Glimpse of Truth (chapter 7) Final Goodbyes
Title: Final Goodbyes (7/?) (part of the Truth series)
Author: sinecure - My master fic list
Character/Pairing: Ten, Rose
Rating: Teen
Genre: Romance, angst
Summary: There are different kinds of goodbye.
Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who.
Author's Notes: To momdaegmorgan for the beta.
Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4. (all ages version) Chapter 4. (adult version), Chapter 5, Chapter 6.
A lifetime of memories of laughter and sorrow and hope flew through the Doctor's mind. Distantly, he thought he might still be screaming, but he couldn't be sure.
All he could see, all he was, all around him was noise and color and pain. Then suddenly, it stopped.
One lone image floated before him like an old photo in an album, wrinkled at the edges and folded in one spot. It was a well-used memory. Climbing to his feet, he stepped through it.
A beautiful sunny day greeted him, the warmth of the sun spilling over him, beckoning him closer. Rose was there, standing in the golden light, fighting a smile as she bit into an apple, juice running down her chin. The sunlight caught her in hair, turning it a warm honey color.
His heart--no hearts--skipped out of synch for a moment before the right caught up with the left. This woman, the woman he loved, was the mother of his child.
There was a tug in his head, a pulling sensation, and he was yanked backward. Rose and the park and the sunny day blurred and crumpled, fading into darkness until he was left alone once more.
Rose turned from the open doors of the TARDIS with a shaky breath. The Doctor saw her trembling lip and brushed his hand across her cheek, wiping away the tears, then opened his arms to her. She went without hesitation, pressing herself against him with a sob, her whole body shaking with grief. Over her shoulder, he watched his twin's body floating amongst the dust and particles of a world both newly, and long ago, dead.
Gallifrey, that once beautiful and majestic home of all Time Lords and Ladies, was now nothing more than mere dust amongst the stars, and now the other Doctor was a part of them forever. He, too, was a part of them through the other Doctor.
It felt like he'd come full circle.
"I'm ready to go back," Rose sniffled, pulling away from him so suddenly that he was left clenching his hands in midair. She wiped her red-rimmed eyes and took a step back.
The Doctor stared at her, trying to comprehend what she was saying. "What?" She couldn't possibly mean it. She couldn't possibly want to go back to Earth now. Not now that the other him was dead. Now that she was having a baby that would... he couldn't let her. "No." Seeing her eyes narrow, he spoke more sternly. "I'm not letting you raise the baby on your own, Rose. I wouldn't do that to you."
"Told you before," she said curtly. "It's not yours. It's been six months since we made lov--" her eyes slid away from his, "since we shagged. And I'm only four months gone."
She was angry. He understood that. She was also grieving, and he could help her with that, but he didn't think now was the time. He rubbed the back of his neck, ignoring her dig at him, knowing she was hurting. "I know it's not mine. It couldn't be. It's... I'm sterile. All Time Lords were sterile, for thousands of years-- Rose, it doesn't matter. You can't go back to Earth."
She glared at him and crossed her arms over her chest. "It's my decision."
"He--"
"The Doctor," she snapped, swiping a hand across her eyes again. "He was the Doctor just as much as you are."
"--was mostly human. Mostly. That means the baby won't be completely human. It's too dangerous for you on Earth during the early twenty-first century. With Torchwood out there, determined to analyze all things alien, what do you think will happen if they find out about the baby?"
Staring back at him, she took a deep, shuddering breath. "What do you want me to do then? Stay here? Or, oh, hey, did you find a way back to Pete's world?" Raising a brow at him, she watched as he tried not to fidget under her accusing gaze.
She had him dead to rights. He'd tried to dump her in the other universe, to seal her off with a human version of himself so he wouldn't have to face her every day. Wouldn't have to watch her grow old. Wouldn't have to accept the fact that he was so in love with her that he'd always choose her life over everyone else's.
He shoved his hands in his pockets, fisting them tightly. "You can't go home."
"You can't stop me," she scoffed, moving closer to him, but staying far enough away that he got the message.
He spun around and started setting the coordinates that would put them into the vortex. "Yes, I can."
"But, you won't," she said confidently.
Barely looking up from what he was doing, he braced himself for the reaction he knew his next words would bring. "Yes. I will."
After a moment's silence, she demanded, "Why? It's my baby, my life, my decision! You have no say in this." She shook her head, curling her lip up in disgust. "You're always trying to control everything. Always pretending you know best. Well, you're not controlling me. Not anymore."
Pressing the blue button before him, he looked up at her, regretting what he was about to do, but knowing it needed to be done. Not just for her sake, but for the sake of his baby. Their baby. Closing his eyes, he pinched the bridge of his nose. The other Doctor's baby. Not quite his. Same DNA, same three strands, but... well, he wasn't the father. Not technically. "I'm sorry, Rose. I can't let you go."
And with a final press of the button, the TARDIS materialized in the vortex.
Chapter 8
Author: sinecure - My master fic list
Character/Pairing: Ten, Rose
Rating: Teen
Genre: Romance, angst
Summary: There are different kinds of goodbye.
Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who.
Author's Notes: To momdaegmorgan for the beta.
Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4. (all ages version) Chapter 4. (adult version), Chapter 5, Chapter 6.
A lifetime of memories of laughter and sorrow and hope flew through the Doctor's mind. Distantly, he thought he might still be screaming, but he couldn't be sure.
All he could see, all he was, all around him was noise and color and pain. Then suddenly, it stopped.
One lone image floated before him like an old photo in an album, wrinkled at the edges and folded in one spot. It was a well-used memory. Climbing to his feet, he stepped through it.
A beautiful sunny day greeted him, the warmth of the sun spilling over him, beckoning him closer. Rose was there, standing in the golden light, fighting a smile as she bit into an apple, juice running down her chin. The sunlight caught her in hair, turning it a warm honey color.
His heart--no hearts--skipped out of synch for a moment before the right caught up with the left. This woman, the woman he loved, was the mother of his child.
There was a tug in his head, a pulling sensation, and he was yanked backward. Rose and the park and the sunny day blurred and crumpled, fading into darkness until he was left alone once more.
Rose turned from the open doors of the TARDIS with a shaky breath. The Doctor saw her trembling lip and brushed his hand across her cheek, wiping away the tears, then opened his arms to her. She went without hesitation, pressing herself against him with a sob, her whole body shaking with grief. Over her shoulder, he watched his twin's body floating amongst the dust and particles of a world both newly, and long ago, dead.
Gallifrey, that once beautiful and majestic home of all Time Lords and Ladies, was now nothing more than mere dust amongst the stars, and now the other Doctor was a part of them forever. He, too, was a part of them through the other Doctor.
It felt like he'd come full circle.
"I'm ready to go back," Rose sniffled, pulling away from him so suddenly that he was left clenching his hands in midair. She wiped her red-rimmed eyes and took a step back.
The Doctor stared at her, trying to comprehend what she was saying. "What?" She couldn't possibly mean it. She couldn't possibly want to go back to Earth now. Not now that the other him was dead. Now that she was having a baby that would... he couldn't let her. "No." Seeing her eyes narrow, he spoke more sternly. "I'm not letting you raise the baby on your own, Rose. I wouldn't do that to you."
"Told you before," she said curtly. "It's not yours. It's been six months since we made lov--" her eyes slid away from his, "since we shagged. And I'm only four months gone."
She was angry. He understood that. She was also grieving, and he could help her with that, but he didn't think now was the time. He rubbed the back of his neck, ignoring her dig at him, knowing she was hurting. "I know it's not mine. It couldn't be. It's... I'm sterile. All Time Lords were sterile, for thousands of years-- Rose, it doesn't matter. You can't go back to Earth."
She glared at him and crossed her arms over her chest. "It's my decision."
"He--"
"The Doctor," she snapped, swiping a hand across her eyes again. "He was the Doctor just as much as you are."
"--was mostly human. Mostly. That means the baby won't be completely human. It's too dangerous for you on Earth during the early twenty-first century. With Torchwood out there, determined to analyze all things alien, what do you think will happen if they find out about the baby?"
Staring back at him, she took a deep, shuddering breath. "What do you want me to do then? Stay here? Or, oh, hey, did you find a way back to Pete's world?" Raising a brow at him, she watched as he tried not to fidget under her accusing gaze.
She had him dead to rights. He'd tried to dump her in the other universe, to seal her off with a human version of himself so he wouldn't have to face her every day. Wouldn't have to watch her grow old. Wouldn't have to accept the fact that he was so in love with her that he'd always choose her life over everyone else's.
He shoved his hands in his pockets, fisting them tightly. "You can't go home."
"You can't stop me," she scoffed, moving closer to him, but staying far enough away that he got the message.
He spun around and started setting the coordinates that would put them into the vortex. "Yes, I can."
"But, you won't," she said confidently.
Barely looking up from what he was doing, he braced himself for the reaction he knew his next words would bring. "Yes. I will."
After a moment's silence, she demanded, "Why? It's my baby, my life, my decision! You have no say in this." She shook her head, curling her lip up in disgust. "You're always trying to control everything. Always pretending you know best. Well, you're not controlling me. Not anymore."
Pressing the blue button before him, he looked up at her, regretting what he was about to do, but knowing it needed to be done. Not just for her sake, but for the sake of his baby. Their baby. Closing his eyes, he pinched the bridge of his nose. The other Doctor's baby. Not quite his. Same DNA, same three strands, but... well, he wasn't the father. Not technically. "I'm sorry, Rose. I can't let you go."
And with a final press of the button, the TARDIS materialized in the vortex.
Chapter 8