I do not own Doctor Who or anything related.
Story inspiration came from a gifset on tumblr.
He had calibrated everything perfectly, down to the very last second. He was not going to miss this pocket of chance, not this time. He raised his wrist up to his face to watch the second hand tick ever so slowly towards the four wondering again how normal people functioned with their slow slow time lines. He jumped when he saw the small hand was ticking towards the three, oh so close, just two more seconds... NOW! He flicked this lever and poked at that button and twisted that knob just a fraction to the left, then half a centimeter back to the right. He only had mere seconds before the hand reached the twelve and right as it flicks to the eleven his hands pause over the last button, waiting, waiting, waiting just a bit longer, and finally pressing that last button right as it hit 5:07 p.m. the minute he'd been waiting for since he was told about this pocket.
The TARDIS shook and tumbled as it hit the barrier between Universes and then came that landing sound that was a good sound, even if it was just because he leaves the brakes on. The Doctor stepped outside into this world so parallel to the one he just left but with a few differences; one being that Rose was in this world. He grinned like a fool, excited to see his pink and yellow girl one more time, her and his old "clone". Looking around for the right street and then the right address, he found it. This perfect little home that could have been theirs, but no because he's a Time Lord and she's a human and that wouldn't work. Shaking that thought, he realized all the lights were off, not to say that little fact would stop him from visiting. He soniced the fire escape ladder so that it came crashing down. Bit louder than I expected, he thought as he climbed up towards the open window he could see. As he got closer, he heard something. Something that both froze him to the core and filled him with happiness.
He stood right outside of the window now, looking in at the room. White walls, a crib, a light that made stars on the walls, lots of blue, and little letters on the wall that spelled out a name. Jack. He smiled, thinking of Rose naming her son after that insufferable Captain Jack. Jack was crying as The Doctor quickly climbed inside, probably having been startled by the ladder falling. He hurried over to pick up the infant, cradling him and shushing him. He could feel tears welling up, as he thought that this was Rose's baby, Rose's, but not his. Rose's and his old "clone". But that didn't stop it from being a perfect little bundle that was half of Rose Tyler's DNA.
"Let me tell you a short story, Jack. Your dad and I used to be the same person. We used to travel through the stars together with your mum." The Doctor looked around at the stars projected on the walls. "And I kid you not the stars are beyond beautiful. I wish I could take you for one trip but I'm not sure your parents would let me." He kissed the perfect little human he heard an all too familiar sniffling behind the door. "Jack... Your dad is standing right outside, isn't he?"
"Yeah... he is." came a voice from just outside. With that, the door opened and in walked his tenth self, crying just as much as The Doctor was. "I see you met Jack, he seems to like you." TenToo said as he tried to smile and play this all off.
The Doctor tried, too. "Well, yeah, of course. I mean, I am mostly the same as you. Just a new face... and new hair." He could feel TenToo watching him, taking in every detail of this face that would have been his. The Doctor could tell he missed it all, wanted to go traveling, wanted the TARDIS and the thrill of adventure back. "Where's, where's Rose?" he stumbled his words through his tears.
"She stepped out for a bit. Needed a break from being Mummy, she said. She should be back soon though if you want to stick around." TenToo said.
The Doctor suddenly rethought his whole idea after seeing what his sudden appearance had done to TenToo, he couldn't imagine how it would affect Rose. "No, no, I only have time for a quick drop in, really. Wouldn't want to make my TARDIS wait, after all." He placed tiny baby Jack back down in his crib and suddenly started sobbing. "Just, just please tell him about me, okay?" He looked at his old face with an expression of pure pain and heartbreak. "Just make sure Jack knows about the Doctor and how he wasn't all bad and how he did some really wonderful things sometimes, like getting his parents together. And maybe, someday, I'll come back and he can get that trip to see the stars. What do you say?"
TenToo's tears were silent as he nodded. "Mate, he's going to know all about you. And I think a trip to see the stars could be arranged." He suddenly smiled. "You know, I think he's gonna be ginger!" he said as he softly patted down the fine hairs on Jack's head.
Smiling down at him one more time, The Doctor turned away. "I, I've got to go now. Probably best if we didn't tell Rose about this, right? I mean, no need to upset the new mum." And with that he was gone, scrambling back through the window and down the ladder, taking off at full speed to run back to the TARDIS and get as far away from here and the life that could have been his if only as he possibly could. The street was filled with the vwoorping of the police box as the Doctor continued to just run away from his problems.
Back in the nursery, TenToo picked up his baby boy and held him close. "Oh, that man. He's brilliant, you know. Insane, but brilliant," he whispered. "I should know, I used to be him. But your dad had better style than that, I mean did you SEE that bow tie?"