Summary: When the Tenth Doctor tried to leave Ten2 with Rose at Bad Wolf Bay, Rose Tyler decided she didn't want to be handed off to a half-human Doctor substitute...and told 10th what he could do with himself. With the help of Jack Harkness, she puts other plans into action.
HEALING
She stared at him in disbelief. "You think I would accept a substitute? What kind of a slut do you take me for? You expected to pass me off from man to man like a common whore?" She asked the Tenth Doctor. "I never knew your opinion of me was that low, Doctor...so you can take your little flesh-doll there and you can both leave. I'm so glad you at least brought Jack with you...since he'll be staying with me, won't you Jack? You won't treat him decently either."
Rose had a better sneer than the Doctor had ever imagined. He'd intended to do her a favor and instead had manged to insult her so deeply that he thought he might never manage to repair the damage. He glanced a threat at Jack but the Immortal was already moving toward Rose, nodding reassurance to her as he moved to stand behind her, placing both hands on her shoulders and squeezing slightly.
She scoffed at Ten. "Between Jack and I, we've got a better than average chance to find another universe that has a real Doctor in it, instead of your sort."
"My sort ?What's that supposed to mean?"
"A going through the motions sort, a Doctor wanna-be, Irresponsible, careless, cruel, gone completely 'round the twist, and worst of all, you've become rather visibly stupid. Judoonishly so. I suppose the sheer weight of that big ol' brain finally made it collapse." She explained slowly...using small words...as if he were a newborn of the mentioned species. "I think of Nine and then I look at you and I can't believe how low you've sunk. You should be ashamed of yourself...I know that I'm ashamed of you!"
Behind her, Jack made a bit of a noise, almost a squeak.
"Rose!"
"Oh, I've had my doubts about your current regeneration for quite a while...since France on a Spaceship, in fact...but I've let things slide." She looked around the beach and then back at him, "But this? No more letting it slide, Doctor. You're fucked up, seriously, you are. I wouldn't ride with this you again if you sent me an engraved invitation as long as the console is available to you...I wouldn't trust you anywhere near it. Think I don't recall the things Ninth told me about the Master? Go look in the mirror, Tenth. If the TARDIS weren't bonded to you, I swear I'd do her a favor and take her myself...Bad Wolf gives me a closer bond than the one you've got anyway...and she doesn't deserve to have a pilot like you...on any level."
"Oh now, really, that's going too far, Rose Tyler!"
"Not even close." She shot back. She raised her voice to the TARDIS herself. "Do yourself a favor, love, and just absorb the console...you're a better driver than he is anyway." She turned her attention back to the Doctor. "If you're thinking I sound disgusted, you're correct. But I also know my luck where Doctors are concerned, and that there's a bond between us because of Bad Wolf...but I don't think there's any reason to think you're the only version that I can find...if I can traverse one universe, I can do so with another. Jack'll help, I think."
"Yes, but only because if you think I'll let you do such a crazy thing by yourself, you're nuts." He told her bluntly.
"No worries, she told him. "I zapped myself when I zapped you. We've got the time and the leisure to go hunting for a universe where we both have deceased prior people, like Mickey and mum do here, to take up the time lines from...which we can't do here...and he knows what will happen to this place if I stay here."
Ten paused and thought about that for a moment. Then he started to cuss.
"Yeah...exactly, so Jack and I will use a neat little tool I've worked up here in the last few years and pop over elsewhere, you great huge arsehole." She turned, caught one of Jack's hands and headed out through some rather rough country to take as shortcut back to somewhere that wasn't the cars.
"You were pretty rough on him." Jack told her quietly.
"And?"
"Just saying. You hurt him pretty bad, I think you went too far, Rose."
"And I meant every word of it. Maybe I shouldn't've told him he's losin' it, but how can I really trust myself to his rapidly deteriorating judgment? Maybe between himself and the part human flesh-doll...is that the right word, Jack? Like the blowup ones they've got in some magazines?"
Jack choked, but nodded.
"Between them maybe they'll manage to pull off one decent Doctor?"
"Ouch." He thought about it. "BIG ouch."
"I'm ashamed of him, Jack. I never thought I'd feel that way...and it's worse because I do love him...but I can't and wouldn't ever trust him anymore. I can't afford it and neither can you, really. I can't believe I saved myself for a man like that. And I feel...filthy. Like I've been bathing in raw sewage."
"Oh Rosie..."
"Can't help it. I wanted it to be special, you know? And now..." She held back tears with an effort. "But he's becoming more like the things I've heard about that Master character, all the time...and you just can't trust that sort."
"I know. I've known it for a while but I didn't think he'd ever pull this sort of a stunt on you. I could have told him how you'd react to it...you or any other good girl who's waited."
"Yeah, probably." She puffed as she skidded down a rather sharp incline to the bottom, Harkness landing on the gravel spit beside her a second later. Behind them, they heard the TARDIS leaving. "Feel sorry for her being stuck with him, the way he is, though. I hope his next body is at least sane."
"I know. Now, her, I'm gonna miss."
"Yeah." She pointed at a little shack-like building not far from where they were. "Over there, Jack. I figured I'd tell him about the non-working prototype I left at this uni's version of Torchwood for him to go and grab in his fit of righteous indignation...and not mention I put the working prototype out here because it's well out of Torchwood's reach. Torchwood thinks I got it as far as I could on my own...and did the 'right' thing by leaving it there for them to work on, like the smart, responsible woman I am. So I'm in good with them, too...and they think they've got a prize. I'm still working out the bugs, though."
"Sneaky, Rosie." She squealed when he tickled her, as she led the way indoors,
"The way it works, is, you have to concentrate on what you're looking for or what you intend. I just need you to intend to staying on with me and keep me from doing stupid things when we get there...and hang on. Bad Wolf will be taking us inside the Wall itself, not through the void."
"Good. The Void is bad, reapers live there, you know...using that thick white wall is much better, it's layered."
"It touches every universe, all at the same time...and so can put you where you need to be."
Seriously cool." He paused and considered her seriously. "I don't mess with Good Girls, you know that, right? And you're like my sister anyway...so...yeah."
"I've never had an older brother. Just a little one born to Jackie a few years ago, one that I have to babysit."
He hugged her, "Well, you've got one now."
"Thanks, Jack."
Three years later:
"It's ready, Jack. Get your pack, we need to go."
"I'm ready, Rosie...anytime you are."
"Now would be good. We've been here too long already. Now, hang on tight."
~Eight~
The little village they were living in was pretty quiet, except on market days...then merchants arrived from all over that part of 48th Century Earth to trade and to sell their wares. Jack and Rose didn't venture into town on the market days, for what they needed, normal days were enough and they knew where the local sellers for the little they needed from week to week lived...so they bought direct. For the rest of what they wanted...well, this place was one that they hoped that this universe's Doctor liked as much as Ninth had said all his regenerations had enjoyed the one back home...and they left the Device out where the TARDIS would have no problem detecting it.
It had just taken four market-days before they heard the grind and squall of her arrival a few hundred feet from the house, just a few moments ago and their eyes met, she'd nodded confirmation that it was her Wolf's TARDIS and not a random Time Lord...and then continued what they were doing.
He'd go have a look at the thing, wonder where the powerpack was and then come looking for them. There was no need to go running about. So, Jack continued to stack cut firewood and Rose continued to prepare supper...with an extra plate now. When the knock at the door finally came, Rose made tea and just set his fixings at a place at the side table next to the most comfortable chair in the sitting area. This conversation wasn't going to be easy or fast...Jack got up to open the door.
"Which one did we get, Jack?"
"Not sure, I've never seen this version of him."
"Really? Huh, the...thing...sorry," She apologized to the still undetermined regeneration at the door. "We still don't know what to call it, sorta figured you'd come up with something, but anyway it...usually hits closer than this to what we're looking for. Who are you, then?"
"I'm the Doctor."
"Okaaay, let me rephrase the question...which regeneration are you? Ninth, I know and the less said about Tenth the happier I'd be, but...yeah, he's a big part of what's going on so I can't really avoid him." She told him in tones suitable to a four year old learning challenged human child, "The whole idea behind pulling the power-pack and leaving the...thing...really need to find something to call it...out where the TARDIS could see it was to get your attention." Rose told him.
Jack grinned at her. "Rose, I don't think you're gonna need to bludgeon this one with facts and information...this Doctor is paying attention. Ease up."
She sighed, nodded and tried to relax."Come on in, we need to talk...tea is ready and supper will be ready after a while...my definition. If you were hoping for fast and easy...well, sorry about that. Easy...I can do...fast...yeah...not so much. This is gonna take a while and it just might nudge into your definition of that, er...phrase. I'm pretty sure I'm going to be the human equivalent of a bug under glass for you in just a bit. Wish I didn't have to bother you like this...but any normal, decent Doctor would be pretty ticked if I didn't and my Ninth trained me better than that...so...yeah." She turned back to the stove and let Jack take over. The Doctor's sagging jaw was rather cute, but not very useful.
Jack reached over and touched the underside the Doctor's jaw to encourage him to close it, "Doctor...you're gaping. Come on, I'll show you the back yard and you can move her here...and Rosie is right, we really need to talk. We're in up to our eyeballs in something both painful and complicated...which is very much squarely in the middle of your business." Jack's tone and manner was sober.
The Doctor closed his mouth, flushing a bit. "Sounds like it. Should I bring that unpowered item?" These two were mostly respectful, if a bit overly familiar...though it sounded like they might just have cause and both of them were very clearly much relieved to have him there.
"If you like. I've already figured out that you're a 'normal' Doctor so I'm satisfied to remain in this universe." Rose told him.
"A normal Doctor...as opposed to?"
"Homicidal, utterly insane, sort of what would happen if you were ever to take up the Master's habits." Jack told him bluntly. "Rose had the misfortune to be the Tenth's companion when he went round the twist...and it was very bad."
"Er, that would indeed be bad." He nodded. "Well," He seated himself where indicated and prepared his cuppa the way he liked it..."I suppose, let's introduce ourselves first. The TARDIS can wait a bit and there's a few things I'd like to know."
Jack grinned. "Like 'What the heck have you gotten yourself into now?'"
The Doctor's lips twitched. "A very good starting point, yes."
"We were both companions to Ninth...and well..." Jack was trying to figure out where to start when Rose interrupted.
"My name is Rose Marion Tyler. The empty timeline once held by the (for here) original me has attached...same for Jack, who is from the 51st Century of the Earth of our home universe...though I'm from 21st Century Earth...and I think we'd both be more comfortable if you'd just nip in and check the connections before we get into the rest of it. Just be careful or I might accidentally attach mine to your's. Might very well happen anyway, but startling most Doctors, in my experience...isn't a good thing..unless you're holding a full nine-foot stalk of ripe bananas and it's Christmas."
Now he looked at her sharply, adjusting his vision to look at the timeline she claimed that she wasn't born with...and found that statement to be correct. He approached her, carefully tweaking the junction of the overlap a bit before melding them securely, then saw her timeline fall in alongside his own, in shock. He also felt her mental turbulence fade into calm as she relaxed under his mental touch. A huge swell of love washed over him and a second later she slumped bonelessly against him, trusting the Doctor to catch her as her whole body went completely limp...and he had to scramble to keep her from hitting the floor.
"She had a half formed soul-bond to the Tenth Doctor of our universe, before he went nuts," Jack said quietly, jumping forward and catching her other side. "See, the Ninth regenerated before having a chance to resolve it...that was followed by two back to back mini-wars with first Cybermen and then what was left of those joined up with some Daleks and had another go at humans...there's a lot more, but what is important to you and which must be understood, is that at the end of it...and after a huge sacrifice on Rose's part, the Tenth betrayed her utterly. Finding you to be 'normal' for you, is hitting her very, very hard...in a really good way." Jack paused to help get Rose settled next to the Doctor and arranged comfortably.
He broke trust, y'see," He finally continued, "And she wanted that back. To anyone who knows you, the loss of the ability to trust our Doctor, of all people...hurts. A lot, actually. And she lived with you for two full years...reckoned out on a proper calendar." He explained as they got her to a couch. "Don't let go, Doctor: Keep at least a hand on her. She needs some kind of skin to skin contact, she needs to know you've got her, that you're here and she's not just dreaming again."
He could see that, actually. He'd never seen anyone react to him like this...but the first bits of information fed to him by 'Jack' told him what he needed for now.
"Where'd you park? I'll nip over and tell the Lady where you're at and she can pop over on her own." He took the time to turn the fire down under the tea kettle and check the food. Some he turned the heat off under and others he stirred or turned, before finishing with, "And to bring the...thing...with her."
"Sounds good." And he told the man, Jack, where his TARDIS was while he busied himself getting Rose settled down. Shortly after Jack left, he found himself trying the energy channeling technique he'd have used on a companion of his own...if the girl had indeed been one of his in another universe, the slight bond he always used to connect with them should be there...and transferable.
It was and the instant he took it from the distant Doctor and attached it to himself instead...she returned to a healthy color...instead of that nasty ashen shade. Half conscious, she lay against his side, both arms around his waist and clinging hard, still whispering his name repeatedly. Jack got back a moment later, coming in the back door and on his heels came the sound of the landing TARDIS in the back yard.
"I put the power source for that...thing...where she could take custody of it as she landed. She'll store it somewhere on her own, I suppose. It's one of several reasons we needed to get your attention. Once we realized there was a reasonably sane Doctor here...a bit 'off', yes, but in a good way, I mean...then we knew we needed to get that thing into your hands...it's not something you'd want lying around. It's a transport, one that moves only inside the White Wall...and is guided by intent, what makes it dangerous to have lying around is that you don't have to be a telepath to use it...you can be, but you don't have to be. We were hoping that the TARDIS could add it to her own systems and bury the thing deeply enough no one but you would ever find it."
The Doctor looked up at him in shock. "It travels through the White Wall's layers, around the void, but separate from it, but will take you between universes...safely...is that what you're saying?"
"That's what I'm saying, Doc. Has the added advantage of touching all of the universes at the same time...and thus intent is the guide to your destination...already told your Lady and I left the blueprints on the power source, so she has a handle on it and you can do your own thing with the blueprints." Jack paused, Now, before you attempt to scan or check me out or whatever, please brace yourself before you try to connect with me for a look-see. Our Ninth told me that I am nearly, but not quite Immortal and as such I am also very close to being a fixed and constant fact...enough to make you flinch anyway, said I missed by a hair...and I like most Doctors enough that I consider warning you first, to be polite."
The new Doctor twitched, then nodded and after a moment he nodded again. "You're also self adjusting correctly, Jack. But I do appreciate both the right to make sure and the warning. He was correct in his assessment. Near to...it'll take you billions of years to get to the end your life...but our Face of Boe is only just started. The new one took office about a week ago, relative time...and you're just a touch older than he is. I think he'll outlive you by a few days or so. And even if he doesn't you won't last long enough afterward to be selected for that post."
"That's nice to know." He sighed "We're both used to trusting our Doctor...it's one of the main reasons...well, you'll see. How's she doing?"
"Better. What happened to her? I looked at her past timeline and I've never seen so much dedication to any life of mine as she has had to all of me. She...wouldn't bail without a very good reason. What did he do?"
And Jack told him all he knew of it, starting when they'd met, of the Dalek battle at Satellite Five, Bad Wolf and what that was, the bits Rose had told him of concerning Canary Wharf, after Jack had left, the Cybermen, the stupidity of Torchwood, the double attack, her separation from Tenth, Rose's fall, Pete's World...and the deep insult given to her by Tenth, being shown the Thing and eventually, their departure before all the stars went out that had living worlds: Reaper food, Jack knew, but Rose didn't.
"He made her feel like the two whole calendar years spent with him, caring for him, removing Daleks from existence so he'd never be in danger from them again...all of that...made her dirty. Because instead of taking her home, he...and she felt soiled by his so-called solution, you know? She actually told me that he'd made feel like she'd been bathing in raw sewage."
"It was wrong, wrong and cruel." This Doctor interrupted. He had both arms around her...she had been hauled onto his lap by now and he was rocking her gently. "This girl gave him everything she had in her...she held absolutely nothing back. How could he?"
"Yes, it was. And yes, she adores you. Ninth had, during his tenure, told us both of another Time Lord called Master...and Ten's actions were beginning to resemble his behavior. I had come along to see if I could be of any help in the situation and when I stood up for Rose and took her part in it, he dumped us both and left. He had a choice, he could have come after her, tried explain, apologize...something. He just didn't bother."
Jack paused, sipping a bit of tea while gathering his words to continue the explanation. Jack's eyes closed in remembered pain.
"Neither of us had a previous self in that universe and it was one of those odd ones that if you don't have a solid timeline, it rejects you as being a broken time-law...which he was fully aware of, by the way...she had figured out a way to build the Thing and we left as soon as we could. There were no Time Lords native to that universe and the clean up crew was all just reapers." He heard the hissed breath from Eight and nodded. "Before I met Rose and Ninth, I worked as a Time Agent for a couple of years. I haven't told her what those disappearing stars meant...and Pete's World was in one of the universes that an unanchored being without a timeline will bring the Reapers, Doctor. Not might bring them, will. Big ones, star-eater sized. I tried to a couple times and then I just couldn't, finally." He watched the now nearly comatose Rose reconnecting her Wolf to the TARDIS in the back yard while that incomplete life-bond attached itself to this unfamiliar regeneration of the Doctor they both knew.
He was so distracted he wasn't fending it off.
"She'd already had so much taken from her by him...how could I take more?"
"Reapers, on a universal scale...how could he?" The Doctor whispered in horror, shaking his head slowly.
"No idea. Ninth brooded a bit, but he was stable...had loads of old-fashioned common sense, a good solid sense of humor, a fair bit of mischief and Rose adored him: I dunno what went wrong with Tenth's remaking, but..." Jack's voice trailed off into silence for a moment as he gathered the rest of the sordid tale. "Anyhow, to finish this off, none appeared on Pete's World, but the stars...were going out." Jack's jaw worked for a moment. "Anyway, She'd started building it before we got there and was half done, but it still took three calendar years to get the kinks worked out. It took real time though and about a third of the stars had already gone out by the time we managed it." He stared at the floor. "I focused my intent on hanging on to her and she focused her's on finding a different universe with a 'normal' Doctor in it...and an available, unused timeline for us both."
"And so, here you are." He closed his eyes, aching for the pair.
"I am the Eighth Doctor of this universe...and while I've been to other universes and know what Daleks are, they never developed here. I will see her healed, Jack. There are no excuses for what was done to her. He broke his Promise and does not deserve his title. That is no Doctor. Not sure what he is, but he's...not a a Doctor."
Jack got up to reheat the water for tea and check dinner's progress. He noticed that the Eighth had her held snugly against him and that Rose was holding on for dear life. "That's fortunate. She tends to go to unpredictable lengths to see you safe. One of those incidents turned us both from normal humans into near Immortals, me because she took the Vortex from his TARDIS' heart into herself and stole my ability to Die, and her's...well, holding the vortex inside herself changed her DNA. She now shares DNA with TARDIS'."
The Eighth stared in shock. "That should have killed her."
"She knew that before she did it...she figured that one less human mattered little, but her universe needed it's Doctor, and...she loved us both...ergo...to her, her own life mattered not at all, not when weighed against our's. And besides, his TARDIS was actively helping her...guiding her absorption of the vortex so she could use it. My guess is, the TARDIS herself altered Rose's DNA to allow her to do it without it killing her. Which is just as well...her self esteem has never been strong and after Tenth's actions...well."
Eighth's jaw sagged a second time, "I...don't know quite what to say. I've never even heard of a love that powerful. How could he..."
"I think..." Jack spoke slowly, "I think she needs to be with you for a while, if you'll have her. Possibly for a long while. If things work out the way they should have before, maybe forever." Jack told him. "Only a Doctor can heal her of the damage that another one dealt out."
"I'll have her. Actually, I was going to insist. She does needs healing, but it will take time, Vortex time. And probably a lot of it. She needs to be outside of time so we can take what we need for her."
"I know. I've got a job here, I'll be fine...but...we need to be clear on something...which is, that if Tenth hadn't gone mad she would have never have walked away. She had intended to give him his, your forever...because she could have. The vortex incident was on Ninth's watch. I suspect she won't leave you unless you make her. I love her like the little sister I never had, Doctor...and that's how she loves me...as her big brother. That's why I refused to let her take off by herself...but you...that's different. She loves her Doctor as a man needs to be loved by a woman. Unfortunately, that is why Ten did so very much damage. She saved herself for him, you see. Never been touched."
"A virgin?"
"Yes."
"Puts the hole on ass, for Tenth, doesn't it? Poor girl."
"I don't act around Rose like I usually do,,,not anymore, anyway...you'll see what I mean later. Rose is a good girl, so that's how I treat her. It's been a helluva strain, but I got used to it, sorta. I'm glad this you is apparently Victorian...she's going to need a great deal of gentleness from you...but don't let that stop you from calling Ninth in if you get stumped."
"I'm always gentle with ladies in this regeneration...what do you mean, a strain?"
"I'm from 51st Century Earth, I thought we mentioned that?"
"You did...51st...oh dear."
"Yeah. She knows of course, but she's been so off center I don't think she's noticed I haven't flirted with her in years. Flirting with your sister is not on, not even in the 51st."
"No. No, I suppose not."
"Of course, since I did formally adopt Rose when she wasn't looking, it will mean I'll be your brother-in-law...and despite me being nearly fixed, as well as because of it, it gives you two family members that won't up and die on you...not permanently, anyway. She can't manage it at all and while I can die, I just can't stay dead. Five minutes and I'm good."
"I see. A wife and a brother-in-law, both human, both Immortal or close to it, one tied to my TARDIS physically and to myself from the soul out since that's how a soulbond works. And the other within a hair of being a fixed point, an eternal fact." He smiled a little. "It should drive my Council barmy."
"When you put her to bed, the TARDIS will do more to stabilize her than you realize...she's still got a bit of vortex living inside her...that's what the Bad Wolf is, you see, it's a state of mind that combines Rose, your TARDIS and the vortex itself. We weren't sure what would happen if she took Time into a Timeless space...which is why we used the wall...Thing. Let me know when you find a name for the Thing."
"Oh, I rather like that one. The Thing."
"You would." Jack snorted. "Looks like she's awake and a bit more alert...see if you can get her to the table, supper's ready."
"Rare that so many unexpected, vital, important issues are settled so easily."
"You mean, no running." Rose recited. "No running, no shooting, no Autons, Cybermen or Daleks, no firebrand bearing angry villagers, no armies, no navies, no bounty hunters, no poisoners or rulers running amok, no..."
"That's enough Rose, I think you've covered it." Jack teased.
Eighth was chuckling. "No, that's all right, she's right you know."
"I do...I also rode with Ninth." Jack reminded him.
"I see." He reached over to ruffle Rose's hair. He had been touching her in small ways all evening, bit by bit as he got her closer to being ready to be grounded. She soaked up the casual affection like rain after drought, as if his touch were a gentle, soaking rain. and she returned it in a flood.
Jack watched, a bit melancholy as the TARDIS dematerialized, taking Rose with the Eighth into the Vortex to drift...his libido wanted OUT though, because the past four years for him had been a huge strain...and this was 48th Century Earth...not so screw-everything-in-sight as the 51st, but definitively 'anything goes'. And right now, he wanted a bit of just about anything. He headed to the location of a well-known weekly, public orgy...whistling as he walked.
Rose slept for nearly three weeks after her first, full contact Doctor's Embrace, stabilizing slowly. The first few days had been in a bed the new TARDIS made for her...then a worried Eighth had moved her to his own so he could watch her more closely and she'd responded to his presence by sinking even deeper, into a near coma. IV lines were added but he didn't move her again.
When she came out of it, rising slowly though her own mind toward waking, he was asleep behind her, pressed fully against her back with one arm around her waist. He was in jimjams and had her in a flannel nightgown to counter his own coolness. One of his arms lay under her neck though her head rested on a firm pillow...so that she knew he was there from the scents of Age, Time and Space that clung to him.
Using the word 'normal' for a Doctor sounded strange in her mind...but it was true. Tenth's smell had always been a bit off. The Eighth smelled just like Ninth had...of Deep Space, Age, Time and his personal scent underlying it all: She'd know him anywhere. There was no hint of the odd cloying sweetness that had clung to Tenth. She nipped out the needles so she could roll toward him...she wanted to listen to his hearts again...it had been far too long since she'd been able to listen to him...to the right kind of Doctor, the kind she could trust.
The TARDIS nudged him awake as soon as she became aware that Rose was trying to roll toward him.
"Here now...are you all right? Bit weak, yes? What do you need?"
"Need to listen...to hear."
"Hear what?"
"Hearts."
Oh. She wanted to... "Come on, then. It's a proper cuddle you're after. No worries." He rearranged her and she shuddered once, clutching his waist and then started inhaling. Deeply. The TARDIS told him she was renewing herself in his scent...and why...and tears prickled at his lids as he brought his arms up to hold her rather tightly. She muttered happily and burrowed deeper.
"Doctor."
"Yes?"
"A real one."
Oh. As opposed to insane or vicious...or a fake. "Yes. Very much so."
"A normal Doctor. Energetic, manic, huge grins, bouncy, always into trouble, caring, gentle, loving, always starting wars, dresses weird sometimes and wears veggies on lapels but only crazy in good ways...NORMAL."
"Yes...in as far as anyone could call me normal, that is." He hadn't ever heard himself described that way.
"Yes. A real one. Good enough. Will stay."
"Good, I was going to ask about that."
"Smell like Ninth, like Third, like Seventh...like First. Sane, Real. Not like Tenth, no cloying sick sweetness, just yourself, Space, Age and Time...like you should. Good smells. Smells that shout Doctor! with pride."
He was startled for a moment, until he remembered the Wolf. The Wolf, born of the Heart of his counterpart's TARDIS would know. Ah...so whatever was wrong with the Tenth of their former universe, it was detectable. Which meant that his counterpart's TARDIS was working on it...not in time to keep him from damaging Rose and nearly destroying a universe by allowing two people without existing Time Lines to release Reapers intent on eating the star systems with intelligent life throughout that entire universe, as a penalty for their existence there...but she'd be working on him. No wonder Jack hadn't told Rose why stars were disappearing. She didn't need to know that...they had done the only thing they could to stop it...they'd left...and the knowing could only hurt her.
His arms tightened around Rose and he rolled them both over, instinctively placing her next to the wall with himself between her and the door. The Wolf retreated then, allowing Rose to wake fully, eyes opening to meet his and smiling up at him with that trademark tongue touched smile that had so enchanted Ninth. He couldn't help it, he ducked his head down and kissed her on the tip of her nose.
Just as Ninth had done...and Third...and Seventh...and even First. But never Tenth. Her eyes grew round, then full and she lost it. For the first time since she understood that she couldn't trust her Doctor, she wept as soon as she understood she was in the arms of one that she could..
"It's going to be fine Rose. You'll see. I promise."
"I know...tis happy tears, Doctor. These are the good kind." She blubbered at him.
And as many a male human had, he rolled his eyes and wondered for the millionth time what the hell 'happy' tears were.
During the days of her near comatose healing sleep, he'd talked to one of his former companions about Rose's situation...her deep, extended sleep had frightened him. He had taken some convincing, but finally he understood something. To those who knew him, the loss of the ability to trust him would feel like an utterly devastating blow. On top of that, the insane Tenth had placed her in an impossible position...deliberately so...where he thought she had only two choices: Return to him or kill every living thing that universe held...via Reapers. No wonder Jack had compared him to the Master. It had taken his own TARDIS some time, but she'd found that Tenth's First, Second, Third and Fifth and alerted them to the problem. They had first spoken to Jack, being the ones of him most familiar with the Master.
They had indeed recognized a familiar pattern of behavior...and then they'd forced his Regeneration to Eleventh, staying nearby but unseen until the current TARDIS told their own that Eleventh was fine...Normal...before they returned to their own timelines and locked the incident away. He would have to live with what he'd done as Tenth, on his own.
Eleventh had still been weeping when they left to go home.
He told Rose none of this: She would not be returning, he would not release her to return. He was her Doctor, for he had allowed her bond to attach fully as the other Doctor had never done. The other universe's Ninth had not had time, the other Tenth...well...and and the other Eleventh had never met her.
She was his. Their's.
The first few days after she woke were heartbreaking in the way she trailed after him...constantly seeking his eyes as if searching for the slightest hint that something was wrong. He understood it, the memories the younger selves had of her Tenth were frightening, to say the least...but all it really took was sliding an arm around her shoulders to draw her in for a hug or to run it around her waist to guide her to the library for tea and some reading.
After the first time he'd startled her by entering a room without warning and got a good look at Ninth's defense training from the point of view of her opponent, he made sure he had his timeship let her know he was about to enter a room with her in it. It was the same training he gave his companions...and he'd rather not be on the receiving end again, thanks. She had been apologetic...but he'd brushed off the blacked eyes and bruised ribs with 'It's one way to know our companion's training is effective, Rose. I'll be fine' and 'TARDIS will let you know I'm coming from now on."
But for all that, she refused to sleep alone. If he mentioned she should get some sleep, when he came to bed or to fetch something from his room, she'd be in his bed, awake, shivering and waiting for him. She was not willingly in a room without him in it...which was flattering and painful at the same time. Too many years without a Doctor in her life or her universe when her soul was part TARDIS had done it's own damage, he suspected.
"I'm not going to disappear on you, Rose." He finally said, once he'd run out of reassurances.
"Promise?" Suspicion confirmed.
"Yes. Rose, we are lifebonded. I'm not going to leave you."
She'd eyed him for a bit and after that she was willing to let him be for an hour or so at a time. But it was months before he was willing to trust her on a real adventure.
She was a completely different person on a mission, he discovered. Any hint of uncertainty had vanished. She was alert, knew her job, had his back...and she asserted her position with him with every tiny motion, her whole body screamed, THIS MAN IS MAGNIFICENT AND HE IS MINE! He never had a chance to flirt because the ones who might have been available didn't approach. On the plus side, neither did the hopeful parents with available daughters...and he was as careful as she to leave a lasting impression to interested parties that Rose wasn't an option for them.
"What is your claim on the Doctor, girl?" One obnoxious ruler had inquired, indicating she considered Rose beneath him...and ignored his growl.
"Soul-bound ."
"Soul-bound...that is indeed a worthy claim. I will not argue with fate." And she had been polite this time. Soul-bonds indicated hidden or known talents that balanced and equaled those of one's bonded. As the lady had said, there was no arguing with fate.
His latest run-in with a torch-carrying mob had her surprising him, for she ran easily at his side and with less effort than he was making. Part of that was because there was a misty golden, ghost-like, unkillable wolf back there scaring the tar out of their pursuers.
A healthy, stable Rose Tyler was a force of nature, all by herself, he discovered. When bonded to Ship and Man, as it were...and making it obvious she loved the TARDIS as much as the Time Lord she became something else again.
When they went back to their own times, those that had forced her old Tenth to regenerate no longer regretted it. They had seen the damaged version of this vibrant girl and understood what Ten had done...just as they knew Eleventh understood...and that this was why he had wept.
~finis~