Disclaimer: If I owned it, I'd be writing this as a script for the BBC instead of masses of prose for my own amusement. You know who it belongs to.
Genre: Action/adventure, romance, angst, drama, sci-fi, suspense, fluff, some horror.
Rating: T, for later chapters.
Summary: "And then there was you and me, just stuck in the middle of it all, with no way out and no way to get back to where we came from. And that was it. The end of it all." 10Rose adventure/romance, Doomsday doesn't happen. Set sometime after The Idiot's Lantern. This is part 1 of around 20.
Author's note: Huge thanks to everyone who's read and/or reviewed my stories in the past, it really means the world to me. Hope you like this one as much! Updates will be every Monday, until I have the majority of the story written when I'll update on Mondays and Fridays. Supremely massive 'thank you' goes to Leila-Rose-Bell, keeper of the poking stick (!) and fellow obsessive. I wouldn't have got this far without you! Enjoy the story everybody! Jenni xx
But the constellation
of his future love has long
been moving among the stars.
From 'Duration of Childhood' by R.M. Rilke, translated by Stephen Mitchell.
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A man walks down the street on his way to meet his lover. His heart is pounding madly in his chest; both in excitement and in fear of what will happen if they are discovered. This affair is nothing short of suicide for him, but he's always known he'd be willing to give his life for love.
He clutches a bag in his hand; inside is a present for Airlia. It won't be long now until they can escape and be together without the secrets and the lies, he knows. That day can't come soon enough. His pace quickens as he nears his destination, approaching the building where she will be waiting for him.
Times are tense, and he needs this affair to keep him sane. Citizens line the streets in protest against their oppression, and he wonders what Airlia makes of this. She always finds these situations awkward, her good heart and her belief in freedom contradicting with everything her family stands for, contrasting starkly with the position her father holds. She must be tearing herself apart right now, he thinks.
And there. The building is just up ahead and he can hardly keep the smile off his face as he draws ever closer to Airlia, their tickets to freedom held in the bag in his hand. He nears the door. A group of protestors rush out of a side street, placards held high and all of them chanting. 'Freedom', they cry. 'Freedom.' There are more of them now as he walks on, ten steps to go, five, four, three… There is a shout from the back of the crowd; a man's voice shouting out, wanting to be heard, demanding attention.
This is the day that everything changes.
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The Doctor and Rose stepped out of the calm of the TARDIS and into complete and utter madness. From their position at the top of a hill they could see everything going on around them for miles. A little way down the slope a gaggle of people stood in bright costumes and feathered headdresses, their skin painted with fluorescent swirls and stripes. To the left of them were a group of women in floating gypsy-style outfits, their faces painted with metallic make-up.
'Where are we?' Rose asked as they stood surveying the scene.
'Somewhere outside Bordeaux in 1959, August. A few months ago Charles de Gaulle became the first president to preside over the Fifth Republic of France. In exactly three years time there'll be an assassination attempt on him, which makes it… August the 22nd, to be precise.' The Doctor nodded to emphasise his point, feeling proud of himself as Rose turned to look up at him with her eyebrows raised.
'Right,' she said. 'Of course. Where else?' She grinned at him, letting him grasp her hand in his and start to tug her down the hill towards all the activity that carried on below.
They descended down into the heart of the carnival, passing people in obscure costumes and men on stilts, people selling food and others who seemed to be selling themselves. The sun was low in the sky as it began to drop behind a hill and the first stars of the night could be seen trying to break through the blanket of the sky. Flame torches were beginning to be lit all around, and gaudy neon signs flashed above a huge tent. 'You want to go to the circus, Rose?' the Doctor asked her.
She shrugged, her gaze scanning over the landscape before them. She was about to reply when something at the bottom of the hill and over to the right caught her eye. 'No,' she said. 'I want to go over there.' She pointed at where she meant, the Doctor following the line of her arm to see what she was aiming at.
The Doctor grinned. 'We come all the way to this magnificent carnival in 1959 France with spectacular parades and events, and you want to go to the funfair?'
'Only for a bit,' Rose said innocently, turning to press herself into the Doctor's side. She held his hand in both of hers and looked up at him with that wide-eyed expression she knew he found hard to resist. 'Then we can spend the rest of the night doing anything you want.'
'Anything Rose?' he questioned her, his voice deliberately low and husky. Flame twinkled in his eyes as someone walked by with a burning tree branch and threw it on a bonfire that was beginning to grow near-by. 'That's a dangerous word… "Anything".' He turned into her, their faces only inches apart. 'Who knows what I might choose?'
Rose grinned, more than willing to play along with this little game. She loved it when the Doctor flirted with her, or when he pretended to come on to her. She only wished that one day he might start to do it for real. 'Well,' she said. 'Seeing as it was your idea to come to the carnival, I'm sure you can find a few things here that you'd like to do.'
'Oh yes,' he agreed, something dangerous entering his expression as he studied the girl in front of him. He wondered if she could tell he was being serious, or if she was still naïve enough not to notice. 'We could find an empty tent… Create our own sideshow. Become the star attraction!'
'Well, we could do that.' Rose nudged him playfully in the ribs and linked her arms around his neck, stretching up to whisper into his ear. She missed the slight change in the Doctor's breathing and the speed of his heartbeat as she staggered slightly, his arms coming around her waist to steady her. 'But that's really going to get in the way of my plan.'
The Doctor's breath was warm against her cheek as he replied. 'And what is your plan?' he asked.
Rose pulled away and grinned at him, taking his hand in hers once more and dragging him down the hill behind her. 'Haunted House!' she yelled, heading towards the funfair.
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Exactly two years, four months, seventeen days, one hour and twenty-nine minutes before life changes forever, Damien meets the love of his life. He is walking in the flower garden in the park of Valtallahan when he sees Airlia up ahead. She is sitting on a bench, her pretty golden hair falling around her shoulders and glinting in the weak sunlight. She is reading a book.
Damien walks closer to her, the smell of flower blossom filling his nose as an unidentified feeling wells up in his chest. It's something he's never felt before, but he decides that it's good. He stops next to the bench that Airlia is sitting on and she looks up at his face.
'Hello,' he says eagerly, not knowing what has come over him to make him so brazen. 'Do you mind if I sit here?'
She studies him for a moment, appraising him with her eyes before she shakes her head and flashes him a smile he has learned to love more than his own life. 'No,' she says. 'Please do.' And her voice is like a soothing balm, or honey poured over fresh bread.
They sit in silence for a few moments as Damien pretends to watch the scenery and Airlia pretends to read. 'What's your name?' he asks eventually.
'Airlia,' she says, closing her book quietly. 'What's your name?'
'Damien.' He smiles at her and shakes her hand when she offers it. The strange surging in his chest intensifies as she touches him and he suddenly has a new faith in poetry and the romantic literature that is so popular these days. His breath catches in his throat when she smiles at him again.
This is the day that Damien learns to believe in love at first sight.
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'Didn't think you were scared of anything!' Rose teased the Doctor as they walked away from the Haunted House.
He looked down at her, his eyebrows raised and his face slightly flushed. 'I guess I wasn't quite prepared for that,' he said. 'Didn't think there was going to be… jumpy things.'
Rose laughed. The moment they had entered the Haunted House a mummy had jumped out at them and scared the Doctor witless. If Rose flexed her left hand, she could still feel the slight ache where the Doctor had gripped onto her tightly, his fingers wrapping around hers in a death-grip. He had spent the rest of their walk around the House attached to her like a limpet and had only released her hand when the darkening sky of outside had been visible.
Now they walked amongst various stalls and events, soaking up the atmosphere as a crowd gathered to watch a fire-eater and men in wooden clown masks squirted passers-by with water. The backdrop of the blazing torches behind them made them look more suitable for Halloween than a carnival. A line of children wearing fairy costumes walked past, chattering away as they were herded over to where the main show of the evening was due to take place after the sun had set completely.
'Doctor?'
'Yes Rose?' He looked down at his companion as they stopped for a moment to watch men in elaborate Elizabethan costumes duelling with each other whilst riding unicycles. He smiled at the way the light of the fire reflected off her hair from behind her, making it sparkle in the dim light.
'Why did you want to come to the carnival?' she asked. 'Not that I mind of course- this is really great- I was just… wondering.'
The Doctor shrugged. 'Do I need a reason?' He continued before Rose could say anything in reply, his hand seeking hers out in the dark. 'Bit of fun,' he said. 'Exciting time, good night out… and I thought you might like it.' He leaned close to her ear, his breath disturbing her hair as he spoke. 'We have had a hard time lately, don't you think?' he asked her quietly.
She didn't reply but he felt her tense up, flexing her fingers against his as he gripped her hand lightly. He knew instantly that she agreed with him; the way she leaned slightly into him was more than enough to tell him that she could probably do with some quiet time… Not that the carnival was overly quiet mind, but it was fun and relatively trouble-free.
'Now, Rose,' he said in a mock serious voice, keeping his head close to hers and speaking in a low tone so that there was no chance of him being overheard. 'I'm feeling slightly stupid after the Haunted House incident so I think we need to do something so I can prove to you I don't scare easy.'
'Scared I think you're a wimp?' she teased, looking up at him and smiling, firelight playing over her face.
'Would you judge me if I said yes?'
Rose frowned, pretending to consider the Doctor's question seriously. 'Yes,' she said eventually.
'Right then!' The Doctor spun around and started walking again, Rose by his side. 'In that case, I think it's necessary that we go on the scariest ride here in order to prove my masculinity to you.'
'And what would that be?' Rose asked, her eyes quickly scanning over a row of stalls as the Doctor led her over to the other side of the huge field.
He grinned down at her. 'Ghost train,' he said, madness dancing in his eyes.
They walked across the field, far away from where they had left the TARDIS on the hill earlier. The sky was almost completely dark now and more stars were starting to shine, twinkling away between tree branches and glinting through the flames of the large bonfire that was currently being adorned with the effigy of somebody Rose didn't recognise. She stared up at the sky for a moment, letting the Doctor lead the way through the streams of people as she studied the diamond-like stars.
Looking back towards the ground, she frowned and blinked. My eyes must be going funny, she thought. Everything in her vision had taken on a hazy effect and she slowed her pace, turning her head to find that all the people looked blurry. Not blurry like they would if she was short-sighted, but blurry as though they had all been smudged like a drawing done in chalk or pastel. A large group of people a little further ahead blurred together until they became one large shape, colours melding together until they started to dissipate and disappear. Rose stopped walking, vaguely aware of the Doctor looking down at her with concern.
'Rose?' she thought she heard him say.
She shook her head, blinking several times. Everything stayed the same. Colours and people smudged together, lines blurred and all she could hear was the roar of the bonfire. What the hell is going on?
The Doctor stepped in front of her and grasped her shoulders, bending down slightly to look into her eyes. 'Rose?' he asked. 'Rose, what is it?' When her dazed expression remained, he waved a hand in front of her face and shook her lightly before snapping his fingers next to her ear.
'What?' Rose frowned as the Doctor stepped aside and she saw that everything had regained its clarity, shapes becoming redefined and the crowd ahead separating out until all the people looked normal again. She looked up at the Doctor, confused. 'Doctor, what was that?'
He studied her carefully, unsure what she meant. 'What was what, Rose?'
'Just then,' she replied insistently. 'Everything blurred together, and it was like all those people were disappearing.' She pointed at the people she meant. 'It was like we were in a whole other place.'
'Are you feeling all right?' he asked, worried. One hand went to her forehead to check her temperature. Normal. 'Do you feel dizzy?'
She shook her head. 'No, Doctor. I'm fine. I swear everything changed just then. It was like everyone was going to disappear to be replaced with something else. I… I dunno. It was weird.'
The Doctor nodded slowly, listening to what Rose said. Her temperature was normal, she was entirely lucid and she seemed pretty certain that what she had just said was true. He wondered what was going on. 'Okay,' he told her. 'Let me know if it happens again. Tell me straight away.'
'Right,' she replied, closing her eyes for a few moments to clear her head. She took a deep breath and opened them again, smiling widely at the Doctor. 'So, Mr Chicken,' she said playfully. 'Time for the ghost train?'
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Damien is nervous tonight. He's waiting for Airlia to show up at the restaurant he's booked for their first date, and his heart is in his mouth. He's sweating more than he usually would and he's felt like he's going to be sick all day. He looks at his watch; she should be here any minute.
And there. Sure enough, right on time Airlia comes through the door looking even more gorgeous than she did when he met her in the park yesterday. She smiles when she sees him and heads over to where he's sitting. He stands as she approaches, taking her hand in his and placing a gentle kiss on it, his eyes locked on hers.
They sit, and the evening passes well. They talk and learn about each other and eat food off each other's plates. All too soon the time comes for them to leave; the curfew will be coming into effect soon and it won't do if they are caught out after hours. Damien leaves some money on the table and escorts Airlia from the restaurant.
He walks her home with her arm linked through his, a light rain starting to fall as the sky darkens for the night. He gives her his jacket when he feels her start to shiver. She smiles at him again and says 'Thank you.'
All too soon they reach her apartment building and it is time to say goodnight. They stand out on the street for a few moments longer, not touching or speaking, just looking. Eventually Damien can stand it no longer and he steps closer, leaning towards Airlia.
'Do you…' he starts, his throat dry and his voice cracking. 'I mean, would you mind if I…'
He trails off and presses his lips to hers, tasting her sweetness and absorbing the warm scent of her perfume. She takes his hands in hers and returns the kiss, making it last as the rain starts to come down harder and soaks through their clothes.
Eventually he pulls away and looks into her eyes. 'Thank you,' he says, though for what he is not exactly sure.
He steps away, placing one more kiss on her knuckles before he tells her good night and that he'd like to see her again. She bites her lip in a way that makes her look adorable and nods in agreement. She turns and leaves to go inside. He watches until her door is shut and he can't see her anymore before turning to leave and go home to dream of Airlia.
This is the night that Damien learns he has always underrated pleasure in the past.
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The Doctor and Rose sat side by side on the ghost train, laughing together as they waited for it to move. The building around them creaked slightly, and Rose hoped it was all part of the effect rather than bad construction. "Death by Fairground Ride" didn't sound like a way she particularly wanted to die.
As she laughed at one of the Doctor's bad jokes about peanut butter and some alien he'd met that had four heads but no arms, she mulled over the strange event that had occurred earlier. She was fairly sure that what she had seen was real, that everything really had gone blurry and out of focus but she still couldn't work out what had caused it. Still, she supposed, if the Doctor wasn't worried about it there was no reason for her to panic over it. It was probably just a blip. Strange things happen sometimes, or so he always told her.
The ghost train started to move and Rose turned to the Doctor with a smile on her face. 'Need me to hold your hand?'
He laughed. 'I'm a big boy, Rose,' he said. He took her hand anyway; he loved these little excuses to touch her.
Thirty seconds later and the Doctor was bored. The train was moving slower than a wind-up milk cart and he had managed to pre-predict every "scary" thing that had happened so far. This was hardly the best place to try and prove his masculine courage to Rose, especially as she seemed just as bored as he was. She had slouched down in the small carriage to rest her head on his shoulder, her free hand toying with the sleeve of his coat. He stared straight ahead, pretending not to notice as her cool fingers brushed against his wrist and sent a small shiver up his spine.
Focusing on a rather tacky representation of a "haunted forest" just up ahead, it took him just under three seconds to work out that a "ghost" or perhaps a "werewolf" would jump out at them as they passed beneath the low-hanging tree branches. Sure enough, as the train made its way beneath the trees a decorated white sheet fell down, accompanied by a whooshing sound and a howling that the Doctor supposed was meant to be wind. So predictable, he thought as the material grazed over his face momentarily.
And then something strange happened. The cardboard trees that surrounded them seemed to contract and then lunge out, branches whipping only centimetres in front of the Doctor's face. He started to lift his arm to shield Rose from the wild and erratic movements of the ride around them, but glancing down he found her still leaning contentedly against his shoulder, apparently oblivious as a person appeared on the middle of the track only a few metres away. The Doctor frowned as the world warped around him and he shook his head, hoping to clear his vision. Nothing changed, and he was reminded of what Rose had told him earlier about people blurring together and seeming as though they weren't real.
The person on the track in front of train seemed to be oblivious to their surroundings. They stood sideways on, standing and staring at something as they clutched a bag in one hand. Definitely a man, thought the Doctor. The train moved closer, and he saw that it was only a silhouette of a man, that he wasn't really there at all. But… He still looked real, as though he was actually standing in front of them but someone had taken away his substance to make him ghost-like. Definitely not part of the ride.
The train was almost on top of the pseudo-man now and the Doctor was torn between wanting to push him out of the way and waiting to see what would happen if he was hit by the train. He stayed sitting stock-still except for the hand that clutched Rose's more tightly in his. They were only a metre away from the man now… Half a metre…
There was a loud clanking sound as the Doctor's vision righted itself and the world returned to its normal proportions. One last clang and the strange man disappeared, the bag still gripped tightly in his hand. The train moved on. The Doctor sat up straighter and shook himself, his mind whirling. What the hell was that? Suddenly he knew that what Rose had described earlier had been real, not her mind playing tricks on her like he had suspected. That is, unless his mind was playing up as well, which he doubted enormously.
'Doctor?' Rose was sitting up now, looking at him strangely as he realised that the ride was over and they were back outside in the warm night air. He stared down at her, a look of disbelief and puzzlement on his face. 'Doctor, are you all right?' She sounded worried.
'Yep!' he exclaimed a little too loudly. 'Just zoned out there for a moment; that ghost train wasn't as thrilling as I'd hoped it would be.' He jumped up and helped Rose out of the carriage to stand next to him, a light breeze blowing her hair around her face.
'Yeah, it was rubbish,' she replied, studying him carefully. She didn't look convinced. 'What happened?'
He debated telling her that he'd had a similar experience to her, that he'd seen something he really shouldn't have seen. Something that should never have been there in the first place. But something held him back. They were here to have a good time, not to worry about strange visions and blurry shapes. Plus, it's not like they ever had to investigate to find trouble, he knew. If there was trouble to be had, it would find them soon enough. 'Nothing,' he told Rose. 'It's fine. Another ride?'
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Approximately two years and four months later, Damien doesn't know what to do. This is the start of something big, he knows. History is happening right in front of his eyes and he doesn't know what to do about it. The protestors are gathering momentum now, running past him and shoving him backwards into the side of a building.
They are clustering together in the street, joining together with the placard-carrying citizens he walked past only a few moments before. And now the group of them are surging forward as more and more spill out from side streets. They are heading to the government's headquarters, he knows, going to cause some damage to the regime they hate so much. He can hear that man shouting again, encouraging them to make a stand and fight for what they deserve. Damien is torn in two; part of him invigorated by the man's words, part of him hating the events that are taking place in front of his eyes.
He should run now, save his life. Airlia would want him to run. She always said that if something like this were to happen then he should flee and save himself. But he can't. And now he's making his way back towards the building where she waits, knowing that he cannot- will not- leave her like this. Even if it means the end of his life, he can't bring himself to carry out Airlia's demands and leave her alone.
This is the day that Damien learns love comes above all else.
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A/N: Hope you liked the first chapter! Please leave a review and I'll give you a banana daiquiri as a thank you :D Jen xx