Sore and Impatient and Still in New Fandom Afterglow...+ FIC (Doctor Who)
A bunch of us went to a Scottish Games thing in Livermore on Sunday and I got COOKED. That is, I'm totally sunburned. My face was swollen and blistered this morning and I've never had a sunburn *hurt* so much I don't think. I mean, disporportionate (sp?) to how burned it looks.
I can't wear sunscreen on my face anymore (though that's no excuse why I didn't put some on my arms and neck, DUH!) because I keep having allergic reactions to *something* in them (but I don't know exactly what) and wind up looking like Jason Voorhees. So I've been wearing hats when I go to outdoor thingies like this. Might as well not have bothered it appears. **sigh** There has to be a third alternative.
Anyhow. Still loving the new Doctor Who fandom. Still loving Nine/Rose with every fiber. But the lovely folks in my new fandom are just NOT FICCING FAST ENOUGH! :) It's really forcing the plot bunnies to multiply in my head. And I'm still just not sure if I'm writing Chris' Doctor correctly enough. Though, I did do a fic, conjured from a discussion over at Time and Chips.
Hrm, guess I should post it here if I can get the lj cut function thingy to work over here. It was called Second Chance Encounter and is based on spoilers for the Ninth Doctor's departure episode which may or may not proove out to be true (as published in DreamWatch Magazine)
Title: Second Chance Encounter
Author: GylzGirl (Fantastik1973)
Pairing: Nine/Rose
Rating: T
Archive: Really? Just lemme know
Thanks to Jeanne for the beta help, and the impulse to write it really. This will be blown into AU in just a matter of time and it is prepared to meet this fate.
******
Earth, London, 2007
The Doctor’s breath caught as he watched a familiar blonde weave through the crowded London street. "Rose," he whispered out loud.
“I’ve taught you all you need to know. Now you can do it yourself.”
Two earth years had passed in the Doctor’s life since he said those final words to her in the TARDIS console room. The old TARDIS, that was. He had been ripped away from her in one of the many quirky temporal-spatial anomalies left over from the Time War. He’d sensed what was coming only seconds before it happened, just seconds before he stranded the one bright spot left in his universe in a temperamental Type 40 somewhere near the Terran system.
Now after all his hit and miss stops to London, he'd been given a gift he wasn't sure he deserved. He stopped dead in the crowd, grinning madly. She got closer... closer... closer... and then passed him by. His smile dimmed a little and he turned to go after her only to find she had stopped and was staring open-mouthed at him.
He saw the thousand and one questions flash through her eyes. He took a tentative step nearer and hoped she didn’t slap nearly so hard as her mother. She rushed over and wrapped her arms around him, sobbing as she did so. He hugged her back as his hearts did a double flip-flop in his chest. A second later, she slumped against him.
A moment of fear went through him like a shockwave. Then, he realized, it had simply been too much for her and she’d passed out. Lifting her gently, he carried her away from the busy thoroughfare and into a small park. He sat cradling her in his lap under a shady tree until she began to wake up.
“Take it easy, Rose. ‘Fraid I gave you a bit of a shock.”
“Am I dreaming?” Her eyes focused on him.
He grinned. “No. Sorry. Quite real here, me.”
“But you...”
“I see you managed to get the TARDIS to land here. S’pose it helped that I had you in the neighborhood, so to speak, when the... well, accident happened. Still, it was brilliant of you to actually manage the old girl without me. She isn’t around here any more, is she?”
Rose blinked. “The TARDIS? You came back for...”
He rolled his eyes. “Don’t be daft. I found another one ages ago. How else d’ya think I got here? I was only wondering. You’re who I came here for. Surely you know that much?”
She smiled at him. “No, the TARDIS is gone. You... well him... he swanned off with it a couple months back.”
“Ah, so you managed to find me again?”
“He found me actually.”
“Ah.” He seemed deep in thought then looked into her eyes. “So... what did I... I mean him…we...” he took a deep breath. “What did I do that finally made you leave me?”
“Wouldn’t that be, like, against the rules of Time, etcetera?”
“Find me another Time Lord who isn’t me and I’ll cheerfully let them read me the riot act. Please tell me, Rose.”
“He wasn’t you.”
“An imposter?”
“No. I mean he was you but... he didn’t treat me the way you do. We’d have a laugh here and there, sure. But he never seemed too terribly worried when I was in danger and...”
“Go on, Rose. I did ask.”
“He just had this sadness when he’d look at me. I mean, you seemed sad at times too because of, well, Gallifrey and all. But, for some reason, I was always able to snap you out of it a bit. With him, I don’t know. I only seemed to make it worse. So, once we’d picked up some strays he actually seemed to take a liking to, I asked him to bring me here. He didn’t seem surprised at all. Just kissed my hand when I left and off he went.”
The Doctor looked down. “Sorry ‘bout that.”
She brightened. “Wasn’t you.” Confusion flooded her face. “Well, it was.” She shook her head. “Let’s leave it at apology accepted and move on, shall we?”
He met her eyes again. “I’m sure your Mum was glad to see you.”
She shrugged. “Not so much. She’s remarried. I’ve mostly been visiting with friends, trying to keep out of her hair.”
His hand slid into hers and their fingers locked, as naturally as breathing. “I don't suppose you want to give this me a second chance?"
The joy that shone in her eyes at that moment made the previous two years disappear. “Why would I want t’do a thing like that?”
He shrugged and smiled. “Don’t know. But there’s chips in it for you if you say yes.” He stood, still clutching her hand.
“Well, since you put it that way!”
******
72 Earth Years Later
The Doctor looked up as the TARDIS rotor stopped its movement. He walked into the next room where Rose sat quietly in her favorite chair. She smiled the moment he entered the doorway. “Are we there?”
“The Eye of Orion, Rose. As you requested.”
“Actually, I believe I said to take me somewhere where there was a beautiful sky. You’re the one that picked here... again.” She turned her head to let him see the twinkle in her eye; as though after all these years, he wouldn’t know the difference between when she was teasing and when she was actually angry with him. “Shall we?” She extended her hand, which he took, entwining their fingers. He didn’t move further though. She squeezed his hand. “Please?”
Shaking himself out of his stupor, he bent and lifted her into his arms. He carried her outside and sat them both under a large shade tree. They had an excellent view of the magnificent purple-pink-golden sunset that was one of the Eye’s many trademarks. “This is perfect.” She looked up at him. His hair had turned steel gray (which only served to make his eyes even more beautiful), and his wrinkles were just now beginning to get very pronounced but, all in all, he looked the same as when she’d first fallen in love with him. “Thank you.”
His eyes filled with tears and he held her even tighter, placing kisses in her long white hair. “Anything for you, Love.”
“Don’t cry now,” her voice was gentle. “You’ll get me started. Now, promise me you’ll visit the children.” He nodded against her, not trusting his voice. “Jada will want to look after you for a bit.” Again, he nodded. “Let her, alright?”
“Yes.”
She leaned back so that she could look at him again. “Don’t be sad. You’ve loved me like I could have never dreamed. And I love you. I always will.”
“I love you,” he said, kissing her cheek. “Always.”
The next breath she took was shakier, the words she spoke more labored. “I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.” She smiled, kissed the hand still clasped in hers, closed her eyes and was gone.
The End
I can't wear sunscreen on my face anymore (though that's no excuse why I didn't put some on my arms and neck, DUH!) because I keep having allergic reactions to *something* in them (but I don't know exactly what) and wind up looking like Jason Voorhees. So I've been wearing hats when I go to outdoor thingies like this. Might as well not have bothered it appears. **sigh** There has to be a third alternative.
Anyhow. Still loving the new Doctor Who fandom. Still loving Nine/Rose with every fiber. But the lovely folks in my new fandom are just NOT FICCING FAST ENOUGH! :) It's really forcing the plot bunnies to multiply in my head. And I'm still just not sure if I'm writing Chris' Doctor correctly enough. Though, I did do a fic, conjured from a discussion over at Time and Chips.
Hrm, guess I should post it here if I can get the lj cut function thingy to work over here. It was called Second Chance Encounter and is based on spoilers for the Ninth Doctor's departure episode which may or may not proove out to be true (as published in DreamWatch Magazine)
Title: Second Chance Encounter
Author: GylzGirl (Fantastik1973)
Pairing: Nine/Rose
Rating: T
Archive: Really? Just lemme know
Thanks to Jeanne for the beta help, and the impulse to write it really. This will be blown into AU in just a matter of time and it is prepared to meet this fate.
******
Earth, London, 2007
The Doctor’s breath caught as he watched a familiar blonde weave through the crowded London street. "Rose," he whispered out loud.
“I’ve taught you all you need to know. Now you can do it yourself.”
Two earth years had passed in the Doctor’s life since he said those final words to her in the TARDIS console room. The old TARDIS, that was. He had been ripped away from her in one of the many quirky temporal-spatial anomalies left over from the Time War. He’d sensed what was coming only seconds before it happened, just seconds before he stranded the one bright spot left in his universe in a temperamental Type 40 somewhere near the Terran system.
Now after all his hit and miss stops to London, he'd been given a gift he wasn't sure he deserved. He stopped dead in the crowd, grinning madly. She got closer... closer... closer... and then passed him by. His smile dimmed a little and he turned to go after her only to find she had stopped and was staring open-mouthed at him.
He saw the thousand and one questions flash through her eyes. He took a tentative step nearer and hoped she didn’t slap nearly so hard as her mother. She rushed over and wrapped her arms around him, sobbing as she did so. He hugged her back as his hearts did a double flip-flop in his chest. A second later, she slumped against him.
A moment of fear went through him like a shockwave. Then, he realized, it had simply been too much for her and she’d passed out. Lifting her gently, he carried her away from the busy thoroughfare and into a small park. He sat cradling her in his lap under a shady tree until she began to wake up.
“Take it easy, Rose. ‘Fraid I gave you a bit of a shock.”
“Am I dreaming?” Her eyes focused on him.
He grinned. “No. Sorry. Quite real here, me.”
“But you...”
“I see you managed to get the TARDIS to land here. S’pose it helped that I had you in the neighborhood, so to speak, when the... well, accident happened. Still, it was brilliant of you to actually manage the old girl without me. She isn’t around here any more, is she?”
Rose blinked. “The TARDIS? You came back for...”
He rolled his eyes. “Don’t be daft. I found another one ages ago. How else d’ya think I got here? I was only wondering. You’re who I came here for. Surely you know that much?”
She smiled at him. “No, the TARDIS is gone. You... well him... he swanned off with it a couple months back.”
“Ah, so you managed to find me again?”
“He found me actually.”
“Ah.” He seemed deep in thought then looked into her eyes. “So... what did I... I mean him…we...” he took a deep breath. “What did I do that finally made you leave me?”
“Wouldn’t that be, like, against the rules of Time, etcetera?”
“Find me another Time Lord who isn’t me and I’ll cheerfully let them read me the riot act. Please tell me, Rose.”
“He wasn’t you.”
“An imposter?”
“No. I mean he was you but... he didn’t treat me the way you do. We’d have a laugh here and there, sure. But he never seemed too terribly worried when I was in danger and...”
“Go on, Rose. I did ask.”
“He just had this sadness when he’d look at me. I mean, you seemed sad at times too because of, well, Gallifrey and all. But, for some reason, I was always able to snap you out of it a bit. With him, I don’t know. I only seemed to make it worse. So, once we’d picked up some strays he actually seemed to take a liking to, I asked him to bring me here. He didn’t seem surprised at all. Just kissed my hand when I left and off he went.”
The Doctor looked down. “Sorry ‘bout that.”
She brightened. “Wasn’t you.” Confusion flooded her face. “Well, it was.” She shook her head. “Let’s leave it at apology accepted and move on, shall we?”
He met her eyes again. “I’m sure your Mum was glad to see you.”
She shrugged. “Not so much. She’s remarried. I’ve mostly been visiting with friends, trying to keep out of her hair.”
His hand slid into hers and their fingers locked, as naturally as breathing. “I don't suppose you want to give this me a second chance?"
The joy that shone in her eyes at that moment made the previous two years disappear. “Why would I want t’do a thing like that?”
He shrugged and smiled. “Don’t know. But there’s chips in it for you if you say yes.” He stood, still clutching her hand.
“Well, since you put it that way!”
******
72 Earth Years Later
The Doctor looked up as the TARDIS rotor stopped its movement. He walked into the next room where Rose sat quietly in her favorite chair. She smiled the moment he entered the doorway. “Are we there?”
“The Eye of Orion, Rose. As you requested.”
“Actually, I believe I said to take me somewhere where there was a beautiful sky. You’re the one that picked here... again.” She turned her head to let him see the twinkle in her eye; as though after all these years, he wouldn’t know the difference between when she was teasing and when she was actually angry with him. “Shall we?” She extended her hand, which he took, entwining their fingers. He didn’t move further though. She squeezed his hand. “Please?”
Shaking himself out of his stupor, he bent and lifted her into his arms. He carried her outside and sat them both under a large shade tree. They had an excellent view of the magnificent purple-pink-golden sunset that was one of the Eye’s many trademarks. “This is perfect.” She looked up at him. His hair had turned steel gray (which only served to make his eyes even more beautiful), and his wrinkles were just now beginning to get very pronounced but, all in all, he looked the same as when she’d first fallen in love with him. “Thank you.”
His eyes filled with tears and he held her even tighter, placing kisses in her long white hair. “Anything for you, Love.”
“Don’t cry now,” her voice was gentle. “You’ll get me started. Now, promise me you’ll visit the children.” He nodded against her, not trusting his voice. “Jada will want to look after you for a bit.” Again, he nodded. “Let her, alright?”
“Yes.”
She leaned back so that she could look at him again. “Don’t be sad. You’ve loved me like I could have never dreamed. And I love you. I always will.”
“I love you,” he said, kissing her cheek. “Always.”
The next breath she took was shakier, the words she spoke more labored. “I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.” She smiled, kissed the hand still clasped in hers, closed her eyes and was gone.
The End