A/N: Of COURSE I had to use the bio-dampers scene. How could I resist?
And I know why David had a change in suit from the production side now. His suits were custom made by the costume designer of Doctor Who from a material found from a pair of trousers in a high street store. It's a thin cotton material and easily damaged, and David used up all of the half a dozen or so made during the last series. The material, like I said, is uncommonly found, so they can't remake the suit again and currently only have one or something left. So that's why he's reverted to blue. Wow. I read too much.
So after that brief lecture, this is the last chapter. Everyone go 'awww'!
Chapter 35 – And So Our Intrepid Travellers…
Bad Wolf.
The two words had been echoing back and forth through her mind, ever since the Doctor had told her that's what wanted to take Rory. But Bad Wolf was herself…
That could only mean the Doctor was going to be in danger soon.
But at the cost of losing his son, what actions would the Doctor take against the Bad Wolf if, or more accurately, when he met it? He'd already proved he was willing to kill when it came to protecting his family, so would that mean…?
"Hey dreamer, you okay?" a soft voice asked in her ear, and Rose was soothed back to the real world by the Doctor's warm breath arriving periodically on the back of her neck.
"I was just thinkin'…" Rose started, unsure whether she should actually tell him or not.
"Don't strain yourself," the Doctor said with a grin, sliding next to her on the captain's seat and leaning forward, elbows on thighs with his chin in his hands.
Rose's face remained impassive however, raising her head to look at the Doctor's two brown eyes, seeing herself reflecting in their shine.
"Can I ask you somethin'?" she asked, not moving her gaze. The Doctor's eyes immediately seemed to be awash with guilt as he stared at her, sheepishly.
"If this is about that Lion King DVD, I swear that was just a phase…" he said quickly, but Rose was swift to cut him off with her expression of regret and sorrow. "What?"
"If you ever met the Bad Wolf again, and it was trying to take Rory…" She held her look. "…Would you kill it?"
The Doctor didn't answer straight away. He just lifted his head out of hands and turned around the face her, his usually cheeky grin replaced by a look of hard sincerity.
"Yes, I would."
Rose looked down at the floor, refusing to let her tears run as she knew that one day, the Doctor would be in danger and she would end up dying by his hands.
"But…" the Doctor carried on, searching out her hand and giving it a quick squeeze of reassurance, and she looked up at his almost free of injury face. "I would kill the entity, not the person holding the entity."
"Phew," Rose sighed with a laugh, leaning forward towards him. "You do that bloody deliberately don't you?"
"Mmm," he replied as they kissed softly on the lips. Rose lifted her hand to the Doctor's head in mid kiss, searching out the bump of concussion she knew would be there. He winced slightly and pulled away as her fingers traced lightly over a swell, pulling her hand off with his own.
"How's it feelin'?" she asked, and he again, didn't reply straight away. He reached up his own hand and traced his fingers gently down her cheek.
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about."
"Hmm?"
"I think I'm ready to leave now."
Rose just stared at him. "…I'm sorry?"
"I've already told Jackie, Mickey and Howard to pack. It's time we left these three to their own lives and got back to what we always did."
Rose continued to fix him with a dangerous glare. Slowly she raised her hand, bringing up four fingers infront of his vision and giving them a wave.
"Tell me how many fingers I'm holdin' up," she said slowly and plainly, but he simply knocked them away with his unbroken hand.
"Rose, you're not going to sway me on this. I don't care if I still can't red from green, I've had enough of sitting around."
"But…if the Bad Wolf comes back…" Rose started in protest, but the Doctor shook his head, holding her closer to him with a protective arm.
"I promise Rose, I will only take us where neither of us can be hurt for the moment. Then there's no need for the Bad Wolf to come back."
"But…"
"Shopping centres in space always have the maximum amount of security, then we'll go to one of the most secure R+R centres where we'll be the safest we've ever been. I'll have optional daily check-ups and there are guards everywhere to ensure our safety. Plus, I got these…"
The Doctor held up a hand with two, what looked like wedding rings clutched between his fingers.
"Bio-dampers," he said in explanation, and Rose hid her slight disappointment with a genuine smile.
"Thought you were gonna marry me then." She extended her wedding finger for him to slide on the ring.
"With this ring, I thee bio-damp," he declared, lifting her now ringed hand and giving it a kiss.
"What about Rory?" Rose asked anxiously, suddenly realising she didn't have him in her arms – relaxing only when she realised her mother had him. "Can't they detect him?"
"Doesn't give off enough energy," the Doctor replied, slipping on his own ring. "Wow, me, married…who'd want to marry me?"
"I do." Rose beamed, leaning forward and kissing him on the lips tenderly. The Doctor groaned at the cliché, but all the same, didn't refuse the kiss.
"And they totally can't find us now?" Rose asked as she pulled away.
"As long as we don't yell, I'm sure we'll be fine."
Rose sighed, knowing she was defeated. "Okay. You win. But…" She rested her hand on his arm and let it tighten into a firm grip around his wrist. "Look straight into my eyes Doctor, and swear to me that you're completely protected."
He didn't look away, but instead looked even harder into her eyes – almost as if he was flicking through her thoughts. "I am completely protected, Rose."
"What are you two talkin' 'bout then?" Jackie's voice suddenly interrupted from somewhere behind them, and the Doctor and Rose almost jumped in surprise. Caught off guard, Rose opened her mouth without even thinking to explain the Bad Wolf – but luckily the Doctor got there before she could.
"We were just talking about what we need to get Rory," he lied, getting onto his feet and offering a hand to Rose to help her up, which she took. "And I know the perfect place to buy it all! 'Transgalatic Hyperspace Hypergo Market'! Honest Rose, you'll love it! It's got everything! It's like the Universal version of Trago Mills!"
"Can't wait!" Rose laughed at him as she watched him dance over to the TARDIS doors, swinging them open majestically to the unloading passengers.
Jackie, Howard and Mickey came bearing suitcases and backpacks, wandering through the Console Room to the open doors at the other end. Just as Jackie was about to go out the door, she turned and handed the Doctor a bundle of blankets.
"Here's your son, by the way," she said, "and his eyes are gold again. …He's very weird." And with that, she disappeared out the TARDIS doors, followed shortly by Howard and Mickey. The Doctor took a glance at Rose, gesturing at the door with his free hand. "You coming?"
"Sure. I'll put Rory to bed first."
"Oh, okay," the Doctor said as he looked lovingly down at the sleeping child in his arms, rocking him back and forth gently. Rose stepped towards him and slipped her arms under the blankets, lifting the boy out of his father's grip.
The Doctor bent down to his son and kissed him on the forehead, before looking up at Rose and smiling as he put a hand on the side of her neck and leant forward – being careful not to crush Rory in the process – and kissed her lightly on the lips. He could feel her smiling against him as he drew away, before turning around to go out the double blue doors.
"Doctor?"
He looked back over his shoulder at her. "Yeah?"
"Are Rory's eyes gold or brown?"
"Brown," he answered straight. "Outside the TARDIS, anyway. If he comes in the TARDIS, they're gold."
"Any idea why?"
"Not the foggiest." He beamed, before turning to go again. "Don't be long," he added, and with that, he slipped out the TARDIS doors to Jackie, Mickey and Howard.
"Where's Rose?" Jackie asked him as he walked towards them, shrugging on his coat with his hands stuck in his pockets. He gestured behind him at the TARDIS.
"Putting Rory to bed."
She nodded understandingly, before looking at him, frowning.
"Are ya sure you're ready for this?" she asked, examining his outwardly appearance over with a casual glance. The Doctor just nodded sharply, taking his hands out his pockets and folding his arms in a determined way.
"Jackie, there may be two of you standing infront of me right now, but I swear if you so much as give Rose or Rory a bad word, you will wish that you'd never met me."
"Oh, Doctor's gone domestic," Jackie mocked, giving him a hearty playful shove, to which he winced and grabbed his ribs.
"Oi! I'm still on the mend here y'know."
She just ignored him. "Who'd 'ave thought it, ay? You and Rose parents! I never thought I'd say this – but I think you and Rose should sleep in the same bed from now on."
The Doctor went pale.
"…I'm sorry?" he asked, staring at her uncomprehendingly.
"You. Rose. Same bed," she said slowly and punctually, as if she were talking to a three-year-old.
The Doctor simply blinked.
"Doctor, you have a kid now. How's it gonna look if his parents don't even sleep in the same bed as each other?"
"…You're letting me sleep in the same bed as your daughter after what happened before?"
Jackie just sniffed. "I think I can trust ya not to do the same thing again, can't I?"
"…Probably," he muttered, unconvincingly.
"And if ya really can't stop yourselves, please take all precautions."
"Yes ma'am," the Doctor saluted, full well realising that he'd have to go to the Chemist's for all this, as all the items he had in the TARDIS were probably horrendously out of date.
"Another few things on the shopping list?" Rose asked casually from the doorway of the TARDIS, before stepping forward towards them and stopping next to the Doctor, her arms now free of Rory.
"Rose," Mickey suddenly piped up from the side, almost forgotten in the talking. "I think I am a bit of an idiot really, 'cause I still love ya."
"You'd do anythin' for me, wouldn't ya?" Rose asked with a grin, accepting the brief, yet warm hug from Mickey that followed. "I'll hold you to that, y'know."
Mickey pulled away and turned to the Doctor, extending a hand.
"Boss," he said strongly, and the Doctor grasped his hand in the firmest grip he could with his still partly crushed ligaments from Rose's own clutch, and shook it unwaveringly.
"Mickey," the Doctor replied, but no more needed saying after the thanking look they were both exchanging for reasons only the two of them knew. Mickey let go of the Doctor's hand, and with a final glance at Rose, he turned away and headed back to his own residence, alone.
"Doctor," came that Irish accent and the Doctor turned to meet Howard staring down at him with a characteristic Irish smile, and crippled as the supportive hand hit his shoulder again like a sack of bricks. "G'luck out there."
"Thanks," the Doctor replied weakly, struggling to keep his footing as the hand was lifted and Howard turned to Rose, kissing her on the cheek like a father to daughter relationship.
"Oh Rose," Jackie suddenly started, almost welling up into tears at having to say goodbye to her daughter for another time and gripping her into a tight hug. "Don't let him push you around!"
"Mum, s'fine. I have my trusty foot and a deadly aim if he steps outta line," she assured her mother as she drew away, and Rose turned to the Doctor, leaning against him and holding him close.
"I love you," she whispered into his chest, and he smiled, kissing her hair gently.
"Love you too."
They stood there for quite a long time, holding each other like they'd never let go. Rose knew she probably wouldn't. But as she felt his ribs beneath her hug, she realised she might be hurting him so she drew away. Then she was struck by a thought.
"Doctor, that night…after the crash…" Rose said after she had pulled away, looking up into his eyes. "D'you remember me tellin' you a story?"
He paused for a moment, turning it over in his mind, before he shook his head in a negative. "No. Why?"
Rose gave him a half-smile, perhaps slightly disappointed, letting go of his hand.
"It doesn't matter."
And with that, she had disappeared back into the TARDIS.
The Doctor stood staring at the double blue doors Rose had just went into for a moment, lost in his own thoughts. As he rounded back to Jackie, he saw Jackie and Howard sharing a rather romantic farewell between each other, before Howard stepped into his car, starting up the engine.
The Doctor stepped forward to the love engrossed Jackie, waving goodbye to Howard with her, as he pulled away onto the main road and merged into the dense thickness of the rush hour traffic.
"Jackie…?" the Doctor started, slipping his hands into his pockets again.
"Mmm?" she replied, not taking her eyes off of the fading green Pickup truck which was starting to disappear over the horizon.
"Do you believe…there's another living person that has the other half of your soul?"
Jackie smiled to both him and herself, not turning as the Pickup containing Howard O'Hanon disappeared from view.
"I know it."
A brief few seconds passed, before she turned back around to face the still battered Doctor, her arms folded.
"As for you mister," she started, and the Doctor instantly looked down to his shoes, expecting a long lecture on safe sex and how she didn't want another alien grandchild in the family. "I'm not gonna give you anymore of a hard time than I normally do, 'cause you're really in a league of ya own. What you did took guts, and the last thing I want is for you to go about mournin' for your dead and buried little girl, and neglectin' the boy that's still alive."
The Doctor began to shake his head in protest, but Jackie rested a silencing hand on his shoulder.
"I know you're gonna deny it, 'cause I know you inside out Doctor. But I'll tell ya what else I know." She smiled at him reassuringly. "You're gonna give that child an even better life than any parent could even imagine of givin' theirs. Now shoo, you gotta learn how to change nappies."
He grinned. "All I do is give and give!" he casually sang into the air, turning around to go back into the TARDIS.
"And look after Rose!!!" Jackie called after him angrily, and he mock saluted to her without turning around.
"No slime dripping six headed monster shall consume your daughter while I'm around Jackie!"
And with that, he jumped happily up into the air, clicking his heels together in mid-air, before walking on. As he reached the already open TARDIS doors, he groaned loudly, doubling over in pain, holding his legs.
"Won't be doing that again for a while," he grimaced, before straightening up, slipping through the TARDIS doors that promptly clicked closed behind him.
Then it happened. The familiar churning sensation of the TARDIS as the light began to flashing, pulsating in a steady rhythm, fading, fading, fading…until all that remained was Jackie Tyler, staring at a graffitied metal wall on the edge of the Powell Estate, still smiling.
Then she turned, two words floating through her mind.
Cuppa tea.
The
End
A/N: Of course, I'm giving out all my thanks again.
First and foremost, as always, to the reviewers and readers. Thank you SO SO SO SO SO SO SO much for staying with me throughout the whole of this, I know it's been a long fic. I'll be replying to all the reviews that are reply-able to after this chapter, so make it count! This is the most read story I've ever written and I love y'all to pieces for sticking with me for so long! YEAH!!! (Waves flag)
Second just HAS to go to my science teacher, Mr. Sutton. Without your lessons, the boredom and craving to write this fic would have never come! I'm not at leisure to enclose my name with this, by the way.
Third, to Curses. I really love you to absolute death, and when I say death, I mean it. I really, really, really, really, really, really love you.
Last - but definately not least - thank you brain and imagination. For witho;ut you, I would be a non-sensical rambler! Oh...wait...too late.
So this is me, signing off from The Long Meaningful Ramble.
I always liked that title.
P.S: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! (Without sounding like I'm begging too much, but I really do love to hear what y'all think and I will reply to all those that I can!)