Yep, you read that correctly. I recently deleted my archive of fanfiction, and I would respectfully ask that if you have any saved copies of my fics, that you delete them. I posted primarily to AO3, under the username HiddenTreasures / lastbluetardis.
They are my stories, my words, and I do not wish for anybody other than myself to have them. I am uncomfortable with the idea that unknown strangers have access to my words and ideas to use them in ways I have not authorized, or worse, for their own gains.
As per AO3:
What if the original creator deleted or orphaned their work, or posted it anonymously?
Even if someone deletes or orphans their work, or posts it anonymously, they still hold the copyright to their own work. If the original creator has chosen to remove their fanwork from the internet, or cannot be contacted, then please respect their decision. You cannot post, convert, podfic, or translate someone else's work without their explicit permission, even if you credit them or disclaim credit for yourself.
I personally have always taken issue with the fact that AO3 allows people to download other people's stories. It feels like a slippery slope to a load of other issues. I ask that you respect my wishes, as an author and fellow fandom friend, that you not keep my stories when I have chosen to remove them from the internet and public eye. I would also hope that if any other author requests the same, that you would respect their wishes as well.
Thank you for your time, and I hope you can understand my request 💜
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Apologies in advance – it's been a while, and I've clearly forgotten how to do this.
Fic : Night Blooms
Pairing: Nine/Rose
Rating : Adult
Length : 522 words
The air in the room was warm and sweetly scented by perfumed blooms, that grew wild in the gardens outside the open windows.
The room itself was bathed in a darkness softly kissed by flickering candlelight, and a ghost white moon.
It was a room of simple necessity, offering no more and no less than that which was required by weary travellers. The floor was plain wooden boards, aged and smoothed by time. The furniture was scant and simple; a chest of drawers, a mirror, a chair, and a bed.
In truth, they had only needed the bed.
Rose was curled up into the Doctor, lost in her dreams, but dangerously close to waking.
The Doctor let out a long slow breath as he considered the events of the night, and the inevitable consequences.
Rose stirred slightly in his embrace, before drawing back a little, opening her eyes and offering him a sleepy, content, smile.
Without even thinking, he smiled back, and where he held her, his fingertips brushed a soft caress across her skin.
She stretched a little, then curled back against his body again.
There was silence between them, but it was warm and comfortable and tender.
Then, after a while, Rose lifted her head and with wide, bright eyes she stared at the Doctor.
"I thought I was dreaming," she confessed, her words barely more than a whisper.
"Maybe you are." He held her gaze, watching her thoughts dance in her eyes.
Rose shook her head. "It's not a dream," she said, "it's real."
"What makes you so sure?"
Her tongue flicked to the corner of her mouth as she smiled. She moved in the bed, leaving the Doctor's embrace to take her place above him. Her eyes half closed as she straddled him, lifted, moved, adjusted, and then with an oh so soft gasp, she stilled.
Her eyes slowly opened and she looked directly into him, into his soul, into his hearts. "I know the difference," she said.
He hardened inside her, thickened, felt the warm, wet, tightness of her.
Reaching out a hand, he brushed a lock of her blonde hair behind her ear. Then allowed his fingertips to trail lazily down across her cheek, jaw, neck, breast and stomach, until finally letting his hand come to rest on her thigh.
"I wasn't supposed to fall in love with you," he told her.
Rose let out a breath and beamed a wide, bright smile. "Good thing you did though," she said as she began to move.
The Doctor held her gaze even as he lost himself in the slow rise and fall of her body.
He slipped a hand between them, where their bodies met. Long fingers began to stroke and tease as breathless, Rose arched and gasped.
Under his expert touch she lost her rhythm, swearing as she broke, shattered, flying and falling all at once.
The Doctor took her hand, anchoring her to him, as only moments later he followed her over the edge.
Breathless, they lay together as outside, clouds drifted across the moon, and the scent of the night blooms filled the air
SUMMARY: Part fifteen of the just the bits in-between series: a collection of missing scenes taking place between or during each episode of series 2.
doomsday. Tells the story of how the Doctor went from losing Rose at Canary Wharf to finding her on Bad Wolf Bay, with past missing scenes of their time together that detail just how he was able to do so. chapter 6: The Doctor runs into a past acquaintance, who has something she'd like him to have.
TAGS: missing scene, hurt/comfort
Read on AO3: doomsday, ch. 6
“There are so many things I wish I could say to him and… and now I’ll never get the chance.”
Rose had once said that to him, the day they had sat on Mickey’s floor. The Doctor had wondered what she would have said to Mickey, and more importantly, why she had wanted to say it. Later, she had confirmed her relationship with Mickey was difficult, and there was a lot unsaid between them. That those unspoken words were the ones she regretted the most. She’d never told him how much he meant to her, and the Doctor had wondered how one could ever possibly put that into words – especially one where words weren't often used.
“He knew, though,” the Doctor said absentmindedly, without really meaning to. Shareen hummed somewhat in agreement.
“How about you, what was the last thing you ever said to Rose?”
Real Talk, guys. Should I publish a 12k Human Nature rewrite without a definitive word count on the Family of Blood rewrite. Or should I try to make the Human Nature itself a two parter so it can end in the right episodic place or should I just finish the entire arc and then portion it out after? Full Season rewrites are so much, guys. Don't do it.
I can also link the fic it's attached to but I don't want to just shamelessly plug it into this post cause this post isn't about promoting my fic. I just need advice. Love you guys. <3 Thank you!
Edit: This is a part of a larger season 3 rewrite btw!
Edit 2: I split it. But it didn't end at the natural end but the combined was 16k. And I'm not even actually done with the ep. Huzzah.
Additional Tags:
Feel-good, very gentle angst with of course a very happy ending, Budding Relationship, early series one, the Doctor needs a hug and he gets one, Affection, inspired by me having a very bad period in life
Summary: How much can a little act mean?
To the Doctor, from Rose, a lot.
The first time the Doctor was taken aback by Rose Tyler’s extense of her feelings for him was when she walked up to him in the console room one morning. It would be a normal morning - now look at him, using the daytime terms like they existed on the TARDIS - except that Rose looked painfully shy, clutching something nervously in her hands.
The Doctor frowned.
He certainly hoped that she wouldn’t admit again to breaking something in one of the TARDIS’ many rooms accidentally.
He still wasn’t able to fix the microwave in the third galley on the right of the stairs. Or that Dyson hairdryer from 2023, although he suspected it wasn’t Rose’s fault - the blasted thing looked flimsy and of poor quality even without Rose using it.
The Doctor wasn’t truly angry about it, really, but there was something exhausting in the way that Rose Tyler could find herself in trouble on a daily basis.
The Doctor crossed his arms and asked with a hefty dose of suspicion, “So what’s the matter with you today?”
He narrowed his eyes and then let his prickly countenance fall when he saw Rose blushing furiously and avoiding his stare.
If she crumpled that something between her hands any further, it would probably turn into dust from all the pressure.
The Doctor hated making Rose uncomfortable. While it was true that it wasn’t in his nature this time to be tolerant to all things domestic and overly emotional, it was also in his nature now to attune to what Rose was feeling - and how she was feeling, to be precise.
It was still too much, too human, too strange for him sometimes, the way humans and Rose in particular viewed the life they were leading and how they coped with everything that happened during their travels. More often than not, the Doctor needed to be alone, to let the darkness of the past overcome him, to grieve without being interrupted or without being offered support he felt that he didn’t deserve.
And yet, these days, he was more prone to stay in the vicinity of his human companion, to let her know that he was within her reach should she need something, be it to talk things out, to compartmentalise, to express her plans or wishes for future trips, or just to spend some time together without really interacting.
Like it happened with him fiddling with something in the ‘mechanic’s shop’ - as Rose called it - and her sitting on a stray armchair, provided by the ever-present TARDIS, reading one of her inane fashion magazines from her own time on Earth. Or with him actually providing assistance to Rose when she wanted to figure out how the washing machine and the dryer from the 43rd century Quoshua worked.
“This,” Rose gestured grandly at her favourite pair of jeans dirtied with blue and green patches of ‘alien goo’, “would be too hard to explain to my mum, and I doubt ‘Persil’ or ‘Tide’ would be good enough to wash it out,” she explained with a healthy dose of sarcasm. It irritated and amused him simultaneously.
“Lots of work, you are, Rose Tyler. It’s all lamenting and grumbling with you,” he replied, but secretly he was pleased with her taking their life in stride, ruined jeans or not.
And so, the Doctor worked on softening his posture - and his stare - to show to Rose that it was safe for her to explain what was happening that morning.
“No mornings on the TARDIS!” his mind threw at him.
“Rose’s morning, then,” the Doctor replied to himself placatingly.
“It’s okay, Rose,” he said and offered her a smile. He hoped it looked genuine. It was genuine, he truly lov-liked Rose and was happy to see her. But he had this face…a military man’s face, weathered, worn, strict, and he wondered if a smile looked suitable on it.
Rose looked at him, finally, and the Doctor pressed his lips into a thin line upon seeing her so surprised.
Maybe the smile looked too forced, after all.
Before he could form a better smile, Rose walked to him quickly, pushed something in his hands, catching him by surprise, and blurted something out.
The Doctor fumbled gracelessly, reeling from the sudden actions and his companion’s strange behaviour, but finally managed to hold the item in his hands and look at it closely.
It was his jumper.
The olive-green one with a seam on the front.
Then Rose’s words caught up with him.
“You did what?” he asked incredulously, and then shook his jumper out, bringing the middle of its front closer to his eyes.
He then turned his head to Rose, still surprised.
“I mended the holes from the burns,” she replied quietly, cheeks flushed, and tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. “I know how much you love this jumper, and so I tried to hide them.
She still sounded shy, and maybe even a little guilty, although he couldn't understand why she'd feel so, but the Doctor couldn’t quite analyse her behaviour closely at the moment.
The Doctor was trying to get a hold onto his own emotions.
He was trying hard not to cry.
He couldn’t remember the last time that someone had shown him this much consideration without expecting anything in return. Since the Time War, there wasn't really anybody who would show him kindness. Compassion, maybe, judgement, hatred, pity…
But nobody had shown him such a simple yet such a deep act of kindness.
Just to him. Just for him.
For the first time in decades, he was the first on somebody's mind. Someone had thought of him, of making him feel good, of considering his feelings.
Somebody cared if he got sad because his favourite jumper got ruined.
The Doctor closed his eyes and felt the time slowing around him. He didn’t have the habit of manipulating the time often, but in that moment, he needed some time to himself.
He was on the verge of a breakdown that was long-coming, and as much as he knew that Rose would never judge him for it, he didn’t want her to witness it.
Oh, Rose…
The Doctor knew that Rose liked him well enough, maybe considered him a mentor figure or a good friend, but this…
This was telling.
And suddenly it was too much for his broken hearts.
Something tightened inside of him painfully, and he had to suppress a gasp that threatened to burst out of his throat along with a wave of sobs that would wreak his body.
And then a stray thought ran through his mind, and it made him laugh a little.
Where on Earth did she find this jumper? He clearly remembered throwing it to the hamper in the medbay after he’d healed the burns on both of them. They got splashed with some hot, oily fluids while they were helping to fix an engine on an alien planet. Croltz, the year 5007. The Doctor had gotten the brunt of it while covering Rose, and mercifully, she got away with only several tiny specks of oil on her right arm.
Needless to say, the Doctor’s burns were healed by the time they got to the medbay, and so he let Rose go after a quick session under a dermal regenerator and a basic check-up.
He was grumbling about his ruined jumper all the time, though, although he made sure to thank the universe for taking his leather jacket off before fixing the engine.
Could Rose have gone back and taken the jumper?
Could the TARDIS have helped her?
He wouldn’t know why the TARDIS would do that, since she knew that he had at least three same jumpers in store in the wardrobe room.
And yet, his frankly magnificent time ship felt that Rose needed to do that for him.
The Doctor shook his head, and, still with a smile on his face and a strange trembling in his hearts, turned to face Rose, who was looking at him with concern in her eyes.
“Doctor? Are you okay? I’m sorry if I upset you, I know I’m a terrible seamstress, I’m sorry if it looks bad, I just…” Rose tried to explain herself, noticeably anxious, her words uneven. “You just love that jumper so much, I hoped to make it right for you to wear again.” Rassilon, she sounded so defeated, the Doctor thought. He hated it. “I’m sorry I ruined it further. The TARDIS probably could find a place to mend it better.”
Without thinking twice about it, the Doctor hugged Rose tightly, crumpling the jumper between his hands on her back. He felt Rose freeze for a moment, either surprised or unsure of how to react to his sudden burst of emotions.
In three seconds, though, she was hugging him back just as tightly, her chin on his shoulder, patting his back softly.
The Doctor would forever remember that moment of pure happiness that Rose Tyler gave to him.
Their embrace lasted several moments, and then the Doctor let go of Rose with an awkward chuckle.
Rose smiled at him, visibly relieved.
“You aren’t upset or angry, then?” she asked tentatively.
The Doctor grinned and waved his jumper cheerfully.
“Got my best friend by my side and my favourite jumper back? Now why would I be sad, Rose Tyler?” he said, and watched with nervous anticipation as she laughed and gave him her patented tongue-in-teeth smile.
“Tell you what,” the Doctor started suddenly, “you go and get ready for a breakfast out. Waffles and hot chocolate in the Alps sound good enough for you?”
The Doctor watched as Rose nodded enthusiastically and hurried back to her room. Emotions were still bubbling in him, but not nearly as overwhelming as several minutes ago. He sighed, scratched the back of his head and walked to his room to wear the mended jumper for the morning outing.
In his room, the Doctor chuckled lightly when he saw that the jumper was indeed, mended terribly, noticeably on the front and on the right shoulder. And yet…he couldn’t bring himself to care about that. Rose had given him a gift more precious than a hundred of new, premium-quality jumpers.
And so, he shrugged on his trusty leather jacket and headed to the console room to set the coordinates for Switzerland, 2035.
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Sequel to Neither Here Nor There. Definitely read that before reading this!
Rating: T
Pairing: 10th Doctor X Rose Tyler
Work Summary: Rose and the Doctor are eager to get back to their old life of travel and adventure, but it's not as simple as running off into the stars. They now have two different universes to call home, their relationship to figure out, and a lot of recovering to do.
Chapter Summary: The Doctor meets Tony Tyler.
Chapter 3
Rose woke to the feeling of someone running their hand through her hair. She smiled and turned her face towards where she sensed the Doctor sat on the bed next to her.
“Morning,” she said softly.
“Not quite,” the Doctor chuckled, “It’s just about late-afternoon.”
Rose blinked her eyes open and stared up at him grumpily, “Then why’d you wake me up?”
The Doctor smiled down at her, “There’s a little boy downstairs who would very much like to see you.”
“Tony!” Rose grinned, fully awake in an instant, and trying to batt away the blankets she’d somehow become tangled up in. She gritted her teeth against the pain that shot through her abdomen as she struggled to raise herself to a seated position. The Doctor tried to help, of course, but she held him back with a look. She’d never get better if he did everything for her. As it was, her muscles were protesting profusely at the simple act of sitting up and getting herself turned around to dangle her legs over the side of the bed. But there wasn’t any time to think about that. In true Tony fashion, her little brother was making quite the commotion in the hallway. She couldn’t wait to see him. Although…
“Did Mum explain things to him?” she asked the Doctor nervously. “I don’t want him to think…maybe we should wait…he’s so little and he may not understand -”
“I am NOT little!” a defiant voice came from the doorway, “You missed my birthday. I’m five-years-old now.”
Rose felt her whole face lift with happiness, all worries about scarring her brother for life out the window. “Oh, c’mere you!” she giggled, reaching her arms out to receive a hug from the grass stained kid who had indeed grown up a lot since the last time she saw him.
Tony’s defiant pout morphed into a grin of delight. He raced towards Rose and leapt onto her bed. She held in the wince the jarring movement caused and braced for his embrace, but Tony stopped just short of returning the hug she offered.
“Mum says you’re breakable now. She said you’re like that model plane Dad gave me that I broke when I spun the propeller too hard,” he looked her over with some reservation.
“Oh nonsense!” Rose started, but feeling the Doctor stiffen beside her, she amended, “I’m not breakable, it’s just…remember that time you broke your arm?”
Tony nodded sagely, “Oh yeah, that hurt a ton. But I won the bet! Becca said that I couldn’t get to the top of the statue, but I did! Do you have a broken arm?”
Rose laughed, “Something like that. Remember how it hurt to use your arm for a while, and at first it even hurt if you moved around too much.”
“Oh yeah,” Tony wrinkled up his nose, “The ambulance ride was too bumpy.”
“Exactly!” Rose said, “I’m not breakable, it just hurts if I move too much.”
“But they gave me medicine that made my arm feel better! We should call Uncle Mickey! He knew the doctor who gave me the goofy juice. Then you’ll feel better! Oh! And then Dad can take a video of you being all silly like he did me!” Tony was so proud of himself that Rose had a hard time contradicting him.
“That’s good thinking, but I know someone who has even better medicine than you got for your arm. It doesn’t make me silly though, just sleepy.”
Tony looked slightly put out that his brilliant idea wouldn’t solve everything.
“C’mere you! Give me a hug already!”
Tony eagerly complied, wrapping is small arms round Rose’s neck and squeezing just a little too hard. Before the Doctor got overprotective about it, Rose tickled Tony’s ribs and he leapt away giggling madly. The sound of his laughter was absolute bliss to Rose’s ears.
“Oh, I missed you, you little monkey!” Rose said, throwing an arm over the little boy’s shoulders.
He snuggled into her side and looked up at her with wide eyes, “I missed you too, Rose. Loads! It was even worse than when you were at school because we couldn’t even talk with the tablet. Mum and Dad were so sad all the time. I think everyone thought you weren’t ever coming back.”
“Probably,” Rose agreed, “Did Mum tell you why I was away for so long?” she wanted to know what the Doctor had told her mum and how much of that Tony knew.
“Mum said that some bad guys took you and you were in space the whole time!” Tony said excitedly, “Were you really in space? Like the stories you tell me about the Doctor?”
Rose smiled and reached her unclaimed hand to lace her fingers with said Doctor who had been remarkably quiet the past couple minutes. “Oh yes,” she said and watched her little brother’s eyes light up, “I was in space. On a giant space station!”
“Wow!” he said in awe.
“But it wasn’t really like the stories about traveling with the Doctor. I was stuck in one little room the whole time.”
Tony looked disgusted, “But that sounds boring!”
“It was!” Rose agreed to the half truth. The kid only needed to know so much, after all. “But I had someone special there to keep me company.”
Tony looked up at her questioningly and finally seemed to notice the Doctor. His eyes went round as saucers as he recognized the hero from every bedtime story Rose had ever told him. Rose’s eyes got a little misty as she thought back on the many times she’d dreamed of the two of them meeting.
“You’re…You’re the Doctor!” Tony said delightedly, wriggling out from under Rose’s arm to get a better view of the man kneeling behind her on the bed.
“Indeed!” the Doctor grinned, crawling out of bed to stand next to them, “And you, you’re Tony Tyler!”
“Uh-huh!” Tony said, “Are you really an alien? Do you fly through space? Where’s your blue box? Are you going to take Rose away again? Can I go with you too? Oh! I want to see the farting aliens! Those are my favorite!”
Rose and the Doctor both laughed at Tony’s exuberance. Not one to be starstruck, this kid who grew up having playdates with the President’s grandkids and making appearances at fancy galas.
“That’s an awful lot of questions, Tony Tyler!” the Doctor replied, “Let’s see: Yep, I’m really an alien, although to me, you are the alien. Yep, I do fly through space. And time as well. That’s your sister’s favorite part,” the Doctor winked at Rose as they both remembered what convinced her to drop everything and run off with him. “What else? My blue box is parked round front. You probably didn’t see it because I landed in the middle of all those tangly bushes, but we can go take a look later. Rose can come with me if she wants when I leave, but I promise, we’ll always come back to visit. Maybe you can come along too…” Rose cleared her throat meaningfully and he added, “When you’re older and Jackie and Pete say it’s ok.”
“Awwww,” Tony whinged. “But I want to see the farting aliens!”
“How about this,” the Doctor said, “When you’re old enough to come along with us, our first stop will be to find some farting aliens. Some nice ones. Some very nice and safe ones. Sound good?”
Tony thought about it for a minute, “Yeah, ok. But I’m almost old enough, I think.”
“Molto bene!” the Doctor cheered, “I’ll make sure those farting aliens are ready for you.”
“Awesome!” Tony crowed, “Oh man, Becca will be sooooo jealous!”
“Who’s this Becca then?” the Doctor asked.
“Oh, that’s his frenemy,” Rose laughed, then added at the Doctor’s clueless look, “Frenemy, like a friend and an enemy.”
“Oh, I see,” the Doctor nodded.
“They’re going to get maaaweeed someday. Isn’t that right Tony-boo,” Rose teased.
“Eeeewwwee!” Tony shrieked, “Never never never! Do you know how many cooties she has?!”
Rose laughed, but the Doctor cocked his head, looking concerned, “Oh dear. Cootie infestations are a serious matter.”
Brilliant. He was going to give Tony nightmares hunting after some nonexistent cootie monster. Rose gave him a warning look, which he, of course, ignored.
“Oh yes,” he said to Tony’s wide-eyed look, “Very serious. And very contagious! I should have a look around that school of yours. Maybe it’s something in the water…Oh! Oh there!” he pointed dramatically to Tony’s right shoulder.
“What!?!” the little boy squealed, almost falling off the bed to try and see what the Doctor was pointing at.
“A cootie!” the Doctor cried, “There…just there!”
“Nooooo!” Tony howled as he swatted violently at the air around his head and shoulders.
“Oh yes!” the Doctor said, stepping over to where Tony was teetering dangerously on the edge of the bed, “Here, just hold still…hold perfectly still and I’ll…Gotcha!” the doctor crowed.
“What?! Lemme see! Lemme see!” Tony said excitedly.
“Are you sure? Are you absolutely sure you want to see the fearsome creature that is the cootie?” the Doctor asked seriously, keeping his hands cupped as if he had caught something.
“Yes!” Tony bounced excitedly, and this time Rose couldn’t hold back the grimace as the mattress shook. Luckily the boys were quite distracted.
“Alright, are you ready?” the Doctor egged Tony on.
“Yes!” Tony cried. “Yes yes yes!”
“Cootie!” the Doctor cried, opening his hands to show absolutely nothing. “Oh no! It escaped! But wait, I see it! It’s right here!” the Doctor reached out to tickle Tony’s arm. “No it’s here!” now he was tickling Tony’s ribs, “Or is it here?” The doctor asked while waggling his fingers menacingly at Tony’s chin.
Tony shrieked with laughter and ran out of the room, yelling about cooties at the top of his lungs. The Doctor looked at Rose with the happiest, most smug smile on his face. She couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh you wound him right up. I’ll just let you answer to Mum when she comes up here hunting after ya for it.”
At the Doctor’s startled look, she just laughed harder. She laughed until, exhausted, she had to lean over against the headboard.
“Oh, that felt good,” she sighed happily, “and didn’t even hurt that much. I’m knackered though. A couple minutes with Tony will do that to ya on a good day. Was he too much?”
“Tony? Naw, he’s brilliant! But of course he would be,” the Doctor grinned down at her, “Just as you described him.”
Said brilliant little hellion could he heard screaming all the way up and down the hall until he barged back into her room.
“They’re gone!” He said triumphantly, “I’m faster than the cooties!”
“You are,” Rose agreed with him, “Mr. Speedypants.”
Tony beamed at her.
“TONY ALAN TYLER WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT CAUSING A RUCAS! YOUR SISTER IS RECOVERING!” Rose could hear Jackie bellow as she huffed up the stairs after her son.
“It’s fine Mum,” she called back.
When her mum thundered into the room it was all Rose could do to keep a straight face. She knew very well how much her mum hated when Rose “undermined her parental authority” by laughing when Tony was naughty.
“You!” Jackie thundered at Tony who, for his part, looked mostly unrepentant, “What was all that hollering about?”
“Cooties,” Tony said seriously. “There was an infestation.”
Jackie turned to the Doctor, “And where did Tony get that idea?”
The Doctor winced, “I maaay have mentioned a little something about it.”
“Yeah, the Doctor is magic and he can see cooties!” Tony explained, his excitement evident as he bounced from foot to foot.
Rose wasn’t up for witnessing a three way row and the Doctor seemed to noice.
“Tony!” He exclaimed, “Rose told me you have an excellent rock collection. Can I see it?”
“Yeah!” The boy gave a few happy hops. He grabbed the Doctors hand and started dragging him out of the room, jabbering the whole time, “I have red ones and sparkly black ones and, oh! I have a trilobite fossil! I have some from a volcano in Iceland and one that tastes like salt…”
Just before he left the room, the Doctor paused to look back at her. She grinned and mouthed a thank you and then he was being dragged down he hall to Tony’s room.
“I don’t know what on earth I’m going to do with those two,” Jackie sighed hands on hips as she watched them go.
Rose settled back in bed and sighed, “I think it’s sweet. I always thought they’d get on well.”
“I suppose,” Jackie conceded, a smile overtaking the scowl on her face as she looked in the direction of Tony’s nonstop jabbering echoing down the hall. She turned back to Rose, “I just worry you’re not up for it, sweetheart.”
“M’ alright mum,” Rose yawned, “M’ not made of glass.”
Jackie walked over and sat on the side of the bed, facing Rose. “You’re not alright sweetheart,” she said, taking Rose’s hand. “Not yet.”
“Mum don’t…” she trailed off, not wanting to go there. She looked up at the ceiling, willing away the tears that always felt so near the surface lately.
“The Doctor told me what happened to you, to the both of you,” Jackie said softly.
Rose refused to meet her mum’s eyes. “Yeah, I thought he might.” She hated Jackie knowing, hated anyone knowing what had happened to her, how helpless she’d been and how low she’d been driven.
“What’d he say?” She asked, hoping that he’d not been too thorough in his recounting.
“Not everything, I reckon,” Jackie said shrewdly, “But he said why they hurt you, that you were there for a long time, and that it was very bad for you.” After a moment she added, “He didn’t give details.”
Rose nodded and swallowed thickly. “Right,” she said, “That’s good.” Rose found she was immensely grateful that the Doctor had taken on the task of explaining everything to her mum. She couldn’t have done it, couldn’t have rehashed it. She didn’t want any part of it now that it was over.
Her mum opened her mouth and Rose dreaded what she’d say. If she said she was sorry or that everything would be alright, Rose didn’t think she could stand it.
“Pete’s on his way home.”
Rose let out a relieved breath and finally met her mum’s eyes, “Oh, good!”
“He’s all caught up on what happened, so don’t worry about any of that. He’s just over the moon to have you back, sweetheart. He’s missed you so much. We all did. If it’s ok with you, I thought I’d call Mickey too?”
“Yeah, ok,” Rose said, even though she wasn’t sure she was up for seeing him just yet. Though she loved Micks dearly, the thought of having yet another person fussing over her made her anxious. It was all rapidly becoming overwhelming. She hadn’t given much thought to all this visit entailed. She had the Doctor and the TARDIS and all of time and space in her home universe, but if she wanted to also have a home here, there were things she’d have to do. There were so many people to notify, friends to call, and probably a few meetings with the family’s PR people before she’d have to do some kind of media interview. It turned her stomach to think about it.
Jackie seemed to sense the reservation in her voice and set her hand on top of Rose’s. “I’ll invite him round tomorrow for tea,” Jackie said. “And then we’ll just keep things to the family for a while, let you rest up a bit. I’ll give the staff a paid vacation - don’t think they’ll complain,” her mum smiled and patted her hand, “We won’t do anything else until you’re ready for it, alright?”
“Thanks,” Rose breathed, relieved she could put all that off for a while yet.
“You ok if I step out for a mo to call Mickey?” Jackie asked.
“Course,” Rose said, “No promises I’ll stay awake though.”
“Go right ahead back to sleep, love. I’ll tell Tony to let you rest. Though there’s small chance he’ll listen,” Jackie rolled her eyes.
“Oh I dunno, I reckon the Doctor’ll keep him occupied for a while. Wake me up when Pete’s home, yeah?”
“Of course,” Jackie said, getting up to move toward the door, “Get some rest, sweetheart.”
Rose nodded and eased herself lower in the bed. She turned her face into the pillow the Doctor had been sitting against and drifted off with a smile, comforted by his scent and the happy sound of Tony and him chattering down the hall.
Day 21 of 2022's 31 Days of Ficmas
@doctorroseprompts
Prompt: Nutcracker
Rating: T (mild sexual content)
Pairing: 12xRose (AU)
Summary: Caught between the past and the present, Malcolm Tucker struggles between creating new memories with his youngest daughter, and reopening old wounds with his oldest. A Nuptial Necessity 'verse fic
2022 31 Days of Ficmas masterlist
AO3
“I think we should sign JJ up for ballet lessons.”
“What?” Rose looked up from her romance novel, looking over at her husband before following his gaze towards the sea, where their four-year-old was shrieking with laughter as Clara spun her around in circles. Smiling at the sibling moment, she turned her attention back to her husband. “You want to sign her up for ballet? Why?”
He shrugged one shoulder, carefully not to disturb the baby sleeping on his chest. Not a baby anymore. Little Olly would be walking unassisted any day, could reliably identify his parents by name (ma and da, respectively), and watched everything around him with curious eyes so like Malcolm’s. But for as big as he seemed awake, nestled as he was on his father’s chest he was still so young.
Smiling at the image of them together, Rose fumbled her mobile to take a few snaps before focusing on the conversation Malcolm had started but didn’t seem keen to continue.
“Why ballet?”
“She’s a little girl, little girls like ballet,” he said vaguely. “The… tutus, and the twirling, I just thought she might enjoy it.”
After so long, Rose knew him better than she knew herself, and just crossed her arms and stared at him, waiting him out. He tried to hide behind his sunglasses, then focused on the baby, making sure he was properly shaded by the umbrella and blanket, adjusting the teeny hat and slumber-heavy limbs.
“I just… think she’d like it,” he finally said. “When Clara was that age, she loved it, and usually I was the one taking her to class, and it was a great bonding time for us. I think it would be good for JJ – she gets some one-on-one with me, and exercise is always good, and she could make friends, and… I want her to have that experience.” He wouldn’t quite meet her eye, and Rose pursed her lips as she considered him.
He got this way sometimes; a bit lost in his head, and the past, trying to give JJ the same experiences Clara’d had. Of course they were in a much better position in nearly every way than Malcolm and Missy had been when Clara was the same age, but he was very conscious of making sure JJ got plenty of his time and attention. Rose sensed more to this story existed, but she trusted her husband’s intentions.
“If it means that much to you,” she agreed, “sure. We can ask her if she’s interested. Can you find her a studio or something? Handle all of that, then?”
“Yeah, of course. There’s one two blocks from home that’s got good reviews. I’ll book her in when we get back,” he lit up. “I think she’s going to love it.”
Rose looked towards her daughter, who was now alternating between running from the waves then chasing them back to the sea, squealing the whole time while Clara and Danny laughed and splashed her. “Me too.”
-
Six weeks later, Rose couldn’t tell whether her husband or daughter was more excited for her first dance class.
“Maybe we should get there early,” Malcolm fussed, checking his watch again. “There could be traffic.”
“You’re walking two and a half blocks, love,” she said patiently, “and she doesn’t have to be there for another hour, let alone when the class actually starts. JJ, sit and eat your carrots.” Taking another bite of her own meal, Rose realized she was the only one eating; Olly was more interested in squishing his hands in his mashed potatoes, Malcolm kept checking the weather, time, and route to the dance studio, and JJ wasn’t even at the table.
Already dressed in her black leotard and pink tutu, hair up in a bun, the four-year-old kept spinning in circles. “I’m practicing my turns, Mummy!”
“You’re gonna make yourself dizzy. Sit and eat, so you can make it through class.” Rose gave her a look, which was promptly ignored, if even seen. “Jennifer Jacqueline, I won’t tell you again.”
“Yes, Mummy,” she stopped immediately, eyes wide, plopping back in her chair and nibbling on a carrot.
Feeling only a little bad for breaking out the full name, Rose came around and kissed her daughter on the forehead, smoothing a few stray hairs into place. “I know you’re excited, but if you don’t eat you’ll be too tired to dance, and I don’t want you to miss any of it.” God, we really do become our mothers. I remember her sayin’ that to me before my first gymnastics class!
Meeting Malcolm’s gaze, she was filled with a surge of affection for her family and the life they’d built. “The time for dance class will be here soon enough, but for now, it’s dinner time. See, look at Daddy- he’s eating, so you should be too.”
Pouting almost as much as their daughter was, he reluctantly relinquished his mobile onto the table and picked up his fork, stabbing a few carrots. “JJ, did you know carrots make you dance better?”
“Really?” Not waiting for an answer, their budding ballerina shoved a handful of them in her mouth, making her parents laugh.
Returning to her seat and meal, Rose just watched as Malcolm spun yarn, his disciple hanging on his every word as the baby guggled happily beside her.
I just hope she loves this class as much as he wants her to.
-
Getting ready for bed that night, Rose listened with one ear as Malcolm regaled her with a minute-by-minute account of the ballet class; she’d heard it already at least twice from each of them, but the enthusiasm was contagious, and she was just glad it had gone well.
Turning off the bathroom light she padded across the room to the bed, skirting around to his side and climbing up.
“And her little face! I’ve never seen her take anything so seriously in her life, except for cake. I just- Hello.”
“Hi.” She straddled her husband, leaning forward and kissing him deeply which he reciprocated, running his hands over her.
Rocking languidly against him, guiding his hands to her curves, she let him get good and worked up before abruptly rolling away, stretching out on her side next to him facing him.
“The fuck?” He was adorably rumpled, baffled by her sudden disappearance, hands still cupping air where moments before had been her breasts.
“Why is this ballet thing so important to you?”
Malcolm slowly shifted down to face her, expression on the verge of sulking. “That was cruel.” He put his hand on her hip and she allowed it, but gave it a firm touch, silently telling him it can stay here, but no more.
“Babe.”
He sighed, grumbling, as he kneaded her hip and contemplated her question. “I… want to take her to see the Nutcracker this Christmas, at the Royal Opera House.”
“Okay.”
When she didn’t say anything else his expression brightened, palm attempting to slide around to her bum, but she returned it to her hip, raising an eyebrow. I know there’s more.
His expression turned mutinous, but eventually shifted to resigned, and he rolled onto his back. “When we first moved to London, I promised Clara I would take her. By the time I remembered, all the tickets were sold and we couldn’t get in. The following year I did remember, but when I surprised her with them she refused to go, said she was too old, it was for babies, et cetera.”
“That’s a shame.”
“Yeah, only I found out years later, she did want to go. That she’d been dropping hints for months which I’d admittedly missed, and was so upset I hadn’t said or done anything that she threw a fit. She’d wanted me to essentially grovel, I suppose, cajole her into it, and I didn’t. I mean, I did, I asked her a few times, said we could go for the first act and if she didn’t like it we could leave, but I suppose it wasn’t the dramatic begging she’d expected, and, well, after a few refusals I accepted her answer and gave the tickets away. I didn’t find out about any of this until she was, oh, seventeen, and we had a big blow out about it.”
Rose placed her hand on his chest over his heart. “You’re a wonderful father.”
He rolled his head to face her, smiling wanly. “I’d like to think so.”
“No, you are,” she insisted. “Both of your daughters would agree if they were here right now. Why did Clara think-”
“You never really know what your kids pick up on,” he said, cutting her off with an apologetic squeeze. “Apparently she’d watched me beg Missy for scraps of affection- not just for me, for both of us- too many times, and thought that was… I dunno… appropriate? That you shouldn’t give in until that happens? She obviously knows better now, but she was only a kid then, and you model what you see. We’ve talked it over, long since resolved it and forgiven each other, but…”
“But you still want to take your little girl to the show,” Rose understood, “and you’re afraid that if it looks like your idea, Clara’s feelings will get hurt.”
“Yeah.” He let out a breath like a weight had been taken off his chest. “And, I suppose I could just take them both, but… I don’t want JJ to feel like everything has to always include her siblings, especially Clara. Which sounds awful, but they’re at such different stages of life… I want this to just be me and her. And I feel like a shit father for wanting to exclude my child, even if she is an adult. Especially when she probably already feels excluded from our lives, at least as a child of this family.”
“Clara understands-”
“You cried when your parents took Tony to Disneyland Paris,” he cut her off again, rolling back onto his side to face her. “Rose, you sobbed so hard I thought you were going to be sick. And you were perfectly fine with it- at least as far as I could tell- until the night they left. And don’t say it’s different, because it’s not.”
Rose remembered that night, how she’d broken down after they’d called to tell her they’d arrived. How every excited chirp from her brother had felt like being stabbed in the heart, even though she’d given her blessing and been fully in favor of the trip until that moment. “Maybe Clara’s a better person than I am.”
“I love my child with everything I am, but Rose, no, she’s not. I mean, it’s about a picture perfect finish between you- not that it’s a race- but… no, she’s not.”
“Rude,” she pinched him, grinning. “You could take them each separately. Doesn’t it start early in December? Why not take Clara the first week, have that healing experience, then take JJ right before the holiday. This way you get to experience it with both daughters, they’re not overshadowing each other, and JJ never has to know you took Clara first.”
He stayed silent, mulling the idea over, and this time when his hand slid back, she allowed it. “Why are you so smart? It’s not fair, you’ve got such beauty and brains.”
“The blonde is dye,” she reminded him with a laugh. “And, I’ve got a different perspective on it. That’s why you love me.”
“Part of it,” Malcolm allowed. “All right, I’ll talk to Clara, see what she thinks – about her and I going, not the rest of it, at least for now.”
“Good.”
They laid there together in silence, almost nose to nose, and even after six years of marriage Rose was still overcome by the simplicity of his presence making her heart sing.
“So, can we…” he trailed off, and she laughed, obligingly rolling onto her back.
“Well, I suppose it’s only fair,” she said, feigning reluctance, and it didn’t take long for their laughter and teasing to turn to sighs and moans.
-
“Perfect,” Rose declared, putting down the hairspray. “You’re all set.”
“Wow,” JJ breathed, admiring her reflection. They’d gone shopping for a new dress specifically for the occasion, and Rose had given her the royal treatment – new earrings and a necklace, nails painted, some eye shadow and lip gloss, while white tights and shiny black ballet flats complimented the crushed velvet and tulle dress, and Rose’s heart twinged.
“You look so grown up,” she said softly, smoothing already-smooth hair just to touch her child. “Are you looking forward to your date with daddy?”
“Uh huh,” the little head bounced, pulling faces in the mirror. “I look so pretty!”
“Yes, you do.”
JJ turned then, throwing her arms around Rose. “Thank you, Mummy. Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
Oh, God, I’m gonna cry. Rose struggled to keep her composure, hugging her daughter tightly. “I love you so much JJ.”
A knock on JJ’s bedroom door pulled their attention, and Rose made her eyes big. “I wonder who that could be?” Stepping towards the door, she smiled at the giggling behind her as she opened it. “Oh, hello sir, can I help you?”
Malcolm grinned. “I’m looking for a Miss JJ Tucker. Is she here?”
“I’m here, I’m here!” she rushed forward, elbowing her mother out of the way only to stop dead. “Woah. Are those for me?”
Rose was glad to already have her mobile out and filming, as she managed to catch the surprise and delight as JJ saw the small bouquet of flowers he held.
“Indeed they are,” he knelt down to pass them to her, and they laughed as JJ stuck her face into them, dramatically sniffing.
“Thank you, Daddy,” JJ threw her arms around his neck, nestling into him. He held her close as long as she wanted, but his watery eyes were on Rose, and he mouthed thank you.
She just smiled, nodding, and eased the flowers from JJ’s hand. “I’ll put these in water for you, baby, and we’ll put them on your dresser so you can see them when you go to sleep and wake up.”
“Okay,” JJ said, frowning, but Malcolm distracted her, taking her hand and leading her away.
“Are we all ready to go?”
“Yes, Daddy. Can we meet any of the bal’rinas?”
Rose smiled as she followed them down the stairs, sniffing the flowers for herself – he’d picked them on his own, and they were perfect – bright pinks and soft purples, JJ’s favorite colors, with a few hints of blue. Still recording the moment for posterity, she captured the excited squeal their daughter gave at seeing Graham all dressed up like an old-fashioned driver, the town car decorated inside and out for the season.
Waving goodbye, JJ’s bright smile in the window, wonder written all over her face, made Rose’s heart sing.
Stopping the recording she shook her head, closing and locking the door firmly behind her before heading for the living room, where Olly was just waking up in his playpen.
“Looks like it’s mummy-son date afternoon as well,” she cooed, picking him up as he babbled her name. “What do you say we watch a movie? Yeah?” She blew a raspberry on the baby’s tummy, relishing his giggling.
One diaper change later they settled on the sofa, and Rose used the voice command to pick a movie.
Day 11 of 2022's 31 Days of Ficmas
@doctorroseprompts
Prompt: joy
Rating: T (mild)
Pairing: 10xRose (AU)
Summary: Sequel to "The Gift of Hope". Five years on, Rose and James are ready to begin the next chapter of their lives - a diploma in one hand, a diamond in the other, and plenty of room for their love to grow.
2022 31 Days of Ficmas masterlist
AO3
“Smile!”
Rose beamed for the camera, barely holding back her laughter as Hope shouted, “Teese!”
“I think you mean cheese, pumpkin,” James laughed, picking her up and sliding her onto his shoulders. “Cheese.”
“Tha’s what I said, Daddy. Teese!”
“Cheese. Ch, ch. Can you make that sound?”
“Teese!”
He just shook his head, giving Rose a fond eye roll. “Okay, baby, very good.”
“My turn for a picture with my girls,” Jackie cut in, tapping her foot. “It’s my daughter’s graduation day, thank you. From uni!”
“Of course.” They changed places, Jackie now with her arms around Rose while she held Hope, unable to help the proud feeling inside her.
It had taken a tremendous amount of effort, lots of tears and even more doubts, but she’d managed to not just get into uni, but actually make it through to graduation day. And she couldn’t have done it without the kind, generous, loving man making faces at their daughter to get her to laugh.
He caught her eye and smiled, blowing her a kiss which she returned, posing dutifully as the two adults she loved most squabbled over the pictures.
“Right, we should be going,” James finally said, checking his watch. “There may or may not be a couple of guests waiting at the café to celebrate our graduate.”
“What? Oh, I told you I don’t want a party,” Rose whined, putting her arm around his waist as they headed for the Tube together, Jackie and Hope holding hands and trailing behind them. “Really?”
He just laughed, shaking his head. “This is an incredible achievement, and a lot of people want to celebrate it with you. We’re just so damn proud.”
“Damn proud!” Hope parroted from behind them, making her parents laugh even as Jackie groaned.
“Little ears are always listening,” her mother said firmly, and Rose bit back a sigh; she hadn’t quite accepted James in their lives yet, despite being a steady and stable presence for going on five years, and making Rose happier than she’d ever been.
“Yes, they are,” she agreed meaningfully, making Jackie huff.
They had an entertaining ride on the Tube home; every time the next stop was announced Hope would repeat it, ask how many more stops, she and James would count them together on the map, then she’d turn and report the amount to Rose and Jackie – at which point the cycle would start over.
“I can’t believe how smart she is,” Jackie commented as they followed the pair out into the sunshine, watching as Hope sagged, pouting up at her father, and his dramatic sigh before swinging her up onto his shoulders, listening to her bright giggles. “She must get that from you.”
“James has a lot to do with it,” Rose shrugged, waving at her daughter when she twisted to see them. “He’s constantly working with her, and she doesn’t even realize it – just thinks Daddy’s playing with her. Her preschool teacher, Miss Clara, says she’s one of the top students. Friendly, outgoing, loves to help.” Almost overwhelmed with emotion she had to stop for a moment, tugging her mother’s arm so she would face her. Making sure James and Hope were out of ear range, she said softly, “I know you worry, and that my track record’s not the best when it comes to men – neither of ours are. But he is so, so good – to her, and to me. I wish you could see it, because someday, Hope’s going to ask why you don’t like him, and you’re going to be the one who has to answer her.”
Not waiting for a response she hurried to catch up to them, grinning at her daughter’s bright “Hi Mummy!” as if she’d been away for days instead of two minutes.
“Hi baby.”
Her own mother caught up to them then, taking Rose’s hand, and she squeezed back.
-
“Surprise!”
Rose laughed, stepping into the café as the lights came on and everyone cheered. “Oh my goodness, thank you!”
“Take, take, take,” Hope immediately chanted, pointing towards a giant cake with Rose’s face printed on it. “Mummy’s on a take!”
“Oh, God,” she groaned, looking at it – it was her graduation picture, but from preschool, not the recent professional one she’d had done. “Really, Mum?”
“It’s cute,” Jackie defended, “and fitting.”
Rose got pulled into the crowd then – a couple guests my arse, there must be fifty people here – and she accepted their congratulations gratefully, the whole time keeping one eye on the man who’d made everything possible. And not just the party – going back to school, raising Hope, being a cheerleader and shoulder to lean on.
I want to marry this man. But is he ever going to ask me?
-
The party somehow simultaneously flew by and dragged on forever – all Rose wanted was to get James alone. She was just starting to wonder if she’d have to kick people out when Jackie announced that she’d be taking Hope home for the night, her beloved granddaughter already half-asleep in her arms.
When Rose hugged and kissed them both goodbye, though, her mother surprised her by murmuring, “For the record, I suppose you could do worse. If you’re sure, you’re sure, and I’ll learn to live with it.”
“Oh… kay. Thanks.” Rose watched her curiously as James kissed the toddler goodbye, but thankfully Jackie’s exit spurred the rest, and within half an hour, they were alone in the café.
“Finally,” James groaned in relief, locking the door behind the last guest and closing the blinds. “Did you enjoy your party?”
“I did.” Arm in arm they made their way through the darkened shop and up the stairs to their private living quarters. “Thank you – for everything.”
Pausing at the door to their flat, he took a deep breath. “You’re welcome, but… it’s not quite over, yet.”
Before she could ask he pushed the door open, and her breath caught – the lights were off, but nearly every surface was covered in glowing candles, giving a soft, romantic air to the living room. Near the couch was a champagne bucket filled with ice and a bottle, and along the way stood easels with posterboard attached, each covered in pictures from the last five years.
“James…”
“Don’t say anything yet,” he said softly, guiding her towards the sofa. “Let me…”
Rose nodded, heart pounding. This is it.
Clearing his throat, he wiped his hands on his trousers before taking hers. “I am so incredibly proud of you,” he started, voice shaky. “Making it through uni can be challenging under the best of circumstances. I know it sometimes seemed there wouldn’t be any light at the end of the tunnel, but here you are now, standing in the daylight. I feel so honored to have been with you along this journey.” He breathed deeply, lacing their fingers together. “I don’t want to take away anything from this day. I want it to be all about you. There… there’s a question that’s been on the tip of my tongue for, oh, five years now? And… it’s up to you. We can open this champagne to toast to your graduation, or… I can ask my question. If you want it?”
She was already crying, tears streaming down her face, and she nodded. “I do.”
“Hey, hey, don’t skip ahead,” he chided with a wet laugh. “Let me do this properly!”
“Go on, then. ‘Cause we’ve done everything else the right way ‘round so far.”
James paused, then cupped her cheek, kissing her softly. “I love you, our daughter, and our life more than anything in this world,” he whispered. “Okay, here goes.”
Taking her hands again, both trembling, he stepped back and slowly knelt as she sobbed.
“You’ve made my life better from the first day you stepped into my shop. I want to spend the rest of my days loving you. Rose, will you marry me?”
“Yes,” she blubbered without hesitation. “Yes, yes, yes!” She threw herself at him, and they collapsed together in a laughing, crying, kissing mess.
“Yes?”
“Yes!”
Eventually he rolled her onto her back, his kisses changing in intent until she shoved at his chest. “Mhm, wait, hold on.”
“Why? You want some champagne first?” His hand slid suggestively down her hip to her knee.
“No, uh…” She struggled to sit up and he moved backwards, helping her up and guiding her to the couch.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, nothing, this is perfect, I just…” It was Rose’s turn to take calming breaths. “You know how you said it’s not quite over yet?”
“Yeah?” Then his eyes widened. “Oh, shit, I forgot-” He fumbled a box out of his pocket, cracking it open to show her a stunning solitaire. “It’s a full carat, white gold… if you don’t like we can get something else-”
She cut him off with a kiss. “I love it,” she breathed against his lips, letting him slide it on her finger. “That’s not what I meant, though.”
“Okay.” Perched next to her, her hands still in his he waited, eyes shining with love, and she savored the moment.
Knowing she had no rational reason to be nervous, she took a breath. “We’re gonna have a baby.”
“What?” He looked stunned, like he’d been hit in the face with a shovel, but a smile was blossoming. “Really? A baby?”
“Yeah,” she said tearfully, laughing at his awe. “You’re gonna be a dad.”
His expression cleared at that, giving her a stern look. “I am a dad,” he said pointedly. “This doesn’t change anything regarding Hope.”
An anxiety she didn’t even know she’d had eased. “I know. I’m glad you feel that way, though.”
He reached out a tentative hand, pressing it flat against her belly. “How? When?”
“Well when a mummy and a daddy love each other-” she cut herself off with a giggle when he rolled his eyes. “I took three tests this morning, all positive. Based on the calendar, I think we’re about six weeks in. My guess? That weekend away for my birthday was a bit too relaxing.”
“Six? That’s an improvement,” James teased, eyes bright and shiny. “Last time was twenty-six weeks.”
“Yeah, yeah, go ahead, make fun of the woman carrying your child,” she shot back. “See if it’s still funny when I’m imitating the Exorcist in the middle of the night.”
He shook his head fondly. “You know I’ll take care of you – all of you. You, pumpkin, and this new bundle of joy.”
Their eyes met, and Rose smiled. “I know you will. Now, I can’t have any champagne, but we’ve got a lot to celebrate before Hope comes home tomorrow!”
-
Mindful of his precious cargo, James stopped in front of the door for a few moments of quiet and peace before stepping out into the living room.
“Rose is sleeping,” he announced his presence, “but this one’s not.”
Jackie gasped, hurrying forward and beating out the rest of the waiting family- his mother, grandfather, and sister were right behind her though, and he eased through them towards the couch where Hope was dozing, the adults hovering around him, straining for the first glimpse.
Settling carefully next to her, he shifted his bundle to nudge his daughter- his oldest daughter, now- awake. “Pumpkin, wake up.”
“Wha’s goin’ on?” she asked, bleary-eyed and so like her mother, before she spotted the baby. “My baby’s here!”
“Yes, she is,” he said softly, “but she’s very new and doesn’t know anything yet, so let’s keep our voices down, yeah? We don’t want to scare her.”
Hope’s eyes went wide, and she immediately whispered as best she could, “Sorry sissy, don’ be scared. It’s okay.”
“D’you wanna hold her?”
She nodded, captivated, and he carefully positioned her arms before passing her over, keeping one hand on the baby’s bottom to help with the weight. “She’s heavy, so be careful.” The soft snick of a phone camera made James look up; the four adults were arranged around them, Donna and Jackie with their phones out.
“Where’s Mummy?” Hope asked, not looking up from her sister’s face. “Is she okay? It sounded scary.”
“It was scary,” he agreed, “but Mummy’s fine. She’s sleeping right now. Everyone’s okay.”
Hope trailed a tentative finger along the baby’s face, watching as she squirmed, then gasped when teeny fingers wrapped around her own. “Are you holding my hand, sissy? You can always do that. I’ll protect you.”
James’ heart swelled with love at how tender she was being, how much she’d grown up. It seemed only yesterday he was holding her, nearly at the beginning of this beautiful journey with Rose; now here they were, six months married, with two beautiful, perfect daughters. “She already loves you so much,” he promised. “You’re gonna be her hero. It’s a big job, but I think you’re up for it.”
“I can do it, Daddy,” Hope said, her mother’s determination shining through. “What’s her name?”
“Yeah, what’s her name?” James’ mother parroted.
“Maybe we should wait for Rose,” Jackie suggested, shooting Sylvia a dirty look, but he shook his head.
“No, it’s okay. Her name’s Joy Abigail Tyler.”
Hope gasped softly, gazing down at her sister with adoration. “That’s so pretty.”
“Joy?” Jackie questioned, at the same time his mother asked, “Tyler?”
James gave them both firm looks. “Yes. Joy Abigail Tyler.”
“It’s perfect, and she’s perfect,” his grandfather spoke up assertively. “Right, squirt?”
“Right, Poppy!” Hope finally tore her eyes away from her sister to beam up at him.
He patted her on the head, then said would-be casually, “As the oldest, and the one with the least amount of time left-”
“Dad-”
“I think, when Hope’s ready, I ought to be next. Welcome the little one into the family, you know, as the patriarch.”
Pressing kisses to his both daughter’s foreheads, and with a warning to everyone not to kiss the baby but to go wash their hands, he slipped away to leave them to their squabbling. Easing inside the bedroom, he fumbled in the dark for only a moment.
“’m awake.”
Relaxing at that he toed off his shoes and climbed into bed behind Rose, spooning her. “How you doing?”
“Okay,” she sighed, draping her arms over his, “but you’re havin’ the next one.”
“Deal.”
They laid in silence for a minute.
“How’s she doing out there?"
James hummed, kissing the back of her head. “Everyone’s in love. Mum’s mad that her name’s Tyler. Your mother’s mad that it’s Joy. Hope thinks she hung the moon, and we might have to sue my grandfather for custody.”
Rose laughed at that, but stopped almost immediately, groaning. “Don’t do that, don’t be funny. It hurts.”
“I know,” he kissed her again, tightening his arms around her. “That… was kinda scary. Next time, let’s go to the hospital, yeah?”
“I didn’t mean to not,” Rose grumbled. “I was at the doctor yesterday, she said it could be week! I thought it was Braxton-Hicks. Delivering on the bathroom floor was not my idea.”
“All’s well that ends well. We have a healthy baby, a loving family, and the best kid in the world.”
