Best Wishes by frin tennant
Summary: Christmas time in the TARDIS and you should be amongst friends.
Rating: All Ages
Categories: Tenth Doctor
Characters: Rose Tyler
Genres: Fluff, Het, Romance
Warnings: None
Challenges: None
Series: B.W., Christmas File
Published: 2008.12.11
Updated: 2008.12.11
Best Wishes by frin tennant
Chapter 1: Best Wishes
Author's Notes: Another for my BW series.
The Doctor stood at the mantelpiece letting his delectable eyebrows furrow together.
"Dear Jack, have a happy Christmas and don't stand under too much mistletoe! Lots of love, Rose xxx," he read. His eyes turned to the other card in his hand.
"To the Doctor, happy Christmas, best wishes, Rose."
He really could not work this one out. He thought he and Rose were special, but it would seem that she didn't even see him worthy of a cheeky little message. He could find no logic in this and stood there trying to work it out for some time until Rose disturbed him looking for sticky tape.
"On the desk," he said absentmindedly, putting the cards back up. Rose eyed him as she located the roll.
"Thanks for the card," he muttered.
"You're welcome," she retorted, almost primly. As she left the room, though, he couldn't not say it.
"Best wishes?" She stopped and turned back.
"Sorry?"
"Best wishes! Jack gets a lovely little message and lots of love and kisses! I get a formal little note ending in best wishes!" Rose looked at him and thought for a while.
"You really shouldn't read other peoples cards," was all she could muster.
"Well, I wouldn't if your message hadn't been so...so," he stopped, looking for the right word.
"So what?"
"So impersonal!"
"Ah, there we have it!" she snapped.
"What?"
"Impersonal! Do you know how hard it is to write something to you? I have to write, not your name, no, I have to write a title! I know that you do have a real name! Hidden amongst the stars! That's what everyone says! It got me thinking, time to evaluate whatever this is! If you can't even trust me enough to tell me, then how can we...how can I be personal to you?"
"Rose, my name is very dangerous...if it got into the wrong hands, well it would be bad!"
"Like I'd tell anyone! Doctor, I don't mind, I love calling you the Doctor! But when it came to writing it down it felt like I was a stranger! It hurt!" Tears were pricking her eyes and he felt a warm surge of relief through his hearts.
"That's it? That's the reason for the card?"
"It might be small to you, but it's important to me!" He smiled.
"You're right...it does hurt."
"You taking the mick?"
"No, it really hurt me, seeing it like that...so you must have felt hurt too!"
"You really have no idea, do you?" she shouted and stomped out of the room. He heard her angry footsteps echoing up the corridor until she reached her room and slammed the door. With a sigh, he walked over to the desk, sat down and pulled a card out of the drawer. Dabbing his quill in the inkwell he began to write.
Later that evening, when Rose was reapplying her makeup having cried the last lot off; an envelope slipped under her door.
She sat staring at it's reflection in her mirror for a while, then curiosity got the better of her and she went over and picked it up. Walking thoughtfully to her bed, she sat down staring at the familiar writing across it. Finally she turned it over and, very carefully, opened it.
She breathed in the exotic smell of spices that made her think of long ago and far away as she pulled the card from it's nest. It was a traditional nativity scene, but so well drawn it could almost have been a photograph. Slowly she opened it.
"To my Christmas Rose, the most important flower of them all. May all your wishes come true. Lots of love." Beside the love was an inscription that she couldn't pronounce. She recognised it as the Doctor's Gallefreyan hand writing and could even make out some of the symbols from things he had taught her.
In her head she knew what this said but she also knew she could never say it out loud. A new tear ran down her cheek as she placed the card to her chest and smiled.
After she had wept yet more tears, she placed the card reverently under her pillow. Her heart was singing as she knew that this was the best Christmas present she could wish for.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.
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