R/Revolution, Chapter Three
The Doctor felt for Pete’s pulse but it was too late to save him. He stared at Pete’s lifeless body as it rested uncomfortably amongst the wreckage of his former office, wondering how it had come to this. He barely had time to think however, when a gang of Vitex guards rushed into the room and started shouting angrily at him. They immediately assumed the Doctor was the assassin, and opened fire just as the Doctor rolled behind Pete’s desk. From his vantage point, he caught a flash of Rose’s lower legs dangling just outside the broken window. He didn’t hesitate, but scrambled up and jumped out of the building, aiming for her body as he dove.
The Doctor caught on to her just as the helicopter moved to fly away, and narrowly avoided the hellfire brought down upon them by the Vitex guards. Rose shouted with surprise and held on tightly as the Doctor curled around her body for dear life. The helicopter continued to fly, making the air itself an impediment as they moved forty miles per hour through the sky.
The Doctor found his grip was slipping, and Rose was struggling to knock him away as she attempted to climb up the rope secured to her utility belt. Thinking quickly, the Doctor pulled himself up to her level and used his sonic to cut the line, felling them both above the roof of a nearby building barely ten feet down.
When they landed, they rolled away from one another on opposite sides of the roof. Rose was the first one on her feet, and came running toward him at full speed. The Doctor only had seconds to dodge her first powerful kick as she lunged toward him, and narrowly evaded the following one as she tried to knock him to the ground. Rose spun around and jumped into the air so fast he barely marked it, but she missed him again as he backed up and rolled out of the way.
“You move pretty quick for a 900 year old,” she commended as she went again for his mid-section.
The Doctor shifted sideways and blocked her attack, but refused to take the offensive.
“You’ve seen me with a sword,” he reminded her with a quick intake of air. “I’ve done my fair share of fighting.”
Rose smirked as she stood back to size him up, carefully taking in his wiry movements.
“I’d say,” she commented. “I’d love to spar with you if I wasn’t so intent on killing you.”
She tucked in her body and came out swinging, landing a bruising blow against the side of his jaw. The Doctor moved with the punch, however, and minimized the damage as much as possible.
“Beautiful right hook,” he praised, even as he held a hand up to the injured side of his face. “They teach you that in elite squad?”
A flicker of doubt flew over her face before Rose tried to turn into a roundhouse kick.
“How do you know about that?” she gasped as the Doctor caught her leg and drew it in around his hip.
“Oh I’ve had all the time in the world,” the Doctor mused as their breath mingled together.
Rose threw up her hands and detached herself, but was speechless from their recent proximity.
“Paid a visit to Vitex as I’m sure you noticed,” he continued as she threw a series of punches in the air.
“Found out all about R complex,” the Doctor panted between dodges. “Pete’s complicity…your mother’s death.”
Rose paused and stumbled, making herself an easy target when the Doctor lunged toward her. With a deft flip, he had her on her back over the gritty tar roof.
“I found out about the experiments too,” the Doctor added quickly. “And what happened to you in the prison camps. Pete’s earliest work. What he did to you… It was unforgiveable.”
Rose’s eyes filled with tears. She stopped trying to fight him and simply allowed herself to be held down for a moment.
“He was supposed to be my dad,” she said numbly. “I trusted him. We trusted him. My mum…”
Rose lost her ability to speak, but found her expression mirrored by the man claiming to be the Doctor. His tears were real, and the grief-stricken gaze he bore down upon her was too.
“I…I loved Jackie,” he admitted. “I know I didn’t always act like it, but she was a wonderful woman, Rose. She loved you a great deal.”
“Oh,” Rose sobbed quietly. “Thought you hated my mum. You never wanted to visit.”
“I was being a prat,” the Doctor said as he loosened his hold on her wrists. “Maybe I was always being a prat. Got quite good at it after a while. Left you here, didn’t I? Rose, it was the worst mistake of my life. I know it’s hard, but you’ve got to believe in me. I’ve come back to make things right, and I need you to trust me.”
Rose closed her eyes tightly and shook her head.
“I want to believe you,” she professed. “I want to pretend you’ve come all this way just for me…but I’ve lost that part of me that held out hope. I don’t even know how to hope anymore.”
“That’s not true,” the Doctor said as he gazed at her with genuine conviction. “Look at everything you’ve done here. Leading the resistance, fighting for the people…you can’t tell me that’s not real, living hope. That’s all you are Rose. I see you. I know you...”
Rose paused to consider his words.
“Alright then,” Rose said with a small gasp. “If you’re the Doctor, take me to the TARDIS. I want to see it.”
The Doctor let her go abruptly, and backed away until he was sitting in an uncoordinated heap across from her.
“That’s impossible,” he breathed.
Rose arched an eyebrow as she sat up too, and bit her lip with a grimace.
“Then you aren’t the Doctor,” she concluded.
“I am,” he iterated. “But the TARDIS is gone. I sacrificed her to get here, Rose. I gave her life to be with you.”
“No!” Rose argued. “You’d never do that! She’s your last link to Gallfrey!”
The Doctor rested his head in his hands and shook silently.
“There was no other way,” he confessed. “I pretended that she’d make the jump, even after all of my calculations to the contrary. She knew it too, Rose. But she still came. She wanted you and me to be together.”
Rose scooted over to the Doctor and rested a hand over his.
“The way you looked when I first saw you…I thought the Vitex agents had gotten to you. But you must have crashed.”
The Doctor nodded dully.
“She went down in flames. Nearly took me with her. …She was a good ship.”
Rose stared hard at him as she fought an internal battle. If this man really was the Doctor, and what he was saying was true…
Rose bit her lower lip.
“Is it really you?” she asked sadly, searching inside of his eyes.
“Yes,” he answered heartfully. “It’s me and I’m here for you Rose. I want to help you. I want to help the revolution and bring Vitex down.”
He seemed to consider something before holding out one hand and mimicking the rebellion’s anti-V hand signal. Rose raised an eyebrow before letting out a tiny peal of laughter.
“You’re doing that all wrong,” she joked.
The Doctor gave her a half-smile, just a touch of the dazzling one she craved so much.
“That’s the first time I’ve heard you laugh since I’ve seen you,” he remarked. “I’ve missed that sound, Rose.”
Rose lowered her head before daring to look him in the eyes.
“Doctor…” she started.
He cut her off by wrapping her in his arms and pressing her into a bruising hug. She flinched but returned the hug with matching vigor once she’d found her bearings. The revelation of being in his arms…of holding one another once more was almost too much to bear.
“Doctor!” she said emotionally. “Doctor! I…I…”
“Rose,” he answered in a statement of contentment. “My beautiful Rose Tyler.”
A sudden commotion erupted behind them, causing them to break apart quickly.
“Get away from her!” a strong male voice shouted.
The man was followed by three armed resistance fighters, each with their guns trained on the Doctor.
“He’s alright!” Rose cried, moving to stand up.
The Doctor started to put his hands up, but drew the attention of the youngest fighter on his first day in the field.
“He’s got a gun!” the revolutionary warned.
“No!” Rose screamed as she jumped in front of the Doctor.
The young resistance fighter opened fire at the same time.
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