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Rose flipped through the mail as she walked into the flat she shared with the Doctor. And wasn’t that strange? Sharing a flat with carpets and doors. No mortgage. But still... She’d never dreamed when she’d been dimension hopping and working so hard to get back to him and her original universe that she’d ever get to share a life with him and her family. Life was funny like that. Rarely did Rose end up where she expected to be. It’s not that her life was bad, it was just different than she’d imagined, but in the very best way possible.
“Doctor! Your driver’s license came in the post!” She called up the stairs as she went into the kitchen to make herself a cuppa.
She heard the clatter of him running down from the bedroom and bit back a smile.
“Brilliant!”
He snatched the mail from her hand and ripped open the top one with his “official” name on it - Dr. John Tyler. He unstuck the shiny plastic card from the letter, giving it only the most cursory of glances, and beamed proudly.
“I don’t know why you look so smug, it’s not like you even took your driving test. Pete pushed it through.”
His smile dimmed somewhat, but then Rose poked her tongue out the side of her mouth. His heart, his single human heart, fluttered in his chest with love for her.
“This, Rose Tyler, is the last bit of proof that I am officially human. A human man, with one life, a birth certificate, passport, National Insurance number, and now a driver’s license.”
Rose lifted one brow and put her hands on her hips. “Oh, and is that all you have?”
He put the license on the counter and picked her up spinning her around the kitchen. “Nope. I’ve got one Rose Tyler, but I’m the only one who gets to say that. Doesn’t prove I’m human.”
He swooped in and kissed her.
Rose giggled and rolled her eyes. “No, just a bloke.”
She leaned over and picked up the license and snorted.
“What?”
“I’m just… Did you pick the birthdate?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“I thought you’d pick, I don’t know, the day we arrived since that is kinda, technically, the day you were born. This you anyway.”
He ruffled his hair and whinged, “Yeah, but then I’d have to wait a whole year to celebrate my birthday. This way, I get to have a birthday party, my first one, mind, in just a few weeks.”
Rose hummed and nodded. “But what made you pick this date exactly?”
“Well, it was the date the first time we came to Pete’s World. Remember, back with Mickey? When I was still a full Time Lord.”
“Oh, I remember. Do you remember what we did that day?”
He scoffed. “Of course, dressed up, snuck into a party, had some nibbles, and helped defeat some Cybermen. Easy Peasy.”
“Yup. We were very impressive. Remember what the party was for?”
The Doctor’s eyes widened. “Jackie’s birthday.”
“There it is.”
“This is your mum’s birthday, too?”
Rose scrunched her nose and nodded.
“She’s gonna slap me!”
Rose couldn’t stop the giggle that broke free.
“Rose!”
--
“...happy birthday to yoooooou.”
The Doctor and Jackie leaned over and blew out their respective birthday candles. A smattering of applause rang out from those in attendance - friends, family, co-workers. Jackie smiled brightly as the flash of cameras immortalized the moment.
When everyone had gone back to their conversations, Jackie picked up a knife and started cutting into the cakes to serve. The Doctor eyed it and rubbed the back of his neck. “Er, Jackie, I just wanted to say, ‘sorry.’”
She looked at him in confusion. “For what?”
“For picking your birthday. I didn’t know when-”
She cut him off with a laugh. “Oh, sweetheart, I don’t mind.”
“You don’t?”
“Do you know what I think of, every single morning, when I wake up?”
“Er, no?”
“I think how you’ve given me the very best gift I could have ever received - a life with my daughter in it.”
The Doctor opened his mouth, but he didn’t know what to say.
“If I had to pick someone to share my birthday with, it wouldn’t be anybody but you.”
Tears ran down the Doctor’s face as Jackie squeezed him into a hug. “I guess we’re even. Because meeting Rose was the best thing that ever happened to me, and I...I have you to thank for that. For helping make her into the brilliant woman she is today.”
He gave Jackie a kiss on the cheek and wiped at his eyes before anyone would notice. Rose noticed though, her own eyes were bright with unshed tears and she wore the biggest smile he’d seen in a while.
She sauntered over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Happy Birthday, Doctor. Did you make a wish?”
“What would I wish for? I have everything I’ve ever wanted right here in this room.”
She tugged him by his lapels and kissed him until the wolf whistles around the room forced them apart.
“Okay, maybe there’s something I can’t have right now in this room, but definitely later in ours.”
Rose winked and reached up to wipe the lipstick off the corner of his mouth. “Well, that’s good, because it’s exactly what I planned on giving you for your birthday.”