Author's Notes: Time Bound is a two-part story. The first part was Time Bound, Part I: Fracturing. Now, these last 5 chapters form Time Bound, Part II: Mending

The entire story is a sequel to both The Trial of Ten and Time Sense. While there are a few references to those stories, it isn't necessary to read them to understand this new one. The main thing to understand is that Ten has been exiled to Earth by the Shadow Proclamation (Trial of Ten). He and Rose work as freelancers for UNIT and are posted to various places around the U.K. in order to solve mysteries. One such location was Lindisfarne (Time Sense). The NATS are time creatures that made their first appearance at Lindisfarne.

In the first part of Time Bound (Fracturing),Ten, Rose, River and Eleven stopped the Sycorax from doing something nasty to a planet. However, Ten broke his parole conditions. The action part is over, but the clean up of both Ten's imprisonment and his relationship with Rose is dealt with in this second part.

Disclaimer: This story takes place within the Doctor Who universe. This story is a way of re-interpreting concepts and ideas already present in Doctor Who. All Doctor Who characters within belong to the BBC. All other characters are fictitious. This story is for fun and for sharing, but not for profit.


Chapter 1: How to Plead

Rose followed River, stumbling slightly, down several corridors in the Tardis. The fractures on the planet Virrukoi were gone, the Judoon had subdued the Sycorax and the Allack, and Eleven was making repairs in the Console Room. The crisis had ended the best way possible for the Virrukoian inhabitants: they were safe and, although their planet was in ruins, at least it was in one piece. They could rebuild.

It could have been so much worse. And yet she couldn't give them any more of her attention. Now, all she could think of was Ten. The Judoon were taking him in chains back to the Shadow Proclamation and back to the Shadow Architect who hated him and had unilateral power over his fate.

The last time Rose had talked with him-really talked-they had argued under the console platform. A sick feeling twisted in her stomach. After the argument, she had seen him look at her several times, clearly unhappy. And yet she refused to look at him.

Only one small stray thought escaped. She didn't like the corridors of the new Tardis. They were so barren and mechanical, and austerely shaped in their stark triangles and hexagons. She hadn't really had a chance to do much exploring since she and Ten had returned from Pete's world, but the corridors hadn't invited exploration in contrast to the opulent and wacky console room. The coral interior of the Tardis had been so much more inviting and welcoming, with its warmer hues and organic branches and tendrils. When she and the Doctor had their adventures-when she and Ten and Eleven... Ten...

The stray thought evaporated instantly. Ten was a prisoner. Twelve more hours before they could rescue him. 'Where are we going?' she asked. Her feet felt like lead. It seemed as if they had walked enough to pass all the familiar rooms.

River smiled. 'A spot I thought you might like.' She rounded a corner and then glanced back at Rose.

Rose followed her around the corner and gasped. This new branch of the corridor began much like the triangular hexagonal passageways behind her with the same cool, metallic colours and roundels, but soon it morphed into warmer colours-rich burnt oranges and browns. Smooth, clinical, geometric details changed into rough coral ribbing that curved up and down the hallways and spiralled overhead. Underfoot, flat flooring raised itself into grating that now rested on the under-curve of the rounded, tube-like corridor.

'This... this is the old Tardis,' Rose whispered. She touched the wall nearest her, and she felt the roughness of the porous coral under her fingertips. She stroked it gently.

'She doesn't change everything when she regenerates,' said River softly. 'The further you go out from the centre, the older the design. There's a lot of this, actually.' She walked further down the corridor, scanning right and left. 'Here it is.' She stepped to one side and disappeared.

Rose frowned and followed her to the spot. River had stepped into a nook that was perhaps three feet deep and six feet wide. She now sat in a half-seat, half-hammock that partially protruded from one side and partially rested, suspended, on coral strands. Another such seat nestled in the other half of the nook. Rose cautiously sat down and immediately found herself nestled amongst coral. She leaned her head back and it rested against more coral that seemed as if it moulded exactly to the back of her head. She sighed. Her muscles felt as if they were relaxing into puddles. She felt as if she never wanted to move again.

'She does that, you know,' said River. 'She knows you, I can tell. She remembers.'

Rose smiled wistfully. 'I know. Feels like coming home.'

River answered her smile with one of her own, equally wistful. 'I only know the "new" Tardis, as you call her. But I like exploring further out, seeing the differences, each layer back. It's one way of looking into the Doctor's past-maybe my future. The very oldest areas are so clean, sterile. The younger he gets, the Tardis gets, the less personality she has.'

'I never explored all of her,' murmured Rose. 'We were always running. There was never time, but I thought... I thought there'd be loads.'

River reached forward and patted Rose on the knee. 'That's always the way with him-them. Isn't it? But, you know, I have a confession.'

Rose tilted her head. 'What?'

'I have to admit that I've always been a wee bit insecure about you.'

Rose froze. When her heart felt like it was beating normally again, she leaned forward. 'Ab-about me?' she stuttered. Calm, confident River, insecure about her?

At Rose's startled reaction, River hastily added, 'And you may not tell either one of them! But I know-I just know-that you were his first love after the Time War. The impression I get is that you helped him heal. And three incarnations of him have loved you! Still love you. That's a pretty tough act to follow.'

Rose swallowed. River watched her calmly, and there didn't seem to be any antagonism in her gaze. In fact, her expression was open and frank. And she was smiling, if a bit ruefully.

'I... I... um, okay,' Rose managed at last. 'Really?'

River nodded. 'Really. So, I don't try. To follow, that is. I meet him on my own terms. And he seems quite happy to do that. Eleven, that is.'

'Well, you're Time Lord, yeah?' Rose responded. 'You're like a time-traveller action hero. You know the Tardis. He loves that. Ten too. But...' Her voice trailed off.

'But you're not,' River finished softly. 'You don't do yourself enough credit, Rose. Ten loves you because you're human, and you're a human who can meet him halfway. You give him the best of what humanity has to offer, but you have that adventurous spirit he craves. And compassion. Compassion for him, for the people on Virrukoi, for anyone who needs help. I know. Believe me, being in communication with the Tardis, I can find out a lot of things. And she has her own opinions too.' River leaned back in her chair. 'So there we are. Two women talking about our insecurities concerning the men we love. I don't think we can be any more clichéd. Sad, that.'

Rose laughed then and grinned. She could feel her sudden adrenaline ebbing away. 'Yeah. Really sad.'

River briskly rubbed her hands together. 'Right then. Cliché or not, we still have some stuff to talk about, you and I. About Time Lords and their attitudes towards... things.'

Rose stiffened. 'We've already had the sex talk.'

'Yes,' said River, waving that aside. 'You and I already know more about the birds and the bees than our two poor Doctors will ever really understand. It's the training of them that's the problem. How to get Ten started.'

Rose grunted. 'Tie him down? That's the only way I can think of to stop him running off.'

River threw her head back in peals of laughter. 'No, no,' she finally gasped. 'Let the poor chap get his feet wet before you start any of that stuff.'

Rose glared at her. 'I was only joking.'

River smirked. 'I wasn't.'

Rose gaped. 'Really?' she managed, once she could muster speech. 'You and... and Eleven?'

River shrugged elegantly but with a rather smug smile.

Rose blinked, but after a moment, her shoulders sagged. 'Why're we talking about this. They might jail him, or even execute him.'

'Ten?' It wasn't really a question.

At Rose's nod, River tilted her head to one side. 'I doubt they'd execute him. Jail him? Possibly, but he has a good case for his defence. He solved the situation on Virrukoi and alerted the Judoon to the Sycorax the only way he could. They only arrived just in time. We all would have been dead minutes later.'

'Yeah.' Rose picked at a fingernail.

'Don't worry. The Doctor, whichever version, gets out of all sorts of scrapes.'

'Not with the Shadow Proclamation,' Rose reminded her. 'That's why the chip's in his neck.'

'He did exactly what they wanted,' said River softly. 'Don't worry about him. Until we reach the Proclamation, we need down time. Besides, knowing Ten-he is the Doctor, after all-he's probably talking up a storm and completely confounding his captors.'

Rose giggled at this. 'True.' As she laughed, the tight knot of tension in her stomach began to uncoil a little.

'Rose, have you ever thought of getting married?'

The laughter died and Rose reared back her head. 'Nothing holds you back, does it.'

'Not usually, no. But, seriously...'

'River-'

'Hear me out. The Doctor...s... They've been running so long, they've lost so much-I'm not surprised it hasn't even occurred to yours, Ten, to even consider it. But it doesn't mean that he wouldn't want it.'

'If he'd wanted it, he'd've said something,' muttered Rose. 'It's been a year.'

'Which is a blink of an eye to him,' said River firmly. 'Besides, he may feel he doesn't deserve it.'

'Why not?'

River actually looked uncomfortable. 'Time War, things he had to do. It's not really for me to say. But, really, Rose... You're going to be the one who has to initiate stuff. If you truly want it. That kind of thing won't occur to him. Even though he adores you. He does. I can see it. The way he looks at you? He'd never admit it, I'm sure, but it's there.'

Rose slammed down her hands against the coral at her sides. 'Then why won't he even tell me his name? I didn't even know he had a name other than "The Doctor". He told you. Why didn't he tell me?'

'Because he can only tell the person he marries.'

Rose slumped in her seat. 'Yeah. Right. And he's already married you. So I don't get a look in.'

'Eleven has already married me. Not Ten. He learned of Eleven's future before he became his own person. At least, I'm making the assumption that that's what happened.'

'Right. Yeah.' Rose felt her cheeks burning. 'Sorry. I'm making a mess of everything. I wish it didn't matter so much. It's just a name.'

'It's a lot,' said River firmly and she leaned forward and took Rose's hands. 'A name represents you. It is a part of your identity. He is hiding his identity from you and you're picking up on that. He doesn't mean to... well, he does, actually, but, you see, it's such a way of life-such an imperative-for him that he doesn't even think about it anymore. But it's a way-'

'It's a way to keep me out,' finished Rose. 'I don't know who he really is.'

'And no-one ever will, except for himself. Themselves. Which is why I think you two should get married. You're simply stuck in a holding pattern. He will be forced to slow down and see you as the partner you already are. He will let you in more, then. Not as much as you might want, perhaps, but more. Besides, he's already a lot more responsive than Eleven. I can see it. Becoming partly human has done him good.' River cocked her head and smiled wistfully. 'I rather envy you two. There's a closeness... Yes. You definitely should get married. Would you like to?'

Rose nodded, and she could feel a goofy smile spread over her face. 'Yeah,' she said. 'I never really needed it before. And I didn't want him to feel trapped. But it's different now. It feels different. I don't need the white dress and all that, but I want to be with him. More. Closer. Like you and Eleven.'

'Right. I'll go talk to Eleven and we'll get it sorted. Ten'll come round. As soon as you say something, he'll come round.'

'Just like that?' Rose bit her lip.

'Just like that.' River stood and, still holding Rose's hands, pulled her to her feet. 'Go have a kip. You're tired out and you'll want to be refreshed before we reach the Proclamation.'

As if on cue, Rose yawned. 'Why aren't you tired.'

'Time Lord,' River answered. 'Some advantages to the physiology. Only one heart, though. So, a bit hybrid. A bit like Ten.' She chivvied Rose down the corridor. 'Off you go. It's five in the morning for you, after also saving a planet.'

Rose stumbled along, allowing River to guide her to her own bedroom. It also was further out from the console room than she remembered, and they didn't leave the coral layer of the Tardis, but now that sleep was beginning to overtake her, she didn't question it. And River's rubbing her hand comfortingly between Rose's shoulder blades further lulled her. Once she flopped onto her bed and her head hit the pillow, she was gone.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

She woke nine hours later. At first, she opened her eyes and found herself looking at an old, familiar ceiling. Coral tendrils traced an intricate pattern overhead, and the rich burnt oranges, browns, greens and golds blended and shimmered. The bed was that peculiar but blissful blend of hard and soft under her and the duvet, the one nod to her own culture, was puffy, mounded, soft and warm all around her.

The last time she was on the Tardis, she was given a room next to Ten, and it was of the new Tardis design. However, the room she was in now had been her own room she used for the two years she travelled with the Doctor. Lying here in the bed and seeing the coral gave her a sense of coming home. She stretched blissfully, but as her body became more attuned to the waking world, so did her mind. All the events of the previous day came rushing back and she sat bolt upright.

Hastily scrambling to her feet, she stuffed her feet into her trainers. For one brief moment, she frowned, unable to remember taking them off the night before. She obviously hadn't undressed, though. But the next instant, those thoughts were gone. Almost by instinct, even though the corridors were further than she remembered, she made her way quickly to the console room.

As she scrambled down the suspended staircase that joined the console platform, Eleven came in from the outside and pulled the wooden door to behind him.

'Good morning, sleepy-head,' he called out to her cheerfully. 'Fancy a trip to the Shadow Proclamation?'

'Yes!' Rose jumped the last two steps and landed on the platform. 'We aren't there, then?'

'Nah,' responded Eleven. He began his familiar dance around the console, yanking on bell pulls and levers. 'Just had to make a stop on the way. One or two. Or three.'

River emerged from below the platform. 'Good sleep?' She held a sonic screwdriver in her hand. It looked different from the Doctor's. Different but similar. Rose didn't dwell on it, though.

'Yeah,' she answered. 'Thanks.'

The Tardis shuddered and jolted. She grabbed the railing out of old habit, but as soon as the shaking stopped, she bolted across the console platform. Spying the odd device Ten had stolen from the Sycorax, she grabbed it from its spot on the jumpseat. She glanced up and saw Eleven looking at her. He smiled and nodded. She nodded back, cradled the device in her arm and then ran down the steps to the doors.

'Coming?' she asked, looking back at him.

'Er, sorry. Can't,' he answered, still fiddling with the controls. 'You and River go.'

'But he needs you! We need all the help we can get to free him.'

'Rose, Rose, Rose.' Eleven shook his head and smiled wistfully. 'You don't need me. Not any more. You haven't for a long time, really. But Ten needs you. Go and save him, already!' He grinned then. 'Already. Earth vernacular! Love that. Do something already. Very timey-wimey.'

'Come on,' said River, coming up from behind and linking her arm with Rose's. 'We'll do it together. Eleven's "dead", remember? He can't go out there.'

Rose nodded. 'Right. Forgot.' She took a deep breath and opened the doors.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

The hearing chamber was quite different from the vast, dark courtroom of Ten's trial. This was much smaller, white and with only a few curving rows of elevated chairs spanning across three corners of the room. A small, slightly elevated dais stood in the fourth corner with its own entrance.

Rose, River and their attendant descended the flight of steps that ran down the middle of the seating area. Rose went straight to the front and the other two followed her. She sat down in the chair closest to the centre. The chair moulded to her as the ones had done in the trial chamber a year ago. She squirmed. But no sooner than she sat down, the frame of the doorway at the back of the dais glowed slightly and the Shadow Architect emerged.

Rose's hands clenched. Memories of the bluish electricity and Ten arching in pain came to her, and she wanted to wipe the smug arrogance from the Architect's face.

Behind him came Ten, flanked by two Judoon. His hands were still shackled together, though in front of him now. He looked tired but quite alert, looking around him curiously. When he caught sight of Rose, a big grin spread across his face and his eyes shone. Rose's hands relaxed and she answered his grin with one of her own.

And behind Ten came a familiar figure.

'The Woman,' breathed Rose. She sensed River looking at her quizzically. 'Ten has a chance with her around,' she whispered.

A bell was struck, somewhere out of sight, and it welled up and died away quickly.

'The Hearing has commenced,' said the Architect. 'The Doctor, known as "Ten", you have broken the conditions of your trip. You were warned of the consequences and yet you still flouted the generous permissions afforded you. You deliberately and knowingly transported off the planet Virrukoi and travelled seven hours back in time to the planet Zog. Depending on the outcome of this hearing, sanctions may range from corporal punishment to imprisonment or death. How do you plead?'

'Guilty,' said Ten promptly.

'Oh no,' whispered Rose. She felt her stomach sink. She twisted her hands together.

The Architect blinked. 'You do not even try to protest your innocence.'

Ten shrugged. 'No point. I did what you said I did. Very thorough, your description. Always knew the Proclamation was a stickler for detail.'

'Do you have any reason why you should not be put to death immediately for breaking your parole?'

Ten shuffled his feet. 'We-e-ell, I did want to alert these fine fellows here-' and he gestured with his head to the Judoon '-that the Sycorax were responsible for the time fractures on Virrukoi and that they were invading. Problem was, the fractures scrambled any signal reaching out into space. The only way was to do what I did. I knew that nothing would get as prompt a response as dancing around in front of these chaps.'

The Architect turned to the Judoon. 'Were the conditions on the planet as he described?'

The Judoon to Ten's left barked an affirmative. 'Po, Ro!'

The Woman spoke for the first time. 'And if he had waited any longer for conditions to improve for sending signals without breaking parole, would there have been advantage?'

The Judoon ponderously shook its massive head.

'Any disadvantage?'

The Judoon nodded.

'What would have been the disadvantage?'

'Invasion of planet. Increase in casualties.'

The Woman faced the Architect. 'A compelling reason for the Doctor known as Ten to break the conditions of his parole.'

The Architect scowled. 'That may be. However, I want to know why the Doctor known as Ten decided that the Sycorax were responsible for the time fractures rather than a naturally occurring phenomenon.'

'Naturally occurring?' whispered River in disbelief. Rose leaned forward.

'And why,' continued the Architect, 'he chose to flout the conditions of his parole for something that, while regrettable, would have been a natural development of the planet. The Sycorax "invasion" would have been incidental to the already determined end of a planet and its civilization.'

'What?' Rose fell back against her chair. 'Is he mad?'

'No,' muttered River. 'He has to question everything. But he hates Ten. That's obvious.'

The Woman turned to Ten. 'On what basis did you decide that the Sycorax were responsible for the time fractures?'

'Ooh!' Ten bounced on his feet. 'I'm glad you asked that. Really glad. See, when I reached the epicentre of the time distortions, I found an awfully interesting thing. All glowy and humming. Very pretty with little lights on it. All nicely wired into some local machinery and guarded very carefully by Sycorax. But it was nothing that the Virrukoi could have possibly made on their own. A far cry from anything they've developed up to now. Besides,' and he shrugged, 'I've seen Sycoraxic technology before and this puppy fit right in.'

'And where is this... er... "puppy" right now?' asked the Woman.

Rose bounced up out of her chair and she raised her hand high as if in school. 'Oh, oh! Right here!' She brought the device out with her other hand. Its rounded shape nestled comfortably in her hand, although the irregularly placed wires spilled out and hung over her fingers. She held it up high.

'Ah,' said the Woman, and she walked to the end of the dais and paused for a moment. There was a brief shimmer in the air for a moment, and then the air cleared. Rose realized that there had been a force field in place between the dais and the audience area. The Woman walked through and stopped in front of Rose. 'May I have the evidence, please?'

Rose placed the device carefully in the Woman's held-out hands.

'Thank you,' said the Woman and she swiftly re-entered the secure area. As the force-field shimmered back into place, she stood before Ten. 'Is this the device that you claim was planted by the Sycorax on the planet Virrukoi?'

Ten nodded. 'That's it. It would have completely broken up the planet and made it easy for anyone to mine the chunks for Boolium. The planet's full of it.'

The Woman held the device in front of the Architect. 'Here is the evidence presented by the defendant.'

The Architect pursed his lips. He turned to the Judoon. 'You have long experience with the Sycorax. Do you recognize this device as being in keeping with their technology?'

The Judoon rumbled its affirmative. 'Po, ro!'

'And the Virrukoi-would they be able to create this on their own?'

The Judoon immediately shook its head. 'Cho, fo!'

'I see,' said the Woman and she turned to the Architect. 'This seems to be straightforward evidence that the time fractures were not only an unnatural phenomenon, but a clear result of Sycoraxic intention to profiteer.' Before the Architect could respond, she looked back at the Judoon. 'I received a report from the Judoon platoon that intercepted the Allack in the city to the north of the standoff. I understand that the Allack told the inhabitants that they would be "reasonably expected" to pay off all debts for aid from the Allack by helping to mine for Boolium once the emergency had passed.'

Rose gasped, and she saw Ten's eyes widen. Clearly he was as surprised as she was.

'Mining the chunks of their own disintegrated planet?' he ground out. 'And no doubt left to die once the air supply ran out? Ohhh... That's... that's a new low for the Sycorax. And that's saying something. A big something. A very big something.'

The Architect frowned and placed the device in the Judoon's hands. He turned to face Ten. Rose held her breath.

'It seems that your actions have been backed up by the evidence presented and the testimony from the Judoon. I therefore rule that while you are guilty of breaking the conditions of your parole, you have been shown to have had due cause. You will be allowed to return to the planet of your confinement: Earth.'

Rose breathed out.

The Shadow Architect made a complicated gesture seemingly to the air, and almost immediately, a blue-haired humanoid emerged from the back. Rose recognized the being from the beginning of Ten's trip. She tensed again.

However, this time, the procedure was quick and painless. Ten simply knelt and, under the watchful gaze of the Woman, the humanoid touched the chip gun to Ten's neck and pressed a button. With a quiet beep, the information was entered and Ten's parole finished. Immediately following the beep, Ten's shackles unfastened and fell to the floor.

'Ahhh,' murmured Ten happily.

Without a further word, the Shadow Architect disappeared into the back, followed by the blue-haired humanoid and the Judoon. The force-field shimmered and went down, and Ten and the Woman walked off the dais and up to Rose and River. Rose launched herself at Ten and he met her immediately, wrapping his arms around her. They stood silently together for a moment and Rose revelled in his warmth and his heartbeat under her ear. She clung tighter and she felt him kiss the top of her head.

'Thank you,' said the Woman to Ten, and he and Rose reluctantly let go. Their hands remained clasped though. 'Thank you for saving the planet Virrukoi. The Sycorax have long menaced weaker species and I am very glad that you put a stop to this particularly nasty attempt.'

Ten beamed. 'Any time. I'm hip hop happy to help.' As an aside, he added, 'Alliteration. Oh, yes!' But when he had finished his comment, he became serious. 'The planet Virrukoi needs help. I know that in between the Proclamation's wonderfully zealous pursuits of justice and all that, you lot also protect the rights of planets... if they have been classified, that is. But this planet hasn't. Not that the Sycorax would care...much, but it would put off loads of other profiteers looking for boolium. Besides, if they knew they had protection, I doubt the Virrukoi would try to speed up their progress in technology by using a time accelerator. They just wanted to be able to fight off invaders themselves since they never saw help coming.'

'So that's why they were trying to speed up their planet,' whispered Rose. She saw River nodding slowly out of the corner of her eye.

The Woman smiled fondly as if in response to an exuberant child. 'I don't think there will be any problem with that. Assignment of protected status had been postponed due to other priorities elsewhere in the galaxy, but after this crisis, I think it will be moved to the head of the list.' She turned to River and Rose. 'I understand that you all worked together as a team. If so, then I thank you too.'

'You're welcome,' chorused both Rose and River. 'Though,' continued Rose, 'you could do us a favour.'

'What is that?' the Woman enquired.

'That Shadow Architect fellow liked hurting the Doctor. Just now, he didn't and I think because you were there. Can you be there if the Doctor has parole again?'

The Woman nodded slowly. 'I can try. However, it is the Shadow Architect's prerogative to decide in what manner the information is to be entered. As a convicted criminal of the highest crime, the Doctor is subject to any temporary sanction the Architect may choose to assign without review.'

Rose scowled. 'Still, I think you stopped him.'

'Perhaps. However, I cannot guarantee my attendance at any given time. Nevertheless, I shall endeavour to attend any visit by the Doctor, if I am made aware of it. Will that do?'

Rose nodded. 'It'll help. A lot. Cheers.'

'And so,' said the Woman, looking at each one of them in turn, 'I will bid you farewell.'

'Goodbye,' they all chorused, and Rose turned and pulled Ten with her out of the room and to the Tardis. He promptly and happily followed her.

To be continued