Better 6/?
Title: Better 6/?
Pairing: Human Doctor/Rose, mentioning of Nine/Rose, Ten/Rose
Rating: Teen (this rating will increase later)
Timeline: After Journey's End
Summary: The Doctor is traveling on new territory - a human body with a very human single heart, no Tardis, and no time & space. But there's Rose - and all the emotions that resurface with her return. All he wants to do is be with her - but it's not going to be that easy.
A/N: Has it really been two weeks since my last post? Goodness - writer's block does that to you I guess. Well, me, not you. Unless you have it too. Oh, I've been writing Ten for too long...
Want to read it from the beginning? Start here
xoxo
The Doctor walked slowly down the hallway to Rose’s bedroom. The flat was extremely quiet. A variety of thoughts roamed through his mind. He was pleasantly surprised at the discovery that Rose had chosen to continue her education. A smile flirted across his lips at his brilliant girl.
He reached her door; he thought about Rose’s reaction to his incredulity. She apparently thought that it was because he thought lowly of her intelligence. The words stupid ape floated around in his mind. It was an insult from his previous self which had been quickly extinguished after their blow out from meeting Pete. Previous Pete, as it was. The Current Pete had been as equally protective of Rose as her real universe one had been. The Doctor chuckled at the memory of Pete’s eyes sizing him up upon his arrival on Bad Wolf Bay. Things had changed without him, it seemed.
His mind, apparently, still trailed on its tangents. Still, he didn’t understand how Rose could have taken his surprise the wrong way - he’d apologize all the same, of course - but he’d never thought Rose was anything less than exactly what and who she was and would always be.
Positively brilliant.
He’d make it right somehow - no way had he done what he did only to lose her like that. With a heavy sigh, he touched the cool metal of the doorknob and pushed. He was surprised to find that the door didn’t even inch the tiniest bit. With the force he’d pushed it with, his forehead had actually thumped slightly against the door. Confused, he tried again. Same results. The knob didn’t even turn in the slightest.
Automatically, his right hand reached into his blue suit coat’s inner pocket. His hand grasped at an emptiness.
Oh, right.
The Doctor sighed once more - this one sounded tired and melancholic. He was going to miss being able to open anything with just a buzz of his Sonic Screwdriver. He was unused to meeting a door he could not open. Rose’s room had always seemed like welcomed ground on the Tardis. Apparently, that was going to be different here.
He knocked lightly on the door. A bed creaked on the other side - nothing and no one else made a sound.
“Rose?” his voice sounded more perplexed than hurt to his own ears.
A pause and then, “Sorry Doctor. I’m going to get some sleep. There are some things I set aside for you in the guest room. Bathroom as well. I’ll just…I’ll just see you tomorrow morning.” Her voice sounded small and…different. Her words stung. The Doctor took a small step back and made a slightly audible, “Oh” sound.
The guest room was to the left of Rose’s bedroom. The common bathroom was across the hall. When had she taken the time to prepare these things for him, he wondered. Although he was disappointed by the turn of events, the Doctor couldn’t help but smile at the gesture. He had missed her taking care of him.
Still, he could not make himself go into the room just yet. Although he was exhausted, he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep. Rose was upset at him and it was not at all how he thought this night would end. He walked back to the sitting room and stood in front of her book cases. The book he had replaced earlier taunted him on the shelf - but he resisted. He was in enough trouble as it was.
All the classics he could remember her trying to read in between adventures were shelved there alongside skewed modern titles. Apparently not even a parallel dimension could touch the classics of the proper world. Forcibly reading at a human pace was bound to be irritating, but it was reading all the same. He chose A Christmas Carol for nostalgia’s sake. There was no visiting Dickens anymore, he thought sadly.
He sat down on the couch and settled himself as comfortably as he could among the cushions. Images of an upset Rose trailed amongst his thoughts; her hurt words surrounding his senses. He’d find a way to make it right. He had time to do that now. With the book propped open to the first page, the Doctor rested his head against the back of the couch and began to read.
Five minutes later, he was asleep.
xoxo
It was the creak of the floorboard that woke him up.
He was instantly wide awake - his senses ultra alert to his surroundings. But where was he? Where was the gentle humming of the Tardis?
In a matter of seconds, it all came back.
Daleks. Davros. Bad Wolf Bay. Rose.
He lay still, waiting for another sound to confirm whether he was dreaming or not. The next sound he heard, however, wasn’t a creak - it was much better.
“Sorry, didn’t know you were asleep there,” whispered Rose.
The Doctor sat up quickly, causing a slight nauseated feeling in his throat. Ugh, that was going to take some getting used to. “No, no, no….well, yes, I was asleep, but I was reading…” He looked down at his hands, which were empty.
“Hmmm, interesting book then?” she smirked.
He smiled sheepishly, “It fell on the floor Rose.” He reached under the couch where the book had settled. Just saying her name made him deliriously happy. “Is it morning?”
Rose sat down on the armrest, way too careful about not going near him, much to his dismay.
“No, it’s only been an hour since I went to my room…I…got hungry,” she shrugged.
The Doctor smiled, “Well, then you should eat! I didn’t get a chance to take care of the takeaway…not that I would have known what to do with it….”
She smiled, “Yeah.”
“Well, come on then,” and the Doctor got up, rubbed the sleepy daze from his eyes with his knuckles, and walked towards the kitchen. On the way, he fought the urge to touch her. Her shoulder to lead her. Or her hand in his. His palm against her cheek. His lips down to meet hers.
But no. She was still upset at him. She may be a stronger, wiser, albeit...more isolated woman - but she was still Rose Tyler.
One step at a time, he kept reminding himself.
He beat her to the takeaway and decided to warm it up a bit in the microwave for her.
“Thank you, for that,” she said quietly.
Facing away from her, he tugged at his hair and just nodded.
How was he going to start? This wasn’t how things were done. Not usually. Whenever he had done something idiotic…which, if he admitted it now, was quite often, Rose would go to her room, he’d go to his room or the library and in the morning things were just…better.
But now, he was human. And humans…well, they did things a bit differently didn’t they? At least, sometimes they did.
The microwave dinged and he opened the door to remove the Styrofoam container from its depth. He was careful to hold it by it’s edges and placed it on the table in front of Rose who was very quiet.
“Be careful, it’s hot,” of course she knows it’s hot…what an moronic thing to say, he thought to himself.
Rose smiled, however, a bit brighter despite the earlier events. “Thank you, Doctor.” She lifted a forkful and blew to cool the savory noodles.
It was quiet and that in itself showed him how very different this life could be. When before he would have run away or rambled incessantly, now he could only think of what he could say so that he could stay with her.
“I’m sorry,” he blurted suddenly. The Doctor could feel his cheeks burning. He had hoped that he could lead up to the apologies and pleas.
She had just placed the bit of food into her mouth when his confession came about. Her eyes widened as she forced the lump of food down her throat. Obviously, she had not been expecting an apology.
Feeling clumsy and slightly embarrassed, he kept talking, “I didn’t mean to sound surprised about you going to school…I really didn’t…though, well, I am surprised,” he noticed a dangerous expression growing on Rose’s face, the brows furrowing, “No! Not surprised that you’d do well in school, just….just the fact of you wanting to go back to school - that’s what was surprising…that’s all I meant…I didn’t mean to…I swear I didn’t…,” his voice was very near the begging level he’d been afraid of landing on so quickly when her chuckle stopped him.
He looked at her confused, which only made her chuckle grow into a heartier laugh.
“Rose?”
She forced her laugh to trickle out, “I’m sorry Doctor, you just look so…terrified! I’m…,” she sighed, her smile dimming just a bit, “Thank you for saying you're sorry. I believe you…I do. I just…I’m a bit sensitive is all, yea'? I’m not used to…having you near anymore. And I’m really not used to you being…” She trailed off.
“Human?” he added, trying to be helpful.
Rose’s smile brightened slightly, “Yea’ I mean…I was half expecting you to be gone when I walked out of my room.” She shut her mouth suddenly, and bit her lip. The Doctor thought that maybe she hadn’t expected to be so open with him as well. Could he blame her for thinking that? It seemed that with his human senses also came the ability to empathize more easily. It was going to take some getting used to. He decided to add it to the mental list he was trying to remember of things he'd have to get used to. Perhaps he should find a notebook to write it down…
“Doctor? You alright?” her voice was worried.
He snapped out of his reverie, “Oh! I’m fine, fine. I…I don’t blame you for thinking I’d be gone. But…I’m never going to leave you Rose.” The words flowed so easily from his lips and with such conviction. He didn’t need to hear himself say it to know that he meant every word.
However, he also hadn’t meant for them to sound so…stalker-like. He hoped Rose would overlook that.
She smiled at him, almost like she believed him, “Yea’?”
The Doctor grinned, “Oh yes. Now, eat.”
Rose stabbed a piece of chicken with her fork and they spent the rest of her meal in companionable silence.
xoxo
“So, we should probably get some sleep…big day tomorrow,” she was trying to sound confident and could feel herself failing miserably.
The Doctor looked at her, questions showing all over his expression, as they threw away the trash from the takeaway and placed their glasses in the sink.
Rose walked towards the guest room with the Doctor following.
“Well, we have to get you some clothes. Probably a phone. And there’s the whole deal with you needing an identity and all. I don’t think you can get away with people calling you the Doctor here…” the thought saddened her. The Doctor not being called the Doctor? That was insane, to her at least.
“Oh. That,” he replied with as much enthusiasm as if Jackie had asked him if he wanted any of her Shepard’s pie. Rose giggled.
She opened the door to the guest room she had stocked earlier with fresh sheets and towels for when he wanted to shower. A Torchwood t-shirt and jersey mesh shorts lay folded neatly on the bed. It was the best she could do. The room itself wasn't special - she hadn't taken time to decorate it...or any of the flat for that matter. The sheets on the bed were a simple baby blue.
“Sorry about the shirt, I know you’d probably rather not wear it, but it’s the only thing I have I think that you’d be comfortable in.”
The Doctor walked into the room and picked up the t-shirt, “Not my favorite people right now…or ever, really. But that was our original Torchwood. Can’t hold it against this world’s unit,” he shrugged.
His understanding…his willingness to comprehend so easily was unnerving her. It felt good in a way, but she also didn’t know what to expect.
“There is an extra toothbrush in the restroom, some towels in this drawer right here if you want to take a shower. We’ll pick up everything else you need tomorrow,” she wondered what the morning would feel like. Whenever she was around him, she wanted to hold his hand or touch him somehow just to make sure he was really there and not some figment of her imagination. But it wouldn’t be that easy. She knew it could not be that easy.
“Alright,” was all he said. He had gone very quiet - his fingertips traced the letters on the t-shirt he held in his hand.
Not knowing what else to do, she said, “Well, then, I guess…we’ll say goodnight. We have a busy day tomorrow. Goodnight, Doctor,” she was about to turn on her heel and walk out the door when she heard him mumble.
“What was that?” her voice had reached an unnatural tone.
The Doctor coughed and talked a bit louder, “I asked you something…” he didn’t elaborate.
Rose walked closer to him. “What did you ask?”
He continued tracing the letters and the movement was suddenly upsetting her. She couldn’t handle this form of “running away.” So she took the shirt gently out of his hands, dropped it on the bed and tried again.
“What did you ask?”
And that was when he looked at her. His eyes wide and fearful. A bit embarrassed even. It was so human that she wanted to hit him. Kiss him. Hug him. She didn’t know what she wanted anymore.
“I asked,” his voice cracked the tiniest bit, “if you would still call me the ‘Doctor’. I’ll be getting a new name tomorrow. I’ll have to have a job. No big blue box. No time and travel. Just me. New name. I just…I just want to know if you’ll still call me the ‘Doctor,’” he averted his eyes from her.
Rose couldn’t imagine that her heart could break anymore that day. But it did…just like it always did for this man in front of her. It didn’t matter if he had big ears, cropped hair, a leather jacket, wild tresses, pinstripes and geeky glasses, two hearts or one - it didn’t matter. He’d always break her heart in the worst and best of ways.
She reached out to him, her hand caressing his cheek. Her touch urged him to look at her - which he did.
“You’ll always be my Doctor,” she whispered. A tear escaped the corner of her eye. She bit on her lip, forcing her nostalgia of the man with the blue box to the back of her mind.
He looked deeply into her eyes, a relieved smile on his thin lips with something hidden beneath its existence. Rose grinned back at him as she whispered goodnight, and turned to leave the room.
***
Seven
Pairing: Human Doctor/Rose, mentioning of Nine/Rose, Ten/Rose
Rating: Teen (this rating will increase later)
Timeline: After Journey's End
Summary: The Doctor is traveling on new territory - a human body with a very human single heart, no Tardis, and no time & space. But there's Rose - and all the emotions that resurface with her return. All he wants to do is be with her - but it's not going to be that easy.
A/N: Has it really been two weeks since my last post? Goodness - writer's block does that to you I guess. Well, me, not you. Unless you have it too. Oh, I've been writing Ten for too long...
Want to read it from the beginning? Start here
xoxo
The Doctor walked slowly down the hallway to Rose’s bedroom. The flat was extremely quiet. A variety of thoughts roamed through his mind. He was pleasantly surprised at the discovery that Rose had chosen to continue her education. A smile flirted across his lips at his brilliant girl.
He reached her door; he thought about Rose’s reaction to his incredulity. She apparently thought that it was because he thought lowly of her intelligence. The words stupid ape floated around in his mind. It was an insult from his previous self which had been quickly extinguished after their blow out from meeting Pete. Previous Pete, as it was. The Current Pete had been as equally protective of Rose as her real universe one had been. The Doctor chuckled at the memory of Pete’s eyes sizing him up upon his arrival on Bad Wolf Bay. Things had changed without him, it seemed.
His mind, apparently, still trailed on its tangents. Still, he didn’t understand how Rose could have taken his surprise the wrong way - he’d apologize all the same, of course - but he’d never thought Rose was anything less than exactly what and who she was and would always be.
Positively brilliant.
He’d make it right somehow - no way had he done what he did only to lose her like that. With a heavy sigh, he touched the cool metal of the doorknob and pushed. He was surprised to find that the door didn’t even inch the tiniest bit. With the force he’d pushed it with, his forehead had actually thumped slightly against the door. Confused, he tried again. Same results. The knob didn’t even turn in the slightest.
Automatically, his right hand reached into his blue suit coat’s inner pocket. His hand grasped at an emptiness.
Oh, right.
The Doctor sighed once more - this one sounded tired and melancholic. He was going to miss being able to open anything with just a buzz of his Sonic Screwdriver. He was unused to meeting a door he could not open. Rose’s room had always seemed like welcomed ground on the Tardis. Apparently, that was going to be different here.
He knocked lightly on the door. A bed creaked on the other side - nothing and no one else made a sound.
“Rose?” his voice sounded more perplexed than hurt to his own ears.
A pause and then, “Sorry Doctor. I’m going to get some sleep. There are some things I set aside for you in the guest room. Bathroom as well. I’ll just…I’ll just see you tomorrow morning.” Her voice sounded small and…different. Her words stung. The Doctor took a small step back and made a slightly audible, “Oh” sound.
The guest room was to the left of Rose’s bedroom. The common bathroom was across the hall. When had she taken the time to prepare these things for him, he wondered. Although he was disappointed by the turn of events, the Doctor couldn’t help but smile at the gesture. He had missed her taking care of him.
Still, he could not make himself go into the room just yet. Although he was exhausted, he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep. Rose was upset at him and it was not at all how he thought this night would end. He walked back to the sitting room and stood in front of her book cases. The book he had replaced earlier taunted him on the shelf - but he resisted. He was in enough trouble as it was.
All the classics he could remember her trying to read in between adventures were shelved there alongside skewed modern titles. Apparently not even a parallel dimension could touch the classics of the proper world. Forcibly reading at a human pace was bound to be irritating, but it was reading all the same. He chose A Christmas Carol for nostalgia’s sake. There was no visiting Dickens anymore, he thought sadly.
He sat down on the couch and settled himself as comfortably as he could among the cushions. Images of an upset Rose trailed amongst his thoughts; her hurt words surrounding his senses. He’d find a way to make it right. He had time to do that now. With the book propped open to the first page, the Doctor rested his head against the back of the couch and began to read.
Five minutes later, he was asleep.
xoxo
It was the creak of the floorboard that woke him up.
He was instantly wide awake - his senses ultra alert to his surroundings. But where was he? Where was the gentle humming of the Tardis?
In a matter of seconds, it all came back.
Daleks. Davros. Bad Wolf Bay. Rose.
He lay still, waiting for another sound to confirm whether he was dreaming or not. The next sound he heard, however, wasn’t a creak - it was much better.
“Sorry, didn’t know you were asleep there,” whispered Rose.
The Doctor sat up quickly, causing a slight nauseated feeling in his throat. Ugh, that was going to take some getting used to. “No, no, no….well, yes, I was asleep, but I was reading…” He looked down at his hands, which were empty.
“Hmmm, interesting book then?” she smirked.
He smiled sheepishly, “It fell on the floor Rose.” He reached under the couch where the book had settled. Just saying her name made him deliriously happy. “Is it morning?”
Rose sat down on the armrest, way too careful about not going near him, much to his dismay.
“No, it’s only been an hour since I went to my room…I…got hungry,” she shrugged.
The Doctor smiled, “Well, then you should eat! I didn’t get a chance to take care of the takeaway…not that I would have known what to do with it….”
She smiled, “Yeah.”
“Well, come on then,” and the Doctor got up, rubbed the sleepy daze from his eyes with his knuckles, and walked towards the kitchen. On the way, he fought the urge to touch her. Her shoulder to lead her. Or her hand in his. His palm against her cheek. His lips down to meet hers.
But no. She was still upset at him. She may be a stronger, wiser, albeit...more isolated woman - but she was still Rose Tyler.
One step at a time, he kept reminding himself.
He beat her to the takeaway and decided to warm it up a bit in the microwave for her.
“Thank you, for that,” she said quietly.
Facing away from her, he tugged at his hair and just nodded.
How was he going to start? This wasn’t how things were done. Not usually. Whenever he had done something idiotic…which, if he admitted it now, was quite often, Rose would go to her room, he’d go to his room or the library and in the morning things were just…better.
But now, he was human. And humans…well, they did things a bit differently didn’t they? At least, sometimes they did.
The microwave dinged and he opened the door to remove the Styrofoam container from its depth. He was careful to hold it by it’s edges and placed it on the table in front of Rose who was very quiet.
“Be careful, it’s hot,” of course she knows it’s hot…what an moronic thing to say, he thought to himself.
Rose smiled, however, a bit brighter despite the earlier events. “Thank you, Doctor.” She lifted a forkful and blew to cool the savory noodles.
It was quiet and that in itself showed him how very different this life could be. When before he would have run away or rambled incessantly, now he could only think of what he could say so that he could stay with her.
“I’m sorry,” he blurted suddenly. The Doctor could feel his cheeks burning. He had hoped that he could lead up to the apologies and pleas.
She had just placed the bit of food into her mouth when his confession came about. Her eyes widened as she forced the lump of food down her throat. Obviously, she had not been expecting an apology.
Feeling clumsy and slightly embarrassed, he kept talking, “I didn’t mean to sound surprised about you going to school…I really didn’t…though, well, I am surprised,” he noticed a dangerous expression growing on Rose’s face, the brows furrowing, “No! Not surprised that you’d do well in school, just….just the fact of you wanting to go back to school - that’s what was surprising…that’s all I meant…I didn’t mean to…I swear I didn’t…,” his voice was very near the begging level he’d been afraid of landing on so quickly when her chuckle stopped him.
He looked at her confused, which only made her chuckle grow into a heartier laugh.
“Rose?”
She forced her laugh to trickle out, “I’m sorry Doctor, you just look so…terrified! I’m…,” she sighed, her smile dimming just a bit, “Thank you for saying you're sorry. I believe you…I do. I just…I’m a bit sensitive is all, yea'? I’m not used to…having you near anymore. And I’m really not used to you being…” She trailed off.
“Human?” he added, trying to be helpful.
Rose’s smile brightened slightly, “Yea’ I mean…I was half expecting you to be gone when I walked out of my room.” She shut her mouth suddenly, and bit her lip. The Doctor thought that maybe she hadn’t expected to be so open with him as well. Could he blame her for thinking that? It seemed that with his human senses also came the ability to empathize more easily. It was going to take some getting used to. He decided to add it to the mental list he was trying to remember of things he'd have to get used to. Perhaps he should find a notebook to write it down…
“Doctor? You alright?” her voice was worried.
He snapped out of his reverie, “Oh! I’m fine, fine. I…I don’t blame you for thinking I’d be gone. But…I’m never going to leave you Rose.” The words flowed so easily from his lips and with such conviction. He didn’t need to hear himself say it to know that he meant every word.
However, he also hadn’t meant for them to sound so…stalker-like. He hoped Rose would overlook that.
She smiled at him, almost like she believed him, “Yea’?”
The Doctor grinned, “Oh yes. Now, eat.”
Rose stabbed a piece of chicken with her fork and they spent the rest of her meal in companionable silence.
xoxo
“So, we should probably get some sleep…big day tomorrow,” she was trying to sound confident and could feel herself failing miserably.
The Doctor looked at her, questions showing all over his expression, as they threw away the trash from the takeaway and placed their glasses in the sink.
Rose walked towards the guest room with the Doctor following.
“Well, we have to get you some clothes. Probably a phone. And there’s the whole deal with you needing an identity and all. I don’t think you can get away with people calling you the Doctor here…” the thought saddened her. The Doctor not being called the Doctor? That was insane, to her at least.
“Oh. That,” he replied with as much enthusiasm as if Jackie had asked him if he wanted any of her Shepard’s pie. Rose giggled.
She opened the door to the guest room she had stocked earlier with fresh sheets and towels for when he wanted to shower. A Torchwood t-shirt and jersey mesh shorts lay folded neatly on the bed. It was the best she could do. The room itself wasn't special - she hadn't taken time to decorate it...or any of the flat for that matter. The sheets on the bed were a simple baby blue.
“Sorry about the shirt, I know you’d probably rather not wear it, but it’s the only thing I have I think that you’d be comfortable in.”
The Doctor walked into the room and picked up the t-shirt, “Not my favorite people right now…or ever, really. But that was our original Torchwood. Can’t hold it against this world’s unit,” he shrugged.
His understanding…his willingness to comprehend so easily was unnerving her. It felt good in a way, but she also didn’t know what to expect.
“There is an extra toothbrush in the restroom, some towels in this drawer right here if you want to take a shower. We’ll pick up everything else you need tomorrow,” she wondered what the morning would feel like. Whenever she was around him, she wanted to hold his hand or touch him somehow just to make sure he was really there and not some figment of her imagination. But it wouldn’t be that easy. She knew it could not be that easy.
“Alright,” was all he said. He had gone very quiet - his fingertips traced the letters on the t-shirt he held in his hand.
Not knowing what else to do, she said, “Well, then, I guess…we’ll say goodnight. We have a busy day tomorrow. Goodnight, Doctor,” she was about to turn on her heel and walk out the door when she heard him mumble.
“What was that?” her voice had reached an unnatural tone.
The Doctor coughed and talked a bit louder, “I asked you something…” he didn’t elaborate.
Rose walked closer to him. “What did you ask?”
He continued tracing the letters and the movement was suddenly upsetting her. She couldn’t handle this form of “running away.” So she took the shirt gently out of his hands, dropped it on the bed and tried again.
“What did you ask?”
And that was when he looked at her. His eyes wide and fearful. A bit embarrassed even. It was so human that she wanted to hit him. Kiss him. Hug him. She didn’t know what she wanted anymore.
“I asked,” his voice cracked the tiniest bit, “if you would still call me the ‘Doctor’. I’ll be getting a new name tomorrow. I’ll have to have a job. No big blue box. No time and travel. Just me. New name. I just…I just want to know if you’ll still call me the ‘Doctor,’” he averted his eyes from her.
Rose couldn’t imagine that her heart could break anymore that day. But it did…just like it always did for this man in front of her. It didn’t matter if he had big ears, cropped hair, a leather jacket, wild tresses, pinstripes and geeky glasses, two hearts or one - it didn’t matter. He’d always break her heart in the worst and best of ways.
She reached out to him, her hand caressing his cheek. Her touch urged him to look at her - which he did.
“You’ll always be my Doctor,” she whispered. A tear escaped the corner of her eye. She bit on her lip, forcing her nostalgia of the man with the blue box to the back of her mind.
He looked deeply into her eyes, a relieved smile on his thin lips with something hidden beneath its existence. Rose grinned back at him as she whispered goodnight, and turned to leave the room.
***
Seven