Epilogue

Rose woke slowly in their bedroom on the TARDIS, the persistent ache in her lower back dragging her into consciousness. She sighed and rolled onto her side, resting a hand on the swell of her belly. She looked up and groaned before tucking her head back into her pillow. "It's been seven months, Doctor. How many more times are you plannin' on drawin' me?"

He grinned and continued his sketch, his glasses perched crookedly on his nose. "As often as I can. After all, it's not every day a hybrid human-Time Lord pregnancy happens."

Rose peeked out of her pillow, her one visible brown eye glaring. "Yeah, it'd better not be."

He snickered and ignored her. "I owe it to posterity to record this whole experience, Rose. After all, you never know when it might come in handy, sometime down the road."

She sat up reluctantly, rolling her shoulders. "Tell you what, how about you start planning our next pregnancy after this little one actually makes it out, yeah?" She yawned. "Kaylee wanted us to pop 'round, by the way. They're due to elect a Shadow Delegate soon, an' she's convinced it'll be River."

The Doctor's eyebrows climbed. "Isn't she a little young for that?"

"She's been workin' with the Shadow Proclamation for a few years now." She grinned, tucking her tongue between her teeth. "Besides, I wasn't that much younger than her when you dragged me off to explore the universe."

"Oi, I happen to remember you running to join me." He smiled softly. "A grin like that, you don't forget in a hurry." Rose smiled back at him, caressing her belly absentmindedly.

The stones on her ring were a brilliant gold.

FINIS

A/N: And that's the end! Thanks so much to all the people who read and reviewed—hearing that you enjoyed it makes it all worthwhile.