has she done to your mother?”
“Was about to ask you the same thing.”
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“What was that then?” Jackie asked, passing Rose a few potatoes to peel. The TARDIS had just finished dematerialising from the living room, and it would take a few minutes for the Doctor to get back from his parking spot and back to the flat. So Jackie saw this as the perfect time to start asking questions. “Oh, wait, let me guess… you needed for mouth to mouth so he gave it to you? Or maybe you had something in your eye he was helping get out?”
“Mum!” Rose yelped.
“I got a few more.” Jackie smirked slightly as her daughter turned a faint shade of pink. “Thought he told you that sort of thing would be a bad idea?”
“He did!” Rose squeaked. “I don’t know why he kissed me. You act like I know what goes on in that massively impressive Time Lord mind of his!”
“Is it really massive and impressive?”
Rose glared at Jackie, knowing from the amusement on her mother’s face that she very well wasn’t referring to the Doctor’s mind.
Jackie continued handing various items of food to Rose to prepare. Occasionally the girl would get a faraway look in her eyes and Jackie would bring her out of with a playful bump of the hip. Jackie was halfway through peeling a potato of her own when she realized something very important. “Oh my God! I’m goin’ to be a grandmother!”
Rose looked at her, surprised. “What?”
Jackie nodded toward the barely showing bump barely visible under Rose’s hoodie. “You’re having a baby, yeah? That means I’ll be a gran!”
“I… I don’t know,” Rose said quietly. She looked blankly at the carrots she was rinsing off, as if they would have an answer for her. “I’m goin’ to be a mum…” The vegetables dropped from her hands. “Oh my God. I’m going to be a mum. The mother of an alien.”
Jackie looked at her daughter. She had no idea how many nights she had worried Rose would come home, pregnant, with the Doctor’s baby. But she imagined that Rose would come home pregnant by the mother of a completely different species. She had always thought it would be the Doctor’s. Always… Just the way they looked at each other…
“What if something goes wrong?” Rose whimpered. “What if the people of Shairek and humans don’t have similar pregnancies? What if they have pregnancies that last… I dunno, 15 months? What if it only lasts 7 months? What if I do something wrong and he turns out to be a right little bugger? What if when the baby is born it bursts out of its mum’s chest?”
Jackie cocked an eyebrow. “I’m sure if something like that would happen the Doctor would have told you. Besides, he said the mums have another one as soon as they recover. So if they can recover and have another baby, then having them can’t damage them or anything.” Se pulled Rose into an embrace and stroked her hair. “I know it’s not the alien you wanted to be havin’ a baby for…”
Rose pushed away, frowning. “I don’t want have a baby for any alien Mum. I’m not ready! I didn’t have a choice! I’m not even twenty yet an’ now I got to spend at least the next fifteen years raising him and --” Her voice cut off as she heard the entry door open.
Jackie and Rose looked at each other when they heard the Doctor call for Rose. “In ‘ere!” Jackie responded.
Rose went back to rinsing the carrots, keeping her eyes on them as she did so. The Doctor breezed in, grinning proudly. He pulled a device that resembled a calculator from his inner pocket. “Ask me what this magnificent device is, Rose. C’mon.”
“Just tell me,” Rose groaned, never once looking up from her task.
The Doctor looked completely heartbroken over the fact Rose didn’t want to guess. Jackie took pity on the poor bloke and asked, “What’s that device then, Doctor?”
His face instantly lit up. Now she could see why her daughter fancied him so much. Yes, he was constantly asking for verification he was brilliant beyond human comprehension, but he got it, you were rewarded with that insanely excited grin. Not much different from a puppy learning a new trick and finally getting the hang of it, really. Jackie had to admit that he did look rather handsome when he smiled.
“This fantastic device will let us keep a good watch on the little prince as he grows,” the Doctor announced proudly. “I’m pretty sure there shouldn’t be any complications. But just in case there are, we have this to help catch it before it gets dangerous.” He gave the device a playful shake, and then realized Rose still wasn’t paying attention. The manic grin disappeared and he frowned. “Rose?”
Jackie took a step back as Rose chucked the carrots hard into the sink then ran out of the kitchen. A few seconds later they heard Rose’s bedroom door slam shut. “You really are an idiot, aren’t you?” Jackie huffed, glaring at the Doctor.
“What? I thought… Shouldn’t it make her feel better that I can keep a watch…” the Doctor asked. “Did I upset her?”
“Did it never occur to you that she’s scared out of her mind no matter how much she gets told she’ll be all right?” Jackie scolded. At the Doctor’s hurt expression, Jackie sighed heavily. “She’ll be all right in a few minutes, just help me out until she comes back, will you?”
Much to her surprise, the Doctor pocketed the device and trudged over to the sink without another word.
88888
Rose lay upon her childhood bed and stared up at the ceiling. She wiped her eyes with the heels of her hands and sighed. Why was she so scared? The Doctor had promised to be there. Odds were, nothing would go wrong with the pregnancy or the birth. She had nothing to worry about, so why did she feel like crying and then hitting the Doctor as hard as she could with a cricket bat… repeatedly.
No matter what her mum said, this couldn’t be natural. No woman would be this irrational, even whilst having their PMT’s. This felt like the PMT’s only five times worse. Her brain was buzzing with excitement and dread, happiness and sadness all at the same time. Along with a healthy dose of confusion at the Doctor’s most recent behaviour.
The kiss had been… fantastic. Like he had spent all of his 900 years to practicing for that very moment. There had been no mistaking his body language when he had held her tightly against him. Nor had there been any mistaking that firmness in the front of his jeans.
He wanted her. After all their dancing around it, there was no denying anymore that he wanted her. But now she didn’t know if it was just because he felt guilty about the baby or… Rose growled and pulled her pillow over her face to muffle a yell. She kicked her feet against her mattress in frustration.
Fifteen years! Fifteen years of living on the council estates she grew up on after hoping she would only have to return when visiting her mum. She screamed into her pillow again. It wasn’t fair. What had she done to deserve this? There had to be some sort of logical explanation for this happening to her -- beyond the fact the Doctor had done the transfer. There must be something on a karmic scale she had done to deserve this. She pulled the pillow from over her face, and jumped slightly when she saw the Doctor standing in her doorway.
“What do you want?” she snapped venomously.
“To say I’m sorry.” His gaze dropped to the floor and he shifted his feet uncomfortably. Rose felt her heart immediately melt.
“I’m sorry too,” Rose whispered. “Didn’t mean to snap at you. I’m just…”
The Doctor returned his eyes to her face and grinned faintly. “Frustrated? Angry? Happy, sad, worried, all at once?” He strode across the room and sat on the edge of her bed. Rose felt her heart beat faster as the Doctor leaned over her, putting a hand at the furthest side of her head to prop himself up.
“Why did you kiss me?” she asked softly.
“Did you not want me to?”
“No! I mean… yes… no… I wanted you to. I just want to know why. You’ve been on about it being a bad idea for ages. And suddenly… it’s all right. What changed?”
“Things change all the time Rose.” He used the hand not bracing him upright head to gently stroke her cheek. “I’m going to be here with you until he’s old enough to go on the TARDIS.”
Rose narrowed her eyes. “Get out of my room.” The Doctor looked perplexed, his mouth trying to form a question as he stood up. She sat up and glared at him. “You can’t just say ‘no’ for months and months and then suddenly, just because you’re stuck here, decide it’s all right to start returning the affections.”
“Rose…”
She picked up her pillow and swung it at him, only narrowly missing him when he jumped back. “Get out of here! I don’t need you here just because you feel sorry for me!”
Something flared in the Doctor’s eyes and he snatched the pillow out of her hands. Rose gasped as he leaned down, his face almost level with her own. “I’m not here because I feel sorry for you. I’m here because I made a mistake and I want to make sure nothing goes wrong with you or the prince. I kissed you because we’re going to be here for at least fifteen years. As far as I see it, I have no reason to hold back anymore.”
Rose felt her breath catch in her throat. It took her a moment, but she managed to respond, “Did you think I was going to leave? Is that why you suddenly see no… no rea--” she shook her head to clear it. “No reason… to… hold back?”
The corner of the Doctor’s lips pulled into a smirk. “Yes…”
Her heart skipped a beat. “You’re only here because you made a mistake…”
“A good mistake,” the Doctor said softly. “One I’d do again if I had the chance.”
She could feel all traces of her anger floating away. Rose grabbed the front of his jumper and yanked him forward for a kiss. He pulled away slightly at first but then leaned back in to return it. She had just pushed her tongue into his mouth when she heard a throat being cleared from close to her door. Pulling back, Rose’s eyes went to her door.
Her mother was standing in the doorway, eyebrow arched questioningly. “I heard yellin’ and thought I should make sure you hadn’t killed him. I’ve made tea if anyone wants some.” She nodded slightly then turned and walked away.
“We should get our own flat,” the Doctor suggested.
Rose grinned slightly. “What are we gonna use for money, then?”
“The money I have in one of my old accounts.”
Looking up at him, Rose gave the Doctor a confused expression. “What old accounts?”