"Rose River" AU:
'Athenaeum'
Chapter Ten
A/N: The tedium is nearly done. Action on the way, I promise.
John was in a foul mood. The TARDIS was doing something behind their backs and he couldn't do a damned thing about it. Watching the proceedings on the monitor didn't help, because he couldn't do anything for his brother either, except wait. As of yet, no one knew of his existence except a very few, and he really didn't like that. On top of it all, the TARDIS basically told him that he was second best. While he knew that philosophically, it really hurt to hear someone else confirm it, especially her.
He hated having to sit still and play back bencher. He wanted to run in, kick some arse, and make everything better. Instead, he put his feet up and leaned back in the jumpseat, prepared for a proper sulk. Not that Time Lords sulk, mind you. Time Lords don't ever sulk, he thought to himself in full denial. Oh, they get moody sometimes maybe, but sulking was childish. Don't you know that? Pithy maybe. Yes. Full of pith. Take a pith. Take the pith. Have to pith. It's all pith and shite. He snorted to himself at his internal assault on the English Language.
Wrapped up in his own dark thoughts as he was, he didn't notice the slightly golden flicker of light from behind him. A corner of his mind thought that it was maybe Rose coming back, but another corner contradicted that from seeing her image still on the screen, holding hands with his brother and explaining what his niece went through. However, three fourths of his mind - along with his mouth - involuntarily groaned when a pair of hands rested on his shoulders and began to strongly massage the knotted muscles in his neck.
John's head fell slightly to the right with his murmur, and he heard a familiar chuckle coming from behind him. Not wanting to break the spell of those absolutely fantastic magic fingers, he simply muttered quietly. "Don't laugh at me. I haven't found you yet and it's driving me insane."
A pair of lips grazed his ear. "Sorry. You just do the same thing whenever I rub your neck. You're so tense all the time."
John's eyes rolled up into his skull when he heard her voice. Like honey. Since she was so close, he let his head fall back onto her shoulder and found himself staring into beautiful pools of blue. "Not that I'm complaining, but I thought you all were here to 'watch the fun'?"
River smiled and kissed the tip of his nose. "When Jenny begged the Doctor to come see this, you pulled Rose and I aside and told us about this moment. Three pairs of puppy dog eyes from us girls and the Doctor folded like a stack of cards." A smirk flitted over John's face. "Was that a smile?" John shook his head, fighting the muscles in his face. "I think I saw a smile, there," she teased.
"That's so not fair," he half complained. John reached up behind him to pull River down to a kiss, which quickly turned into a proper snog. After a moment, he broke contact and whispered. "I don't care how prideful I may be in the future, but could you please just hold me? I feel like I'm coming unhinged, and I need to know everything will be all right."
River's expression cracked with worry when she saw his unshed tears. Wordlessly, she quickly shifted around the jumpseat to sit next to him and gathered him into her arms. John's forehead found the notch between her neck and shoulder, and she rocked him while he quietly and cathartically let himself fall apart.
"When?" he pleaded with a breaking voice. Being this close both helped and hurt. He was aching so deeply, that it reminded him of the memories he shared from when Rose was ripped away from his brother. Time was like the void... cruel.
"Shh," she shushed him as they rocked back and forth. "Spoilers," she whispered. River so wanted to tell him that it hurt. But, she made a promise both to herself as well as her family. All she could do was hold him and remain silent. Seeing him like this was killing her. In the end, all she could do was cry along with this past version of her husband. "It will be all right. I promise."
River felt the TARDIS latch onto her mind. I'm sorry.
"Not your fault," she whispered, and John thought she was talking to him. He responded by pulling her almost painfully tight against him. River caught the hand that was approaching her temple. "You can't," she said apologetically. "Not yet."
"I don't want to see anything," he whimpered. "I just need to feel you."
River fought back a sob. "Oh, how I wish you could. But you told me it would ruin everything." Pulling his arm down and around her, she tried snuggling closer. "I'll stay until just before they come back."
Placing blocks up in her mind, she reached out to her proper husband. "Why didn't you tell me? I can't stand seeing you like this!" His only response was to send her waves of love and remorse.
"Objection!" Rose had just finished her explanation of what had happened to Jenny when the Defence Arbiter bellowed. "Second hand knowledge cannot be allowed. Bring forth this woman to voice her experience personally!"
Thirteen bells chimed almost at the same time from the Justices. "Overruled," they said together. High Justice Vareen continued, "The woman that you wish to interrogate is a child, no matter her appearance." Several of the justices noticed both the Doctor and Rose's pained flinch when Vareen said 'interrogate'.
Justice Makarr, a light blue skinned individual with tribal markings on his face, stood. Looking pointedly to five of the others on the bench, they rose from their seats as well, nodding. "High Justice, we request to witness the testimony first hand."
Vareen inclined her head and lightly tapped her bell. "Granted."
Makarr looked to the witness podium. "Lord Doctor, Lady Rose, we request permission to witness the event."
The Doctor and Rose both felt slight tugs on their consciousness. Rose's eyes grew wide as she realized what they wanted. "I don't want to see it again," she whimpered. "Please! Don't make me!"
The Doctor looked down to her pleading face, and silently railed against causing her more pain. "Only once more," he said quietly. "We have to. We can purge it all when this is over, I promise." Rose furiously wiped a tear streaking down her cheek, then looked down with a slight nod.
The six justices with telepathy tapped the consciousnesses of the ones who weren't in order for the entire bench to see it together. Two others linked with the lead arbiters from either side. Then five of them looked to Makarr and opened a path to him. The Doctor pulled Makarr's attention to him instead of Rose, and allowed him access to her only through him.
The chamber fell deathly quiet when several gasps came from nearly everyone involved. Rose couldn't hold back anymore and began to sob openly. She was instantly wrapped up in her husband's arms, despite the awkwardness of the high collars they were wearing. Nearly five minutes later it was over. The breaking of the links between everyone involved caused Rose to sag slightly.
"Are we done," the Doctor asked quietly. When no answer was forthcoming, he raised his voice to thunder. "Are we done?"
Vareen wiped her face. "Does the Arbiter for the Defence have any objections to the testimony?"
Feltesh sat there mutely, stunned from the experience. Instead of answering verbally, he simply shook his head. His mind was now focused on reparations and possible sentencing scenarios. He knew the case was lost now.
Vareen looked to Xarannon. "Does the prosecution have any more questions for these witnesses?"
Xarannon stood. "No, your honor. I believe we've asked of them all that are required, and send our heartfelt apologies to Lady Rose for having to relive the experience."
"Lady Rose," Makarr spoke out of turn. She looked up at him from the Doctor's shoulder. "Forgive us for putting you through this, and we thank you." She didn't reply. Instead, she simply buried her face in the Doctor's shoulder again, shaking.
"The witnesses are excused," Vareen announced. Thirteen bells were struck again, and the Doctor took his wife back inside the TARDIS.
River's head snapped to the monitor when she heard Rose and the Doctor being excused. "It's too soon! I've got another ninety eight minutes!"
"Hide," John said as they scrambled from the jumpseat. River ducked under a floor grate that was somehow conveniently open. It closed by itself, and John gave the TARDIS a quiet thanks as he went to the door.
It opened and the Doctor was supporting Rose as they came in. John silently removed their high collars and set them on the railing. "I don't want to be here anymore," Rose whimpered.
"Go rest, both of you," John said. "I'll handle it. Jenny's fine for now. Tend to yourselves."
The Doctor squeezed his brother's shoulder in gratitude, and then led Rose out the back. Once they were out of the console room, John started up the engines and sent the TARDIS into a temporal orbit.