Title: Din of the World
Summary: Rose and the Doctor talk, trying to reconcile what they know and what they feel. Post-ep to New Earth
Author's Notes: I wrote this ages ago, assuming that New Earth was the first Ten/Rose adventure, occurring soon after his regeneration. So there are lines in here that really aren't meant to be shippy, but read that way out of context. Really. It was inspired by the Doctor seeming to be more protective of Rose than before.
This one is dedicated to the one person who's going to have to snoop to find it. :-P You know who you are, dear.
Many thanks to Rach for the wonderful beta job.
Disclaimer: I own Doctor Who. Honestly. I do. Fine, maybe I don't. But I"m not exactly making a profit off of this venture, so does it really matter?
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Tea is drunk to forget the din of the world.
-T'ien Yiheng
Rose shuffled into the TARDIS kitchen, surprised to find the Doctor already there. She wasn't sure of the relative time, but she knew the rhythms on the ship. No, she corrected herself. She had known the rhythms of the ship. It was a whole new ball game now. For starters, her Doctor would have said hello by now. It was unlikely he was unaware of her presence, but this one didn't even look up in greeting.
"Couldn't sleep. You?" she offered in way of conversation.
The Doctor jumped, then turned to face her with a self-deprecating smile.
"I put the kettle on for tea"
Rose grabbed another mug, giving it a quick rinse before setting it next to his. She cast about for a topic, unsure of why it was so difficult. She could just ask him, after all.
"Isn't it funny; we're in this this big old ship that can actually travel in time and you still need to heat the kettle for a cuppa."
Or not.
The Doctor grinned. "It's all part of the process"
"You sure you're not English?" Rose teased back, leaning against the counter.
This was familiar territory. And certainly less weighted than the alternatives.
"I could probably fix someth-"
"No!" Rose cut in. "I've seen you fix things up before."
He looked hurt, but the kettle went off before Rose managed to formulate an appropriate reply. She fixed them both a cup, handing the Doctor his before sitting down. She stared at the brown liquid, focusing on it to avoid looking at him.
The New New Doctor.
Who was just as fine as the Old Doctor, but still new.
He was looking at her though, and Rose didn't know what to make of it. So she took a sip of tea, picked at a speck of food on the table, and didn't look up. When the silence had grown too heavy for comfort, she sighed and decided to bite the bullet.
"What would have happened to me? If Cassandra hadn't left, I mean"
"I had it under control"
"Yeah, but what if you didn't? Would I just be almost there forever? Or..." she couldn't bring herself to complete the sentence.
"It was under control."
His voice was calm, but there was another level to it. One Rose wasn't sure she wanted to examine.
"What if it wasn't?" she persisted, afraid to let the subject drop now. "What if she had been better at hiding her true self? What if you didn't notice it wasn't me"
And now her real concern had been voiced. The Doctor rubbed his eyelid, and Rose was surprised to realise how old he looked. How old he was, really. You never quite got used to that.
"I know, okay, Rose? I will always know. Yes, if I had left it too long, you would have died. And yes, she could have been a little more subtle. But the point," and here he took her hands in his and met her eyes, "is that I know you. I know every little quirk you have, every joke you've found funny, how you react to the strange and unusual. At this point, I know you better than I know myself.
"And I'll tell you this: whether it's a body-hopping trampoline or a pack of ravenous Pleghks, I. Will. Come. For. You. Do you understand?"
There was an earnestness to his eyes she had not expected and frankly didn't know how to deal with. Not for the first time, she contemplated the war that had left the Doctor alone. She caressed his face, whether for his benefit or her own she couldn't say.
"Yeah," she smiled, relieved. "Trampolines I can cope with. Ravenous Pleghks you're dealing with yourself."