You're What?--Chapter Forty-four

[amberfocus]

                                                                                 banner by alizarin_skies 

Title:  You're What? (44/?)
Author:  amberfocus
Characters/Pairings:  Nine/Rose, Jack Harkness, Jackie Tyler, Mickey Smith
Genre:  Baby!fic, Romance, Angst, Fluff, Smut, Hurt/Comfort
Rating:  Adult
Betas:  amyo67, jeprdyfrndly
Summary:  An unexpected pregnancy causes huge emotional upset in the lives of the Doctor and Rose.  With Jack the only voice of reason, will this child lead them to happily ever after or tear them apart forever?

Previous chapters:  http://amberfocus.livejournal.com/262898.html
 

Chapter Forty-Four: Celebrations

 

“I think it’s a bad idea,” the Doctor said eyeing the exhausted form of Rose zonked out on the couch.

“She’ll be fine by nightfall,” Jackie said glancing at her daughter. “She’s just tired. That’s natural in pregnancy at this stage.”

“This isn’t a human pregnancy!” the Doctor snapped. He’d been going round and round with Jackie for the last hour.

“Yes, thanks for that,” Jackie said with narrowed eyes. “As if I didn’t already know my daughter was carrying an alien.”

“All I meant was this pregnancy is different from anything you could possibly imagine!” His raised voice made Rose stir slightly. He lowered his voice but kept the intensity. “She needs more rest. Your knowledge does not apply to this situation!”

“I swear you’re more broody than she is. She’ll be fine. She’ll be sitting in a chair the whole time,” said Jackie.

“No,” the Doctor said. “I forbid it.”

“Oh, well, then I’ll just call everyone up and cancel it then, shall I?” Jackie said sarcastically.

“How do you even know she wants this…this…thing?”

“It’s called a bridal shower and of course she wants it. She’s a girl, Doctor. All girls want to be spoiled before their weddings.”

“Rose has already had two. This one’s just for you. And believe me I’ve spoiled her plenty these last few weeks.”

Jackie glared at him. “Well, she’s having this shower whether you like it or not, so I’ll thank you to take your sorry self and whoever else constitutes as a friend to you down to the pub and get blindingly drunk. It’s called a stag night and you ought to have one. Might loosen you up a bit.”

“I don’t need to be loose,” he said.

“Well, you need something to get that stick—.”

“What are you two arguing about now?” Rose asked sleepily from her place on the sofa.

“The Doctor doesn’t think you want a bridal shower,” Jackie said getting straight to the point.

Rose blinked. “I don’t really care one way or the other,” she said with a large yawn. “I already have everything I could possibly need. We’ve already had two weddings. This one’s just for you anyway.”

Jackie looked crestfallen. “Well, it’s too late to cancel now, sweetheart. People will start arriving in about an hour.” Her voice was sulky.

“I’m not sure how you expect me to hide this pregnancy from anybody, then. One hug is all it will take for them to notice, even with the best perception filter.”

“You only need to hide it from the minister and he’s not invited,” Jackie said. “And we can tell everyone you’ve sprained your ankle and you can’t get up. That should stop the hugging.”

“Well, I can’t stay in the chair all night. I’m going to have to pee at some point. Charlie thinks my bladder is a football,” Rose said.

“Then limp,” Jackie said.

Rose rolled her eyes. “Or you know, we could just tell everyone not to say anything to the minister,” she said practically. “And I really think you’re being paranoid about that anyway. I’m sure he’s married pregnant women before. Things have changed, Mum.”

“Not that much.”

“What’s the worst that could happen? So we can’t get married at the church. Big deal.”

“It is a big deal,” Jackie said.

“Only to you,” Rose sighed. “How much time have I got before the horde arrives?”

Jackie glanced at her watch. “About 45 minutes,” she said.

“All right. Help me up, Doctor. I need to get changed and do something about my hair,” she said.

The Doctor helped her to her feet. “I don’t think—.”

“Hush,” she said. “It’s settled.” And just like that, it was.




It wasn’t much of a stag night, the Doctor thought as he sipped his ale. Not that he’d wanted one, but had been told by Rose in no uncertain terms after he’d huddled behind her possessively for twenty minutes that he wasn’t welcome to stay. He’d protested at first until he’d been overwhelmed by the sheer number of family and friends that had showed up at Jackie’s flat.

He had started to wonder if Rose had ever met a girl her own age that she hadn’t become fast friends with. He seriously doubted it judging from the horde that had descended on his bride. Keisha, Shareen, her mum’s friend Bev and cousin Mo, had been the only ones he’d been able to identify, but the appearance of more than two dozen others with a constant trickle in and out bringing more and more, told him that Rose indeed had more friends and cousins than he could hope to deal with.

Jack had insisted on getting him out of there when more than one of the young women had given him a smirking, sideways glance after hugging Rose. The perception filter and her empire-waisted shirt might hide her pregnancy from view, but Rose was right. It did nothing to disguise the bump against human contact. He didn’t fancy playing the role of dirty old man that had knocked up a teenager, even though he technically was a dirty old man who had knocked up a teenager. The fact that she was twenty now and almost twenty-one didn’t seem to make much of a difference, especially since most of her friends didn’t know how old she was not living in linear time.

They’d picked up a reluctant Mickey on the way out at Jack’s insistence and Darren had seen them leaving and decided to tag along as well. Bringing Mickey hadn’t been the best idea. He’d been fine sober, but once he had a few drinks in him he’d gotten melancholy about having lost Rose for good. Mickey had promptly drunk himself into a bit of a stupor. Jack had left him propped in a booth, half asleep and drooling on the cheap wooden tabletop. It was just as well the wedding was in a week and not tomorrow. Mickey would be in no shape to attend, let alone walk the bride down the aisle if it had been the next day, and he didn’t think Rose would have forgiven him for that.

“Where did Darren go off to?” Jack asked glancing around.

“Shagging some girl in the bathroom, I think,” the Doctor said, not caring.

“You’re brooding,” said Jack plopping down on the barstool next to the Doctor. “Seven nights before your wedding and you’re sitting in the corner of the local pub glaring into your beer and wishing you had Rose all to yourself again.”

“It’s just this stuff is all so…human,” he said in disgust.

“Rose is human,” Jack reminded him. “Are you saying you don’t want to honor her cultural values?”

“I don’t mind the wedding. We don’t need it, we’ve had our ceremony, but she’s doing it for her mum and after all I’ve put her through, Rose and Jackie, actually, it’s the least I can do. But these parties? What’s the point?”

Jack signaled the bartender to bring him another shot of tequila and gave the Doctor a long look. “Rose’s life is changing forever.”

“Rose’s life changed forever the day she met me. That’s hardly new.”

“Yes, but she’s not coming back to this life again. Not really. I mean, sure, she’ll visit on occasion. Charlie should know his grandmother after all. But she’ll never settle down and make a life here. She’ll never have him in nursery school with her friend’s kids or have the house and the dog and the white picket fence.”

“She doesn’t want that,” protested the Doctor.

“I didn’t say she did, at least right now.”

“You don’t think she will, do you?” he asked. “I mean, obviously we have to cut back on some of the travelling, go to safer planets and such until Charlie’s older, but you don’t think she’d change her mind and want to settle down on Earth?”

“Not really, no. You saw that other version of her when the timelines went wrong. She was miserable. It’s not about the life she’ll never have. It’s more about saying good-bye to her old life and putting it behind her for good. To having one last night where she’s part of her own culture before she moves on and makes a new one with you,” Jack said. He downed the shot the bartender had given him and signaled for another one. “I know you’d rather be with her, but Rose needs this. She needs the closure.”

“If you say so.”

“All she wants is you. A life with you and the baby and good old Uncle Jack,” he said. “Unless you plan on ditching me for good.” Although his voice seemed to indicate he thought otherwise, his eyes showed a tremendous amount of vulnerability.

The Doctor squeezed his shoulder. “Wasn’t ditching you, Jack. Just taking a little time to heal the wounds. I thought you’d gotten over that,” the Doctor said.

“Just making sure.”

“You’re part of the family. And Rose would have my ears if I even thought about leaving you behind. Which I’m not.”

Darren stumbled out of the loo with a girl who looked enough like Jackie Tyler to make the Doctor very uncomfortable. “We’re taking off,” he muttered as he approached them. “Can you get Mickey home all right?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Jack said and waved him away.

“You know you could find somebody. You don’t have to keep babysitting me. I’m not going to do anything stupid,” the Doctor said.

“I’m best man. It’s my job to look out for you,” he said. “Besides, no one here strikes my fancy.”

“Like that’s ever stopped you.”

“Hey, I have standards, you know.”

“Yeah, it has to be breathing,” the Doctor said knowingly.

“And attractive.” Jack grinned. “We really should take Mickey home. Rose’s shower should be winding down.” He threw some money on the bar. “Come on, Doc. Let’s get Mr. Lonelyhearts and be on our way.”



They dumped Mickey off at his flat, using his key to get in and dropping him down on the couch. Jack removed his shoes and threw a blanket over him. “Can you sonic the lock?” Jack asked putting Mickey’s keys down on the coffee table.

The Doctor nodded and zapped the door on the way out. Music drifted down from the Tyler flat. “Looks like it’s still going strong,” Jack said.

“It’s been four hours. I think that’s enough.”

“Now don’t go ruining Rose’s good time,” Jack cautioned as they headed towards the stairs. “You can’t stand there glowering at everyone until they leave.”

“I don’t glower,” the Doctor protested.

“Yes, you do,” said Jack, “with the best of them.”

“I’m trying, you know. All this domestic nonsense is hard for me,” he said.

“I’d think having Rose in your bed would make it easier,” Jack said.

“Oi, I’m not talking about my sex life with you, Captain.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Jack said holding up his hands in protest. “You wound me. I just meant having a lovely wife to wake up to, well to have wake up with you, anyway, must make it easier.”

“Rose makes a lot of things easier, but also…so much harder.” He sighed.

“She makes you vulnerable. Charlie makes you vulnerable,” Jack said.

“Yes,” he said. “It would have been…safer if I hadn’t gotten her pregnant.”

“She knew the risk when she signed on with you,” Jack said.

“Pregnancy was never supposed to be a risk with Rose. She was just this amazing, beautiful, challenging girl I invited along. I’ve never touched my companions in the past. Not like that. Rose made me break every rule I ever had.”

“But she’s worth it.”

“Aye, she is that.”

They finished climbing the stairs and made their way to Jackie’s flat. The door opened and five or six women made their way out, giggling and laughing at the sight of them. The music abruptly shut off as the Doctor and Jack entered the Tyler home.

“Oh, you’re back, good,” said Jackie. “You can help me clean up.”

“I’ll check on my wife first, if you don’t mind,” the Doctor said.

“Oh, she went to lay down an hour ago. She’s probably well asleep,” she said.

“I’ll see for myself.”

“I’ll help you, Jackie,” Jack said.

The Doctor pushed open the door to Rose’s room and then entered the TARDIS. He made his way to their bedroom. Rose was sound asleep on top of the covers, still dressed in her party clothes. She’d just managed to take one shoe off. The Doctor carefully removed the other one and took out his sonic screwdriver, quietly scanning her vital signs. Her blood pressure was a little high, but otherwise she seemed fine. He let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding all night.

He knelt down beside his wife and gently stroked hair back from her face. He kissed her cheek and she stirred. Her eyes opened. “You’re back,” she said groggily.

“Sorry to wake you. How was the shower?” he asked.

“Do you really want to know?” she asked him coming more awake.

“Not really. I’m more concerned with how you are.”

“I’m okay. And the party was fun, even if I did get teased a lot for getting knocked up by an old man.”

“I’m not an old man,” he said.

“My friends think you are,” she said. “I told them you had more stamina than any three twenty-year-olds combined. That pretty much cut off the teasing right there. Did you know cousin Mo has a crush on you?”

“On me?”

“Is that so impossible to imagine? You’re gorgeous.” The Doctor took out his sonic and pointed it at her head. “What are you doing?”

“Scanning you for concussion,” he said.

“Oh, you,” she pushed his arm away. “I’m fine.”

He smiled at her then rested a hand on her belly. “And how’s Charlie?”

“Asleep.” Rose yawned again.

“Like you should be.”

“Mmm,” said Rose non-commitally. “Where’s Jack?”

“Helping your mother clean up.”

“Oh.” Rose struggled to sit up. “Can you help me?” she asked a moment later.

“Where you going?”

“I need to get this makeup off my face and use the loo and then we should go help my mum.”

“Rose, I don’t want you doing anything strenuous,” he said.

“Taking down decorations and washing dishes is hardly strenuous,” she said. “It’s not like I’m on bedrest. Just lots of rest.”

He helped her to sit up and then to get to her feet. “I really wish this kid would get born already,” she said, supporting her back with her hands.

“He’ll be here soon enough,” the Doctor said. He watched her waddle to the bathroom and waited patiently for her to emerge. She did several minutes later, barefaced and with her hair down and brushed neatly.

“You look so beautiful like that,” he told her.

She smiled at him. “Come on,” she said. “Let’s go and help my mum.”

Jackie would have none of it, insisting that Rose sit down, but she did bustle the Doctor to work and the flat was cleaned up in no time. Jack took the recycling and the garbage down to the appropriate repositories while the Doctor took Rose back to their bedroom. He helped her change into a nightgown.

As she brought her arms down, Rose let out a long breath. “My back hurts, Doctor,” she said laying down on her side. “Can you do that thing you do with the pressure?”

“Yeah.” He lay down on the bed next to her and pressed his knuckles into the small of her back on either side of her spine, gently manipulating the muscles. A small shudder passed through Rose. “Better?” he asked.

“Much.” She sighed in relief.

“Let’s get you under the covers,” he said, tugging them out from under her and covering her up.

“Will you stay with me tonight?” she asked. “I sleep so much better in your arms.”

He smiled at her. “Of course.” He stripped down to his boxer briefs and slid into the bed next to Rose. He moved his body against hers, spooning her closely, one arm going under her pillow and the other resting around what was left of her waist.

“Lights low,” the Doctor called out and they immediately dimmed to the faintest glow. Enough to see by if Rose had to get up in the middle of the night, but not so bright that they’d interfere with her sleep.

“Perfect,” she said.

“Yes, it is.” He pressed a kiss to her shoulder and then smiled against her skin. “I love you, you know,” he said softly.

“I know. I’ve always known. I love you, t—.” She broke off mid word and hissed.

“Rose, what is it?”

It took her a minute to answer. “My back spasmed again,” she said. “Mum calls them Braxton Hicks. It’s practice labor.”

“Labor?” the Doctor said sounding frantic.

“No, practice labor. The uterus contracts, but it’s like a dry run. I’ll probably have them off and on up until the real thing starts. But sometimes they can be quite painful." She gasped as another one hit her, this time travelling from her back and across her abdomen. When she could breathe again she said, “Don’t worry, I’ve been having them all night.”

“I knew that shower was a bad idea.”

“Stop sulking,” she said. “It made Mum happy and I got to see some people I haven’t seen in a long time and may never see again based on our lifestyle.” She sighed. “What are we going to do, Doctor, when he gets here?”

“You mean with the travelling?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

“Well, I figured we’d stay here for at least the first month so you could have your mum’s help and get used to nursing and caring for the wee one. But after that, we’ll go off again. The planets will be safer, there’ll be less running for our lives, and more educational opportunities. Trouble will probably still find us but it’ll be harder if what we’re mostly doing is touring museums and visiting the seven wonders of the universe,” he told her.

“I didn’t want to tie you down to one place,” she said.

“You won’t be. Don’t ever worry about that."

“Okay,” she said.

“Anymore contractions?”

“No, they’ve stopped,” she said sounding relieved.

“Then you best get some sleep, my Sera-qua.” He snuggled up against her again.

“That I will,” she replied already closing her eyes, “my Seri-lua.” It didn’t take her long to return to the realm of dreams. The Doctor closed his eyes as well. He’d allowed the ale he’d drunk to affect him tonight at Jack’s urging, and while he was in no way drunk, he was pleasantly buzzed and feeling rather sleepy from the alcohol. He followed his wife into sleep.

Ch. 45: http://amberfocus.livejournal.com/451102.html