This is the second story in my celebration series. I wrote this right after The Empty Child premiered in America. So I just saw Jack and in the last story I wrote him out of character so for this series he will remain out of character.
Story was not Beta read and I did my best to proof read it.
Pairing: Nine-Doctor/Rose;
Summary: The Doctor turns 980 years old.
Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or its characters.
Rate: PG
Season: 1
Category: Fluff
Spoilers: General Stuff
Series: Celebration Series
Rose had never really thought about it before until Jack asked when her birthday was at Shareen’s wedding. It was after Shareen had made the Doctor promise to bring her back to them for her birthday and Christmas every year and she had to call at least once a week. After the Doctor promised her and she walked off to talk to someone else Jack asked her when her birthday was and she told them. July 10, she was barely four months old when her father died. But that also meant her birthday was a month ago because in real time it was August 16.
“When is your birthday,” Rose asked Jack.
“January 10, my mom said I was born in the middle of the worse blizzard she’d ever seen,” Jack laughed. “How about you Doctor? When is your birthday?”
“By your calendar May 20,” Doctor said after a long pause to think. It had been a long time since someone had asked him that question.
“I’ll be 29,” Jack sighed.” “Man that is so close to thirty. I promised my mom at 30 I’d settle down and start a family but I don’t know.”
“I’ll be 21 next year,” Rose replied. “And the Doctor will be nine hundred and something I know that.”
“980,” Doctor told them. “Why didn’t you tell me it was your birthday?”
“I don’t know it was right after Jack joined us so I didn’t realize it until a few days after,” Rose explained.
“We’ll make up for it at the Doctor’s party,” Jack decided with a wicked grin.
“No you don’t,” Doctor warned. “I don’t do parties so don’t even think about throwing me one!”
Rose’s job was simple to cook; well it would be simple if she knew what to cook. So she made whatever she could think of that the Doctor might have mentioned he liked. She was also baking him a cake a nice chocolate cake because she did know that he liked chocolate. Jack was out getting a few present for the Doctor while the Doctor was just out. She knew he needed to think because the Tardis had been acting up lately. It once again brought them not only in the wrong time but the wrong country. He had been hoping to show her Egypt in 2090 but they ended up in France in 1392 during the reign of King Richard ll. Which was not a pleasant experience seeing as that this was in the middle of England and France’s hundred year war.
Rose pleased with the food started to place them on the table. They had given a nonverbal promise of no party for the Doctor. So no party was being planned they were just celebrating a friend’s birthday with food and a few presents. They had even agreed to not get dresses up because then it could be a party and he did not want that. And as much as Rose wanted to make a big deal out of this she wanted to see the Doctor happy and this was it.
“Okay presents are here,” Jack announced.
“Food is done and the Doctor should be back in fifteen minutes,” Rose told him with a smile.
“I thought we agreed not to dress up,” Jack smirked looking her over.
“I’m not dresses up,” Rose defended the outfit she had on.
She was dressed in a black knee length skirt and a white shirt sleeve button up shirt. Her hair was down like always, and she herself did not see herself as dressed up. She had just decided that she wasn’t going to wear pants all the time. She liked dresses and skirts and this life she chose was not going to take that away from her.
“What is this,” Doctor asked walking into the room.
“It’s not a party,” Rose swore. “But it is your birthday dinner.”
“There are present it’s a party,” Doctor disagreed.
“It’s not a party just dinner between three time traveling friends,” Jack argued holding a chair out for him. “Now come and sit old man.”
“So come on before the food gets cold” Rose told him watching him seat down.
The Doctor sat down unable to remember the last time he sat down for a meal like this. He and Rose sat at restaurants and diners but never like this. He did not do domestic and this was domestic. But he knew how much work Rose must have put into this meal because Rose did not cook. She hated to cook and had said so several times. Jackie liked to cook even if she was not that good at it she like to do it but that gene was not passed on to her daughter. So he ate the meal knowing she did this just for him.
Jack took his seat smiling at Rose who was also seating down waiting for the Doctor to say anything. She had a look on her face, that look that dared the Doctor to say or try anything, Jack half hoped he did just because he could get a laugh out of it but also didn’t Rose had worked to hard for this meal. But to their relief the Doctor sat the meal but he ate it in complete silence and fast.
“Don’t even think about moving,” Rose told him sternly.
“I have work to do and this takes me away from fixing the Tardis,” Doctor scolded.
“I made cake,” Rose told him in a singsong voice.
“What kind of cake,” Doctor asked knowing he had been defeated.
“Chocolate,” Rose chirped uncovering the two-layer perfectly ground covered in chocolate frosting cake. “But there is no cake until you open presents. And I know Jack would just love to eat this all because he’s been eyeing it since I finished it.”
“Blackmailed by my own companion,” Doctor said with a toothy grin.
“There are only two presents because what do you get a Time Lord,” Jack explained with a shrug.
“Do I want to know where you got the money,” Doctor asked weary.
“I have my ways,” Jack replied with a wink.
“Just open them,” Rose laughed.
Doctor saw the package that had the words from Jack written on them. He shook it to make sure it was nothing that could blow up in his face or explode. After he was happy with that he sat it down the last time he could remember opened a birthday present was with Susan and that had been eight life times ago.
“A jumper, you got me a red jumper,” Doctor said unbelieving.
“I told Rose to do the shopping,” Jack defended.
“Open mine it’ll make up for it,” Rose vowed.
Rose’s was smaller then Jack’s so he knew it couldn’t be a jumper. Not that he could blame Jack if asked today he couldn’t get him a present either, Rose was different. It weighted more then Jack’s so he was interested in what she had got him. Opening the package he saw a box opening the box he found a book, A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. He saw her smile so he knew there must be more and there was a simple note that said opened the book. He did just that to find a blank page with a note written on it.
Dear Doctor,
Rose and your new companion, Jack, tell me it is your birthday soon. Strange it has only been a few moments since you both left me but Rose explains that that is time travel. So I wish you a happy birthday. I hope that your adventures continue and you keep doing what you did in Cardiff. And maybe someday we will cross paths again.
Sincerely,
Charles Dickens
“How,” was all the Doctor could get out at the moment?
“Then you like it,” Rose asked cutting him a piece of cake.
“Thank you both,” Doctor muttered then looked at Jack. “One day I will find out how you both did this.”
“The only thing I will tell you is that we got the book before we left London,” Jack winked.
“Your cake is drying out,” Rose told him handing him a fork.
The Doctor wanted to get more information out of him but had this feeling that that would be useless. Jack could be stubborn and Jackie Tyler invented being stubborn and taught her daughter well. So he ate his cake enjoying each an every bite. He enjoyed it for two reasons one because the cake tasted really good and two because Rose made this cake with him in mind.
Jack and Rose were in their rooms sleeping while the Doctor was in the control room fixing some minor problem he found. The doctor kept going back to his birthday dinner; he didn’t mind it as much as he thought he would. They both had gone to a lot of work to make the dinner special for him without breaking the promise of no party. Stopping what he was doing his mind went to his old companions, he didn’t even know their birthday and they didn’t know his. Why were Jack and Rose different, what was it about them that made him do things he wouldn’t normally do?
He had fixed the problem but still had no idea why the Tardis was messing up on the time and place. She had never done this before and he was beginning to worry. But he knew that the Tardis was doing this for a reason she was not messing up she was sending him a message he just didn’t get it? Or she was bored and was looking for some amusement and what better then sending an English woman to France in the middle of a the hundred year war.
Looking at the control panel he realized it was late and he promised them they would get going early in the morning. He could hear the Tardis humming as she went through space. Tardis brought the Doctor’s room close s he could get to sleep faster. The moment he fell asleep she moved it so he was next to Rose’s room while Jack was across from them.
The Tardis had taken a liking to Rose the moment she stepped into the Tardis, even if she did start t cry. This was a lot for a nineteen year old to take in and she was proud to have her on board. And Jack was someone the Tardis thought she would hate but after his first night here she grew to love him. He was a good man he just didn’t like anyone to know that fact. And she would remain happy and taking them where she liked as long as that Mickey Smith didn’t come aboard. He was okay as a visitor but if he joins the crew they might end up in Antarctica for awhile.
Inside his room the Doctor smiled as he read the first chapter of the book Rose gave him. It was a good book, he already had it in his library but this one would stay in his room. It had been so long since he had a birthday that he wished to remember, but today on this year he had one. And that was because of one person–Rose Tyler. He said it before but now he knew it not only in mind but in heart too–he was glad he picked her up.
“Rose,” Doctor said knocking on her door. “Are you asleep?”
“I was,” Rose confirmed sleepy. “What is the matter?”
“Nothing it can wait,” Doctor told sorry to have waken her.
“I’m already a wake Doctor,” Rose told him getting out of the bed.
Her blond hair was down but it was messy due to sleep her soft brown eyes were a little hazy but they become clearer as she woke. She wore a pair of pink sweat pants and a loose white t-shirt. Rose knew she should be embarrassed she would be if Jack came in but the Doctor was different. He walked more into her bedroom reveling that he too was in his pajama. He wore a pair of black pajama bottoms with a red t-shirts. She gave him a nervous smile and she suddenly realized why he tried to leave.
“Happy Birthday,” Doctor told her handing her a package.
“You didn’t have to do this,” Rose told him with a giggle.
“I know,” Doctor said simply.
She took the package from him slowly not knowing what to expect from him. He was the Doctor and she had learned right away to expect the unexpected when it came to him. She slowly undid the wrapping paper to reveal a box. It was a white packaging box she lifted the top to see white tissue paper. She didn’t have to look at him to know he was smiling by this point. She lifted the white tissue paper to reveal a leather book. Looking at him with curiosity she opened the book to find it was blank. But next to it was a pen a very beautiful pen that had a rose design on it.
“You got me a journal and a pen,” Rose said smiling widely.
“Do you like it,” Doctor asked.
“I love it,” Rose laughed. “Now I can write all about my adventures with you and Jack. Maybe give it to mum so she knows exactly what I do out here.”
“You really want her to hate me don’t you,” Doctor asked half serious half joking.
“Goodnight Doctor,” rose laughed putting the journal and pen in a drawer in the stand next to her bed. “And thank you.”
“Goodnight Rose Tyler,” Doctor replied leaving the room.
There is a blue box that was a time machine named The Tardis and inside the Tardis slept three time traveler. One of them was an alien, one was from the far future and the other was their saving grace. Today was the Doctor’s birthday and even though he didn’t think he had much to celebrate the Tardis knew he did. And Jack would never admit it but it wasn’t his touching the control panel that sent them to Charles Dickens but her. And one day she just might tell Jack and Rose but for now she would remain quiet. And let them go on with their simple lives unaware of the real journey ahead of them.
The End