"Ooh, look at you!" The Doctor cooed excitedly. He had imagined what their baby would look like so many times, but the little fella was so much more. He bent down and put his hands under his little arms and lifted him out of his cot, smiling widely. He spun around slowly with the baby high up in the air, making those giggly-gurggly noises human babies loved to make, before bringing him down and pressing their noses together. "You are so cute! And I don't say that often."
The baby smiled and moved his little arms, touching the Doctor's face.
The Doctor tucked him close to his body, using only one arm to hold him against him. He couldn't take his eyes of the little fella; a mop of mousy brown hair, amazingly bright blue eyes, the cutest round face. "You definitely take after your mother's side." He smiled. "A Tyler boy."
He looked around the room, the smile sliding from his face. Almost everything in the little fella's room had to do with. . .space. From the deep blue painted walls to the cuddly alien toys to the nightlight that projected little stars. She missed it. He swallowed thickly, and smiled as he brought out his screwdriver. It was only a second before the tiny stars became big and planets were added. . .and it became the entire solar system. His smile widened as the baby laughed and looked around. "You like it, huh? Yeah, your mother did too. She loved it. I took her across the entire universe, to different planets. . .we did incredible things, saw stuff you wouldn't believe. . .but then it had to end."
He looked down at the little fella's face who was watching him with an unusual intensity. "I'm sure she'll tell you one day, tell you all about the stories of the Doctor and Rose Tyler in the TARDIS – the defender of Earth and the mad man with a box." His smile faded again. "Or maybe she won't. Maybe John wouldn't like that. . .but then again," A slight smirk spread across his face. "I doubt she'd listen. She never did."
The Doctor sighed. "I shouldn't be here. I just. . .wanted to see your mom so much. Bu-ut I chickened out. I'm a big chicken." He sat down on the rocking chair next to the cot, and imagined all the times Rose would sit in the same chair in the same position and watched her son sleep. . .a son that wasn't his. He sat the baby on his knees facing him. "You see little fella, I. . .I lost your mommy. She travelled with me, saw great things. . .and bad things too," He grinned at the baby boy. "but she never wanted to leave me, she was brilliant. I never wanted to let her go, you see little fella, I. . .I loved your mom with all my hearts-," The baby gurgled again, and he heard a gasping sob. Oh no. He looked up slowly, glancing around the room, and there it was on the little table right next to the cot. . .the baby monitor, with the flashing light that showed it was on. Was she listening? "yes I do, I have two hearts. Yeah, well, ask her y'know when you can speak, I'm sorry, yes I'm sorry that was uncalled for."
He pulled the baby closer to him, laying him in his arms. "I did though, I loved her so much. . .but I was no good for her. Not in the end." If it was her listening, it was time she knew how he felt. . .and if it was John, well he should know how he still felt about her even after all this time without her. The sobbing had turned into quiet crying. "Everything she lost because of me. She changed me, without your mommy I'd still be a dangerous, lonely, bitter mad man with a box. . .I owe her so much, but all I did was take from her."
"You gave me everything." A quiet, tear filled voice came from the doorway.
The Doctor stood from the chair and turned slowly, only letting out a breath when he realised she wasn't standing there. He could hear her trying to control her crying, and realised she was standing in the hallway. He smiled sadly, the tears he had been feeling for a while finally filling his eyes. "I wanted to." He could hear her take a deep breath and then sob, it was so familiar. . .all he could think about was when she was crying for his ninth incarnation after he had changed to his tenth. He sighed before gritting his teeth. It was starting. He couldn't, not here. She couldn't see it again. . .he would never want to leave, no matter the consequence. He looked down at the baby, and he was fast asleep. Smiling, he put him back in his cot. "What's his name?"
It was a long few seconds before she could speak clearly. "Matthew, but mostly he gets called Matt."
"Matt, I like that." He stroked the baby's face, lovingly before slowly making his way to the bedroom door that was half shut. Just on the other side of the door stood Rose Tyler, the one companion he had done what he said he would never with anyone. . .he had fallen in love. From the moment he had taken hold of her hand and said 'run!', he had known she was different. And now she was on a parallel world with someone who looked like his tenth self and a baby boy. Maybe through all the bad and the hurt, she was better off.
He took a deep breath and placed his open hand and forehead on the door. "Rose Tyler, you were the first person I had travelled with in so long and you were the first in so long to see me change –you were the first person that saw this face, well not this face but you know which I mean, and you stayed with me anyway. . .I never thanked you for that."
"You never had to."
He smiled. "Rose Tyler, defender of Earth, I never told you how much you meant to me and I should have. And now it's too late because you have him, my other self and you're happy. You are happy, aren't you Rose?"
She took a deep breath. "I loved you so much, I still do. . .but yes, I'm so happy, with my baby and my John."
The Doctor smiled, the tears escaped his eyes and rolled down his cheeks. . .but he was happy, he was so glad she was happy. . .even if it wasn't with him. He clenched his teeth again at the pain shooting through his body. "I have to go."
"Doctor wait," Rose said quickly. "you're changing again, right? You said that day that you could never come back here. . .so is that why you have, because you're going to change again?"
He smiled. "Yes, I just. . .I had to say goodbye I guess. But I chickened out and decided to see the latest Tyler."
"Smith."
"What?"
"His last name is Smith, like his dad's."
"Oh yes, of course –John Smith. So, it's Rose Smith now. . .doesn't have the same ring to it as Rose Tyler though," He said almost sulking. "wait, Matt Smith?"
"Yes, why?" There was a pause from both sides of the door. "Wait, Doctor what do you know?"
"Nothing, it's nothing Rose, just a good name." He groaned and stumbled backwards. He watched as the door opened ever so slightly but stopped. . .she was going to come rushing in but had stopped. Good, he couldn't see her. He would stay and never leave. "Well, I guess this is goodbye. . .again."
"Yeah." Another pause. "Goodbye Doctor, and be safe."
He opened the TARDIS's door, groaning from the pain, before he smiled sadly. "Goodbye Rose Tyler."
Rose listened as the TARDIS's noise started, she wanted to rush into the room just to see it one more time. . .but even just seeing it for a second would break her heart all over again. She walked into the room and looked down at her son, sleeping happily, before noticing how the nightlight had changed. "That was the Doctor, Matt. . .the one man that would tear worlds apart to make sure your mommy was safe."
The Doctor rushed up to the consoles, pulling the tv screen down to him, tapping and pushing and pulling at things. "Come on, hurry up, hurry up!" He urged as the screen flashed. "Ah!" He shouted out as the pain began to intensify. He looked to his hands and he could see the light starting. "Come on!" He hit the screen as he lunged against his controls, he had to get back to where Clara was. . .she would be angry if she didn't get to say bye to this face. The TARDIS juttered and he fell to the floor, shouting in pain, just as the screen beeped. It had found what he was looking for.
He jumped up, gripping the console tightly to keep him up. He stared at the screen. . .and laughed. That was why the name was so familiar. "Yes! You magnificent woman, yes! Haha!" He tapped the screen looking through the pages and pages of information –Matt Smith, Head of torchwood inc. at age 27, after parents retire. Leads the Human race to accept the existence of aliens. Defender of Earth. Ambassador of Human and Alien communications. Creates the first wave of Aliens settlements. "Haha!" He remembers reading about the boy before when Clara pointed out one of the articles in the books, he is practically responsible for Aliens and Humans living together –well, at least in their world. The companion he loves, raises her son into one of the greatest Humans in all of history.
When the pain pushes him away from the consoles and the light shoots out of him, he is still laughing, thinking of Rose and John and Matt Smith.
The end!
Despite the fact that I have been in love with Doctor Who since it first aired all the way back in 2005, this is only my second DW fic. And again, it's not really any good. This is inspired by a gif set I saw on Tumblr.
I know the Doctor's quite OC but I think put in this situation he would be in the show too, even if just a little : / I called the baby Matt after eleven -obviously- but didn't actually realise it's last name was also going to be Smith until I wrote it lol.
So anyway, this was a quickly written fic and thanks for reading hope you enjoyed and sorry it's not that good : /
