Better 13/?
Title: Better (13/?)
Pairing: Human Doctor/Rose, mentioning of Nine/Rose, Ten/Rose
Rating: Teen
Timeline: After Journey's End
Summary:The Doctor is traveling on new territory - a human body with a very human single heart, no Tardis, and no time & space. But there's Rose - and all the emotions that resurface with her return. All he wants to do is be with her - but it's not going to be that easy.
A/N: I'm back! It's a short chapter, but I'm trying to get back into it :) Hope my readers are still interested!
Want to read it from the beginning? Start here.
***
The Doctor sat in Pete's home office. His eyes wandered about to each of the four walls. There were books piled up on shelves on a bookcase, framed photos of Tony and Jackie. There was one of Rose to his right. It was taken on a sunny day and so her hair was shining against the sunlight. She had on a smile, though it wasn't her usual Rose Tyler smile. Nonetheless, it caused his heart to skip a beat.
Pete was sitting at his large mahogany desk across from the Doctor. He was sorting through some papers, and the Doctor noticed that he was being very careful not to look at him.
"Pete, is....everything all right?" his voice sounded different in the large office and he noticed that his palms were moist. He wasn't yet used to the nervousness that came along with his new body.
He watched as Pete seemed to let out an exasperated sigh and looked up. The look he gave him startled him. It was a mix of anger, apprehension and defeat. The look confused him greatly.
"What...what is it?"
Pete placed the papers he had in his hand aside and rubbed his scalp with both his hands. Well, that can't be good, thought the Doctor.
"It's just difficult...this situation. It's just...difficult."
The Doctor cleared his throat and looked down at his hands, "Yes, well, I...yes."
There was a moment of silence and then he heard Pete say, "You talk like him."
That caused the Doctor's head to snap up, a look of confusion on his face."
"Yes, well, probably because I am him. Me. You know what I mean."
Pete nodded, "I just don't want her...to get anymore hurt - you understand that, don't you?"
In those words, the Doctor could see the man that he failed to save in Rose's proper world. The man that she had wanted to save, even though she had never really known him. He could see how much he loved her even though she wasn't technically his. He couldn't help but feel grateful for the fact that Rose was at least surrounded by her family. A family that wanted her safe, just like he always wanted for her. So, of course he understood what Pete meant. Rose had been hurt by so many and so much in her young life, there was no need for one more to do the damage. Especially the one who had done most of the damage already.
"Of course I understand. But...I'm not going anywhere."
"I know that you don't have the Tardis, that you're fully human...but that doesn't mean that you don't have that brilliant mind of yours and with that you could build yourself a new..."
"No Pete. I'm not going anywhere," his voice held a conviction that seemed to stall Pete in his thoughts. They stared at each other for a few more seconds and then Pete gave him a crooked grin, and the look in his eyes softened.
"Well then, let's give you a name then, shall we?"
***
Rose was helping her mum with dinner, but her eyes kept trailing back to the steps that the Doctor had climbed to get to Pete's office. She hoped that he wasn't giving him too hard a time. She bit her lip and wished he'd return.
"He'll be right back, love. He needs that identity if he wants to have a proper life here." Jackie opened the door to the oven, checking the rolls.
Rose sighed and continued cutting the carrots for the salad. Suddenly, she felt the touch of a hand on her shoulder. She turned quickly, expecting the Doctor, but realized that it was her mum with a concerned look on her face.
"Rose, are you alright?" Her brow furrowed and her lips were taut.
She set down the knife and turned to face her mum, "I'm fine, really. It's just...different."
Jackie's forehead smoothed out and she lifted a hand to brush away the wisps of hair that had fallen in front of Rose's eyes. "Of course it's different. You got used to being by yourself and to the fact that he was no longer going to be poppin' in sweetheart. But he's here now." The last line caused her mum to smile. And that alone caused Rose's heart to swell.
"So, you really think it's him then," Rose realized that her voice was at a whisper.
Jackie leaned in, "He looks at you like you're the only person in existence - nothing's changed sweetheart." And with that she gave Rose's shoulder a squeeze and turned to finish up with the rolls.
Rose leaned against the counter, brought her fingertips up to her lips and reminded herself of the kisses she and the Doctor had shared the night before. Her mother's words flipped in her mind, causing her heart to do the same. And with a huge bright smile of her very own, she turned to cut the last of the carrots, suddenly feeling more happy that she had in awhile.
***
Fourteen
Pairing: Human Doctor/Rose, mentioning of Nine/Rose, Ten/Rose
Rating: Teen
Timeline: After Journey's End
Summary:The Doctor is traveling on new territory - a human body with a very human single heart, no Tardis, and no time & space. But there's Rose - and all the emotions that resurface with her return. All he wants to do is be with her - but it's not going to be that easy.
A/N: I'm back! It's a short chapter, but I'm trying to get back into it :) Hope my readers are still interested!
Want to read it from the beginning? Start here.
***
The Doctor sat in Pete's home office. His eyes wandered about to each of the four walls. There were books piled up on shelves on a bookcase, framed photos of Tony and Jackie. There was one of Rose to his right. It was taken on a sunny day and so her hair was shining against the sunlight. She had on a smile, though it wasn't her usual Rose Tyler smile. Nonetheless, it caused his heart to skip a beat.
Pete was sitting at his large mahogany desk across from the Doctor. He was sorting through some papers, and the Doctor noticed that he was being very careful not to look at him.
"Pete, is....everything all right?" his voice sounded different in the large office and he noticed that his palms were moist. He wasn't yet used to the nervousness that came along with his new body.
He watched as Pete seemed to let out an exasperated sigh and looked up. The look he gave him startled him. It was a mix of anger, apprehension and defeat. The look confused him greatly.
"What...what is it?"
Pete placed the papers he had in his hand aside and rubbed his scalp with both his hands. Well, that can't be good, thought the Doctor.
"It's just difficult...this situation. It's just...difficult."
The Doctor cleared his throat and looked down at his hands, "Yes, well, I...yes."
There was a moment of silence and then he heard Pete say, "You talk like him."
That caused the Doctor's head to snap up, a look of confusion on his face."
"Yes, well, probably because I am him. Me. You know what I mean."
Pete nodded, "I just don't want her...to get anymore hurt - you understand that, don't you?"
In those words, the Doctor could see the man that he failed to save in Rose's proper world. The man that she had wanted to save, even though she had never really known him. He could see how much he loved her even though she wasn't technically his. He couldn't help but feel grateful for the fact that Rose was at least surrounded by her family. A family that wanted her safe, just like he always wanted for her. So, of course he understood what Pete meant. Rose had been hurt by so many and so much in her young life, there was no need for one more to do the damage. Especially the one who had done most of the damage already.
"Of course I understand. But...I'm not going anywhere."
"I know that you don't have the Tardis, that you're fully human...but that doesn't mean that you don't have that brilliant mind of yours and with that you could build yourself a new..."
"No Pete. I'm not going anywhere," his voice held a conviction that seemed to stall Pete in his thoughts. They stared at each other for a few more seconds and then Pete gave him a crooked grin, and the look in his eyes softened.
"Well then, let's give you a name then, shall we?"
***
Rose was helping her mum with dinner, but her eyes kept trailing back to the steps that the Doctor had climbed to get to Pete's office. She hoped that he wasn't giving him too hard a time. She bit her lip and wished he'd return.
"He'll be right back, love. He needs that identity if he wants to have a proper life here." Jackie opened the door to the oven, checking the rolls.
Rose sighed and continued cutting the carrots for the salad. Suddenly, she felt the touch of a hand on her shoulder. She turned quickly, expecting the Doctor, but realized that it was her mum with a concerned look on her face.
"Rose, are you alright?" Her brow furrowed and her lips were taut.
She set down the knife and turned to face her mum, "I'm fine, really. It's just...different."
Jackie's forehead smoothed out and she lifted a hand to brush away the wisps of hair that had fallen in front of Rose's eyes. "Of course it's different. You got used to being by yourself and to the fact that he was no longer going to be poppin' in sweetheart. But he's here now." The last line caused her mum to smile. And that alone caused Rose's heart to swell.
"So, you really think it's him then," Rose realized that her voice was at a whisper.
Jackie leaned in, "He looks at you like you're the only person in existence - nothing's changed sweetheart." And with that she gave Rose's shoulder a squeeze and turned to finish up with the rolls.
Rose leaned against the counter, brought her fingertips up to her lips and reminded herself of the kisses she and the Doctor had shared the night before. Her mother's words flipped in her mind, causing her heart to do the same. And with a huge bright smile of her very own, she turned to cut the last of the carrots, suddenly feeling more happy that she had in awhile.
***
Fourteen