WHEN THE BOUGH BREAKS, PART 2
Thanks so much to sheperdmoon and sam for your review of part 1! Disclaimer: All hail the Beeb, who owns all things Dr. Who. I do this for love, not money. No disrespect or copyright infringement is intended. I just want to play.
Sarah's breath came out in a tiny gasp. "Wha.. you what?" She couldn't have heard him correctly. She couldn't have!
"You heard me," the Doctor said, setting off again. "It's over. Done. Finito ad infinitum."
"But. but you can't stop! You simply can't!" She protested in disbelief.
"Oh? And why not?" Sarcasm dripped from his voice.
"Because there's too much to be done! You're the Doctor, remember? Running round the universe, righting wrongs, saving worlds and all that? That's what you do, remember?"
"No. That's what I used to do. Now I'm going to settle down out of harm's way."
"But."
"And I'm going to change my name!" He exclaimed, a grin flashing across his features as if he'd just discovered an ancient civilization's final resting place. "Something simple, something that no one will associate with anything heroic, or dashing, or threatening."
"Doctor."
"How about Bob? Nice and simple, don't you think? No one could possibly think a name like that would strike fear in the hearts of Daleks. If they had fear or hearts, that is."
"DOCTOR!"
"Yes, Sarah? What is it?" He asked calmly, as though they were discussing the weather instead of the utter upheaval of both their existences.
"You. you. you simply can't!" She repeated, hating her lack of words but too stunned to think of anything more to say at the moment.
"O, but I can. I can and I will," he chuckled. "I've put my time in saving the galaxy, the universe, and everything in between. I've got millennia of holiday time due me, and I'm taking it. I'm giving my notice and punching my card." "But who will."
"Who will what?" He asked, irritation seeping into his voice.
"Who will save the universe?" Her tone was pleading.
He was on her in an instant, gripping her by the forearms. Not enough to be physically painful, but the emotional force of it made her sob. His eyes were alive again, but not with anything she wanted to see.
"I don't care!" He shouted. "I don't care if it's another Time Lord or the Easter Bunny! I don't care who it is, or if anyone does it, you do hear me? It's not going to be me, Sarah! I AM DONE IT IS OVER!"
Sarah bit back the tears, lower lip quivering. Of all the things that had ever frightened her while traveling with the Doctor, nothing else even came close to what she was feeling right now. But she was strong, stronger than the Doctor had ever given her credit for. Part of her wanted nothing more than to wrench herself from his grasp and run away from him. But she held her ground and stared him down.
As suddenly as it had begun, his rage ended. The fire left his eyes as he blinked several times, realizing what he was doing. He snatched his hands away from her. "Do you see?" He asked, breath coming in gasps. "Do you see what I just did to you? Sarah, I. I'm so sorry." He hung his head.
She managed a weak grin. "S'okay, Doctor. I'm not a china teacup, after all."
"No, but you are human. And if I really lost control of myself." He shook his head. "Come on. The sooner I can get away from you, the better I'll feel."
"That's a lovely line," she muttered as she fell into step with him again.
A few hours later they stood together outside the TARDIS, on the outskirts of a town. The Doctor had done exactly what he said he was going to. He had taken a bath and changed clothes, then transported them to this sleepy little bit of a continent. Now he was rummaging round for money for them. As he opened boxes and envelopes, Sarah couldn't help but stare at him. He hadn't put his old clothes back on, even though she'd cleaned and pressed them in the laundry machine. He now wore a dark blue cotton turtleneck and black trousers with a pair of black leather half boots. No hat, no vest, no coat. Only his scarf remained from his former outfit. In the dim light of the TARDIS storeroom he looked younger, more vulnerable in this outfit. Not to mention dishy.
"Ah, here we are!" He said, removing a large handful of notes. "I knew I'd kept some."
He handed her a stack. "This should keep you well off if you want to stay in the town." And you have a key to the TARDIS if you want to stay here."
She nodded. For the moment she'd decided not to press him further. After what had happened earlier. the memory of his voice, harsh with anger, his hands on her, rang in her mind. She pushed it aside. "And what about you?"
"Me, O, I'll be about." The old mischief was in his eyes. But it faded as they darkened. "But you must stay away from me."
"If you wanted rid of me, there were easier ways," she joked. The look on his face made her regret it.
"I don't want rid of you, Sarah." He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again to look into hers. "And I'm very sorry to be doing this. I know that right now you probably hate me."
"What?" She exclaimed. "Hate you? You really have gone potty!"
He continued as though she hadn't spoken. "But I have to do what's best. I know you'll want to go back to Earth, and believe me, as soon as I'm able, I'll take you. But right now I can't. I just." His voice cracked, so slight that someone who didn't know him might never have noticed. But she did.
"I just can't," he finished quietly.
"It's ok Doctor. I had been wanting a holiday."
He smiled at her feeble attempt at humor. "Well, here we go, then." He felt a sudden chill. It had been a long time since he'd been alone, completely alone. Always there had been the banter, the exchange of ideas, jokes, and gentle affection with a companion. He did so enjoy human company. Especially Sarah's. Now that was going to be gone. But it had to be. If he was about to go mad, he certainly wasn't going to take her with him. She was far too dear to him for that.
"Yes," she agreed, a lump in her throat. "Be seeing you later."
As he turned her voice stopped him. "Doctor."
She took his face in her hands, something she'd never done before. Her skin was soft and incredibly warm against his.
"Please. take care of yourself," she whispered.
He smiled. "I will."
She shook her head in frustration. There was something else she had to tell him; somehow she had to find the words.
He stood staring into her dark brown eyes. He could feel her heart, its one beat in perfect synch with his two. There was something else he should say to her; somehow he had to find the words.
Their faces were close, not even an inch apart. He inclined his head, and she stood on tiptoe, pressing her forehead to his, both of them searching for a way to make this parting less painful.
"Sarah." He murmured.
"Doctor," she whispered.
He turned at the exact instant she did, and as they went to speak again their lips touched.
/My God,/ Sarah thought, dazed. /I'm kissing him. He's kissing me. We're kissing./
But she didn't want to stop.
/By Rassilon,/ The Doctor thought. /I'm kissing her. She's kissing me. We're kissing./
But he didn't want to stop.
When their lips finally parted both of them drew a shaky breath. The Doctor stepped back from her slightly. Sarah did the same, her eyes dazed. He swallowed hard and reached out with two fingers of his right hand to stroke her cheek.
"Take care, Sarah Jane Smith," he said softly.
She wanted to speak, wanted to beg him to stop this bit of madness, for them to get back into the TARDIS and take off like they'd always done before. But the words struck in her throat, and she could only nod.
As he walked away the tears finally won, spilling salty drops of despair down her cheeks
Thanks so much to sheperdmoon and sam for your review of part 1! Disclaimer: All hail the Beeb, who owns all things Dr. Who. I do this for love, not money. No disrespect or copyright infringement is intended. I just want to play.
Sarah's breath came out in a tiny gasp. "Wha.. you what?" She couldn't have heard him correctly. She couldn't have!
"You heard me," the Doctor said, setting off again. "It's over. Done. Finito ad infinitum."
"But. but you can't stop! You simply can't!" She protested in disbelief.
"Oh? And why not?" Sarcasm dripped from his voice.
"Because there's too much to be done! You're the Doctor, remember? Running round the universe, righting wrongs, saving worlds and all that? That's what you do, remember?"
"No. That's what I used to do. Now I'm going to settle down out of harm's way."
"But."
"And I'm going to change my name!" He exclaimed, a grin flashing across his features as if he'd just discovered an ancient civilization's final resting place. "Something simple, something that no one will associate with anything heroic, or dashing, or threatening."
"Doctor."
"How about Bob? Nice and simple, don't you think? No one could possibly think a name like that would strike fear in the hearts of Daleks. If they had fear or hearts, that is."
"DOCTOR!"
"Yes, Sarah? What is it?" He asked calmly, as though they were discussing the weather instead of the utter upheaval of both their existences.
"You. you. you simply can't!" She repeated, hating her lack of words but too stunned to think of anything more to say at the moment.
"O, but I can. I can and I will," he chuckled. "I've put my time in saving the galaxy, the universe, and everything in between. I've got millennia of holiday time due me, and I'm taking it. I'm giving my notice and punching my card." "But who will."
"Who will what?" He asked, irritation seeping into his voice.
"Who will save the universe?" Her tone was pleading.
He was on her in an instant, gripping her by the forearms. Not enough to be physically painful, but the emotional force of it made her sob. His eyes were alive again, but not with anything she wanted to see.
"I don't care!" He shouted. "I don't care if it's another Time Lord or the Easter Bunny! I don't care who it is, or if anyone does it, you do hear me? It's not going to be me, Sarah! I AM DONE IT IS OVER!"
Sarah bit back the tears, lower lip quivering. Of all the things that had ever frightened her while traveling with the Doctor, nothing else even came close to what she was feeling right now. But she was strong, stronger than the Doctor had ever given her credit for. Part of her wanted nothing more than to wrench herself from his grasp and run away from him. But she held her ground and stared him down.
As suddenly as it had begun, his rage ended. The fire left his eyes as he blinked several times, realizing what he was doing. He snatched his hands away from her. "Do you see?" He asked, breath coming in gasps. "Do you see what I just did to you? Sarah, I. I'm so sorry." He hung his head.
She managed a weak grin. "S'okay, Doctor. I'm not a china teacup, after all."
"No, but you are human. And if I really lost control of myself." He shook his head. "Come on. The sooner I can get away from you, the better I'll feel."
"That's a lovely line," she muttered as she fell into step with him again.
A few hours later they stood together outside the TARDIS, on the outskirts of a town. The Doctor had done exactly what he said he was going to. He had taken a bath and changed clothes, then transported them to this sleepy little bit of a continent. Now he was rummaging round for money for them. As he opened boxes and envelopes, Sarah couldn't help but stare at him. He hadn't put his old clothes back on, even though she'd cleaned and pressed them in the laundry machine. He now wore a dark blue cotton turtleneck and black trousers with a pair of black leather half boots. No hat, no vest, no coat. Only his scarf remained from his former outfit. In the dim light of the TARDIS storeroom he looked younger, more vulnerable in this outfit. Not to mention dishy.
"Ah, here we are!" He said, removing a large handful of notes. "I knew I'd kept some."
He handed her a stack. "This should keep you well off if you want to stay in the town." And you have a key to the TARDIS if you want to stay here."
She nodded. For the moment she'd decided not to press him further. After what had happened earlier. the memory of his voice, harsh with anger, his hands on her, rang in her mind. She pushed it aside. "And what about you?"
"Me, O, I'll be about." The old mischief was in his eyes. But it faded as they darkened. "But you must stay away from me."
"If you wanted rid of me, there were easier ways," she joked. The look on his face made her regret it.
"I don't want rid of you, Sarah." He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again to look into hers. "And I'm very sorry to be doing this. I know that right now you probably hate me."
"What?" She exclaimed. "Hate you? You really have gone potty!"
He continued as though she hadn't spoken. "But I have to do what's best. I know you'll want to go back to Earth, and believe me, as soon as I'm able, I'll take you. But right now I can't. I just." His voice cracked, so slight that someone who didn't know him might never have noticed. But she did.
"I just can't," he finished quietly.
"It's ok Doctor. I had been wanting a holiday."
He smiled at her feeble attempt at humor. "Well, here we go, then." He felt a sudden chill. It had been a long time since he'd been alone, completely alone. Always there had been the banter, the exchange of ideas, jokes, and gentle affection with a companion. He did so enjoy human company. Especially Sarah's. Now that was going to be gone. But it had to be. If he was about to go mad, he certainly wasn't going to take her with him. She was far too dear to him for that.
"Yes," she agreed, a lump in her throat. "Be seeing you later."
As he turned her voice stopped him. "Doctor."
She took his face in her hands, something she'd never done before. Her skin was soft and incredibly warm against his.
"Please. take care of yourself," she whispered.
He smiled. "I will."
She shook her head in frustration. There was something else she had to tell him; somehow she had to find the words.
He stood staring into her dark brown eyes. He could feel her heart, its one beat in perfect synch with his two. There was something else he should say to her; somehow he had to find the words.
Their faces were close, not even an inch apart. He inclined his head, and she stood on tiptoe, pressing her forehead to his, both of them searching for a way to make this parting less painful.
"Sarah." He murmured.
"Doctor," she whispered.
He turned at the exact instant she did, and as they went to speak again their lips touched.
/My God,/ Sarah thought, dazed. /I'm kissing him. He's kissing me. We're kissing./
But she didn't want to stop.
/By Rassilon,/ The Doctor thought. /I'm kissing her. She's kissing me. We're kissing./
But he didn't want to stop.
When their lips finally parted both of them drew a shaky breath. The Doctor stepped back from her slightly. Sarah did the same, her eyes dazed. He swallowed hard and reached out with two fingers of his right hand to stroke her cheek.
"Take care, Sarah Jane Smith," he said softly.
She wanted to speak, wanted to beg him to stop this bit of madness, for them to get back into the TARDIS and take off like they'd always done before. But the words struck in her throat, and she could only nod.
As he walked away the tears finally won, spilling salty drops of despair down her cheeks