Hey lovelies! Hope everything is going well, we're on the last chapter of The Doctor Dances, which is a bit sad because I reaaaally love this two parter and I've loved hearing ya'll's feedback on it. Anyways, hope you have a nice day and enjoy this next chapter!
Replies to Comments:
Pastel-Potatoes: Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it! Hope you have a nice day and enjoy this next chapter!
EmilyShaeFire: Aw, thank you lovely! I always feel so honored when people tell me they binged this story because I have a habit of binging every fanfic I find so I feel like it's this cool, fandom experience we all share, no matter what kind of fandom or fic it is. I'm glad you like the hints at the Doctor and Audrey, foreshadowing is probably my absolute favorite thing to do in writing because I LOVE spreading out little bits of information. And I love reading everyone's reviews because they're usually so, so, so sweet and I love hearing feedback on the story. I genuinely appreciate every single person who reads this story, whether they review or not, and I try my hardest to make sure that comes across. Hope you have a nice day and enjoy this next chapter!
bored411: Things certainly are tense in this episode! Thank you for the feedback on the Q&A. Hope you have a nice day and enjoy this next chapter!
The crash site was exactly what Audrey had pictured. There was a small area surrounded by barbed wire fencing and had at least a dozen soldiers patrolling the area. The men were concentrated more heavily towards the center of the site, where something was hidden under a tarpaulin.
"There it is," Jack said, nodding to the tarpaulin. His gaze drifted to a young soldier standing outside the opening of a tent. "Hey, they've got Algy on duty. It must be important."
"You know him?" Audrey questioned. Maybe if Jack knew him, it wouldn't be so difficult to get in.
"We're friends," Jack confirmed, before grinning wickedly. "Sort of."
The Doctor rolled his eyes, "We've got to get past him."
"Are the words 'distract the guard' heading in our general direction?" Rose asked, gesturing to her and Audrey.
"I don't think that'd be such a good idea," Jack said.
Rose looked slightly offended, "Don't worry we can handle it."
"I've got to know Algy quite well since I've been in town. Trust me, you're not his type. I'll distract him," Jack suggested. He didn't wait for a response before he headed towards the tent and called back to them, "Don't wait up."
Rose stared after Jack with an open mouth, still looking offended that he though they wouldn't have been able to distract him. Audrey laughed as she drew the line, seeing how Jack smirked as he approached the other man.
"Relax," The Doctor told Rose. "He's a fifty first century guy. He's just a bit more flexible when it comes to dancing."
"How flexible?" Rose wondered.
"Well, by his time, you lot have spread out across half the galaxy," The Doctor reasoned.
Audrey rose an eyebrow, "Meaning?"
"So many species, so little time," The Doctor answered.
"What, that's what we do when we get out there? That's out mission? We seek new life and, and…"
"Dance," The Doctor finished with a cheeky smile.
Ahead of them, Jack had just entered the bomb site. Algy was facing away from him as he approached, so he called out to him.
"Hey, tiger. How's it hanging?" Jack greeted.
Algy turned on his heels and cocked his head to the side. His eyes were wide with child-like curiosity.
"Mummy?" Algy questioned.
Jack frowned, "Algy, old sport, it's me."
"Mummy?" Algy asked again.
"It's me, Jack," Jack said, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion.
"Jack," Algy tested out, "Are you my mummy?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Algy began to cough. He doubled over from the force of it as Jack watched helplessly. The other man fell to his knees and his mouth gaped open, soon being replaced by the front of a gas mask. The gas mask spread up the sides of his face before it met at his forehead. Before Jack could reach out to help, the other three were shouting out.
"Jack!" Audrey yelled.
"Stay back!" The Doctor warned.
"You men, stay away," Jack commanded, shooing the other soldiers away. They looked like they wanted to go against his wishes and help Algy, but something told them he was beyond their help.
When Audrey reached Jack, she grabbed his arm and pulled him a bit further away until she was sure he was safe. She did the same to Rose when the blonde girl got too close. Whatever was happening to these people, Audrey sure as hell wasn't letting it happen to any of her friends.
"The effect's become air-borne, accelerating," The Doctor explained.
"What's keeping us safe?" Rose questioned.
"Nothing," The Doctor replied.
"We should work quickly then," Audrey said. The sound of the sirens rang out from above.
Jack sighed, "Ah, here they come again."
"Didn't you say a bomb was going to land here?" Rose asked Jack, looking around the bomb site.
The Doctor shook his head, "Never mind that. If the containments airborne now, there's hours left."
"For what?" Jack asked.
"Till nothing, forever. For the entire human race," The Doctor responded seriously. Then, something in his face changed and he looked around. "And can anyone else hear singing?"
It was quiet for a moment and Audrey realized that she could hear it too. They followed the noise into the tent and saw a young woman, who the Doctor recognized as Nancy, singing to a man that had been turned into a gas mask.
"When the wind blows, the cradle will rock. When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall. Down will come baby, cradle and all," Nancy sang shakily. When she heard them enter, she looked up and her face was flooded with relief.
The Doctor motioned for her to keep singing, as that seemed to be keeping the gas mask man calm. Nancy shook her hands, drawing their attention to the handcuffs she was wearing. The Doctor used his sonic to unlock them and Audrey rushed forward the move the girl away from the gas mask man.
Outside, they turned on the field lights and uncovered the spacecraft.
"You see? Just an ambulance," Jack said pointing at the object.
"That's an ambulance?" Nancy asked, sounding disbelieving. Rose put her arm around the girl, trying to comfort her.
"It's hard to explain. It's from another world," Rose told her.
"They've been trying to get in," Jack said to the Doctor and Audrey as the three of them stood over the control panel.
"Something like this falls in the middle of London, during the Blitz no less, and you think they're just going to leave it be?" Audrey asked sarcastically.
"They think they've got their hands on Hitler's latest secret weapon," The Doctor continued. Jack tried typing on the control pad and nothing happened, "What're you doing?"
"The sooner you two see this thing is empty, the sooner you'll know I had nothing to do with it," Jack replied.
He continued typing in a few codes until there was a shower of sparks. They all ducked away from the object, while an alarm began to sound. The panel started flashing red, making Jack huff.
"Didn't happen last time," Jack informed them, trying again.
"It hadn't crashed last time," The Doctor pointed out, "There'll be emergency protocols."
"Doctor! Audrey!" Rose yelled. The two of them looked over at her, seeing that she was pointing to the gate of the bomb site.
After first, they didn't notice anything was wrong, but then they heard it. Every few seconds there was a bang and then the gate would shake, like someone was trying to force their way through.
"Captain, secure those gates!" The Doctor instructed.
"Why?" Jack inquired.
"Just do it!"
Audrey turned to the girls, "How'd you get in, Nancy?"
"I cut the wire," The girl answered, not seeming to know why this was important. Audrey pulled something out of her pocket and tossed it to Rose. The blonde girl caught it and saw that it was Audrey's sonic.
"Show Rose. Setting two thousand four hundred and twenty-eight D," Audrey told them hurriedly.
Rose looked confused, "What?"
"Reattaches barbed wire. Go!" The Doctor urged them, as he climbed onto the ambulance.
The girls nodded and ran off in the other direction. Audrey turned to the Doctor, adrenaline flooding her veins.
"What do you need me to do, Doctor?" Audrey questioned, but he didn't answer her, "Doctor!"
"Nothing. I've got it," The Doctor muttered testily.
Audrey threw her hands up in exasperation, "Are you still angry at me?"
"What do you want me to say?" The Doctor shouted.
"I don't know!" Audrey shot back, "Maybe let me know what I did wrong so I can fix it? Or at least wait until we aren't in life threatening danger to ignore me?"
The Doctor spared a look up at her and his eyes told Audrey everything she needed to know. There wasn't anger in his eyes, like she had though there would be. Instead, they showed mainly hurt and a bit of aggravation.
When he saw her expression and how willing she was to help, he sighed. Audrey could tell the fight wasn't over, but he was willing to wait until they were out of harm's way before continuing.
"Come here," He told her finally. "I need your help getting this open."
The two of them tried what they could, but weren't familiar with how the ship worked. They couldn't risk doing something wrong and having it backfire on them horribly. At last, Jack finished securing the gate and came back to the ship. He was much more familiar with it and could open it in a few seconds.
"It's empty. Look at it," Jack insisted. He was very eager for them to see that he was innocent in this whole thing, once and for all.
"What do you expect in a Chula medical transport? Bandages? Cough drops?" The Doctor asked, turning to the girls for answers, "Rose? Audrey?"
Rose shook her head, "I don't know."
"Yes, you do," The Doctor said, holding up his hand.
"Nanogenes," Audrey realized, understanding dawning on her face, and the Doctor pointed at her.
"It wasn't empty, Captain," The Doctor said pointedly, "There was enough Nanogenes in there to rebuild a species."
"Oh, God," Jack muttered, finally understanding what he'd done.
"Getting it now, are we?" The Doctor asked condescendingly, "When the ship crashes, the Nanogenes escape. Billions upon billions of them, ready to fix all the cuts and bruises in the whole world."
"Except they don't make it that far," Audrey spoke up, speaking faster as she pieced it together. The Doctor nodded, encouraging her to continue, "They find him, the kid, at the bomb site. He probably died earlier that night, and he's wearing a gasmask."
"And they brought him back to life? They can do that?" Rose wondered.
"What's life? Life's easy. A quirk of matter. Nature's way of keeping meat fresh. Nothing to a nanogene. One problem, though. These Nanogenes, they're not like the ones on your ship. This lot have never seen a human being before. Don't know what a human being's supposed to look like," The Doctor continued.
"That's why they all look like the kid. The Nanogenes used him as an example, they thought that was what a human was," Audrey said.
"He was the first one they found, and there's not a lot left. But they carry right on. They do what they're programmed to do. They patch him up. Can't tell what's gasmask and what's skull, but they do their best. Then off they fly, off they go, work to be done. Because, you see, now they think they know what people should look like, and it's time to fix all the rest. And they won't ever stop. They won't ever, ever stop. The entire human race is going to be torn down and rebuilt in the form of one terrified child looking for its mother, and nothing in the world can stop it!"
"I didn't know!" Jack defended, when the Doctor looked to him.
Audrey put her hand on his arm, "Yeah, we know."
The Doctor gave Jack one last lingering look before going back to working on the ambulance. He waved Audrey over and she crouched down beside him. Rose handed the woman her screwdriver and Audrey nodded in thanks.
"Mummy. Mummy," The patients called. Nancy looked behind her to see them approaching from one end of the railway.
"Rose!" Nancy shouted.
"I don't understand. Why is it bringing them all here?" Audrey asked the Doctor.
"The ship thinks it's under attack. It's calling up the troops. Standard protocol," The Doctor responded.
"But the gas mask people aren't troops," Rose pointed out.
"They are now. This is a battle-field ambulance. The Nanogenes don't just fix you up, they get you ready for the front line. Equip you, program you."
"That's why the child is so strong. Why it could do that phoning thing."
"It's a fully equipped Chula warrior, yes. All that weapons tech in the hands of a hysterical four-year-old looking for his mummy. And now there's an army of them."
By now, the patients were surrounding them from all sides. The periodical banging showed that they were still at the gate, but now they were standing outside the barbed wire fence as well. They were just stopped, but Audrey knew that the fence wouldn't hold them for long.
"Why don't they attack?" Jack asked.
"Good little soldiers, waiting for their commander," The Doctor answered.
Audrey turned to him, "The child?"
"Jamie," Nancy corrected.
"What?" Jack asked her.
"Not the child. Jamie," Nancy said firmly. She was looking at the patients with tears in her eyes and when she spoke, her voice was strained.
"So how long until the bomb falls?" Rose asked Jack.
Jack looked at his watch, "Any second."
"What's the matter, Captain?" The Doctor taunted, "A bit close to the volcano for you?"
"He's just a little boy," Nancy said quietly. Audrey patted the girl's shoulder softly and gave her a sympathetic look.
"I know."
"He's just a little boy who wants his mummy."
"I know," The Doctor told her, "There isn't a little boy born who wouldn't tear the world apart to save his mummy. And this little boy can."
"Is there any way to stop it?" Audrey spoke up, feeling anxious, "Or reverse it?"
The Doctor looked helpless, "I don't know."
"It's my fault," Nancy whispered to herself.
The Doctor shook his head, "No."
"It is," Nancy insisted, 'It's all my fault."
"How can it be your-" The Doctor was cut off by the voices of the patients.
They all began to cry out 'mummy' and Audrey had a feeling that meant Jamie was getting closer. They were running out of time. Beside her, Nancy started to sob harder. Suddenly, the Doctor turned to Nancy as realization dawned on his face.
"Nancy, what age are you? Twenty? Twenty-one?" The Doctor questioned, "Older than you look, yes?"
An explosion went off nearby. Flames appeared just beyond the barbed wire fence as another one struck the ground. Jack turned to the Doctor with wide eyes.
"Doctor, that bomb. We've got seconds," He warned him.
"You can teleport us out," Rose suggested hopefully.
Jack shook his head, "Not you guys. The nav-com's back online. Going to take too long to override the protocols.
"So, it's volcano day. Do what you've got to do," The Doctor told him, still watching Nancy. She was crying silently and looking away from the Doctor in something akin to shame.
"Jack?" Rose said, looking towards the man. Audrey glanced over at him as well, seeing that he looked apologetically.
"I'm sorry," He said sincerely, before vanishing, and Audrey winced. She felt disappointed even though, ultimately, she understood.
"How old were you five years ago?" The Doctor continued, "Fifteen? Sixteen? Old enough to give birth, anyway. He's not your brother, is he? A teenage single mother in 1941. So, you hid. You lied. You even lied to him."
The gate was forced open, revealing Jamie leading the horde of patients into the bomb site.
"Are you my mummy?" He asked, approaching them.
"He's going to keep asking, Nancy. He's never going to stop," The Doctor told the girl quietly, "Tell him. Nancy, the future of the human race is in your hands. Trust me and tell him."
Nancy met him half way. She knelt down on the ground, waiting as he approached her. He stopped in front of her, not moving or reaching out.
"Are you my mummy? Are you my mummy? Are you my mummy?" The child repeated.
"Yes," Nancy said shakily, "Yes, I am your mummy."
"Mummy?" Jamie questioned.
"I'm here," Nancy told him firmly.
"Are you my mummy?"
"I'm here."
"Are you my mummy?"
"Yes," Nancy said, growing unsure. They looked to the Doctor as the child only repeated his same question, not seeming to hear or understand anything that was being said to him.
"He doesn't understand. There's not enough of him left," The Doctor realized.
"I am your mummy. I will always be your mummy. I'm so sorry. I am so, so sorry," Nancy said, pulling Jamie into a hug. A cloud of orange Nanogenes appeared and began to swirl around them.
Audrey's eyes went wide, "Are they changing her? Is she going to-"
The Doctor pulled her back, "Shush! Come on, please. Come on, you clever little Nanogenes. Figure it out! The mother, she's the mother. It's got to be enough information. Figure it out."
"What's happening?" Rose questioned.
"See!" The Doctor exclaimed, pointing at the pair, "Recognizing the same DNA."
Jamie let go of his mother and Nancy fell to the ground. The Doctor approached him cautiously, seeming to be afraid of breaking the moment.
"Oh, come on. Give me a day like this. Give me this one," The Doctor pleaded. Slowly, the Doctor removed Jamie's gas mask. The smiling face of a toddler could be seen from underneath it. The Doctor shouted with joy and picked the child up in his arms, "Ha-ha! Welcome back! Twenty years till pop music – you're going to love it."
Nancy grinned, "What happened?"
"The Nanogenes recognized the superior information, the parent DNA. They didn't change you because you changed them! Ha-ha! Mother knows best."
"Oh, Jamie," Nancy whispered, pulling her son close.
Audrey smiled at the two, "That was brilliant!"
She and the Doctor looked to each other, almost grinning for a moment. Then, they both seemed to remember what had happened that night, and they looked away awkwardly.
"Doctor, that bomb," Rose reminded them.
"Taken care of it," The Doctor responded.
"How?"
"Psychology."
There was a loud whistling noise and they all looked up to the sky. A massive bomb was falling through the sky, it's destination right in front of them. Before it could land, it was captured by a light beam and Jack appeared, straddling the bomb.
"Doctor!" Jack shouted.
"I knew you'd be back!" Audrey exclaimed, grinning up at the man. Whatever his faults may be, she knew he wouldn't have just abandoned them like that.
"Good lad!" The Doctor yelled back.
"The bomb's already commenced detonation. I've put it in stasis but it won't last long," Jack told him.
"Change of plan. Don't need the bomb," The Doctor said, "Can you get rid of it, safely as you can?"
Jack didn't answer the Doctor, but he turned to the girls, "Rose? Audrey?"
"Yeah?" Rose called back.
Jack smiled sadly, "Goodbye."
The bomb disappeared for a moment before returning once more, Jack grinning at Rose, "By the way, love the tee-shirt."
"Goodbye?" Audrey questioned, "What do you mean-"
The bomb vanished again, this time for good. The light beam was retracted by Jack's spaceship and it flew out of sight. Audrey stared after it for a moment, dread settling into her stomach. Jack couldn't have meant what she thought he had, right?
Meanwhile, the Doctor had called a swarm of Nanogenes to himself.
"What are you doing?" Rose asked.
"Software patch. Going to email to upgrade. You want moves, girls? I'll give you moves," The Doctor said, smirking.
He forced the Nanogenes towards the patients surrounding the bomb site. They fell to the ground like they'd been hit.
"Everybody lives. Just this once, everybody lives!" The Doctor cheered. The patients all began to stand up and return to normal. The Doctor bounded over to a bald man in a white coat, "Doctor Constantine. Who never left his patients. Back on your feet, constant doctor. The world doesn't want to get by without you just yet, and I don't blame it one bit. These are your patients. All better now."
"Yes, yes, so it seems," Constantine muttered, looking around, "They also seem to be standing around a disused railway station. Is there any particular reason for that?"
"Yeah, well, you know, cutbacks," The Doctor shrugged, "Listen, whatever was wrong with them in the past, you're probably going to find that they're cured. Just tell them what a great doctor you are. Don't make a big thing of it. Okay?"
The Doctor moved away as an old woman hobbled towards Constantine. All the patients looked confused and disoriented, but overall unharmed.
"Right, you lot. Lots to do. Beat the Germans, save the world. Don't forget the welfare state!" The Doctor said, heading towards the ambulance, "Setting this to self-destruct, soon as everybody's clear. History says there was an explosion here. Who am I to argue with history?"
Audrey snorted, "Usually the first in line."
"The Nanogenes will clean up the mess and switch themselves off, because I just told them to. Nancy and Jamie will go to Doctor Constantine for help, ditto. All in all, all things, considered, fantastic!" The Doctor crowed happily.
The entire trip back to the TARDIS he had been excitedly going on about what had happened, not that anyone blamed him. With all the death and chaos the man saw on a daily basis, it was only fair that he get one day that worked out in his favor.
Audrey, on the other hand, had been silent the whole way back. She couldn't stop thinking about Jack's goodbye. Something was telling her she had to save him, just like she had known she had to say yes to an adventure with the Doctor at the very beginning. It was a nagging instinct that was forcing her to act.
"Look at you, beaming away like you're Father Christmas," Rose teased, her own bright smile on her face.
"Who says I'm not, red bicycle when you were twelve?" The Doctor asked.
Rose looked shocked, "What?"
"And everybody lives, Rose! Everybody lives! I need more days like this," The Doctor said excitedly.
"All right, come on," Audrey urged, rushing to the TARDIS console, "We've got to hurry."
"Where are we going?" The Doctor asked. He was still running off the high of the excitement, and was too distracted to remember he was angry with her.
Audrey rolled her eyes, "To save Jack, of course."
Just like that, the smile fell off his face and was replaced with a blank look, "We can't."
"Why not? You've got a spaceship that materializes anywhere. You could easily get the TARDIS in and out quickly enough to save him."
"We can't save everyone," The Doctor told her, "That's not how it works. There's some people that have to die and you can't just save them. It could change everything."
Audrey scoffed. This was a far cry from the man she had just seen hopping around the room and going on about how everybody lives. Why was this different than saving all those people in London? What made Jack so different?
"He doesn't deserve to die, Doctor!" Audrey insisted. Every moment they wasted, she felt the nagging feeling pull tighter. She hadto save Jack Harkness. He was important, she could tell.
"Oh, you just want to save him because he's a bit pretty," The Doctor snapped.
Audrey raised her eyebrows at him and the Doctor recoiled sharply. Rose looked between the two, confused. She couldn't see any noticeable difference in the way Audrey normally looked, but the Doctor could. He could see the anger boiling just under the surface.
"Is that really what you think of me?" Audrey asked carefully. The Doctor looked sorry that he had said it, and was about to argue his point, when Audrey let out an angry bark of laughter and shook her head, "You know what, never mind."
Audrey turned her back on him and moved to the console. The Doctor stared after her, mouth opening and closing as he tried to find something to say. Audrey pulled a lever on the console and the TARDIS started up.
"What're you doing?" The Doctor questioned.
"I'm going to save him myself," Audrey muttered.
She had to save him. She couldn't have any more blood on her hands.
Rose thought the Doctor was going to stop her. Hell, the Doctor was about to stop her, but something made him pause. Audrey's eyes were glazed off, seeming to be somewhere in the depths of her mind and he could see the tears brimming. Her hands shook as she reached for the console.
The Doctor sighed as he realized what he'd done, what he'd made her remember. He should've been more careful; this was young Audrey they were dealing with and everything was still new for her. She wasn't as adjusted.
He crossed the distance between them and set his hand over hers on the console, steadying it. Audrey's eyes darted up to meet his and a tear fell down her cheek. Slowly, she came back to the present and the TARDIS landed with a thump. Audrey yanked her hand away from his, and marched out of the doors without looking back.
The probability of his death was certain, and there was nothing he could do about it, that much was true. Jack couldn't feel the desperation that he thought he should, but maybe it hadn't sunk in yet. That, or the hyper vodka was kicking in a lot faster than he remembered.
A hand came and plucked the drink out of his hand. Jack jumped, then turned to see Audrey. She was leaning against the wall, smirking at him.
"Sorry," She apologized, "But, seriously, I need some alcohol before either of us can go back in there."
Audrey downed the whole drink in one sip, before wincing. She handed him the empty glass back and then laughed at his stunned expression. Jack turned as he heard Moonlight Serenade playing from behind them. He saw the open doors of a box at the end of the hallway. Through the doors he could see the Doctor and Rose dancing.
Jack turned to Audrey, "What-?"
"You didn't think we were just going to let you die, did you?" Audrey asked, grabbing his hand, "Come on."
Audrey led him to the TARDIS, spinning him around once to the music on the way. The two of them walked into the TARDIS, almost running into the Doctor and Rose as they danced past the doors.
"Okay. And right and turn. Okay, okay, try and spin me again, but this time don't get my arm up my back. No extra points for a half-nelson," Rose instructed the Doctor carefully.
"I'm sure I used to know this stuff," The Doctor told her, before turning to Jack, "Close the door, will you? Your ship's about to blow up. There's going to be a draught."
Jack was still stunned, both from the rescue and the bigger-on-the-inside spaceship. Audrey patted his shoulder in understanding and shooed him into the spaceship, shutting the door herself. The Doctor bounded up to the console and started the ship up.
"Welcome to the TARDIS."
Jack looked around, "Much bigger on the inside."
"You'd better be," The Doctor muttered. He shared a look with Audrey, making the smile fall off the girl's face when their eyes met. Jack tapped the brunette on the shoulder and she turned around to see his outstretched hand.
"May I have this dance?" Jack asked.
"As much as I'd love to see those moves of yours, Captain. I'm going to have to take a raincheck. It's been a…long day," Audrey told him softly, avoiding looking at the Doctor. "I'm not the best company right now."
Jack nodded, knowing just how taxing the day had been for all of them, and seeing the exhaustion written all over Audrey's face. Audrey smiled at him and Rose before heading for the door that led off to the hallway. She was almost there when the Doctor caught her arm.
"Where are you going?" He asked quietly. "Audrey-"
Audrey yanked her arm out of his grip, "Away from you. Before I say something I don't mean."
He looked lost for words as Audrey left. It was like he was torn between wanting to follow after her, and understanding that she had to be on her own.
A while later, Audrey was sitting in the place she felt calmest. The library.
Surrounded by books, it was easier to organize her thoughts and store her anger for the moment. Hiding emotions had always been something that she was good at, but since meeting the Doctor, she found that he could bring out the realest parts of her, which was dangerous for someone like Audrey.
The Doctor walked into the library, concern written across his face as his eyes searched for something. The tension left his shoulders as he spotted Audrey sitting in her favorite armchair. He schooled his expression into forced neutrality before approaching her. He stopped in front of the chair, feeling like an unruly child standing in the principal's office. Audrey didn't look up.
"Where have you been?" The Doctor asked. Mentally, he nodded to himself. Okay, that was a nice neutral question. That question couldn't start an argument.
Audrey didn't look at him, only flipped a page in the book she was reading and replied. "Here."
"I've been looking for you," He told her.
"Thought you were mad at me," Audrey responded steadily.
The Doctor sighed. He wasn't getting anywhere this way. It wasn't unusual for the two of them to argue, it was normal. This regeneration was hotheaded and all too similar to Audrey, which often caused a lot of fights. He didn't fool himself into thinking this was okay, though, this fight was different than the others, worse in a way.
I was worried, he thought to himself, tell her you were worried.
"Rose is showing your friend around the TARDIS. Looks like he'll be staying a while," The Doctor said instead.
Nice going.
"Oh my god," Audrey muttered. She stood up, grabbing her book and her jacket, and moved towards the door.
"Where are you going now?" The Doctor exclaimed. They were supposed to work it out!
"My room," Audrey answered, sounding annoyed, "Here I was thinking that you were actually coming to apologize, but no. You're still being an unreasonable ass."
The Doctor put a hand to his chest, "Oh, I'm being unreasonable? You're the one who saved someone without stopping to think about the consequences of it!"
"You were going to let him die tonight because you were jealous!" Audrey exploded, throwing her hands up, "Of God knows what."
"One day, you'll understand why-"
"And then, what? I'd forgive you for almost letting an innocent man die?"
"I'd hardly call him innocent," The Doctor scoffed, "Everything that happened today was his fault!"
"To what are you referring, Doctor? Please, be more specific," Audrey spat sarcastically, "Are you talking about when he saved Rose from falling to her death? Or maybe when he transported us all to his ship? Oh, I know. You're talking about when he took the bomb and saved all those people, including you!"
"Those people wouldn't have even been there if he hadn't crashed that ambulance!" The Doctor pointed out.
"It was a mistake!" Audrey cried. "He didn't know what would happen. And he was trying to make up for it. Aren't you supposed to be the one who gives out second chances?"
Audrey's true feelings began to shine through as her defenses broke down. He was always giving out second chances. It didn't matter if they were friends or enemies, he understood people made mistakes. He did, didn't he?
He'd never forgive me if he knew, Audrey thought to herself.
"We saved him in the end, didn't we?" The Doctor exclaimed.
"You shouldn't have saved him as a way to make me forgive you. You should've saved him because it's the right thing to do," Audrey said quietly, turning back to the door.
For the second time today, the Doctor was left staring at her back as she left. He wanted to deny it, to say that he hadn't had hidden intentions for saving the captain, but he knew she was right. So, he let her leave.
Long after the other inhabitants of the TARDIS had gone to bed, the Doctor and Audrey were still wide awake. Neither of them felt right about going to bed angry, especially when they both had said things they hadn't meant. The Doctor found himself in front of Audrey's door, not for the first time that night, but finally opened it the third time.
All the lights in the room were off, except for the one by Audrey's bed. The warm glow of the lamp illuminated her face as she laid in bed, eyes closed. The Doctor sat down on the edge of the bed next to her.
"I know you're not asleep," He said. Audrey cracked her eyes open and looked up at him.
"How'd you know?" She asked.
The Doctor rolled his eyes, "I've known you for centuries. Believe it or not, I can tell when you're faking."
Audrey made a noise of annoyance, "Is that what you came in here for? To disrupt my sleep? I don't get a lot of that you know. I-"
"I came in here to say I'm sorry," The Doctor interrupted.
Audrey paused, "…go on."
"Should've known that would get your attention," The Doctor snorted.
"This doesn't sound much like an apology," Audrey pointed out. She sat up and leaned against the headboard, making space for the Doctor. She could feel her anger fading away by the minute, but she tried not to let it show.
"I'm getting there," The Doctor replied sassily, "I'm sorry about what happened with Jack. I was being unreasonable."
The Doctor arranged himself more comfortably on the bed. Now, he was sitting next to her on the bed, their shoulders touching. He looked over at her expectantly and she figured it was her turn.
"Are you saying I was right?" She teased. He nudged her shoulder with his and Audrey begrudgingly sighed, "I suppose I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have stormed off like that. It was kind of childish."
"It's okay. I expected as much," The Doctor told her, a smile pulling on the corners of his lips as he looked down at her.
"Hey!" Audrey objected through her laughter, "The teasing is my thing."
The Doctor raised an eyebrow, "So you can dish it out, but you can't take it?"
"Why don't you come over here and find out?" Audrey retorted.
They both laughed, their sides brushing against each other as they doubled over. After a moment, it got silent again. Audrey turned to the Doctor, her mouth open to speak, before she stopped herself.
"What?" The Doctor asked.
"When you said that I was only saving him because he was attractive…" Audrey trailed off, "Did you mean that?"
"I shouldn't have said that, Audrey. I'm sorry," The Doctor told her sincerely, reaching out to touch her shoulder, but Audrey recoiled slightly.
"That's not what I asked," Audrey said, "I asked if you meant it. Do you really think I'm that shallow?"
The Doctor shook his head furiously, "No. Of course, I don't."
"Then why'd you say it?"
"Because I was angry. Because I wanted you to listen. Because I'm too stubborn for my own good. Take your pick."
Audrey remained quiet for a minute longer before a small smile crossed her face, "Is there an all of the above option?"
The Doctor chuckled at the joke, but then turned serious. He grabbed Audrey's hand, catching her attention in the process, and made sure she was taking his words in.
"You'll understand one day, Audrey," He promised, "I know that doesn't make up for what I said, but…"
Audrey sighed, "I know there's things I don't…understand right now. When something like this happens, all you have to do is tell me. I know you can't explain everything all the time, at least not the spoilers, but it's not fair on either of us to fight about it. It'll only drive us apart."
"I promise I'll tell you next time. Happy?" The Doctor asked, rolling his eyes.
Audrey smiled, "Happy."
"Are we okay?" The Doctor questioned and Audrey shrugged.
"For now. I'm sure you'll do something later that'll piss me off."
The Doctor snorted, "Same goes for you."
"Well, since we are both such stubborn and vexing people, let's enjoy the peace while it lasts," Audrey suggested.
The Doctor laced their fingers together as Audrey leaned her head on his shoulder. From where she couldn't see, the Doctor smiled down at her and rested his head on top of hers.
"Deal."