Chapter Three
The woman, River Song, smiled at Rose broadly, but Rose suspected the smile to be fake. Her eyes still looked sad. She shifted her gaze from Rose, who was still supporting the "What the hell" look on her face, and turned her head to face Rory and Amy.
"Where were you?!" Amy shouted "He's dead! Just look at him. Why weren't you here!" Rose tenderly stepped back and placed her hands over Amy's. she was feeling the exact same emotions, yes, but she knew that right now they needed to be focused, for The Doctor's sake.
"Amy, I couldn't be here until now. The timelines proved it. I'm sorry but we need to do this," she gestured to the boat. Amy stifled her sobs a little more, and nodded at River. Rory picked up the tank of gasoline and they walked over to the boat. "If we're gonna do this, we've got to do it right"
oOo
They watched the boat drift off past the shore, the flames blazing around it. "I can't believe it," Rose said to herself quietly. But not because she was scared or shocked or sad. But because she knew that he couldn't be dead. The Doctor had promised her this great future, that would start today with his younger self. But she couldn't let that onto Amy or Rory. She suspected River knew of this, but she didn't trust her. Rose was usually a trustworthy person, but River didn't feel right to her. All she could do now was grieve the future version of the man that she didn't yet know, as the four of them headed back to the diner. Rory and Amy lagged behind, Amy struggling to keep it together as River and Rose walked ahead.
"You're from the future, aren't you?" she said to River, after a few minuets of silence. River just nodded, her face stoic. "He's not dead, and you know it. He told you, I know he did."
"He said we're going to meet a younger version of him soon, in the diner."
"Did he say anything else?"
Rose shook her head know, and River sighed. Rose could almost swear that she saw tears slowly beginning to form in the woman's eyes. "I can't believe he didn't tell you about me."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. It isn't your fault. It's just, I know that when I meet him for his first time, and he doesn't know who I am, it will kill me inside, but I know now it can't compare to this. Rose Tyler, standing next to me without a clue who I am. And I know Rose, that this doesn't make any sense to you, whatsoever, and that hurts me even more somehow."
"I'm sorry, I really am."
"Stop saying that. I hate that word. Because you're not sorry Rose, I know you. You don't know me, so what do you have to be sorry for? I'm just sorry that when we did meet for the first time, it had to be like this."
Rose stayed silent for the rest of the walk back to the diner. Something about River still didn't sit right with her, but she couldn't say it didn't hurt to see the woman in such turmoil, yet keep so stoic. River Song was truly an incredible woman, and Rose was just sorry that she didn't know why yet.
As they approached the diner, River made Rose promise to wait outside until she gave her a signal to come in. certain things needed to be said before The Doctor would panic over seeing Rose again, and Rose agreed. In reality, Rose needed to compose herself before facing The Doctor again. After seeing the future version of him apparently die, she would have to keep strong hold of her emotions before she would end up revealing too much. The doctor always had a way of getting her to talk, and he could usually do it with just one look.
She watched outside through the window as Amy cried and River slapped The Doctor across the face, hard. Rose chuckled slightly, remembering her mother slapping The Doctor in his ninth form. It was odd seeing his reaction in this new body. Although they had spent the day together, Rose could immediately see the differences between this version of The Doctor and the future one earlier in the day. This doctor wore a red bowtie, and suspenders and had a goofy smirk on his face, and his hair was longer and softer. He looked like a startled puppy, in a way.
As Rose watched the scene unfold, she noticed River turn and make eye contact with her. Noting this as the signal, Rose straightened her jacket and walked through the diner doors. The Doctor's head snapped upwards automatically as he heard the bell ring on the door, and his mouth fell open as he saw her stand in the doorway, making solid eye contact with him. It was unnerving how precise his eyes were as they scanned her up and down, and Rose felt scrutinised, but almost in a good way. She took a shaky step forward, noticing how he hadn't moved an inch since she entered, except for his eyes; and his thoughts, which she could see moving at a thousand miles a minute.
Eventually she mustered up the courage to walk towards him, Amy, Rory and River watching them both. Amy opened her mouth to say something, but river gave her a brief look, quickly silencing her. All will be explained later River's eyes screamed inside her head. So Amy kept her mouth shut, and watched The Doctor, who seemed to be locked in position, rendered speechless.
Now Rose was standing right in front of him, he somehow found the strength to reach his hand out, almost to touch her face, to see if she was real or not. But still, as he was barely an inch from her face, he snapped his arm back to his side.
"You aren't real. You can't be. Will somebody explain to me what's funny because I really do not understand the joke." He said, his voice angry, eyes looking around, looking for some source of explanation for the girl in front of him.
"I'm real" Rose said
"No, no you really, really aren't. You can't be." He said, his hard tone slowly softening into a whisper.
Rose reached out and took his hand, his fingers instinctively locking around hers almost as a subconscious act. "Feel it. I'm real." She said, her eyes welling up.
Suddenly The Doctor reached out his other hand, pulling her close and Roses arms automatically wrapped around his, his left hand reaching up and stroking her hair gently. He shut his yes tight, breathing in her smell again and sighing in relief. Eventually she pulled away, and smiled at him. "Hello," he said, smiling softly. He felt tears in his eyes, but he didn't say so.
"Hello." Rose said. They went in for another tight hug, this one lasting longer before River cleared her throat and they pulled away.
"Yes, reunion, very good. but can we please get down to business. Space, 1969, Canton Everett Delaware the third. I assume the TARDIS is near?" she said, smiling.
"Out the back." The Doctor said, still recovering from his recent…shock.
"Well, then let us go. I haven't got all day you know, those prison guards can't just let me break out all the time" River said with a smile, and The Doctor laughed a little uneasily. He wasn't sure what exactly was going on, but he could question Rose when they got back to the TARDIS. Amy and Rory were clearly shaken, and River was doing that thing he hated. That "I-know-more-than-you-do" thing.
And also Rose. Sweet, fantastic, beautiful Rose. She was here, like really, really here. But how? It had clearly, for him, been a long time since they had met, and he wondered how long it had been for her. Both his hearts had shattered when he saw her for the last time, on the estate in the snow. She looked so young, and innocent. Unscarred.
But still, questions for Rose could come later. He was getting a particular uneasy feel about this whole situation, the envelope. Where had it come from? And Rose, again. Amy and Rory almost seemed familiar with her, and River too. River worried him the most. She seemed to look at Rose with pain and sadness, and a little longing there too. Like they were old friends, but Rose didn't seem to remember. He wondered if River's timeline went backwards for Rose too, and maybe they were friends in her future.
Their future?
He couldn't be sure. He couldn't leave Rose, he of course would invite her along. But when they had previously travelled, it was becoming so hard to keep her at arms length. He couldn't quite allow himself to love her, because of their tragic, inevitable, fate. She would die, and he would not. But slowly, in his tenth form, he had been letting her in. a little closer each day. He was so close to snapping, it was difficult for him to keep his control around her. Ironically their separation had been at somewhat the right time, forcing him to move away from her, her fate sealed in a parallel universe. But then, here she was, out of the blue. He liked it, but hated it too.
He didn't want to break Rose's heart, by being with her or not.
Sorry it wasn't that long, been busy with school and what not. Hope it's alright, drop me a review maybe?
