Little Wonders

23. Get Back Up

23. Get Back Up

“Do you know what’s weird?” John questioned one night. Rose had her head resting on his shoulder and John was drawing Gallifreyan circles on her arm with his finger.

“What?” Rose asked. It was quite late; but neither could sleep. It was no surprise. John was still in pain from being shot and Rose had stupidly drunk a mug of coffee before everyone had gone to bed. Mind you, the circles John was drawing on her arm were soothing.

“Not healing so quickly.” John replied. He paused in his circle drawing before he continued. “Normally I would have healed by now… but, well, I just haven’t.” He paused again. Rose didn’t say anything. She knew he was thinking. “It’s just weird; that’s all. I’m so used to it healing straight away. You know?”

“No.” Rose commented with a small laugh. “No idea.”

John laughed.

“Fair play.”

Silence entered the room and hung around the couple as they both listened to the rain lash on the window.

“Do you know how boring it is here day in and day out?” John asked suddenly breaking the silence. Rose laughed at the randomness of the question.

“No, but I’ve got a feeling I’m about to find out.” Rose mumbled as she moved slightly, hoping she didn’t cause John pain as she placed her head back on her pillows and turned to look at her husband.

“There is nothing to do! You would not believe the amount of times I read through the books on the bookshelf! There is never anything on TV, I can’t do any cleaning (and as I’ve been sitting in the living room for a good 3 weeks I’ve noticed how dusty this place actually is!) and your mother keeps on trying to feed me! Apparently I need fattening up. For what? I’m not going to become Sunday roast!” John paused before looking at Rose. The two burst out laughing. “Come on Rose! There’s gotta be something I can do!”

Rose knew what he was talking about. He wanted some work to do. He had been stuck at home day in and day out because he wasn’t allowed back to work. He kept calling in every 20 minutes to ask if there was any research he could do, but Rose didn’t want him fretting too much. The Dr said not to stress him too much. He was a delicate thing, always had been, always will be. But after being shot and coming an inch near death… he was even more delicate at the present time.

Rose sighed. She really didn’t want him to do anything. She had asked the Dr when he would be able to go back to work. The Dr said in time John would know when he could manage the stress that came with his job. Rose knew that John would want back to work straight way so she had made John promise to have 4 weeks off at the minimum. But John had been pestering ever since for something to do.

“I’m sorry John.” Rose shook her head. She closed her eyes as John tried to hide a frustrated sigh.

John knew full well that there were tones of stuff he could be doing. Hacking into the UNIT database for example. (In this parallel universe UNIT were always trying to shut Torchwood down; for some reason UNIT were the only ones allowed to have alien technology etc. Even though that was only through their eyes.) OR! John thought, I could be researching an alien artefact and/or telling you what it is and what it does.

“I’m just so bored!” John whined, pouting slightly.

“I know. One more week though.” Rose promised.

“I hate waiting!” John mumbled, pulling the cover higher. Rose sighed. He was like a 6 year old sometimes. But it’s why she loved him.

“I know, I know. But I need you better. We all do. And not just Torchwood. Darren does too.” She paused. John sighed, he was defeated. He slid down further onto his pillows, trying not to wince in pain.

“We sign the papers tomorrow.” John mumbled quietly. Rose sat up in shock.

“Oh my god! I forgot that!” She whispered. She looked round at John. “How could I forget that we’re signing Darren’s adoption papers?!” She asked.

“I dunno,” John shrugged. “There is a lot going on. You’ve got work to think about, there’s me who’s not long been shot. Then you’ve also got Darren to watch over as well.”

“But, this’ll be one of the most important things in our lives; Darren’s life!”

“Rose, just lie down.” John said quietly. He tugged gently at Rose’s pj top. Rose slowly led down against her pillows again, mumbling about forgetting and not believing it. “I’ll tell you what though…” John said into the silence that had suddenly enveloped them. “He’ll defiantly be ours.”

Rose’s frown turned upside down and her face lit up.

“Finally! It feels like he’s always been here.” Rose smiled.

“Rose,”

“Yeah?”

“Maybe we should move. I don’t want a second bullet tearing through me thank you very much. Or you for that fact.” John said, looking at Rose seriously. They had no further news on Amber yet. Just that she had been taking to a higher security prison while she awaited her court date.

“I’ve been thinking the same.” Rose commented. “God knows she might have someone working for her. And she knows where we live. She could have told anyone.”

“Exactly.” John whispered.

“And perhaps, maybe we should get a house of our own?” Rose whispered. She had been thinking about it for a while. She had lived with her parents long enough, and so had John. Now they were having their own family, Rose thought it was time they got their own place.

“Are you serious?” John asked, pushing himself up onto his elbows. Rose nodded.

“I think that we need our own space. We have our own family now. It’s time we thought of Darren.” She smiled slightly.

“How do you think your mum’ll take it?” John asked, lying back down.

“Dunno. But she won’t take it easily, I’ll tell you that. I have lived with her the whole of my life.”  Rose mumbled.

“Well, I know Tony won’t take it well. He’ll want to come and live with us as well.” John laughed slightly which caused Rose to giggle as well.

“I don’t want to move to far away from mum and dad. I don’t want to go through all the hassle of having to move Darren school. And maybe we should get a house closer to the Torchwood tower.”

“Defiantly closer to work. Then we won’t have to get up so early.”

“You’re so lazy!” Rose smirked.

“Hey, it’s not my fault that I’ve fallen customary to 8 hours sleep a night.” John playfully argued. Rose shook her head slightly before she moved it back onto John’s shoulder. John placed his arm round her yet again and began drawing the Gallifreyan circles on her. Rose closed her eyes, finally feeling sleepy.

“John…”

“Mmmm…”

“Moving house is going to cost a lot…”

“I know…” John mumbled his reply. He could feel Rose’s eyes closing. “But shh… lets go to sleep.”

John closed his eyes as he felt Rose’s eyes shut completely.

“John…”

John opened his eyes and sighed.

“Yes Rose?”

“I love you.”

She then fell weak in his arms and started breathing deeply. John shook his head slightly. She was asleep.

“I love you too Rose.”