fic: Face Down
Face Down
Ten/Rose, Teen.
Do you feel like a man, when you push her around?
Inspired by the song Face Down by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.
Beta'd by the lovely stillxmyxheart and bananasandroses .
Thank you both so much!
Rose hopped up onto the examination table in the med bay, her hand on her head. She and the Doctor had been in the console room, on their way to their next adventure, when the TARDIS had lurched suddenly, sending Rose flying across the console room. She had collided with one of the coral supports and banged her head, cutting it slightly. Luckily, the bleeding had stopped, but the Doctor had insisted that he examine her, in case she had a concussion.
The Doctor sat next to Rose, scooted so he was sitting behind her, and took her head in his hands. He first examined the wound, felt her head for a bump. There was one, and it was about the size of an egg, but it would heal. The bleeding had stopped, but it looked like she would need a few stitches to close the wound. He scooted back around and slid off the table, coming to face Rose. After much examination, he concluded that she did not have a concussion. He quickly stitched up the wound, deciding that it was now taken care of. But before he let her go, he took her face in his hands and looked into her eyes.
"Are you okay?" he asked, searching her face for any signs of discomfort.
"I'm fine, Doctor," Rose replied, smiling weakly. "Just a bit of a headache, that's all."
"You hit your head pretty hard. Are you sure you're all right?"
"I'm sure," she replied, smiling again. "Besides," she added softly. "I've had much worse." And with that, she moved off the table and headed to her bedroom, leaving the Doctor staring wide-eyed after her.
It had been one day since Rose's accident, and the Doctor didn't have the courage to confront her about what she had said the day before. He decided that until he got that courage, he would avoid Rose at all costs, in case it slipped out. He knew what could happen if his stumbled over his words, and he certainly didn't want that.
But the universe was always against him. Rose had been thinking about what she had said the day before, and hoped he hadn't heard. She was looking for him now, not to come clean, but to do damage control.
Rose waited in the console room, sure the Doctor would have to come in eventually. And he finally did, much to his chagrin, when he realized that she was there waiting for him. This is it, he thought. Don't push the subject if she doesn't want to talk.
"Rose?" he said, walking over to her. He took a seat next to her on the jump seat, taking her hand in his. "I, er... I have a question."
"I need to tell you something," she blurted out suddenly. Whoops, that wasn't supposed to happen. I can do this, she thought to herself. Just tell him the truth.
"Rose, I don't want to push the subject, but-"
"About what I said yesterday-"
"-and you don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but I need to know."
"-I just feel like you deserve to know the truth."
They paused, and an awkward silence filled the room. The Doctor looked Rose in the eyes, reassuring her.
"You can tell me anything, Rose," he said. "But only if you want to."
"I just... I feel like I need to get it off my chest. I don't want to bore you though."
"No, Rose, don't worry. I'm not bored. I'm listening, okay?"
"Okay." She paused and took a breath. "So, remember what I said yesterday? That I've had much worse than that? Well... it's true, and it's not... I mean, I just... I need to tell someone."
"I'm here, Rose. I'm listening."
"I know," she said softly. And with that, she began her tale. She told him everything, divulged every little detail, and with each passing moment the Doctor grew more sickened, more angry at the man that had caused her so much pain. As the seconds ticked by, the Doctor pulled Rose closer. She cried, and though he'd never admit it to her, he did too. Finally, by the end of her story, they were both a wreck. She was sobbing into his chest, soaking his shirt, but he didn't care. He didn't care because he was so angry, so infuriated with the man who had done such horrible things to his Rose. It was at this moment that he decided he wanted, no, he needed revenge.
Rose let out one more shuddering sob, then shifted to her head to look up into his eyes. He tried to smile reassuringly, but it ended up as more of an angry frown. Rose let her head fall back onto his chest and sighed deeply. Finally, the Doctor broke the painful silence.
"I just..." he began, not quite sure what to say. "I feel... horrible. Like I want to find that Jimmy Stone and make him pay for all he did to you."
"No," said Rose softly. "Revenge isn't the answer."
"But, Rose! All those things he did to you! You're telling me you don't want revenge? For everything he did?"
"Of course I do," she replied. "But revenge isn't going to help anything. It's not gonna satisfy me, or you."
"It'll satisfy me just fine."
"Don't, Doctor," she said, a bit more firmly, looking up at him now. "Don't you dare."
"Rose, that man hurt you in so many ways, and I'm not going to let him get away with it. I'll find him and I'll give him the payback he deserves."
"No, Doctor, you won't."
"Why won't I? I'll do as I please, and if I want revenge, I will bloody well have it."
Rose didn't reply, just stared at him, wide-eyed. The Doctor's hearts clenched as he looked at her, so pained, so hurt, streaks of mascara running down her cheeks, her eyes wide with pain and fear. Finally, Rose spoke.
"You sound just like him," she said, so low it was barely audible.
The Doctor jumped up, eyes shining with fury. "WHAT?!" he shouted, his features sharp with anger. "I sound like him?! How can you even say that?!"
"Because it's true, Doctor. That's exactly how he talked."
"That's not true! That can't be true!"
"Well it is," Rose replied, choking back tears, crossing her arms tightly over her chest.
"You don't know what you're talking about. That's not- it's not true! I'm trying to help you!"
Rose jumped up.
"Help me? Help me? You're not helping me! You're making things a hundred times worse!"
"HOW?! ALL I'M TRYING TO DO IS HELP YOU! LISTEN TO ME, ROSE TYLER!" he shouted, pointing his finger at her.
Rose visibly flinched, backing into the jump seat. The Doctor surveyed this, and immediately his face softened. He stepped closer and she flinched again, tears burning behind her eyes.
"Rose?" he said, reaching for her. She jerked away from him, and his hearts clenched.
"Leave me alone!" she cried, falling onto the jump seat, tears streaming down her cheeks once more. "Just leave me alone!"
"Rose..." the Doctor said softly, tears threatening to escape his own eyes. "Rose, look at me." Rose looked him in the eyes, tears still streaming down her face. "Rose, did you... did you think I was going to hit you?" Rose didn't reply, stared resolutely around the console room, looking at everything but him. He sat down on the jump seat next to her. She flinched again. "Oh, Rose."
"Don't..." Rose mumbled softly.
"Rose, I would never. I would never even think... Rose, I'm so sorry. I should never have overreacted like that. I'm so, so sorry. I must've frightened you to death." Rose nodded her head weakly. "Oh, Rose."
The Doctor reached for her hand, this time much more slowly. Rose winced, but let him take it. He caressed her it with his own, looking into her eyes. "Rose, I'm so sorry. I acted horribly, and I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to go home right now. Not that I want you to, because I don't, but I just..."
"I forgive you," Rose said simply, her voice at a whisper, glancing at him.
"You what? Did you say-?"
"Yeah," she said, laughing weakly through her tears. "I said I forgive you. I know you were just trying to help. It's just, you sounded... so much like him. And I got scared that you might..."
"You know I would never, Rose. You have to believe me when I say that I would never, ever hurt you."
"I do. I believe you." She nodded, smiling slightly.
"Do you... I mean... you don't want to go home, do you? I wouldn't blame you if you did, though." The Doctor watched her, uncertainty clouding his mind.
"No, I don't."
"You sure?"
"D'you want me to leave?" Rose look at him, eyebrows furrowed together just slightly.
"What? No! Of course not!"
"Then I'm not going anywhere." She smiled and grabbed the Doctor in a hug, resting her head on his shoulder, and they sat like that for a while, in comfortable silence.
"Rose?" the Doctor asked finally.
"Yeah?"
"Can I at least fly the TARDIS by his flat? Just to give him a good scare, is all."
"Sure, Doctor. But nothing else."
"Scout's honour."
They both laughed, and that was that.
FIN.