Summary: Series of OneShots showing how 10.5 and Rose settle into their new life in Pete's world (after the events of Journey's End) with the help of Jackie Tyler.
Disclaimer: I own very little of Doctor Who. Nothing, in fact. To be completely honest about it.
Starting Anew
Rose and Pete had departed for Torchwood early in the morning. She had offered him to come with her, but Pete had quickly vetoed that idea, because The Doctor had no means of identification yet. He didn't even have a name. However, his arrival in this parallel universe hadn't stopped the work at Torchwood and Rose had smiled regretfully at him that morning, but was then forced to leave. He had waved at her from the window, very domestic, but had allowed his smile to quickly fade away as soon as she was out of sight.
Ever since then, he had been sitting on the couch, watching Jackie Tyler bustle about the mansion and observing how Tony Tyler was playing with his toys just a few feet away. It didn't take long for his thoughts to turn back to the day in Norway, not so long ago.
As soon as the TARDIS had faded out of sight, Rose had grabbed his hand and they had set off towards the nearest town. The Doctor had tried not to think about what had just happened, instead focusing his thoughts on the very present. They found a hotel just as evening fell. There was a moment of tension when the receptionist had asked whether Rose and The Doctor were sharing a room, while casting a meaningful look at their still united hands. Neither of them answered her immediately, until The Doctor broke the silence to say: "No, separate rooms please." Rose's relief was palpable.
At night, when all sounds had died away, it became much harder to keep his thoughts away from the events of that afternoon. The Doctor felt such anger when considering the way the other Doctor – The Real Doctor, he kept thinking – had stranded them in this godforsaken place. It was an anger that was so ferocious that it almost scared The Doctor, if it hadn't been replaced by incredible fear mere moments later.
He had lost his identity. It was worse than regeneration. He hadn't died to start again, but had instead been robbed of half his being. The beating of his one heart seemed so loud and frightening in the night. Eventually, he fell into a light and fitful sleep, full of dark and confusing dreams that he didn't quite remember. He woke up only two hours later with Donna's name on his lips, though he couldn't say why his thoughts seemed to revolve around her just now. He hadn't dared to sleep again that night.
Jackie was speaking to him. Her voice rudely woke him from his remembrances. Though he heard her talking, he didn't focus on the words, but stared blankly in front of him. Pete had picked them up the next day and had transported them home to London. Rose had given him the tour around the mansion and he'd been introduced to her little brother, Tony. He was a quiet boy, in that aspect not very much like his sister, as far as The Doctor could tell after the few days he had observed the child. Despite their differences, Rose obviously loved him and Tony admired her immensely. That admiration also extended to The Doctor, but in a lesser amount and from a distance. Tony almost seemed afraid of him sometimes and The Doctor couldn't blame him. He didn't trust himself around the boy. He was still much too angry.
The next day, he and Rose had gone shopping. She had found him a large, brown coat, just like the Real Doctor had had, but he had turned it down. The urge to separate himself from the other man was still too strong. Pete had promised to take care of all the paperwork and that is why he and Rose had left this morning. However, they couldn't fabricate a life for him in just a day. Most of it, he had to built from scratch. Pete had offered him a job at Torchwood, but The Doctor hadn't even considered it. The life of aliens and space was dead to him now. He had to think of a new purpose for himself. What he wanted to be and what he wanted to do.
His relationship with Rose also had to begin anew. The connection between them was still obviously there, but it was mixed with awkwardness and fear from both sides. They stayed in different rooms and hadn't kissed since that time at the beach. The Doctor found he didn't mind. Talking to her, laughing with her allowed him to forget his current situation for just a moment. However, now he was alone for the day, that loneliness seemed so much more severe.
"Are you listening to me?" Jackie Tyler frowned at him. She went to stand in his line of vision, hands on her hips.
He met her eyes. "Sorry?"
She sighed, but made no attempt to slap him. Good. "I was saying," she started over with emphasis, "that I'm going out to the shops for a moment and that you'll have to watch Tony in the meantime."
His eyes flickered to the toddler for a second. "What?"
"I'm not repeating myself again." Her voice gained a dangerous edge and The Doctor unwittingly leaned away from her.
"Can't you take him with you? Or send one of the staff to do it?" He protested. Hadn't she heard the Real Doctor when he'd talked about genocide? Why on earth would she leave her child with a man whom she knew was a killer?
"Doctor, you're living with Tony in this house, you'll have to learn how to watch and interact with him. I'll only be gone for thirty minutes and I'll have my cell phone with me, in case you need anything." Her voice was resolute, but, taking in his worried expression, her face softened slightly and she added: "You'll be fine."
She didn't give him another chance to protest and was out of the door within minutes, leaving a deafening silence. The Doctor turned his eyes back to Tony. The boy was small and slight with dark blonde hair and blue eyes that reminded him of Rose. His disposition was calmer and more serious, much like Pete, but he also shared Rose's ability to be happy and content. It wouldn't surprise The Doctor if he would demonstrate her sense of empathy later in life.
The boy apparently felt The Doctor's gaze upon him and looked up, meeting his eyes for a second. The Doctor quickly averted his own. He wasn't supposed to be left alone with this child. What if he became impatient? What if he flew into a rage and did something? Rose would never forgive him. And he would never forgive himself. He cursed Jackie Tyler and her bad judgement.
The next few minutes The Doctor spent staring in front of him again, until he felt a small hand tuck at his sleeve, startling him out of his reverie. Little Tony Tyler was standing in front of him and deposited a book on his lap. "Read. Please?"
His r's still sounded much like w's, as is often the case with small children, but the boy's politeness struck The Doctor. He decided on a whim to reward it. Taking the book, he waited until Tony had settled on the couch next to him and started to read. It was a simple children's book about a boy who wanted to visit the moon and built a ladder to get there. The Doctor refrained, albeit with difficulty, from pointing out the obvious flaws in this plan.
When he finished the last page and closed the book, which had ended well and not with a tragic death due to a lack of oxygen, Tony looked up at him once more and spoke: "Again?"
"Again?" The Doctor questioned. "The same book?"
"Yes."
"Is it your favourite?"
A small, shy nod.
"That's okay. I have my favourites. Moon landing in 1969. Been there at least six times. The inauguration of President Obama. The first Olympic games. Can't get enough of all those things." The Doctor told him, feeling a familiar grin tuck at the corners of his mouth. He surprised when the pang of regret he anticipated at these memories, stayed away.
Tony remained silent and opened the book again. The Doctor started reading. When they finished it for the second time, he said to Tony: "I've been to the moon too, you know. Not with a ladder, mind you, but with a space ship. Did Rose tell you?"
Tony nodded enthusiastically. "With the TAR ... the TAR..."
"The TARDIS." The Doctor supplied. "Can you say TARDIS?"
"TARDIS." Tony repeated after a moment of hesitation.
"Good!" The Doctor praised him. "You'll be saying 'Raxacoricofallapatorius' in no time, just like your sister. Well, I say 'no time', but it actually took her quite a while."
"I always thought that role suited you best."
The Doctor whirled around and saw Jackie Tyler leaning against the doorpost. He shut the book on his lap quickly and wondered how long she'd been there. "What role?"
"The role of a teacher. I always thought you'd made a good teacher," she elaborated. "Mind you, for children a bit older. Tony's a little too young to be learning about Raxa-what's it yet! But you'd be great as a teacher of history or English. Something that required you to use that gob of yours."
Before he had a chance to reply, she disappeared into the kitchen with her shopping. Tony trailed after her, leaving The Doctor alone on the couch again. A teacher. It had never entered his mind, nor, he was sure, the mind of the Real Doctor. Rose would probably be surprised by the idea. But when Tony Tyler returned after a few minutes, this time with a different book, The Doctor reckoned it was a possibility he was willing to entertain.
As they began to read the new book – another one of Tony's favourites, as he later learned – The Doctor mused that starting anew wasn't always bad. The one adventure he could never have before was suddenly right in front of him. He would just have to gather a new list of favourites for himself along the way.