Title: Your Wish Is My Command
Rating: T
Spoilers: Anything so far is fair game
Set: About two years after 'Rose'
Pairing: Established Doctor/Rose relationship
Author's Note: If you are looking for anything resembling a deep and meaningful plot you'd better go elsewhere. This is light, fluffy and sappy. Not to everyone's taste certainly but written in response to Jillybean's challenge on Time and Chips. Besides, we could all do with a little fluff every now and again!
One of the things about Rose that the Doctor always admired was her ability to make friends with those that others just brushed over. Wherever she went she picked up the waifs, strays and loners, and managed to make them feel special. Or normal at least. Watching her now, dancing in the best club the University of Mars had to offer, he couldn't help but smile. The two female archaeologists she had got chatting to had joined her on the dance floor and the three of them appeared to be having a great time. Archaeology was one of the disciplines that had fallen out of favour at this point in human history – why bother looking to the past when there was such an exciting future to look forward to?
He shook his head, wondering how humans managed to evolve as well as they eventually did when they could be so short sighted.
Anyway, in a world of astrophysicists and biotechnology experts, archaeologists were considered intellectual outcasts. Rose seemed to pick up on this prejudice as soon as she had gotten talking to the two women and had been making firm friends with them ever since. It also probably helped a great deal that they were two of the few approachable looking women in the room. Rose had expressed a desire to go out to a club and he had a feeling that she was really looking for female company and a bit of a girlie giggle. Which gave him a perfect opportunity to slip away and sort a few things out.
"Rose," he said, stepping up behind her, placing a hand on the small of her back and shouting to be heard over the music, "I need to do some stuff back at the TARDIS. I'll meet you back there later, okay?"
"You sure?" she asked, not wanting him to feel like she was abandoning him.
He nodded, "Yeah. You stay here and have fun."
The he smiled, deciding he should rephrase that, "But not too much fun, okay?"
She grinned, "You know me."
"Why d'you think I'm so worried?"
She giggled, leaning up to plant a brief, affectionate kiss on his lips. He had other ideas though and immediately deepened it, partly because he wanted to and partly to show anyone else who might have their eye on her that she was already spoken for.
Once they broke apart, he shot a quick grin and a wave at the two other girls and headed back off into the crowds.
He heard Rose try the lock eight times before she finally got her key in the right place, opened the door and stumbled through it. There was no doubt about it, she was completely sloshed.
"What did I tell you about not having too much fun?" he said, with a weary shake of his head as he went over to greet her.
She threw herself dangerously at him, and he gripped her firmly to prevent her from hurting herself.
"But m'fun," she protested, poking him in the chest, "'N you're no fun, Mr Leaver…"
"Yes, you're just a barrel of monkeys," he said drolly, "And I'm an idiot for not trying to drink myself unconscious. Silly me, hmm?"
She giggled, "Silly…"
Well, wasn't this just ruining his plans…?
"Come on then, you little drunkard," he said, dragging her along beside him, "Let's get you lying down before you fall down."
Rose pinched his bum in an uncoordinated manner, "You're naughty."
"Not tonight, dear," he said, arriving outside their room and opening the door with one hand, "I'd get alcohol poisoning by diffusion…"
There was a sulky look on her face as he sat her down on the bed, found her pyjamas and began to help her get changed.
"But it's my birthday," she protested.
He glanced briefly at his watch. It was already 1:20am.
"Indeed it is," he agreed.
"I'm 21!"
"Yep."
"I'm old."
"You're saying that to the man in his ninth century?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.
She giggled again, "You're not old….you're yummy…"
He grinned slightly, "Why do I put up with you?
"Cos I'm fantastic."
He couldn't argue with that.
Managing to lift her vest top over her head and replace it with her pyjama one, he then picked her feet up, swung them round and got her to lay down so he could tuck her under the covers. As he did so an idea hit him. There was one thing he could take advantage of whilst she was in this state which might help resolve a little dilemma he was having. When you could go anywhere in the universe how did you choose a suitable gift for the woman you loved?
"So," he said casually, sitting on the floor so he was at eye level with her, "What do you want for your birthday?"
Rose poked her arm, "One of them things so my head doesn't hurt."
He nodded understandingly. The hangover prevention drug that Earth had produced in the year 2243. He always kept a nice stock for occasions like this.
"It's in the infirmary," he said, "I'll get you one in a minute. What else do you want?"
She closed her eyes, already half asleep with a daft grin on her face, "A puppy."
Rose's eyes cracked open to see the Doctor looking down at her with his goofiest grin.
"What do you want?" she groaned, throwing the covers back over her head. They were immediately pulled away again and she grumbled in complaint.
"Happy birthday!" he explained, far too cheerfully before leaning over and kissing her.
By the time he pulled away, her winging was replaced by a contented sighed.
"That's not the worse way I've ever been woken up on my birthday," she admitted, sitting up and shifting over to let him join her, "It does help that your little miracle cure did its trick again."
"Oh, so you remember last night do you?" he asked with mock surprise.
She grinned, "Enough to know I had a good time and you put me to bed like a gentleman."
He shrugged, "I do have my moments."
There was a small noise from down next to the bed and Rose's smile turned to a frown, "What's that?"
It was The Doctor's turn smile now and he looked mightily pleased with himself, "Your present."
He bent down briefly and when he reappeared he was holding….
"A puppy?" Rose asked, not sure whether to be confused or surprised.
He nodded, grinning like an idiot, "Yep."
"It's a puppy," she repeated again.
"It's for your birthday," he explained, holding it out for her to take.
"But I don't like dogs," she said, looking apologetic, "I'm a cat person. I like kittens."
"But last night you said-".
"Don't you know enough about me not to listen to a word I say when I'm drunk?" she interrupted.
"Ah," the Doctor admitted, suddenly realising that his plan to get her the perfect present hadn't quite worked out as expected. He held the puppy up, examining closely and squinting.
"Well, it's quite like a kitten," he reasoned, "They're both small and furry…"
Rose gave him a sceptically look.
"Fine," he said with a sigh, getting up and leaving with the puppy. A few minutes later he returned with empty hands.
"What did you do with it?" Rose asked, looking mildly concerned.
"It's alright, I put it in the garden," he explained, joining her on the bed once more, "We'll give it to the next deserving kid we find."
"There's no puppy eating plants in there, right?" she checked.
"No," the Doctor said nonchalantly, "They died when I ran out of puppies to feed them"
She whacked him lightly in the ribs but her words of admonishment were cut off as she realised her hand had hit something hard in his pocket.
"What's that?" she asked suspiciously.
He bit his lip, suddenly looking the slightest bit apprehensive as he reached inside his jacket and pulled the small box out.
"I was going to do this later," he said sheepishly, "But I s'pose now is as good a time as any…"
He handed it over to Rose who took it in eager hands and opened it. Inside was a silver ring with the biggest diamond she had ever laid her eyes on.
"Oh God," she whispered, taking it carefully out and slipping it onto her finger to admire it properly, "It's lovely. Really, totally beautiful. The perfect birthday present. Thank you."
She threw her arms around his neck in a tight, grateful embrace.
"Er…It's not a birthday present," he admitted softly.
"Oh?" she asked, pulling out of the hug.
From his look alone she realised what he was getting at and her eyes widened.
"Oh! So this is…."
"Yep…"
"Wow…"
"Indeed…"
There was a long silence.
"I'm assuming you're saying 'yes'," he prompted hopefully.
She smiled, "Well, I'm still wearing it, aren't I?"
The Doctor reached over and cupped her faced, kissing her tenderly.
"I didn't know aliens did this," she said, snuggling into his arms.
"We don't," he admitted, "I'm embracing your earth culture. And it has the added bonus of being guaranteed to really annoy your mum."
She laughed, "You're terrible, you know that?"
"Yep, but you still love me."
"I can't imagine why."
"May be cos I do this," he said, bending down to kiss her again, letting his hands trail over her skin everywhere but exactly where she needed them.
"You know," she said, as she pulled away from his teasing with a thoughtful look on her face, "Mickey always tried to find me the perfect birthday present, but he never quite managed it. Got close a couple of times though."
The Doctor frowned.
"Do you mind not thinking about your old boyfriends when I'm kissing you?" he complained.
A wicked grin plastered itself across Rose's face, "But I've just realised what my perfect present is and why Mickey couldn't give it to me."
"Oh yeah?" the Doctor asked curiously, "What is it then?"
"You and that tub of banana ice cream in the freezer."
His eyebrows shot up, "Do you want me to bring spoons?"
She grinned, "I think we'll make do without."
He looked at her carefully, an intrigued smile playing across his lips. She certainly was an inventive little human, he had to give her that.
"Well, it is your birthday so your wish is my command," he offered.
Her mind raced with all the possibilities and a naughty grin plastered itself on her face.
"Now that is a present worth waiting for..."