The Fan Girl Part Two

Notes: June is back! Yay…well, this is quite interesting really because up until a couple of hours ago I didn't really like the recent episode. I reckon it was out of character and went too damn fast for 45 minutes. But since watching it again I must admit I have appreciated some of the finer details. I still don't love it, and I still think it was disappointing after School Reunion, but I now have learnt to like it. It's like Boom Town. First viewing, thought it was stupid. Four viewings later and it's one of my favourites.

So here's my little journey to liking it told through the eyes of June. And a little bit of tongue in cheek Mary Sue-ism from Corrine. Enjoy!

xxxxx

June did not like the Girl in the Fireplace.

Corrine did not like the girl in the fireplace.

"It was out of character," moaned June as she dumped her bag on a desk. Emma looked up from where she was hastily finishing her physics homework.

"Doctor Who?" she guessed.

"Doctor Who," June confirmed, pulling a face. "Ugh!"

xxxxx

When she and her Doctor had parted way all those years ago she had known he would find others. But as she listened to him recount his tale with apologetic eyes, she couldn't help but feel betrayed. She had known, oh she had known that the Doctor would fall in love. All his stories spoke of love in some form, and it made her feel bitter, and horribly alone.

"Can I borrow that when you're done?" asked June, gesturing to the scribbled physics homework.

"Yeah whatever," said Emma, rolling her eyes. "How many times did you watch it?"

"Only twice!" June protested, but she grinned. Emma knew her too well.

"So come on, out with it," she said, sighing. "Let's have the Monday morning rant."

xxxxx

"Did you love Reinette?" Corrine asked, her voice trembling a little.

"I cared about her. A lot," he said carefully.

"Oh Doctor, you care about the whole cosmos! Did you love her?" she demanded, feeling frustrated.

"What do you want from me Corrine?" he said, his voice rising. "Do you want me to tell you that after we separated I couldn't go on alone? That I couldn't move on? That I never fell in love again?"

"No! No…of course not," said Corrine, biting back on her anger. She laid a hand on his arm but he flinched away.

"I broke her heart Corrine," he said hollowly. "And I'll break yours. Stay away from me."

xxxxx

"I thought Rose seemed a bit complacent too," Emma agreed. "To get that worked up about Sarah Jane and then to just not care…"

"See? I said, didn't I? Out of character," said June, copying Emma's physics homework. "The Doctor may fall in love, but he doesn't indulge in it. It's like in School Reunion. Humans wither and die, he carries on alone. He doesn't give in to love."

"You're forgetting Grace," said Emma, smiling.

"Oh that was all America's fault," said June, rolling her eyes. "Besides, with Reinette it wasn't love on his part."

"More like lust and loneliness," said Emma, idly doodling on her folder. "The horse was funny though."

They shared a laugh.

xxxxx

They both lapsed into silence for a moment.

"Thank you for coming for me," said Corrine eventually.

"I'm sorry it took so long," he said, smiling. When she didn't respond he tried again. "I mean that Corrine. I am really, really sorry."

"You didn't know," she said, quick to make excuses for him like she always had. He didn't mean to meddle, he didn't mean to blow things up, he hadn't known that would happen. She'd made those kind of excuses since they were young, mere children dabbling in Time and Space.

"But I should have felt it," he insisted. "I should have known you were alive."

"For God's sake, stop sacrificing yourself Doctor," she said, rolling her eyes. "I blocked you out, remember?"

"Sorry," he said quickly.

"Stop apologising!" she said, nearly screaming in frustration. "What happened to you? What happened to the man who never backed down from an argument?"

"So if you don't want me to say it was my fault, and you don't want me to apologise, what do you want?" he said patiently.

She couldn't answer him. She didn't know herself.

xxxxx

'June--Check out Dr Farley. Def. preggers. She ballooning! What did you reckon about the freaky clockwork things? Ems xxx'

'She's not pregnant you nut, she just had a baby…and they were cool I guess. I liked them as monsters, but not in the story. Monster-of-the-week syndrome again.'

'There's no limit on babies! Yeah I thought so too. But the ticking when the clock was broken! Behind the sofa again. ;) Oops, g2g, Dr Farely's looking. Talk to you at lunch. Ems xxx.'

xxxxx

Rose had affected him so deeply. She knew that and she didn't want to drag it up again. But it had been an hour since they had last talked and she could no longer pretend to be settling into her new room. She found him asleep in his own room, curled up on top of the sheets in a protective ball. Her Doctor. Rose's Doctor.

She wondered if he'd slept properly since she died. He must have been so lonely. No wonder he finally came for her.

And that hurt, because that meant she was just his back up in case everything else failed.

xxxxx

"I've been reading fan fiction recently," said June, toying with her lumpy mashed potato.

"What's fan fiction?" asked Emma.

"Em, the clue's in the name. Fiction written by fans of something," said June, poking her. "Some of the Doctor Who stuff is really good. I found this fic called Come What May--"

A peal of laughter interrupted her and June looked up to see Betsy standing over them.

"You two have no idea what nerds you are!" she said snidely, smiling at the girl she was pretending to be friends with that week. "Fan fiction. Don't you have social lives?"

"Get lost Betsy," said Emma immediately, and June glared.

Zap! Corrine opened the TARDIS and Betsy burst into flames…

Betsy just smiled and stalked off, leaving June and Emma alone. They'd always stuck together through primary school and it was no different now.

"Tell me about the fic," said Emma, as if nothing had happened. June smiled.

xxxxx

"Corrine?" His tousled head moved slightly so he was facing her. He yawned. "I didn't mean to fall asleep."

"No Doctor, you should sleep," she said. "I'll leave."

"No!" he shouted as she touched the door handle. She froze, staring at him.

"Doctor?" she said hesitantly.

"Just…no," he said, his voice shaking a little. "Don't leave me."

"You need to go back to sleep," she said, brushing him off.

"I can't," he said desperately. "If I sleep, I see Rose. I see her running and laughing and dying. I can't. I can't…"

She sat on the end of his bed. "This is why we were taught emotional detachment," she said dryly. "Rose, Reinette, there's an 'R' thing there."

He didn't say anything. Instead he reached forwards and put his hands on her head.

And then she understood.

And then she cried.

xxxxx

"You thinking about writing any June?" asked Emma that evening in Drama club. June looked up from her lines. She never got very big parts, but she took care over her three lines every year and learnt them quickly. Emma often got quite big characters, and it often made June very jealous. But they were friends. They could get past a bit of jealousy.

"Fan fiction? Hadn't thought about it," she said carelessly.

"Liar!" cried Emma, grinning. She always knew when June was lying or upset, even if June said she was alright. "You've been thinking about Corrine all day."

"I'm not sharing her," said June primly. "She's mine. Besides, she's a Mary Sue."

"There you go again, all techno-babble," Emma replied. A call came for her from across the hall. "Looks like I'm needed on stage."

"Righto," said June. "I'll wait for you to come back."

xxxxx

Corrine was sat next to him now, both of them feeling fragile. Summoning up her courage, she asked finally, "Am I your back up plan? Because you knew I'd keep on waiting for you."

"You're not a back up," he said immediately, a little shocked. "And you're never second best. Maybe I'm on the rebound, but I need you. Please, do not leave me."

Corrine sighed. He pointed, she jumped. He called, she came running. If he left her, she'd wait.

"I can't leave," she said, smiling gently. "I'm part of events now."

xxxxx

The light at the end of your tunnel was a train…says: So are you writing a Corrine-fic June?

What a wonderful butler! He's so violent!…says: Nope. But I'm thinking about some drabbles and such.

The light at the end of your tunnel was a train…says: Well good luck. Tell me when you post something and I'll review.

What a wonderful butler! He's so violent!…says: Lol, thanks! I wouldn't expect anything less from you, my Official Best Buddy, who defends me from Betsy and who even the monsters have nightmares about.

The light at the end of your tunnel was a train…says: Lol! Yeah, they've got no chance. Bring it on! Still hate the Girl in the Fireplace then?

What a wonderful butler! He's so violent!…says: I've never hated it Em, but I reckon I appreciate it more now.

The light at the end of your tunnel was a train…says: Now that you've watched it five times and thought about it as Corrine you mean.

What a wonderful butler! He's so violent!…says: Oh shush. But there are some really good bits and I don't think I can hate an episode just because someone falls in love with the Doctor.

The light at the end of your tunnel was a train…says: And of course it's still Doctor Who.

What a wonderful butler! He's so violent!…says: Yes. That too.

xxxxx

Hope you enjoyed that!