We Hold These Truths

MackenzieW

Disclaimer: Standard application. I, Mackenzie W, do not own Doctor Who, nor the characters portrayed therein. I also do not own America's Next Top Model, Tyra Banks, or The Weakest Link. I do own Charlotte Martin and her little circle.

Prologue: A Leap of Faith

Ever made a leap of faith?

You know, a leap from the certain. A leap into the abyss of uncertainty, of mystery, of all that could be, of not knowing what awaits around the corner. A leap into what could either be the greatest adventure of your life or a leap to your doom.

I met the Doctor. I took that leap. And it was fantastic.

There were three of us: the Doctor, Rose and I. And we were running across time and space together. We saw many things on our trek as well. We met Captain Jack Harkness. We helped people together. And then we ended up on the Game Station, playing a dangerous game…

"Name?"

"Pardon?" I asked. A tall lady robot stood in front of me, tapping a pencil against a clipboard.

"American…Are you Charlotte Martin?"

"Yes, I am but…what's going on?" I was confused. I was on the Tardis with the Doctor, Jack and Rose just a few minutes ago. I was teasing them about watching Titanic with a real life Jack and Rose when a bright light flashed inside the ship. Did it bring me here?

"Go on in then," the robot said, pushing me in front of a robot that looked like…Tyra Banks?

"Charlotte," Tyra-bot said, "welcome to America's Next Top Model. We will now take photos and make our first cut based on that photo. SMILE!"

A light blinded me. I blinked a few times, tiny dots dancing before my eyes. I noticed I was next to twelve other girls, all who are quite nervous. Tyra-bot went through our photographs and I was called up with another girl named Sara. "Sara and Charlotte, all these photos were bad but yours were the worse. But we feel one of you has more model potential than the other. Charlotte, you are one step closer to being…"

Sara's cry drowned out the rest. "I'm sorry, Sara," Tyra-bot said. And then a laser hit Sara.

And then that's when I knew it was serious.

I eventually busted out of America's Next Top Hellhole. Feeling a bit guilty, I turned and clocked the poor girl next to me. Several crew members, who had previously hid in the shadows, rushed forward to subdue me. Tyra-bot was rolled out of the way—my moment. They had accidentally disabled her laser and using my government training, I twisted out the grip's tight hold. I punched several other crew members who came forward, sliding under the door Indy-style before they could lock it up. I was bruised and had a bloody lip from when the camera guy tried to stop me and caused me to trip into the camera. And that's how a complete nude Jack found me a few minutes later. Not much complaining from my end, though we did get him clothed quickly. The Doctor found us as we both realized where we were.

"I've been here," the Doctor said. "You have too."

I looked around and remembered my first trip with the Doctor and Rose. "Satellite Five," I said. "How long after we were here?"

"A century or more, I guess," the Doctor said. "Lynda with a y would probably know."

"Lynda with a y?" I asked, but the Doctor was looking us over.

"Where's Rose?"

"I don't know. She wasn't with me," I said.

"Wasn't with me either," Jack replied. "Pity, though. I wouldn't mind having two real women ogle me." I hit him. "Oww. Sorry."

"We need to find Rose," the Doctor said. "Split up! Oh, and Jack?"

"Yes?"

"Get Charlotte a first aid kit!"

We did and we all knew what was at stake—if Rose lost at whatever show she was on, she was gone. With Lynda's help, we eventually found her playing The Weakest Link. We tried to save her, but she was voted the weakest link and was zapped. The despair all of us felt engulfed everyone, including Lynda. She became uncomfortable in the gloom Jack, Rose and I got used to as the Doctor's angst—the guilt over being the last of his race.

Rose was safe though—for the time being. Those who lost or were eliminated weren't killed, merely transported to another place. She ended up on a Dalek war ship, there were millions of them. I met the Doctor and Rose fighting one, I couldn't imagine fighting all of them. The Doctor promised to rescue Rose which he did. Jack and I helped Lynda try to hold off the other Daleks, try to warn earth, but it was to no avail. And then the Doctor did something quite stupid—he tried to send Rose away.

"Doctor, the Daleks are pushing in and we haven't heard back from Jack yet," I said, running into the Tardis. He was leaning over the console, looking torn, sad. He seemed to be shrinking into his black leather jacket. "Doctor?"

"It's no use. There's no stopping the Daleks without sacrificing ourselves," he said. "It's the Time War all over again." He looked up at me. "I need to get Rose. You stay here."

"Doctor, what are you doing?" I asked, not really paying attention. I was holding my gun, looking through my bag for my charger. It was laser, a high end product that only UNIT agents were allowed to carry.

He put a hand on my shoulder. "I promised Jackie I would bring Rose home safely," he said simply. I hadn't meet the infamous Jackie Tyler but I didn't doubt her wrath if her only child died. "I'm initiating Emergency Program One. The Tardis will bring the two of you back to 2006. I tried programming another trip to 2012, but I don't think it'll work."

I nodded, understanding. The Doctor was going to sacrifice himself, saving Rose and I with the Tardis. "I'll survive. I've got psychic paper. I can make it back to 2012."

"I know. I want you to watch over Rose though for me. She's a tough girl, but I would feel better knowing I was entrusting her to someone I trust." I nod, slightly choked up. This was one of the last times I would see the Doctor and he was telling me he trusted me. "I'm going to get her." And then he left.

I still wish I had said a proper good-bye to him at that point, or when he sent us away later. I was in shock and didn't know that it really would be one of the last times I saw that face. The one with the eyes that seem to see right down to your soul, the large ears that could hear everything and the grin that Rose and I loved to see on his face. We ended up back in London 2006, and I met Jackie and Mickey Smith. They were kind enough, but I was more concerned about Rose. It was then I learnt one thing about my new friend:

You never say "no" to Rose Tyler.

Jackie had come to find me, to tell me that Rose was going back. Jackie realized there was no stopping her daughter and we climbed into a tow truck she had borrowed. "Look, I don't know you that well," she said, "and I'm not going to say I trust you. But you're the only other one besides my Rose who knows what's going on. If she does succeed in going back, you should go with her." Mickey used the tow truck, getting the Tardis opened. Rose and I walked back into the ship we called home, willing it to move. I went in search for an instruction manual of some sort when Rose opened the Time Vortex. I returned to the bridge as Bad Wolf was born. As the doors slammed shut, I was thrown back against the console as the Tardis began to move. The golden goddess and I returned to Satellite Five, where Rose single-handedly defeated the Daleks. The look on the Doctor's face was a mixture of shock, disbelief and pride. "I thought I told you to watch her!" he yelled at me, over the destruction of his foes.

"I was…she did this the one time my eyes were diverted," I explained. "Besides, you know how stubborn she is."

"That she is," he laughed. "That she is." He walked over to her and she never looked more radiant. It was a beautiful sight—too bad she was dying. I didn't realize that until later, inside the Tardis, when it was too late. He kissed her and the three of us left in the Tardis.

And then our Doctor became a stranger.

I still miss the broody man who picked me up in Utah. But the new Doctor grew on me. From the minute he burst out of the Tardis and started questioning us about his new appearance. I had made up my mind as we crashed landed in the Powell Estates that I wasn't going to travel with this new Doctor. Once he was better, I would ask him to take me home. I did go home, but only to celebrate Christmas with my father in 2012. "It only seems right," he said. "I've met Jackie Tyler. Time to meet Allan Martin."

He gave me the option to stay. But like Rose, I took his hand and followed him again.

Rose and I bonded more as we continued traveling. Two women, one human-looking male—it could've turned sour quickly. Rose and I were opposite enough to not feel threatened but similar enough to be friends. Besides, I never really viewed the Doctor as a romantic interest and could plainly see he cared for Rose. And Rose was certain she was going to be with the Doctor for a long time. She even made him promise he wouldn't leave her, especially after we met Sarah Jane. But Rose wasn't as certain as she seemed to be.

"Charlotte, can I talk to you for a bit?" she asked me, coming into my room. I was lying down, in my pajamas and reading.

"Sure," I replied, sitting up. "Where's Mickey?"

"Dunno, don't really care," Rose said. I decided to drop it—she hadn't been too thrilled to bring her ex-boyfriend along on the trips. And then there was the panic we just had on the space ship. "I was scared. About being stuck on the ship."

"Rose, the Doctor taught me how to use Emergency Program One," I said. "We weren't stuck."

"No, but could you really go on with your regular life if you had to use it?" she asked. I had to admit I couldn't; I wasn't ready to leave the Tardis just yet. Mickey had been scared to be stuck there, we had been scared our adventures were over. "I want you to promise me something."

"What?"

"I was thinking while the Doctor was gone," Rose said. "Promise me that if anything happens, you'll take care of the Doctor."

"Rose! Don't talk like that. Nothing's going to happen. I'll probably leave before you do."

"Charlotte, please, I just have this feeling. Please, please, promise me you won't leave the Doctor until you're certain he'll be okay," Rose pleaded.

"Despite the fact I think you're being melodramatic," I said, taking her hand, "I promise."

"Thank you."

That conversation would haunt me after Canary Wharf, when the Doctor and I lost our best friend. The only consolation I had was that Rose was safe in the parallel world, with her mom and Mickey. And that she would be able to have a relationship with her father now. The Tardis seemed emptier now that it was just the Doctor and I, though we didn't have too much time to mope around. Donna Noble ended up on our ship and we were thrown into a mystery.

Donna was a bridezilla but, as annoying as she was, the two of us warmed up to her. Even if we had to spontaneously create Tardis Rule 16—no throwing anyone, especially annoying brides, into a black hole—just to prevent killing her. I think we grew on her too. She came to care for the Doctor and me. If she had become the new companion, I wouldn't have minded. She echoed Rose's words as we left her on the snow covered street outside her parents' house: "Take care of him, Charlotte, will you?"

"Oh, she's being taking very good care of me since Rose…left," Doctor said, slightly choked at the last. But he turned and smiled at me. I knew everything would be fine.

It was after that the Doctor suspected something bizarre happening in a London hospital. He checked himself in as a patient as I played the role of concerned friend. We had argued for a good amount of time over who I was supposed to be. We had ruled out husband and wife pretty quickly but were stuck between girlfriend, best friend or sister. Best friend had won just as we reached the hospital doors.

It was there we met Martha Jones.

One trip. That's all, the Doctor said. One trip. Then it was one trip to the past, one trip to the future. Once we ended up in 1930s New York, I knew Martha was the new kid on the Tardis. We never got friendly with each other, just civil. Maybe I was to blame, maybe she was. I'll never know. I knew that it would be tense when we were in New New York again and she seemed miffed that we had been here previously with Rose. She seemed jealous of Rose. I was still protective of my friend, even if she wasn't in any danger. And then she did something Rose and I had never done—she pretty much forced the Doctor to tell her about Gallifrey. There was an unspoken agreement between the two of us that we would let the Doctor tell us about his planet and his people when he was ready. Martha didn't seem to hold the same opinion.

Martha and I clashed often after that. She acted like she was superior because the Doctor had chosen her to travel with him, as if I was some baggage he was forced to carry around. The Doctor and I always tried to have some personal time, reminiscing about past adventures, remembering Rose, discussing future trips or talking about my parents. Martha always appeared, trying to insert herself into the conversations. She succeeded often.

Finally, I had had enough. We had the fight to end all fights. The Doctor looked lost—Rose and I had gotten along so well, he didn't know what to do now that Martha and I didn't. Emotions ran high, it was tense. Martha and I yelled some awful things at each other and finally, I said the three words I never thought I would say: "Take me home."

I walked off to pack up my belongings so I didn't see their faces. I don't remember how I got my bags in order, but I was soon marching back towards New York City in 2013. The Doctor didn't try to talk me out of it and without a second glance, I walked out. It wasn't until a week later, when the forecast called for rain, that I realized I left my umbrella on board. Oh well, maybe it would serve as a reminder to him and Martha.

And thus my run across the universe ended. And I can't help but wonder if it may have ended too soon.