Early Christmas surprise! Sorry for another long wait... lots of stuff happening... like moving to another country and then finding myself somewhat homeless :(
Buuuut today I went on an update-spree and even posted two Harry Potter/avengers One-Shots, in case someone likes that sort of thing :)
And I finally decided to embrace Twitter, come find me, if you want to pester me about updates, ask some question or just want to see me annoying bigots until they block me... awwww, good times. NyGiLu

Until then: I hope you all have amazing holidays and a fun start into the new Year. Guten Rutsch! As we say in German

Chapter 21

Home is...

Mrs Jules, or Amanda, as Rose was now allowed to call her, lived only two streets away and brought Dotty back home the next morning, with her own daughter, Claire, and Dotty chatting the whole time, about all the fun things they had done the night before. Rose and the Doctor could hear them even before they reached the door.

"You'd think after a night together, they would run out of things to talk about.", the Doctor grumbled, as he made his way to the door, to let the girl in, while Rose tried to hide in the kitchen, still in her nightgown. He opened the door, right when Amanda raised her hand to knock. She looked somewhat flabbergast to find him home in a suit and with totally wild hair, that might just have had Rose's hands go through them.

"Morning, Dad."; Dotty chirped and ducked beneath his arm to run inside.

"Morning, Dr Tyler.", Claire echoed and did the same. The Doctor had met some of the children and their parents during his trips to Dotty's school, Rose remembered and thought how to best make a run for the bedroom, since it now seemed like they were actually coming in and not just dropping Dotty off.

"Good morning.", the Doctor answered mechanically.

"Claire!", Amanda shouted, mortified, "We are NOT just running into other peoples' homes! And we are not staying. I am so sorry, Dr Tyler. We just wanted to drop Dotty off and can't stay, I have so much things to do today."

"That is... not a problem at all.", the Doctor answered quickly, unable to hide the relief in his voice, "It was very nice of you to bring Dotty home."

"Not a problem.", Rose could hear Amanda through the door.

"Bye!", Claire mumbled sadly, apparently back outside with her mother.

"Bye!", the others echoed and the door was closed again.

At least now Rose could just walk into the living room to ask Dotty how things were going, since the girl never much cared about nudity anyway. Not that she WAS in anyway nude. Just inappropriately dressed.

"Morning Dotty!", Rose chirped, cup on tea in hand, when she entered the other room and set down on the couch.

The muffled reply of "Morning!" came from Dotty's room, where she was putting away her things, before running back out and slipping onto the couch, cuddling up to Rose.

"Edith really liked the book.", she explained, "I think it might have been more than they expected."

"More?", Rose asked, her brow furrowed in worry, "I thought it was very pretty, seemed fitting."

"Yes, but you don't really know how much the people here spend for kids' gifts. And if you account for inflation...", the Doctor explained.

"Well, never mind now. So how was it?"

And Dotty launched into an hour long explanation about food, games and scary stories, her newly braided hair flying manically.

Later that day the Doctor looked at Rose in confusion, while Dotty had run into the workspace to try something she had come up with the night before. "I thought Dotty would be too mature by now to really have fun with braiding hair and silly stories."

"Why? I still think it's funny. Just remember how much fun Martha and I had with preparing for a night out."

"No, I much rather remember what happened after.", the Doctor admitted, grinning widely.

"Don't say that too loudly. Dotty might here you, and you know her opinion on the matter.", Rose teased, recalling the morning before.

"Can I have the phone?", Dotty interrupted them by shouting through the whole flat.

"Who do you wanna call? You just spend the whole night with your friends?", Rose called back, the Doctor flinching at the volume.

"Who says I want to call someone?", Dotty's confused voice appeared right behind the Doctor.

"No. Absolutely not.", Rose told her sternly.

"But I NEED the phone.", Dotty insisted.

"So do I. But once either of you two is through with it, I won't be able to. Rule Number One of living with Rose: Stay away from household items."

The Doctor flinched guiltily.

"What did you do?", Rose hissed, her arms crossed in-front of her chest.

"I kind of needed the toaster for something.", he admitted quietly.

"The toaster.", Rose echoed, "The toaster I JUST bought? THAT toaster?!"

"Ahm...", the Doctor started to uncomfortably rub the back of his neck, "Welllllllll, kinda. Yes. I needed..." His voice trailed off, but Rose wasn't letting him off the hook THAT easily, instead simply looking at him sceptically.

"I needed parts of the wiring.", the Doctor finished lamely.

"And it HAD to be the toaster I need for breakfast, instead the wiring from an old one you could have bought somewhere?"

"Wellll, this one was at hand.", the Doctor seemed to realize by then that there were some holes in logic. Mainly when it came to his harmonious home-life.

"I will replace it.", he tried carefully, with Rose still simply looking at him.

"And I will do it right now!", he finally declared, grabbed his valet and keys and made his way to the door.

"I'll come!", Dotty proclaimed, "I have questions about the time-vortex."

"And I'll set the table, so we can have a real breakfast, once you are back.", Rose informed them and returned to the kitchen.

"So... that's a no on the phone then.", Rose could hear Dotty tell the Doctor matter of factly back in the living room.

Rose had forgotten how easy it was to settle into a routine and watch time go by. She had hated it before, when Hendrik's had taken up so much of her time in a boring, wasting fashion. That routine had been a horrible, mind-numbing thing, that had sucked all the energy out of her. Her time stuck as a maid had been a weird, uncomfortable routine as well, but never really. There had been this constant fear and sense of danger and the revelation of her pregnancy had taken care of almost every sense of a normal day to day life.

And now? Now Rose was living in London in the 60s and she was, for the lack of a better term, happy. They had a routine, yes, but in a good way. It wasn't boring, it wasn't mind-numbing, it didn't feel like a waste. They all, in their own ways, had a goal to work towards, even if Rose suspected, they might differ quite a bit. Dotty had decided that living her life to the fullest didn't necessarily mean travelling. Although the Doctor and Rose were planning on a couple of week-end trips. Only this time by train. The Doctor was desperate to get them back to the TARDIS, back home, while at the same time constantly worrying about their safety and sometimes Rose asked herself, if he even noticed that maybe those goals clashed. She hated herself for thinking these things later, but right now their time and place was SAFE. Or at least as safe as it was ever going to get. And Rose loved the TARDIS. And she loved travelling with the Doctor, but her main goal right now was bringing a new life into the world and trying to protect her as best, as she could. Sometimes there was this mean voice in her head again, the one she swore never to tell the Doctor about, who had been so incredible, so helpful and so motivated in all he did for them. But Rose couldn't help to think back to that conversation she'd had with Martha, about maybe staying on earth. Of building a real home for her daughter and being surrounded by friends. It was alright for them, obviously, to travel from place to place, but was it fair to their daughter? Looking at Dotty now, who was too intelligent and so different from her classmates, but still loved spending time with them. How could she ever truly take that away from her child. To have a mate, like Shireen. Her poor friend, whom she hadn't visited in years. Rose vouched to bury these thoughts for now. It wouldn't do to upset the Doctor now, but once their baby became old enough they would have to have that conversation. Because as much as Rose loved the Doctor and their life in the TARDIS, she had other responsibilities now, too.

"Mum?", Dotty asked, after they had been in their flat for three weeks, "Ellie asked, if I'd like to stay over next Saturday night."

"What? Another party?", Rose asked, putting down the book she's been reading, while launching on the couch.

"No. Just me.", Dotty stated, lifted Roses leg up and then slit under them.. Rose moved a bit more to the edge of the couch, allowing Dotty to stretch out beside her, pressed between Rose and the backrest, her hand pressed to Rose's now much more visible belly and her ear to Rose's side. It was Dotty's favourite way to relax, claiming she liked to listen to her heartbeat, and Rose had to admit it was much more comfortable than it looked.

"Would you like to go?", Rose asked carefully.

"Yes, very much. Although I think Mrs Bearn is offering, so you and Dad can have some time without me. Is that necessary? Does my presence annoy you?"

"No!", Rose hurried to reply, before adding: "But sometimes it is nice to just be by ourselves and I think that's what Mrs Bearn wants to help us with. It would be time for social appointments. Like I wanted to invite Martha, June and their husbands over for Dinner."

"And I would look out of place, because I still look like a child. Although for my species now I am old enough to have children for myself.", Dotty mused. Rose froze, she hadn't thought of that. Staying with them meant giving up on children for herself as well. Embarrassingly she decided to take the coward's way out and leave that comment without trying to figure out a response, not that Dotty actually needed one.

"I think I figured out why the baby is not part human.", Dotty interrupted Rose's snoozing ten minutes later, still so firmly cuddled against her.

"What?", Rose asked, it took her brain a moment to catch on.

"Time lords. Their special abilities derived from prolonged exposure to the time vortex.", Dotty explained and Rose tried to stay as quiet as possible. She hadn't known that. The Doctor still didn't discuss these things with her, but apparently he did so with Dotty, and if Rose were do me honest: that stung a little.

"Well,", Dotty continued and Rose felt herself grinning. She still loved how Dotty had picked that habit up from the Doctor, "Dad is already time lord, you took the vortex into yourself once and I assume this baby was conceived while in the vortex, correct?"

"Ahm...", Rose started, a little uncomfortable, but Dotty again didn't really want an answer.

"All these factors probably let to the baby being time lord. Her biology is practically drenched and rooted in the vortex."

Rose had to admit that it sounded like a pretty solid argument.

"Did you ask Dad about it?"

"Oh no. I tried. He gets weirdly uncomfortable, when I mention sexual intercourse. His ears turn red."

"That they do.", Rose laughed.

"Is it specific to his species to be this uncomfortable about a natural, biological fact? Most species partake in it. It's a necessity for survival.", Dotty mused.

"I honestly don't know. Maybe he picked it up during all these times he spend with humans.", Rose grinned.

"Yes. They are strange that way, too. I noticed.", Dotty sighed and Rose couldn't help herself. It didn't matter how mature Dotty now was, she pressed a loving kiss down on her head.

Their tender moment was interrupted by the Doctor triumphantly exiting his workspace, an odd looking machine in his hand, waving it manically.

"It works! I think... no. I know. It finally works!"

"What is it?", Rose asked, her voice raw from sleepiness.

"The timey-wimey-detector!", the Doctor proclaimed.

Rose just stared at him blankly. She was sure she had heart that term before, but she couldn't really place it. Dotty seemed to know what he was talking about, though, she made a short noise of appreciation, but didn't comment further. The Doctor seemed deeply disappointed by their lack of interest.

"Didn't you listen?! It's finally done! Don't you realize how important that is?!"

When they both continued to stay silent, the Doctor grumbled something about 'strange females' and moved towards the front-door.

"I will go and check it out.", he informed them grumpily, "Not that you actually care."

"Have fun!", Rose and Dotty replied in unison and five minutes later they switched the TV on, watching in comfortable, companionable silence.

The Doctor returned two hours later, his back a little hunched and his timey-wimey-detector carefully held a little away from his body.

"What went wrong?", Dotty asked, earning her an unhappy look from the Doctor. "What makes you immediately think something went wrong?"

"The look on your face, to be honest.", Rose replied.

"I found a new way to boil eggs.", he simply stated and shut himself into his room and refused to come out for the rest of the evening. Not even for dinner.

On Saturday evening the Doctor set off to take Dotty over to Ellie's home. Rose would have loved to take her and see Iseabail in the process, but she had invited her colleagues over, so it would only be fair, if she were the one to cook the meal. She had asked the Doctor and Dotty on their opinion of what to make and they had both voted for Shepherd's Pie. Apparently it had turned into their favourite family meal and since it was somewhat easy to do, Rose promised Dotty to prepare more, so she could have the left-overs. Martha and Robert arrived first and surprisingly enough before the Doctor returned. He probably got stuck with tea. Martha gave Rose a quick hug and Robert gave her a firm handshake, they had met several times by now, since the retired Robert liked to drop in from time to time. He was a quite, tall man, who was still handsome and gave off a strong, calm sense of security, that made Rose instantly like him.

Rose invited them in and gave them a quick tour. Robert looked extremely interested when he got a fleeting look at the Doctor's work-space, but Rose stopped him from taking a closer look. Absolutely no need to risk starting the Digital Revolution early. They had just settled down on the couch, their meal still in the oven, when the Doctor returned, looking slightly dishevelled. He opened his mouth to say something, before noticing 50% of their guests had already arrived. Rose decided to ignore his behaviour, she was sure there was a story there, but if it wasn't immediately relevant or dangerous, it would have to wait. To their credit, Martha and Robert chose to ignore the Doctor's unconventional entry as well. With his reputation as a slightly mad genius around the neighbourhood, the Doctor could get away with quite a lot of things.

The door-bell rang, sparing them the pain of having a way to end the awkward silence, June and her husband Jamie must have been right behind the Doctor, who was still standing right next to the door . No one moved. Rose cleared her voice and gave the Doctor a nod. He just stared at her blankly for ten seconds, before suddenly realizing: "The door. Right!", and turned around to open it. Rose, Martha and Robert got up as well, when June's smiling face appeared behind the Doctor's shoulder, holding a basket and accompanied by what could only be her husband. He was a young, small man with a nice, round face and blonde hair, giving them a nervous, but optimistic smile. The Doctor ushered them inside and greetings and introductions were made all around. Jamie's smile flickered slightly when he was introduced to Rose, he opened his mouth as if to say something besides his friendly greeting, but closed it again.

"Everything all right, dear?", Martha asked him.

"Oh yes, sorry, for a moment there I thought Mrs Tyler looked awfully familiar.", he admitted and gave her a sheepish grin.

"I might.", Rose gave him the standard time-traveller-response, "I just have one of these faces."

No one looked really convinced by that, but everyone was too polite to bring it up again.

Their dinner was a rather loud and joyous affair. Martha wanted to know all there was about Dotty, school and friends, Robert voiced his thoughts on the upcoming moon-landing and what it might mean for Earth and Jamie did get a slightly strange look from him, when he pointed out that he absolutely believed in extraterrestrial life. Apparently Robert didn't agree and wanted to comment at that, but it looked like Martha gave him a swift kick under the table and Rose had trouble stopping herself from laughing. At least these things didn't change.

"What is it that you do, Jamie?", Rose asked him carefully, before the three men could launch into another big discussion with the potential of outing the Doctor's too great knowledge.

"Oh. I am a doctor.", Jamie laughed, "I work in a hospital in the city."

"Oh, that's nice!", Rose smiled, "Although I must admit I am not too big a fan of hospitals, either you are bored to death... or weird things are happening."

"That is true, I must admit", Jamie laughed, at least partly in jest, "but I all but grew up in a hospital. So it seemed like the logical thing to stay."

The Doctor's eyes, that had been wandering around the table before, taking everything in, zoomed in on Jamie, giving him a careful once-over, before returning his gaze to the whole group. Another thing Rose would have to ask him about later.

Their guests did leave surprisingly late, but not in a bad way. After dinner and some wine, they had set down in the living room, talked about this and that... and Rose had had some genuine fun.

"I really like them all.", Rose told the Doctor later in bed, after they'd cleaned the kitchen and did the dishes.

"Yes. They seem like good people, you have a habit of finding people like that.", the Doctor grinned, nuzzling his face into her hair.

"What happened earlier that you were so late?"

"Oh! My timey-wimey-detector went off. Not good. I followed the signal and ran right into a time agent. Strange looking guy, even for a time agent. His tech apparently sensed the detector, so he followed me. Took me a while to get rid of him."

"We couldn't have asked him for help?", Rose asked, thinking of Jack's smiling face. Before remembering that he had quit the agency. And for a reason. "No.", she answered her own question, "We really couldn't have."

"We will have to follow the plan now. Otherwise it's a paradox.", the Doctor mumbled, his voice dangerously trailing off. He was on the verge of falling asleep.

"Is everything in order?", Rose asked carefully.

"Mhhhh. I got the tickets. I booked the B&B. We'll be fine.", he mumbled. Rose just knew his eyes were already closed.

"Scotland", she grinned, "We haven't been there in a while."

"I am sure Dotty will love it.", came the muffled response.

Rose just smiled, knowing this would be the last answer she'd get for the day.

This was the nice thing about time travel, Rose decided. Yes, she was stuck in a different time, but strolling through the ruins of Castle Urquart, she realized that not much had really changed. Those measly 40 years were nothing in comparison to the age of the ruins next to her, or the beauty of the scenery. She had been here before, a lifetime ago on a school trip. Back then she had not been allowed to like ruins and history. Old stuff needed to be boring. But now she was standing there, her hair blowing in the cold, unforgiving wind and her shoulders draped in a new shawl, Taylor tartan. Dotty was running around in a matching shawl, her hair was open as well, flying around widely, her laughter ringing out over the green. The other visitors were smiling fondly at her, as she ran past. The Doctor took her hand and squeezed it, as they both turned around to look over the dark, deep water.

"It's so beautiful here. All rough, deep and northern.", Rose smiled happily. The Doctor send her a strange look, but chose not to comment. "I think Dotty likes it, too."

"Inverness was a brilliant idea.", the Doctor admitted and pressed a kiss on her temple.

Dotty stopped next to them, almost overshooting and lending in the thick greenery below them.

"It is very pretty here. I like it. So much to see.", she was smiling openly at them, a rare occasion now, she was much less full of childlike wonder these says.

"Good surprise then?", Rose asked hopefully. They had planed and thought about this trip for a while, unsure if and when they could afford another one. And they had talked about the destination for a while... a city tour? The countryside?

"Yes, it is lovely here. And I liked the boat-trip."

"That's a good thing, since we'll have to take the boat to get back later.", the Doctor grinned, "Now let's find a nice, not too windy place somewhere."

"Oh, I found one, maybe a ten minute walk. And we are allowed to picnic there."

"Your ten minutes or mine?", Rose asked her carefully, not in the slightest bit interested in falling over some roots.

"Yours of course. I am aware that your mobility is highly compromised."

"Thank you. I guess.", but Dotty was of course right. Rose's belly was impossible to miss these days.

They made their way over to the bank and table Dotty had found and enjoyed their packed lunch, with both the Doctor and Dotty talking a mile a minute and Rose listening and laughing... she could not remember the last time she's been this happy.

They set like this for an hour before Rose started to get uncomfortable.

"Are you all right?", the Doctor asked her, his brow starting to get a crease from constantly worrying about her, Rose was sure.

"Yes. I just really need to hit the bushes, I fear."

The Doctor raised his eyebrow. "We could go back..."

"No. It's kinda more urgent than that. Don't worry. I will not fall over or anything."

"Just shout, if you do. We'll come and get you.", Dotty informed her with her usual deadpan approach.

"How kind.", Rose answered, but couldn't quite hide her wide grin.

She found a spot fairly quickly and made her way back to her family a couple of minutes later, when she heard a voice behind her that she had never expected to hear again: "Rose?"

She turned around in shock and really, there he was: the Doctor. Her first Doctor.

"Doctor?", she breathed in shock. What exactly was going on here? He knew her, recognized her, but she had no memory of ever having been here with him. "What are you doing here?"

"Me?!", he asked her, his voice almost aggressive, "What are YOU doing here? This is almost 40 years off for you.", his eyes narrowed suspiciously, "Unless you were never human to begin with. No. Does not work. You wouldn't have recognized me."

"When was the last time we saw each other? From your perspective I mean?", Rose asked carefully, trying not to freak out. What the hell was going on?

"2005. London. I asked you to join me. You said no."

"What? No. I did not."

"Sure, you did. Said you have to take care of Ricky."

"Mickey.", she corrected him out of habit, "But you came back. You came back immediately and asked again. At least I always thought you did."

"I did? Huh."

"You did not? I didn't travel with you?!", Rose could not hide the panic in her voice. The Doctor not coming back for her and her being stuck in her old life, was probably her most recurring nightmare.

"Maybe I will.", he answered, his voice thoughtful.

"Please do. I would appreciate that.", Rose stated and then grinned widely, when she realized that she sounded like Dotty.

"So you can come travel with me, until you find yourself a bloke and stay behind?", he asked, nodding towards her badly concealed mid-drift.

Ah, Rose thought, he is setting himself up for disappointment. But this was her past, his future. She could not simply tell him things, that much she had definitely picked up on during her travels.

"Now, Doctor, that's not fair. You can not know the future until you have lived it.", she chastised.

He looked taking aback by her tone, but before he could actually reply, there was Dotty's voice interrupting them from afar: "Mum! Did you fall over while urinating?!"

Rose chuckled when she saw the Doctor's horrified face.

"No!", she shouted back, not caring that she was probably causing his eardrums to rupture by volume alone.

"Great! Then I can Dad he can stop worrying.", and with that Dotty seemed to scamper of again.

The Doctor stared at her in shock. "How many kids do you actually have?"

Rose just grinned at him, before pressing a quick kiss on his cheek. "You should definitely go back.", she grinned at him as she turned around and ran off to join her family.