Ficlet: Not Enough - pg13 - claim: Nine
Title: Not Close Enough
Author: Jinni
Rated Pg13
Disclaimer: All things Doctor Who belong to the BBC, et al.
Claim: Nine
Prompt: 35 - Not Enough
Notes: An AU look at what the Doctor might have been off doing during those ‘seconds’ after he left Rose in “Rose”.
x x x
The tardis was cool and empty, just as it ever was. Maybe he had been naïve to think that the excitement that had sparkled in Rose’s eyes during everything - the blatant curiosity and wonder - had been anything more than what it was. In the end, she had turned down the opportunity to make that a part of her everyday life. Had to stay behind and take care of the idiot boyfriend.
The Doctor’s lip curled up for a moment, sneering down at the console; then, just as quickly, it was gone.
It was her choice, after all. He’d never forced someone to join him and he wasn’t about to stop with her - even if he thought she was wasting her life there, then, with the moron.
Places to go and things to see. There was a rebellion taking place in the year five-thousand and thirty-one that he could watch or maybe even participate in, if he played his cards right.
Strong hands tugged at the controls, pushed and pressed at buttons; but the Doctor was lost in his thoughts.
Alone.
x x x
He saw her dancing in the main square, after the rebellion was over and done with and everyone had gathered. In true human fashion, celebration was the order of the day. Well, night. One of the things that he so admired about their species - eat, drink and be merry; even in the aftermath of war.
And there she was. Blonde hair, round face. Dark eyes.
Not Rose. But close, his eyes told him. Close enough to be her sister. She was wearing a peasant dress and sandals and, if he closed his eyes for just a moment, he could imagine that it was the insatiably curious shopgirl dancing there and not some twenty-something from Rose’s far, far future.
But when he opened his eyes, she was still just another girl. Not Rose. Not the one that he couldn’t get out of his head. The one he’d seen so much potential in.
The one that had turned him down, his hurt pride chided him. The one that would prefer to live a boring existence in her own boring time with her boring little boyfriend, than travel all of space and time with him at his side.
Well, no more yearning for the one that got away. Here, right in front of him, was someone that had caught his eye and that was enough, just for now.
When this girl stopped dancing, he approached. Her name was Ahna and she was just barely nineteen. She talked and he smiled and nodded at the appropriate times. When she wanted to dance, he took her to the clearing and led her around the bonfire a few times, until the song was over and he’d had enough.
More talking and he found out that she really was as vapid as he’d gotten from her initial comments. Talk of the shops, of her suitors. Of friends and family. Nothing of substance. When he tried to ask her about the rebellion, about what she’d done to help, she’d laughed and shrugged. Not her, then. Her brother. She’d been at home, waiting for it all to end; uncaring one way or the other.
And he knew that Rose would have cared. For one side or the other, Rose would have taken up a side and fought if she needed to.
Because that was the type of girl that Rose was. He’d known that, just by watching her in the brief time they’d had together.
“Ahna,” he smiled gently, patiently down at the chattering girl. “I really must be going.”
“So soon?”
He wanted to tell her she had talked for hours, but didn’t think it would matter to her. Didn’t think it would make a point that perhaps she’d been too caught up in her own, petty existence to notice what was going on around her.
Goodbyes said, plan in mind, he struck out back towards where he had left the tardis.
There were still places to see and people to visit - but he knew where he’d end up after all was said and done.
About ten seconds after he’d left Rose Tyler.
And this time, she’d be coming with him.
END
Author: Jinni
Rated Pg13
Disclaimer: All things Doctor Who belong to the BBC, et al.
Claim: Nine
Prompt: 35 - Not Enough
Notes: An AU look at what the Doctor might have been off doing during those ‘seconds’ after he left Rose in “Rose”.
x x x
The tardis was cool and empty, just as it ever was. Maybe he had been naïve to think that the excitement that had sparkled in Rose’s eyes during everything - the blatant curiosity and wonder - had been anything more than what it was. In the end, she had turned down the opportunity to make that a part of her everyday life. Had to stay behind and take care of the idiot boyfriend.
The Doctor’s lip curled up for a moment, sneering down at the console; then, just as quickly, it was gone.
It was her choice, after all. He’d never forced someone to join him and he wasn’t about to stop with her - even if he thought she was wasting her life there, then, with the moron.
Places to go and things to see. There was a rebellion taking place in the year five-thousand and thirty-one that he could watch or maybe even participate in, if he played his cards right.
Strong hands tugged at the controls, pushed and pressed at buttons; but the Doctor was lost in his thoughts.
Alone.
x x x
He saw her dancing in the main square, after the rebellion was over and done with and everyone had gathered. In true human fashion, celebration was the order of the day. Well, night. One of the things that he so admired about their species - eat, drink and be merry; even in the aftermath of war.
And there she was. Blonde hair, round face. Dark eyes.
Not Rose. But close, his eyes told him. Close enough to be her sister. She was wearing a peasant dress and sandals and, if he closed his eyes for just a moment, he could imagine that it was the insatiably curious shopgirl dancing there and not some twenty-something from Rose’s far, far future.
But when he opened his eyes, she was still just another girl. Not Rose. Not the one that he couldn’t get out of his head. The one he’d seen so much potential in.
The one that had turned him down, his hurt pride chided him. The one that would prefer to live a boring existence in her own boring time with her boring little boyfriend, than travel all of space and time with him at his side.
Well, no more yearning for the one that got away. Here, right in front of him, was someone that had caught his eye and that was enough, just for now.
When this girl stopped dancing, he approached. Her name was Ahna and she was just barely nineteen. She talked and he smiled and nodded at the appropriate times. When she wanted to dance, he took her to the clearing and led her around the bonfire a few times, until the song was over and he’d had enough.
More talking and he found out that she really was as vapid as he’d gotten from her initial comments. Talk of the shops, of her suitors. Of friends and family. Nothing of substance. When he tried to ask her about the rebellion, about what she’d done to help, she’d laughed and shrugged. Not her, then. Her brother. She’d been at home, waiting for it all to end; uncaring one way or the other.
And he knew that Rose would have cared. For one side or the other, Rose would have taken up a side and fought if she needed to.
Because that was the type of girl that Rose was. He’d known that, just by watching her in the brief time they’d had together.
“Ahna,” he smiled gently, patiently down at the chattering girl. “I really must be going.”
“So soon?”
He wanted to tell her she had talked for hours, but didn’t think it would matter to her. Didn’t think it would make a point that perhaps she’d been too caught up in her own, petty existence to notice what was going on around her.
Goodbyes said, plan in mind, he struck out back towards where he had left the tardis.
There were still places to see and people to visit - but he knew where he’d end up after all was said and done.
About ten seconds after he’d left Rose Tyler.
And this time, she’d be coming with him.
END