fic: Seduction
Chapter 5-Six Months
Over the next six months, the Doctor wandered aimlessly in the TARDIS. He set it on random, not knowing, or caring, where he would end up. Occasionally, he would see a glimpse of a pink top, or bright blonde hair, and his hearts would squeeze painfully. At other times he’d almost forget, turning to mention something to Rose, only to remember that she wasn’t there.
Would probably never be there again.
Occasionally he went to check on her… just to see how she was doing. At least, that’s what he told himself. Once in a while he’d go and watch her building just on the chance that he’d see her coming or going. A few times he went to the chippy in the Powell Estate that she liked. Once he had even stood behind her in a queue at the local Tesco. For the most part he tried to not let her see him, but when she did she didn’t seem to recognize him.
And, to his surprise, Jackie was as good as her word. She called at least once a week to keep him posted on Rose’s progress.
“Doctor, I did as you suggested and told her about the memory loss. I had to. She thought she still worked at Henrik’s. She was surprised at first, but she is coping well with it, I think.”
“Doctor, she ended up getting a new job at the Chinese takeaway down the street. She doesn’t really like it, but at least it’s somethin’ and it gets her out of the flat.”
“Doctor, I did as you suggested and took her to some of the places you’ve been around here. But I’m sorry, I can’t afford some of the others…”
“Doctor, thanks for the money you sent. I don’t know how you got it, and I don’t wanna know. Rose always said you never carried any. Anyway, I’ll be takin’ her to Cardiff this weekend… and then Scotland in a few weeks.”
“Doctor, we ran into that friend of yours, Sarah Jane somethin’ or other? When Rose wasn’t listenin’, Sarah Jane told me that you had arranged it. It didn’t help. Rose didn’t remember her at all. I’m sorry but nothin’ seems to be workin’. She knows she’s not eighteen anymore, but she hasn’t remembered anythin’ from the years she’s missin’. And she’s asked about Mickey a few times. I finally had to tell her he went travelin’ and won’t be back for a while. I hated lyin’ to her, but what could I do?”
“Doctor, she’s been so depressed. She doesn’t wanna go out with her friends, not even Shareen and Keisha. When she’s not at work she mostly just hangs around the flat. It’s like she knows there’s somethin’ missin’ in her life, somethin’ big. Sometimes she just goes up to the roof and stares at the stars. It’s been goin’ on a while now… actually, it’s been goin’ on the whole time but I didn’t want to worry you.”
“Doctor, we need to talk. In person. No, it’s nothin’ like that. She’s alright. But I need to talk to you and Rose’ll be at work the rest of the afternoon, so I’d suggest you and that box of yours show up here right away.”
Within seconds of Jackie’s last phone call, she heard the familiar wheezing and groaning of the TARDIS in her flat.
As the Doctor emerged through the doors, Jackie noticed that rather than his normal, fairly neat appearance, his hair was a mess, his pinstriped jacket was undone and his brown and blue swirly tie was askew. And his eyes were red-rimmed. And he hadn’t shaved recently.
And Jackie would never have thought it possible, but he looked even thinner than before.
She had never seen him look so unkempt, not this him nor the one he had been before he changed.
“Well, that didn’t take long,” she said, deciding not to say anything about how he looked.
“Time Lord,” he replied. “Time machine.”
There was a flatness to his tone that concerned her. When she had first met him, she would have never thought that she’d be concerned about him, but she was.
“Yeah, and what was that twelve hour, twelve month thing about, then?”
He sighed. “Jackie, I’m here. What do you want?” he asked.
“What I want is for you to sit down. I made a fresh pot of tea before I called you.” She jerked her head towards the kitchen.
They sat down at the tiny table and she watched as he poured a tiny bit of milk and about four teaspoons of sugar into his cup. She wrinkled her nose.
“Even I don’t like it that sweet,” she said.
He took a sip of his tea and then sat back and watched her, arms crossed, waiting her out.
She stared back at him, eyebrow raised.
He gave in first. “Jackie, this is ridiculous. What do you want?”
“It’s like I said on the phone,” she said. “We need to talk. Or rather, I need to talk and you need to listen.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “I never, ever thought I’d say this, but I think you should come back. Y’know, when you sent Rose home that time before you changed, you did the right thing, trying to keep her safe. And I know you’re tryin’ to do the right thing by her again. Well, you’re not the only one who can do the right thing. As much as I want her home, I think she needs to be with you. She misses you, even though she doesn’t realize it.”
Resting his elbows on the table, he dropped his head into his hands. “Jackie, I can’t.”
“Doctor, I’ve tried everything you’ve asked, and nothin’s worked. Maybe if she were with you, she’d start to remember things. C’mon, you’re always braggin’ about that brilliant Time Lord brain of yours. Surely you’ve thought of somethin’ that can get her memories back.”
Looking up sharply, he met her eyes. “Jackie Tyler, you don’t know, you have no idea what you’re asking. And if you did, there’s no way on Earth you’d ever ask it.”
“C’mon, she misses you, and I know you miss her. Otherwise you wouldn’t be havin’ me call so often, and you certainly wouldn’t have shown up here so fast. And you’re obviously not takin’ care of yourself. You look a right mess.”
He didn’t answer her. The truth was, he didn’t even have the energy to glare at her.
“Just go see her. Talk to her. Maybe she’ll remember something.”
He took a deep breath and let it out in a rush. “Jackie, she doesn’t remember me. Talking to her isn’t going to change that.”
“You don’t know that,” Jackie replied. She looked him over again, from his messy hair and unshaven face, to his wrinkled suit and untied Converse. “Doctor, you’ve got to try. For your sake as well as hers, you’ve got to at least try.”
Over the next six months, the Doctor wandered aimlessly in the TARDIS. He set it on random, not knowing, or caring, where he would end up. Occasionally, he would see a glimpse of a pink top, or bright blonde hair, and his hearts would squeeze painfully. At other times he’d almost forget, turning to mention something to Rose, only to remember that she wasn’t there.
Would probably never be there again.
Occasionally he went to check on her… just to see how she was doing. At least, that’s what he told himself. Once in a while he’d go and watch her building just on the chance that he’d see her coming or going. A few times he went to the chippy in the Powell Estate that she liked. Once he had even stood behind her in a queue at the local Tesco. For the most part he tried to not let her see him, but when she did she didn’t seem to recognize him.
And, to his surprise, Jackie was as good as her word. She called at least once a week to keep him posted on Rose’s progress.
“Doctor, I did as you suggested and told her about the memory loss. I had to. She thought she still worked at Henrik’s. She was surprised at first, but she is coping well with it, I think.”
“Doctor, she ended up getting a new job at the Chinese takeaway down the street. She doesn’t really like it, but at least it’s somethin’ and it gets her out of the flat.”
“Doctor, I did as you suggested and took her to some of the places you’ve been around here. But I’m sorry, I can’t afford some of the others…”
“Doctor, thanks for the money you sent. I don’t know how you got it, and I don’t wanna know. Rose always said you never carried any. Anyway, I’ll be takin’ her to Cardiff this weekend… and then Scotland in a few weeks.”
“Doctor, we ran into that friend of yours, Sarah Jane somethin’ or other? When Rose wasn’t listenin’, Sarah Jane told me that you had arranged it. It didn’t help. Rose didn’t remember her at all. I’m sorry but nothin’ seems to be workin’. She knows she’s not eighteen anymore, but she hasn’t remembered anythin’ from the years she’s missin’. And she’s asked about Mickey a few times. I finally had to tell her he went travelin’ and won’t be back for a while. I hated lyin’ to her, but what could I do?”
“Doctor, she’s been so depressed. She doesn’t wanna go out with her friends, not even Shareen and Keisha. When she’s not at work she mostly just hangs around the flat. It’s like she knows there’s somethin’ missin’ in her life, somethin’ big. Sometimes she just goes up to the roof and stares at the stars. It’s been goin’ on a while now… actually, it’s been goin’ on the whole time but I didn’t want to worry you.”
“Doctor, we need to talk. In person. No, it’s nothin’ like that. She’s alright. But I need to talk to you and Rose’ll be at work the rest of the afternoon, so I’d suggest you and that box of yours show up here right away.”
Within seconds of Jackie’s last phone call, she heard the familiar wheezing and groaning of the TARDIS in her flat.
As the Doctor emerged through the doors, Jackie noticed that rather than his normal, fairly neat appearance, his hair was a mess, his pinstriped jacket was undone and his brown and blue swirly tie was askew. And his eyes were red-rimmed. And he hadn’t shaved recently.
And Jackie would never have thought it possible, but he looked even thinner than before.
She had never seen him look so unkempt, not this him nor the one he had been before he changed.
“Well, that didn’t take long,” she said, deciding not to say anything about how he looked.
“Time Lord,” he replied. “Time machine.”
There was a flatness to his tone that concerned her. When she had first met him, she would have never thought that she’d be concerned about him, but she was.
“Yeah, and what was that twelve hour, twelve month thing about, then?”
He sighed. “Jackie, I’m here. What do you want?” he asked.
“What I want is for you to sit down. I made a fresh pot of tea before I called you.” She jerked her head towards the kitchen.
They sat down at the tiny table and she watched as he poured a tiny bit of milk and about four teaspoons of sugar into his cup. She wrinkled her nose.
“Even I don’t like it that sweet,” she said.
He took a sip of his tea and then sat back and watched her, arms crossed, waiting her out.
She stared back at him, eyebrow raised.
He gave in first. “Jackie, this is ridiculous. What do you want?”
“It’s like I said on the phone,” she said. “We need to talk. Or rather, I need to talk and you need to listen.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “I never, ever thought I’d say this, but I think you should come back. Y’know, when you sent Rose home that time before you changed, you did the right thing, trying to keep her safe. And I know you’re tryin’ to do the right thing by her again. Well, you’re not the only one who can do the right thing. As much as I want her home, I think she needs to be with you. She misses you, even though she doesn’t realize it.”
Resting his elbows on the table, he dropped his head into his hands. “Jackie, I can’t.”
“Doctor, I’ve tried everything you’ve asked, and nothin’s worked. Maybe if she were with you, she’d start to remember things. C’mon, you’re always braggin’ about that brilliant Time Lord brain of yours. Surely you’ve thought of somethin’ that can get her memories back.”
Looking up sharply, he met her eyes. “Jackie Tyler, you don’t know, you have no idea what you’re asking. And if you did, there’s no way on Earth you’d ever ask it.”
“C’mon, she misses you, and I know you miss her. Otherwise you wouldn’t be havin’ me call so often, and you certainly wouldn’t have shown up here so fast. And you’re obviously not takin’ care of yourself. You look a right mess.”
He didn’t answer her. The truth was, he didn’t even have the energy to glare at her.
“Just go see her. Talk to her. Maybe she’ll remember something.”
He took a deep breath and let it out in a rush. “Jackie, she doesn’t remember me. Talking to her isn’t going to change that.”
“You don’t know that,” Jackie replied. She looked him over again, from his messy hair and unshaven face, to his wrinkled suit and untied Converse. “Doctor, you’ve got to try. For your sake as well as hers, you’ve got to at least try.”