Title: Domestic Travels
Rating: T
Disclaimer: Anything you recognise from 'Doctor Who' episodes, books, or general canon, is not mine. Izzy, Tim, Rose's extended family and the storyline are mine, however.
Notes: Sequel to 'Domestic Battleground' and 'Domestic Space'. I highly recommend reading at least the latter, because otherwise a lot of this won't make any sense. This is the third instalment in the larger 'Domestic' universe.
Notes 2: Gallifrey is back, through means unknown to any except Bad Wolf. Old friends have appeared, and more will come, as time and space are woven into knots by Bad Wolf. Something is very wrong with the fabric of the universe, and the Doctor is torn between protecting his wife and unborn child, and saving Gallifrey. Things are going to get a lot more complicated. He never really planned for domestic.
Chapter Three
"I do believe," the Doctor remarked, "that this is turning out to be a very pleasant afternoon." Next to him, Ace grinned.
"Well, we haven't run into trouble yet, Professor," she agreed. "It's only three o'clock, though."
"Don't invite trouble, Ace," the Doctor advised, taking a sip of tea. "After the week you've had, I thought you'd enjoy the peace and quiet."
"It's alright," Ace said agreeably. "No Daleks or Cybermen here, at least!"
"Hm." The Doctor inspected a scone, but before he could take a bite, the familiar wheezing sound of a TARDIS came to his ears. He looked up sharply.
"Isn't that the TARDIS?" Ace demanded, looking around. "Professor – "
"It's a TARDIS," the Doctor told her. "Not mine." He frowned. "Not from my current timeline, at least. Ah, there it is – over there, you see?" He stood up and crossed the lawn to the time ship that had materialised out of nowhere. It had disguised itself as a garden shed, but still stuck out like a sore thumb in the gardens of the castle he and Ace were visiting for afternoon tea.
The shed door swung open to reveal a young woman – slightly older than Ace, the Doctor judged. She had obviously been crying recently. Then she moved a little, and another woman was revealed.
"Susan?" the Doctor said, startled.
"Grandfather," Susan said, with a cautious smile. The other woman – the one he didn't know, looked at him with wide eyes. "Hello," Susan added.
"Who's this, Professor?" Ace asked, coming up beside him.
"This is Susan," the Doctor said after a blank moment. "My granddaughter." Susan smiled wider, and glanced at the woman next to her. "Susan, what are you doing here?"
"It's a long story, Grandfather," Susan told him. She looked inquiringly at Ace.
"Oh, this is Ace," the Doctor said. "She's travelling with me at the moment."
"You always have to have someone travelling with you," the unknown woman said, with a faint smile that told of some other knowledge of him.
"I'm sorry, do I know you?" the Doctor frowned.
"Not yet."
"Rose is from your future," Susan put in quickly.
Rose and the Doctor stared at each other. The Doctor nodded after a moment. "Right, then. Join us for tea, Rose. And you too, Susan, of course. I haven't seen you in centuries – how's that chap, David something?"
"He died," Susan said softly. "Not long ago, by my timeline." She smiled with a little effort. "You said something about tea?"
"It's this way," Ace said, when it became obvious that the Doctor wasn't going to speak. "C'mon." Susan followed her across the lawn; Rose and the Doctor remained by the TARDIS.
"Which of me do you travel with?" the Doctor wanted to know. "Which Doctor, as it were?"
"Ninth," Rose said quietly, and cleared her throat. "Doctor, I know it's dangerous, messing with time like this, but – "
"It is," the Doctor said, a warning glint in his eyes. "I'm sure I shall have something to say to you, when you return to my future."
"If I do," Rose nodded. She smiled a strange half-smile. "Love the accent. Mine's gone Northern, but…"
"Yes, well, the least said about that the better," the Doctor told her. He looked keenly at her. "You do seem familiar…"
"I need your help," Rose said quickly.
"Why not ask your Doctor?"
"Because…" She stopped with a swift inhalation. "Well, you won't remember any of this anyway, so I might as well tell you."
"What do you mean?" the Doctor demanded.
"A while ago – six months, and this is by my timeline – I looked into the Time Vortex," Rose said candidly. The Doctor opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off. "Doctor, you won't remember any of this after I'm gone. It changed me, looking into the Vortex – and because of that, and there's other stuff that I really can't tell you, you won't remember me after I'm gone. D'you understand?"
"I believe so," the Doctor said slowly. "I think, my dear, we had better sit down and have a talk."
"Yes, but Doctor, there's something else I need to tell you," Rose hurried on nervously. "I'm pregnant." The Doctor raised his eyebrows, waiting for her to finish. "With…with a Time Lord's child," Rose added.
She didn't need to say the rest; he understood, and gave a sharp nod. "Well then, Rose. Shall we have some tea. Ace will be getting impatient, and I suspect our granddaughter will be not less so."
He held out his arm, and she took it with a faint smile. They crossed the lawn to the other two; Ace had ordered some more tea and scones, and Rose fell upon these with enthusiasm.
"So," the Doctor said, watching with some amusement as Rose sated her appetite, "I think I have some idea of why you have come to see me, Rose. Susan, perhaps you could fill in some details for me?"
"If I can, Grandfather," Susan nodded, sipping her tea.
"Rose looked into the Time Vortex, correct?" Susan and Rose both nodded. "And this mutated her, if you like."
"Yes," Susan nodded. "But we don't know what into."
The Doctor shook his head. "That is irrelevant," he pronounced, rolling his words. "Let me continue. This metamorphosis has created problems, yes? Difficulties in time and space."
"Yes," Rose nodded. "I…I brought people back to life, I killed the – " She widened her eyes and changed what she was going to say. "I killed an entire species," she continued. "I even brought a planet back into existence." Ace gaped at her. Rose gave a half-shrug in response.
The Doctor frowned. "Averting the destruction of the planet, or altering time on a more substantial level?" he wanted to know.
"She reopened a planet's possibilities," Susan answered him softly. The Doctor threw a sharp glance at Rose, who didn't look at him. "Please – Grandfather – we need some answers."
"Yes," the Doctor nodded. "You do." He looked sternly at Rose. "You ought never to have left me – him – your Doctor," he reprimanded her. "We have no idea what could have happened. Temporal instability, at the very least."
"My cousin died – I had to take him back to my time," Rose contested. "I meant to just go back, but…"
"I'm still confused," Ace spoke up. "Rose is from your future, Professor?"
"Yes, indeed," the Doctor nodded. "And Susan is my granddaughter."
"Yes, I got that part," Ace nodded. "But what's all this about a time vortex?"
Rose grinned slightly. "How much time have you got?"
"With him?" Ace asked rhetorically, jerking her head at the Doctor. "However much I need!"
"It's not your fault. You know that, right?"
The Doctor lifted his head and looked at Jack. He looked haggard and old, and it worried Jack.
"Of course it's my fault," he said bitingly. "It's all my bloody fault. I should've taken the time – " He cut himself off angrily. "She'll have gone back to her mum," he said after a moment. "We can start looking there."
"Doctor – you're going to leave?" Romana asked cautiously.
"I can't help here," the Doctor said bluntly. "There's nothing I can do about the temporal instability, and the rest of it, without Bad Wolf." He paused and met Jack's eyes in acknowledgement. "Without Rose." He stood up and leaned on the console. "I need to find her, Romana."
"I know," Romana said after a moment. "That much is obvious, Doctor." She took a breath and moved to stand next to him. "Doctor – I know you fear losing Gallifrey again. I can't possibly imagine – "
"No," he said curtly. "You can't."
"But I do not think that will happen," Romana continued, brushing aside his interruption. "If Rose, or Bad Wolf, or whatever you wish to call it, has brought Gallifrey's possibilities back, then the likelihood is that unless she does something to stop that, Gallifrey will remain."
"I don't care."
Jack jerked in surprise; Romana's mouth dropped open.
"I don't care," the Doctor repeated. "Nothing is worthwhile without Rose. Not even having my home back. She's my home now."
"Then go," Romana said. She hesitated, then leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Good luck, Doctor."
She left the TARDIS, closing the door behind her. The Doctor continued to stare at the console for a long moment, then he sprang into action.
"Right, London, Powell Estate," he said. "Jack, give us a hand. She'll have aimed for the day we left – probably made it, too, with Bad Wolf. It was her birthday."
"Right." Jack took his old place at the console; the TARDIS started moving almost immediately. "Smoother take-off," he commented.
"Not the time, Jack," the Doctor said curtly. "Hold that lever down." Jack did as he was told, remembering easily the combination of levers, buttons and dials needed to fly the TARDIS through time and space. The pair of them worked well together. "Won't take long," the Doctor called out. "TARDIS knows where to go, by now…"
He gave a yell; sparks erupted from the console and he took a step away involuntarily.
"Oh, come on, girl," he said. "You want Rose back as much as I do, I know you do!"
There was a final shudder as the TARDIS materialised. The Doctor, sucking on the pad of one finger, went straight to the door and flung it open. The TARDIS was parked in its usual place, and Jackie Tyler – on her way home from shopping, judging from the plastic bag she carried – was staring with a hard glint in her eyes.
"Jackie," the Doctor greeted tersely. "Where is she? Where's Rose?"
"Give me a reason I should tell you," Jackie said, putting her bags down. "After Tim – and Rose here in floods of tears – give me a reason why I should tell you where she is!"
"You don't know," the Doctor guessed accurately. "She's gone. Dammit!" He turned and kicked the TARDIS hard. "Why the hell couldn't you land a week earlier?" he demanded of it, quietly furious.
Jackie took a step towards him, uncertain. "Doctor, what – "
Jack stepped out of the TARDIS just in time to stop the Doctor snapping at the human woman.
"You must be Rose's mom," he said. "I'm Captain Jack Harkness, I travelled with your daughter and the Doctor for a while, some time ago. Mickey may have said something?" Jackie nodded dumbly. "Mrs Tyler, it's very important that we find Rose. What can you tell us?"
"I don't know," Jackie said after a moment, almost plaintively. "She disappeared off just after the funeral, with Susan – left Izzy here – she didn't tell me, or anything, but she's not been back since." She approached the Doctor; he was leaning against the TARDIS, forehead pressed to the wood and eyes closed. "Doctor – " She stopped when he looked at her. "Oh, Doctor," she whispered. "C'mon, let's go have a cuppa, yeah?"
It was a sign of how tired and worn down the Doctor was that he didn't disagree. He trailed Jackie and Jack up to the flat, sat down when Jackie ordered him to and accepted his tea with a murmur of thanks.
"Tell me what's happening," Jackie said at last. "Rose said something about paradoxes, I dunno, I don't understand any of it. But it's to do with that Bad Wolf thing you told me about, right? I just…" She sighed and shook her head. "Doctor, I don't like you," she said bluntly. "But you're everything to her. She needs you, and if I can help get you back to her…"
"You hate me," the Doctor contradicted her dully.
"Doctor," Jack said in exasperation. "She's trying to help."
"I don't know what to do," the Doctor said after a long moment. "I thought…I thought she'd be here."
He looked so utterly helpless and so devoid of hope that Jackie set down her mug and wrapped her arms around him.
The Doctor didn't know how to respond. He was used to hugs from Rose – welcomed them, in fact. He'd hugged both Susan and Romana when he'd met them again, but that had been spontaneous. He hugged Jack from time to time, but this…
This was Jackie Tyler. Hugging him.
After a long moment, he gingerly hugged her back. He was thoroughly relieved when she let go and retreated back to her seat.
"Well, you can't stay with me," the Doctor said, looking sternly at Rose over his teacup. "I won't remember you after this brief visit, but too much longer could be harmful to my timeline."
Rose nodded. "Right."
"And I rather suspect that you don't want to go back to your Doctor just yet, hm?"
Susan and Ace both looked sidelong at Rose, who flushed slightly and studied the pattern on her plate.
"I need time," she said quietly. "I love him – and I know it's not fair on him, me disappearing off like this, but I…I need to sort myself out."
The Doctor gave a brisk nod. "Quite right, too. I'm sure I shall understand." That drew a small smile from Rose. "But where to do it, is the question."
"You could go back to your time," Ace suggested. "Back to your mum."
Rose shook her head. "The Doctor'll look there first," she proclaimed. "And it's a mess, there. The whole family's upset."
"I agree," Susan spoke up. "Rose's time is not suitable – or at least, not with her family."
"No." The Doctor frowned thoughtfully. "Well, I do know a number of people on Earth," he said after a moment. "Some of them do owe me a favour…"
"Who, Professor?" Ace asked curiously.
"I was thinking of the Brigadier," he told her. Ace grinned; Rose and Susan looked inquisitive. "I'm sure you know I worked with a group on Earth for a while," he enlarged for Rose.
She nodded. "Yes – UNIT, or something, right?"
"Yes. The Brigadier is a very old friend of mine – seen him every once in a while since my second regeneration." He took a sip of tea. "Yes, I do believe you could stay with the Brigadier and his wife."
"I wouldn't want to be any trouble," Rose said quickly.
"It wouldn't be," the Doctor said firmly. He finished his tea and stood up. "No time like the present! Off to the TARDIS. Ace, you lead the way."
The TARDIS, Rose discovered, had changed a lot after this seventh regeneration.
"Weird," she commented, looking around the almost sterile room. "Very…white."
"It was like this when I grew up with Grandfather," Susan told her. She inspected the console. "Things have changed a bit, of course."
"Change is a good thing," the Doctor said briskly, hanging up his umbrella and hat. "Unless, of course, it isn't."
"That's a paradox," Rose observed. "So are we – " She was cut off as the Doctor pulled a lever on the console, and the TARDIS lurched ever-so-slightly sideways. She grabbed hold of the console. "Give us some warning!"
"So sorry," the Doctor called out. "Hang on, everybody!"
It was a matter of moments before the TARDIS once again landed, with far less fanfare than the later version of the time ship did. Rose straightened up and tried to ignore her nausea. It worked.
"Right," she said. "So where are we?"
"The Brigadier's back garden," the Doctor smiled at her. "And the year is nineteen ninety two. Early enough, we hope, to avoid you crossing your own timeline." He checked something on the console. "And the precise time is six o'clock of the evening."
He pulled a lever to open the doors, crossed the control room and exited the TARDIS. Ace followed him swiftly. Susan and Rose looked at each other for a moment.
"Are you sure about this, Grandma?" Susan asked quietly. "It's not too late to go back to the Doctor, you know."
"I'm sure," Rose said, and followed the Doctor.
The Doctor and Ace were standing near a large house with another man; Rose looked around the garden as she approached them. It was lovely, an oasis of calm.
"This is Rose Tyler," the Doctor said as she joined them. "Rose, this is the Brigadier – Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart."
"Retired," the Brigadier put in. "And I mean it this time." He threw an aggravated look at the Doctor, who smiled benignly. "Well, Miss Tyler. You need a place to stay for a while, I understand."
"Yes," Rose nodded. "But really, I don't want to put anyone to any trouble…"
"It's no trouble."
The group turned to see a woman at the door of the house. She was smiling at Rose.
"It's no trouble," she repeated. "I'm Doris – Alistair's wife." She approached Rose and put her arms around her. "You look as though you need a jolly good rest," she said authoritatively. "And a rest you shall have." She threw the Doctor a smile. "Don't you worry," she told him. "I'll take good care of her."
"I'm sure you will, Doris," the Doctor smiled. "Why don't you two go into the house? Ace and I must be off in a moment, but I need to talk to Alistair." Doris looked at him suspiciously, then nodded and took Rose into the house. "Ace, why don't you go and wait in the TARDIS, hm?"
"But Professor," Ace began to object. He looked at her sternly, and she subsided and returned to the TARDIS.
"So she's in trouble?" the Brigadier asked in a low voice.
"Very much so," the Doctor nodded. "I can't explain it all to you, Brigadier, but suffice it to say, she needs to stay out of harm's way – and she needs to be kept calm and quiet."
"We'll do our best," the Brigadier nodded. "But Doctor, you say this isn't her proper time – she can't stay here forever, surely?"
The Doctor shook his head. "No, her Doctor – one of my other selves – will find her, probably sooner rather than later, and he'll take her with him again. She won't be left here, don't worry. But," and he looked sterner than ever now, "I won't be back. I won't remember my encounter with young Rose, so if in the future you come across any of me, you mustn't mention this. Do you understand?"
"As usual, not at all, Doctor," the Brigadier said dryly. "I get the gist," he added, as the Doctor opened his mouth again. "Rose will be safe here, never fear."
Susan rang the doorbell with more than a little apprehension. She'd seen the Doctor's TARDIS outside the flats, knew that he must be in here.
But she'd promised Rose to tell Jackie that she was alright, so that was what she was going to do.
The door swung open. Susan's mouth dropped open in astonishment – and a little fear.
"Jack!" she said. "What are you doing here?"
He looked grimly at her. "Susan. You'd better come in."
Then, in a flurry of black leather, the Doctor was there, gripping her shoulders and staring intently at her.
"Where is she, Susan?" he demanded. "Where's Rose?"
"Let the poor girl in," Jackie ordered from somewhere behind the men. She was ignored by the two Gallifreyans.
"I can't tell you," Susan said defiantly. "Let go of me, Grandfather."
"Susan. Where is my wife?" the Doctor asked, forcing each word out past a clenched jaw.
"You're hurting me!" she said shrilly. The Doctor let go of her suddenly, a guilty look on his face. Susan rubbed at her shoulder; Jack put his arm around her protectively, glaring at the Doctor.
"This isn't helping," he snapped.
"I know. I'm sorry." The Doctor slumped against the wall for a moment, gave Susan an agonised glance, then pushed past Jackie and went into Rose's old bedroom. The door shut firmly behind him. Jackie sighed and covered her face with her hands.
"It'll be alright," Jack said encouragingly. "C'mon, let's all go sit down again." He drew Susan into the flat and kicked the door shut behind them.
"D'you want a cuppa?" Jackie asked Susan as they trailed into the lounge. Susan shook her head. "Right." She sat down. It had been a long day, trying to get a straight answer out of the Doctor. She was exhausted.
"Why did you and Rose disappear off?" Jack wanted to know. "Susan, you know it was dangerous."
"Of course. But Grandma asked me to help her, and I…" Susan hesitated. "I couldn't say no," she ended lamely.
"You could have." Jack refused to compromise on this point. "Who knows what sort of damage could have happened. I love Rose – she's like a sister to me – but she was wrong to leave."
Susan shook her head. "No, she was right to. The Doctor – " She cut herself off and stared hard at the floor. "I only came to tell Jackie that Rose is alright," she said stiffly. "That's all. I can't say any more."
"You mean you won't."
Susan looked up to see her grandfather. He was leaning against the wall, arms folded and face carefully blank.
"You won't tell me anything," he continued. "It's not that you can't. What were you going to say, Susan?"
Susan pursed her lips, torn. She was not accustomed to keeping secrets from her grandfather, but on the other hand…
"Rose and I went to see one of your past regenerations," she said carefully.
Jack frowned. "What?"
"Which one?" the Doctor asked, voice too even to be a normal tone.
"Your seventh, I believe," Susan said, with a little shrug. "You won't remember it – Rose said it was something to do with the Time Vortex, and Bad Wolf."
The Doctor nodded absently, his gaze focused on some other thing. "She's right – I don't remember it. I know why she went to that me, though." He looked up at Jack. "Defender of Time," he said, with faint disgust. "That's what I was then. She knew to go to him for help. To hide from me."
"Grandfather, no!" Susan cried. "She's not hiding from you, she just – "
"Needs some time," Jack suggested.
"Rose needs more than time," Jackie spoke up. "She needs to know you still love her, still want her."
"Of course I do," the Doctor said, barely glancing at her. "Where did he take her, Susan? Where did she go?" Susan looked away. "Susan, please, you have to tell me."
"I'm sorry," Susan said quietly. "Grandma asked me not to tell you."
The Doctor turned away, too angry to look at his grandchild. Jack shot him a glance, then went to kneel in front of Susan. He took her hands in his.
"Susan, please," he entreated. "We have to find her. You know we do."
Susan closed her eyes. "Jack…"
"Susan. Please." He released one of her hands and cupped her cheek. "Please."
Susan opened her eyes and took a deep breath, then looked up at the Doctor.
"She's with the Brigadier," she said quietly.
To be continued.