Enduring 6/13
Series: Enduring the Test of Time
Title: New Companions
Author: McRaider
Summary: He was still just a kid in comparison to all of the Doctor’s 900 years, but he wanted to see the universe, and sometimes even the Doctor could use a little extra help.
Pairings: Doctor/Rose and eventually in this story leading into Jack/Ianto
Author's Note: For those of you who don't know the set up of Doctor Who s1 there are two episodes between Dalek and the Empty child, The Long Game which was briefly described in the previous chapter and this chapter which describes Father's Day. The next chapter, which will be posted tomorrow (depending on if I'm on the road or not) will focus on the episodes which start our amazing Jack Harkness.
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
“Be careful what you wish for.” The words resounded in her head over and over again as she lay on her bed. She didn’t hear the knock, didn’t even hear him enter, until she felt a dip in her bed. “Leave me alone.” She whimpered.
Ianto sighed as he ran his hand up the back of her calf gently, trying to soothe her. “It wasn’t your fault, Rose.”
“I-“ She buried her face in the pillow again, her body wracked with shaking sobs.
Ianto couldn’t keep the tears in his own eyes from slipping down his cheeks. Reaching out he gently rolled her onto her side. He waved her to him, and a second later he found himself with his arms full of Rose Tyler as she sobbed against his shoulder. He wrapped both his arms around her body, feeling her shake and sob.
The pain ran deep through Rose, he could feel it as if it was an ocean overwhelming him. He couldn’t let it, he couldn’t drown in her pain; he had to keep her head above the waters as it was. This wouldn’t break their sweet Rose. He held on for dear life, unsure what else to do. The Doctor was tinkering again, and until he was man enough to speak to her about this, Ianto was all Rose had to keep her sane.
He’d though Rose was pretty damn impressive before learning more about her back story. He’d been impressed that a shop girl, with no A-levels had not only changed him and a Time Lord to truly see the good in most things, but that she could come up with her own brilliant schemes at times. She could easily keep up with them; in fact there were times Ianto found himself struggling to keep up with her.
“My daddy,” she sobbed. If it wasn’t bad enough to watch your father die once, she’d been forced to see it happen twice and to see the Doctor die. This whole trip had turned out to be one horrific nightmare. Ianto couldn’t help but blame Rose just slightly for saving her father and messing up the time line. Likewise, however, he blamed the Doctor, because Ianto had the feeling if it weren’t for his inability to say no to her, the Doctor wouldn’t have let anyone else go back in their own time to such a horrible day. What the hell did the Doctor think was going to happen? He’d make sure to tell the Doctor as much, later, after he’d cared for her.
It was nearly twenty minutes of whimpers, a wet jumper, running mascara and occasional pleas for him back, when Rose finally gave into the sleep that had been trying to claim her since they’d left 1987. Ianto tucked her into the bed, pressing a gentle kiss to her temple, silently promising to come back in once he’d spoken with the Doctor about all of this.
He made his way into the control room, where the Doctor was brooding and fixing-what he did best. “She sleeping?” he asked.
“What do you care?” Ianto couldn’t resist, someone had to set these two straight, Rose had learned her lesson-it was time the Doctor did as well.
“Excuse me?” The Doctor poked his head from under the grates.
“Doctor! What is wrong with you!? You agreed to take her back to the day her father died! What the hell did you think was going to happen? That’s a temptation even I knew! You’re a Time Lord, shouldn’t you have seen it coming!?”
“I don’t recall agreeing to take on two very cheeky and stubborn companions.”
“Well now you’re stuck with us!” Hissed Ianto. “She’s broken, and as much as you want to sit here and blame her-it’s not her fault an’ you know it!”
It was a funny thing, the Doctor thought, as he listened to Ianto yell, he could clearly hear the Welsh accent becoming thicker and thicker. The other part of him was listening to every word Ianto said. He knew it was all true. “Ianto, I know-“
“And yet I was the one who had to console her!”
“You think she wanted to see me?” The Doctor said standing up, looking him straight in the eye.
Ianto shook his head. “You are such a man, of course she did! You nearly died, and as much as you don’t want to admit it, that girl is head over heels, ain’t comin’ back, in love with you!”
“I know.” He whispered.
“That was enough to scare anyone, but to suddenly be stranded there, with reapers over head, your father knowing he had to die, a really evil mother, by the way, and useless ol’ me, Rose was suddenly faced with the idea that she couldn’t protect you.”
“It’s not her job to protect me-“
“Oh bullocks! You know damn well that we protect each other. You aren’t alone anymore, Doctor. You don’t have to protect us all the time either. We’re companions, that’s what we do. We protect each other. Even if it’s from one another-we failed her today, Doctor.”
“How do I fix this?” He finally whispered, sitting down on the bench beside Ianto.
“As cliché as it sounds; only time can fix this. She needs us, both of us. No swanning off anymore.”
“She called me the most important man in her life.” The Doctor whispered. “I didn’t think I’d ever feel like this again.”
“She loves you.”
He nodded. “I know, stupid humans, but I know.”
“Doctor, she’s going to have to hear it someday.”
“I know, but today’s not really a good day for me.”
Ianto chuckled softly. Reaching out he grasped the Doctor’s hand and squeezed it. “We’re in this together, yeah?”
“All three of us, I should go talk to her.” He whispered.
Ianto nodded, watching as the Doctor got up and walked into the hallway. Sighing, Ianto stood and pressed his hands to the console. “I know girl, their both fools.” He felt her almost purr or hum beneath his had. “Can I hear your song again?”
She smiled and opened herself up to him, and his senses were flooded with the beautiful melody. He continued to stroke her panels gently, listening to her glorious generosity.
o0o
The Doctor pushed the door open gently, glancing inside at the beautiful nineteen year old girl who’d had her heart broken three times today. Sighing softly, the Doctor toed off his shoes, stripped off his leather jacket-he smiled ruefully at that thought of just how easily a nineteen year old shop girl had penetrated that leather jacket of his and saw right through to the heart of gold. He stepped over to the bed, pulling back the blankets and slid beneath them, taking the time to warm up his hands and feet before he wrapped them around her slim body.
Instantly his little furnace, Rose Tyler, curled her arms around him, her legs winding through his. He chuckled softly as she nestled her head against his chest. He looked down at her face, feeling his hearts break at the sight of her tear stained cheeks. He quickly separated himself, trying to ignore her little whimper when the cold air hit her. He returned a few moments later with a washcloth, and gently began to wash her face ever so gently, until the tear stains were gone and she was looking beautiful-if not a little pale.
“My beautiful little wolf, full of so much power and fury, but so frightened sometimes. You’re safe in my arms Rose.” He murmured as he wrapped his body around her again.
“You’re not gonna send me away?” The little sniffle and question came somewhat unexpected a few minutes later.
The Doctor looked down at her. “Rassilion, no Rose. God I couldn’t survive without you anymore. You’ve changed me Rose, I need you. An’ there are so many reasons I can think of that I shouldn’t need or want you in my life. But you’re so determined and so beautiful. You an’ Ianto both belong here with me, and that’s where you’ll stay.”
“I’m so sorry Doctor-“
“It wasn’t your fault, Ianto’s right. There was too much temptation there for you, and I just let you waltz in unprepared, didn’t give you any warning. I’m sorry. Both of us made mistakes today. But we’re going to get past that. We’ll be fine.”
They lay there for a little longer. Rose told him all she knew about her father, how much she’d wished she could have him growing up. How strong her mother was, and how strong she’d have to be for her mother sometimes. The Doctor told her some of his past exploits, explaining some of the places he wanted to take her.
Ianto sat in the control room silently, his diary in his lap, a pen sitting between his teeth.
October 1987
Rose lost her father today; I know how she feels-sort of. Lost my mam when I was just a little thing. I can’t imagine going back and trying to save mam, not after all the pain she withstood.
The Doctor died too, it’s strange but I always think of him as invincible, but today-today I realized he’s no different than anyone else. He can die, he can suffer and cry. I can feel their pain, the both of them. I almost wonder if the Doctor can feel mine as well. A little ache from memories, and a lot of sorrow for sweet Rose.
--
An alarm began to wail, Ianto looked up at it, his brows furrowing. He dropped his diary and raced out of the room, heading towards Rose’s bedroom.
Suddenly, the door burst open. “Doctor! There’s some sort of alert going off!”
The Doctor sat up. “What color?”
“Sort of a mauve-“
To Be Continued