The One Adventure They Could Never Have (2/9?)
Title: The One Adventure They Could Never Have (2/9?)
Author: glowsticklilz
Character/Pairing: Human!Ten/Rose.
Rating: PG-13 for now.
Summary: Rose and her new Doctor slowly adjust to their new life.
Disclaimer: Doctor Who is not mine. All I own are my words.
Author's Notes: This chapter contains the most and the last of the angst. After this though, things start to get a little better. This is also the last chapter I can post till the 20th of August, for I am on holiday in the middle of nowhere till then. So I'll leave a little preview at the end to help the wait. :D
Chapter One
"How'd you get here so quick?" Jackie asked her husband as they were all walking up the ramp to the zeppelin.
"Well, when I heard you'd followed her.." Pete begun, pointing toward Rose "I knew that if there was a chance you'd be returning, then this would be where you'd turn up." he smiled at his wife "I am Head of Torchwood remember babe, any activity and I'm the first to know." Pete finished in a slight smug manner, hugging his wife to his side.
The Doctor and Rose followed them onto the airship. Once onboard Rose disappeared into another room, and the Doctor took refuge on a wonderfully squishy chair. He was thinking about going to find her, but to his surprise he instead felt more like having a little kip. His eyes were very heavy, and he reluctantly yawned.
Next thing he knew he was being woken up - they were back in London.
They pulled up outside the towering white mansion that the Doctor could now remember so well. He wasn't to surprised that the Tyler's still took residency here, though the thought of them living somewhere else wouldn't have surprised him either. Jackie was quick to get out the car, Pete soon followed. Rose had drifted off in the car on the way to the house, so the Doctor lightly nudged her and called her name softly as not to startle her. She awoke with a jump, but settled when she saw him; though turned away quicker than he would have liked her to.
Rose opened the car door, closing it behind her, took a deep breath, then walked to the house. She could hear his footsteps on the gravel behind her, but did not wait for him, she instead walked through the front door, and found the kitchen where her mum and Pete were. She still found it hard to call him Dad, no matter how much her mum pressed it on her.
"Where's my little boy then?" Jackie asked, taking off her coat and turning on the kettle.
"Asleep ofcourse, I left him with Annie as soon as I got your call." Pete answered "Ah, it's so good to have you back Jacks." He added, taking his wife into a warm embrace.
Rose smiled at the sight, un-zipping her leather jacket, she heard the front door shut. Turning toward it, the tall man in the blue suit walked into the kitchen, catching her eye and giving her a weak smile, looking just beyond her toward her parents, then looking back again. She sat down whilst turning away, not quite being able to hold his gaze for very long - it reminded her of too much. The familiar sound of the kettle boiling could be heard, Pete went to the kitchen to deal with that as Jackie made her way over to the Doctor.
"I suppose you'll be staying here for a while then?" Jackie asked the part Time Lord, he simply nodded in reply.
"Right well, you can take one of the spare rooms, I'm sure Pete's got some clothes he can lend you to sleep in. I'll have Annie make your bed, oh Annie.." she paused briefly "Annie's our house-keeper, dark hair, very nice, if you need anything just ask her, she's always happy to help.."
He sort of zoned out of whatever it was Jackie was saying to him, looking over the woman's shoulder toward her daughter, who was still very still and quiet. She had now taken to nibbling at her nails and hugging her legs, she was thinking far too much about something. He was shortly interrupted by Pete who seemed to be handing him a mug of tea, the Doctor took it kindly, even if tea was the last thing he wanted right now. Looking back at Jackie, he took one small sip, and listened to her again.
"..oh I'll just go get him. He's dieing to meet you, the stories he's heard." She finished with a smile, placing her tea on the table, and almost running out the door.
~~~~~
The Doctor had taken a seat one away from Rose, thinking that she needed her space, she was still hugging her legs and being very quiet. Opposite him Pete was fiddling with his phone, making the odd remark and little groan. He had left his tea on the table in front of him, he was just sort of staring at the odd patterns drawn across it's surface when he heard Jackie Tyler again.
"Guess who's come to see you Tony?" She whispered to her son.
Looking up he saw a small blonde boy in her arms, he saw Rose look up too, pushing the chair back she stood up and walked over to her mum and brother.
As soon as the young boy saw her, he scrambled out of his mother's arms, and ran straight to Rose. Rose crouched down, and opened her arms for him, lifting him up into a tight hug. Breathing into his neck hard, she could feel her tears building up again. Part of her didn't understand how she could give up her little brother so easily for a man who had left her here, and another part of her wanted that man to come and take her away too. She felt both bad, and lost, and it was just a little too much to take and she let the dam she had been trying to build drop with a shaking sob. Her face still buried in her brother's neck, she breathed in hard, and let out another hard cry. Her vision was blurred now, as was the world around her, all she could feel was the warmth of her small brother and her tears. She felt someone slowly take Tony from her arms, holding her face in her hands before someone else took her in to a crushing hug. It was him, even with her senses all over the place, he still had that smell. His hand was soothing her back, and his chin was rested on top of her head and she couldn't stop, all the anger and sadness that she had tried to hold onto, was coming out with every tear. Her feet were moving, he was guiding her to the other side of the room when her legs bent and she found herself sitting in his lap; holding onto him she continued to weep into his shoulder.
Sitting on that dining room chair with Rose crying in his lap, all he could do was hold her. Jackie and Pete had taken Tony upstairs, the young boy had begun crying as soon as Rose had. They were alone, they needed to be, it was only them that could sort this out. Rose had been crying for what felt like ages, he kept on rubbing her back, and rocking her as a small tear left his own eye. Slowly she was calming down. She had stopped shaking, and was now sniffling. Seeing a small napkin on the table, the Doctor took it and handed it to her. Keeping her head low, she wiped away at her tears, and blew into the napkin.
"Better?" He asked with a tiny smile.
He felt her nod on his chest in reply. She brought her head up to level with his, her mascara was smudged, her eyes were puffy and her cheeks were red. A few stray hairs were sticking to her face where her tear trails were, he brushed her hair from her face and put it behind her ear.
"Do you wanna talk about it, what you humans usually do isn't it?" He said.
"Us."
"Pardon?"
"Us, what us humans usually do, you told me you were part human." Rose said weakly, her voice still sore from crying.
"Yes indeed, one heart and everything, that's gonna take some getting used to, and the breathing, you've got to breath alot more, always remind me to breathe Rose Tyler, wouldn't be too good if I stopped would it?" He whipped out a grin.
It made her smile a little bit, which was better than nothing. Though her eyes were still sad.
"It's just, your so like him."
"Rose, I am him. I am the Doctor... I need you to believe that."
"But he left. He left with the TARDIS and he left me here," Rose wasn't really speaking, more thinking aloud in a bit of a jumble. "Alone." She finished.
That stung him a little, and he didn't know what to say.
"I think I just need to sleep, clear my head" Rose stated, unwrapping her arms from the back of his neck, and pushing herself off of him. Standing up, she paused for a moment, looking back at him.
"Can you still feel him?" She asked.
The Doctor furrowed his brow in slight confusion.
"Him, you, your other self. Can you hear him? Know what he's doing? What he's thinking?"
"No," he swallowed hard "Sorry." He added.
Rose paused for a little longer, accepting his answer. "G'night." She whispered retreating up the stairs without turning back.
~~~~~
The Doctor was still sitting in the same seat he had held Rose on around an hour ago. Well it was 57 minutes and 34 seconds, but time wasn't a case in this situation. He was playing with the mug with the strange pattern that now held the cold tea he didn't drink, thinking about everything that had happened over the last 24 hours or so. He'd been reunited with Rose, he'd almost regenerated, he'd defeated Davros and the entire Dalek fleet, with a little help mind. He'd watched Donna save reality and he'd been left on a parallel world with everything he'd ever wanted, but not being wanted in return; and it was just a little overwhelming.
It was at that moment that Rose's parallel father walked into the room. Not saying anything at first he simply sat down on the chair opposite him and crossed his arms.
"So your a copy of him?" Pete asked bluntly.
Leaving the mug alone and sitting back on his chair the Doctor replied, "No, I am him, just a bit more human that's all." Trying to sound chipper.
"So you're, your own man then?"
"Yep" popping his P, "Why? Does that disappoint you too?" The Doctor replied a little bitterly remembering Rose's little question earlier.
Pete looked away at that remark and there was a moments silence.
"If you are the Doctor, if you're still that bloke I remember from all those years ago, then she still loves you - it just might take her a while you know..?"
"Yeah." He sighed.
"Give her a bit of time, and just... I don't know, talk about it - just make sure you've both got clear heads on though."
"Why do I get the feeling it won't be as simple as that?" The Doctor half joked.
"Well show her then. Prove it to her, do something that she won't have to doubt." Pete sat up.
The Doctor knew exactly how to prove he could be her Doctor again.
Going into his pocket, he took out a smooth golden object and presented it to Pete.
"Right, what's that then?" Pete asked leaning forward.
"This is what will show Rose that I'm not just a clone, this will show her that I can give her the Universe again." The Doctor smiled.
"But, what is it?"
"It's a piece of coral from my TARDIS. You know what that is right?"
"Time and Relative Dimension in Space, I know, Rose wasn't exactly quiet for 4 years." Pete replied.
"Four years, that's how long it's been since.."
"..Yeah."
The Doctor thought back to that terrible day. How hard those last two minutes had been, and how the next few years had been even harder. He sniffed and took a deep breath, looking back up at the golden hope in his hand.
"Well, I can grow another one from this." He felt a spark of happiness at that new prospect, and really smiled for the first time that day.
~~~~~
Chapter Three
Author: glowsticklilz
Character/Pairing: Human!Ten/Rose.
Rating: PG-13 for now.
Summary: Rose and her new Doctor slowly adjust to their new life.
Disclaimer: Doctor Who is not mine. All I own are my words.
Author's Notes: This chapter contains the most and the last of the angst. After this though, things start to get a little better. This is also the last chapter I can post till the 20th of August, for I am on holiday in the middle of nowhere till then. So I'll leave a little preview at the end to help the wait. :D
Chapter One
"How'd you get here so quick?" Jackie asked her husband as they were all walking up the ramp to the zeppelin.
"Well, when I heard you'd followed her.." Pete begun, pointing toward Rose "I knew that if there was a chance you'd be returning, then this would be where you'd turn up." he smiled at his wife "I am Head of Torchwood remember babe, any activity and I'm the first to know." Pete finished in a slight smug manner, hugging his wife to his side.
The Doctor and Rose followed them onto the airship. Once onboard Rose disappeared into another room, and the Doctor took refuge on a wonderfully squishy chair. He was thinking about going to find her, but to his surprise he instead felt more like having a little kip. His eyes were very heavy, and he reluctantly yawned.
Next thing he knew he was being woken up - they were back in London.
They pulled up outside the towering white mansion that the Doctor could now remember so well. He wasn't to surprised that the Tyler's still took residency here, though the thought of them living somewhere else wouldn't have surprised him either. Jackie was quick to get out the car, Pete soon followed. Rose had drifted off in the car on the way to the house, so the Doctor lightly nudged her and called her name softly as not to startle her. She awoke with a jump, but settled when she saw him; though turned away quicker than he would have liked her to.
Rose opened the car door, closing it behind her, took a deep breath, then walked to the house. She could hear his footsteps on the gravel behind her, but did not wait for him, she instead walked through the front door, and found the kitchen where her mum and Pete were. She still found it hard to call him Dad, no matter how much her mum pressed it on her.
"Where's my little boy then?" Jackie asked, taking off her coat and turning on the kettle.
"Asleep ofcourse, I left him with Annie as soon as I got your call." Pete answered "Ah, it's so good to have you back Jacks." He added, taking his wife into a warm embrace.
Rose smiled at the sight, un-zipping her leather jacket, she heard the front door shut. Turning toward it, the tall man in the blue suit walked into the kitchen, catching her eye and giving her a weak smile, looking just beyond her toward her parents, then looking back again. She sat down whilst turning away, not quite being able to hold his gaze for very long - it reminded her of too much. The familiar sound of the kettle boiling could be heard, Pete went to the kitchen to deal with that as Jackie made her way over to the Doctor.
"I suppose you'll be staying here for a while then?" Jackie asked the part Time Lord, he simply nodded in reply.
"Right well, you can take one of the spare rooms, I'm sure Pete's got some clothes he can lend you to sleep in. I'll have Annie make your bed, oh Annie.." she paused briefly "Annie's our house-keeper, dark hair, very nice, if you need anything just ask her, she's always happy to help.."
He sort of zoned out of whatever it was Jackie was saying to him, looking over the woman's shoulder toward her daughter, who was still very still and quiet. She had now taken to nibbling at her nails and hugging her legs, she was thinking far too much about something. He was shortly interrupted by Pete who seemed to be handing him a mug of tea, the Doctor took it kindly, even if tea was the last thing he wanted right now. Looking back at Jackie, he took one small sip, and listened to her again.
"..oh I'll just go get him. He's dieing to meet you, the stories he's heard." She finished with a smile, placing her tea on the table, and almost running out the door.
~~~~~
The Doctor had taken a seat one away from Rose, thinking that she needed her space, she was still hugging her legs and being very quiet. Opposite him Pete was fiddling with his phone, making the odd remark and little groan. He had left his tea on the table in front of him, he was just sort of staring at the odd patterns drawn across it's surface when he heard Jackie Tyler again.
"Guess who's come to see you Tony?" She whispered to her son.
Looking up he saw a small blonde boy in her arms, he saw Rose look up too, pushing the chair back she stood up and walked over to her mum and brother.
As soon as the young boy saw her, he scrambled out of his mother's arms, and ran straight to Rose. Rose crouched down, and opened her arms for him, lifting him up into a tight hug. Breathing into his neck hard, she could feel her tears building up again. Part of her didn't understand how she could give up her little brother so easily for a man who had left her here, and another part of her wanted that man to come and take her away too. She felt both bad, and lost, and it was just a little too much to take and she let the dam she had been trying to build drop with a shaking sob. Her face still buried in her brother's neck, she breathed in hard, and let out another hard cry. Her vision was blurred now, as was the world around her, all she could feel was the warmth of her small brother and her tears. She felt someone slowly take Tony from her arms, holding her face in her hands before someone else took her in to a crushing hug. It was him, even with her senses all over the place, he still had that smell. His hand was soothing her back, and his chin was rested on top of her head and she couldn't stop, all the anger and sadness that she had tried to hold onto, was coming out with every tear. Her feet were moving, he was guiding her to the other side of the room when her legs bent and she found herself sitting in his lap; holding onto him she continued to weep into his shoulder.
Sitting on that dining room chair with Rose crying in his lap, all he could do was hold her. Jackie and Pete had taken Tony upstairs, the young boy had begun crying as soon as Rose had. They were alone, they needed to be, it was only them that could sort this out. Rose had been crying for what felt like ages, he kept on rubbing her back, and rocking her as a small tear left his own eye. Slowly she was calming down. She had stopped shaking, and was now sniffling. Seeing a small napkin on the table, the Doctor took it and handed it to her. Keeping her head low, she wiped away at her tears, and blew into the napkin.
"Better?" He asked with a tiny smile.
He felt her nod on his chest in reply. She brought her head up to level with his, her mascara was smudged, her eyes were puffy and her cheeks were red. A few stray hairs were sticking to her face where her tear trails were, he brushed her hair from her face and put it behind her ear.
"Do you wanna talk about it, what you humans usually do isn't it?" He said.
"Us."
"Pardon?"
"Us, what us humans usually do, you told me you were part human." Rose said weakly, her voice still sore from crying.
"Yes indeed, one heart and everything, that's gonna take some getting used to, and the breathing, you've got to breath alot more, always remind me to breathe Rose Tyler, wouldn't be too good if I stopped would it?" He whipped out a grin.
It made her smile a little bit, which was better than nothing. Though her eyes were still sad.
"It's just, your so like him."
"Rose, I am him. I am the Doctor... I need you to believe that."
"But he left. He left with the TARDIS and he left me here," Rose wasn't really speaking, more thinking aloud in a bit of a jumble. "Alone." She finished.
That stung him a little, and he didn't know what to say.
"I think I just need to sleep, clear my head" Rose stated, unwrapping her arms from the back of his neck, and pushing herself off of him. Standing up, she paused for a moment, looking back at him.
"Can you still feel him?" She asked.
The Doctor furrowed his brow in slight confusion.
"Him, you, your other self. Can you hear him? Know what he's doing? What he's thinking?"
"No," he swallowed hard "Sorry." He added.
Rose paused for a little longer, accepting his answer. "G'night." She whispered retreating up the stairs without turning back.
~~~~~
The Doctor was still sitting in the same seat he had held Rose on around an hour ago. Well it was 57 minutes and 34 seconds, but time wasn't a case in this situation. He was playing with the mug with the strange pattern that now held the cold tea he didn't drink, thinking about everything that had happened over the last 24 hours or so. He'd been reunited with Rose, he'd almost regenerated, he'd defeated Davros and the entire Dalek fleet, with a little help mind. He'd watched Donna save reality and he'd been left on a parallel world with everything he'd ever wanted, but not being wanted in return; and it was just a little overwhelming.
It was at that moment that Rose's parallel father walked into the room. Not saying anything at first he simply sat down on the chair opposite him and crossed his arms.
"So your a copy of him?" Pete asked bluntly.
Leaving the mug alone and sitting back on his chair the Doctor replied, "No, I am him, just a bit more human that's all." Trying to sound chipper.
"So you're, your own man then?"
"Yep" popping his P, "Why? Does that disappoint you too?" The Doctor replied a little bitterly remembering Rose's little question earlier.
Pete looked away at that remark and there was a moments silence.
"If you are the Doctor, if you're still that bloke I remember from all those years ago, then she still loves you - it just might take her a while you know..?"
"Yeah." He sighed.
"Give her a bit of time, and just... I don't know, talk about it - just make sure you've both got clear heads on though."
"Why do I get the feeling it won't be as simple as that?" The Doctor half joked.
"Well show her then. Prove it to her, do something that she won't have to doubt." Pete sat up.
The Doctor knew exactly how to prove he could be her Doctor again.
Going into his pocket, he took out a smooth golden object and presented it to Pete.
"Right, what's that then?" Pete asked leaning forward.
"This is what will show Rose that I'm not just a clone, this will show her that I can give her the Universe again." The Doctor smiled.
"But, what is it?"
"It's a piece of coral from my TARDIS. You know what that is right?"
"Time and Relative Dimension in Space, I know, Rose wasn't exactly quiet for 4 years." Pete replied.
"Four years, that's how long it's been since.."
"..Yeah."
The Doctor thought back to that terrible day. How hard those last two minutes had been, and how the next few years had been even harder. He sniffed and took a deep breath, looking back up at the golden hope in his hand.
"Well, I can grow another one from this." He felt a spark of happiness at that new prospect, and really smiled for the first time that day.
~~~~~
Chapter Three