Nine/Rose, G, Spoilers: Father's Day
Title: Apology
Author: christn7
Rating: G
Characters/Pairing: Nine/Rose
Spoilers: Father's Day (AU)
Author's notes: With many thanks to wendymr. I wasn't going to post, but she twisted my arm... I have a half-formed thought for a sequel, and I may be coerced into one, but we'll have to see.
Summary: The Doctor’s words echo through her head and she reels back as Pete tries to pass the infant to her.
Don’t. touch. the. baby.
--
Apology
--
Don’t touch the baby!
The Doctor’s words echo through her head and she reels back as Pete tries to pass the infant to her.
Don’t. touch. the. baby.
“Rose, no!” he says, and then he’s there, pulling the child away from her father’s arms.
Pete staggers back. “What-”
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Jackie asks, grabbing her daughter. She glares at the Doctor but he’s ignoring her.
“Did you touch her?” he asks, his voice cracking. There’s a hint of panic in his eyes - real, honest panic and it frightens her. “Rose,” he says, reaching down to grab her hand. “Did you t-”
“No,” she says. “I didn’t hav- no.”
The baby starts to cry and Jackie coos to her. “It’s all right, sweetheart.” She sounds close to tears. “Mummy has you.”
The Doctor grabs her hand in a steel grip and pulls her to her feet. “Come with me,” he says, and tugs her after him.
She follows, casting a look back at her father. There’s a bewildered expression plastered across his face.
--
He pulls her into an alcove off to the side and drops to sit on a pew.
That was far too close - if they’d touched, the two of them - but they didn’t.
He lets himself become distracted watching the TARDIS materialise as he waits for his hearts to stop their ridiculous racing. Crisis averted, for now, he’ll just have to be careful to keep them on opposite sides of the church.
“What just happened?” Rose asks, settling next to him. Her shoulder brushes his and he realises he hasn’t let go of her hand.
He squeezes her hand, not quite willing to let go, even as he shrugs. He doesn’t know how to answer her.
“Doctor?”
“Nothing,” he says, settling for the most obvious truth.
If she’d asked what might have happened, well... He’d rather not think about it.
“What if I’d accidentally touched-”
“We’d know about it,” he interrupts, not looking at her. “It’s fine. Just forget it, yeah?”
One of the Reapers outside lets out particularly loud screech and she jumps.
He dares a glance at her then and wishes he hadn’t. She’s chewing on her lip, watching him with such wide eyes and something in him clenches.
Everybody will live, he’ll see to it. The irony isn’t lost on him - once, he’d wished for days like these.
“Won’t be long,” he says, turning back towards the TARDIS.
She nods and they sit in silence.
He watches her out of the corner of his eye, wishing he wouldn’t, until, eventually, the sound of the TARDIS engines stop and his ship is standing in front of the altar in all its glory.
He makes his way over, walking slowly, and then the wood is warm beneath his palms, welcoming.
Almost, he thinks, and when he glances back at Rose - one last look - the apology is still written across her face.
He’s forgiven her, he really has, but she still hasn’t realised what she was apologising for.
“Stay there,” he tells her and she nods her head.
He lets his eyes linger, dragging out the moment, even as he’s turning the key.
She’ll be gone by the time he’s back.
She smiles gently, still apologising, but she has no idea what she’s cost him.
Author: christn7
Rating: G
Characters/Pairing: Nine/Rose
Spoilers: Father's Day (AU)
Author's notes: With many thanks to wendymr. I wasn't going to post, but she twisted my arm... I have a half-formed thought for a sequel, and I may be coerced into one, but we'll have to see.
Summary: The Doctor’s words echo through her head and she reels back as Pete tries to pass the infant to her.
Don’t. touch. the. baby.
--
Apology
--
Don’t touch the baby!
The Doctor’s words echo through her head and she reels back as Pete tries to pass the infant to her.
Don’t. touch. the. baby.
“Rose, no!” he says, and then he’s there, pulling the child away from her father’s arms.
Pete staggers back. “What-”
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Jackie asks, grabbing her daughter. She glares at the Doctor but he’s ignoring her.
“Did you touch her?” he asks, his voice cracking. There’s a hint of panic in his eyes - real, honest panic and it frightens her. “Rose,” he says, reaching down to grab her hand. “Did you t-”
“No,” she says. “I didn’t hav- no.”
The baby starts to cry and Jackie coos to her. “It’s all right, sweetheart.” She sounds close to tears. “Mummy has you.”
The Doctor grabs her hand in a steel grip and pulls her to her feet. “Come with me,” he says, and tugs her after him.
She follows, casting a look back at her father. There’s a bewildered expression plastered across his face.
--
He pulls her into an alcove off to the side and drops to sit on a pew.
That was far too close - if they’d touched, the two of them - but they didn’t.
He lets himself become distracted watching the TARDIS materialise as he waits for his hearts to stop their ridiculous racing. Crisis averted, for now, he’ll just have to be careful to keep them on opposite sides of the church.
“What just happened?” Rose asks, settling next to him. Her shoulder brushes his and he realises he hasn’t let go of her hand.
He squeezes her hand, not quite willing to let go, even as he shrugs. He doesn’t know how to answer her.
“Doctor?”
“Nothing,” he says, settling for the most obvious truth.
If she’d asked what might have happened, well... He’d rather not think about it.
“What if I’d accidentally touched-”
“We’d know about it,” he interrupts, not looking at her. “It’s fine. Just forget it, yeah?”
One of the Reapers outside lets out particularly loud screech and she jumps.
He dares a glance at her then and wishes he hadn’t. She’s chewing on her lip, watching him with such wide eyes and something in him clenches.
Everybody will live, he’ll see to it. The irony isn’t lost on him - once, he’d wished for days like these.
“Won’t be long,” he says, turning back towards the TARDIS.
She nods and they sit in silence.
He watches her out of the corner of his eye, wishing he wouldn’t, until, eventually, the sound of the TARDIS engines stop and his ship is standing in front of the altar in all its glory.
He makes his way over, walking slowly, and then the wood is warm beneath his palms, welcoming.
Almost, he thinks, and when he glances back at Rose - one last look - the apology is still written across her face.
He’s forgiven her, he really has, but she still hasn’t realised what she was apologising for.
“Stay there,” he tells her and she nods her head.
He lets his eyes linger, dragging out the moment, even as he’s turning the key.
She’ll be gone by the time he’s back.
She smiles gently, still apologising, but she has no idea what she’s cost him.