Those Who Wait

Two companions find each other and bond over their mutual lack of faith in time travelers.

Rose Tyler had waited. She had waited for her doctor to come back to her for what sometimes felt like decades. When she found him again, it didn't result in what she had hoped for; her and her doctor in the TARDIS as it should be. Instead, he dropped her off at Torchwood Three with Captain Jack Harkness and his team before getting back into his time machine and disappearing. Let's just say, Rose learned after that not to put her faith in time travelers.

Rory Williams had also waited. He waited two thousand years, in fact, for Amelia Pond to awaken from her Pandorica-induced stasis and be with him for the rest of their human lives. Of course, once his fiancée woke up, he hadn't expected her to choose the Doctor over him. Or maybe he had. Suffice to say, Amy and the Doctor left in the TARDIS and Rory learned not to put his faith in time travelers.

Rose moved on. She worked alongside her best friend at Torchwood Three, and continued to live her life, pretending the Doctor had never broken her heart, although sometimes she caught herself wishing he hadn't saved her from the living plastic in the basement of Henrik's. Would it have hurt less?

Rory eventually got transferred to a hospital in Cardiff, Whales. He went to Med school and became a doctor, and lived in a single flat two blocks from his place of employment. He told himself everyday that Amelia Pond was just a girl he had once known, but very late at night, when there was nothing to distract him, Rory Williams found himself staring at the engagement ring that had been left in his jacket pocket the night his fiancée disappeared. What if she hadn't given up on them?

Time went on, and Rory and Rose slowly distanced themselves from time travelers in blue boxes. Gone but not forgotten had never rung truer to the individuals. Neither thought they would recover from the pain of being left behind, until that damned TARDIS brought them together in an unlikely circumstance, after all, it is rare that one would meet the man in his time machine twice.

It had been Christmas, and really they shouldn't have been surprised, because something terrible always happened at Christmas in the UK. Nonetheless, the two ex-companions of the Doctor found themselves recruited to save the world - again - by the sentient TARDIS, much to their surprise.

Both had been going about their day, Rose in the midst of making communication with an alien race, and Rory trying to decide how to tell a patient and their family that they had terminal cancer, when the two were somehow transported into the TARDIS.

Rose had immediately ran to the door, jiggling the handle in an attempt to escape the place she longed to forget.

Rory, however, had simply looked around, unsure of what had happened. When it became obvious to Rose that there would be no escape, she turned to Rory and frowned heavily. "So what, you've gone and regenerated again, 'ave you?"

Rory shook his head in confusion. "Sorry, regeneration? And I take it you're his companion, yeah? Finally tired of Amy?"

Rose sighed - partially in relief, partially in disappointment - as she realized that the man in front of her was not the Doctor.

"I'm not his companion, at least not anymore. I assume you were too? I'm Rose, by the way."

"Yes, I was. He left me behind though and ran off with my fiancée. And I'm Rory."

Rose couldn't help but roll her eyes at the idiotic Doctor that she had once loved (and let's be honest - still loved). "Your experience with 'im seems to be just as bad as mine was. I crossed a universe to get back to 'im only for 'im to dump me in Cardiff before runnin' off." Her thick cockney accent came through as she recounted the memory to Rory.

"I'm sorry. That's awful. Sorry though, did you say Cardiff? As in you live there?" At her nod, he smiled slightly in wonder. "What a strange coincidence, I live in Cardiff as well."

Rose returned the smile hesitantly and was about to speak again when two people walked into the console room. One was tall and lanky, with brown hair, wearing a bowtie and braces. The other was a redhead around her age sporting a very short jean skirt and red tank top. Rose frowned and looked at the two imploringly. "So are you two new or old companions, then?"

Rory looked at her, surprised that she hadn't recognized the Doctor. Hadn't she said she knew him? "Rose, what are you talking about? This is the Doctor, and my ex-fiancée, Amy."

Rose paled immediately and glared at the Doctor. "What the 'ell am I doing 'ere, Wanker!? Decided you hadn't already ruined my life enough and pulled me back 'ere for more?"

The bowtie wearing man stood staring at Rose in awe and regret. "Rose..." he mumbled. He hadn't expected to see her ever again, after leaving her with Jack in Cardiff.

Rory, meanwhile, took to staring at Amy, looking just as heartbroken as the day she left him. Then, he schooled his features and looked coolly at the redhead. "Amelia."

The Scot frowned at his cold response to her. "Rory... don't be like that, please."

He shook his head and turned his attention to the Doctor, wanting to understand why he and Rose were there.

"I don't know, I'm sorry, but I didn't bring you here." The Doctor touched the wall of the TARDIS, asking the sentient being if she knew why the love of his lives and his former companion were there. She hummed in response. "It appears the TARDIS has brought you here for two reasons. The first being that she wants you to help save the planet, and the second being that... that she wants her favourite companions to meet."

Rose sighed and stroked the ship, who was in a way her sister. "It's alright Girl." She smiled as she felt the ship hum apologetically to her and Rory. "You were trying to help." She also knew that the TARDIS had missed her, and most likely Rory as well.

.

.

In the end, Rory and Rose had helped to save Earth from aliens once again, but upon being asked to return to the TARDIS, both declined, with Rose stroking the console apologetically because she knew the TARDIS was upset that her heart did not wish to stay.

Instead, the two former companions returned to Cardiff, with promises to keep in touch with one another, and slowly, Rory and Rose began to heal.

Years later, Rory and Rose Williams would look back on those days and smile at what was the start of their human life together, and they would not regret one moment of their lives, because every second had led to their meeting.

So this is a one-shot for Rory and Rose, which is one of my AU otps. The only way I felt right about making this pairing was if I made the Doctor and Amy into complete assholes, so sorry if you were upset by their behaviour. Also, please know that I am in love with TimePetals and Rory and Amy. Seriously, they are two of my otps along with Whouffle. On a side note, if you have any Doctor Who requests, let me know and I'll do my best to write them.