First Doctor Who Fic! Also, I'm not British. I'm from America... soo... if things aren't accurate... I apologize... I tried to be vague to cover for that... :) Anyways! I hope this doesn't completely suck! I was inspired by the beautiful song All of the Stars by Ed Sheeran. I recommend you listen to it while you read this. Warning, you may cry...
Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or the song All of the Stars.
All of the Stars
It's just another night
And I'm staring at the moon
I saw a shooting star
And thought of you
It was all over the news, 'the biggest meteor shower in centuries' was starting over the city of London, and for once the skies were clear. Humans all over the city gathered outside, bringing blankets and pillows to lay out under the stars.
One particular tiny human sat right next to her hospital window, gazing longingly up at the twinkling lights above.
Little Rose Tyler was not supposed to be up this late. She wasn't supposed to be out of bed at all really. She was supposed to lay in her bed attached to all these wires and tubes and things. Rose didn't mind them so much, but she did hate being confined. Luckily her bed was the closest one to the window. Instead of having to stare up at a ceiling that was much too white, she could wonder at the sparkling lights outside her window.
Rose loved the stars. She often wished that she could travel through space visiting alien planets and saving the world, all worlds. Aliens were real of course. Rose figured with a sky that big, there had to be other worlds like theirs out there, and people too.
The meteor shower began then, and little Rose watched in wonder as one, two, ten, thousands of lights shot across the sky.
Knowing this was her chance, Rose closed her eyes and made a wish. A wish to adventure across the stars.
I sang a lullaby
By the waterside and knew
If you were here
I'd sing to you
Right outside the hospital, a strange sort of sound could be heard. It was a foreign grinding sound that didn't belong in this world, let alone the city of London. To make things even more peculiar, a blue police box suddenly appears right up against the children's hospital. Luckily, no one was around to view this astounding occurrence.
The door to this blue box swung inward with a squeak and a tall man stepped out. He was unusually dressed for the warm late summer evening: brown pinstripe suite and a long tan coat that reached his ankles. He should have been sweating to death, but he seemed perfectly comfortable.
"London, September 15th, 1991. Not a particularly exciting day, 'sides the meteor shower, weeeell not actually meteors but pieces of destroyed spaceship burning across the sky. Interesting, I wonder why she's brought us here, Marth-" The man, who had be talking at about a thousand words per minute, abruptly stopped his rambling and seemed to realize that there was no one around to hear his grand speech. His expression turned dark, but only for a moment. If there was one thing that this man had learned throughout his very long life, it is not beneficial to dwell on the past.
Running a hand through his already carelessly tousled locks, the man returned his mind to the mystery of why his ship took him to this moment in time. He whipped out a short thin object from his pocket and pressed a button on its side. The very tip lit up bright blue and made a sort of buzzing sound. He was scanning for something, anything that would give him a hint as to why he was here. Nothing.
The man sighed and made his way over to a bench a couple of feet from his ship. Sitting down, he let his head fall back and just gazed up at the stars.
Oh how he loved the stars. He knew the names of almost every single one. He'd like to say that he knew them all, but the universe was just too big, even for him. He was just one man after all... And occasionally a companion or two. The Doctor and his companions, traveling through time and space, saving the world, all worlds... But not anymore. Now it was just the Doctor and his TARDIS, alone.
The 'meteor shower' began then, and the Doctor allowed a slight smile to curve his lips as he stared at the dazzling show happening above his head. One shooting star in particular caught his eye, and the Doctor decided to do something silly and childish. The Doctor knew of course that it wasn't a real shooting star, but that didn't matter. He closed his eyes and made a wish. A wish to no longer be alone.
You're on the other side
As the skyline splits in two
Miles away from seeing you
The Doctor opened his eyes and saw the children's hospital. Something at the back of his mind was urging him to go in. He got up off the bench and went in.
I can see the stars from America
I wonder, do you see them too?
Rose opened her eyes and glanced around her room. There in the doorway, was a tall man with a soft smile on his face.
"Hello there! May I come in?" The Doctor asked the little blonde girl.
Rose smiled shyly at this strange man and nodded.
The Doctor strode in, his trainers squeaking lightly on the spotless hospital floor. He took one quick look at the wires and tubes connecting to this tiny human and knew immediately. Cancer.
"Who are you?" Rose's quiet yet firm question cut through the beeps of the machines attached to her.
"I'm the Doctor." He said as he pulled up a chair next to the girl's bed and sat down.
"You're not my doctor." She stated, less shy now, more accusing. She even crossed her arms. The Doctor couldn't help notice how adorable she was.
"No, I'm not a doctor, I'm THE Doctor." He quickly corrected.
"Well, if you're not an actual doctor, then why do you call yourself that?" Rose asked, curious now. The only kind of doctors she knew were the ones in the hospital.
"Why? Because I like to help people I suppose." He stated simply, not wanting to get into all of the details.
"Is that why you're here, Doctor, to help me?" Rose asked.
The Doctor felt a sharp stab of sympathy as he saw the look of pure hope in the tiny, sick human's eyes.
Suddenly, the Doctor knew why he had come. "Yes, yes, I suppose I am."
The smile the Doctor received from her was so brilliant and blinding, with her little pink tongue poking between her tiny little teeth, that he couldn't help but smile right back.
"Before I do, I must ask, what is your name."
"Rose Tyler," she stated, smile still firmly in place.
"Alright Rose Tyler!" The Doctor paused, "Rose Tyler, what a brilliant name!" He proceeded to say her name in a variety of ways, causing Rose to giggle. If the Doctor thought her smile was cute, her laugh was down right the most adorable laugh in all the universe.
"Okay back to business, Rose Tyler. How can I help you?" His gaze became serious as he thought about what she might ask. With all of his knowledge, he couldn't save her from her illness, he just couldn't.
Rose turned her head and gazed out at the meteor shower which was now starting to slow down. "Doctor, can you help me travel the stars?"
He was shocked. The Doctor was shocked. He couldn't believe that Rose Tyler asked him for the one thing he could actually give her. "You're in luck, Rose Tyler. I just so happen to have a spaceship."
"Really?! How?!" Rose asked, eyes shining with joy.
The Doctor decided he could tell her the truth. "Weeell, you see, I'm not actually from earth."
Rose's smile grew wider, "You're an alien?"
"I'm the Doctor. I'm a Time Lord. I'm from the planet Gallifrey in the constellation of Kasterborous. I'm nine hundred and three years old. And I'm the man that's going to show you the stars."
The Doctor talked on and on, telling Rose tales from his adventures through time and space. Rose sat listening, amazed at all the things this man had done. Eventually, she grew tired and layer back in her hospital bed. She tried as hard as she could to fight the weariness, but she was fading fast. The Doctor noticed and stopped in the middle of the story of a planet where dogs had no noses.
"Doctor," Rose said weakly. "Can I come with you?" Her eyes were almost completely closed and her breathing was labored.
"Of course, Rose Tyler. I only take the best." The Doctor tucked her in and gently kissed her forehead. "I'll come back for you when you're older." He got up from the chair and looked down at this adorable little human girl. Her heart monitor began to slow. He fought back a sob as he said, "You just have to get better for me, Rose Tyler." He took one last look at the girl who dreamed of stars before he turned around and left.
So open your eyes and see
The way our horizons meet
And all of the lights will lead
Into the night with me
It was the year 2005, and the Doctor was hunting down Rose Tyler. She would be about 19 years old by now. Plenty old enough to go adventuring through time and space if she still wanted to.
The Doctor wouldn't even let himself think of a different reason as to why she would not be traveling with him
After a couple of hours, he found her.
Rose Marion Tyler
Beloved Daughter
April 27 1986 - September 15 1991
Rose Tyler had died that night, dreaming of the stars.
The Doctor fell to his knees and wept. Wept for his tiny human girl. She would have been great. He could just picture her, Rose Tyler, Defender of the Earth.
And I know these scars will bleed
But both of our hearts believe
All of these stars will guide us home
Somewhere in a universe parallel to this one, a much different Doctor with floppy ears and a leather jacket grabs the hand of pink and yellow shop girl and tells her to run.