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Rose sat curled into the Doctor's side as they let their feet dangle out the open doorway to the TARDIS. The ship was floating above the same rocky planet they'd been hiking through just hours ago, though now it was a millennia in the planet's future. And a brilliant sunset played out in front of them. Finally.

The view was spectacular. Rose understood why the Doctor had initially wanted to take her here. Not only did the mountains glow a brilliant purple in the waning light, but the sky lit up in blues and greens, more similar to the Northern Lights, than the usual sunset on Earth. Farther up in the sky, where darkness had already taken a firmer hold, there was an amazing view of millions of stars as well as a few nearby planets the Doctor had pointed out.

"Mmmmmm," Rose hummed into her cup of hot coco, finally feeling cozy and full after the huge dinner the TARDIS had set out for them upon their arrival, "We should have just done this from the beginning."

"You're probably right," the Doctor chuckled, "Suppose I was too much of a coward though. This, what we're doing…it's very domestic, you know."

"Oh poor Doctor," Rose giggled and pecked him on the cheek.

"Oh yes. Poor me. A beautiful woman in my arms, a spectacular view, and all of time and space at my fingertips. How can I ever go on?" he said with sarcasm that was for once, not biting. Rose thought she could get emotional if she thought too hard about how this once angry and broken man could speak about his life this happily. So instead she decided to tease him to keep with the light mood.

"So a little bit of domestic isn't so bad then?" Rose grinned up at him, biting her tongue.

"Not if it's with you," the Doctor replied before catching that teasing tongue with his lips. The hot coco spilled somewhere out in the planet's atmosphere and neither one of them talked for a long time after that.

The Doctor was miserable…or at least he rather thought he should be. He was wearing some hideous red and white Christmas sweater that Rose had used truly unfair means of persuasions to get him to wear, sitting stiffly in the living room of a garishly decorated flat. He felt neutered. He felt humiliated. He felt…just the slightest bit excited to see what was in the brightly wrapped package with his name on it under the tree. And, he supposed, the scents wafting out from the kitchen where Jackie and Rose were busy cooking a small feast did make his mouth water just a little bit. And he was currently annihilating Micky in a game of chess…oh Rassilon, what had become of him. He was spending Christmas at Jackie's and very nearly enjoying himself.

He heard Rose's laughter filter in from the kitchen and couldn't help the reflex of whipping his head towards the most beautiful sound in the universe. Well, the most beautiful sound outside their bedroom, at least.

Mickey gave a loud snort and smirked once the Doctor looked back in his direction.

"What?" he growled at Ricky the Idiot.

"It's just…you are so done for, boss," Micky almost looked sympathetic but couldn't quite get that stupid knowing grin off his face.

"What's that supposed to mean?" the Doctor snarked back. The fact that he knew damn well what this human boy was talking about, and how very true it was, didn't mean he had to give Ricky the satisfaction of knowing it.

"Oh, you know exactly what I mean, old man. You are so in love with her that even a stupid ape like me can beat you at chess." Micky laughed and then moved a piece on the chessboard.

"What? But..What?!" the Doctor sputtered. Surely, he wasn't so transparent.

"Check mate, mate," Micky's smug grin now practically took up his whole stupid face. The Doctor looked down at the board that he'd rather forgot about. Sure enough Mickey had somehow caught him in a trap with the game pieces the Doctor had mastered before he was a year old. Just bloody brilliant.

"Well congratulations. One game out of seven. You really must be proud of yourself," he said sarcastically.

"Oi! Play nice boys," the Doctor couldn't help the way his head snapped around once more to follow Rose's every move as she entered the room dusting flower off her hands. He resolutely ignored Micky's loud guffawing, a feat easier to manage when Rose slid onto the sofa beside him and rested her head on his shoulder. "Hello," she smiled up at him.

"Hello," he replied stupidly, too distracted by her dazzling smile to think of something brilliant to say.

"Dinner'll be ready in an hour, so Mum and I thought it would be a good time for prezzies, that ok?" she batted her eyes up at him and he would have agreed to anything in that moment.

"Er, sure," he managed.

"Brilliant!" she almost seemed to glow as she pranced over to the tree and started handing out presents. Beaming away like you're Father Christmas, he thought fondly, grinning at the memory from the day they'd first danced. Not danced danced, but it still had been the start of something.

"Like I said," Mickey whispered when Rose was just out of earshot rummaging through presents at the far side of the tree, "You are so completely done for."

Apparently it wasn't soft enough of a whisper though, because Jackie piped in. When had she even come into the room?

"He really is, isn't he," she nodded at him with a thoughtful look on her face. "Well," she gave a shrug, "if my little girl had to go falling for a mad adventuring alien, at least he loves her back. That's how I know he'll keep her safe."

"What!?" why was the Doctor spending all his time sputtering today? "What!? I…we're not…" his eyes narrowed at Jackie, "What did she tell you?"

Mickey hooted and Jackie rolled her eyes, "Nothing, sweetheart, but she didn't need to tell me, what with you both grinning like loons since you walked in the doors and floating around the flat like you have wings strapped to your feet. Rose hardly stopped humming the whole time we were cookin'. And you just confirmed any suspicion I'd ever had, so thanks for that." The wink she sent his way made him feel slightly ill.

"Mum!" Rose scolded as she set an armload of presents on top of the chessboard, though the effect was lessened by the deep blush spreading over her face and down her neck.

"Oh don't you 'Mum' me. Just tell me he treats you right and that he'll keep you safe," Jackie split her glare between an embarrassed Rose and a mortified Doctor.

"Of course, Mum," Rose murmured, staring at her feet, "We look out for each other. That's the deal. Right Doctor?"

"Always," he momentarily forgot the others in the room when she looked up to meet his gaze that was, of course, already fixed on her.

"Always," she whispered back, though he could easily hear her even from the other side of the room.

"Right!" Jackie broke the spell by punctuating the interruption with a clap of her hands, "Now that everything's out in the open, maybe we can finally get to the celebrat'n!"

"No complaints from me!" Rose grinned and proceeded to snuggle up to the Doctor on the sofa. Perhaps there were benefits from having their new relationship 'out in the open,' as Jackie had said. As Rose handed him the hastily wrapped package he'd been eyeing earlier with a huge, beaming smile, he decided that he may just survive this evening after all.

"Oh, and Doctor, you'll have a proper earth wedding. None of this eloping on Mars or whatever nonsense your lot does. And you'll bring the grandbabies round at least twice a week, and…," Jackie really was unstoppable when she got going. The Doctor groaned and buried his head in Rose's hair. So much for survival.

At least she was worth it.