A Memory Fastened Till the Stars Sputter Out
Title: A Memory Fastened Till the Stars Sputter Out
Author: ireach4thestars
Character/Pairing: 10/ Rose
Rating: G
Spoilers: Series through “End Of Time”
Beta: Many thanks to the amazing naughtybunny23
Summary: As the Doctor fixes a small problem on the Tardis, a memory sparks in Rose's mind.
Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine. They belong to the BBC. Title is from Carl Sandburg's poem "Clean Hands" (and suggested by naughtybunny23 )
*********************
“Right, onward! Allons y!” announced the Doctor, causing Rose to laugh. The Doctor grinned then flipped a switch…and immediately the interior of the Tardis went completely dark.
A beat passed before the Doctor spoke again. “Well, that wasn’t supposed to happen.” Rose could hear footsteps then a crash. “Neither was that.”
Though the Doctor must have hurt himself, Rose was unsuccessful in stopping herself from giggling.
“I heard that,” he announced and Rose didn’t bother to hide the laughter this time.
Then Rose saw a blue light accompanied by a familiar whirring sound. Rose walked closer, one hand out in front of her so she wouldn’t run into anything. The blue light from the sonic screwdriver moved as the Doctor crouched down to investigate and fix whatever was wrong with the Tardis now.
Rose stopped just a foot away and watched. The Doctor glanced up and smiled at her. She smiled back and then all of a sudden a memory flashed in her mind. Maybe it was the faint light on the Doctor’s jacket or the smile that was half hidden in the dark. It was all so familiar to her...
New Year’s Day 2005.
Tired of the celebrations, she decided to walk home with her mum. Actually, she was heading home while her mum went on a date. She remembered that her mum hadn’t returned until the following afternoon though that wasn’t important at the moment.
As she walked to the door of the council building where she lived with her mum, she heard a sound and turned to see a man there, leaning against the wall and cloaked in shadow.
“You alright, mate?”
“Yeah,” he answered, glancing up at her.
“Too much to drink?” she asked, figuring that had to be the case. Many had, since it was New Year’s Day, if only by a few hours.
“Something like that,” he answered. The way he looked at her was so familiar, made him seem so familiar, as if they had met and had known each other in some other place and time. However, she was certain she had never seen him before.
“Maybe it’s time you went home?” she suggested.
“Yeah,” he agreed. He appeared to be a man of very few words. Rose knew that when people had too much to drink they were unpredictable but there was something about him that silently communicated that he would not harm her.
“Anyway,” Rose smiled. “Happy New Year.”
“And you.”
Rose gave a nod and smiled again then turned to walk inside. It was chilly and though she enjoyed the light falling of snow, she was looking forward to getting under a nice warm comforter.
“What year is this?”
His voice made Rose turn around and she briefly felt again that familiar feeling, but it passed just as quickly as it came. She decided to ignore it and answer his question instead.
“Blimey, how much have you had?” she questioned, the amusement evident in her voice.
He didn’t really answer and instead made a sound that to Rose answered the question. “Clearly enough to forget the year,” she said to herself.
“2005,” she answered, then for good measure added, “January the first.”
This seemed to stun him, though Rose couldn’t tell why. “2005,” he repeated.
Rose couldn’t really tell if this was a question or if he was just repeating the year to remind himself. So Rose just nodded.
“Tell you what, I bet you are going to have a really great year.” She could hear his voice hitch, and though she couldn’t see him clearly in the shadows, she thought his eyes looked moist, as if he was sad. Maybe a personal problem, she decided, or maybe it was from the drinking.
“Yeah?” she asked him.
He gave her a tight smile and that was Rose’s indication he believed it. She thought about what he had said for a moment, wondering if things might be better this year, Maybe something else to come besides the shop and her normal, regular life, though changing would take a lot. Her life wasn’t a bad one just sometimes she did think she should be doing more. She smiled at the man. Maybe it was possible after all…
“See ya,” she said before turning and jogging the last few yards to the door of her building. As she stepped inside, she stole one last glance at the stranger before running up the stairs to her flat.
Just as suddenly as the lights went out, they turned back on, making Rose blink her eyes as she was pulled away from her memories.
“Ah ha!” the Doctor announced victoriously. “A loose wire and a coupling that really should have been working but no longer a problem.” He grinned at Rose, but his smile faltered when he saw the quizzical look on her face.
“You came to see me. This new you. Before I even met you,” Rose murmured.
This made the Doctor pause. Usually Rose said he didn’t make any sense, now she was the confusing one. “What?”
Rose shook her head. “I just realized I met you before that time in the basement with the plastic people. New Year’s 2005. You seemed to be drunk or something. You asked what year it was and I told you. Then you told me that I was going to have a really great year.” She wasn’t certain why this meeting, which only lasted about a minute, stood out in her mind so clearly - but it did.
The Doctor shook his head. “That must have been an incident in the future. Me like this. Though I can hold my alcohol better than most.” A smile started to form again but it froze when she didn’t return it. In fact, she was frowning even more.
“Why wasn’t I with you?”
Rose had a feeling she knew what the Doctor would say. About how eventually Rose would grow old and die while he continued to live. However, this time he surprised her. “You know that you can’t let yourself cross your own timeline. It causes problems.” It made her think about when she saved her father’s life and how crossing the timelines almost destroyed the world.
Rose still seemed worried, losing herself in her thoughts again until she felt the Doctor’s hand slide into hers, linking their fingers. “I don’t want to risk having us there more than we should be but when we get there, you’ll see. Nothing to worry about.” He gave her hand a comforting squeeze and she squeezed it back. If the Doctor wasn’t worried, she would do her best not to.
“Now then,” the Doctor spoke, lightening the serious moment. “We need to decide where to go.” There was a short pause, and then he glanced at Rose and grinned. “Barcelona?”
This made Rose smile. Things were going to be ok. The universe might try to split them up but it never would. She was going to travel with the Doctor, hopefully forever if they could find a way. She knew if there was a way for them to be together forever they would find it. Until they did, she was going to enjoy each second of their travels. She gave his hand another squeeze, looking up at him.
“Barcelona.”
Author: ireach4thestars
Character/Pairing: 10/ Rose
Rating: G
Spoilers: Series through “End Of Time”
Beta: Many thanks to the amazing naughtybunny23
Summary: As the Doctor fixes a small problem on the Tardis, a memory sparks in Rose's mind.
Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine. They belong to the BBC. Title is from Carl Sandburg's poem "Clean Hands" (and suggested by naughtybunny23 )
*********************
“Right, onward! Allons y!” announced the Doctor, causing Rose to laugh. The Doctor grinned then flipped a switch…and immediately the interior of the Tardis went completely dark.
A beat passed before the Doctor spoke again. “Well, that wasn’t supposed to happen.” Rose could hear footsteps then a crash. “Neither was that.”
Though the Doctor must have hurt himself, Rose was unsuccessful in stopping herself from giggling.
“I heard that,” he announced and Rose didn’t bother to hide the laughter this time.
Then Rose saw a blue light accompanied by a familiar whirring sound. Rose walked closer, one hand out in front of her so she wouldn’t run into anything. The blue light from the sonic screwdriver moved as the Doctor crouched down to investigate and fix whatever was wrong with the Tardis now.
Rose stopped just a foot away and watched. The Doctor glanced up and smiled at her. She smiled back and then all of a sudden a memory flashed in her mind. Maybe it was the faint light on the Doctor’s jacket or the smile that was half hidden in the dark. It was all so familiar to her...
New Year’s Day 2005.
Tired of the celebrations, she decided to walk home with her mum. Actually, she was heading home while her mum went on a date. She remembered that her mum hadn’t returned until the following afternoon though that wasn’t important at the moment.
As she walked to the door of the council building where she lived with her mum, she heard a sound and turned to see a man there, leaning against the wall and cloaked in shadow.
“You alright, mate?”
“Yeah,” he answered, glancing up at her.
“Too much to drink?” she asked, figuring that had to be the case. Many had, since it was New Year’s Day, if only by a few hours.
“Something like that,” he answered. The way he looked at her was so familiar, made him seem so familiar, as if they had met and had known each other in some other place and time. However, she was certain she had never seen him before.
“Maybe it’s time you went home?” she suggested.
“Yeah,” he agreed. He appeared to be a man of very few words. Rose knew that when people had too much to drink they were unpredictable but there was something about him that silently communicated that he would not harm her.
“Anyway,” Rose smiled. “Happy New Year.”
“And you.”
Rose gave a nod and smiled again then turned to walk inside. It was chilly and though she enjoyed the light falling of snow, she was looking forward to getting under a nice warm comforter.
“What year is this?”
His voice made Rose turn around and she briefly felt again that familiar feeling, but it passed just as quickly as it came. She decided to ignore it and answer his question instead.
“Blimey, how much have you had?” she questioned, the amusement evident in her voice.
He didn’t really answer and instead made a sound that to Rose answered the question. “Clearly enough to forget the year,” she said to herself.
“2005,” she answered, then for good measure added, “January the first.”
This seemed to stun him, though Rose couldn’t tell why. “2005,” he repeated.
Rose couldn’t really tell if this was a question or if he was just repeating the year to remind himself. So Rose just nodded.
“Tell you what, I bet you are going to have a really great year.” She could hear his voice hitch, and though she couldn’t see him clearly in the shadows, she thought his eyes looked moist, as if he was sad. Maybe a personal problem, she decided, or maybe it was from the drinking.
“Yeah?” she asked him.
He gave her a tight smile and that was Rose’s indication he believed it. She thought about what he had said for a moment, wondering if things might be better this year, Maybe something else to come besides the shop and her normal, regular life, though changing would take a lot. Her life wasn’t a bad one just sometimes she did think she should be doing more. She smiled at the man. Maybe it was possible after all…
“See ya,” she said before turning and jogging the last few yards to the door of her building. As she stepped inside, she stole one last glance at the stranger before running up the stairs to her flat.
Just as suddenly as the lights went out, they turned back on, making Rose blink her eyes as she was pulled away from her memories.
“Ah ha!” the Doctor announced victoriously. “A loose wire and a coupling that really should have been working but no longer a problem.” He grinned at Rose, but his smile faltered when he saw the quizzical look on her face.
“You came to see me. This new you. Before I even met you,” Rose murmured.
This made the Doctor pause. Usually Rose said he didn’t make any sense, now she was the confusing one. “What?”
Rose shook her head. “I just realized I met you before that time in the basement with the plastic people. New Year’s 2005. You seemed to be drunk or something. You asked what year it was and I told you. Then you told me that I was going to have a really great year.” She wasn’t certain why this meeting, which only lasted about a minute, stood out in her mind so clearly - but it did.
The Doctor shook his head. “That must have been an incident in the future. Me like this. Though I can hold my alcohol better than most.” A smile started to form again but it froze when she didn’t return it. In fact, she was frowning even more.
“Why wasn’t I with you?”
Rose had a feeling she knew what the Doctor would say. About how eventually Rose would grow old and die while he continued to live. However, this time he surprised her. “You know that you can’t let yourself cross your own timeline. It causes problems.” It made her think about when she saved her father’s life and how crossing the timelines almost destroyed the world.
Rose still seemed worried, losing herself in her thoughts again until she felt the Doctor’s hand slide into hers, linking their fingers. “I don’t want to risk having us there more than we should be but when we get there, you’ll see. Nothing to worry about.” He gave her hand a comforting squeeze and she squeezed it back. If the Doctor wasn’t worried, she would do her best not to.
“Now then,” the Doctor spoke, lightening the serious moment. “We need to decide where to go.” There was a short pause, and then he glanced at Rose and grinned. “Barcelona?”
This made Rose smile. Things were going to be ok. The universe might try to split them up but it never would. She was going to travel with the Doctor, hopefully forever if they could find a way. She knew if there was a way for them to be together forever they would find it. Until they did, she was going to enjoy each second of their travels. She gave his hand another squeeze, looking up at him.
“Barcelona.”