Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up! Got pretty busy with the new married life and such...and I had a little writer's block. New ideas have sprouted and I'm back on a roll. Hope you enjoy this chapter! Went a little nuts with it. Read, Rate, and Review people!
When Rose and Eleven walked back into the TARDIS, she patted the ship softly and began inspecting the carving. Why was it; everywhere they went, Bad Wolf was the main focus? Her fingers traced the lettering. Could this be the work of the Beast? Could he just be toying with her mind? Something told her that was not the case. Bad Wolf only came into view when she and the real Doctor were together. Never once did she have a problem with it when she was with John. But as soon as the Doctor had landed in the Parallel universe, she received an email that just repeated the words 'Bad Wolf'. The sender was anonymous. What did it even mean?
Suddenly, a memory she never knew she had burst through.
'I am the Bad Wolf. I create myself. I take the words. I scatter them…in time, and space.'
Funny; she didn't recall this ever happening to her. She didn't remember ever saying it.
"It was when you looked into the heart of the TARDIS. You wouldn't remember."
"How did you-"
Rose saw Eleven lowering his hand from the wall of the ship. He had linked his mind with hers and transferred the memory along the link.
"I didn't know you could do that."
"I didn't either. I only leaned up against the wall. The TARDIS did the rest."
"Am I…the Bad Wolf?"
The Doctor only nodded.
"You knew and you never told me?"
"Did it need telling?"
"What does that mean though?"
"That's for you to figure out. You created it. You literally in that moment cast those words back and forwards in time in certain spots. I don't know why."
Rose thought deeply for a moment. When no other memories resonated, she pulled the lever and they were off to Earth. She grabbed her cell phone out once they landed.
"Mum?"
"Rose!"
"Mum, where are you?"
"He has Tony!"
"What? How did he find you?"
"I don't –I don't know!"
Jackie was sobbing as Pete took over the call.
"He followed us Rose. He had to. I'm so sorry Rose…"
"You have my word Dad. I will get him back."
She flipped her phone shut. Her eyes were filled with panic, but her voice was steady.
"You. You're coming with me. This is all your fault!"
"Oi! Why is everything always my fault?"
"Bad Wolf didn't exist in this universe until you showed up!"
"But you are Bad Wolf!"
"I mean the words! Don't you remember? Everywhere we went, there they were! Always taunting us…"
Rose was on the verge of tears, just looking at the Doctor. How come she was always looking? Eleven put his hands on both of her shoulders. Suddenly she gasped. They were everywhere.
"Now, since you're back, they're everywhere. All over again, they're there. Can't you see?"
"Where are they?"
Rose looked down at her hands and began to scream. Her body was covered in it. The writing reminded her of the ancient script that was in print all over Toby when the Beast had infested his mind.
"What's wrong Rose? What is it?"
"Can't you see?"
"See what? What am I supposed to be seeing?"
"Doctor, what's happening?"
"I-I don't know…"
Suddenly Rose fell to the floor. Eleven dropped down beside her and began to shake her.
"Rose!"
He put his ear to her chest. No heartbeat.
"Oh, no you don't Rose Tyler."
He began trying to resuscitate her. Finally, she gasped for air. The Doctor sighed in relief and held her tight to his chest. She was shaking as she began to cry.
"Shh, Shh…"
She hugged back with what strength she had. He could feel the tears soaking his shoulder.
"You're alright…aren't you?"
She only nodded and began to lose consciousness. He carried her to Jackie's house, laying her on the couch as he turned on the telly to see what was happening. Every channel was John. That voice gave him the creeps.
"So, Doctor…are you going to tell dear Rose about your wife?"
"My wife is dead John. I can never get her back."
"What if…Rose were to find out though? Would she still love you then?"
"She doesn't love me now. She loves John; the real John, and I swear I will find a way to get him back to her."
"It's a pity you won't get that far."
The Doctor took in John's surroundings. It looked so familiar. Where John was, he had been there before. Wait-he knew exactly where John was. He and Rose had been there in the past.
"Where is Tony? Is he hurt?"
"All in due time Doctor."
"Mark my words Beast. I will get him back if it's the last thing I do."
"It will be."
The TV turned to static and Rose woke at the sound of it.
"Why on Earth are you watching static?"
"I know where John is."
Eleven led her to her TARDIS and pulled the lever. He noticed that she seemed to be in her own world at the moment, and that scared him. Only God knows what she could be thinking about.
"Rose, are you alright?"
She nodded. "So, where does John have Tony?"
"Do you remember the transmitter that the Nestene used the first time we met?"
"Yeah?"
"Question answered."
"Why there?"
"Good question. You can ask him when we get there."
Rose rolled her eyes and ran towards the transmitter.
"Rose, stop! It's not safe!"
Rose ignored the Doctor as she opened the lid to go down inside. Eleven followed with his sonic screwdriver out and ready. He had a bad feeling. He climbed down and saw John with a gun to Tony's head.
"Really? A gun? I thought you were better than that."
"Doctor! Don't antagonize him. We want Tony alive."
"No, but seriously. You're the Devil! Legion! The Beast with many names! When did you resort to humanly tactics? You have tried so hard through the centuries to make everyone like you, but in reality, you're becoming like them!"
The Beast let out a roar.
"Doctor, really! Stop it!"
"Rose, trust me."
"Why should I trust you? Ever since you've returned, all there has been is pain and destruction. You are so dangerous."
"You make me dangerous."
"And how is that?"
"You hate me. You blame everything you can't understand on me. I saw it from the beginning. You fear me. Being feared makes people do dangerous and stupid things. Doesn't it John?"
John cocked his head a bit and took a few steps towards the Doctor. He released Tony, and the boy ran to Rose.
"Everyone knew who you were when the Earth first formed and man first inhabited it; and they did not fear you. You had to hide away until you were nearly forgotten…a myth; a legend, if you will. You waited until the human's minds were weak. They feared you, and you fed off of that fear. You still do; and that's what makes you more dangerous than anything."
"You're stating the obvious Doctor. Where are you going with this?"
"Shut up and let me think. I'll get back to you."
"That doesn't make any sense."
"Shush!"
"Doctor…"
"What!"
Eleven looked at Rose, who was looking right behind him. He turned to meet an angel face to face.
"Ech! Ugly buggers, the Weeping Angels. You see Rose-"
"Oh, shut up. I know what the Weeping Angels are. I was married to John for ten years. You think he didn't tell me about his adventures with Martha?"
"You know what to do when I turn around then. Oh, and one part John didn't tell you. Don't look in its eyes. Anything that holds the image of an angel becomes itself an angel and I really don't need you turning to stone on me Rose. I only have time to save one Tyler today. Now, shut up, quit blaming me for everything you and John have done to bring this on and let me work!"
Rose straightened up and kept quiet.
"What do you really want John?"
"Earth will burn when the sun rises."
John turned his back them and released a bloodcurdling scream. Eleven turned to face the angel.
"Rose."
"What?"
"You and Tony, run away."
"But Doctor-"
"Now!"
They did so and Eleven turned back once they were gone. He was zapped in the past. Shortly after he opened his eyes, John appeared right next to him.
"What happened?"
"Kissed by an angel."
The Doctor noticed John's voice wasn't coated by hatred anymore. Eleven looked in his eyes and realized that John's consciousness was still intact.
"You're alive!"
John looked down at himself and felt every inch of his body and he laughed.
"I'm…I'm alive! This is brilliant!"
Eleven began pacing. "Think, think, think! We need to find a way-"
"I need to find Rose!"
"There are more important things at hand right now John."
"But Rose-"
"Shut up! I'm trying to think!"
"Who the hell do you think you are?"
Eleven turned towards John and grinned. "I'm the Doctor."
"You died?"
"And regenerated. Don't forget that bit."
"Look at your face."
"What's wrong with my face?"
"You look ten."
"I like my face!"
"You're wearing a bowtie?"
"Bowties are cool."
"It looks ridiculous."
"Hey! Don't diss the bowtie!"
"So what are we going to do? We're stuck in the past with no way back. Did you even think about this beforehand?"
"What's the fun in that?"
"Doctor-"
"I assumed when you got zapped, the Beast's consciousness would travel along with your body."
"You assumed?"
"Well, yes! Haven't you ever assumed anything before? Of course you have, you're me! Now shut it!"
After a good twenty minutes of silence, Eleven kicked at the air and sat in the grass.
"I don't-I don't know what to do!"
"You're a clever man. Why don't you figure it out?"
That voice was different. The Doctor looked up.
"Hello Sweetie."
"River? How did you-"
"The TARDIS kind of materialized in my cell. She didn't give me much of a choice."
River smiled his favorite smile. His wife was alive…but how? There was only one explanation. It was before she…
"How are you-"
"John, stop." Eleven whispered, "You can't tell her. It hasn't happened yet."
"What hasn't happened?"
Eleven simply smiled. "Spoilers."
"Quite right then. You need a lift fellas?"
"You're brilliant!"
"I try."
"Not you. The TARDIS."
River looked at John and rolled her eyes. "You just wanna smack him sometimes."
John chuckled and nodded in agreement.
"Where do you need to go Doctor?"
"Parallel Earth, September 2016. London, obviously."
"Well, Geronimo then!"
Eleven and River laughed as they pulled the lever together and landed safely in the future.
"I'm sorry, I have to find Rose!"
"John, stop!"
"Why?"
"It's not safe. Trust me. The Beast knew you weren't me. He's not stupid. He wanted you so he could get to Rose. Without you, he won't know where to start. It's safer to stay away for now."
"Story of our lives, eh Doctor?"
Eleven nodded and looked at his very much alive wife.
"So Doctor, how many times have we met?"
"Wait…you don't even know how many times you've seen each other?"
"Our timelines are kind of…going the opposite direction."
"And she's what to you?"
"A very old friend."
She usually referred to herself as his wife. He wondered why she didn't this time. Then he came to the realization; he was her husband but she wasn't his wife. Not yet. This was going to hurt. He had become a widow 15 years ago. He was moving on, but this was not helping. He loved Rose with ever fiber of his being, but he and River had such a unique connection. He couldn't lie to her if he tried. Look what he'd already lied to Rose about; there never being anybody else and her husband being gone (which in his defense, John said the same thing). Rose was right. He was dangerous to be around. Whether he was hated or loved. He hurt everybody he touched. River died because she loved him so much. She was willing to watch time deteriorate so he wouldn't die. She would never have settled for anything less than him. She would've rather died. Rose cared too much about the life of others. She may not have done what River did to save him, but she would never have left his side. She was stubborn like that. She would have died with him. River would have died for him. And she did. His hearts and mind struggled with each other for so long on what he wanted. It was too complicated to think about when he was trying to save the universes.
"River, can you give John and me a minute alone?"
"Of course, Doctor."
Once she walked away Eleven sat against the panel of the TARDIS, motioning for John to join.
"Who is she really, Doctor? I saw your surprise when she explained who she was."
"For me, she died 15 years ago. We had our beginning and our end together for both of us. This is some random jump that shouldn't exist. We were in a clean beginning to end, and this…this is weird. We've read each other's diaries-"
"You have a diary?" John chuckled.
"Hey! Shut up. It was the only way I could remember everything that happened together. That and so I would know where in time we were meeting for each other."
"I don't get it."
"Really?"
Eleven grabbed his sonic and started pointing it at John's head.
"Hmmm, strange."
"What Doctor?"
"You not only lost one of your hearts, you seem to have lost your brain as well."
John hit the sonic away. "Oh, shut up."
"We need to get to Rose and her brother."
"Her brother?"
"Yeah."
"She doesn't have a brother Doctor. Not anymore."
"What do you mean?"
"Tony was born prematurely. He died when he was 2 months old."
"Oh my...Who is Tony then?"
"Tony is our son. We named him after her brother."
"I guess I just assumed-"
"Well, stop assuming then!"
"One other thing John; I kissed your wife."
John punched him.
"I deserved that. I'm sorry. We thought you were dead."
"She kissed back?"
"No, no, no. I got her by surprise. Don't worry. She can't love me. She told me so. I'm not you. You're a lucky guy John."
"I see the way you look at River, Doctor. You love that woman with every bit of yourself. You may try to deny it because it hurts, but let me give you a piece of advice."
"And what is that?"
"Let it hurt."
"Hurting hurts though."
"Get over it Doctor. You and River are meant to be. We could feel it when we met her for the first time. We tried not to trust her because there was no reason for us to, but that little part of us knew we trusted her the moment she walked in the room."
"Yeah, I guess."
"Now who is she to you really?"
Eleven looked around and whispered it in John's ear.
"She's your what?"
"Shhh!"
"So you're a widow then."
"Yes."
"I understand why it hurts so much. If Rose died and I randomly saw her again, I don't know how I would react. Curl up in a ball or something."
Eleven nodded. "Let's get going so we can save your wife and son then eh?"
