Disclaimer: Doctor Who isn't mine. If it was things would be quite different. The BBC owns all and I bow before them.
Written for timepetalsprompts on tumblr and their weekly drabble prompt: sympathy. Coincidentally the ficlet prompt was "in between" and this takes place in between Father's Day and The Empty Child so go me! :D
Please note, this is based off a sympathy card that can be found in Doctor Who: The Time Lord Letters by Justin Richards. I'd include a picture of the card here but FF.N sadly doesn't allow links or the ability to copy/paste. Sorry.
And finally... Happy Birthday to Caedmon and thanks to TenRose4ever for helping with the ending. :)
The Doctor watched Rose's back as she went off to bed. He'd screwed up royally. While he'd snapped at her, the blame was squarely on him. He'd known the risks, how hard it would be, but he'd been willing to indulge her, just to make her happy and see her smile.
Yet now she had gotten to know her dad a bit. Despite everything, he couldn't be sorry for that, though he wished she hadn't been hurt in the process. He could help with that though. They were still in 1987, so he grabbed a pen and started to write.
Rose woke the morning after 1987 with a heavy heart. Her sleep hadn't been restful, filled with her dad dying, and reapers killing the Doctor.
The Doctor was in the galley when she arrived. He handed her a cup of coffee, finally speaking after several moments of quiet.
"I know they hurt now, but the memories won't always be sad."
She gasped. Those words. They stirred a memory deep inside, a condolence card she'd all but forgotten, and her mum had never been able to place.
"That card; it was you."
"Least I could do."
Eyes shining, she embraced him.