for mind_the_muse: Five Times You Got What You Wanted And One Time You Didn't.
I.
He wanted him to have a purpose.
He always called him an idiot, but he knew that wasn't true. For all that he bumbled and fawned over Rose and bumbled some more, he had a good mind on him. He tried.
Far from the tin dog. No matter how much he teased. The Doctor just wanted him to feel like he was part of the universe. Took him traveling. Got a spaceship on his first go, he said. All that excitement, all that energy. The Doctor envied that. If that energy could be put to some good cause...well, he didn't think there was anything Mickey couldn't do if he really wanted to.
And then he found it. His purpose. To become Mickey the hero under the guise of Ricky. He found a home. Something the Doctor never had. Maybe another reason to envy Mickey. A family, a home, and a purpose.
The Doctor got what he wanted.
II.
He wanted her to have the family she deserved.
He never had a chance with a family. Family like his, anyway. By the time he realized he wanted children they'd already up and grown. Susan was all he had, but she grew up too fast, too. And now…now they're all gone. He wanted her to have her parents, have her friends. Have everything he couldn't.
He nearly sacrificed the world in his last incarnation to keep her father alive, promised her mother he'd always keep her safe. He even went so far as to spend time with that irritating mother of hers. Took Mickey along. Had tea with one of her more boisterous aunts.
Everything seemed to unravel. Couldn't save Pete. Mickey left. Rose's mother just kept getting sadder and sadder. He just wanted them to be happy.
Then they had it. Pete had Jackie and they both wanted Rose and…well, it only made sense. Even as he stood where the breach had been, his head pressed against the cold wall, all he could think was that it was what he wanted. He wanted her happy.
The Doctor got what he wanted.
III.
He wanted him to be a hero.
Someone as bloody brilliant as Jack Harkness? He had to deserve more than just being a run-of-the-mill con-man with slicked-back hair and a Chula warship. He was cowardly yet dashing and the Doctor could see so much more in him.
He saw him change, over time. Hold a bomb in order to save everyone in that field. Rewire the TARDIS like he was born at the controls. Call those who were afraid to fight against the Daleks. Sacrifice himself to give the Doctor more time.
He did change. Hundred years…well, give or take. And he's suddenly telling the Doctor that he's got a good fight to fight. Can't run off and be irresponsible. Can't have drinks on the coast of Pentastico 2 while wearing full plate mail. Have to be strong. Have to be brave. Have to be a hero.
The Doctor got what he wanted.
IV.
He wanted her to be independent.
She was smart and capable. He watched her run around, making decisions and barking orders. But she was always attached to that cell phone, to her family. Then she grew attached to him.
She loved him, she said, once. Oh, Martha. Didn't she realize his hearts were too dried up to love anyone back? He wanted her to just…just get over him. Adoring his companions was always easier when they didn't want something back. Like love.
And then, there was a year where she was on her own. Completely. Cut off from him. She saved the world. All by herself. And then she stood there and told him she was ready to get out. Ready to move on with her life.
She was being her own Martha Jones. And who was he to say no? Who was he to hold her hand anymore? She saved the world, and now she was carving her own path.
The Doctor got what he wanted.
V.
He wanted her to travel the universe.
He knew what it was like to be trapped in a position, trapped without any way of getting free. She didn't have a TARDIS junkyard to hop into and steal a ship, so the escape was so much harder for her.
Oh, but when she looked at the stars, he saw himself in her. Longing for another sky. For another world. To touch the alien sand and hear the cry of strange birds and watch them wheel in another sky. She'd have given anything for that.
He took her down to Earth, and she caught the bug. Silly old Doctor, interfering in Astrid's life. Making her push traveling to the forefront of her brain now and forever. She'd never be the same again.
And when he pushed the button to the sonic screwdriver that twisted the window open, the little pieces that were left of Astrid had the whole universe at their command. To travel forever.
The Doctor got what he wanted.
VI.
He wanted to have companionship. He wanted to never be alone again.
The Doctor didn't always get what he wanted.
Muse: The Doctor (Ten)
Fandom: Doctor Who
Word Count: 844
He wanted him to have a purpose.
He always called him an idiot, but he knew that wasn't true. For all that he bumbled and fawned over Rose and bumbled some more, he had a good mind on him. He tried.
Far from the tin dog. No matter how much he teased. The Doctor just wanted him to feel like he was part of the universe. Took him traveling. Got a spaceship on his first go, he said. All that excitement, all that energy. The Doctor envied that. If that energy could be put to some good cause...well, he didn't think there was anything Mickey couldn't do if he really wanted to.
And then he found it. His purpose. To become Mickey the hero under the guise of Ricky. He found a home. Something the Doctor never had. Maybe another reason to envy Mickey. A family, a home, and a purpose.
The Doctor got what he wanted.
II.
He wanted her to have the family she deserved.
He never had a chance with a family. Family like his, anyway. By the time he realized he wanted children they'd already up and grown. Susan was all he had, but she grew up too fast, too. And now…now they're all gone. He wanted her to have her parents, have her friends. Have everything he couldn't.
He nearly sacrificed the world in his last incarnation to keep her father alive, promised her mother he'd always keep her safe. He even went so far as to spend time with that irritating mother of hers. Took Mickey along. Had tea with one of her more boisterous aunts.
Everything seemed to unravel. Couldn't save Pete. Mickey left. Rose's mother just kept getting sadder and sadder. He just wanted them to be happy.
Then they had it. Pete had Jackie and they both wanted Rose and…well, it only made sense. Even as he stood where the breach had been, his head pressed against the cold wall, all he could think was that it was what he wanted. He wanted her happy.
The Doctor got what he wanted.
III.
He wanted him to be a hero.
Someone as bloody brilliant as Jack Harkness? He had to deserve more than just being a run-of-the-mill con-man with slicked-back hair and a Chula warship. He was cowardly yet dashing and the Doctor could see so much more in him.
He saw him change, over time. Hold a bomb in order to save everyone in that field. Rewire the TARDIS like he was born at the controls. Call those who were afraid to fight against the Daleks. Sacrifice himself to give the Doctor more time.
He did change. Hundred years…well, give or take. And he's suddenly telling the Doctor that he's got a good fight to fight. Can't run off and be irresponsible. Can't have drinks on the coast of Pentastico 2 while wearing full plate mail. Have to be strong. Have to be brave. Have to be a hero.
The Doctor got what he wanted.
IV.
He wanted her to be independent.
She was smart and capable. He watched her run around, making decisions and barking orders. But she was always attached to that cell phone, to her family. Then she grew attached to him.
She loved him, she said, once. Oh, Martha. Didn't she realize his hearts were too dried up to love anyone back? He wanted her to just…just get over him. Adoring his companions was always easier when they didn't want something back. Like love.
And then, there was a year where she was on her own. Completely. Cut off from him. She saved the world. All by herself. And then she stood there and told him she was ready to get out. Ready to move on with her life.
She was being her own Martha Jones. And who was he to say no? Who was he to hold her hand anymore? She saved the world, and now she was carving her own path.
The Doctor got what he wanted.
V.
He wanted her to travel the universe.
He knew what it was like to be trapped in a position, trapped without any way of getting free. She didn't have a TARDIS junkyard to hop into and steal a ship, so the escape was so much harder for her.
Oh, but when she looked at the stars, he saw himself in her. Longing for another sky. For another world. To touch the alien sand and hear the cry of strange birds and watch them wheel in another sky. She'd have given anything for that.
He took her down to Earth, and she caught the bug. Silly old Doctor, interfering in Astrid's life. Making her push traveling to the forefront of her brain now and forever. She'd never be the same again.
And when he pushed the button to the sonic screwdriver that twisted the window open, the little pieces that were left of Astrid had the whole universe at their command. To travel forever.
The Doctor got what he wanted.
VI.
He wanted to have companionship. He wanted to never be alone again.
The Doctor didn't always get what he wanted.
Muse: The Doctor (Ten)
Fandom: Doctor Who
Word Count: 844