Universe is cruel, part 17
Title: Universe is cruel, part 17
Characters: Jackie Tyler, Rose Tyler, The Doctor (10th), The Doctor (Duplicate 10th) and many others
Raiting: All
Disclaimer: They don't belong to me. They belong to RTD and the BBC.
Spoilers: up till JE
Summary: The Doctor and Rose live a fantastic life on Pete's World until one drunk driver shatters it all.
Previous
Rose hears the doorbell and hurries to open the door. For a split second she’s surprised to see the Doctor. He never rings. But just a look at his face tells her more than his two words can. “She’s gone.” She pulls him in the flat and tries to comfort him with an embrace. They don’t talk. They’ve known each other for such a long time now. They just know. A few minutes later she pulls away from him and leads him to the kitchen, where the kettle is already boiling. She makes tea with one hand and sweeps tears with the other. It’s been a bit more than 7 years since she came back and River… well… they were close like she’s never thought they could ever be. She stops what she’s doing and leans on the counter in attempt to keep her control. She feels the Doctor wrapping his arm around her and leans into him to accept the comfort he’s giving her in turn. They’re glad they have each other to share this pain and to ease it for one another. They both know what happened and they don’t need to tell.
“Stay here for a few days. Don’t want you to be alone,” she offers him.
“Yeah. Don’t think I could manage on my own now anyway.”
She looks him in the eyes. “You’ll see her again, you know that. You haven’t regenerated yet and you’ve met her with one of your later incarnations.”
“Yeah.”
They drink their tea silently remembering. Suddenly he asks, “Do you think it was worth this pain?”
“What do you think?” she retorts.
They look in each other’s eyes for a few moments more. He’s about to ask something else, she’s not sure what it is.
“If I keep coming here, I’ll have to watch all of you die.”
“Yes, you will. Not all of us though. Jack, Cathie, and Jenny… they’ll all keep going along with you. Not the Last of the Time Lords any more, remember?” she adds trying to lighten the mood. “You’ll never be alone again. You have your family. Even River. You’ll see her again. Many times.” She takes his hand and seeks for his eyes. “And you have friends. And you’ll make many new ones. And you do have a home now, you know that, don’t you?”
“Do I?” he asks with a tiny smile and twinkle in his eyes.
“Yes, you do. You may not have been born on Earth, but look at you. Time and time again you come here, pick someone and return back. Isn’t a place where your family is a home? And this one will survive about 5 billion years more. Trust me on this, I’ve seen it.” She watches his smile grow a bit wider on her joke.
“Yeah,” he says. It’s comforting to not be the only one who knows. Not about the destruction of Earth… but about his past. His other self did a good job telling Rose about him, making her understand. They never talk about any of it, but they don’t need to. She just knows and he doesn’t need to pretend, to hide anything and it’s surprisingly assuring.
Their quiet talk is disturbed by a phone call. Rose picks it up and goes worried in a second.
“Yeah, shh…. Shh… Cath.. Cathie… hush… it’s okay, sweetheart… no… you’re okay… no… Earth is not falling… we’ll be there in no time… okay… love you,” she ends the call and turns to the Doctor, “I think Cathie’s extra senses are awakening.”
In no time they are at school’s infirmary. The girl is pale sitting on the bed with a paper bag in her hands. It takes another 3 minutes to get her to the TARDIS and the girl is nearly unconscious to register her surroundings. It’s the first trip in the ship for Rose in years and she’s too worried about her daughter to notice this. Cathie is already feeling better though.
“What was that?” she asks the Doctor wearingly. “I felt like I was falling and turning, like I didn’t know where was up and where was down.”
The Doctor grins at her surprising the girl to no end. “That, Cathie, was the turn of the Earth. You know, Earth is spinning around its axis, and around the Sun. And the Sun is turning with the galaxy…”
“Okay. So why don’t I feel it now?”
“Oh, well, because now we’re static.” He enjoys the girl’s puzzled look and then stretches his hand to her and winks at Rose. “Come on, I’ll show you.”
“Well, you’re feeling better, because we’re not moving. The universe is moving around us, but we’re static. Go on, take a look,” he pushes her slightly to open the doors and exchanges a smile with Rose as the girl curiously and cautiously opens the doors.
“You’re kidding me,” she gasps.
“Oi! Watch your tongue!” Rose exclaims.
“We’re in space! Wait,” she turns around for the first time actually looking at the place she was in. “This’s the TARDIS, right? And we’re in space! Don’t tell me I’ll have to throw up every time I want to get here.”
The Doctor laughs at the girl. “No, Cathie, you won’t. You see, Gallifreyans have more senses then humans and the sense of space is the first one to awaken.”
“Okay,” the girl tries. “But that means I’ll be sick every time I step on Earth or any other planet.”
“Well, that’s not how it works. You’ll get used to it. I feel it all the time. It’s jus the change that makes you sick.”
“Okay, I see. Is there anything else I should know about this extra senses I’ll be getting?”
Rose smirks at her extraordinary clever 8-year-old daughter.
“Yeah. Well. Not now, but… I think we’ll have to begin education soon.” The Doctor looks questioningly at Rose and continues when she nods in reply. “When Gallifrey was still there, we used to enter the Academy at 8. There’s no Academy now, so you’ll have to settle with me, but I’m sure I know a thing or two.”
“I’m sure you do.” Rose adds coming close to them and taking both their hands. “Oh, and you’d better find Jenny for these lessons as well.”
He gives her a look, “good idea that.”
A few minutes later the TARDIS materializes traditionally in Rose’s living room and all three emerge to have some dinner at last. This evening Rose and the Doctor spend talking, as they usually do.
”Thank you for her,” the Doctor says.
“You’d better thank yourself.” Rose replies sadly. They don’t speak for a while both deep in thoughts.
“You know, I think he’s always known what would happen. Ever since he was created. I checked his journal at Torchwood. He’s developed that time-hopper in his first month at Torchwood. Long before we even started dating. What do you think?” she asks avoiding his gaze.
“Could be. Metacrisises are always unpredictable. And those memories were only hidden, not removed. Why?”
“I’ve been thinking… if he knew what was going to happen… he was a very brave man.” She watches the Doctor tears in her eyes. “Just like you are.”
“I’m not brave, Rose.”
“But you are. Back then, you took two worst nightmares upon yourself. You knew you’ll have River only to lose her in the end and you knew your - or the other you - death would break the person you loved apart. Personally, I don’t know what’s worse.”
He looks at her attentively before whispering, “Neither do I.”
Next
Characters: Jackie Tyler, Rose Tyler, The Doctor (10th), The Doctor (Duplicate 10th) and many others
Raiting: All
Disclaimer: They don't belong to me. They belong to RTD and the BBC.
Spoilers: up till JE
Summary: The Doctor and Rose live a fantastic life on Pete's World until one drunk driver shatters it all.
Previous
Rose hears the doorbell and hurries to open the door. For a split second she’s surprised to see the Doctor. He never rings. But just a look at his face tells her more than his two words can. “She’s gone.” She pulls him in the flat and tries to comfort him with an embrace. They don’t talk. They’ve known each other for such a long time now. They just know. A few minutes later she pulls away from him and leads him to the kitchen, where the kettle is already boiling. She makes tea with one hand and sweeps tears with the other. It’s been a bit more than 7 years since she came back and River… well… they were close like she’s never thought they could ever be. She stops what she’s doing and leans on the counter in attempt to keep her control. She feels the Doctor wrapping his arm around her and leans into him to accept the comfort he’s giving her in turn. They’re glad they have each other to share this pain and to ease it for one another. They both know what happened and they don’t need to tell.
“Stay here for a few days. Don’t want you to be alone,” she offers him.
“Yeah. Don’t think I could manage on my own now anyway.”
She looks him in the eyes. “You’ll see her again, you know that. You haven’t regenerated yet and you’ve met her with one of your later incarnations.”
“Yeah.”
They drink their tea silently remembering. Suddenly he asks, “Do you think it was worth this pain?”
“What do you think?” she retorts.
They look in each other’s eyes for a few moments more. He’s about to ask something else, she’s not sure what it is.
“If I keep coming here, I’ll have to watch all of you die.”
“Yes, you will. Not all of us though. Jack, Cathie, and Jenny… they’ll all keep going along with you. Not the Last of the Time Lords any more, remember?” she adds trying to lighten the mood. “You’ll never be alone again. You have your family. Even River. You’ll see her again. Many times.” She takes his hand and seeks for his eyes. “And you have friends. And you’ll make many new ones. And you do have a home now, you know that, don’t you?”
“Do I?” he asks with a tiny smile and twinkle in his eyes.
“Yes, you do. You may not have been born on Earth, but look at you. Time and time again you come here, pick someone and return back. Isn’t a place where your family is a home? And this one will survive about 5 billion years more. Trust me on this, I’ve seen it.” She watches his smile grow a bit wider on her joke.
“Yeah,” he says. It’s comforting to not be the only one who knows. Not about the destruction of Earth… but about his past. His other self did a good job telling Rose about him, making her understand. They never talk about any of it, but they don’t need to. She just knows and he doesn’t need to pretend, to hide anything and it’s surprisingly assuring.
Their quiet talk is disturbed by a phone call. Rose picks it up and goes worried in a second.
“Yeah, shh…. Shh… Cath.. Cathie… hush… it’s okay, sweetheart… no… you’re okay… no… Earth is not falling… we’ll be there in no time… okay… love you,” she ends the call and turns to the Doctor, “I think Cathie’s extra senses are awakening.”
In no time they are at school’s infirmary. The girl is pale sitting on the bed with a paper bag in her hands. It takes another 3 minutes to get her to the TARDIS and the girl is nearly unconscious to register her surroundings. It’s the first trip in the ship for Rose in years and she’s too worried about her daughter to notice this. Cathie is already feeling better though.
“What was that?” she asks the Doctor wearingly. “I felt like I was falling and turning, like I didn’t know where was up and where was down.”
The Doctor grins at her surprising the girl to no end. “That, Cathie, was the turn of the Earth. You know, Earth is spinning around its axis, and around the Sun. And the Sun is turning with the galaxy…”
“Okay. So why don’t I feel it now?”
“Oh, well, because now we’re static.” He enjoys the girl’s puzzled look and then stretches his hand to her and winks at Rose. “Come on, I’ll show you.”
“Well, you’re feeling better, because we’re not moving. The universe is moving around us, but we’re static. Go on, take a look,” he pushes her slightly to open the doors and exchanges a smile with Rose as the girl curiously and cautiously opens the doors.
“You’re kidding me,” she gasps.
“Oi! Watch your tongue!” Rose exclaims.
“We’re in space! Wait,” she turns around for the first time actually looking at the place she was in. “This’s the TARDIS, right? And we’re in space! Don’t tell me I’ll have to throw up every time I want to get here.”
The Doctor laughs at the girl. “No, Cathie, you won’t. You see, Gallifreyans have more senses then humans and the sense of space is the first one to awaken.”
“Okay,” the girl tries. “But that means I’ll be sick every time I step on Earth or any other planet.”
“Well, that’s not how it works. You’ll get used to it. I feel it all the time. It’s jus the change that makes you sick.”
“Okay, I see. Is there anything else I should know about this extra senses I’ll be getting?”
Rose smirks at her extraordinary clever 8-year-old daughter.
“Yeah. Well. Not now, but… I think we’ll have to begin education soon.” The Doctor looks questioningly at Rose and continues when she nods in reply. “When Gallifrey was still there, we used to enter the Academy at 8. There’s no Academy now, so you’ll have to settle with me, but I’m sure I know a thing or two.”
“I’m sure you do.” Rose adds coming close to them and taking both their hands. “Oh, and you’d better find Jenny for these lessons as well.”
He gives her a look, “good idea that.”
A few minutes later the TARDIS materializes traditionally in Rose’s living room and all three emerge to have some dinner at last. This evening Rose and the Doctor spend talking, as they usually do.
”Thank you for her,” the Doctor says.
“You’d better thank yourself.” Rose replies sadly. They don’t speak for a while both deep in thoughts.
“You know, I think he’s always known what would happen. Ever since he was created. I checked his journal at Torchwood. He’s developed that time-hopper in his first month at Torchwood. Long before we even started dating. What do you think?” she asks avoiding his gaze.
“Could be. Metacrisises are always unpredictable. And those memories were only hidden, not removed. Why?”
“I’ve been thinking… if he knew what was going to happen… he was a very brave man.” She watches the Doctor tears in her eyes. “Just like you are.”
“I’m not brave, Rose.”
“But you are. Back then, you took two worst nightmares upon yourself. You knew you’ll have River only to lose her in the end and you knew your - or the other you - death would break the person you loved apart. Personally, I don’t know what’s worse.”
He looks at her attentively before whispering, “Neither do I.”
Next