Glimpse of Truth (chapter 9) Too Long
Title: Too Long (9/?) (part of the Truth series)
Author: sinecure - My master fic list
Character/Pairing: Ten, Rose
Rating: Teen
Genre: Angst, romance
Summary: It'd been too long.
Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who.
Author's Notes: To momdaegmorgan for the beta and ideas for this series.
Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4 (all ages version).
Chapter 4 (adult version), Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8.
It'd been too long since Rose had felt sunlight on her face and wind in her hair. Too long since she'd heard a voice other than the Doctor's, and it was nice, after all that time, to hear so many at once, to have to strain to hear just one over the many.
It'd been far too long since she'd been off the TARDIS. She'd missed this; stepping out onto a new planet, with new people and new things.
Circling around the small wooden stall, Rose smiled at the vendor, then picked up one of the small baby outfits that were made of some sort of orange and purple fur with what looked like zebra stripes going across it. She smoothed her hand down the outfit, trying not to let the woman know just how hideous she thought it was.
Oh, god. There were matching booties.
Dropping the outfit to the table, she turned away, hiding her chuckles behind a cough.
Looking up, she found the Doctor in front of her, staring at the outfits with wide, horrified eyes, and she burst out laughing, grabbing his arm and dragging him away.
A few meters down the aisle, she suddenly remembered who he was and why she was there, and she dropped his arm like it'd burnt her. His smile slowly faded, and she mourned it.
It'd been too long since she'd see him smile. Too long since she, herself, had smiled.
He didn't take her to Earth anymore, but, truth be told, she didn't miss it. Working with U.N.I.T. had been fun and rewarding and dangerous and exciting, but it'd also been her and the Doctor, her Doctor. Going back there now, without him, would hurt. But, she didn't let this Doctor know that. She complained, and groused, and told him to take her home at least five times a day.
And twice on Sunday.
Today, not a Sunday--he never landed on a Sunday--he'd landed them on Hydra 5, a small water planet that supplied water for ships and transports on the long journey between... a couple of planets or something. She hadn't really paid all that much attention after she spotted waterfalls of blue and pools of green. Saw the geysers that shot out in multi-colored streams, side-by-side to one another.
Vivid, bright blue trees lined the street in front of the shops, and birds of all shapes and sizes flitted around them. Others soared high above their heads, while still more took flight as people approached too near their roosting places.
Her back was aching, her stomach hard, and she just wanted to sit down and relax for a bit in the warm waters that promised better health.
The Doctor saw her eyeing the spa springs and leaned a little closer, not close enough that it bothered her, but far enough away that it did. "They're not health spas like back on Earth, Rose. These actually have herbs and medicines in them. I'd steer clear." His eyes darted to her stomach before taking flight much like the birds around them. "For the baby's sake. Never know what's in them. They don't exactly regulate these places."
"Right." She clenched her teeth and nodded, closing her eyes as yet another muscle spasm went through her stomach. Heading over to a small bench by a patch of pink lawn, she sat on the wooden structure with a sigh, hand rubbing idly over her belly. She watched a group of children playing in one of the springs.
"I can take you to Elechon if you'd like."
She shrugged, wishing the baby would just calm down. It'd been so hyper lately, kicking and pummeling her insides. And the fact that it did it more when the Doctor was around than when he wasn't, hadn't escaped her attention. "Why?"
"They have springs that are safe. And, oh," he turned toward her suddenly, eyes shining, smile widening, "do you remember those little cakes that--" he cut himself off suddenly, eyes widening as he straightened up on the bench, staring out at the children, but not seeing them any more than she did. He turned his gaze away. "Never mind. You probably wouldn't like it there anyway."
Frowning, she ran her eyes over his jaw, taking in the one, single sideburn she could see, and the downward tilt of his lips, but his expression gave nothing away. She wondered what he'd been about to say.
"Something wrong?" the Doctor asked, glancing up from beneath the console.
She winced, breathing heavily as the baby pushed against her bladder, rolling around like a gymnast. "What?" she gasped, unsure she'd heard him right. Squinting against the bright lights of the TARDIS, she lifted a hand to her pounding head. All she wanted to do was return to her bed, in her darkened room, and curl up on it, but she couldn't.
"Doctor."
His head popped up again, eyes resting on her face for a moment before he jumped to his feet. "What's wrong? Is it the baby?" He reached out to touch her stomach, then quickly pocketed the sonic screwdriver instead. He'd only ever touched her stomach once in the two months she'd been aboard, and she wasn't sure why. He always halted his hand before touching her and this time was no different.
"Doctor?" she repeated, turning her head to the side. "I-- I can't hear you. There's this noise. Like voices... in my head, all the time. I can't hear anything but--"
"Voices," he echoed soberly, eyes dropping to her stomach. Moving closer, he exhaled and reached out, settling his palm on her belly briefly. He closed his eyes and held his breath. A moment later, he dropped his hand and moved back, rubbing his head.
The voices disappeared with his hand and she breathed a sigh of relief. "What--"
"I told you he wasn't completely human," he said stiffly and brushed past her, leaving the room behind.
Chapter 10
Author: sinecure - My master fic list
Character/Pairing: Ten, Rose
Rating: Teen
Genre: Angst, romance
Summary: It'd been too long.
Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who.
Author's Notes: To momdaegmorgan for the beta and ideas for this series.
Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4 (all ages version).
Chapter 4 (adult version), Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8.
It'd been too long since Rose had felt sunlight on her face and wind in her hair. Too long since she'd heard a voice other than the Doctor's, and it was nice, after all that time, to hear so many at once, to have to strain to hear just one over the many.
It'd been far too long since she'd been off the TARDIS. She'd missed this; stepping out onto a new planet, with new people and new things.
Circling around the small wooden stall, Rose smiled at the vendor, then picked up one of the small baby outfits that were made of some sort of orange and purple fur with what looked like zebra stripes going across it. She smoothed her hand down the outfit, trying not to let the woman know just how hideous she thought it was.
Oh, god. There were matching booties.
Dropping the outfit to the table, she turned away, hiding her chuckles behind a cough.
Looking up, she found the Doctor in front of her, staring at the outfits with wide, horrified eyes, and she burst out laughing, grabbing his arm and dragging him away.
A few meters down the aisle, she suddenly remembered who he was and why she was there, and she dropped his arm like it'd burnt her. His smile slowly faded, and she mourned it.
It'd been too long since she'd see him smile. Too long since she, herself, had smiled.
He didn't take her to Earth anymore, but, truth be told, she didn't miss it. Working with U.N.I.T. had been fun and rewarding and dangerous and exciting, but it'd also been her and the Doctor, her Doctor. Going back there now, without him, would hurt. But, she didn't let this Doctor know that. She complained, and groused, and told him to take her home at least five times a day.
And twice on Sunday.
Today, not a Sunday--he never landed on a Sunday--he'd landed them on Hydra 5, a small water planet that supplied water for ships and transports on the long journey between... a couple of planets or something. She hadn't really paid all that much attention after she spotted waterfalls of blue and pools of green. Saw the geysers that shot out in multi-colored streams, side-by-side to one another.
Vivid, bright blue trees lined the street in front of the shops, and birds of all shapes and sizes flitted around them. Others soared high above their heads, while still more took flight as people approached too near their roosting places.
Her back was aching, her stomach hard, and she just wanted to sit down and relax for a bit in the warm waters that promised better health.
The Doctor saw her eyeing the spa springs and leaned a little closer, not close enough that it bothered her, but far enough away that it did. "They're not health spas like back on Earth, Rose. These actually have herbs and medicines in them. I'd steer clear." His eyes darted to her stomach before taking flight much like the birds around them. "For the baby's sake. Never know what's in them. They don't exactly regulate these places."
"Right." She clenched her teeth and nodded, closing her eyes as yet another muscle spasm went through her stomach. Heading over to a small bench by a patch of pink lawn, she sat on the wooden structure with a sigh, hand rubbing idly over her belly. She watched a group of children playing in one of the springs.
"I can take you to Elechon if you'd like."
She shrugged, wishing the baby would just calm down. It'd been so hyper lately, kicking and pummeling her insides. And the fact that it did it more when the Doctor was around than when he wasn't, hadn't escaped her attention. "Why?"
"They have springs that are safe. And, oh," he turned toward her suddenly, eyes shining, smile widening, "do you remember those little cakes that--" he cut himself off suddenly, eyes widening as he straightened up on the bench, staring out at the children, but not seeing them any more than she did. He turned his gaze away. "Never mind. You probably wouldn't like it there anyway."
Frowning, she ran her eyes over his jaw, taking in the one, single sideburn she could see, and the downward tilt of his lips, but his expression gave nothing away. She wondered what he'd been about to say.
"Something wrong?" the Doctor asked, glancing up from beneath the console.
She winced, breathing heavily as the baby pushed against her bladder, rolling around like a gymnast. "What?" she gasped, unsure she'd heard him right. Squinting against the bright lights of the TARDIS, she lifted a hand to her pounding head. All she wanted to do was return to her bed, in her darkened room, and curl up on it, but she couldn't.
"Doctor."
His head popped up again, eyes resting on her face for a moment before he jumped to his feet. "What's wrong? Is it the baby?" He reached out to touch her stomach, then quickly pocketed the sonic screwdriver instead. He'd only ever touched her stomach once in the two months she'd been aboard, and she wasn't sure why. He always halted his hand before touching her and this time was no different.
"Doctor?" she repeated, turning her head to the side. "I-- I can't hear you. There's this noise. Like voices... in my head, all the time. I can't hear anything but--"
"Voices," he echoed soberly, eyes dropping to her stomach. Moving closer, he exhaled and reached out, settling his palm on her belly briefly. He closed his eyes and held his breath. A moment later, he dropped his hand and moved back, rubbing his head.
The voices disappeared with his hand and she breathed a sigh of relief. "What--"
"I told you he wasn't completely human," he said stiffly and brushed past her, leaving the room behind.
Chapter 10