Fic: Reverberations from Another World
Title: Reverberations From Another World
Author: cowgrrl
Word Count: 872
Characters/pairings: Rose/TenII, Ten
Rating: G
Spoilers: Don't read this if you haven't seen "End of Time"
Disclaimer: These characters belong to the BBC. I'm just borrowing them out of love and respect for a great television show.
It was snowing again, and Rose could hear the wind howling. But she didn’t mind the weather because she was exactly where she wanted to be - curled up with the man she loved, snug and warm under their soft duvet. She pressed her head against his chest, listening to his heart beat. The one heart in her mostly-human Doctor’s chest. She smiled as his hand gently touched her large belly, knowing he was hoping to feel the baby kicking inside her.
“I think she’s sleeping,” she murmured.
“Mmm…” he responded, kissing the top of her head. “And we should get some sleep too.”
Rose closed her eyes, but rather than drift off to sleep, she saw a scenario play out in her mind. She was walking with her mum, it was snowing, there was a man asking her what day it was. She told him it was New Years, 2005. What a daft question to be asking…how could he not know the date? Obviously he’d had a bit too much to drink, and she told him as much. He told her she was going to have a really good year. She’d smiled as she turned to leave, then got one good parting look at him-
And suddenly Rose was wide awake. Had that just been a dream? Or was it a memory? If it was a memory, why hadn’t she always known the Doctor’s face? Why hadn’t she recognized him the first time she saw that face?
Rose looked at him - that lovely face, the one she’d missed for so long when she’d thought she’d never get to see it again, back when they’d been stuck in separate worlds. His eyes were closed, but when she gently touched his face, he opened his eyes and smiled at her.
“Doctor? Did you visit me in 2005? Back before we ever met?”
The Doctor shook his head. “When we were apart, I was tempted to do so. I missed you so much. Too risky though. Couldn’t risk interfering with the timeline.”
“Then why am I suddenly having a vivid memory of you doing exactly that?”
“It wasn’t me,” he insisted. Then his eyes widened and he sat up in bed. “But it could have been him! Why would he take such a risk? He should know better. Unless… Unless…” The Doctor’s voice trailed off and his eyes filled with tears.
“Unless what?” Rose was sitting up too now, her heart pounding.
“Unless…he’d gone back into your past to say goodbye.”
Rose blinked back tears. “Are you sure?”
The Doctor was unable to answer her because suddenly he was shaking, hard. Rose pulled him close. He was burning with fever-his pajamas soaked with sweat. She held him and sobbed. Part of her mind was wondering if she should be calling for medical assistance. But before she could even finish that thought, he’d stopped shaking. His body was cooling down, slowing returning to normal.
In silence, Rose helped him out of his sweat-soaked clothing, and into fresh pajamas. Then she tucked him back into bed. Finally they looked at each other.
“He…” she couldn’t even bear to say it.
“He’s regenerated. I don’t know how this is possible, but I could feel it. Just as I could sense him all this time we’ve been apart.”
They held each other tightly. Rose cried quietly. It made no sense. The Doctor was right here, in her bed, the father of the child growing in her womb. And at the same time, the Doctor was also out there, so far away, and now he was gone. But not gone, changed though. If she ever saw him again he’d have a different face. He’d be the same man. But not the same man. So many contradictions.
“Can you still sense him?” she asked, looking into his brown eyes.
He nodded. “It’s not as strong as before, but yes, I can still sense him. And you know what? It’s not so bad. For so long, all I could sense from him was sadness.”
The Doctor’s words cut right through her and her eyes welled up again. “And now?”
“Now…” The Doctor smiled. “Now he’s okay. He’s got new energy, new enthusiasm for life. Or he will, when he’s done regenerating.” He touched her face, wiping away her tears with a finger. “And you know what else is good about this?”
“What?” Rose managed to smile back at him.
“Next time we see him, you won’t have any trouble telling us apart!”
“You’ve always been an optimist,” Rose said.
“Oh yes, that’s me! Always the optimist,” The Doctor declared happily. “All is well now, in our universe and in his.”
They settled back into bed. His arm was once again around her, one hand on her belly as if protecting the baby inside her. They breathed together, in silence, for a long time.
“Are you still awake?” Rose whispered much later.
“Yes,” came the immediate answer.
“We’re not going to get any sleep tonight, are we?”
“Nope.”
“I can’t stop thinking about him,” she continued.
“Neither can I.”
And with that acknowledgement, they pulled the covers in tighter and relaxed in each other’s arms. And eventually, they both managed to sleep.
Author: cowgrrl
Word Count: 872
Characters/pairings: Rose/TenII, Ten
Rating: G
Spoilers: Don't read this if you haven't seen "End of Time"
Disclaimer: These characters belong to the BBC. I'm just borrowing them out of love and respect for a great television show.
It was snowing again, and Rose could hear the wind howling. But she didn’t mind the weather because she was exactly where she wanted to be - curled up with the man she loved, snug and warm under their soft duvet. She pressed her head against his chest, listening to his heart beat. The one heart in her mostly-human Doctor’s chest. She smiled as his hand gently touched her large belly, knowing he was hoping to feel the baby kicking inside her.
“I think she’s sleeping,” she murmured.
“Mmm…” he responded, kissing the top of her head. “And we should get some sleep too.”
Rose closed her eyes, but rather than drift off to sleep, she saw a scenario play out in her mind. She was walking with her mum, it was snowing, there was a man asking her what day it was. She told him it was New Years, 2005. What a daft question to be asking…how could he not know the date? Obviously he’d had a bit too much to drink, and she told him as much. He told her she was going to have a really good year. She’d smiled as she turned to leave, then got one good parting look at him-
And suddenly Rose was wide awake. Had that just been a dream? Or was it a memory? If it was a memory, why hadn’t she always known the Doctor’s face? Why hadn’t she recognized him the first time she saw that face?
Rose looked at him - that lovely face, the one she’d missed for so long when she’d thought she’d never get to see it again, back when they’d been stuck in separate worlds. His eyes were closed, but when she gently touched his face, he opened his eyes and smiled at her.
“Doctor? Did you visit me in 2005? Back before we ever met?”
The Doctor shook his head. “When we were apart, I was tempted to do so. I missed you so much. Too risky though. Couldn’t risk interfering with the timeline.”
“Then why am I suddenly having a vivid memory of you doing exactly that?”
“It wasn’t me,” he insisted. Then his eyes widened and he sat up in bed. “But it could have been him! Why would he take such a risk? He should know better. Unless… Unless…” The Doctor’s voice trailed off and his eyes filled with tears.
“Unless what?” Rose was sitting up too now, her heart pounding.
“Unless…he’d gone back into your past to say goodbye.”
Rose blinked back tears. “Are you sure?”
The Doctor was unable to answer her because suddenly he was shaking, hard. Rose pulled him close. He was burning with fever-his pajamas soaked with sweat. She held him and sobbed. Part of her mind was wondering if she should be calling for medical assistance. But before she could even finish that thought, he’d stopped shaking. His body was cooling down, slowing returning to normal.
In silence, Rose helped him out of his sweat-soaked clothing, and into fresh pajamas. Then she tucked him back into bed. Finally they looked at each other.
“He…” she couldn’t even bear to say it.
“He’s regenerated. I don’t know how this is possible, but I could feel it. Just as I could sense him all this time we’ve been apart.”
They held each other tightly. Rose cried quietly. It made no sense. The Doctor was right here, in her bed, the father of the child growing in her womb. And at the same time, the Doctor was also out there, so far away, and now he was gone. But not gone, changed though. If she ever saw him again he’d have a different face. He’d be the same man. But not the same man. So many contradictions.
“Can you still sense him?” she asked, looking into his brown eyes.
He nodded. “It’s not as strong as before, but yes, I can still sense him. And you know what? It’s not so bad. For so long, all I could sense from him was sadness.”
The Doctor’s words cut right through her and her eyes welled up again. “And now?”
“Now…” The Doctor smiled. “Now he’s okay. He’s got new energy, new enthusiasm for life. Or he will, when he’s done regenerating.” He touched her face, wiping away her tears with a finger. “And you know what else is good about this?”
“What?” Rose managed to smile back at him.
“Next time we see him, you won’t have any trouble telling us apart!”
“You’ve always been an optimist,” Rose said.
“Oh yes, that’s me! Always the optimist,” The Doctor declared happily. “All is well now, in our universe and in his.”
They settled back into bed. His arm was once again around her, one hand on her belly as if protecting the baby inside her. They breathed together, in silence, for a long time.
“Are you still awake?” Rose whispered much later.
“Yes,” came the immediate answer.
“We’re not going to get any sleep tonight, are we?”
“Nope.”
“I can’t stop thinking about him,” she continued.
“Neither can I.”
And with that acknowledgement, they pulled the covers in tighter and relaxed in each other’s arms. And eventually, they both managed to sleep.