It was half an hour before the Doctor decided to leave. He left a handful of notes on the bar before quickly penning a note to the sleeping figure that was Jack Harkness. He felt like his mind was going into overload, the possibilities and ideas were leaping over each other, clamouring for attention inside his mind. Maybe it was the atmosphere of depression that he and Jack had built up, or something inside of him had finally snapped, but the Doctor knew one thing for sure. If there was any possibility of getting them back, any at all, then he would do it.
People pouring out from the nightclubs gave him a wide berth, even in their drunken state knowing not to disturb him. Inside his head was similar to a battleground. His conscious firing off reasons to why he should not even consider this...but they were shot down by his want. His hearts felt like they were about to burst, the rhythmic beat from the dance halls beating in sync with him.
Bounding inside the TARDIS, the Doctor pulled the computer screen around to face him. The room was quiet except for his quiet mutterings and the tapping of the keyboard as he wrote down possible theories and events that could occur if he were to go through with this. And everything he could think of could be fixed. Easily. It was just a case of being in the right place at the right time. Somewhere inside of him, the Doctor could feel the familiar pull of his old instincts kick in, telling him that it was wrong to even think of doing it. But over that, the predominant feeling was that he didn't care anymore. It was worth it if he could have them back.
His two hearts leapt at the thought of having them both on the ship, laughing and probably taking the mickey out of him. Being able to take them for breakfast in France, and then to the Valencia ice rings to skate. The thought almost gave him chills.
Hours later, the Doctor sat back from the computer screen. An intricately detailed plan lay out before him, and he knew that if he followed it to the letter, then it might just work. This tumultuous joy bubbled up inside of him, sheer pleasure at the fact that he may just be able to pull this off. Rose and Donna could be by his side by the end of the day. He just had to do this right.
It was as simple as Jack said. Leave a note. Nothing with too much information. Just tell his old self to take the right lever...then Rose would never have to pull it up...and she would never fall. Everything would fall into place from there. Meet Donna at Christmas, then find her again when he found the lead on the Adipose. Everything seemed so simple...events would happen in the right order, nothing much would change. He whispered it to himself over and over, convincing himself that it was true. Covering his denial with white lies.
He dodged his old self easily, skulking behind corners and slipping from one shadow to another. His hand was clutched around the scrap of paper he had written his note on, his breathing laboured. Seeing him and her walk from the TARDIS, holding hands and skipping to a fate they had no idea of...it took all his might to keep himself from calling out and stopping them. Telling them to leave Earth and never return. They could even take Jackie with them if that's what it took.
As soon as the couple were out of sight, he slid inside the blue box, clicking the door quietly shut behind him. Unfolding the note, the Doctor looked around for a good place to put it. It was written in Gallifreyan, so he had no concerns over Rose seeing it. She would just think it was a stray thought that he had jotted down before it fled his mind. He was always doing that. Deciding to place it in plain sight led him to tape it to the corner of the monitor. He was bound to see it. Taking a step back, the Doctor thought briefly about ripping the note into pieces. To not play with the timeline like this. He closed his eyes as doubt overtook him in waves.
Had he really become this selfish? There was a time when he would never have dared to do this....Change time for one human girl? Never...But that was then. Things had changed, he had changed.
Swallowing hard, the Doctor quickly slipped from the TARDIS, hurrying along the pathway back to his own ship. Almost not quite believing what he had done. It was just a case of allowing the time line to change...And he could feel it, in his mind...everything was changing. He panted and clutched the wall as the shockwaves overtook him again and again and again. Sparks flew throughout his mind as new memories slipped in beside his old ones, each new thing accompanied by a flash of yellow hair and a wide smile.
Finally, everything stopped. And he was left sitting on the ground, trying to reclaim control of his breath. Focusing hard, the Doctor tried to decipher his new timeline, thread the new memories together...As he finished, a disbelieving smile took over his face...he remembered...he remembered the day he read the note. And everything that followed.
Well, I hope you liked. I know where this is going at least lol. So...tell me what you think! xx (And I do apologise if anything in this story doesn't follow the consequences of what may happen in the show from fiddling with the timeline lol)