And, without further ado, here is the sequel to The Lie. If you've been with me through this journey, welcome back, and if you're a new reader, welcome, although you probably want to go and read The Lie before you start this. A lot happens in that fic that you'll need to know about. Let me just say, this story is finished. I have a half-written third story to go along with this, but for now it's on hiatus... BBC Sherlock has taken over my brain and I just haven't been able to write to where I want to go with this. But, that certainly doesn't mean this enormous story is abandoned. Just, for now, I can't write anything. But this fic ends at a pretty decent stopping point, though heartbreaking, of course, so until I get back on track, you should be left without too much of a cliffhanger. And with that said, here we go.
Studying Rose's blood was proving more difficult than he would have thought.
Several hours after the Doctor had sent Rose to bed, he gave up. From the information he had gathered from Rose's DNA, he could find no signs of either negative or positive effects of the Time Vortex. He stretched out of the hunched position he had been sitting in for hours and jumped up, wondering what to do next. He could try researching this in the library, but he didn't think there would exactly be a lot of books on the subject. He could try a brain scan, possibly, but he didn't have a "before" picture to compare the "after" picture to. And quite frankly, he wasn't even sure what he should be looking for. It seemed that they were going to have to just wait this out and see what the future would bring.
Sighing, he pushed himself up onto his feet, stretching once again. He supposed he could go check on Rose, see if she needed anything. He meandered slowly down the hall until he came upon the yellow door that Rose had taken such a liking to. He knocked lightly, calling her name softly. When there was no answer, he knocked again, a bit more loudly this time. Still no answer. He turned the knob, finding it unlocked, and pushed the door open a crack, peering inside.
The room was dark. He could make out several shapes that must have been the bed, dresser, and desk. He pushed the door open all the way and enough light found it's way into the room for the Doctor to see that the bed was messy, but empty. A quick check in Rose's attached bathroom revealed it to be empty, as well.
Suddenly, the entire ship lurched, and the Doctor was thrown to the ground in a heap. He furiously jumped back up. "What in Rassilon's name is going on?" he thundered. He bolted out of the room and raced along the corridors, heading for the main console.
As he got closer to the console room, he began to see a faint golden light emanating from it, growing stronger and brighter the closer he came. By the time he burst into the main room, he had to shield his eyes from the blinding light. He squinted through the light to see a figure standing stiffly in the very center.
"Rose!" he shouted, starting to run towards her.
The figure held up a hand that threw him back against the wall and held him there. "No. We share the same body, but I am not your Rose."
He fought against the force pressing him against the wall, gasping for air. "Bad Wolf," he choked out.
The Bad Wolf smiled, but it seemed almost predatory, more like a snarl. "Yes." She cocked her head, her voice taking on a curious tone. "You are surprised. You thought I was created when the child looked into time's abyss and invited it inside. You are wrong. That was not my birth. That was merely my release."
"So where did you come from?" he asked, his voice breathless from the force pushing into his chest.
"Long ago my people were many. We inhabited the Earth, alongside humans, though they were not aware of our true existence. Some called us muses, others worshiped us as gods, and still others thought of us as demons. We lived inside them, sharing the nutrients they digested, and in return we shaped them. Those we inhabited were destined for greatness as leaders of armies, great teachers, brilliant scientists, esteemed musicians and artists."
"You were parasites," the Doctor spat.
The Bad Wolf considered this. "Perhaps. But we took no more than we needed and gave so much in return. Our humans were never harmed by our presence. Rather, they relished us.
"As time passed, however, my people began to die out. Our lifespans are incredibly long, but we are limited in that we can only live through one line of descendants. Most of us passed along from father to son. I am one of the few who was carried along the maternal line. I am certain that you, with all the cleverness you claim to have, can understand the problem with this. If the proper offspring is not produced, we die within our host. This is the fate I fear has befallen my people. It has been too long since I heard the call of another. I am the last of my kind, as are you, Time Lord. But not for long."
The Doctor could feel his mind growing fuzzy from the lack of air. Had he been human, he surely would have fallen unconscious by now. He gasped, "What do you mean?"
The Bad Wolf smiled, her expression twisting Rose's face into something dark. "All will be revealed in time." Suddenly, her expression softened, changing into something almost covetous, but caring, almost maternal. "Rose Tyler asks that I release you." Confusion entered her voice as she struggled to work through Rose's pleas. "She says that she cares for you and wants you safe. I do not understand. Why does she feel so protective of you?"
"Because," he gasped, "she loves me."
"Love," she repeated, as though she were trying out a strange word in a different language for the first time. "As human mothers feel for their daughters? No, that love is different; that is the love for their kin. That love I understand. Even the love they feel for their mates I come to understand. But this love. You are not of her species. Explain."
He shook his head. "I can't. I don't . . . know why." He groaned as the force pressed harder against him. Every word was a struggle to get out. "But if I were you . . . I'd do what . . . she says."
The Bad Wolf lowered her outstretched hand, and the Doctor dropped to the ground, gasping in air. "I am not without mercy, young one. You may think me insensitive, but I am bonded to Rose Tyler, as mothers bond to their daughters. I do not wish her harm."
The Doctor struggled to his feet, bracing his weight against the wall with his hand. "What do you want from her?"
"Merely the preservation of my species. Surely you can understand that. If Rose Tyler allows me to continue the line of my species, I will grant her a gift, something she desires above all else."
"And how does she do that?" he demanded. "I thought you were the last one."
"Indeed. But to reproduce we are not limited as humans are. My people reproduce by dividing ourselves into two. One half remains inside the current vessel, the other moves on to the vessel's offspring. As time passes, we grow whole, allowing the opportunity for us to reproduce again."
"Sorry," the Doctor interjected, "but I think you're going to have a bit of trouble with this. I don't think Rose is planning on producing any offspring anytime soon."
The Bad Wolf twisted Rose's face back into that terrible smile. "That is where you are wrong, young one," she said, her tone almost amused. "Rose Tyler bears new life."