Return of the Time Lord
"I love you, mommy."
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Stacy McCormick hugged the little girl to her chest and broke down into a fresh bout of sobs. Rose's hand left the woman's and came to rest on her shoulder, trying to comfort the grieving mother. "It's going to be okay."
A whimper came from the midst of the mass of wavy brown hair. Mrs. McCormick looked up at Rose, her face tearstained. "Thank you... for being there for him."
"I didn't want him to have to... ... alone," Rose couldn't say the word. It was still all too real. First, losing her own father and then being there as Allison lost hers, as Stacy lost her husband, and as the world lost the one and only Charles H. McCormick. The reality of the event haunted Rose to her very marrow, causing her to shudder.
Catherine hated to break in, but she felt that she must announce the arrival of the latest pary. She cleared her throat and tapped Rose's shoulder, "Your friend's back."
Rose looked up at Catherine and then over her shoulder to see the Doctor striding easily toward them. He had a broad smile on his face. A smile. This confused Rose to no end. How can he be smiling? This woman just lost her husband... this little girl lost her father... you don't smile about that!
"Hello, Rose," he came to a halt in front of Rose and the family of two. "Who's this, then?"
"This is Stacy and Allison," Rose replied, her voice no more than a peep in the wide room, "Charles's wife and daughter."
"Oh. Hello," the Doctor put his hand out to shake with the woman.
Stacy took his hand uneasily and gave it a gentle squeeze, "Hello."
"Listen, Rose," the Doctor grabbed Rose's hand and pulled her to her feet, "We've got to get back to the... uh..." he looked around the room to make sure no one was listening too closely, "The... erm... car."
"What?" Rose wasn't catching onto the word game.
"You know, the blue car that we got," he raised his eyebrows, "The one from the fifties."
The meaning of his words hit her like a ton of bricks. "Oh... right... the car. Of course."
"Come one," he tried to usher her out the door.
"It's not goin' anywhere," she pulled back, "Give me a few more minutes."
"Rose, they're going to start pokin' about," his voice was urgent.
"They probably already are. Which is all the more reason to wait a bit." Rose's words were equally urgent. She longed to comfort Stacy and Allison a little more.
"Fine," he sighed and took a seat beside where Rose had been sitting and patted the spot next to him, "Have a seat, then. Let's just sit here and mope. I was going to get us some chips and try to put this all behind us, but no... we'll just sit here... and be domestic."
"Thank you," Rose put a hand on his and squeezed it lightly; her eyes glistening in the bright light.
"Anything for you," he muttered, his eyes wandering about the room.
(A/N: that's three chapters this week. I'll get some more up next weekend... hopefully. thanks for reading. remember: read, review, and tip your cabby 'cos he's broke. --lexx)
