XXxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxxxxxxxXxxxxxx
Chapter 56 – A Kick in the Head
The Doctor walked back into his office eating a bag of sweets. Michelle walked behind him with her notepad.
"Michelle, I don't care how much they complain. Thomas is right. Well, about this. I agree that all agents need to be at the firing range to practice at least once a week. You'd be surprised how much better you can get when you just practice. It will prevent a lot of accidents. If it keeps one person from getting killed, it's worth everyone's time. I'll also add that they also need to do basic hand to hand sparing each week as well."
Michelle was shaking her head and writing down some notes on her pad. "Oh, Jake isn't going to like this."
The Doctor turned around and pointed at her. "Jake gets a free pass since he found that damn Dalek this afternoon for me."
"Well, you must be happy with him if you are allowing that. He's the one that keeps shooting you, and probably needs it the worst!" a female voice said.
He looked over and saw Rose sitting on the sofa, smiling at him. She was wearing a simple, casual blue striped dress and her lap was littered with paperwork, as was the table in front of her. She had her hair tied up in a messy pony tail.
The Doctor smiled in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
"I work here. I've just not been able to come in for a while." Rose looked at him like he had just dribbled on his shirt.
Michelle smiled at her. "Do either of you need anything?"
The Doctor, still in shock of seeing Rose in his office, turned to Michelle rather absentmindedly. "No, that will be all. Go home and spend time with your boys."
Rose smiled at her. "Thank you, Michelle."
Michelle nodded as she closed the door on her way out. The Doctor stood in shock looking at Rose. He cleared his throat and shook himself back into the moment. "Sorry, I just wasn't expecting to see you here."
Rose was looking back down at the papers in her lap. "Yeah, Mum came and took the children. Told me to get out of the house and go someplace."
She could feel his sudden shock and fear. "You didn't come here by yourself, did you?"
She rolled her eyes at him. "No, of course not. Legate came with me." She sighed.
He nodded his head as he popped more sweets in his mouth. "Tea?"
Rose was distracted by the paperwork again. "Yeah, that would be great."
He walked over to the small kitchen in his office and busied himself making them both tea. He looked around as the water heated up and he continued to pop the candy in his mouth. "Why does this office look different?"
Rose didn't look up from the papers. She pointed behind her. "I pulled the drapes to block out the afternoon sunset. It was way too bright in here."
He looked surprised. "I never noticed drapes in here. Is that new?"
She looked up at him. "You never noticed the drapes, dear? They've always been in here."
He shook his head at his own surprise and finished making their teas. He walked over, handed Rose her tea and sat down next to her on the sofa. She took a sip and smiled. "Oh, that's just what I needed. Thank you."
He leaned up and looked at the papers on the table. "What are you studying here?"
"Malcolm's theory. It's both brilliant and terrifying at the same time." Rose told him as she looked over some of the papers.
He sipped his tea and put on his glasses to get a better look at the papers. Rose handed him a notebook. "See, look at this. What do you make of that?"
He looked it over, looked back at her and handed it back. "Explain it to me. What you think?" He rubbed his face under his glasses.
Rose turned on the sofa to face him, sitting down her tea on the table. "Really? Did you look at it?"
He didn't open his eyes as he took off his glasses and tossed them on the table. "No, honestly I didn't. I know you understand this stuff better than anyone. I'm still halfway intoxicated and just exhausted. I trust whatever you think."
Rose looked surprised at him. "Intoxicated? Where is Dad?"
The Doctor looked back at her and smiled, "In his office, sleeping it off."
Rose smiled, "I thought it was a business meeting? Why were you lot drinking?"
"They kept pouring them throughout the meeting! Pete seemed to think it went well. Damn, that man can really sale something. Even in an altered state of mind. It was impressive. I couldn't do that."
Rose could feel his surprise, absentmindedness and exhaustion. She patted his thigh. "That's the reason Dad handles that part then, huh?"
He rubbed his face. "Oh yes. That's all him. Okay, what is Malcolm breaking that I'm going to have to yell at him about?"
Rose looked back at the notebook and papers she held in her hands. "Okay, this. It looks to me like he is attempting to open a wormhole within a wormhole."
She could feel his sudden shock. He looked at her in surprise. "A what?"
"That's what it looks like. See, look." She moved the notebook into his lap and pointed. He put back on his glasses to look at the papers. "He wants to open a wormhole on this side of the Void, that sends a signal to open another wormhole within the pores of the other side of the wall of the Void. Isn't that what he's doing?"
"Two wormholes running through the Void would create a big problem." He told her as he looked at the papers.
"It would create a black hole. Doesn't he see that?" Rose asked him.
He looked back up at her in surprise. He smiled as he took back off his glasses and tossed them on the table. "Well, no doubt about it. I'm sober now!"
Rose looked at him and pointed at the paperwork in his lap. "I mean, I'm right aren't I?"
He laughed as he nodded his head. "Absolutely, right."
Rose narrowed her eyes at him. "Then why are you laughing at me?"
He smiled at her. "I'm really sorry. I just can't hide how proud I am that you understand this."
Rose rolled her eyes at him. "It's just simple-"
"Quantum Mechanics. Geez, woman! Damn. Oh, that's hot." He closed his eyes tightly and looked away from her.
Rose smiled at him. She sat the notebooks and papers on the table. "You are in a good mood."
He lay his arm on the back of the sofa has he faced her. He put his hand on her cheek as she leaned into his touch. She could feel he his love as he looked in her eyes.
"How drunk are you?" Rose asked him.
He smiled, "I'm honestly fine. I'm sure you can tell. Although, I'm not sure how you do that."
"I can feel it. It's like you aren't completely there." Rose explained.
He smiled at her, "Am I completely here, then?"
She looked at him, "Yes, now you are. You were not just two minutes before. How did you do that?"
He smiled at her. "Malcolm's black hole startled me back."
Rose could tell he was teasing her. "That's not it. Really. What did you do? I've seen you do that before."
He smiled at her. "My biochemistry is subject to my conscience control. I can tell myself that I've been drunk long enough and become clear headed immediately if I need to. Sometimes, it will gives me a worse hangover though. At least in this body."
Rose giggled at him, "Right."
"I'm so happy to see you. This was the best surprise I've had in months." He told her.
Rose smiled at him. "You might not think so when I finish what I came to say."
He shook his head. "There's nothing you can say that would make me cross. I deserve whatever you are about to say to me."
Rose looked surprised at him. "Are you sure you're not drunk? You are really way too okay with this."
He laughed. "We haven't even gotten started yet. Tell me, what's on your mind?"
Rose looked at him. "Our talk we had last night. You said you wanted to be honest with me. I don't feel like you are. Even now. I feel like you tell me only what you think I need to hear and nothing more."
He nodded his head. "I agree."
"You purposely keep me in the dark about things I need to know about." Rose told him.
He nodded his head. "Agreed. Keep going."
"You don't and won't tell me anything that really matters."
He thought for a minute. "Right. Keep going."
"You treat me like a child. Like I can't take care of myself. Like I need protection."
He nodded his head as he rubbed his face. "I do. Yes. Continue."
"There are things I do not agree with. At all, but I feel like I can't talk to you about them because you will just shut down and become very cross."
He shook his head. "You shouldn't feel that way. Like what?"
She stopped and looked at his face.
He put his hand back on her cheek and moved closer to her. He whispered. "I'm not going to get angry about anything you could say, or demand, and leave. Alright. Please get that out of your mind."
Rose looked in his face and took a deep breath. "Take that fear and put it back in my head."
He sighed and leaned back. He shook his head. "No. I won't do that."
"I had PTSD. It was terrible. You can't sleep. You can't eat, you feel like you are losing your mind." Rose explained to him.
He looked back at her, "I know the symptoms, Rose. I'm fine."
Rose looked seriously at him. "No, you're not. If you won't let me have back my fear, would you let me try to help yours?"
He looked up at her face. "What do you mean?"
Rose looked at him. "Somehow I healed your arm. Your leg. Let me try to heal this."
He couldn't deny the surprise in his mind hearing her finally admit this. He could feel how uncomfortable she was even thinking about it.
She took his hands and put them in her lap. "I love you more than I could ever explain. Watching someone you love suffer is worse than suffering yourself. I know that's why you did that. Please, let me try."
He sighed as tears came into his eyes. "Rose. I did things. Terrible things. If that goes away, I might do them again. How many innocence people? Children! How many would die because I forget how bad that pain felt?"
Rose laid her forehead to his. "Sweetheart, it was a war. You had your reasons. Sometimes the only choice is a bad one."
He took a deep breath. "No. That could have been so much different. I could have saved them."
Rose stroked his beard as she lifted his face up so his eyes met hers. "Please tell me what this is that you are talking about. You've talked around it since I met you. Just tell me."
He shook his head, "You would see me differently. The monster that I really am. I can't tell you that."
Rose shook her head. "Bad Wolf is a monster. Not you. If I'm going to have to learn to deal with that, and accept what has happened, so are you. We're in this together. I'm not leaving. I'm not running. Take a deep breath, close your eyes and tell me what happened that was so terrible." She grabbed his hands tightly. "You are my other half. I am yours. Be honest with me."
He took a deep breath and looked in her eyes. "I told you my home was destroyed. I never told you I was the one who did it. I took a weapon from an ancient archive, stole it and watched as Gallifrey burned. It was the only way to stop the war."
Rose raised his hands to her mouth and kissed them. "You told me that you didn't do that. When I met the other you."
He shook his head. "No, Rose. That was an older him. And he was just trying to wind me up. He's went mad finally. There's no way to know how old he was. I don't even believe that was him."
Rose shook her head. "Sweetheart. You are wrong about this. I know it was him. He knew things about me. About you. Trust me when I tell you I know who it was. Somehow he was able to regenerate again. He was an older man, curly hair with a Scottish accent. He wore dark sunglasses that were Sonic. He had stopped using the screwdriver."
He laughed through his tears. "Okay, that's just mad. I've thought about doing that recently here."
Rose laid her forehead to his. "He said to tell you that Gallifrey didn't fall. It is still out there. He was looking for it. You aren't the only one anymore."
He shook his head as he wiped his tears. "Nah. I still have a hard time believing it. I trust you, I just don't trust him."
Rose looked at him. "You really hate yourself that much?"
He looked at her. "I know myself. It's not someone I would ever want to be friends with. Mad old man."
Rose sensing that subject was close to an end looked back at him. "You're not alone now. Even here."
He shook his head. "I'm not. I have you and my family. But, I am the only Time Lord. The only one there will ever be."
"Sam is part-"
He shook his head. "He's not. He's not anything of me." He could feel Rose's shock. He looked up at her and rubbed his face. "Okay. This requires a lot of explanation."
"Yes, it does. I'm fairly certain you where there from the beginning of him." Rose told him.
He sighed. "I scanned you last night. I had Friday download the scans so I could look them over while I was supposed to be paying attention in that meeting. Pete only needed me there to fill in the blanks of things he didn't know, so it worked out. I had a good look at everything and there is no reason you should have ever had him."
Rose looked shocked. He held both of her hands tightly and continued. "What I'm saying is something happened to you when you were looking for me. It should have prevented you from ever having any children. All of that was damaged then."
He could feel Rose's fear. "What could have happened to cause that?"
"I have a feeling it's whatever we've known about but, have hidden from ourselves. We really shouldn't go look for it. Promise me you won't, Rose." He asked her.
She looked seriously back at him. "Why did I have Sam then? That was a normal-"
He shook his head. "That was a pregnancy where everything that could have went wrong, did. Except that Sam is here and he's fine. Sam is a complete copy of you. There's none of me in him. I told you after the explosion that you couldn't have anymore children because I assumed all of that was damaged in the blast. Turns out, it was damaged long before then. Sam is here because you wanted him so much. Because we, wanted him so much. But, he's you. Completely you."
Rose shook her head. "That doesn't make any sense at all. Why haven't you told me this before now?"
He shook his head. "I honestly hadn't planned to tell you at all, but realize I'm making decisions again without you. You needed to know this. This was important."
"How long have you known?"
"Since I scanned him. Yesterday morning." He told her. Sensing her sadness he quickly added. "Rose, this changes nothing. He's still my son. I do not see him as any less than I would."
Rose fought tears back as she looked at him. "But, you do. You are the only Time Lord here. Not even your son shares any of that."
He shook his head. "Sweetheart, Genie is our daughter and neither one of us had anything to do with her! We don't love her any less. She's ours." He shook his head, "I don't need any of that. I just need you. But, do you see what this also means?"
She shook her head. "No."
"You could have more children if you wanted. If we wanted. It's not a closed subject like we thought. I have no idea how, but you've done it with Sam. It's not out of the question." He told her.
She smiled through her tears. "That's just mad. You're the worst Doctor I've ever had."
He laughed at her. "I completely agree." He wiped her tears from her eyes and kissed her quickly.
She smiled at him as she looked him in the eyes. "I feel like this is the most honest conversation we've ever had."
He laid his forehead to hers and whispered. "There are reasons I tell you things, and reasons I don't. But, you are right. I need to let you decide more. I just don't want to hurt you again. I don't want to see you sad."
She smiled at him. "I'm going to be sad. Life isn't all sunshine and roses."
"If you fall in love with my flowers and not my roots, when Autumn comes you won't know what to do." He quoted.
Realizing she had finally gotten through him, she smiled. "Exactly."
He kissed her quickly, then rubbed his face as he stood up and walked over to his desk. He picked up the phone and made a call. "Jake. I want you to go down to the lab where Malcolm has been working and completely shut everything down. I'll explain everything later, but I don't want any power in there to run anything. No access to anyone. Nothing. Clear?"
He nodded his head as he listened to something Jake was telling him. Rose could feel him become angry. He ran his hand through his hair. "I'm not dealing with that right now. It can wait."
He hung up the phone and groaned as he made a note about something on the desk in the circular script. Rose sat on the couch and asked him. "Want to go back home?"
He looked at her and shook his head. "Nah. Although, Summus is changing Sam's nappy at the moment and I'd pay real money to see how bad he's gagging. Lewis is laughing so hard he can't speak."
"Where is Lewis? Is he in here?" Rose asked.
"He's popping in here and out in Michelle's office. Just all around the perimeter. Him and Timon are both here with us, but not."
"That will never make sense to me." Rose laughed at him.
He started to walk to her, thought of something and walked back to his desk to look for something in a drawer. He searched for it opening one drawer and then another one. "Huh." He said. He patted his pockets in his suit. "I don't know what I did with it."
Rose felt his confusion and smiled. "What are you looking for?"
He looked up at her. "Ah. I'll find it. Did you have any problem with that injector in your neck?"
Rose stood up and walked over to him. "No. It was really very simple."
He smiled at her. "Feeling better, still?"
She nodded her head at him. He continued to run his hands in his pockets. His bracelet lit up and Friday's voice could be heard. "Sir. There is a message for you."
He tapped the bracelet and read something. Rose watched as he read the message across his arm and became even more cross. "Ugh! I'm not dealing with this today." He ran both of his hands through his hair and said, "Damn that, Howie!"
Just then, the window behind him shattered and he was knocked onto the floor. Rose screamed, "Lewis!" and dove on the floor next to The Doctor. She looked up and saw the drapes were opened about a foot. She pulled the unconscious Doctor to the other side of the room. Lewis, Exton and Timon were there immediately. Lewis knelt down and ran his hands down the Doctor's body, looking for wounds.
"He doesn't look like he's hit." Lewis told Rose.
Just then, the Doctor moaned as he started to come to. "Damn it! And I saw that coming, too. Stupid idiot."
He sat up slowly without opening his eyes, and Rose hugged him quickly. She was crying. They held one another tightly. "I'm alright." He leaned back and looked at her. "Are you hit? Are you okay?"
She shook her head and pulled him close again.
He looked up at Lewis who smiled and nodded. "Legate has him. Poltoius is going to be Hell to live with after this."
The Doctor laughed as he held Rose tightly. "My precious, Rose. You are alright. You know we'll be alright."
Rose leaned back and ran her hand down his chest. "How are you even alright?"
He rubbed the side his head as Lewis helped him up off the floor. "Our wrist bands have personal shielding in them. Although, I'm not sure why it knocked me out. I'll have to ask Tony."
Jack and Jake ran into the room. Jack looked around at the scene. Lewis held up his hand. "It's over. Everyone is secure."
Jake looked disappointed. "Everyone is alright, then?"
The Doctor nodded his head as he rubbed the side of it. Being knocked out had left him with an odd pain in the side of his head. Rose had him sit down on the sofa.
"You're sure you're alright?" Rose asked him.
He smiled, "I'm really fine. Someone should go check on Pete though. He's sleeping in his office."
Lewis nodded at him. "Aemillus says he's fine. Everything there is secure as well. Although, I'm having him pop him home to sleep. I feel better with him there."
Timon handed The Doctor an ice pack. "Here, mate. For your head. That's probably where the bullet was supposed to hit and the shield was the strongest. That's why it knocked you out. You still got hit in the side of the head pretty hard."
He groaned as he laid his head back on the sofa and lay the ice pack on the side of his head. Rose sat next to him and could feel his relief.
Jack sat down next to him. He smiled and thumped him on the other side of his head.
"Ow! Stop it!" The Doctor complained without opening his eyes.
Jack laughed at him. "Open your eyes. Let me see."
The Doctor looked at him.
Jack looked in both of his eyes, then turned his head. "Use your sonic and make for sure. I think you have a mild concussion."
The Doctor groaned as he took the screwdriver out of his pocket and scanned himself. Sure enough, Jack was right.
Rose looked at him. "You do, don't you?"
He nodded his head as he closed his eyes and laid his head back on the sofa again.
Jack teased him. "Seeing stars again?"
The Doctor smiled, "Oh yeah. And I feel like I'm going to be sick."
Rose got up. "Let me get you something to be sick in. Just in case." She walked over to his desk to get rubbish bin.
Jack patted him on the leg as he sat back on the sofa. "Yep. Good ole concussion. That will take you about a week to recover from. Wasn't that how long it took when you fell on your head that time on that quasar?"
The Doctor quickly looked at Jack and removed the ice pack from his head. "I didn't do that."
Jack laughed. "Ah, maybe it was the other you. I can't keep it straight."
The Doctor smiled at Jack. "You've never been able to keep anything straight. Even yourself."
They both laughed at one another. Jack nodded his head as he looked at Jake who was talking to Timon and Lewis. They were standing at the broken window and discussing the event. "It's true."
Jack put the ice pack back on the side of The Doctor's head. "That will help. But, you know that."
"Jack. I've looked at it, but honestly not a lot. Not as much as I should have been looking at it. Do you want me to try to find a way to get you back to the Prime Dimension?"
Jack shook his head. "Rose says it's impossible. I tend to believe beautiful women."
"But, Jack. Seriously. I can spend some time and look into it with Rose. Do you want me to? Do you want to go back?"
Jack grinned and shook his head. "Nah. Not for a while. I feel like you guys need me here anyway. Keep Jake from shooting you." He laughed. "We'll revisit it one day, I'm sure. But, I like it here. It's strange though. So, different than where we came from."
Rose returned and sat the rubbish bin on the table in front of them, and sat down. "Still feeling sick?"
"Well, I wasn't until you mentioned it." he complained.
Jack thumped him on the head again.
"Ow! Asshole. Stop it!" He fussed at Jack.
Jack laughed at him as he pointed, "Don't be cross with my Rose. I'm trying to save your ass from getting kicked."
Rose and The Doctor laughed at Jack. Jake and Lewis walked over to them.
Jake spoke, "This is going to take a bit to sort out. We know where to find you if we need you, Doc'. Jack, Lewis and I will handle all of this."
Lewis smiled at him. "You're a lucky man. Go on home and rest, but bounce to the via point first, just in case someone is tracking your landing."
The Doctor nodded. "Good suggestion. We'll do that."
Lewis turned around. "Timon! Get them home for me!"
Timon jumped up. "Yes, sir!"
XxxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx