In the Dark 17/18
The Doctor stepped back and looked down at his shirt front. A red stain began to spread fast across his chest. He looked at the Master whose face showed surprise.
“Well, look at that.” The Master said stepping closer and cocking his head to look at it.
Trying to take a breath, the Doctor fell to his knees. He looked to Rose but her body was still. He could see her blood dripping through the grating. He could feel his hearts slowing. Rose was gone. What was the point of going on without her?
“Lay down” the Master suggested from in front of him. “If I were you I would chose to not regenerate this time around. It doesn’t seem to go well for you and besides I will just kill you again.”
With a helpful hand, the Master pushed him down to the ground. “Rest now Doctor.”
********
Rose floated in an abstract of nothing. Darkness surrounded her. Darkness and silence that is.
A pinpoint of light shone in front of her. Steadily, it began to grow larger. The outline of a person walked towards her. As the person drew closer she was able to make out a slight swagger and the tails of a long coat.
The Doctor stopped in front of her and smiled. “Hello”
“Doctor?” Rose frowned at him. “Are you in my head again?”
He shook his head. “Not quite.”
“Well, where are we then?”
“Dead.” He chirped as he rocked forward on his heels.
Raising her eyebrows at him, she looked around. “This is death?”
Reaching up to rub the back of his neck, he said “Not exactly. This is a sorta staging area for it.”
“What does that mean?” Rose asked feeling exasperated by a dead man.
“It means, Rose Tyler, that we have a choice to make and when I say ‘we’ I really mean you. You have a choice to make.”
“Which is what? “ She glared at him. Rambling right now was not what she wanted to hear.
All semblance of joviality slipped away from him, as he reached out to take her hands in his.
“You aren’t quite dead yet, Rose,” He said seriously, “and I’m still debating if I should regenerate or not.”
“He shot you.” She said placing the last sound she heard.
He nodded. “Regenerate of course.” She said to him, shocked he would even consider refusing.
“I don’t want to be there without you.” The Doctor said quietly.
“Well, bring me back then.”
“I can’t do that, Rose. As soon as I regenerate, the Master is waiting.”
“Oh,” she said understanding. “You said I had a choice to make?”
“That you do” The Doctor said as he smiled at her again. “Bad Wolf.”
“What about it?” Rose asked, unsure what he meant.
“It’s still in you Rose. It’s the reason you were able to become pregnant to begin with. You can use it to stop the Master.”
“Okay, how do I do that?” Rose asked feeling hopeful.
The Doctor shrugged. “Not sure. No one’s ever carried around a bit of the Time Vortex in them before.”
“That’s helpful.” Rose said sarcastically.
The Doctor smiled at her again. “You’re brilliant, Rose. You can figure it out.” With that he leaned forward and kissed her.
*******
The Master stood alone in the Tardis. On his left side lay the dead body of Rose Tyler. On his right side lay the body of the Doctor. It had been several minutes. If the Doctor was going to regenerate then surely he would have done it by now.
It was a pity about Rose but now that he had the Tardis, the Master could find someone else that was genetically compatible with him. For now though, he needed to dispose of the bodies. He stepped over them to the console and began to do a search for a black hole
After a few minutes, movement on the other side of the console caught his attention.
Rose Tyler was sitting up. The Master stepped around the console to peer closer at her. She turned towards him and he gasped at her glowing eyes. He watched as she looked to the body of the Doctor. Gently she crawled over him and placed her hand on his chest over the blood stain.
“My Doctor” Her voice had an ethereal tone to it. She leaned forward and placed a kiss on his lips. The Doctor gasped.
“How?” The Master couldn’t keep quiet any longer, as he stepped fully around the console.
Rose turned away from the stirring form of the Doctor and stood to face the Master.
“I create myself.” She said. Behind her the Doctor pushed himself up to a sitting position.
“You can’t hold that much of the Vortex and it not burn you up” The Master said, his voice was shaky.
“The Tardis is linked to me.” She cocked her head to look at him. “You have interfered with my plans.” She said darkly.
Feeling helpless, the Master looked to the Doctor, but his eyes were focused on the woman in front of him.
Rose took a step forward and placed her hand on the console. The engines of the Tardis began to wail and the ship began to shake.
The Master and the Doctor both were thrown about as the ship twisted and turned. Soon, it settled and the ships engines quieted.
“Where are we?” the Doctor asked as he stood up.
Rose removed her hand from the console and pointed towards the doors, which swung open to reveal an orange planet.
“Impossible” the Doctor whispered from beside her.
“Gallifrey” The Master said fear lacing his voice.
“I have entered the Time Lock. You will be returned to your planet of origin to remain under the care of the Timelords.” Rose’s voice pronounced.
Turning from the sight of the planet, the Master moved towards her. “Please, no. Just kill me now.” He begged. He made a move to grab her arm but the Doctor was quicker.
He took the Master by the arms and pushed him away from her. “I told you that you have gone too far,” he said. “Now it’s time to pay the price for your actions.” The Doctor said quietly.
“I can’t go back.” The Master said his voice beginning to break. He looked at the Doctor hoping for a glimmer of mercy.
“It’s what Rose wants,” the Doctor said as way of apology. “Rassilon knows it’s better than what you deserve.”
The Doctor stepped away and a white light engulfed the Master. His screams faded from the console room as he was transported to the planet below.
“It is done” Rose announced as she placed her hand back on the console. The ship shook again as it left the Time Lock.
Once it settled, she stepped away from the console but her eyes were still glowing. Slowly the Doctor approached her.
“Rose, please you have to let it go now. Before it does any harm.”
Rose looked at him and slowly closed her eyes. When she opened them the glow as gone and the hazel was back.
“Doctor” She wrapped her arms around him in a hug, breathing him in.
After a few moments he pulled back from her. “We need to check the baby.” He said as he pulled her to the infirmary.
She followed calmly already knowing the answer but allowing him to take charge. Soon a picture showed up on the monitor of their child.
“Oh look how big he’s gotten,” she said with a smile.
“Everything looks good” the Doctor said feeling relieved. The radiation from the Tardis was bad enough on a baby and there was no telling what the Time Vortex would do to him.
The Doctor sat down on the stool relieved. Rose sat on the infirmary table smiling at the monitor. She noticed his stillness and turned to him with questioning eyes.
“So” he started, “How do I look?”
She frowned at him. “What do you mean?”
It was his turn to frown. “How do I look Rose?”
She shook her head at him in confusion. “You look the same.”
“I didn’t regenerate?”
She smiled at his confusion. “I like this body, Doctor.”
“Oh?” he said standing up. “Even after everything that has happened?”
Rose reached out to grab his hand and pull him closer. “This body was made for me.”
He blushed and looked away from her. “You figured that out, eh?”
“Well, for a few minutes there I could see all of time and space, so I might have had a peek.”
His eyebrows shot up. “How much did you see?”
She smiled widely at him. “Oh I seen more than enough, Doctor.”
He made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a grumble. “That’s not quite fair.” He pouted.
Rose laughed at him and in spite of himself he laughed with her.
When the laughter faded, he looked at her seriously and said, “I thought I lost you.”
“I thought you lost me too.” Rose agreed knowing they weren’t talking about just one event. “But now, you aren’t going to be rid of me for a very long time Doctor.”
He raised an eyebrow at her. “Just how long are we talking?”
Rose leaned forward until her forehead was resting on his. “Forever.”
The Doctor smiled. “I like the sound of that Rose Tyler.”
Epilogue to follow
“Well, look at that.” The Master said stepping closer and cocking his head to look at it.
Trying to take a breath, the Doctor fell to his knees. He looked to Rose but her body was still. He could see her blood dripping through the grating. He could feel his hearts slowing. Rose was gone. What was the point of going on without her?
“Lay down” the Master suggested from in front of him. “If I were you I would chose to not regenerate this time around. It doesn’t seem to go well for you and besides I will just kill you again.”
With a helpful hand, the Master pushed him down to the ground. “Rest now Doctor.”
********
Rose floated in an abstract of nothing. Darkness surrounded her. Darkness and silence that is.
A pinpoint of light shone in front of her. Steadily, it began to grow larger. The outline of a person walked towards her. As the person drew closer she was able to make out a slight swagger and the tails of a long coat.
The Doctor stopped in front of her and smiled. “Hello”
“Doctor?” Rose frowned at him. “Are you in my head again?”
He shook his head. “Not quite.”
“Well, where are we then?”
“Dead.” He chirped as he rocked forward on his heels.
Raising her eyebrows at him, she looked around. “This is death?”
Reaching up to rub the back of his neck, he said “Not exactly. This is a sorta staging area for it.”
“What does that mean?” Rose asked feeling exasperated by a dead man.
“It means, Rose Tyler, that we have a choice to make and when I say ‘we’ I really mean you. You have a choice to make.”
“Which is what? “ She glared at him. Rambling right now was not what she wanted to hear.
All semblance of joviality slipped away from him, as he reached out to take her hands in his.
“You aren’t quite dead yet, Rose,” He said seriously, “and I’m still debating if I should regenerate or not.”
“He shot you.” She said placing the last sound she heard.
He nodded. “Regenerate of course.” She said to him, shocked he would even consider refusing.
“I don’t want to be there without you.” The Doctor said quietly.
“Well, bring me back then.”
“I can’t do that, Rose. As soon as I regenerate, the Master is waiting.”
“Oh,” she said understanding. “You said I had a choice to make?”
“That you do” The Doctor said as he smiled at her again. “Bad Wolf.”
“What about it?” Rose asked, unsure what he meant.
“It’s still in you Rose. It’s the reason you were able to become pregnant to begin with. You can use it to stop the Master.”
“Okay, how do I do that?” Rose asked feeling hopeful.
The Doctor shrugged. “Not sure. No one’s ever carried around a bit of the Time Vortex in them before.”
“That’s helpful.” Rose said sarcastically.
The Doctor smiled at her again. “You’re brilliant, Rose. You can figure it out.” With that he leaned forward and kissed her.
*******
The Master stood alone in the Tardis. On his left side lay the dead body of Rose Tyler. On his right side lay the body of the Doctor. It had been several minutes. If the Doctor was going to regenerate then surely he would have done it by now.
It was a pity about Rose but now that he had the Tardis, the Master could find someone else that was genetically compatible with him. For now though, he needed to dispose of the bodies. He stepped over them to the console and began to do a search for a black hole
After a few minutes, movement on the other side of the console caught his attention.
Rose Tyler was sitting up. The Master stepped around the console to peer closer at her. She turned towards him and he gasped at her glowing eyes. He watched as she looked to the body of the Doctor. Gently she crawled over him and placed her hand on his chest over the blood stain.
“My Doctor” Her voice had an ethereal tone to it. She leaned forward and placed a kiss on his lips. The Doctor gasped.
“How?” The Master couldn’t keep quiet any longer, as he stepped fully around the console.
Rose turned away from the stirring form of the Doctor and stood to face the Master.
“I create myself.” She said. Behind her the Doctor pushed himself up to a sitting position.
“You can’t hold that much of the Vortex and it not burn you up” The Master said, his voice was shaky.
“The Tardis is linked to me.” She cocked her head to look at him. “You have interfered with my plans.” She said darkly.
Feeling helpless, the Master looked to the Doctor, but his eyes were focused on the woman in front of him.
Rose took a step forward and placed her hand on the console. The engines of the Tardis began to wail and the ship began to shake.
The Master and the Doctor both were thrown about as the ship twisted and turned. Soon, it settled and the ships engines quieted.
“Where are we?” the Doctor asked as he stood up.
Rose removed her hand from the console and pointed towards the doors, which swung open to reveal an orange planet.
“Impossible” the Doctor whispered from beside her.
“Gallifrey” The Master said fear lacing his voice.
“I have entered the Time Lock. You will be returned to your planet of origin to remain under the care of the Timelords.” Rose’s voice pronounced.
Turning from the sight of the planet, the Master moved towards her. “Please, no. Just kill me now.” He begged. He made a move to grab her arm but the Doctor was quicker.
He took the Master by the arms and pushed him away from her. “I told you that you have gone too far,” he said. “Now it’s time to pay the price for your actions.” The Doctor said quietly.
“I can’t go back.” The Master said his voice beginning to break. He looked at the Doctor hoping for a glimmer of mercy.
“It’s what Rose wants,” the Doctor said as way of apology. “Rassilon knows it’s better than what you deserve.”
The Doctor stepped away and a white light engulfed the Master. His screams faded from the console room as he was transported to the planet below.
“It is done” Rose announced as she placed her hand back on the console. The ship shook again as it left the Time Lock.
Once it settled, she stepped away from the console but her eyes were still glowing. Slowly the Doctor approached her.
“Rose, please you have to let it go now. Before it does any harm.”
Rose looked at him and slowly closed her eyes. When she opened them the glow as gone and the hazel was back.
“Doctor” She wrapped her arms around him in a hug, breathing him in.
After a few moments he pulled back from her. “We need to check the baby.” He said as he pulled her to the infirmary.
She followed calmly already knowing the answer but allowing him to take charge. Soon a picture showed up on the monitor of their child.
“Oh look how big he’s gotten,” she said with a smile.
“Everything looks good” the Doctor said feeling relieved. The radiation from the Tardis was bad enough on a baby and there was no telling what the Time Vortex would do to him.
The Doctor sat down on the stool relieved. Rose sat on the infirmary table smiling at the monitor. She noticed his stillness and turned to him with questioning eyes.
“So” he started, “How do I look?”
She frowned at him. “What do you mean?”
It was his turn to frown. “How do I look Rose?”
She shook her head at him in confusion. “You look the same.”
“I didn’t regenerate?”
She smiled at his confusion. “I like this body, Doctor.”
“Oh?” he said standing up. “Even after everything that has happened?”
Rose reached out to grab his hand and pull him closer. “This body was made for me.”
He blushed and looked away from her. “You figured that out, eh?”
“Well, for a few minutes there I could see all of time and space, so I might have had a peek.”
His eyebrows shot up. “How much did you see?”
She smiled widely at him. “Oh I seen more than enough, Doctor.”
He made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a grumble. “That’s not quite fair.” He pouted.
Rose laughed at him and in spite of himself he laughed with her.
When the laughter faded, he looked at her seriously and said, “I thought I lost you.”
“I thought you lost me too.” Rose agreed knowing they weren’t talking about just one event. “But now, you aren’t going to be rid of me for a very long time Doctor.”
He raised an eyebrow at her. “Just how long are we talking?”
Rose leaned forward until her forehead was resting on his. “Forever.”
The Doctor smiled. “I like the sound of that Rose Tyler.”
Epilogue to follow