This chapter contains spoilers for the movie Superman II, and somewhat obscure references to "The Day of the Doctor".
I don't own Superman, either.
April 2018: re-edited since its original posting.
Chapter 2 - Hypothetically Speaking
"Black tie, ya say?" Rose looked up from the invitation Martha handed her, grinning at the Doctor.
"Oh, no, no, no, no, no," he whined, hands deep in his trouser pockets, eyes closed tightly in feigned torment.
Rose loved to see him squirm, almost as much as she loved to see him in a tux.
"What's wrong with black tie?" Martha asked. "Other than the fact that I still need to buy some shoes to go with my dress..."
"What is wrong, Martha Jones," the Doctor informed her, opening his eyes to level a glare at Rose, "is that whenever I try and wear a tuxedo, something bad always happens."
"I doubt it's the outfit," Martha informed him. "That's just you."
Rose couldn't help a small laugh. "Maybe if you hadn't worn the trainers -"
"I love my trainers!" he objected.
Pointedly ignoring the Doctor, Rose asked Martha, "Where's your dress? I've prob'ly got some shoes on the TARDIS that'll work."
The Doctor cracked his knuckles and waggled his fingers dramatically over the keyboard before he set to work in earnest. Of course, he was the only one to appreciate the gesture, since he was alone in Martha's flat using her laptop while the girls were busy raiding Rose's closet and the TARDIS' wardrobe.
Oh, well. At least he might have an opportunity concentrate and get some real research done.
He started with the official record, simple internet searches for Lazarus Laboratories, Richard Lazarus, and so on. However, it wasn't long before he was typing with one hand and sonic'ing the laptop with the other, searching the unofficial record.
He was now down to his very last spare screwdriver. Before they left, he'd have to start the TARDIS on some more copies... maybe even upgrade some of the features...
Despite his best efforts, the Doctor was still left with a surprising dearth of information when Rose and Martha emerged from the ship thirty-seven minutes later. "All done playing dress-up?" he asked without raising his eyes from the computer screen.
"Yeah, for now," Rose answered.
He looked up then, and was surprised at the distinct lack of formal wear. Martha was carrying a pair of Rose's dress shoes (one of the sets they'd gotten from the thirty-fourth century - three-inch heels that allegedly were as comfortable as trainers), and Rose had a stack of DVDs.
"One last TARDIS movie-thon, we figured," Martha said, in answer to his glance at the DVDs. "I never got around to seeing Superman Returns last year, let alone these sequels, and Rose -"
"And Rose hasn't seen any of them. I'm detecting a pattern," he said. With an exaggerated sigh he conceded, "At least I can't complain that you haven't read the books first, this time."
Rose popped the first movie out of its case, setting up the player. "Not unless you expect us to read how many years' worth of comics?"
"Too many," Martha answered for the Doctor, sitting on the sofa. "But Doctor," she went on, "why d'ya even have DVDs?"
"With how easily you get bored, you need to ask?" he replied.
"No," Rose corrected, "why DVDs, 'stead of, like, video cassettes?"
"Why not, I dunno," Martha mused, "some high-tech, futuristic, data cube things?"
"Well, they aren't. They weren't," he answered, continuing his work on the computer. "The TARDIS shifted the format for your sake, actually. Most of them were originally closer to your 'data cube'."
The Doctor felt Rose walk up behind him to read the computer screen over his shoulder. "Find anythin' yet?" she asked.
He shook his head. "Still looking," he told her, tapping away at the keys. "For a twenty-first century, earth-based laboratory, they're surprisingly good at keeping their top-secret plans secret. Of course," he added, clicking on a window of particular interest, "all this defense funding might contribute to that."
"You want any help?" Rose asked.
"No, the reception's still our best chance to find things out." He looked up at her with a smile. "Enjoy your movies," he said.
The girls took a brief intermission after Superman the Movie, returning to the sofa with popcorn and sandwiches. The Doctor helped himself to a turkey on rye, but continued his work on the computer as Superman II played.
He was pulled from his search by Rose's laughter. "Good thing he's got a Make-Me-Human Chamber, then, yeah?"
"His dad really must've thought of everythin'," Martha agreed.
The Doctor just scoffed silently.
"What?" Rose asked.
He realized he must not have been as silent as he'd intended, as he turned to find both Rose and Martha staring at him. "It's just, you've been watching for a movie and a half, and that's the first thing that strikes you as the least bit odd?" he asked.
"Jus' said it was convenient," Rose defended good-naturedly.
"Oh," the Doctor continued, "not at all like a 'denser molecular structure'," he went so far as to make air quotations, "allowing him to fly, repel bullets, have heat vision or ice breath, or x-ray -"
"Alright, we get it," Martha interrupted, evidently annoyed.
"It's probably the most likely of all the sci-fi in that movie, and that's what you laugh at," he muttered, turning back to the laptop.
"Say that again?" asked Rose.
The Doctor looked back at her. "What? That a biology-re-writing device is more likely than gaining super powers from exposure to an alien star?"
"Yeah. That," Rose answered. "You mean that it's likely, or that it exists?"
"Not in some Fortress of Solitude at the North Pole," he replied, trying to hide his uneasiness as he both answered and dodged the question. "But, yeah, they essentially exist."
"What for?" asked Martha.
"Well, for one," he answered, gesturing towards the television, "sort of what the Man of Steel's using it for. Biological compatibility." The Doctor wasn't entirely sure why he hadn't ended this conversation already, and was deeply regretting the last several sentences that had left his mouth.
His regret was rewarded when Martha voiced exactly the topic he'd hoped to avoid. "So how 'bout Time Lords? Are you biologically com-" she cut off, eyes darting between him and Rose. "Never mind."
By silent agreement, all three suddenly turned back to their previous occupations, the girls watching the movie, and the Doctor focused intently on hitting keys on the keyboard.
Of course, he wasn't at all focused on which keys he was striking, he just thought the continuous clatter made a good cover for his embarrassment.
Not that he was embarrassed. At all.
Not that he spent any time worrying about biological compatibility, or contemplating giving up his Time Lord-ness, or altering a certain human's human-ness.
Not that he had a Chameleon Arch just inside the TARDIS.
The Doctor blinked a few times and managed to bring himself back to the present, resuming his fruitless search for more insight into Lazarus' grand experiment.
Rose was silent through the rest of the movie, and just nodded with a "sure" when Martha suggested skipping straight to Superman Returns once it was over.
It was just a silly comic book movie, but their brief discussion had her paying much closer attention than was good for her. Despite how casual things still were between her and the Doctor, she was forced to quite suddenly realize, My boyfriend's an alien.
Of course, she wasn't at all shocked by the "alien" part of that statement. It was more the fact that she couldn't find any fault with the term "boyfriend". It was completely inadequate, yes, but it no longer implied more than they were to each other - except going so far as admitting it.
Which, naturally, left Rose empathizing with Lois Lane.
And really hating the end of the movie.
The film boiled down their relationship to not having a chance, since one, Superman was needed to protect the planet, and two, he'd have to be human if he were going to live a life with Lois (and, therefore, couldn't protect the planet).
And then he went and wiped her memory, which was just so wrong any way Rose looked at it.
Instead of actually watching the next film, Rose spent the time thinking about exactly why she and the Doctor were in no way as doomed as the couple on the screen.
Yes, she thought, the Doctor is needed to protect the universe. That's a given. But she wasn't asking him to stop being a Time Lord or anything.
But would he want to?
She was startled by the thought, but then realized he was the one who'd brought up biological compatibility. It was more than she allowed herself to dwell on, but if he ever did want to...
It didn't matter, Rose decided. She loved him for himself. Yes, the TARDIS was a terrific bonus. And his knowledge and abilities were, admittedly, impressive. And the thought of marriage and a family could be tempting, so long as it was with him. But none of it was necessary. She'd promised him forever, with no strings attached.
Risking a glance at the Doctor, she wondered if he knew that, whether he knew that it wasn't "forever so long as you've got the TARDIS". They'd been "stuck" together once before, and she'd told him it wasn't so bad, but did he know she'd pick him over the TARDIS? If she somehow had a choice between traveling all of time and space or spending her life with him, that she'd choose him?
"Rose?"
Martha's voice shocked Rose out of her reverie. "Yeah?" she asked, looking up.
"I said, d'ya wanna get dressed? It's about half an hour 'til we should leave, if we're walkin'," Martha told her.
Rose was surprised to see the credits rolling from the last movie. She hadn't seen any of it. "Sure, yeah," she said, getting up. Walking by the Doctor, she asked, "You comin'?"
"Hm?" he replied, still focused on the laptop.
"Time to get dressed," she said, grabbing his hand. The pronouncement itself would never have been enough to entice him away from his work, she knew.
The Doctor knocked on Rose's bedroom door, then stood fiddling with his cuff links while he waited. He'd already wasted as much time as he could, double-checking the TARDIS' memory banks for Lazarus, then he had to give in and actually change into his tuxedo. Now, here he was, and he was still waiting for Rose to finish getting dressed.
He knocked again. "Rose?"
"Yeah?"
At least this time there was a response. "Time to go," he called through the door.
"Time machine," she yelled back at him in a sing-song voice.
"Paradox," he warned in the same teasing tone of voice. He smiled to himself, enjoying the banter.
After only a few moments, the door opened. Rose stood in the doorway wearing a knee-length, red and gold evening gown which he suspected belonged to the fifty-third century section of the wardrobe. Still, it should fit in nicely at the reception, assuming he would be the only one there who could place its year of origin.
That, and he couldn't imagine anyone spending too much time admiring the gown, considering the beauty who was wearing it.
His gaze swept over her, settling at last on her face, which was displaying a delightful blush. Not seeing any reason to hide his admiration, he reached a hand out to cup her cheek. "Lovely," he told her.
He watched as she gave him an appraising look, then smiled as she said, "Not bad, yourself."
He leaned in to press a (relatively) quick kiss to her lips, then offered his arm to escort her outside.
She took his arm, but held him in place, face suddenly serious. "Doctor," she began, then looked away, biting her lip.
He brought her face back up to his with a finger under her chin. "What, Rose?" he asked.
She took a breath, then said, "I told you before, stuck with you wouldn't be so bad." He nodded, remembering the conversation all too well. "Well," she went on, "I wouldn't have to be stuck. I'd pick you if I had to. Over the TARDIS."
To say the Doctor was surprised would be the understatement of the century. He was speechless. He'd hoped, but he never actually thought - what brought this on, he suddenly wondered.
"Right, well, shall we?" Rose asked, turning away and slipping her arm free of his to head quickly down the corridor.
He realized he hadn't made any answer to that wonderfully sweet declaration, and jogged a couple of steps to catch Rose's hand before she could disappear. Turning her towards him, he smiled, and said, "I'd choose you, too."
At her shocked expression, he realized whatever she had expected hadn't included any sort of reciprocation. He made a mental note to do some serious reassuring in the future. Perhaps along with a proposal. That might convince her that he really wasn't planning on leaving her, ever.
In the meantime, he settled for tugging her closer, bringing his free hand up to the base of her neck. He kissed her again, trying to let her know everything he should be telling her with words but wasn't quite ready to.
She seemed to understand at least some of what he was trying to say, because she grabbed a hold of his tuxedo jacket and deepened the kiss.
"Doctor!" Martha's voice came through the TARDIS' open doors.
The Doctor and Rose broke apart, a bit breathless, but both smiling. The Doctor offered his arm again, and this time Rose took it and walked with him back out into the flat.
Martha was standing in front of her television, dressed in her own evening gown. She had the remote in her hand, and was frowning at the screen.
"What's wrong?" asked Rose.
"It's an Easter Egg on the DVD," Martha said, gesturing at the screen. "Is this some sort of joke?" she asked.
The Doctor looked at the screen and saw himself, apparently carrying on a one-sided conversation:
"Quite possibly."
"'Fraid so."
"Thirty-eight!"
"Martha, turn it off," he told her, sternly.
"Why?" she asked, but did as he requested.
"Because, I didn't record that," he answered. At the disbelieving looks from Martha and Rose, he added, "Yet."
To be continued...
"Blink" was just so wonderfully timey-wimey that I couldn't resist another bit of foreshadowing. :)
It occurred to me that the Doctor tossed his burnt-out screwdriver away in "Smith and Jones" (or, "The Smiths and Miss Jones"), but then in "The Day of the Doctor" he was supposed to have had the same one, like, forever. Okay, I'm exaggerating, but without too many spoilers, now you know he just keeps downloading the same programming into new screwdrivers from the TARDIS - which, at some point, received the appropriate programming from the older screwdriver featured in the episode. My theory. Stickin' to it.