Current location:	teeny, weeny living room of Rassilon
Current mood:	excited
Entry tags:	doctor rose jackie pete

Doctor Who Fic: Don't Worry, I've Got You 4/4
As promised. Thanks for reading!

Title: Don't Worry, I've Got You 4/4
Author: Qtrhorserider
Pairings: Ten.1/Rose, Jackie, Pete
Ratings: PG
Spoilers: last 3 episodes of Series 4
Disclaimers: Not mine, not even close, I just channel them.
Summary: The Doctor and Pete have a talk about Rose


“I won't say welcome to the family until it's official, and I truly think it's too soon. But I will say welcome to the menagerie."




The trip from Torchwood to the mansion had been a short one. They arrived in the wee hours of the morning, stars still twinkling in the sky. Rose took the Doctor's hand and led him towards what would become their home. He stopped though when Pete called out and asked him for help with the trunk.

Rose watched and then went back to help Jackie with Tony. Pete had brought the ever present nappy bag, but Jackie's arms were full with Tony, carefully extracted from the car seat, so as not to wake him. Rose grabbed the bag and gave her mum a sleepy smile. It felt oddly comfortable, the five of them coming home together. It felt like family.

Jackie and Pete had very few servants, Jackie feeling a bit uncomfortable with the idea that someone else was taking care of her family. Still, they were met by Connor, who took care of the grounds and his wife Kari who helped Jackie around the house and with Tony. It was after all, a big house.

Connor stepped in to take Pete's end of the trunk. "Let's just set it down here in the entry for now," Pete instructed and thanked the man for his help.

"Introductions then," said Pete rubbing his hands together. "Conner, Kari, this is the Doctor, he'll be staying with us. He's a friend of Rose's and we consider him a part of the family."

"Well, then it's wonderful to meet you," Conner said, extending his hand. The Doctor took it, noticing that it was warm and calloused, the sign of hard work. "I'm Connor, by the way, and this is my wife Kari. I take care of the grounds, so if there's anything you need fixing, or to find, just ask."

Kari had stepped forward taking the Doctor's hand while her husband talked. Hers was smaller and softer, but he could still feel the strength in her fingers. "We'll talk more in the morning. I help Mrs. Tyler with the house and I know we'll be getting you settled in properly tomorrow, or rather later today." She smiled shyly at her mistake.

The Doctor nodded. "It's nice to meet you both. I'm sure we'll be talking because I have no idea where anything is."

Rose had taken his hand and stood on tiptoe to whisper in his ear "Oh come on, you know exactly where the service kitchen is, we had quite the adventure there once." He looked down at her and grinned conspiratorially.

"Yeah, but let's not go there."

They stood for a while exchanging pleasantries. Their trip was fine. Yes they'd gotten a bit of sleep on the way. Jackie filled Pete in on the Doctor, Doctor.1 situation while rocking a sleeping Tony on her shoulder.

The Doctor was awed at her resilience. Not eight hours ago, she had been held prisoner by Davros and threatened by impending death. Yet here she was contentedly rocking her son as if nothing had happened. Just having her youngest in her arms seemed to recharge her and the Doctor got a glimpse of the kind of mother that Rose would be.

***********

After giving him a quick kiss, Rose had gone to bed pleading sheer exhaustion, and Jackie had taken Tony upstairs to tuck him in. The Doctor was sitting on the couch looking out of the double doors, remembering when Cybermen had massed on the lawn with party guests made prisoners.

Pete strode in, clearly a man with something on his mind. He handed the Doctor a snifter of brandy and sat down in the easy chair next to the couch. "To renewal and new beginnings," he said lifting his glass.

"To renewal and new beginnings," the Doctor said and lifted his glass in agreement. Both men took a sip, but there was a palpable silence between them.

"I'd like to have a talk with you, just you and me, without Rose or Jackie. You have to love the Tyler women, but they are a formidable force."

"Agreed," the Doctor nodded. He wasn't sure he'd like what came next but he was a guest in the man's home. He owed him some respect, not to mention gratitude for taking him in.

"Look, this isn't going to be easy, this new world, new earth thing. I watched Jackie struggle through it. Which is something I need to say that I've never been able to until now. Thank you for her. Thank you for giving me a second chance with Jacks. I know most people wouldn't understand, but I couldn't have built this business without her, the original I mean. She was like this rock, tough, practical, tenacious. She taught me and inspired me and along the way she got spoiled and hard. You gave me that Jackie without the spoiled. I can never repay that."

The Doctor was swirling the brandy in his glass, forearms on his knees. He nodded in acknowledgement without looking at Pete. "You're welcome," he replied softly. "I really do have a lot of respect for Jackie. She raised her daughter in very tough circumstances. She may not have been perfect, I mean who is, but she met the challenge head on. Rose is a testament to her good sense."

"Yeah, well, you should see her with Tony. Nothing tops the power of mother love. Which is another thing. Our Rose."

"I love her."

"Yeah, I know. I knew that the minute you put that transporter button around her neck. I could see it in your face that it was killing you, but you put her first. You were willing to sacrifice your own happiness for her safety, without hesitation."

"She didn't exactly see it that way," the Doctor said a bit sadly.

Pete snorted. "Tyler woman. Why do you think I went back for Rose? Decades of training cannot be undone by a mere few years disuse. Jacks found Jackie's hop to buttons in under 60 seconds." Both men laughed and took sips of their brandy and settled into a companionable silence.

"The thing is, Doctor, neither you nor Rose is going to have an easy time of it. Don't be shocked if she backs off a bit. Her mum and I went through that. The same person, yet different. But we got through it and you owe it to Rose to try. She was rubbish without you, and she went through hell to find you. Just don't give up on her. Give her time."

"Thank you. Truly. Thank you," the Doctor said with great sincerity. "I was really afraid that you were going to tell me to shove off."

"The Doctor, afraid. Hard to believe. But I think I like you this way. You're not bigger than life to anyone but Rose. You're a bloke I can have a drink with. Here's to many more."

"To many more," the Doctor raised his glass, this time looking Pete in the eye.

"Well, I see the two of you took no time at all to start the male bonding," Jackie said as she strode in. "Well, where's mine?" she asked as she took a seat in the chair next to Pete's.

"Here you go, Jacks, finish mine." Pete handed her his still nearly full glass. Jackie took it from him with a smile and shake of her head. Then she fixed her gaze on the Doctor, and raised her glass in silent toast. The Doctor reciprocated.

"I won't say welcome to the family until it's official, and I truly think it's too soon. But I will say welcome to the menagerie. Make yourself at home, in the guest room," she said with added emphasis. "And if you try calling me Mum, you'll get a slap your other self will feel all the way over in that other universe."

"I can promise you, Jackie, that I will never call you Mum. Never, ever. And I will behave myself. Actually, though, I think I'm finding out what it feels like to be dead tired. Could someone show me where that guest room is?"

"Absolutely," said Pete. "Right this way. Jacks, you did put a pair of my pajamas and a dressing gown in there for him, didn't you?"

"Of course I did. I know how to take care of my guests properly." Jackie gave Pete one of her hard stares and then winked at him. The Doctor could see Rose in her. He suddenly felt a sense of belonging that he hadn't in many years, since before the war.

"Oh, and tomorrow, I'm taking you shopping. That suit is horrible."

"Don't fight it," Pete whispered, "it will only tighten the noose."

"Point taken," said the Doctor. Now he knew why didn't do domestic. He'd missed it far too much.