Oh brother.
This will not be sad. No way will it be sad... More like melancholy.
Disclaimer: Doctor Who is not mine. It belongs to the BBC.
Enjoy!
They were running. More like sprinting, really, and Rose knew she'd have a stitch in her side later, but it was too exhilarating for her to care. Her hand was clasped safely in his as they navigated the crowd, and it sent shivers down her spine.
Which was ridiculous, of course. It wasn't like holding his hand was an odd occurrence. Neither was running or sprinting, for that matter.
But every time, there was still that thrill, like he'd never done it before, like it was the first time all over again.
Run.
The first time, every time.
He pulled her into an alleyway and they slumped against the wall, panting, as the soldiers ran past. Moments after the last straggling gunman's footsteps had faded away, the pair exchanged a glance and burst into breathy laughter.
"What did we do this time?" Rose asked, trying and failing to hold back giggles.
"Pretty sure it was something about not being allowed to wear red," the Doctor murmured, calming his own chuckles and glancing down in amusement at his trainers, then back up at her jumper. "Oops."
"Yeah, oops," she grumbled goodnaturedly. "Next time, maybe we could check the rules first, eh Doctor?"
The Doctor grinned widely. "More fun this way!"
Rose snickered, looking at the ground to avoid his twinkling eyes...
Only to see a dirtied white sock glaring up at her.
"Oh."
The Doctor glanced over. "What is it, Rose?"
Rose looked up, annoyed. "I appear to have lost a shoe."
"Doctor!" Amy asked, irritated. "Where are we? And why are we here? I thought we were going to Catrigan Nova. You mentioned whirlpools of gold..."
The Doctor smiled. "Catrigan Nova can wait. As for where we are, this is a bazaar on Barcelona, and isn't that fun to say? Bazaar on Barcelona. Yes, I like that." He looked mightily pleased for a moment, then continued. "Anyway, we're here for two reasons." Then he was silent, merely looking around.
Rory looked over at the Doctor when the alien's pause went uninterrupted. "Um, are you going to share those reasons?"
"Of course I am, Rory," the Doctor said, looking affronted. "I'm surprised you thought I wouldn't."
"Well, you have a history," the man muttered.
The Doctor scoffed. "I am so going to tell you! As a matter of fact, I am telling you right now!" He stuck his hands in his pockets and rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet as he continued. "I've brought you to Barcelona for two reasons. One: dogs."
"Dogs?" Amy wondered aloud.
"Yeah, they've got no noses!"
Amy laughed. "How do they smell?"
"Terrible!"
Rory rolled his eyes, fighting a grin at his wife's adorable immaturity. "What's the second reason?"
The Doctor's good humor slipped away immediately. His green eyes looked older than the couple had ever seen them. They knew the Doctor was old, of course, but it was sometimes hard to tell. Now, though, they could see it, plain as day.
"I need to return a shoe."
"You lost a shoe."
"Tha's what I said, Doctor."
"How did you lose a shoe?"
Rose scowled. "Well, it wouldn't have had anything to do with someone dragging me around like a rag doll, now would it?"
"I was saving you from imprisonment!" the Doctor protested.
"Doesn't matter! I have to find my shoe," Rose insisted. "I'm not going back to the TARDIS with one shoe on."
"The old girl could replace it!"
"I liked that shoe! I'm gettin' it back!"
"Rose-"
"I'm gettin' it back, and you aren't gonna stop me!"
"Fine then!"
"Good!"
The two huffed and glared at each other for a moment.
"Um, excuse me?"
Startled, the pair made an abrupt about-face to stare at the newcomer. He had sandy hair, blue eyes, and a rather impressive nose. He also seemed distinctly uncomfortable, like he didn't know why he was doing this.
"Um, you mentioned something about a shoe? My friend is going on about how he has to return one because he found a trainer stuck in the mud a ways back... it wouldn't happen to be one of yours, would it?"
"Pink stripes and blue laces?" Rose asked.
"Uh, yeah."
"It's mine." She let out a relieved sigh. "At least we won't have to spend hours searching for it now."
"Oh, good," the man said quickly. "Um, my friend is this way..."
Rose grinned. "Wait here," she told the Doctor sternly.
The Doctor frowned. "But Rose, I want to come with!" he whined petulantly.
Rose rolled her eyes. "Fine. Do what you want. Not like I could have stopped ya from following me, I suppose."
"You supposed right," he said, sticking his hands into the pockets of his trench coat with a pleased air.
Rose sighed in exasperation before turning back to the Nervous Nose. "Lead the way."
Amy didn't know what the hell was going on. Admittedly, she and Rory hardly ever did when it came to the Doctor. As a matter of fact, the Doctor often didn't know, either. The three of them seemed to exist in a permanent state of confusion and incomplete information. It was extremely infuriating.
Still, more often than not, the Doctor had the most knowledge of the situation. That was certainly true in this case.
She glanced at the shoe he'd discovered once more. It was completely normal looking- dirty white with pale pink stripes slanting across the sides and blue laces. She couldn't imagine why the Doctor was staring at it so reverently, and with such deep sadness, as though it held the secret to perfect happiness and eternal sorrow. And perhaps it did. You never knew with the Doctor.
Just then, Rory returned, leading two strangers with him.
Immediately, Amy realized which one was the owner of the shoe. It was rather obvious- she only had one trainer on, after all.
The owner of the shoe the Doctor had found was a bottle blonde, with large brown eyes, a button nose, and a wide, plump-lipped mouth. However, unattractive as these features may have sounded on their own, on this girl's face, they were stunning. And she hardly seemed to be trying! The somewhat short girl wasn't dressed to impress, wearing a simple red jumper and jeans. Her hair was in short braids and her roots were growing in brown. And yet, somehow, she still managed to look beautiful.
Her friend was bloody gorgeous as well, which Amy found a bit unfair. He had dark hair that stuck up in the front, like he had a habit of running his hands through it (now there was a lovely image). His eyes were dark, his nose was straight, he had thin lips, and his face was dotted with freckles. He was a bit taller than the Doctor, but his fashion sense was just as whacked. A brown pinstriped suit and tie under a tan trench coat, with bright red trainers? Weird... but he made it look fantastic.
Pinstripes looked slightly unsettled. He narrowed his eyes at the Doctor, like he was trying to figure him out.
The Doctor, on the other hand, paid Pinstripes no mind. He was completely focused on Blonde Beauty. Amy frowned. Wasn't he supposed to be married? To Amy's daughter, no less. He had no right to look at other women like that! She couldn't exactly blame him for being entranced, but he was the Doctor! He didn't look at anyone like that. He'd certainly never looked at Amy like that, even when she'd been convinced that she wanted him to.
"Erm... I-Is this your shoe, miss?" the Doctor stammered. Amy blinked. The Doctor never stammered. Who was this girl?
"Yes, thank you so much!" the girl exclaimed, claiming the item immediately. "You saved me from so much work. I can't thank you enough!"
Pinstriped nodded distractedly. "Yes, thank you, Mr..."
"Jonathan," the Doctor said quickly. "My name is Jonathan. And these are my friends, Annie and Richard."
Amy and Rory looked at the Doctor like he'd gone mad.
"Thank you, Jonathan," Blonde Beauty said gratefully.
"My pleasure... um..."
"It's Rose," the girl replied, answering his unasked question. "Rose Tyler. And this is my friend, the Doctor."
Amy barely stifled her gasp. The Doctor?!
"My pleasure, Rose Tyler." The way he said her name... Amy studied the Doctor's face carefully. He wasn't really checking the blonde out, she realized. Sure, he was examining her like she was a work of art, but he looked... sad.
Rose grinned before leaning down and putting her trainer on again. When she straightened up, she bit her lip, glanced at Pinstripes- it was too weird to call him the Doctor as well- then rushed the Doctor and gave him a fierce hug.
"You're sweet," she said when she pulled back, smiling. "Thank you again for going to so much trouble."
The Doctor, who looked like he was having trouble breathing, managed to force out a squeaky, "It was no problem," before coughing and looking away. "Well, I think we'd best be going. Come along, Ponds!" He turned and began walking briskly back towards where the TARDIS was parked.
Amy and Rory knew they should follow them, but both hesitated.
Pinstripes was staring at the Doctor's retreating back, gaze cold and calculating. "Rose," he said cheerfully, tone completely at odds with the steely look in his eyes, "mind going back to the TARDIS? I'd like to look around a bit more."
Rose frowned. "And I can't come along?"
Pinstripes grinned down at her, tearing his eyes away from the subject of his curiosity long enough to summon genuine affection for her. "Not if I'm going to buy you anything, no."
Rose's eyes brightened. "Presents!" she yelped excitedly before racing off back the way she'd came.
Pinstripes' gaze was fond as he watched her run off, but all that happiness leaked away the moment she was out of sight. He glared at Amy and Rory in turn.
"So," he said, "you're my companions now, eh?"
Amy blinked. "How did you-"
"I can sense other Time Lords around," Pinstripes explained. "I can certainly recognize my own mind. Echoes of emotions, that's what I feel through the link to my people. Quiet echoes. But it's been silent for so long, his were almost deafening. I'd know that guilt anywhere."
Well, that settles it, Amy thought. This is him. This is the Doctor.
"You're young," she whispered.
"You're married. To each other!" The Doctor scoffed. "Have I gone completely domestic?"
Amy almost laughed, but the expression of mirth was stuck in her throat.
"I'll have to forget you two," the Doctor said softly, completely serious once more. "I can't have that knowledge. And I'll need to alter my memories further, make me think that future me was just an ordinary man that returned Rose's shoe. I'll remember when it's time."
"Who is she?" Rory asked. "You've never-"
"Mentioned her?" the Doctor finished knowingly. "No, I suppose I wouldn't. Never look back, that's me." He laughed mirthlessly, then sighed. "Oh Rassilon. This means I lose her, don't I? I'm going to lose my Rose, my Bad Wolf. Something's going to happen and she... she won't..." He swallowed painfully, tears pricking his eyes. "Just a couple of days ago, I asked her how long she was going to stay, and she said... forever. She wants to stay forever. And I know Rose. She's thought about this a lot. She won't change her mind, which means... she's going to die." A single tear slid down his cheek and he coughed at the pressure in his chest. "There's no way around that, is there? She's going to die, and I'm going to lose her. That right there, future me giving her the shoe... that's the last time I'll ever see her. She'll be gone. Forever."
Amy gulped, surprised at her own tears. The Doctor... how could he never talk about this Rose? It was obvious that he loved her. Why hadn't he mentioned her, just once? And River... oh God, River. He loved River, Amy knew he did, but this... this was more than that. Her poor Raggedy Man...
Rory's hand clutched hers. She looked over at her husband and his grief-stricken eyes latched on to her tear-stained face. He smiled at her, but it was bitter, forced.
"Well... I suppose that's that, then," the Doctor said, wiping his face with his sleeve and blinking rapidly. "I'd better get back to Rose. Good thing I already managed to pick up a present..."
With one last distraught smile, the pinstriped Doctor turned and walked away.
When he reached his TARDIS, Rose was there to greet him.
"What did you want to talk to those two about?" Rose asked curiously.
The Doctor smiled brightly. "Oh, it was nothing. I just thought I'd seen them somewhere before. Perfectly possible, with me being a Time Lord, but incorrect."
"Ah. I see." Rose smiled, tongue in teeth. "Well, where to now, Doctor?"
The Doctor grinned and took her hand. "Everywhere!"
And with that, he gleefully dragged a laughing Rose into the big, blue box.
When they reached the TARDIS, the Doctor was nowhere to be seen.
"Do you think he's all right?" Rory asked.
Amy shook her head. "I wish, but you saw his face, the way he ran off. He's... he can't be happy right now."
"Should we talk to him about it?"
"Better not. Not right now. Give him time."
And with that, the saddened couple made their way into the big, blue box.
THE END.
Well. That one was depressing.
RFF! I would like to know what you think. God, did Ten's mini-speech about losing Rose break your heart or what? And Eleven, with the shoe, and YARGH! Sadness.
The word of the day is CAPITULATE! No definition today, folks. I'm feeling a bit sad. Not sure why... OH WAIT O_O
Love ya! lulu