This Is Gallifrey: My Childhood, My Home
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Note that the title is a play on the theme by Murray Gold. Listen to it! It is Murray Gold at his best.
Rating: K+
Pairings: Susan F/ Ninth Doctor
Summary: He always visited her but he always kept his distance. She knew he was watching her and made the first move. But when she asks about home, does her loving Grandfather lie or tell the truth?
A/N: Not completely related to my other Susan Foreman stories. Set about 10 years after The Dalek Invasion of Earth and after the Time War. My guess is that the Eighth Doctor fought in the Time War and regenerated into the Ninth Doctor because of it or soon afterwards. In my mind, I think Susan is still alive and living on Earth. I say that as I hope for her to be in the 50th Anniversary.
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He was still heart broken from having to do what he had to. Destroying his home was the one thing he did not want to do. He loved Gallifrey but he loved being a traveller more. The Doctor sat on the edge of the chair in the control room. The old girl had to be changed. She suffered great damage in the Time War. He liked this room. It suited him.
He stared at the control panel. Trying to decide where to go. Having killed his entire planet and his people, he was in a lot of pain. To ease that pain, he went to Earth and stopped a family from boarding the Titanic. He had saved a family from a terrible fate and it made him feel better. Yet he still carried the guilt of murdering the Time Lords. He did it to protect other galaxies from the danger of the Daleks and also, from the Time Lords. There was no one left.
There was only one left, apart from himself. "Susan." He whispered. His granddaughter. His heart swelled because he had left her on Earth for her own safety. Now, he was glad that he had. If he had not left her with David, she would have suffered the same fate as their people. He shot out of his seat and began pulling on levers, pressing buttons, pumping the bicycle pump and quietly praying that the TARDIS would reach their destination.
The engines wheezed as the old girl landed in London. A quick check of the monitor and he was out of the door. London seemed to be completely restored. How in the world was he going to find her? He couldn't remember how he used to find her. In his past regenerations he would come to Earth and watch Susan. Not talk to her but he would watch her from afar. He always turned up at different points in her time line. He had a vague memory of seeing her with a young boy. The boy might not have been Susan's son but the way they were together suggests that he was her son. He was proud of her.
He began to wander aimlessly, hoping to jog his memory as to where she could be. The streets were busy, as always. He just hoped he got the right year or close to the years that Susan was on the planet. He looked at every single human who passed him. They seemed happy. He needed to be sure that she was happy. He pulled his leather jacket around him as the chilly wind passed by him.
Canary Wharf came into his memory. Yes. Susan worked there. She wouldn't tell him the name of the company as it would effect his future and the past of the company. He shrugged his shoulders as he thought about it. He moved further along the streets, trying to get his bearings as to where he was. He finally got an idea and moved in the correct direction.
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"I'd like that paper on my desk by Monday." A young woman spoke to another man, who nodded and walked away, while the young woman walked towards the exit of the building. "Have a good weekend though." She called over her shoulder and left the building. She had shoulder length dark brown hair and her eyes seemed to sparkle with mischief. Every person who walked past her did not know that she was not human. She was in fact an alien. There were few people who knew her, actually knew that she was an alien. She began rummaging through her handbag in search of her purse. "Oh damn it." She turned on her heel and returned to her work building.
He had spotted her. He smiled a little. She had aged a little but not a lot, she was wearing clothes that made her look a little older than she was. A curse for their people. Susan was in love with a human and he aged like a human but for Susan, she grew older very slowly. It could be ten human years before she had aged one human year. It all depended on the person.
She had been walking towards him but turned away quickly. He followed her. She had changed her appearance. She looked young but she was dressing older. That probably meant that David was a few years older than the first time the Doctor had met him. The Doctor watched her run into the building.
His courage was beginning to fail him. His companions always saw him as this brave man but he was afraid of his own family. He was afraid to talk to Susan and tell her the truth. He had to do it. He was just about to walk towards the entrance when Susan exited the building. "Susan?"
"Yes?" She stood walking and looked towards this man. She shifted her bag onto her shoulder more.
"It's me." He said plainly.
She frowned and shook her head. "I'm sorry but do I know you?"
"You've always known me." The Doctor spoke softly.
She said nothing more. She rushed at him and flung her arms around him. He, too, held her tightly. "Grandfather." She whispered as she sobbed in his arms.
They stood like that for a while. "I need to talk to you." Stepping back from her, wiping away her tears with the pad of his thumb.
"Yes. I know a small café nearby."
"Isn't David waiting for you?"
Susan shook her head. "No. He's working late tonight." Smiling widely. "Come on."
The Doctor gave a weak smile and held out his arm, which she placed her own through. "Lead the way."
The two of them sat in a small London café with a pot of tea between them. "What body are you on?"
"9th." He smiled, knowing she would probably scold him for it. She usually did.
"For goodness' sake. You are reckless." She laughed, leaning back into her chair with her cup of tea in her hands. "Why are you here?"
"To see you. Check up on you."
Susan scoffed. "If you keep doing that, there would have been no point in leaving me behind in the first place. You probably wouldn't be on your 9th body."
"This regeneration of yours has made you cranky."
"I get that from you and mother." Rolling her eyes as she put her cup down. "Why are you really here, grandfather? You only ever come here for a reason."
He sighed heavily and ran his hands down his face. "I've done something. Something that will make you see me differently."
"What?"
"I went home." He said quickly. "I had to. We were at war."
"With whom?"
"The Daleks."
"Oh." She gasped. Her eyes wide with shock at the news. She knew that Time Lords and Daleks had always been enemies but they had never declared war on the other. "You went to fight?" Leaning forward, leaning on the table.
"Yes. To try and stop them all."
"All? The Daleks?"
"Not just the Daleks. The Time Lords too."
"What?" She frowned. "I don't understand. Why would you have to stop the Time Lords?"
He reached forward and held her hand. "Susan, you have to understand. I did it because they were destroying other planets as well as our own home." He rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand, as a source of comfort. "They were corrupt. They were mad. They wanted to become creatures of consciousness. To destroy creation itself, while they lived on."
Tears ran down Susan's face. "But... What about? What about our family?"
"I couldn't... I didn't..." His own tears fell thick and fast. The heartache had returned. "I couldn't save them. Any of them."
"Mother? Father? Everyone?" She sobbed. Ignoring the other customers, who were staring at her.
The Doctor pulled his chair around the table and sat next to her. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his embrace. She held onto him tightly. "I'm sorry. I wanted to but I couldn't find them. I mean it. I was going to get them all out of there but they were all fighting. They were trying to protect Gallifrey, despite what the council were deciding."
"So." She pulled away from him and wiped her eyes with a napkin. "It's just us two left?" The Doctor nodded silently and watched her. "Don't stay away too much then. I feel very lonely now."
"Me too." He hugged her again. "I promise that I will not stay away for too long. But you know the old girl, don't expect me to come in the right order."
Susan gave a weak laugh. "You can't fly her properly. That's why." Trying to smile broadly but was having trouble smiling. "Please. Promise me that you won't be a stranger."
"I promise. For my past and future selves." Hugging her once more before moving his chair back to his original place. "So, are you ever going to tell me about your job?"
"Nope." She smiled slightly, wiping away stray tears. "One of your future selves told me not to tell you anything about my job as it would compromise your future."
The two spoke for hours until the Doctor stood up. "I should go. You should go home to David."
Susan stood up. "Yes. He will be finishing work soon." Looking up at the large clock in the café. "Be careful, grandfather." Hugging him again, desperate not to let him go but she had to. "I love you."
"I love you too, my child. You take care." He smiling down at her when he pulled away.
"You too." Susan smiled as he kissed her forehead before turning and leaving the building, leaving Susan alone. Her heart swelled when he looked back and gave her a small wave through the window. She paid for their drinks and left the café. As she did, she could hear the distance sounds of alien engines. She smiled to herself as she walked down the street and to home.
Fin
A/N: What do you think? Let me know. :D