This is my first ever post so please be kind. The story is set right after the end of 'The Parting of the Ways'.
As long as it takes for time to forget
Rose stood motionless watching in shock as the doctor, seemingly undeterred admired his new appearance as much as he could without the aid of a mirror. What had had happened to her doctor? Was this even him anymore? He didn't look like him, talk like him and he certainly didn't smile like him. Gone was his youthful enthusiasm, his abundance of excited energy. He just stood there cool, calm and self-involved as he pulled and adjusted his trademark leather jacket. There was an air of sophistication about him that had not been evident in his old self, he had always been self-confident but now it seemed he was just more of something she couldn't quite put her finger on.
Her heart froze as he stopped examining himself and his eyes looked up to meet hers. Rose noted he didn't smile at first, he just sort of looked at her quizzically in a way that made him look like he wondering why his usually mouthy companion was being so quiet. This assumption of what he was thinking bothered Rose and made her feel he was even less of her doctor than she had originally thought. Her doctor would already understand how difficult this must be for her, her doctor would have already tried to do or say something to put her at ease, her doctor would have been concerned for her. She knew this because he had tried to warn her before he changed; she knew this because he had tried to make it easier on her before it had even happened.
Then he smiled, then he spoke; "So how do I look?"
Rose couldn't talk but managed to stutter a reply. "Erm…you look…you look…different,"
"Well I know that bright spark! But is it better or is it worse? If I do say so myself I looked quite handsome before,"
Rose took a tentative step forward; somehow the words that he had a liking of his old self made her feel more at ease. "I dunno, it's just different,"
"Hold on, I need a mirror," he noted before bounding off down the hallway and re-emerging more subdued, the expression on his face covered from view by the vanity object he was holding.
Rose watched as he stood still his left hand touching the face she couldn't see. She became worried for him and suddenly her own concerns over his new appearance were put aside. "Doctor…what's wrong?"
"I don't know…I don't think there's anything wrong…," he answered slowly as if the concentration on his face was impairing his ability to talk. Then suddenly in another burst of energy he tossed the mirror onto the Tardis controls. "I'm absolutely gorgeous!" He smiled and ran over to his assistant lifting her up into his arms in a bear hug and swinging her around. She looked more than shocked as he put her back onto the ground again.
"Well I see your self-esteems took a massive blow," she remarked sarcastically.
"Oh Rose, you look even more beautiful to these new eyes," The doctor smiled.
"Oi you! Stop fishing for a compliment," Rose smirked.
"Come on can't you just tell me what you think? Like I don't know your hair is softer than a baby's bottom or your eyes are like deep brown pools of soulful beauty,"
"Alright..." She laughed and looked at him her face turning serious and she took a few moments to fully examine his new features. Finally she exclaimed; "Your ears are nicer,"
The doctor was taken aback and was left speechless for a beat. "That's all you can say! A full body over hall and the most outstanding feature you can pick out is the decrease in the size of my ears?"
"It's not my fault it's just what stuck out the most," she joked trying to keep a serious voice.
"Ha you're so very funny Rose,"
"I know I am," she giggled.
"So come on…what do you really think?"
"Oh you want approval from a lowly earth being?"
"Yes for some reason this body seems to care very much for your opinion,"
"Well like I said you look different…your ears aren't big and you have nice hair…I suppose your kind of cute,"
"Really just 'kind of cute'?" the doctor asked but was met by a 'don't push it' glare from Rose and he decided to back off. "You know what I think I can live with that…for this lifetime anyway,"
The End.
