Just a pointless little oneshot I felt I needed to write after watching Father's Day.
Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who
Rose isn't sure when she arrived, but there she is, in her own bedroom. There's a man sitting on a chair, hovering over a little girl tucked up in the bed. Rose knows all too well who they are.
The glint in his eye, the way looks at her. It's her dad, and she feels a vague pang in her chest. The girl in the bed, with her mop of fair hair, can be no one else but herself. She looks about five or six, and has a little furrow in her brow.
Finally, she says, "I don't think the tortoise can win."
"No?"
"No," insists little Rose, even if the hare slept for a while, he's still too slow."
"Well, the hare overslept."
"Can I oversleep?"
"No, love, sorry. You've got to go to school tomorrow."
Pete bends down to plant a kiss on his daughter's forehead.
The vision blurs and morphs into a different scene. She's at the park now, and her family is sitting on a chequered picnic blanket on the ground. Rose is watching herself again, and she's older than the girl she saw earlier. She peers into the basket with a rather dismayed look on her face. "Really, Mum? Peanut butter and jelly, again?"
"Well, why don't you try coming up with sandwich ideas every week?" Jackie snaps back at her daughter.
"I'll prepare the sandwiches next time," Pete cuts in. "And Rose will pack some snacks. Crisps, some dip maybe. How's that sound?"
Teenage Rose mumbles, "Fine." She looks down for a moment and picks a sandwich.
The real Rose tries to move, to reach out to her father and say something, anything, but her feet are glued to the ground. Literally. The transparent, gooey substance is clinging onto her ankles, then her calves and thighs. It's no longer holding her feet down; it's sucking her into the earth like quicksand.
She frantically flailing about, trying to do everything she can to keep herself from disappearing into the ground.
"Rose," a familiar voice calls, compelling her to stop panicking and look up. The Doctor is there, standing in front of her. Her family's gone, leaving only a blanket, a basket and a sandwich with a bite taken out of it. "Wake up, Rose, you're dreaming."
"What-
She gulps for breath, filling her lungs with air. Suddenly the scene is more focused and lucid. It's as if someone has broken a glass wall between her and the world.
She's sinking quicker now, the grass is tickling her cheeks and she looks around, but the Doctor's gone now.
Doctor.
Rose blinks the light out of her eyes. She can feel the sweat on her brow. The Doctor. Where is he? She sits up, holding her head in her palms. What happened?
She can only see the Doctor standing there, calling her, telling her to wake up. She's sure his voice was what made her regain her consciousness. Then she sees the little girl and her daddy, and feels the same pang she felt when she first saw them, only it's clearer now, sharper. Dad.
He was never there. He never told her any bedtime stories. He never took them out on picnics on Saturdays. He has never been there.
Rose rests a hand on the cold headstone. It reads:
Peter Alan Tyler
A Beloved Husband and Father
"I thought we could finally have a picnic together. It's Saturday, after all." She sets down a small worn basket beside her and pulls out two sandwiches.
"To the most wonderful man in the world," she whispers. "Happy Father's Day."
Hope you enjoyed, and please review/follow/favorite. I'm still on the first season of Doctor Who, so this is AU. I apologize if there are mistakes in grammar or if I got something wrong about the show, let me know if there are errors. Have a good day :))
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