Christmas 2012: More than the Moon & the Stars (3/8)
Title: More than the Moon & the Stars (3/8)
Prompt: see the photo!
Characters: Rose Tyler/Nine, Rose Tyler/Ten
Rating: Everyone
Synopsis: The Doctor needs to realize that he doesn't have to give her the moon and the stars to give her everything.
A/N: Hope you all like! It's a bit different...
(1) Questionable Holiday Traditions
(2) Remember
More than the Moon & the Stars
The sky above was so dark that the stars appeared to burst out of the heavens. The Doctor stood outside the Tardis, which was parked in a dark alleyway somewhere that appeared to be New Zealand. It was December 24th, but it was comfortably warm. Rose had seemed a bit put off that she couldn't don her winter clothing. Somewhere between that disappointment and his tinkering with the Tardis, however, she seemed to have disappeared.
They never do listen about the "wandering off" bit.
He sensed that she couldn't have gotten too far, so he decided to walk down the sidewalk. The Doctor watched the shoppers walk alongside him with their loved ones. He took a deep breath and let the scent of the season waft around him. The warmth made him glad that he'd left his jacket in the Tardis. It was definitely too hot for leather.
Suddenly, just ahead of him, he spotted the familiar blond and the purple blouse she had been wearing earlier. He smiled as he watched her walk through the entrance of a bookstore. Time Out Bookstore, the sign read. His smile widened and his steps grew more hurried, until something made him stop. He heard the angry grunts of the people around him, but it all washed over him as he mumbled to himself, "That's not right." He ran, dodging adults and children alike.
The Doctor stood at the entrance of the bookstore. Through one of the glass windows he could see Rose looking at a stack of books near the back of the small store. Through the other of the glass windows he saw the person who had nearly given him a double heart attack earlier. Thankfully, he was nowhere near Rose. He stepped in and quickly moved to where he needed to be. Strangely enough, the man hadn't seen him yet. The Doctor watched as the man craned his neck looking for Rose. It made his hands clench into fists and he was suddenly so very glad that he was not wearing his jacket, as he could feel his skin burn. It was an irrational feeling, but there it was.
The man wore a blue suit and his hair was unruly. He was really too skinny, thought the Doctor. Once-white Converse sneakers covered the man's feet. The Doctor scoffed at the choice of ensemble.
The Doctor stopped and rested an elbow on a book shelf. He cleared his throat. Loudly.
The man turned quickly and upon seeing the Doctor, his eyes grew large. Then, as quickly as they did, they turned to slits. The nonchalant look he had carried evaporated. They stood there, just staring at each other.
"What are you doing here, mate," it was supposed to be a question, but it sounded like a demand.
The suited man stood up straighter, "Don't know what you're talking about. Just shopping is all."
The Doctor took a step closer to the man. He didn't step back or flinch.
"Don't you think I know a Time Lord when I see one," again, not a question.
"I always was observant. Silly of me to try and fool you, really," he tried for a jovial tone.
The Doctor crossed his arms across his chest, "What are you doing here, mucking about."
The other Doctor appeared to become less tense and even had a ghost of a smile on his face, "Just looking, you know how curious we can be."
"Why here. Why now."
"Now now, you know the rules."
"Yeah, I do, but apparently I forget about them later on in my old age."
The words made the skinny Doctor flinch just a tiny bit.
"There are a lot of things you're going to want to forget about in your old age, Doctor," the forbidden words were whispered and slipped through clenched teeth.
Before the Doctor could reprimand his older, but seemingly younger self, they both heard Rose's voice shout behind the suited Doctor.
"Doctor! You alright?" She looked at the stranger's back curiously.
The Doctor was about to answer when he glanced back to the other him. Something in his face made him stop.
For one, he hadn't turned around when Rose called to him. Instead, he had grown tense and his hands had clenched into fists. He wouldn't look at him and the Doctor could swear that he saw his eyes glisten.
"Doctor?" Rose's tone grew worried and she took a step closer to them. As if feeling her, the other Doctor shot a warning look at him.
"I'm alright! Always alright, me," the other gave a humorless chuckle, "go ahead, look around, be there in a minute." He smiled anxiously at her. The Doctor could tell that she could sense something was wrong, but with no other evidence to go by, she walked to another aisle, probably figuring that he'd call for her if need be. Clever girl.
He turned to look at him again only to find him searching for Rose.
The Doctor felt his hearts thump loudly in his ears as the realization washed over him.
"She's not with us anymore, is she?"
The other Doctor looked back at him, his face etched with pain and regret, but also, something like longing or jealousy. He couldn't put his finger on it.
"No," his voice was softer now, sadder, "she isn't."
It was breaking the rules, but it wasn't. He always knew that she wouldn't...couldn't be with him forever. Learning how true his logic was, however, made it hurt sooner.
"Don't tell me how," he ordered.
He looked at the Doctor, the look of pain flooding him to the brim.
"Even if it meant you could keep her?"
The Doctor fought the urge to kick his future self. He wondered idly what happened to make him so deplorable, so broken. She'd made him better. What happened?
But no, he couldn't know.
"No."
The other simply nodded, "What day is it?"
He sighed, "Christmas Eve."
The words made the other Doctor's smile reappear and instantly, his body lost its tension.
"So, it's that Christmas," he said, giving him a knowing smirk.
Exasperated, he simply stared him down.
The other took a few steps forward and simply whispered, "Take her home this Christmas, and watch. Just look at her. You don't have to give her the moon and the stars to see it. Just enjoy old friend."
And with that, he side-stepped the Doctor and slowly, quietly, made his way out of the store.
The Doctor stood transfixed. The words washed over him. The knowing that he would one day not have a Rose Tyler in his life made everything all too real.
"Doctor, you okay?" her voice broke his reverie.
He nodded, unable to speak just yet.
"Who was that man?" she seemed worried.
"No one...an old friend, I'll introduce you someday," the words rushed out and he gave a nervous laugh to accompany it.
Rose smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. All he found there was concern.
"Now, what's with the look? Come on then," he smiled and held out his hand.
She smiled, albeit reluctantly, and met his hand with hers.
"Where we going then?" They walked and slightly swung their clasped hands between them.
"Thought I'd take you to your mum's for Christmas."
Rose stopped suddenly and stared up at him.
"What?"
"You never want to go to my mum's," she said matter-of-factly.
Grinning, he replied, "Well, there's a first time for everything. Merry Christmas, Rose Tyler."
She laughed, the sound ringing in his ears, warming him all over. He tightened his hold on her as they exited the store.
"Merry Christmas, Doctor," she whispered as she laid her head on his arm.
Prompt: see the photo!
Characters: Rose Tyler/Nine, Rose Tyler/Ten
Rating: Everyone
Synopsis: The Doctor needs to realize that he doesn't have to give her the moon and the stars to give her everything.
A/N: Hope you all like! It's a bit different...
(1) Questionable Holiday Traditions
(2) Remember
More than the Moon & the Stars
The sky above was so dark that the stars appeared to burst out of the heavens. The Doctor stood outside the Tardis, which was parked in a dark alleyway somewhere that appeared to be New Zealand. It was December 24th, but it was comfortably warm. Rose had seemed a bit put off that she couldn't don her winter clothing. Somewhere between that disappointment and his tinkering with the Tardis, however, she seemed to have disappeared.
They never do listen about the "wandering off" bit.
He sensed that she couldn't have gotten too far, so he decided to walk down the sidewalk. The Doctor watched the shoppers walk alongside him with their loved ones. He took a deep breath and let the scent of the season waft around him. The warmth made him glad that he'd left his jacket in the Tardis. It was definitely too hot for leather.
Suddenly, just ahead of him, he spotted the familiar blond and the purple blouse she had been wearing earlier. He smiled as he watched her walk through the entrance of a bookstore. Time Out Bookstore, the sign read. His smile widened and his steps grew more hurried, until something made him stop. He heard the angry grunts of the people around him, but it all washed over him as he mumbled to himself, "That's not right." He ran, dodging adults and children alike.
The Doctor stood at the entrance of the bookstore. Through one of the glass windows he could see Rose looking at a stack of books near the back of the small store. Through the other of the glass windows he saw the person who had nearly given him a double heart attack earlier. Thankfully, he was nowhere near Rose. He stepped in and quickly moved to where he needed to be. Strangely enough, the man hadn't seen him yet. The Doctor watched as the man craned his neck looking for Rose. It made his hands clench into fists and he was suddenly so very glad that he was not wearing his jacket, as he could feel his skin burn. It was an irrational feeling, but there it was.
The man wore a blue suit and his hair was unruly. He was really too skinny, thought the Doctor. Once-white Converse sneakers covered the man's feet. The Doctor scoffed at the choice of ensemble.
The Doctor stopped and rested an elbow on a book shelf. He cleared his throat. Loudly.
The man turned quickly and upon seeing the Doctor, his eyes grew large. Then, as quickly as they did, they turned to slits. The nonchalant look he had carried evaporated. They stood there, just staring at each other.
"What are you doing here, mate," it was supposed to be a question, but it sounded like a demand.
The suited man stood up straighter, "Don't know what you're talking about. Just shopping is all."
The Doctor took a step closer to the man. He didn't step back or flinch.
"Don't you think I know a Time Lord when I see one," again, not a question.
"I always was observant. Silly of me to try and fool you, really," he tried for a jovial tone.
The Doctor crossed his arms across his chest, "What are you doing here, mucking about."
The other Doctor appeared to become less tense and even had a ghost of a smile on his face, "Just looking, you know how curious we can be."
"Why here. Why now."
"Now now, you know the rules."
"Yeah, I do, but apparently I forget about them later on in my old age."
The words made the skinny Doctor flinch just a tiny bit.
"There are a lot of things you're going to want to forget about in your old age, Doctor," the forbidden words were whispered and slipped through clenched teeth.
Before the Doctor could reprimand his older, but seemingly younger self, they both heard Rose's voice shout behind the suited Doctor.
"Doctor! You alright?" She looked at the stranger's back curiously.
The Doctor was about to answer when he glanced back to the other him. Something in his face made him stop.
For one, he hadn't turned around when Rose called to him. Instead, he had grown tense and his hands had clenched into fists. He wouldn't look at him and the Doctor could swear that he saw his eyes glisten.
"Doctor?" Rose's tone grew worried and she took a step closer to them. As if feeling her, the other Doctor shot a warning look at him.
"I'm alright! Always alright, me," the other gave a humorless chuckle, "go ahead, look around, be there in a minute." He smiled anxiously at her. The Doctor could tell that she could sense something was wrong, but with no other evidence to go by, she walked to another aisle, probably figuring that he'd call for her if need be. Clever girl.
He turned to look at him again only to find him searching for Rose.
The Doctor felt his hearts thump loudly in his ears as the realization washed over him.
"She's not with us anymore, is she?"
The other Doctor looked back at him, his face etched with pain and regret, but also, something like longing or jealousy. He couldn't put his finger on it.
"No," his voice was softer now, sadder, "she isn't."
It was breaking the rules, but it wasn't. He always knew that she wouldn't...couldn't be with him forever. Learning how true his logic was, however, made it hurt sooner.
"Don't tell me how," he ordered.
He looked at the Doctor, the look of pain flooding him to the brim.
"Even if it meant you could keep her?"
The Doctor fought the urge to kick his future self. He wondered idly what happened to make him so deplorable, so broken. She'd made him better. What happened?
But no, he couldn't know.
"No."
The other simply nodded, "What day is it?"
He sighed, "Christmas Eve."
The words made the other Doctor's smile reappear and instantly, his body lost its tension.
"So, it's that Christmas," he said, giving him a knowing smirk.
Exasperated, he simply stared him down.
The other took a few steps forward and simply whispered, "Take her home this Christmas, and watch. Just look at her. You don't have to give her the moon and the stars to see it. Just enjoy old friend."
And with that, he side-stepped the Doctor and slowly, quietly, made his way out of the store.
The Doctor stood transfixed. The words washed over him. The knowing that he would one day not have a Rose Tyler in his life made everything all too real.
"Doctor, you okay?" her voice broke his reverie.
He nodded, unable to speak just yet.
"Who was that man?" she seemed worried.
"No one...an old friend, I'll introduce you someday," the words rushed out and he gave a nervous laugh to accompany it.
Rose smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. All he found there was concern.
"Now, what's with the look? Come on then," he smiled and held out his hand.
She smiled, albeit reluctantly, and met his hand with hers.
"Where we going then?" They walked and slightly swung their clasped hands between them.
"Thought I'd take you to your mum's for Christmas."
Rose stopped suddenly and stared up at him.
"What?"
"You never want to go to my mum's," she said matter-of-factly.
Grinning, he replied, "Well, there's a first time for everything. Merry Christmas, Rose Tyler."
She laughed, the sound ringing in his ears, warming him all over. He tightened his hold on her as they exited the store.
"Merry Christmas, Doctor," she whispered as she laid her head on his arm.