Hey everybody! This is your friendly, neighborhood fanfiction author speaking! I'm sorry for the wait between Robin's chapter and the chapter that I wrote! Special thanks to everybody who reviewed the past few chapters! And ~ an important side-note, my pen-name has changed for those who haven't been able to find me. I'm now Little Bat. With that said, enjoy the chapter!


Forbidden Tomorrow

By

doodlegirll and Little Bat

***

Chapter Three: Distant Memories

The Doctor scanned over the letter again and again. He knew he hadn't misread the letter. Rarely ever did he misread things. Well, once or twice, but not when it really mattered, and he couldn't quite believe what he was reading. How had his Human self managed to find a Fob watch? Maybe Rose's alternate reality was much more advanced than he gave them credit for. He turned the small silver watch over in his hand, while he absently rubbed his fingers along the writing. It wasn't Gallifreyan like what he was used to; however, it seemed to be some odd variation of his people's language.

"He gave you a watch?" Rose's voice was low and confused as she rested her head against the Doctor's shoulder.

"And a letter."

Rose's left hand reached for the Doctor's, her fingers intertwined with his own. He hadn't forgotten how much he missed that, just having a hand to hold.

"Rose, you're gonna want to read this." This was her choice just as much as his. It was her life, her choice. He'd tampered with that one too many times already. His gaze wandered over to the conference room, where the little River sat with Gwen, both munching on their sandwich, while Martha worked furiously on some paperwork that had been placed in front of her.

Finally, Rose's eyes met his. She didn't look surprised, and she hadn't jumped to any sort of decision. Yet.

"Doctor, I don't want this to be something you don't want to do, they're somebody else's memories and life after all. And, not all of the memories are good ones either." Rose visibly winced, remembering the past few turbulent months, watching coworkers and friends killed in front of them by the invading aliens.

The Doctor gave her a tiny grin. "Well- can't be any worse than some of the memories I have locked away" He tapped the side of his head. "I left you there, on that beach. Not just once but twice and I didn't even give you a choice! I've missed so much. Of you, of River." At that he paused. "She really is your daughter isn't she?"

Rose nodded, the small smile spreading across her face. "She's our daughter all right. And she's got your mind for trouble too."

The Doctor grinned. So that's is where River had gotten it. He thought, finally understanding that fierce determination River had, and her dismay at realizing that he wasn't the Father that she remembered. Meeting your Dad before he's even your Dad must have been a weird experience, even for Time-Lord standards.

"Rose- this is something that I want to do. For a couple minutes at least I'm going to be pretty disoriented. Having another person in your head does that to you sometimes."

For a moment, Rose remembered the light-headed fuzzy disorientation she felt after Cassandra had possessed her on New New York. Oh, she knew.

"Well, alright then. Allons-y!" And with that the Doctor opened the fob watch, and a flood of memories streamed through his consciousness.

***

The fire, surrounding Donna, while the two of them worked together in order to bring the TARDIS out from the inferno to help the others on the Crucible.

His Human self and Rose, standing together hand in hand on Bad Wolf Bay as they watched the TARDIS, his TARDIS vanishing through the rip in Rose's alternate reality.

The confusion of adjusting to a normal, human life.

His first desk job that wasn't a cover, working with Pete Tyler on the alternate Torchwood. (Hewas pleased to note that his Human self didn't carry a gun.)

Falling from a rather large ladder when he tried to help Rose by fixing a leak on the roof of their flat.

River, born on a Saturday.

River, taking apart his spare sonic screwdriver at age two, her first word, her first steps.

Trips to the zoo, where River tried to slip (unsuccessfully) into the monkey cage.

The monsters, flooding through reality- and the death that followed in their wake.

Jackie screaming at them to run as the creatures caught up with them.

His human self, writing the message while Rose and River drifted off in an uneasy sleep while they hid in a safe-house, owned by a certain Sarah-Jane Smith. Where he finally hid his memories safely inside of the Fob watch.

Then, everything faded into darkness.

***

Ianto had gone with Mickey to get a couple more sandwiches and find Jack. It was more so that they would have something to do rather than an of actual need for any more food (though admittedly they could use Jack).

While Gwen helped River with her lunch, Martha sat in the conference room with the two, a red pen in her hand while she furiously filled out some form that Ianto had handed her. She had no idea what it was really, but it gave her something to do. Her mind however, had more important things to think about than Torchwood's financial status or... whatever it was.

When she'd been traveling with the Doctor for that wonderful year, she had tried to hate Rose. It had been easy, she was the ideal of perfection. Something that Martha tried to reach for, but was never able to achieve. She'd been able to hate the young woman when she was nothing more than an idea.

Their brief meeting on the Crucible however caused that illusion to shatter. Fighting side by side against the Daleks, seeing the courage that she had to travel realities alone, looking for the Doctor. And when it was done, wrapping Martha in a fierce hug, standing with the other Children of Time while they helped to pull the Earth back into it's proper place.

She couldn't hate her. And when they got the call that a young woman and her daughter had been found wandering the halls, somebody who needed to speak to the Doctor. Once Martha had recognize her she jumped at the chance to help.

She found herself tuning out River's excited chattering, and turning towards the clear windows, to where the Doctor and Rose stood. It was then she noticed the fob watch clutched tightly in the Doctors hand.

If anybody knew about fob watches, it was Martha Jones. The situation with the Family of Blood had been a disaster. Martha knew that. She'd almost lost the Doctor that time, to another man.

He must love Rose, she thought, if he'd be willing to touch another fob watch after everything those things have done in the past...