Previously...

"Look, does this mean you are going to leave so soon? We haven't even looked through the majority of the magazines that keep arriving!"

The Doctor shrugged. "In a couple of days, probably." We wouldn't want to find the TARDIS in ruins, right, Rose?

A/N. Hello, darlings! Sorry for the chapter being considerably (?) shorter this time, but I wouldn't have managed to update for another half a year otherwise. :/

Essentially Together

Chapter Twenty-three

Changes

"Oh! Must you leave really right away?" Jackie asked, already knowing the answer.

"It's better this way, Mum."

"For you or for me?" Jackie grumbled under her breath.

"For all of us," Rose sighed, putting on a smile she believed looked honest enough. "For all of us."

"But why? Have you only intended to stay here for such a short while?"

"We are only here because we felt you deserved to know, Jackie. Then, Jessica happened, and the unpleasant circumstances have forced us to stay," the Doctor spoke bluntly, receiving a threatening glare from Rose in return.

"Oh, so there's at least one thing I need to thank Jessica for!Thanks for opening my eyes! There's at least that, then!" The mother was feeling insulted. She had honestly believed her friend has come to see her. But no, the Doctor has involved Rose into his dangerous life, thus endangering her daughter and who knew how many others.

Jackie Tyler glared at him. "In the brief time you're here, I want no alien tricks," she said gravely. "Can I hope for that much, at least?"

"Yes," the alien said. "Although, if something bothers you, you might want to tell us in advance," he sent her a careful smile.

"Is it sex you're worried about? Privacy? Noise? Don't be daft. Have you two even had a proper shag yet, with your recent... wedding, and all?" Jackie was ready to accept anything now. With the unpleasant encountet with her not-really friend Jessica over – Jackie did not want to think about the responsibility her most faithful Al has been given – she has only wanted to make sure her time with her daughter and her son-in-law was enjoyable and memorable for them all.

The Doctor has always kept his expression impossible to decipher. Rose couldn't, looking anywhere but at Jackie.

"I think we should... go consider the recent thing that's happened, first," the girl muttered, eager to leave the tension-filled room.

Jackie sighed. Maybe some of her expectations were not going to be fulfilled so easily, after all... Rose was able to make her own choices. Both her daughter and the Doctor were adults.

"I'm sorry, Mum," the young Tyler has mouthed at her before leaving.

The moment the newly-weds were back inside Rose's room, the girl sighed in relief. She was worried about several things.

"The TARDIS... She still doesn't feel well, or am I imagining things?!"

The Doctor sighed at his bond-mate heavily. "No, she doesn't. You have abandoned your wedding gown much too soon for her liking."

Rose was unpleasantly surprised. "Oh? Do you mean she's been feeling like this ever since I've changed my dress?" I'm sorry! I didn't know!

He shrugged, uncomfortable.

"Mum has given me this one. We'll be leaving her soon. This is as much as I can do to-" Her voice trembled.

The TARDIS has soothed her down instead, which has felt only partly relieving.

She should understand, Rose eyed the Doctor worriedly. She should know how much my wearing this dress means to Mum.

"I understand," the Time Lord assured her. "Let's hope the old girl does, too! Yet the traditions are what they are. Changing the wedding gown before the time is due might only cause some unexpected trouble... or at least some distress. Both to the TARDIS and to one wearing it... to you, love. "Needless to say, we have been forced to face enough unexpected stress with the uninvited visitor," he rolled his eyes. "This alone could have enhanced her unease."

Rose nodded, yet has tried to reason with the Doctor, realising one thing. If she wants us to complete the full circle... I mean, we still haven't, well-

"The old girl remembers you are against us shagging here in this world. That's not the problem," he soothed her.

Rose inhaled. "Are you saying I must change? Would it help her?"

"Immensely," the Doctor beamed at her. "It should help you, too."

"But... but... I'm sure the state the gown is in is not exactly-"

What wouldn't she do for you, the Doctor sighed at Rose happily, fetching her the perfectly clean dress seemingly out of nowhere. The dress.

"But- but she can't have! Crossing dimensions, it's unbelievably harmful for her, it has always been-"

"It is," the Time Lord agreed. "Even with you two having shared everything more than once by now, especially now, the old girl understands she mustn't use her resources, however replenished they might be thanks to you, love. Not across such distances-"

What are you trying to say?Rose encouraged him.

"I might have spoken to Jackie about it," he said, both ashamed and proud. "Not that she understood the better part of what I was saying, but-"

The girl grew curious. It was unlikely for the Doctor to address Jackie on his own, not without Rose being somewhere nearby. "Has something happened?"

The Gallifreyan eyed her teasingly. "With these days being quite hectic for us, for you, I thought it best for us to stay away from anything harsher than Jackie's cooking for a couple of days. What do you think?"

Rose's surprised grin took up half of her face. "Are you serious, Doctor? That... That would be amazing!"

"Thought so," he smiled at her. "Luckily, your mother did not take the news of you possibly having to change into your wedding dress again, rather than wearing the one she's given you very badly," the Doctor rolled his eyes at her. "Jackie was much more worried about the news of her private party spreading," he assured her. "She surely does like huge parties better," he spoke knowingly.

"You have no idea," Rose grinned. "I hope she wouldn't start pestering us with how we need to be making use of our time as newly-weds, yeah?" She blushed.

"I think Jackie would be much more into spending as much time with us as possible," he spoke reasonably. "Besides, isn't this what you want, love? More time with people you love?"

"Yes!"

"I haven't forgotten your unwillingness to proceed with us-"

"I'm glad you remember," Rose sighed. Strangely, right at this moment she was wishing to abandon her once-firm declaration only to have the Doctor close to her, maybe even very, very close...

She blushed furiously.

He smiled at her, his expression open and honest. If you change your mind, I- The Doctor was ready for whatever Rose decided.

"Right now, you should change!" The Time Lord encouraged her. "Put on the gown and feel the immediate positive change inside the old girl, yeah?"

With pleasure, she nodded, leaving the room to change, which has only made the Doctor sigh knowingly. He understood at least some of the fantastical connection between the girl and the TARDIS. Rose has been ready to do no matter what to save him. The TARDIS must have sensed the incredible, the unimaginable within her before the Time Lord could even think about Rose becoming what she was right now.

That was why the Doctor has allowed Rose all the time necessary for her to understand when the time and space ship was feeling better again.

Just when the Time Lord has decided to come looking for her, she returned. "The old girl sounded dubious to me," Rose spoke quietly. "She thinks it's best for us to return to Donna and Martha as soon as possible."

The Doctor blinked at her, unpleasantly surprised. "Has anything happened?"

I don't think so,the girl shook her head. She must miss us, that's all.

The Time Lord's flood of words in Gallifreyan directed at the ship sounded almost annoyed.

Rose was listening to his rambling quietly. Only when he stopped did she grin at him. "What has she done to you?"

"I have reminded her of the importance of family in human culture," he rolled his eyes. "It seems she has agreed to wait for us for a little longer,"the Doctor smiled, relieved.

The Londoner grinned at him. "Don't you see the TARDIS as your family?"

He shrugged at her. "I thought she was a part part of our family by now!"

"Absolutely," Rose agreed. "She is that and so much more... But Mum is still-"

"The one and only," he agreed. "Why don't you two have some mother-daughter time, while I try to think of something about the heat and cold problem?"

You're only trying to get some alone time away from me, she teased.

The Doctor exhaled. "Come, get as much time with Jackie as possible," he encouraged.

"Will you be joining us later?" Rose asked him quietly. "For tea?"

He nodded. Even if all he wanted was to never let go of his darling, not for more than a few minutes, the Doctor was aware they were going to have their forever travelling, while the time Rose has had with her mum was limited. Besides, what could possibly be better than trying to work out the weather problem during the time he's had for himself, assuming the trouble has arisen from the same cause in both the original and the parallel worlds?

As much as the Time Lord despised the idea of having to contact the old girl again and possibly messing something up all over again, this has been the only thing he could think of.

Meanwhile, Donna and Martha were slowly running out of patience.

"He has returned back the ship's power, all right," Martha Jones whined, correcting herself the moment her eyes met Donna's. "They have. But what is there to do? The weather is unbearable. All places are closed up until late in the evening. We can't spend time on solely watching films and series from alien worlds. I have learnt all there was to learn in my study books!"

A moment later, a loud downpour has begun.

Donna shook Martha hard by the shoulder. "Be careful what you wish for!"

A/N. Please, review? ;)