A Proper Wedding (Part 3)

They were getting married today.
Today, they were getting married.
The thought went through both of their minds in every possible wording and arrangement (and every possible language for the Doctor). And both of them couldn’t help but grin madly at that thought. The Doctor, for one, was so excited that he at one point phoned Rose, telling her that he needed to hear her voice before he ran through a wall to find her. She insisted on him not seeing her before the ceremony, which she reminded him was a human custom. In response to his complaints and begging, she compromised, sitting with her back to a door, him on the other side, and talking with him. Both were giggling madly in their childish excitement.
“You know, there is one thing I’m worried about…” his voice drifted through the wooden door to her.
“What?” she asked, pulse quickening at the thought that something could possibly go wrong.
“I’m too sharply dressed.”
She laughed, ignoring for the most part his indignant noise from his side of the door.
“No, really! Nothing ever goes to plan when I get dressed up. Something always happens.”
“Is it really that bad? Our entire relationship is based on things not going exactly to plan,” she idly traced something meaningless in the carpet beside her, wanting badly to open the door and embrace her husband-to-be.
“But today is yours. Today needs to be perfect,” his voice was endearingly earnest.
“It’s your day, too,” she said, leaning back into the door and pretending she could feel him through it. “It’s our day, Doctor. Our day at last.”
She could sense him smiling. Then she heard her mother begin screeching at him, warning against seeing the bride before the wedding. Rose heard him scramble to his feet as Jackie shooed him off, directing him to Pete to get him ready.

A few hours later, and Rose was dealing with bridesmaids. Rose hadn’t exactly had time to make many friends in her time in this universe, due to spending the majority of her time trying to get out of this universe… Her best friend, a fiery, Scottish, redheaded girl that she’d met during her time here, was off to the side, looking over the others with a smile of amusement on her face. The girl waved at the bride-to-be, and Rose walked over to her.
“This is quite the bunch you’ve picked out,” Amy observed, running her eyes over the others. Currently, two of the other bridesmaids were bickering over bouquets, while the other loitered off to the side uncertainly.
“I know, but it means a lot for them to be here,” explained Rose. “Are you sure you don’t mind…?”
“Not being Maid of Honor? Nah. You already explained everything you needed to, I get it. It also doesn’t affect your status for when Rory and I get hitched.”
"It’s hard to imagine you married,” Rose laughed. “You just don’t seem the type!”
“Y’know, that Doctor bloke of yours actually talked to me about it, and I’m starting to warm up to the idea of married life. He’s a wonderful man, you’re very lucky.”
Rose was about to ask when she’d gotten the chance to talk to him when the other bridesmaids migrated over.
“Lucky’s right. I swear, if you hadn’t already claimed him, I’d love to-“
“Martha!” the older, brown haired woman elbowed her. “This is Rose’s day, not a time to say you fancy her fiancé!”
“I’m only joking,” laughed Martha. “No offence meant, Rose. To be perfectly honest, I’ve got my eye on someone else at the moment,” her eyes travelled to the groomsmen on the other side of the room, catching on Mickey.
“None taken,” Rose smiled, following her gaze. “That’s Mickey, by the way. You should ask him to go out for a pint, later.”
Martha grinned.
For three women who hardly even knew her in this world, they had all been willing to step up to the position when asked. Rose remembered their alternate universe selves fondly, and so far they were all living up to the legacies of their doppelgangers.
“Rose, dear, your hairpiece’s gone crooked, let me fix that for you,” Sarah Jane said, stepping forward and raising her hands towards the girl’s updo. Right on time, Jackie swept in, nearly batting Sarah Jane’s hands away.
“Oi! Mother of the bride, this is my job!” cried the woman, straitening her daugher’s hair.
“Thanks, Mum,” Rose smiled.
“Now, are you sure you want to go through with this, Rose? There are other fish in the sea, you know, and if you want to wait-“
“Mum?”
“Hm?”
“You’re freaking out. Take deep breaths, Mum, that’s it. Why don’t you go fetch my bouquet?”
Nodding forcefully, Jackie wandered off in search of it. As soon as she left, a different redhead took to Rose’s side.
“I thought you weren’t carrying a bouquet?”
“Must’a slipped my mind. She’ll figure it out eventually,” Rose shot a sidelong grin at the other woman. “How’re you holding up?”
“Isn’t that my job to ask you? Maid of Honor and all that?” Donna smiled uncertainly. “Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that…”
“Oh? What’s up?” Rose asked, leading them a bit away from the group.
“Well, the thing is… And don’t take this the wrong way, because I’m flattered… but… well, I don’t even know you. I don’t know anyone here, to be perfectly honest. I’d never even heard of you before you sent me the invitation. Why chose me?”
“Donna Noble, you are brilliant.” Rose took the woman’s hand.
“Don’t-“ she started to shake her head.
“No, I’m serious. The Doctor and I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you.” At the other woman’s look of obvious confusion, she added “It’s a long story and you wouldn’t believe half of it, but you saved all of our lives, more times than you could ever know.”
“But…” Donna stuttered. “I’m just a temp. A temp from Chiswick. What could I possibly-“
“Donna,” Rose said contemplatively, “What would you think about another job? Not temp work, but an actual position? I was just talking to some of Torchwood’s superiors, and they were saying they could use another good worker.”
“Well… I’m just used to desk work…”
“You never know. I’ve got a hunch that if you take a step outside your own door, you’ll figure out just how amazing you really are.”
Donna opened her mouth to respond, but didn’t get the chance as Amy ran up, grabbing Rose’s shoulder.
“It’s time,” she grinned.
Rose nodded. “Go grab my mother. I just have one last thing to take care of…”