Fault
Another Doctor Who fanfic. I wrote it last night when I was supposed to be doing some Spanish homework...but I'll do that later today. Fanfiction comes first! :)
Takes place right after The Long Game. Beginning dialogue is from Dalek.
Characters: Ninth Doctor, Rose Tyler...and The TARDIS
Summary: Rose wonders if she is the next person to be dropped back home. It goes AU at the end because I just couldn't resist! I totally love The 9th Doctor and Rose
"Rose, he's a bit pretty"
"I hadn't noticed" was her quick reply as the young man in question looked between them, becoming more confused by the moment.
The Doctor sighed and turned to unlock the TARDIS' doors "On your own head"
Rose Tyler closed The TARDIS' doors on Adam's forlorn face and stayed facing them until The Doctor had them safely into the time vortex. As she stood there, listening to the sound of him racing around the console flicking switches and turning dials, she couldn't help but remember what he had told her before Adam had joined them. What had he meant when he had said that bringing Adam with them would be on her head? If what had happened to them on Satellite 5 was her own fault for bringing him along, was she the next one to be dropped back at home? What would she do if he did leave her? Eat chips and watch telly with her mum and Mickey? Be normal? Was that why The Doctor was navigating The TARDIS so furiously? Because he was angry at her? But he had just said that he "only took the best" and he had meant her. Was that a lie? Was he just going to drop her off somewhere far away from home and never come back? Or would he just ignore her and leave her in The TARDIS when they landed someplace as punishment? Would he try to send her to her room like a naughty child? What was going to happen next? Should she go and start packing her things? Should she ask him or try to pretend that everything was alright? But how could she pretend that everything was alright when she felt like this? She needed to get away and work this out on her own.
Rose turned suddenly and headed out of the console room as The Doctor looked up with a startled look on his face when she brushed past him without a word. She all but ran for her room and slammed the door, ignoring the slightly disapproving hum that seemed to come from inside the walls. Rose threw herself onto her bed and ran a hand through her hair, releasing it from its scrunchie as she listened to the quiet, soothing hum of The TARDIS' engines deep within the insides of the ship. What was she going to do? Sooner or later he was going to come and find out why she had hurried away from him like a Slitheen escaping from a bottle of vinegar. What could she tell him? That she was afraid that he would make her leave this amazing life and try to pick up the pieces of the "normal" one she had back on the estate? He must've known something would go wrong because of them bringing Adam along. Was that why he had tried to make him stay behind? Had she made The Doctor go against his own better judgement, causing chaos? Was what had happened on Satellite 5 been partially her fault?
A quiet knock startled her from her thoughts and caused her to jerk upright to stare at the door.
"Rose? Can I come in?"
"Y-yes" she replied, running her fingers hurriedly through her hair trying to straighten it somewhat.
The Doctor entered and leaned back against the frame, watching her carefully.
"You alright?"
"Yeah why?"
"You pretty much ran out of the console room and you're being much too quiet for the Rose Tyler I know. What's wrong?"
Rose swallowed hard and looked up from where she had been playing with her bedspread.
"Are you going to take me home now because I asked to have Adam with?"
He stared at her for what seemed like an eternity before striding over and sitting beside her on the bed. He took her hand and squeezed it gently.
"No, Rose, what Adam did isn't any bit your fault. If its anyone's its mine for not keeping a better eye on him. All that stuff was new to him. He just couldn't handle it. Unlike you, Rose Tyler, who kept your head all through the situations on Platform One and Cardiff, and remember back in Downing Street? You're the one who suggested that we sit in the closet when the missile hit. Without you we'd be dead. So you see? You've had all these amazing triumphs and it came time for you to make a mistake. You can't have all those highs without some kind of low. Its just how the universe works."
"Like...karma?"
"Well, not exactly. More like for every action there is an equal reaction. Every time you do something fantastic something bad has to happen sometime later and vice versa."
"Oh. So when you do something terrible, something good has to happen later?"
The Doctor's face tightened slightly but he nodded. "Yes."
"Has the good thing happened to make up for the awful thing yet do you think?", she asked tentatively.
He smiled down at her and gathered her into a hug. "I met you, didn't I? I think that was a pretty good thing, don't you?"
Rose smiled and squeezed him tightly for a moment before leaning back to look up at his face.
"Yeah. Who would've thought getting caught in a basement surrounded by evil dummies would be one of the best things to happen in my life?"
He grinned and leaned down to lightly kiss the tip of her nose.
"Its still one of the best things to happen in my life too, Rose. I'd never give any part of it up for anything in the entire universe."
Rose looked up at his tone to find that her eyes were a scare few inches from The Doctor's blue ones. There was an intense look in them that made her want to both run away from and get closer to him. It almost scared her when she realized what it meant.
"Doctor?" she whispered.
He blinked and the look suddenly disappeared, leaving her somewhat confused. He stood quickly and turned to leave before her hand dragged him back down next to her. Before he could stand again she took his face in both hands and pressed her lips to his briefly. As she pulled back he stared at her in shock, his mouth opening and closing soundlessly. She smiled and took his hand in both of hers.
"Whats the matter, Doctor? Cat got your tongue?"
That particular Earth saying seemed to shake him out of his silence.
"R-rose...what was that for?"
"Can't you tell? All I did was act on my feelings."
"You mean...you actually think...but I'm...oh Rose. My beautiful, smart, funny Rose. How could you have know?"
The Doctor picked her up suddenly and spun her around with a gleeful laugh.
Rose clung to his neck, laughing along with him as he spun her enough to make her dizzy before setting her back on her bed.
He brushed her hair away from her face and kissed her softly, his hands on either side of her face.
As he finally pulled away she placed her hand on his cheek and whispered something almost too quiet for even him to hear. He looked at her for a long time as numerous emotions flitted across his face. Then he seemed to make a silent choice and with a voice as quiet as hers he whispered, "Rose Tyler...I love you."