Parting's End

Prologue

“I see you still have Mr. Mickey there,” Rose suspected the daft alien was avoiding the pain of their parting. But she held no clue just how deep the Time Lord was holding back for her.

The Doctor had changed to fit her and this showed clearly how deeply he had fallen for his pink and gold human. All he avoided dealing with to save himself pain after Rose grew too old to run with him suddenly the Doctor craved to have back in their final goodbye. Each kiss he dodged, though the ones they had once he relaxed at the unity celebrations and the magic stirred with those hours were all he held to his bleeding soul. If he had only married his Rose. An adventure he would have liked to live with her.

Rose swallowed. Her mum was right. The Doctor had the right to know her secret. “Yeah, there’s five of us now. Mum, Dad, Mickey, and … the baby.”

“You’re not….” His mind could not fathom this shock. His Rose pregnant? He begged every higher being that the father was not Mickey the Idiot.

Tears welled in Rose’s eyes while lips gave a sad smile as she nodded. “I’m three months gone now. Way I count it, I think it happened during that last trip to the Moon of Aiag and their unity celebrations. Or my room after. Guess that old woman knew what she was talking about when she talked about our first-born at least.”

“Oh, Rose … I wish I could be with you both. You have no idea how much so.”

“So do I. Will we ever see you again?”

“You can’t.”

Both of them died within for all their child lost because of fate and chance. Rose simply could not hold her pain back anymore as she sobbed twice trying to say what they too rarely gave words and voice to together. “I-I love you!”

He wanted his mate to laugh so deeply. “Quite right too.”

Of course that gained him a broken chuckle, but was better than sobbing. He exhaled and fought off his tears a bit harder. “And, I suppose as this is my last chance to tell you—”

For a beat, nothing could move around the swelling in his throat. Rassilon, why were the most precious of words the hardest for him to say? “Rose Tyler, I—”

Before he could say the most important part, the path sealed itself and cut the transmission forever. Tears slid from his eyes unchecked because the three most important words needed said were lost! Never had he said those three words to his Rose! Worse, he’d never know if he had a son or daughter in that universe. All that the Doctor could hold in his hearts as certain was he knew the child would be loved and safe. If only he could support his love and care for their child!

The universe was cruel even in kindness and protection both as the Doctor turned to meet the woman to protect him from his heartbreak and be his big sister when he needed one.

 

Rose too grieved at the loss, sobbing as her Mum ran over to hug her expecting daughter. Her heart broke and she would have ended her life to remove the pain if someone else didn’t depend on her. Even with all the love of her friends and family, only the baby made a real difference. At the motel, after losing the father of her child, that knowledge alone forced Rose to eat what she could. The trip, her emotions, and the lack of sleep were taking a toll on her body. In the shower, she ended up crying some more.

The water mixed with memories of after the celebrations. She was rinsing her hair when the Doctor slipped into her shower. Once more the pair touched one another until they left her shower to pile into her bed still soaking wet. There he took her as his four more times over hours. In between they cuddled, slept (that was mostly Rose of course), and talked about what they wished could be for their future. Rinsing her face, Rose wished the man would join her under the water again … make love to her again.