A/N: This story is a 6-chapter companion piece to Letting Go, although it can probably be read on its own as a take on post-Journey's End life for the part human Doctor. It begins following the events recalled by Rose, in Chapter 4 of Letting Go. The usual disclaimers apply. I do not own Doctor Who. I hope you enjoy.
Chapter 1 - July
The Doctor jerked upright at the sound of the key in the door lock, the wire he'd been soldering with his sonic flaring and zapping him painfully. He bit back a curse, letting the now useless CPU he'd been modifying drop to the floor as he jammed his aggrieved thumb into his mouth, in an attempt to alleviate the stinging pain. He glared in irritation at the door, damning Rose and her abysmal timing. Not only had she walked out on him in the middle of the night – after attempting to bin every single piece of electronic equipment in the house, in a frankly ludicrous fit of rage – but she'd returned moments after he'd managed to salvage the mess she'd made of his laptop.
It was just so typical of her, he thought uncharitably – if a little guilty, as he was still rather unused to the idea that he and Rose were fighting. But there really was no other word for it. He'd only been in Pete's bloody universe three days, and already everything had gone to hell.
Three days of uncomfortable silences, confusing emotions, requests for answers, demands for identities, and the impending claustrophobia of domesticity, had left him feeling completely overwhelmed. Something that irritated him beyond belief, because he was fairly certain this whole situation could have been avoided had he simply been given a few moments to adjust to the complexity that was now his existence. Not that he'd ever admit to experiencing such a human feeling.
He'd just about convinced himself that he could probably face Rose without losing it the moment she stepped through the door, when said door opened to reveal Jacqueline Tyler.
'What are you doing here?' the Doctor blurted out rudely, staring at Jackie in shock.
Rose's mother was absolutely the last person he wanted to see right now. In fact, he'd even take the angry, hurt, and upset version of Rose he'd encountered last night over Jackie Tyler any day. If she was here, he was at serious risk of physical harm. However, Jackie seemed to have her own agenda for the morning, and for now it didn't seem to include slapping him.
'Why do you think?' she snapped exasperatedly as she hauled several shopping bags into the hallway. 'I'm here to check you haven't burnt the bloody apartment building down. So if you're done with looking like a gormless idiot, help me get these bags into the kitchen!'
The Doctor scowled, making a point to ensure his mouth was firmly closed before stepping forward to help Jackie with her mass of shopping bags. How she'd ever managed to get them all upstairs by herself, he'd never know.
'I'm not a child, Jackie,' he muttered grumpily as he deposited his share of the bags onto the kitchen table. 'I'm perfectly capable of looking after myself. Managed just fine for the past 900 years,' he sniffed indignantly, knowing perfectly well who had sent Jackie round to check up on him.
Jackie put her own bags down much more carefully than he had, seemingly ignoring his childish behaviour. Finally, when she did look up to meet the Doctor's gaze, he was caught off guard by the disappointment he found lurking within the grey eyes.
He'd barely processed the expression though before Jackie returned her attention to her shopping bags, bustling around the kitchen as she unloaded them, all the while talking a mile a minute. The Doctor would have assumed he'd imagined the whole thing if it wasn't for the fact he could tell Jackie's concerned gaze never left him once.
'Rose said she hadn't had the chance to go shopping yet, but honestly – the state of this place!' Jackie chided him. 'I don't know how you two managed before, off on your own in that spaceship of yours. Milk's not even in date,' she declared, withdrawing from the fridge to empty the two out-of-date cartons down the sink.
Seizing his chance, the Doctor closed the fridge door and deliberately positioned himself between Jackie and the household appliance.
'I don't need a babysitter, Jackie.'
Rose's mother had the cheek to misinterpret him.
'I should hope not,' she answered pointedly, batting him away from the fridge so that she could restock it. 'Mind you, you'll be able to get some practice in with Tony,' she continued unperturbed. 'Doesn't have half a mind of his own, that one. Only five, and already he's taking after his sister. Says he wants to travel the stars, like Rose. On second thoughts, I'm not so sure I want you babysitting him. You'd probably take him to Mars, and not even think twice about it!'
'Oi! I'll have you know I'm an excellent babysitter. Won awards and everything. You're talking to Chialobos' "Best Babysitter", three times running.'
Jackie only raised an eyebrow, looking thoroughly unimpressed.
Before he could mount a defence though, she'd already moved on. Picking up the three remaining bags, she pointedly handed them to the Doctor.
'Now,' she continued briskly, as he opened the bags to examine their contents. 'You need to have a shower, and I'm going to organise some breakfast – although it's really closer to lunchtime.'
He'd stopped listening though, his attention captured by the contents of the bags he'd been handed.
One contained a couple of sweatpants and t-shirts, as well as a more traditional set of pyjamas. The second held underwear, mixed in with several pairs of vibrantly coloured socks. He was embarrassed to note that Jackie had selected a range of briefs, boxers, and boxer briefs for him to try. The final bag held an electric razor, accompanied by a range of personal hygiene products, including a toothbrush.
It hit him then that this was what domestics was: sweatpants and toothbrushes.
Was this who he was now? A man who wore boxers and cologne? A regular nine-to-five guy?
He used to save universes.
And yet here he was, felled by the contents of a simple shopping bag.
A gentle touch on his shoulder roused the Doctor before his thoughts could spiral off out of control. He sucked in a deep breath of air, looking up to find Jackie staring at him in concern. She was biting her lip, clearly worried by his reaction.
'We all have to start somewhere, sweetheart,' she murmured softly, rubbing his shoulder.
o0o
He got through the shower easily enough, finding comfort in the steamy environment and the steady pounding of Rose's high-powered shower nozzle as it delivered the perfect temperature hot water. It was enough to lull him into a state of semi-consciousness, reminding him that despite his best efforts to the contrary his body was in dire need of rest. He would have succumbed to the steamy embrace of the shower too, if Jackie hadn't had the good sense to check on him, tapping gently on the bathroom door to remind him that she'd served up breakfast.
Discarding his suit in exchange for the clothes she'd bought over was a little more difficult. In the end though he knew Jackie wouldn't tolerate him appearing before her in the same clothes he'd been wearing since his arrival in this universe, and he had to admit that the suit was in need of a wash. The smell of smoke and death still clung to the clothing. Not to mention his own body was still adjusting to the new human hormones, which meant he was more than a little grateful that Jackie had had the foresight to purchase some men's deodorant for him – not that he'd ever tell her.
The cotton of the sweatpants felt far too flimsy against his legs, and he missed the familiarity of his wool suit pants. Whilst the t-shirt left him feeling exposed, his arms seeming unnaturally pale in contrast to the deep blue colour Jackie had picked out for him. He was so busy rearranging his clothing, as he stepped out of the bathroom, that he didn't immediately notice Jackie. An irritated huff brought him sharply back to reality though, making him jump almost a foot in the air in surprise.
She was standing by the kitchen bench, arms crossed as she surveyed him with a thoroughly disapproving gaze. In front of her she'd lined up ten empty bottles of Pete Tyler's triple-caffeine-shot Vitex drink. Ten bottles the Doctor was quite certain he'd put in the rubbish bin last night. He was suddenly very glad that there was a bench and the living room, currently between him and Jackie Tyler because he had a terrible suspicion that he knew exactly where this was going.
'When did you last sleep?'
It was disconcerting how easily the woman could latch onto a topic the Doctor had no desire to discuss with her.
'Jackie, I can explain –'
'Can you? Because I know for a fact that Rose can't stand Pete's caffeinated drinks.'
The Doctor cursed internally as his half-baked excuse went flying out the window.
'I'm a Time Lord,' he tried instead. 'I don't need as much sleep as you humans.'
Jackie scoffed, rolling her eyes.
'You're part human now, mister, so don't you try that "superior biology" line with me. Now answer the question: when did you last sleep?'
It was abundantly clear where Rose got her stubbornness from.
Recognising defeat, the Doctor took the few steps over to the couch and sank, far too willingly, into its soft embrace. He was tired, and if Jackie was going to give him a dressing down, well he figured he might as well make himself comfortable.
'I haven't slept,' he admitted softly, staring up at the ceiling as he rested his head against the back of the couch.
'You can't just pretend things haven't changed, Doctor.'
Jackie's voice sounded from much closer than he was expecting, causing him to startle badly as he realised she'd managed to catch him unawares.
'Blimey, you're jittery,' she commented, reaching out to squeeze his shoulder comfortingly. 'Mind you, the amount of caffeine you've had in the last few days I'm surprised you're still standing.'
The Doctor gave her a watery smile.
'I used to be able to go weeks without ever needing to sleep,' he murmured sadly. 'Now, I can't even manage three days without resorting to an artificial stimulant.'
Jackie let out a sigh and sat herself down next to him.
'It's hard enough moving universes, Doctor,' she said sagely. 'But don't make it harder than it should be because you're too busy fighting the small changes. You need time to adjust, more so than any of us, and we all understand that. Just promise me you won't make Rose wait too long, Doctor.'
'She told you about our argument,' he realised flatly.
Jackie clipped him lightly over the head.
'Course she did, you plum! I'm her mother.'
He stared at her for a moment, before glancing away uncomfortably.
'I'm not sure I'm who Rose wants,' he admitted quietly, voicing the single fear that had been consuming him since the moment he'd arrived in Pete's world.
'And you've asked her that have you?' Jackie enquired dryly, fixing the Doctor with a knowing look.
'She wasn't exactly interested in hearing me out,' he snapped back, irritated by her line of questioning.
'There's no need to get snappy with me, mister! I'm not here to tell you what you should and shouldn't be doing, and I certainly didn't come over here to pick a fight with you. You and Rose have to sort your own problems out, Doctor. That's how relationships work. And the first thing you should understand is that it's not going to be easy. Goodness, Pete and I used to disagree on the silliest of things in those first few months. We used to fight, and we used to say some awful things to each other, all because we kept comparing what we had now with what we used to have. Course, once we realised that, we could see how stupid we were being, wasting our second chance.'
Jackie broke off in exasperation as she caught sight of the Doctor's furrowed brow.
'What I'm saying,' she continued earnestly, 'is that we worked out where we stood with each other, Doctor. You and Rose need to do the same. But, you're never going to get anywhere whilst you're so sleep deprived. You need to admit that you're that little bit more human now, and act accordingly. Even if that means you have to sleep eight hours a day like the rest of us. If you can't even admit that to yourself though, well I'm not sure why you're expecting Rose to do the same,' she finished sternly.
'I don't know where to start.'
'Getting some sleep is where you start.'
The Doctor still looked unsure.
'Rose is frustrated,' she relented, 'but she isn't going anywhere, so you just take your time, Doctor. You work out whom you are and what you want from this life, and when you're ready Rose will be waiting for you. We all want what's best for you. Even if that means coming round here every morning to make sure the apartment's still standing.'
The Doctor couldn't help the slight smile that Jackie's joke elicited.
'I'm not going to burn the place down,' he promised sarcastically.
Jackie smiled.
'I know, dear,' she said kindly, and then because it seemed she felt the need to explain her imposition upon him. 'It's what family do though, Doctor. We look out for each other.'
o0o
Jackie had only left the previous day after ensuring he'd had something to eat and gone to bed. When he'd woken, ravenously hungry, to find he'd slept the entire day through, he'd found a tidied flat and a note from her informing him that dinner was in the fridge, and to expect her again in the morning. He'd eaten and gone straight back to bed, her promised return the next morning, forgotten about.
So of course, he'd been rather surprised to find he wasn't the only occupant of the apartment when he'd finally made his way into the kitchen midmorning.
The sight of Jackie Tyler sipping tea at the kitchen bench, looking mildly bored as she flipped through a gossip rag, was enough to startle any man. At least, that was how he was attempting to justify the rather un-manly exclamation of surprise he'd let out upon catching sight of her – a response the Doctor was certain she'd probably never let him live down. Sulking, he'd sat himself down opposite her, and had only brightened up when she'd placed a choc-chip banana muffin in front of him.
It seemed she'd stopped by after dropping Tony off for a play date, but she'd brought more than just choc-chip banana muffins along. A thick, sealed yellow envelope, that he very much did not like the look of, had been placed very deliberately between them on the bench. Munching on the delicious muffin, he regarded the yellow envelope warily, noting that it was just within his reach if he felt so inclined to reach for it.
A name was scribbled on the front of the envelope in thick black marker pen, the handwriting horribly familiar. If he squinted, he could just make out the block lettering: DOCTOR.
'Rose asked me to drop these round this morning,' Jackie said casually, taking a sip of her tea. 'She finished them off yesterday, and thought they might give you a bit more freedom.'
Hesitantly the Doctor reached out for the thick package, pulling it across the table until it was directly in front of him. For a moment he considered not opening it. He knew what was in the package. How could he not? They'd argued over these very documents right before she'd left, so of course she'd gone and finished them for him. That was so very Rose – stubborn as a mule. She'd told her mother she wanted him to have freedom though, so perhaps it wasn't going to be as bad as he was thinking. Gingerly, he slid a finger under the seal, opened the envelope, and tipped the contents out onto the table.
The passport was the first thing he noticed, the plain burgundy colour jumping out at him. He was surprised she'd trusted him with one. Horrified, the Doctor quashed the uncharitable thought before it could take root. Rose had never attempted to constrain him. Not once. And he knew she wasn't about to start now. Even knowing his partiality towards running from his problems, she'd entrusted him with a passport – although if he had wanted to run from her, lack of an official passport would never have held him back. It was interesting that she'd given him the option though. In fact, he wasn't quite sure what to make of it. Did she want him to leave?
A bunch of other identification cards had fallen out with the passport, including a driver's license, a European healthcare card, several debit cards, an oyster card, and surprisingly a library card to the local branch. All of them were made out in the name of Doctor John Smith. Dutifully he skimmed through the collection of official documents that accompanied the identification cards. The pieces of paper cataloguing a life he'd never lived.
The more closely he examined the little details of this fictitious life Rose had constructed for him though, the angrier he became.
'So this is who Rose thinks I am,' he spat bitterly, dropping the papers back onto the bench.
Jackie frowned at his outburst, but for once refrained from commenting. Instead, she watched silently as the Doctor worked himself up into a right proper tiff.
'"John Smith",' he mocked, 'the epitome of a boring, average life. I've never read anything so dull,' he scoffed.
'Hang on,' Jackie interrupted. 'You've got at least two doctorates in that pile, and double first-class honours in your undergraduate degree. That's definitely more than average.'
The Doctor stared at her as though she'd dribbled on her shirt.
'Jackie, any Time Lord worth their robe, could explain and integrate quantum mechanics by the age of eight,' he replied, dead-pan.
'Yes, well here on Earth, we only manage that by age nine,' she shot back sarcastically.
She gave him a dirty look, before continuing on.
'It may look "primitive" to you, Doctor, but by our standards those qualifications you're so sceptical of make you a genius. And that's exactly what you shamelessly promote yourself as every single time you open that gob of yours!
'Besides, Rose offered to let you do this all yourself. But if I remember correctly, you didn't seem too interested at the time. So I suggest you stop complaining, and start learning. She didn't waste three days creating all this for nothing!'
The Doctor looked thoroughly put out, his ears tinged pink in embarrassment – and Jackie suspected, lingering anger – as he avoided her gaze by re-examining the papers he'd just dismissed.
'It's still a pathetically dull back-story,' he grumbled mutinously.
He was about to tell her exactly how dull the back-story was when a word in one of the papers caught his attention. Hastily he extracted the file from the pile before him, holding it out at arm's length as he squinted at the typed print, scanning the document with astounding rapidity. He missed Jackie's frown as she watched him struggle to read the small print, but before she could question him, he slammed the paper down, fixing her with a furious glare.
'Why do I have an ASBO!?' he exclaimed, his voice shifting up an octave in his outrage.
Infuriatingly, Jackie burst out laughing.
He shot her a thoroughly disgusted look, and impatiently waited for her to stop laughing and to start talking.
'I'm sorry,' she gasped, getting her breathing back under control. 'Rose mentioned that, but I didn't expect you to react like that! Goodness, I'll have to tell her about it when I get home!'
'Yeah thanks, Jackie,' he snapped icily. 'Because Rose really needs more fodder on me at the moment.'
That sobered her, any trace of amusement vanishing instantly to be replaced with that same sad, disappointed look she'd given him yesterday. The Doctor fixed his attention on a spot about a foot to the left of her. The last thing he wanted – or needed – was Jackie Tyler's pity.
'Rose may have been a bit upset with you when she filled that document out,' she offered lamely in explanation. 'If it helps, she did say it wasn't entirely intentional. She never meant to make it permanent, but by the time she'd cooled down she realised she'd accidentally saved it into the police records by mistake. She can take it out if you really want, but her and Pete thought it leant some authenticity to your background, even if you've never actually been drunk and disorderly. There are a few library fines and the like as well,' she finished.
The Doctor grumbled in mild indignation although he couldn't really argue with the Tylers' logic. It certainly did lend authenticity, and it wasn't as though Rose hadn't given him every opportunity to create his own history. Plus, he'd hardly been the model citizen back on Gallifrey. What did it matter if this silly human persona of his was a bit more accurate than he would have liked? Remembering the grief he'd caused his tutors at the Academy, the Doctor let out a long-suffering sigh of bemusement.
'I suppose it's only fair,' he acquiesced. 'My tutors at the Academy frequently bemoaned my tendency towards delinquency in my younger days.'
Jackie simply shook her head at him indulgently.
'Well,' she announced promptly, satisfied that he'd accepted the papers. 'I've got a few errands to run, but I'll drop back in on my way to picking Tony up from his play date.'
'That's really not necessary, Jackie –' the Doctor began, before realising he was talking to an empty room.
Rolling his eyes, he collected the pile of documents, and took them over to the couch with him. If Jackie really was coming back in a few hours he might as well use his time efficiently. Kicking his feet up onto the coffee table he examined the first sheet of his background history. It was time to find out who John Smith was.
o0o
Jackie returned loaded down with shopping bags. In hindsight, the Doctor wasn't sure why he'd expected anything else. Relieving her of her cargo at the door, he dutifully followed her into the kitchen all the while wondering what she'd brought around this time. He wouldn't say no to more bananas, but even he could tell the fruit bowl had exceeded its capacity. He was about to calculate the exact number of bananas that he'd need to consume to keep the fruit bowl below capacity level, when a shopping bag was thrust towards him.
Clearly, Jackie had other priorities.
Warily, the Doctor accepted the proffered bag, and risked glancing inside. He was baffled to find his blue suit.
'Why is my suit in your shopping bag?'
His voice was strained as he awaited her answer. The possibility that his suit – that the contents of his suit's pockets – had been anywhere other than crumpled up on the bathroom floor since yesterday, terrified him. Jackie couldn't possibly have been stupid enough to have taken his suit, he thought desperately. Although the way she was looking at him, as though he'd asked a particularly strange question, did not instil him with confidence.
'Well I was hardly going to wear it down to the dry cleaners, was I?'
'You took it to the dry cleaners?' the Doctor asked weakly, barely able to believe what he was hearing.
'That is how you clean suits, Doctor,' she replied slowly.
At some point his hands had found their way into his hair, and he'd begun to pace.
'Alright, stop!' Jackie commanded, her tone bringing the Doctor up short. 'What's got you all worked up? Because from the way you're acting I'm starting to think the world must be ending.'
Incredibly, he managed to hold back his sharp retort, opting instead to simply gape at her. He couldn't even appreciate her attempt at humour because the way he saw it, the world quite possibly had just ended. Well, his world at any rate. Tiredly, he ran a hand down his face, the fight going out of him as he realised that the damage had already been well and truly done. What he needed to do now, was attempt to salvage the situation.
'Where did you take it?'
'The place down on Campton Street,' Jackie answered confusedly. 'It's where I take all Pete's suits. They're always very good, Doctor. Managed to get a red wine stain out of one of Pete's white jackets last year, and yours looks good as new as well, s'far as I could tell.'
'It's not about the cleaning, Jackie,' the Doctor stressed. 'I don't care how good they are at getting wine stains out. I just care about what was in my pockets.'
Something clicked in her expression, sudden understanding as she realised what he was getting at. Although why that required an exasperated eye roll, the Doctor wasn't sure.
'Why didn't you say so, you daft idiot,' she chastised, pushing past him to fetch a box from Rose's room.
It was a large box, and clearly quite heavy judging from the way Jackie was handling it. He moved forward eagerly to take it from her, hoping against hope that it contained what he thought it did. The moment he had it in hand he put it straight down on the ground, and began to rifle through it. He'd never been so happy to see the contents of his pockets before, but it was only once he had the TARDIS coral piece safely in hand that he felt he could relax. Grinning like a loon, he looked up to meet Jackie's irritated, but indulgent, expression.
'What do you take me for anyway?' she asked pointedly. 'S'if I'd have subjected those poor people to going through your pockets. Bad enough I had to do it. The number of half eaten products you had in there...'
She suppressed a shudder, moving back into the kitchen, and leaving the Doctor alone to fawn over the myriad of objects that represented the entirety of his worldly goods.
o0o
It seemed three days was all it had taken for him to grow accustomed to finding Jackie Tyler situated in his kitchen when he awoke. Well, to at least assume that the kitchen was going to be occupied before he entered it. He still wasn't quite used to the Jackie Tyler part of this particular equation.
As per usual she was flicking through a magazine as she sipped away at her morning cup of tea when he finally made it into the kitchen mid-morning, dressed again in a clean pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. A combination that was fast becoming his "house wear", he was mildly disgusted to note. However, Jackie would stand for nothing less than at least one change of clothing per day, and since it was far too early in the day to antagonise her he instead opted to oblige her peculiar idiosyncrasies.
What was unusual this morning was that Jackie relinquished the magazine the moment he walked into the kitchen in favour of setting about making his tea for him.
The Doctor was immediately suspicious. Jackie Tyler never fussed over his tea, unless he had something she needed. He stared at her apprehensively as she placed his perfectly prepared tea before him. She knew how well he liked her tea – he suspected his appreciation stemmed from his early encounter with her brew during this particular regeneration – and he tried admirably to resist the temptation of taking a sip. He knew she'd pounce on him the moment he relented, taking his enjoyment of her tea as payment for a favour.
He lasted a respectable forty seconds before giving in and taking a sip. The delightful brew had barely graced his palate before, as expected, Jackie broke her silence.
'Rose is going into Torchwood this morning,' she began casually, testing the waters.
The Doctor carefully set his cup down, his movements precise as he attempted to hide his anger. He suspected he knew exactly where this conversation was going.
'Rose goes into Torchwood every morning, Jackie,' he replied evenly. 'What exactly is so special about today, that you've decided I need to know about it?'
'She's disassembling the Dimension Cannon today.'
There was a brief, uncomfortable silence as the Doctor processed her words.
'Good for her,' he replied bitterly. 'Though I have no idea why that should be any concern of mine.'
'She wanted to know if you'd come with her.'
'No.'
His rebuff was instantaneous, and absolute.
'She only wants your support, Doctor,' Jackie snapped, irritation slipping into her tone at his reluctance to even consider the issue. 'Is it really too much to ask you to help her with this one thing!?'
He gazed at her coldly, his tea entirely forgotten.
'Rose knows perfectly well that I have absolutely no desire to ever associate myself with Torchwood.'
He could tell Jackie was furious as she picked up her magazine, and shoved it roughly into her hand bag before shouldering the ridiculous monstrosity she favoured. She made it all the way to the door before retaliating.
'She only asked because she spent three years building the bloody thing so that she could find her way back to you. Believe it or not, packing up a project she was so heavily invested in is a bit more challenging than just pulling it all to pieces. Of course, you wouldn't know anything about that, would you? Seeing as she was the one who had to come and find you!'
With that parting jab, the door slammed shut, and the Doctor was left to contemplate when he'd managed to become so brilliant at sticking his foot in his mouth.
o0o
He'd known there was something wrong when Pete Tyler turned up the next morning.
The man's face had been grim, his colour almost matching the dreary grey suit he wore. He hadn't said much at all, but it had been enough. After everything that had happened in the past week, it had simply taken the words "Rose" and "gone" to bring the Doctor into Torchwood. If he'd been capable of feeling anything at all, he might have found the whole situation ironic. Instead, he sat alone in Rose's empty office, numb to the world around him as he contemplated his new reality.
Pete had taken him straight to the Dimension Cannon the moment they'd arrived at Torchwood. The technology, which normally would have impressed the Doctor to no end, instead seemed to mock him, and it was with the utmost focus he concentrated simply on analysing the data from the computer. It didn't take him long to reach his conclusions: Rose was gone, and the Cannon was offline.
He'd told Pete as much, which was when he'd been taken through to Rose's office, left alone temporarily whilst pointless arrangements were made by the Torchwood staff. At some point someone had handed him a Styrofoam cup of tea. It lay neglected in his left hand, neither wanted nor remembered.
'Tosh has programmed an alert into the Cannon system so that we'll know the moment Rose's jumper becomes active again.'
Pete's voice startled the Doctor from his thoughts. He'd been so distracted he hadn't noticed the other man re-entering Rose's office, and as it was it took him a few moments to process what had been said to him.
'It doesn't matter,' he answered flatly. 'I already know where she is.'
Pete frowned.
'Why didn't you say so before?'
'Because I wasn't ever sure it had been real,' the Doctor admitted, finally voicing one of the numerous thoughts that had been plaguing him as he sat alone in Rose's abandoned office. He'd known the moment he'd seen the Cannon where she'd gone. There was no other plausible alternative.
'Doctor, you're not making any sense,' Pete replied in frustration, pulling Rose's desk chair over. 'Do you, or do you not, know where Rose is?'
The Doctor really didn't feel like explaining the situation to Pete, but he supposed he owed the man some explanation.
'She's in Las Vegas,' he supplied dully. 'In her home universe,' he clarified, pre-empting Pete's next question. 'It's the year 2008 where she is, and she'll spend five and a half weeks looking after a man named Peter Vincent. She'll save his life, in more ways than she can possibly imagine, and on the 15th April, Rose Tyler will offer him a choice. He'll make a decision that will change their lives irrevocably. The last time he sees her, he begs her to stay with him. She doesn't. Instead, she fades away as though she'd never existed in the first place, and he's left wondering if he imagined the whole thing.'
'How can you possibly know all that?'
'Because I was Peter Vincent.'
o0o
'You look like you've had the shock of your life, sweetheart.'
The Doctor blinked, broken from his thoughts to find himself face to face with Jackie. He frowned as he took in his surroundings, recognising the familiar facade of the Tyler mansion. On any other day he'd have been concerned to realise he had no idea how he'd come to be here, but not today. Not with Rose gone.
Time seemed to have blurred without his permission, events progressing around him without his knowledge. He remembered providing a condensed explanation of his time in Las Vegas to Rose's father, but very little else. Clearly, Pete had decided to take him home with him.
His silence must have alarmed Jackie, because she pulled him down into an embrace, holding him tightly. For once, he allowed himself to be comforted by the woman, not resisting the rare display of overt affection.
Eventually she pulled back so that she could examine him properly.
'She's had us all worried, disappearing off like that, but you look terrible, Doctor. You're not ill are you?'
'No.'
Jackie wasn't convinced, reaching up to feel his forehead as though worried he had a fever. He pulled away, forcing himself to stand tall again.
'I'm fine, Jackie,' he insisted, although it sounded feeble even to his own ears.
She gave him a long, hard look.
'Are you sure you're alright?'
He could have laughed. How many times had his wonderful companions asked that of him? And how many times had he lied?
He forced himself to smile.
'I'm always alright.'
The lie was almost convincing this time.
'Best get you settled inside then,' Jackie said, letting him win for now.
He was almost at the door when her words registered with him.
'Settled?' he asked confusedly. 'Jackie, I'm not staying.'
She stopped dead, her eyes narrowing dangerously as she turned to face him, arms crossed tightly across her chest and eyebrow half raised already.
'How long did you say she was going to be gone for?'
'Five and a half weeks,' he answered reluctantly.
'And how many people do you know in this universe?'
'Well,' he began, drawing the word out as he stalled for time. 'You...and Pete, of course...and then there's Jake from Torchwood...'
Trailing off, he frowned as he realised he'd exhausted his list of acquaintances. Although he suspected Rose's mother wouldn't appreciate being labelled simply as an "acquaintance". She was gazing at him sympathetically, the expected "I told you so" uncharacteristically withheld. He must truly look a fright, he thought despondently.
'I know you're not one for staying put, but you'll always have a home with us, Doctor.'
To her dying day, Jackie Tyler would never truly understand the impact her words had on him in that moment. He had no planet; no people; no TARDIS; no Rose. He was utterly alone in this universe except for one woman, and her family. Jacqueline Tyler, who understood him well enough to know that even if he pretended otherwise, sometimes he did need someone to care enough to ask. Feeling more than a little overwhelmed, the only reply he was capable of was a nod of acceptance.
Jackie smiled.
'Just until Rose gets back, mind you,' she added tactfully. 'One five year old is more than enough for me!'
Her quip worked, and he couldn't help the small smile that tugged at his lips as he followed her inside.
o0o
Jackie must have conspired to keep Tony busy whilst he settled in because it was a good thirty minutes before the youngest Tyler ventured into the guest room to assess his new housemate. Intent on upgrading the second-hand sonic screwdriver he'd nabbed from the TARDIS, the Doctor didn't immediately register the boy's arrival. Unlike most five year old boys, Tony wasn't loud-mouthed. Instead, Rose's brother elected to quietly observe the strange man who'd taken up residence in his home before making his presence known.
'Are you Rose's boyfriend?'
'What!?'
The Doctor just about fell out of his chair, as he whirled around to find himself face to face with a blonde-haired boy. He recognised the eyes immediately, for it seemed Tony Tyler shared his sister's hazel eyes. The boy had been looking over his shoulder, quietly watching him rebuild the sonic screwdriver, but it seemed curiosity as to his identity had drawn out the polite enquiry from the five-year old.
'Well, are you?' Tony repeated impatiently, frowning speculatively as he eyed the Doctor with interest.
Unable to come up with an appropriate answer, the Doctor settled on the obvious.
'You must be, Tony Tyler. I'm the Doctor.'
Tony grinned as he accepted the Doctor's proffered hand, apparently delighted by the grown up gesture.
'Rose talks about you a lot,' the boy supplied dutifully, as though this settled the matter.
'She does?'
Tony nodded in agreement, leaning around the Doctor to look more closely at the disassembled sonic. Thankfully he had the sense not to touch anything, but just in case the Doctor carefully manoeuvred the more temperamental parts away from Tony. Apparently satisfied with his brief examination, Rose's brother turned to look at him once again.
'If you marry Rose, will you be my brother?'
The Doctor swallowed a nervous laugh, the sound coming out as a strangled noise at the back of his throat. He was going to kill Jackie Tyler.
'Well,' he replied embarrassedly, dragging the word out as he tugged nervously on his ear. 'I suppose...hypothetically...if Rose and I were ever to get married...then by the standards of this particular planet...and this particular century...you would be considered my brother-in-law.'
Tony beamed at him.
'I knew it!'
'Did you?' the Doctor replied, weakly.
'Who's your football team?' Tony continued, oblivious to the Doctor's embarrassment.
'Err?'
'You can't marry Rose unless it's Arsenal,' he replied seriously.
The Doctor suppressed a laugh. The boy was being completely earnest despite the ridiculous nature of his request. It'd been so long since he'd spoken with a child, he'd almost forgotten the joy such conversations bought.
'Well, Tony Tyler,' he answered delightedly, crouching down so that he was eye-level with the grave-faced child, 'you're in luck. I happen to be an avid Arsenal fan myself.'
'Yes!' Tony exclaimed happily, throwing his arms tightly around the Doctor's neck in the approximation of a hug. 'They're Rose's team as well.'
As quickly as the hug had begun, Tony was pulling away, the Doctor's hand clasped tightly in his own little one as he insistently pulled the older man upright.
'C'mon, I want to show you my football!'
Unresistingly, the Doctor allowed himself to be led outside into the back garden by the eager five-year old. There was a child-sized goal set up close to the house, but it was the official Arsenal FC signature football that Tony wanted him to see. He'd received the ball from Father Christmas apparently, and the Doctor could tell that it was a treasured possession for although it appeared well-used from six months of use, it was also clear that Tony took good care of his football.
'Do you want to play for a bit?' he asked tentatively, clearly unsure if Rose's friend would want to play with her younger brother. Of course, the boy's hopeful expression meant the Doctor's answer was a given, and he happily took the offered ball, mindful of his companion's shorter legs as he kicked the ball backwards and forwards with Tony.
'Did you know,' the Doctor began enthusiastically as he carefully nudged the ball back towards Tony, 'that I convinced the higher-ups at Arsenal that Wenger was making the right choice to sign Thierry Henry back in 1999. They didn't think Henry was worth the transfer fee. Course, they didn't know that Henry won't be replaced as Arsenal's all-time leading scorer until 2036.'
The Doctor's grin faded as he realised Tony was frowning.
'You said your club was Arsenal!' the boy accused, sounding awfully upset, his football lying forgotten at his feet.
'They are,' the Doctor assured. 'I thought you'd like to hear about Henry though,' he finished confusedly.
He was completely astounded that Tony didn't seem to have the slightest bit of interest in hearing about arguably the best Arsenal player of the 21st century.
'Henry plays for Chelsea,' Tony grumbled angrily, kicking the football in disgust. 'I hate Chelsea!'
The Doctor winced as the football-turned-projectile hit him hard in the shin.
'Oww,' he whined, rubbing his bruised leg. 'What was that for!? It's not my fault I'm from another universe. How was I supposed to know Henry played for Chelsea here?'
Tony had the grace to look ashamed.
'Sorry,' the five-year old mumbled, running to fetch the football before handing it over to the Doctor as a peace offering.
Growing up in the Tyler household meant Tony had some understanding of parallel worlds, and thankfully Rose had made a point – quite soon after their arrival, and whilst they'd still been on speaking terms – of bringing him up to speed on what was "five-year old Tony" safe and what wasn't. He wasn't going to risk either Rose's or Jackie's wrath by crossing that particular line.
They kicked the ball between them for a few more minutes, the silence stifling as the Doctor realised he'd disappointed his young companion with his lack of contemporary Arsenal knowledge. Determined to make the little boy smile again, he volunteered himself as keeper so that Tony could practice shooting goals. Rose's brother was immediately impressed and within a few minutes was laughing excitedly as the Doctor went to great lengths to make inspiring saves. However, Tony must have had more on his mind than football because it wasn't long before the questions started up again.
'Did you fight with Rose?'
The Doctor froze, caught off guard by the sudden question. The truth slipped out though – hard and cold against the warm summer day's breeze – as he gently rolled the ball back to Tony.
'Yes.'
'Is that why she's gone?'
'I don't know, Tony,' the Doctor answered wearily. And the truth was he really didn't know why Rose was gone. His time as Peter Vincent was hazy at best, something that had always bothered him.
'You've got to say you're sorry,' Tony advised pragmatically. 'That's what Mummy says you do after you fight.'
The Doctor smiled sadly; Tony had such a simple view of the world. Somehow he didn't think "I'm sorry" was going to cut it with Rose this time though.
The ball passed between them in silence for several minutes before Tony spoke once again.
'Is Rose gone forever?'
The football thumped into the back of the net, but neither the Doctor nor Tony paid it any mind. Closing the distance between them the Doctor crouched down in front of the little boy, suddenly aware of exactly how young Rose's brother was as he voiced his terrible fear to the one person he was certain would know the answer.
'Your sister would never leave you without saying goodbye, Tony,' he promised surely. 'She's coming back, okay?'
Tony nodded, his doubts vanishing instantly as he wrapped his arms tightly around the Doctor's neck.
'I'm glad you're here, Doctor,' he whispered.
'So am I, Tony Tyler.'