A/N: I'm still here! I swear! Life is madness, but I won't be giving up on this or any of my other stories. Many, many thanks to my wonderful followers, to everyone who has favourited this story, and to all of you have have left such kind and encouranging reviews. I sincerely appreciate every single one of you. Please enjoy this next chapter!
Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related. That all goes to the BBC.
He had taught before. Obviously. One didn't travel through time and space without having to go undercover in a school or university at some point in their life. And obviously he enjoyed teaching. That's one of many reasons he took friends and companions with him in the TARDIS. He genuinely loved showing and teaching his companions new things. Things they never thought possible and wouldn't have learned about in their regular lives. And, of course, there was the aspect that he secretly loved being the smartest person in the room. Well, maybe it wasn't a secret. Rose was constantly calling him out on it. So was Jackie come to think about it...
Either way, the Doctor was a born teacher. Rose had expressed her concerns that he might get bored with the job. He had honestly been a little frightened of that as well, but it couldn't be farther from the truth. He found that every day was different. Every student. Every class. Every year. It was an adventure he was happy to be apart of.
He loved all of his students. Well... most of his students. There were always a few trouble makers. Or students who, while incredibly smart, only took his class because they thought they could breeze through it easy-peasy. Oh, the Doctor did enjoy proving them wrong on that front. There were also the students who only took his class because of, well, him. He and Rose did a fairly decent job at staying out of the rags, however, they did occasionally grace the various media outlets, which meant that several students came to his class to meet him. Or to try to get him to introduce them to Rose. For the most part those students only harboured small fancies and were able to still concentrate on their work. Though there were a few who were a bit more eager in their pursuits.
He tried his very best not to encourage any romantic notions with his students. After complaining to her for what felt like the one hundredth time about a student hitting on him, Rose sat him down and patiently explained that while he might not mean it, his charming personality could often come across as flirting. Most especially to young women. Of course, the best way to send a message to those eager young women, was to show them that he was taken and not interested. It was Rose who decided to take initiative on that front.
She had never seen him teach before. Well, not in the universe. She had come to visit him at work in the past, but she always waited for him in his office or out in the hall if his class was still in progress. The first time she had decided to sit in on one of his classes was shortly after they'd been married. They were still in their blissfully happy honeymoon stage (which neither saw ending any time soon) and Rose was dying to see what the Doctor was like as a professor. She also wanted to make it clear to any and all students that fancied him that he was spoken for.
She didn't tell him she was sitting in. He'd had no idea that Rose had observed his entire class from the very back row, making sure to hide behind a couple of taller boys. It wasn't until he dismissed the class and turned around to erase his notes on the board that he realised she was there.
He felt her soft arms wrap around his waist from behind and her lips move against his ear. "I'm not so sure about that homework you assigned, Professor. Perhaps there's some extra credit work I could do instead?"
"Hm," he pondered for a moment, a smirk playing on his lips, before turning around and facing her. "I think there's something that could be arranged."
"Yeah?" she asked with a tongue in teeth smile.
Leaning down, he brushed his lips against hers. "Oh, yes."
Time seemed to stand still as they stood, wrapped in each other's embrace. It could have lasted hours, however the eruption of applause from the majority of the still filled classroom made them think it was most likely seconds. The students all let out various encouragements and wolf-whistles, much to Rose's amusement.
"Yeah! Get it, Dr. Smith!" one rowdy boy yelled. "You want me to clear this place and guard the door for you so you two can have a quick go of it on the desk?"
Rose felt the Doctor tense slightly and immediately squeezed his arm to let him no that it was alright. It was just a silly boy being a boy and she wasn't offended in the least. Giving a slight nod to her, he cleared his throat. "While that's a tempting offer, Conner, I'm going to have to refuse. You know, school policy and whatnot. Besides, who needs a desk when we have a very large and very comfortable bedroom waiting back at our flat. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'd like to take my wife home and make use of that bed."
"Doctor!" Rose blushed, but didn't miss the envious glares several female students sent her as the Doctor grabbed her hand and began leading her out of the room
The young man, Connor, wiggled his eyebrows in a reminiscent way of the Doctor's as they passed him by. Clearly he was rubbing off on his students. "Have fun, Mrs. Smith!" Connor called out.
"Oh, I will," she assured him with a cheeky wink over her shoulder.
The Doctor grinned as he remembered the very fun time they'd had when they finally made it back to their flat. It was memories like that, and the events that lead up to it, that were getting him through this difficult time. Rose had no recollection of those things happening so he had to remember for the both of them. Because on the off, but still possible, chance that her memories never did come back, he wants to be able to tell her in detail about every single thing.
His meeting with the university board had gone a bit longer than expected. While the members of the board were still totally understanding of his and Rose's situation, they were desperate to get him back. Apparently the professor they had brought in to temporarily replace him was ready to get back to his own classes. On top of that, several of the Doctor's top-ranking students were starting to let their grades slip, not to mention the students who weren't top-ranking. After some negotiation on his work schedule, the Doctor finally agreed to go back to the university the following week. He was worried about what Rose would do with all her spare time, but he was sure with a call to Jackie that could all be worked out.
Truthfully, he was rather excited to get back to teaching. He was still feeling frazzled by Rose's accident and her resulting injuries, but it had been a long few months and he was looking forward to getting somewhat back to his old routine. And, oh, if the other fully Time Lord version of himself could hear him now, how he would laugh at that! The Doctor had never been one for routines. Much too boring and domestic for his taste. But after having his and his family's life disrupted in such a dramatic way, he realised just how much he loved and craved those silly human routines and domestics. Maybe starting to get back to normal would help Rose. If life started to move like it had before the accident, perhaps there could be some progress.
That was the hardest part. The not knowing. Not knowing if her memories would return or when or even how. It was all unknown. There was no easy fix for this. There was a slim chance that if he was still fully Time Lord he would have a better grasp on what to do or how to help his wife, but he knew it wasn't likely. Like he'd said many times since Rose's prognosis, the mind is a delicate thing and he would run the risk of shattering it if he were to enter and try to fix things. That was a risk he wasn't willing to take. Not without the TARDIS for backup.
It was with a light heart that the Doctor parked the car and bounded up the steps towards his and Rose's flat. All throughout his meeting, his mind had been on his wife and how she was doing in his absence. What was she doing? Was she resting like she was supposed? Was she taking care of herself? All those thoughts swirled through his mind and now that he was about to see for himself that she was okay, he was feeling much more at ease...
Except she wasn't there.
'Where could she be!?' he thought frantically as he tore through the flat, trying to find any sort of clue to her whereabouts. His first thoughts went to worst case scenario. Had she been kidnapped? Abducted by mad aliens hell bent on destroying the universe, his universe? It was ridiculous he knew. If aliens were involved, Torchwood would be on the case. Surely if something drastic like that had happened Peter Tyler would already know and would have informed him. Right?
He pulled out his mobile and briefly considered calling his father-in-law, but then thought better of it. Maybe it was something simpler. Perhaps Jackie had dropped by and taken Rose out shopping or to lunch. But surely she would have called him first... Or at least had Rose leave him a note. But there was nothing. The only thing missing was her mobile and the key to the flat. So, she must have left willingly. And wasn't that just a terrifying thought.
She left. She clearly left and he had no idea when or even if she would return. 'Don't be ridiculous,' he chided himself. Deep down she was still Rose and Rose had a real talent for wandering off. She probably just went for a walk and there was no reason he should jump to conclusions. Yet. He quickly swiped his thumb over the touch pad on his mobile and dialed Rose's number. It rang three times before going to voicemail. He tried again, twice, but each time had the same result. He practically growled in frustration and had to refrain himself from chucking the phone against the wall. Right. He needed to find her now. She wasn't answering and something could be seriously wrong.
'Unless she's avoiding your calls on purpose,' his traitorous mind injected.
No. He couldn't think like that. Even if she was avoiding his calls, she was his wife. She was his responsibility and he needed to find her. Now. That's when it came to him. Oh, he was thick. Thick, thick, thick! Rose's mobile had a tracker in it, placed there by Torchwood. There were only two people who had access to the tracker's information, Pete and himself. And the only person who knew how to shut it off was Rose. Besides shutting the tracker down, the only way it didn't work was if the phone was destroyed. Not even shutting the phone off would work.
Swiping his phone again, he swiftly opened the app that would give him the information he needed. Aha! There she was... and she was moving. Actually, she was just around the corner. Clearly on her way back the flat, or so it would seem. Stuffing his mobile in his pocket, he bounded back down the stairs and made his way to the front of the building, so he could wait for her outside.
The sight he was met with was not one he was expecting.
She was exiting a cab, smiling a carefree smile that he hadn't seen in months. Exiting the vehicle with her was Jake Simmonds, with his own smile brightening his features. And, oh, didn't jealousy rear it's ugly head then. He should be the one making her smile like that. He should be the one helping her out of the cab. The Doctor was her husband. Not Jake. Had they gone out together? Joking and laughing while he was at work trying to secure their future. And why did she seem so at ease with Jake anyway? It wasn't like she could remember him either. And furthermore... 'Stop!' he commanded himself. He was being dramatic and he knew it. The small part of his head (the part that sounded suspiciously like Donna, mind) told him to snap out of it. Rose was going through something incredibly traumatic and if hanging out with Jake brought her a bit of happiness, then who was he to deny her that?
The scowl on his face must have been rather intimidating as Rose seemed rather nervous at the sight of it. "I can explain," she started to say before he cut her off.
"I'm sure you can, but I'd like to speak for a moment with Jake before we talk," he told her, trying desperately not to sound like the Oncoming Storm. That was not who he was anymore. He couldn't be. He shouldn't be. Not in this situation.
She nodded. "Right, sure. Okay. Well, thanks for your help," she said to the blonde man to her right.
"No prob, babe." Jake bent forward and kissed her cheek. "Anytime."
With a small wave, Rose scooted past the Doctor and into the building behind him.
"Now, before you get all huffy and puffy Mister Time Lord," Jake began, ignoring the Doctor's scoff, "It wasn't how it looked. Rose went on a bit of a walk about, got herself lost, and called me for help. That was it. We weren't out having a grand old time without you."
The Doctor scrubbed a hand down his face. "I knew something like this could happen. That's why I told her to only leave the flat in case of emergencies!"
"And did you honestly expect her to listen? She's may not remember, but she's still Rose Tyler." The Doctor raised an eyebrow and Jake correct himself, "Sorry. She's still Rose Smith nee Tyler."
"Why didn't she call me?" he asked so softly the blonde man wasn't sure he heard correctly.
"Sorry?"
"She called you when she got lost. Why didn't she call me?"
"I don't know. She just needed a friend I guess."
The Doctor chuckled humourlessly. "And I'm not a friend, am I?"
Jake sighed. "Doctor..."
"Don't. I'm not asking for pity."
"I know you're not. This is... This a situation that none of us know how to properly handle. Not Rose, or her parents, or you, or me. We're all adjusting and figuring this out as we go. And I know that it must be hardest on you. We just have to be patient with her."
He cleared his throat. "Well, I best get back inside."
"Try not to be to be too hard on her, yeah?"
With a short nod the Doctor said, "Thank you, Jake."
The other man gave a tight smile. "Like I told her, anytime. You call me if you need anything. I'm your friend too."
When he let himself back in the flat, he found Rose sitting at the kitchen table, absentmindedly running a fork threw a plate of shepherd's pie, leftover from the night before. She looked up and nodded to the plate across from hers. "I heated you up some as well," she said softly. "I thought you might be hungry."
He took his jacket off and hung it on the back of the chair before taking a seat. "I am, ta."
"I'm sorry!" she blurted out after several seconds of silence.
The Doctor finished chewing the bite he had just put in his mouth before answering, "It's fine. I just ask that you please call me or send a text before you go anywhere in the future."
Her stare turned icy. "I'm an adult. I don't need you permission to go somewhere."
He placed his fork down gently and met her gaze. "I never said you did. I would just like to be informed of your whereabouts. After everything that's happened in the past few months, you'll have to forgive me for being a bit worried when I return home and expect to find you there, only to see that you're missing and there's no note telling me where you went."
"You're right," she replied, a guilty look crossing her face. "I didn't think of it like that. I apologise."
"You're forgiven. And I too apologise if I seemed a bit overbearing or have made you feel uncomfortable in anyway. That's never been my intention. I hope you know that in the future, should something like this happen again, that you're welcome to call me. It doesn't matter what I'm doing. I'll be there to help."
"So, Jake told you I got lost?"
"He did," the Doctor confirmed.
Rose took a deep breath. "I was just feeling so..." she searched for the right word, "... overwhelmed. I just needed some air. I honestly thought I would be back before you returned, but I got distracted and lost."
"So, why didn't you call me?"
"I thought about it," she admitted quietly. "But I didn't want to bother you. Or worry you. And you've been so kind and generous to me since the moment I woke up in the hospital, but, truthfully, it's really hard being around you sometimes." She closed her eyes, not wanting to see his reaction to her words.
He inhaled sharply, thankful that she wasn't looking at him. Surely there was no masking the pain her words inflicted. "May I ask why?" he finally asked. "Whatever it is, I'd like to fix it."
She slowly opened her eyes, but kept her stare focused in the wall behind him. "It's not your fault. Not really. It's just the way you look at me sometimes... You love me so much."
"I do."
"And that's just it! It's scary, and if I'm being honest a bit thrilling, but mostly scary. And it's hard because you look at me with such love and devotion and I just don't return those feelings. Not yet anyway. I want to, but I'm just not there yet."
The Doctor took a moment to compose himself. So she doesn't love him. That's not news to him, but she said 'not yet,' and that she wants to. That's good. Her words were painful to hear, but he's glad she's being honest. He wants her to be honest, because that's the only way this is going to work between them. "Tell you what. Let's start over again," he said suddenly, an idea forming in his mind.
Her brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"
"In my eyes we're already married. I remember every single second of our lives together, but you don't. In your eyes, I'm just the man who was there when you woke up after an accident and told you I was your husband."
"You're not about to tell me this has been some elaborate joke and you're really my handyman , are you?" she said teasingly, but with a hint of concern.
"Nope! Just your husband, but I am pretty handy." He winked. "Trust me, if you had your memories back you would think that joke was hilarious."
"I'll take your word for it."
"Right then, you don't love me. Not yet. That's okay. We'll just have to start over again. Wouldn't be the first time we've had to make some new beginnings and with the way our lives work, I doubt it'll be the last."
"Where're you going with this?"
The Doctor stood from his seat and moved to stand by his wife's side. "Rose Smith nee Tyler, would you like to go out with me?"
"Like a date?" she questioned.
"Exactly like a date." She seemed to be debating for a moment so he added, "You can say no, but I'll just ask again. It's sort of my thing."
Rose giggled and gave him a tongue in teeth grin. "Yeah. Alright. I'll go on a date with you."
His face brightened immediately. "Brilliant! How's one week from tonight sound?"
"I'm sure my schedule is free," she said sarcastically. "But why wait so long?"
"Well, we've got to let the anticipation build. Let me woo you a bit. Plus, I need time to plan the perfect first date."
"You don't need to go out of your way or do anything fancy. Just going out for chips would be fine with me."
"And who's to say we won't," he wiggled his eyebrows, "but let me worry about the details. I'll pick you up one week from tonight, say around seven o'clock? Dress smart, but no need to be too formal."
"Sounds like a plan," she told him.
He grinned. "It's a start."
Please review! xoxo
