Disclaimer: Doctor Who belongs to the BBC. I do not own any of it, nor do I make any money from it.
A/N Thanks for your amazing response on the last story. This is the promised interlude. I will leave the rest of my notes for the A/N after the chapter.
Just one thing, 'The Scientist' by Coldplay is the perfect song to go with this.
Happy Reading!
Interlude: As We Are
Rose stared at the lavender walls of her room idly, her brain whirring with so many thoughts that she was positive she could hear the noise. She groaned and dragged a pillow over her head. She just wanted her brain to shut up for some time.
The TARDIS hummed soothingly around her and Rose smiled involuntarily. The ship was oddly comforting to her. Whenever she went back to her mum's, she became restless without the hum of the TARDIS. Up until some time ago, she would have considered time spent travelling with the Doctor as reprieve from her life but that was changing now.
Her life with the Doctor felt more real than nineteen years of her life in London. It was odd but in a matter of months, her life had tilted on its axis and left her spinning. But it was the good kind of spinning, like executing a perfect pirouette or performing a flawless somersault. Rose snorted at the thought. She was starting to sound like the Doctor. The man was like a walking poetry anthology.
She frowned at her last thought. It was an oddly fitting simile for the Doctor. Like a poem, you had to dig deep to find out if he meant something else or it was just him going off on tangents. The man was an enigma. So far, she had avoided lingering too much over it.
She had tried to chalk it up to him being an alien, or a member of a higher species or even the fact that he was just a man. Neither explanation would justify the Doctor's behaviour. That was what all her thoughts were about. She knew she should confront him, just ask for a straight answer.
But they didn't do that. They had mad adventures and then drank tea. That's it. No talking about feelings, no discussing all those moments when they would get too close. But that had changed. Their most recent visit to Gallifrey had brought up all the unanswered things that had been brushed aside before.
Irving Braxiatel, the Doctor's brother. Hadn't he said that he had no family anymore? Rose had been slightly hurt at being lied to but in all fairness, it had been right when they had met so she wouldn't have expected him to tell her the truth. Besides, it was his personal business and as much as Rose wished he would trust her, he had a right to keep it from her.
What couldn't be justified was the business with the timelines, whatever they were. Apparently, the Doctor had known along that there was something different about her if what she had gleaned from Braxiatel's words was correct. There was something wrong with her, the Doctor knew what it was and he had kept it from her.
Rose stood up, anger and hurt overriding her logic as she strode out of her room and went in search of the Doctor. She found him in the library, talking to Jasper in a low voice. She almost smiled at the adorable scene before remembering that she was mad at him. But coming face to face with him, her resolve faltered. How would she even start?
"Rose?" he asked, startling her slightly. "Why are you awake?"
Rose remembered that the TARDIS was still in the night cycle but she just shrugged past it. "Couldn't sleep," she said shortly, sitting down on the armchair opposite his. Jasper immediately abandoned his shoulder for Rose's knee. She smiled and stroked his furry head gently. Jasper stayed there for a few moments before flying off again.
"Are those bruises still bothering you?" the Doctor asked in concern.
Rose looked confused but then the memory of Perry squeezing her throat rose in her mind. She flinched slightly and shook her head. The Doctor had fixed them almost immediately after they had left the Time Agency and her throat wasn't even sore anymore.
"Well, that's good," the Doctor smiled pleasantly.
"What are timelines?" Rose blurted out, not even caring how odd her question must sound. She was really, really tired of brushing things off. If it was something concerning her, she needed to know.
The Doctor looked a bit shocked which was smoothed down a split second later, making Rose scowl. He was not going to make this easy. "Why do you ask?" he asked and Rose detected caution in his tone.
"Well, I figured I'd just ask why exactly I baffle your people," she said, her voice heavy with sarcasm.
"It's nothing to worry about, Rose," he said, with an easy smile.
"Tell me what they are," Rose said, her voice hardening. He was treating her like a child and she'd had it.
"It's not exactly easy to explain," he said.
"Oh right, 'cos I'm just a stupid kid from London, is that it?" Rose demanded angrily.
"Rose, Rose, Rose," he said rapidly. "That's not what I'm saying."
"Then what is it?" Rose demanded. "Whatever they are, they affect me somehow, yeah? I have to know."
"Rose, I wish I could..." the Doctor said.
"Just tell me." Three words spoken not in a scream but in a calm voice full of hurt. "Please."
The Doctor sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Alright," he said. "I might regret this. But I'll tell you."
Rose nodded slowly. "Go on then..."
"Every person is surrounded by possibilities. Things that they might choose. Different paths that they might take. Do you follow?" he asked. At her nod, he continued. "Every possibility surrounding a person is a single timeline. Time Lords can see these timelines because we exist across all dimensions."
"So, when you see the future of the people..." Rose said, trying to make sense of his words.
"I am just reading their timelines," he nodded. "Sometimes the person is shrouded by timelines, sometimes they are only surrounded by only a few strands."
"Right, so what's wrong with me then?" she asked.
"There's nothing wrong with you, Rose," he said at once. "No, I am telling you the truth," he continued before she could protest. "The baffling thing is that your timelines are incredibly difficult to see."
"Difficult? How?" Rose asked.
"You're a mystery, Rose," the Doctor said with a wry smile. "A timeline can be read to see the future or the past but in your case, even the more experienced Time Lords can only catch short glimpses. You, my dear Rose, are completely unique."
"Unique rhymes with freak for a reason, you know," Rose said, smiling bitterly.
"You are not a freak, Rose," the Doctor said sternly. "I mean that." He looked like he was going to say more but stopped himself in time.
"What do you see?" Rose asked him. "You said that this incarnation of yours was more telepathic."
The Doctor looked distinctly uncomfortable as he shifted in his seat. "I, well, I can't see anything," he admitted. She didn't look as shocked as he expected, so he felt compelled to clarify. "The only timelines that can't be seen are one's own or if they are..." he closed his mouth in horror.
"What? What is it?" Rose asked immediately.
"Or if they are bound with your own," he said, turning pale.
"Well yeah," Rose said. "I travel with you so we must have the same timelines, right?" she asked.
The Doctor smiled weakly; she didn't get it. He was more relieved than anything about that. "Must be," he agreed.
Rose nodded slowly. "So, the reason why I get stared at is because they're all trying to read my timelines?" she surmised.
"Yes," the Doctor nodded.
"Could..." she cleared her throat and began again. "Could it be that there really isn't anything interesting about me?" she asked in a small voice.
To her surprise, the Doctor snorted. "I highly doubt that. You are anything but ordinary, Rose," he said with such conviction that Rose was surprised and just a bit embarrassed.
"How long have you known?" Rose asked.
"That I couldn't see your timelines?" he asked. "Ever since I met you."
Rose digested that bit of information. "So...you knew all this time. Why didn't you just tell me?" she asked. Her tone wasn't angry, but curious now.
"Honestly, I didn't want to worry you," he admitted. "I had no idea what it meant. Until we visited Gallifrey, I thought it was just me."
Rose was quiet for several moments and the Doctor observed her thoughtfully. Various emotions played out on her face but the Doctor kept silent, letting her process all of it. There was the legend of Arkytior as well. He wondered if he should tell her.
"What is it?" Rose asked him and the Doctor looked surprised. "You look as if you're trying to decide whether or not to say something."
The information about the legend of Arkytior was at the tip of his tongue but he stopped himself. He would prefer to keep that part to himself. It was enough that she was worried about her timelines. No need to add to her worries.
But she had clearly caught him, so he came clean with the other thing that he knew was bothering her. "I know you think I lied when I said that I had no family on Gallifrey," he said, waiting for a reaction.
She looked surprised but then nodded. "I guessed you didn't want to tell me. Which is fine," she added hastily.
"Brax doesn't live on Gallifrey. I was as surprised to see him there as you were. He looks after his own collection of paintings and antiques on an asteroid," he said.
Rose nodded and then hesitated before asking him the next question. "Do you...is there...any other family?" she asked haltingly.
The Doctor paused and then turned his eyes to the fireplace to watch the flames dancing. "Yes," he admitted after a long moment. "My...Susan," he cleared his throat. "She's my granddaughter."
He heard her exclamation of surprise which she tried to hide. "Oh," she said, slowly. "Right."
The Doctor turned his gaze back to her. "Ask me, Rose," he encouraged. If he was opening up, then he might as well be honest.
Rose was slightly heartened by his encouragement. "What about the rest of your family? If you have a granddaughter..." Rose trailed off.
"I don't have a wife or children that I know of, if that's what you were asking," he answered honestly. "Children on Gallifrey are loomed. The parents of an offspring might never meet."
Rose looked confused. "But how could you know your granddaughter then, if you didn't know her grandmother or your child?" she asked.
"Susan was given to me at a very young age," he said slowly. "I thought it was odd since I had never volunteered my TNA for looming. I tried to trace Susan's mother or her grandmother but I never could. They simply...couldn't be found."
Rose got up and knelt next to him. "I'm sorry," she said, grasping his hand. "Did you raise Susan on your own?"
The Doctor nodded. "I was on the High Council in those days. One of the youngest Councillors. But I disagreed with them and all their policies of non-interference. One day, I'd had enough. I stormed off from the Citadel to the museum under the Capitol. To find an obsolete capsule that would just take me away from that place."
Rose rubbed his hand between hers. He smiled gratefully at her. "Susan ran after me when I stormed off," he said, his eyes far off. Wait for me, grandfather. I'm coming with you. "I could never refuse her. And she had no one except for me. So I took her and the capsule and ran. And I never stopped running."
"What happened to Susan?" Rose asked, wondering if he would answer.
"She grew up," he said with a sad smile. "Became a young woman who couldn't travel with her old grandfather anymore. She fell in love with a human from Earth. David Campbell. Wonderful young man. The last time I visited them, I was introduced to my third great-grandchild."
Rose smiled at that and the Doctor's smile was brighter than she had ever seen it. It diminished when he began to speak again. "I have limited time with them. Susan never went through the Academy so she will not regenerate. Just live one life with her family. I try to space my visits as far as I can to get more time with them but time is always running out."
"I'm sure she appreciates it all the same," Rose said.
He nodded. "She does. And so do David and the kids." He fell silent, lost in bittersweet memories.
Rose watched him with a look of compassion on her face. She had never expected him to divulge so much about himself. Their conversation had taken an unexpected turn. All her worries from before seemed trivial and insignificant in face of what the Doctor had revealed about himself. His mask was down, his emotions out in front of her. She wondered if he had ever told anyone else this. It didn't seem like he had.
She just stayed there in front of him, holding his hand and comforting him as much as she could. They stayed like that for a long moment, shaken by the path of trust that they had paved between them.
Finally, to her greatest surprise, the Doctor stood up and placed the most tender kiss on her forehead. Her eyes fell close involuntarily as his lips stayed against her forehead as he spoke. "Thank you, Rose," he said. With that, he turned around and left the library in quick steps.
Rose opened her eyes and watched him go silently. She knew in her heart that they would never speak of this again. But she was fine with that. After a long time, her heart felt right.
A/N So? What did you think?
I loved writing all of this. I wish I could pin down one kind of canon that I followed but it was recently pointed out to me by one of you that everything in Doctor Who is canon (Thanks, Keeper of Storms!)
Anyway, let me know what you thought. Up next, it's 'The Eight Doctors'. I think everyone is excited for this one. Even me. I can't wait to start posting.
Part 1 will be up on Thursday. See you then!
~ Phoenix
