Child of Earth
By Lumendea
Chapter Thirty-Four: Dangerous Enterprise: Really Talk
Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.
…
Everyone was staring at the Doctor as he grinned at his own cleverness and Rose tried not to sigh and roll her eyes. It was amazing how quickly one could get over the Doctor preening. Then he thankfully seemed to realise that they were awaiting a bit more than his announcement. Kate cleared her throat and gave the Doctor a rather pointed look.
"Well step one is the secure the auxiliary room," the Doctor told Kate who nodded.
"I've ordered our last guards down there," she informed him. "The problems I foresee is if they got access to the ship then it is likely that they are familiar with the blueprints. Potentially even more so than those actually with us on the ship. This also leaves us defenceless up here on the bridge."
"Oh Kate you've got me," the Doctor reminded her with a big boyish grin as he adjusted his bowtie.
"Doctor," Rose murmured with a sharp look as she suppressed a smile. "Focus on the next step. We can keep an eye on the bridge, but there aren't supplies to just stay in space in a deadlock."
"Rose is correct," Kate agreed with a worried frown. "We have a couple of days worth of supplies just in case of a delay, but that's it."
"Hmmm, someone was in a hurry to get you out into space," the Doctor announced with a frown of his own. "Have you alerted UNIT on Earth?"
"We have," Kate confirmed before pausing. "And I sent a special code to Benton as well. Father is in Geneva right now so Benton will let him know to keep his eyes open."
Rose paused and glanced towards Kate, wondering just when she'd become so open about her father. After all, she'd originally tried to stay away from the association, Maybe she felt that she was respected in her own right now, but this wasn't the time to talk about it.
"Okay, so Earth knows what's happening. Do not alert them that I am here, I'd rather keep our guests in the dark on that as long as possible. They aren't a pleasant lot," the Doctor told Kate, barely holding in a shudder that sent Rose's mind back to when Eclipse had captured him. "Right let's see…." The Doctor looked around and grinned as he found. "Tosh! Lovely to see you. How's your mother?" The Doctor asked as he scampered over to her.
"Sh-she's fine," Tosh stuttered in surprise, tensing up as the Doctor shifted next to her.
"Good to hear," the Doctor chuckled as Rose joined them. In the corner of her eye, she saw Kate shake her head and turn to speak with one of the technicians. "We need to reroute the control signals," the Doctor explained to her and Tosh. "The system is set up that the bridge gives commands to engineering. Right now they are in engineering and thus are able to keep the signals from the bridge from taking effect. We need to make the auxiliary the new primary. That way we have control over the ship's navigation."
"Won't they turn violent if they lose control?" Tosh asked uneasily.
"Most certainly and sadly they are armed. Never a pleasant combination, but neither is giving Eclipse important UNIT hostages and a ship large enough to cause real damage to the planet without weapons," the Doctor said seriously.
Rose didn't like the sound of that and the Doctor's tone made her tense up. Despite his lighthearted banter with UNIT he was actually worried. He caught her eye with his sharp green ones and extended his hand to her. Rose took it without a second thought, shifting their fingers into an easy and perfect grip.
"Rose and I will work on the rewiring," the Doctor announced to Kate. "Access points?"
"Right here on the bridge actually," Kate answered with a look of relief, gesturing over to a metal panel at the far side of the controls.
The Doctor pulled her over with him and she got a good look at it. She could see that there was too much space behind the controls, indicating a space. When she'd first come onto the bridge she'd assumed it was a loo or something, but the door on inspection was a bit too narrow for that. The narrow door came open with one good pull, revealing a narrow service corridor that ran behind all the outer controls. Having recently been in small crawlspaces that served the same purpose, she was fairly impressed. She paused and glanced back into the main bridge where Kate who was leaning over one of the screens with a frown. Tosh and Osgood were with Malcolm, already working on the coding. The Doctor swept into the service corridor and Rose followed one step behind. The inner wall was covered with bundles of wires that seemed to go on forever and thin glowing tubes that cast a soft light around them.
"Nice," the Doctor murmured as he tugged lightly at some of the wires and looked around. "Very nice for early 21stCentury Earth."
"Not too nice?" Rose questioned with a hint of unease, putting her hands on her hips.
"Nope, not too nice," the Doctor confirmed with a chuckle as he pulled out his sonic screwdriver with a flourish and gently cut some of the wires. "Strip these," he told her, pushing the bundle in her direction. "I need at least a foot to work with.
Shaking her head, Rose pulled out her sonic pen and carefully started cutting back the plastic coating of the wires as the Doctor hummed softly and kept running his hands across the wiring.
"So how is school?" the Doctor questioned with a small smile after a few silent moments.
"Really?" Rose countered with a surprised look. "That's what you're going with?"
"I know it isn't the most exciting part of your life," the Doctor answered with a slight frown and tilt of his head as he looked up at her. "But it is an important part."
"School's fine," Rose answered as she dropped her eyes back to the wires in her hand. "Everything is in place for me to graduate," she muttered. "Honestly it can be a bit boring except for Ian's classes."
"Rose," the Doctor called softly. "What is it, Darling?"
"Nothing," Rose replied sharper than she meant to as she kept stripping the wires.
"Rose, don't lie to your bondmate," the Doctor chided as he sat up, nearly hitting his head on the controls.
"I'm not your bondmate, whatever that is, now am I," Rose huffed in response as she looked up and met the Doctor's green eyes.
He didn't seem angry. This incarnation never seemed angry with her or even the universe in general. It was a startling contrast to his earlier self, one that gave her so much hope for his future but at the moment was also adding to the guilt. He was happy and yet she also knew that right now he wasn't. Time travel made it a mess, but she just knew that his leather wearing self was out there hurting and she wasn't helping.
"I didn't leave without you because I didn't care," the Doctor assured her and she knew he was referring to that day in Utah after the Dalek. Just like he had plucked the thought from her head. "It was just me running."
"I know that," Rose admitted as she let the wires slip from her hands. "I should have just gone with you when you first asked me."
"You would have regretted it," the Doctor countered with a soft chuckle. "I know how proud you were when you were accepted into Cambridge: girl from the Powell Estate that everyone dismissed who went on to be a top student even while dealing with alien threats. That's one of the reasons I ran in Utah Rose. You cared enough to give up something that meant so much to you, I couldn't let you do that and left before I could change my mind, hoping that you'd forgive me."
"You could have taken me with you for a while and then dropped me off," Rose pointed out. "Just for a little while in a few months."
"Rose," the Doctor breathed as he gave her a soft look. "Even then I knew that I wouldn't willing part with you once I let you into my life all the way."
"Yeah but you're alone now," Rose reminded him even as his words warmed her and made her blush for a moment. "And…I worry. I should be there, be with you."
The Doctor smiled at her, a warm glow in her green eyes as he reached over and cupped her cheek. His thumb caressed her skin gently and he just looked at her for a long moment. She felt totally raw and exposed and wondered not for the first time just what it was that he saw when he looked at her like that.
"Rose Tyler," he said, drawing her name out reverently. "Darling you don't need to worry. You already saved that version of me years ago."
"What?"
"I wasn't interested in living after the Time War," the Doctor admitted. "I was angry when I regenerated, couldn't understand why my prior body hadn't fought it off."
"You can choose?"
"Yes," the Doctor admitted softly with a nod, brushing his thumb over her cheek. "That other life of yours…when I died against the Nestene Consciousness, in that world I didn't run out of time or anything like that. I chose not to regenerate because I didn't have anything to look forward to." The Doctor was looking at her tenderly as he added, "After we first met when you were eleven years old… I went off and did some foolish things."
"Foolish things?" Rose asked, feeling dread knot in her gut at the idea of what the Doctor would consider foolish.
"Chased some fixed points," the Doctor admitted with a grimace. "Krakatoa, the Titanic and Kennedy's assassination just on Earth. Waiting for something to get me." The Doctor didn't give her long to dwell on the horrible implications of that. "Then I met you again. You told me 'until next time' like you already knew that we'd keep meeting each other," he recalled fondly, beaming at her with that boyish smile. "I stopped chasing death and after you revealed that you knew me in future incarnation… well, it was something amazing to learn that I had a future. Really had a future when I'd been certain I didn't. Not to mention that there was this brilliant young woman that apparently I was supposed to watch over. Even in my pain, I wasn't willing to put her at risk. And then she became important to me, not just what she meant or symbolised, but she did. The way she smiled and laughed, the way she stood up to me and the way she saw the world. All of it so beautiful."
"I-" Rose sputtered, trying to say something as the enormity of what he'd just told her sunk in. They didn't really talk often and now he was being so honest. It was humbling, scary and satisfying all at once. "Doctor…"
The Doctor leaned forward and kissed her forehead tenderly before resting his forehead against hers letting them breathe the same air for a moment. "Your very existence makes a difference Darling. Even if you aren't beside me. I know that you're worried about me and that is so sweet and touching and so very you, but it will be alright."
"But will it be another year or ten years before you pick me up after graduation?" Rose pressed. "How long will it be for you?"
"He's waving the white flag of surrender," the Doctor chuckled. "After he left Utah he set the coordinates for your graduation. No more delays, no more hoping he'll get over those feelings and no more pretending he wants to go anywhere without Rose Tyler." He sighed and shook his head as he added, "Course that doesn't mean that he isn't still an idiot who is going to drag his feet on starting our relationship. Please remember that you promised to be patient with me."
"I did didn't I," Rose remarked with a small smile. "Well, I suppose I can live with you being a stubborn idiot for a bit then."
"Oi," the Doctor protested with a slight pout. "I resemble that remark."
"Don't you just," Rose teased, squeezing his hand before he brought it up and kissed it.
"Never doubt that I love you, Rose Tyler," the Doctor told her gently, his eyes glowing with sincerity. "And never doubt that I dread thinking about what I'd be without you."
"I love you too," Rose answered softly, feeling a blush taking over her face which just made the Doctor smile.
"Feeling better then?" the Doctor asked, running a finger down her cheek.
"Well still a little irritated with younger you," Rose admitted even as she smiled a little. "But yeah I am. Thank you."
The Doctor's smile was wide and bright and Rose felt a bit light headed. It just wasn't fair, but she swallowed thickly and handed him the bundle of stripped wires. He gave her a far too smug knowing look and started using the sonic screwdriver to fuse the wires to new connections. The smug look turned to one of satisfaction as some new lights flickered on along the wall and the Doctor hummed to himself.
"Step one almost complete," he announced. "Tosh and Malcolm should have the recoding done soon and the bridge can resume control."
"And then what?" Rose pressed. "Do we head back to Earth and hope the UNIT forces can hold them in position?"
The ship suddenly shuddered around them. Far below the engines fired up again and Rose could feel the vibrations through the metal floor. Next to her, the Doctor groaned and lightly smacked his head against the wall.
"Doctor!" Kate called from the main room. "Doctor!"
"Why is it never easy?" the Doctor groaned.
"You'd get bored," Rose sighed, shaking her head. "They seem to have a plan of their own."
"Course they do," the Doctor grumbled, reaching over and taking her hand again. "Come along darling. More things to do."
Smiling, Rose let him rush her out into the main room. It was a bit embarrassing sometimes, but she was already far too aware that she'd follow him anywhere. Of course, she reflected, that seemed to be mutual.