Hey, guys! :) So, this story doubles as a sequel to my story "Five Times the Doctor didn't find out that Rose Tyler was a Time Lady" and as a companion fic to LexVictoriaX's story "The Time Lord, the Rose, and the Wardrobe". I got the inspiration for this story from LexVictoriaX's work- she's a very talented author, so if you're looking for some good Doctor Who fics (especially Ten/Rose), check her out!
Enjoy the story!
Disclaimer: I don't own DW, and probably never will. Bummer. :(
A Forever in Red and Gold
Rose Tyler was not lost. Not at all. She knew exactly where she was; aboard the TARDIS. And if she didn't know exactly what corridor she was in, or how to get back to the counsel room… well, there was no proof of that.
Are you trying to confuse me? Rose asked mentally, extending her new telepathic abilities to the TARDIS. The response came in the normal form of emotion, a wave of satisfaction that confirmed Rose's suspicions, followed by a hint of boredom that revealed the TARDIS's motives.
Thanks a lot, the blonde grumbled, not as upset as she pretended to be. She could sympathize- she was bored, too. The Doctor had spent the last few hours on some "extremely vital repair", and the Time Lady had been left to wander the TARDIS.
Popping open the nearest door, she poked her head in, in the hopes of finding something to do. No such luck; the room turned out to be a pool, and the blonde was hardly decked out for a swim. Sighing, she pulled the door shut and carried on down the hallway, giving her imagination free reign as she glanced in each room.
Once, she might have been more cautious, not wanting to offend the Doctor by bumbling into a room that she was unwelcome in. Things had changed since then, though. She was no longer Rose Tyler, the companion and the Doctor's guest. No, now she was Rose Tyler, the Time Lady, and the Doctor had been quick to assure that (should she want it) the TARDIS could be as much a home for her as it was for him.
Smiling, the Time Lady let her mind turn to the recent life-changing event; her sudden transformation from human to Gallifreyan. They still hadn't found an explanation as to what caused the event. Rose had suggested Bad Wolf, but the Doctor had been adamant in his refusal to go down that rabbit trail ("I took the vortex out of you, Rose. That can't be it!"), and so far, no other reasonable explanation had come to light.
Oh, not that room, the TARDIS warned suddenly, the emotion so strong Rose could almost formulate it into words. There are wild animals in there. Obediently Rose pulled her hand away from the handle and moved on to yet another room.
Honestly, you 'ave everything 'round here! The blonde told the ship affectionately. Ballrooms, libraries, wild animals, and a pool- can I go in this room, then, or is it dangerous too? The TARDIS, seemingly pleased with Rose's praise of her arsenal of rooms, deemed the room safe, so the Time Lady turned the handle and peaked inside.
And grinned. This room she recognized- the winding staircase going through several floors, the long, overstuffed racks of hangers on every level- yes, she'd been here before. Slipping inside, Rose let the door click shut behind her as she stepped into the enormous wardrobe.
"This brings back memories, doesn't it?" Rose muttered aloud, running one hand through a rack of several long, silk shirts with elaborate embroidery decorating the sleeves. She'd been here before, once, when she'd stumbled in after her curiosity had gotten the best of her. It felt like ages ago, back long before she'd changed, although in reality Rose supposed it hadn't been long after his regeneration, when the loss of his ninth form had still been raw and fresh.
Climbing up the winding staircase that went directly through the middle of every floor in the huge closet, Rose went up to the top level- the same place she'd gone last time. Just like last time, she found the top floor to be more organized and not as overstuffed with clothing as the racks on levels beneath her. In fact, this level had only three racks: one, where the clothing worn by his previous faces hung. Rose let her eyes linger on the familiar leather jacket before turning her eyes to rack number two. The second rack was empty, except for a pair of red converse lying on the floor- most likely where he stored his current pinstripe suit on the rare occasions he donned anything else. Then, finally, the Time Lady turned her eyes to the third and most important rack.
The third rack was the longest, but held less clothing than the first. Hanging from the rack were long robes of red and gold, brilliant tunics, and matching trousers with wrap-around belts to complete the ensembles. The clothing would look magnificent to anyone, but even more so to Rose, who knew the story behind the articles.
The clothes were Gallifreyan. The robes, traditionally worn by the Time Lords, were too long and ornamental to be practical for the Doctor to wear. The tunic and loose pants, however, Rose knew were worn by the Time Ladies on less serious occasions.
Walking over to the rack, the Time Lady let her hands run through the vibrantly colored cloth, enjoying the feeling of the fine fabric gathering and spilling off her slim fingers. She'd tried the clothing on before, back when she'd been human, and longed to try them on again as a Time Lady, but something held her back. These were important to her traveling companion, she knew. And while she may now technically be Gallifreyan, she hadn't been raised on his planet. Despite efforts to learns, she had yet to become fluent in his language. Many traditions and ceremonies remained a mystery to her. She may have had two hearts and a lower body temperature, but sometimes she still felt very human.
He didn't mind last time, the TARDIS hummed, as if reading her mind.
I know, Rose replied. It was true; last time the companion had been up here, the Doctor had almost encouraged her to try on the clothing. Rose still wasn't sure why, but she had a feeling it had something to do with how similar she'd looked in the clothes to a Gallifreyan. She'd been human then, but in those clothes, she could have been a Time Lady. She knew first-hand how lonely the Doctor got.
Pulling the tunic and bottoms off the rack, Rose walked over to a full-length mirror propped up against the wall and held them up against her body. She wanted to try them on so badly, and yet…
Go on, the TARDIS urged. He won't mind.
Why are you so eager, then? Rose asked, half joking and not expecting an answer. For all the Doctor's loneliness, she forgot sometimes that the TARDIS got a little lonely, too. Alright, then, she decided finally. I'll try them on quickly and then take them right off.
Slipping out of her jeans and t-shirt, Rose pulled on the trousers and tunic, pulling out one of the long, red belts and wrapping it around her waist to complete the look. Just like last time, they fit perfectly. Moving to stand back in front of the mirror, Rose examined herself again.
There was something fitting about it, she decided. As a human, she'd been pink and yellow. As a Time Lady, she was red and gold.
"Rose?" The Doctor called. "I'm done with the repairs!" No blonde bounded down the corridor at his words. "Oh, for the love of Gallifrey," the Time Lord muttered under his breath, "Where has she gone now?"
Try the wardrobe, the TARDIS suggested helpfully, seemingly delighted.
"The wardrobe?" The Doctor echoed. "Why on earth would she be in the wardrobe?"
Go see for yourself, the TARDIS urged, once again apparently delighted. With what, the Doctor had no idea. Only one way to find out, he thought, heading briskly down one corridor.
For once, the TARDIS was extraordinarily helpful, something that made the Doctor immediately wary. She rearranged her rooms so that the wardrobe door appeared almost as soon as he started looking for it. Still, despite his suspicion, the Time Lord pulled the door open and scanned the floor for his companion.
No Rose was in sight. Sighing, the Doctor walked over to the spiral staircase in the middle of the floor. Up or down?
Up, the TARDIS replied, once again being uncommonly helpful.
"What are you up to?" He muttered as he started up the stairs. The next level was as empty as the first, so the Doctor continued going up. The only other floor that was "up" was the top floor, he knew, and a memory of being here before with Rose started to tug on the corners of his mind.
She'd found this place exploring, not long after his regeneration, if he remembered correctly. He certainly remembered how she'd looked in the Gallifreyan clothes she'd tried on. The spitting image of a Time Lady then, he could only imagine her in them now, a Time Lady through and through.
Reaching the top step on the stairs, his eyes finally landed on Rose Tyler. He froze when he saw her. She was standing in front of the room's lone mirror, dressed in Gallifreyan clothes and turning this way and that to see how they looked on her.
As he watched, she spun around, cheeks flaming. Oh. She'd spotted him in the mirror. Of course.
"I didn't- I mean-," She stammered, until the Doctor raised one hand to cut her off.
"I don't mind, Rose," he assured her, and she immediately relaxed. "It's okay."
"Do you remember last time I wore these?" She asked, turning back to the mirror. The Doctor nodded- how could he forget? She'd looked as stunning then as she did now.
"They look good on you," he said finally, climbing up the last step on the stairs until he stood on the top floor with her.
"Is this what the Time Ladies wore every day?" She asked, still looking at the mirror and not at him. He swallowed thickly, not answering right away. Talking about Gallifrey- or anything from his past, really- was still hard for him, but since Rose had changed, he'd been trying to be more open about it.
"Yeah," he said eventually, moving to stand over by the rack with the other red and gold clothes hanging on it. "What you're wearing would have been something a Time Lady might have worn around town, or at home. There were ceremonial clothes for Time Ladies, but I don't have any here." He admitted.
"I bet the ceremonial outfits were beautiful," she murmured, and the Doctor nodded, memories flooding his mind like a dam breaking under the torrent of rushing water. Suddenly he wanted her to know what they'd looked like, to know more about his people. Seeing her like this did that to him, made him vulnerable and weak. This time, however, between her recent change and the garments of red and gold wrapped around her, he couldn't bring himself to care.
"Here," he said, pulling a piece of paper from his never-ending pockets and the stub of a pencil. "I'll show you." Putting the paper on the wall for support, he began to draw with a careful, steady hand. Rose walked up behind him, watching over his shoulder.
"I didn't know you could draw," she murmured, watching as slopping lines and gentle angles slowly connected to form a long, elegant dress. Long loops of fabric and beads circled the skirt and the sleeves split at the shoulder so they flowed around the wearer's arms like colored water, the very picture of graceful sophistication.
"Rose Tyler, I'm full of surprises," he said back, as he added the final touches to his masterpiece. "The sleeves- here- would have been gold. And the skirt, there, that would have been a deep red. There was some variation in color, for Time Ladies, though. The beads on the skirt- see them, right there?- would have been a silvery white, to represent purity."
He continued on, mouth moving faster than he could think as he explained what each color meant and when the dress would have been worn traditionally. Explaining left mixed feelings in his chest; on one hand, Gallifrey felt personal. On the other, it was almost a relief to open up and share some of the beauty Gallifrey had held, to remember his people before the devastation and destruction of the Time War.
"It's absolutely gorgeous," Rose said softly, once the Doctor had finished speaking. "I bet the women on Gallifrey looked lovely in it." Hearing her praise of the garment filled the Doctor with warmth, those he wasn't exactly sure why. Maybe it was because it was nice to hear someone else's appreciation of the lost culture- or maybe he just cared about her opinion more than he thought.
"Wha' about this?" Rose asked, moving running one hand over the robe on the rack gingerly.
"Ceremonial Time Lord robes," he explained, pulling the long garment off its hanger. "The male equivalent of the dress I showed you. They were worn on the more traditional and serious occasions."
"Can you try it on?" Rose asked suddenly, sending him her famous tongue-between-the-teeth smile.
"What?" The Doctor asked, so surprised by the request that for a moment he just stood there. "Try them on?"
"Yeah," Rose nodded, still grinning. "Please?"
Well. If he wasn't before, he had to now. Lord knows he could never refuse her anything when she looked at him like that.
"Oh, alright," he grumbled, pretending to be annoyed as he shrugged off his jacket and slid the long robes on in the jacket's place. "There you go. Happy?"
If her laughter was anything to go by, she was very happy.
"Are they supposed to be tha' big?" She giggled, her eyes teary with mirth and her smile contagious. Turning, the Doctor looked in the mirror and groaned. No wonder she was laughing.
"So that form was a little… wider," he defended, trying to look dignified in the enormous robes. "Obviously this regeneration is thinner, that's all."
"Obviously," Rose agreed, trying not to start laughing again. For a moment she feared she'd offended him for real, until she saw the way his eyes were crinkling up at the corners.
"Rose Tyler, are you mocking me?" He asked, grinning now despite himself. "I'll have you know these robes were for very serious occasions!"
"Migh' want to 'ave them tailored first, mate," Rose said, trying (and failing) to keep a straight face.
"Everybody's a critic," the Time Lord sighed, as if terribly afflicted. "First you made fun of me making repairs, now my old clothing sizes-"
"How are the repairs going?" Rose interrupted, eyes still light with humor.
"I'm all done," the Doctor said smugly. "That's why I came to find you."
"I better get changed so we can go save the world then, hadn't I?" Rose replied, scooping up her jeans and t-shirt and moving toward the screen in the corner of the room to change.
"No!" The Doctor blurted before he could stop himself. Rose turned and raised an eyebrow. "I mean, the look great on you, and…" and you look more Time Lady than ever in them. "…and you can keep them, if you want."
"Are you sure you don't mind?" Rose asked hesitantly. "I don't want to get them messed up."
"Eh, the TARDIS is great at fixing tares and getting out stains and whatnot," the Doctor said dismissively with a wave of his hand. "How else would I keep my suit in tip-top shape?"
"Okay, then," Rose said, sending him another smile. "Thanks."
"No problem. You look good in them. Not that I'm checking you out! Weeellll… I mean no! Not that you look bad, you look nice, I just meant-"
Rose laughed, and the Doctor shut his mouth sheepishly.
"Seriously," she smiled, moving so that she stood in front of him. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," he said quietly, returning the smile. "You look very Gallifreyan in them."
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"
"Oh, Rose Tyler, definitely a good thing," the Doctor assured her, his hand finding hers.
"Never alone?" Rose prompted, voicing the term that had become something of a motto for the duo in the weeks since her change.
"Never alone," the Doctor echoed, touching his forehead to hers. Sometimes, he was sure she had no idea how much he cared for her. Changing her species, just for him? He still wasn't sure what she saw in him that made her willing to go through with something like that- wasn't sure what made her willing to be like him, outliving her human friends and family to the point she would be isolated, different, alone.
All so he wouldn't have to be.
It was moments like this that he almost wished he didn't love her so much, so that he could let her go. Then she could live on earth happily, with her mother and old high school friends. But since her change, she'd made it clear she wasn't leaving him, and there was no way on earth that he'd let her go now.
"I love you," he murmured softly, eyes closed. It wasn't the first time he'd said it, but he didn't make a habit of it, either. For him, words were serious, especially those words. Even now, with her a Time Lady, it was hard. And she knew that.
"I know," she said gently, pressing a light kiss to the corner of his mouth. "I love you, too."
"Do you remember what you said to me? Last time we were up here?" The Time Lord asked after a moment, eyes still closed. "You said that we weren't that different, and there were more similarities than anything."
"I remember," Rose said. "You didn't believe me."
"I believe you now," he said, his tone only half-joking.
"Things are different now."
"The only difference I see," the Doctor murmured, kissing her again, "Is pink and yellow changed to red and gold."
"Are you saying you loved me then, too?" Rose asked, opening her eyes to look at him, surprised.
"Maybe," the Time Lord hummed evasively. "Or maybe I'm just saying red and gold are good colors on you."
"Tease," Rose chided, shaking her head in mock reproach.
"What?" The Doctor asked innocently. "They are."
"So which did you like better? Pink and yellow, or red and gold?" Rose asked, curious.
"Oh, I loved them both," he replied, unintentionally answering the Time Lady's earlier question. "But I have to say, red and gold suits you. When you're red and gold, we match," he added, gesturing to his own oversized Gallifreyan garments.
"I like it when we match," Rose agreed, smiling.
"I do, too," the Time Lord said, meeting her gaze evenly.
"So tell me," Rose said, smoothing out his robe with one hand. "What colors do forever come in?"
"I'm thinking," the Doctor said, after pretending to ponder the question, "Our forever comes in red and gold."
"I like that," Rose smiled, looking down at her new clothes. Stepping back, the Doctor looked at his companion, with her blonde hair and vibrant clothes, as Time Lady as they came.
"Oh, Rose Tyler," he grinned, "There is a lot to like about a red and gold forever."
And that's the end! :) Please drop me a review on your way out- thanks for reading!