Born of Fire (Doctor Who AU)

Chapter 13 Welcome to my Home. Don't let the Door Hit You on the way Out

It felt as if ten lifetimes had passed since the day Daniel stood on the sands of Dårlig Ulv-Stranden holding Rose's hand. Now, all these months later, he stood in front of a perfect replica of the TARDIS wardrobe mirror, carefully rehearsing his first words of welcome to his first non-TARDIS home. A deep sense of pride tugged his mouth upward as he ran his tongue across his teeth. Pride in himself, pride in his success and pride that he finally had a place to bring his Rose to, and most of all, the pride that he had done this pretty much all on his own. Despite the lack of faith expressed by his progenitor, no one needed to make him better.

Everyone from London, including Marcus, was coming to see his success tonight. Rose was coming. Now that he was healthy, the thought of having her close again raised a fiery ache that threatened to swallow him whole. He could solve any issue when he wrapped his arms around her beautiful body. He'd proved that at the conference in London. Things felt so right when they strolled along the Thames and hiked around the estate. Leaving her behind physically hurt, but after tonight, that would never happen again.

First, he would unveil the home that he built for his pink and yellow girl, and then he would take her into the office where she would be surrounded by the images of the TARDIS interior. There, with only the baby coral as a witness, he would ask her to marry him.

"You were wrong about me, Doctor," he muttered to his image. "Wherever you are, you should know -- I win." Daniel turned and walked out of the bedroom.

"Addie!"

"In the kitchen, Mr Daniel."

Even after three days, the scent of paint still clung to the air in the former shell of a house. He stopped to run his fingers across the mantle and walked around to make sure the pictures chronicling the dramatic changes were all in place. He couldn't wait for everyone to see the display. He chuckled at the picture taped to the bathroom door showing how the room had its fixtures ransacked before he'd bought the place. Now the necessaries, as Addie called them, were fit for an actual lord.

"Addie!"

"In the kitchen, Mr Daniel."

Her domain shined. She and the designer created a thoroughly modern kitchen that evoked a true country feeling. Daniel tried to make sure he crept as quietly as possible across the new kitchen stone floor tiles so that Adela wouldn't hear him. He'd almost managed to reach the German woman when she turned pointing a paring knife at him.

"I raised two boys, and a husband, you can't sneak up on me." She laughed at his embarrassed look.

"You can't raise a husband, Addie. His mother does that." Daniel laughed.

"So, you say. You wait until you're a husband." She laughed again and turned back to apply the final touches to the nibbles tray.

"Are we almost ready?" he asked.

"No, Mr Daniel," she replied with a grin, "we are completely ready. At least, we will be when you put that punch bowl on the buffet table -- please."

"Addie, do me a favour."

"What?"

"Stop calling me -- Mr Daniel. After all this time, and everything that has happened, it doesn't sound right."

Her already gentle expression brightened. "I can do that, I think."

"Thanks, and, I just wanted to say, before everyone comes -- thank you. I don't think I could have done any of this without you. I know when we started, it was your job, but...."

"Daniel," Adela stressed his name when she turned to face him. "It stopped being my job a very long time ago. Come," she said holding her arms out.