Give It Time

AN: I know there's a million and three post-POTW fics, and I've already got one which needs updating (Gold), but I'm stuck on that and this one just sort of appeared. I don't like it much, but I wanted to post something because I'm stuck on all my long fics and I feel useless, heh.

Enjoy.

"Look Rose, I said I was sorry! What more can I do?"

"What more? Don't you know… don't you understand?"

"Frankly, no! You're acting like –"

"Like the man I love just burst into flames, apparently changed into someone else entirely and then started going on about fucking Barcelona again!"

"Love? You mean… were we…?"

"No." She holds her hands up, face contorted in annoyance. "Don't you remember anything D – what do I call you?"

"Still the Doctor," he says slowly, in a patronisingly exasperated voice. "I explained about regeneration, I don't see what the problem is, why you're making such a fuss…"

There is silence as she stares at him. Seconds tick by; one, two, three, four, and he winces, realising.

"I… I didn't mean that, I just mean… look, I know it's weird, Rose – I can't blame you for being upset that it happened – but I meant… you're so pissed off that I never told you sooner but –"

"You know, he was an insensitive bastard too but at least knew he was doing it most of the time. I can't believe what you're saying! What do you remember?" She folds her arms, almost satisfied; he may be someone else, a stranger standing before her where he should be, but they're arguing just the same as ever, and it's strangely comforting to her.

"I'm not a complete idiot, Rose!" His voice grows louder, his arm flung out in emphasis and an almost-familiar look of superior vexation in his new brown eyes. "I do know what… what you were to him. To me," he adds quickly, feeling the air in the TARDIS' little kitchen twisting and straining with the awkwardness between the two of them. "I said once before, everything has its time. This is just what happens, there's nothing either of us can do about it. And it'll just take time to get used to, you know, of course you're going to find it a bit weird to begin with…" he trails off under her cold glare.

He takes a step towards her, holds out a hand to her; she emits what could only be described as a snort of utterly humourless laughter and steps back, keeping her arms crossed.

"Oh no you don't. You can't hide behind all the touchy-feely bullshit this time; holding hands doesn't make it okay anymore."

She waits, biting back words and sobs as he stuffs his hands into his jacket pockets, standing back, looking completely out of his depth. All she wants is honesty, something real and not clichés and assurances and rushed apologies. But he seems to think he's said all he can, or should, because he holds the silence, never meeting her eyes. She feels it building up inside her, more angry than anything else, fighting to get out, burning with every second more she watches him just standing there doing nothing. She realises with a start that he believes what he's saying. He thinks there's a point to telling her about fate and time and getting used to it, and that scares her more than what's just happened to him.

"Who are you?" she bursts out suddenly, losing control of all the words and questions that she needs for this.

He blinks, startled. "What d'you mean?"

"I mean who the hell are you, really?"

"The Doctor," he says immediately, "that's all I am."

"The Doctor."

"The Doctor!"

"No you're not the fucking Doctor!" she screams. "Because he wouldn't be here trying to brush it all aside and Give It Time! You don't know who you are, do you? You don't know who I am, who Jack was. You don't know anything!" She pauses, breathing hard, throat hurting. "Why you still standing there?" she demands, quieter but no less aggressive.

"Because this is my ship, because you don't know as much as damn well think you do!" He matches her previous shouting, eyes burning. "Rose Tyler." He spits the words out like they are a bad taste in his mouth. "What do you know about all this, hmm? I sent you home safe, all you had to do was shut up and do as you were told for once!"

"How could you expect me to ju– "

"Just be quiet for one minute won't you? You never understood! You came back and you saved me, and you weren't supposed to! Did it ever occur to you that I was ready, that it might've been my time? That Iwanted... You were messing with things you knew nothing about, nothing, and it was killing you!"

He grabs hold of her, gripping her shoulders hard, face inches away from hers and the anger fades from her eyes, beaten down by his own.

"You didn't know that, did you? I regenerated because you'd have died otherwise." He lets go of her, exhaustion forcing the anger out of him. "And I know who I am, and I know who you are." He pauses, looks down. "I was just… trying to make it easier for you, I think. I'd rather you blamed me than you…"

She's staring at him again, and then she frowns, tangling one hand in her hair absently.

"I don't… I just want you to be honest with me. I'm not an innocent and clueless little shop girl now, right? I don't have any illusions about this. I want you, really you, not the tidied up, carefully censored, polite version of you, because I do understand. You think…" she shakes her head. She's said enough, for now.

"Rose…" he steps towards her again and she holds up a hand, stopping him as it hits his chest.

"Just… tell me you're sorry." Her mouth curves ever so slightly into a ghost of her old mischievous grin, but her eyes are deadly serious.

"I'm sorry." And he smiles almost shyly.

She returns his smile, and this time he can see it in her eyes too. But she's cautious still, and he doesn't blame her.

"Your move," he tells her simply, watching her carefully.

She nods and then turns and walks away, pausing when she reaches the door.

"We're gonna be okay, yeah? We're just gonna… take things as they come. We'll see what happens, okay?"

"Okay."

He shrugs out of the jacket and holds it out to her; she silently nods her thanks as she takes it. She slips it on as she walks through the TARDIS' interior, heading to her room to grieve. Just for a little while.

Thank you for reading :) Reviews make me very, very happy ;)