Chapter Seven
The Doctor backed away from Rose and stared at Pete who was standing across from him holding his son in his arms and glaring at him.
"Who are you, and what do you think you are doing?" he said pointing at Rose.
The Doctor put his hands behind his back and smiled at him.
"Pete Tyler. How are ya?" he asked.
"Answer the question!" Pete demanded. "And answer it now, or I'm phoning the police."
"No, wait!" Rose said leaping up from her chair and standing beside the Doctor. "You don't understand!"
"I understand that some stranger was in here snogging your face off."
He noticed Martha.
"And who might you be?" he asked her.
"Calm down, Pete." Jackie said as she emerged from the kitchen.
She pointed at the Doctor.
"This is the Doctor." She said.
She pointed at Martha.
"And this is Martha; his friend."
"Doctor? Doctor who?" Pete asked, confused.
The Doctor sighed and looked at Rose.
"Here we go again." He said.
"Well, you're the one who insists on using that as a name." Rose replied.
Pete shook his head.
"Will someone please tell me in plain English what's going on here?"
He put down Tony who was struggling in his grasp. She ran to Rose, and she picked her little brother up and held her close.
"Pete, love," Jackie said walking up to him. "This is the Doctor."
Pete stared at her for a moment and then his eyes widened.
"THE Doctor?" he asked her.
Jackie nodded.
Pete stared at him.
"Wait. It can't be. It doesn't even look like him." He said. "How can he be the Doctor?"
"He regenerates." Jackie replied.
Pete looked at her.
"He does what?"
The Doctor sighed.
"Whenever I'm on the verge of death, I regenerate and get a new body. I regenerated about six months ago and this is the 11th out of 13 incarnations I will go through before I die."
"So, the last time I saw you, that was…number 10?"
"Yes, and when I first met Rose, I was in my 9th incarnation."
"So, it really is you? You're not a Doctor from this universe?"
"Nope, I finally found a way across the void, and Martha and I found Rose and we came here with her and Mickey."
"And now Mickey and I are leaving with them." Rose said. "We're going back to our universe."
Pete looked at Jackie. He let out a sigh as he walked over to the chair and sat down in it.
"Shoulda known this day would come." He muttered. "Shoulda figured you'd find some way to get back here and get her."
He looked up at the Doctor.
"And what about this universe and the other one?" he said. "You told us not to cross the void because the planet was starting to boil, and yet here you are back over the void again!"
"And that's precisely why I'm only making one trip back. I came to get Rose, and I guess Mickey is going with us as well now, and when I get back to my reality, that'll be it. I will seal the gap we came through, and there will be no more crossings ever. At least…not by me."
"So you'd risk the safety of two universes so you could come back and get your little girlfriend?" Pete said angrily.
"I was careful this time." The Doctor shot back. "I finally managed to locate a book in my library that I'd been hunting for since Rose was lost to me. It was written by my people and in it, there's a section on how to do a safe void crossing. My people used to cross the voids between universes all the time without harming anything. After I located the book, it was simply a matter of gathering the materials from various worlds and using the schematic in the book to construct the device I needed. I, at no time, put anyone from the two universes in danger. My people knew what they were doing, unlike Torchwood. I love Rose and I would do anything to see her, but I know enough to wait and make a safe crossing, Pete. Otherwise, I would have killed her, us and everyone in two universes which would have certainly defeated the purpose of seeing her again."
Pete looked at Rose.
"And what about you?" he asked her.
"What about me?"
"You have a life here now."
"No, I don't. The life I have here is empty. My real life is with the Doctor and the TARDIS. I have never had a desire to stay here permanently, Pete. You've never wanted me here anyway. I'm not your daughter."
"Yeah, well, that's your brother." Pete said pointing to Tony in her arms. "You gonna leave him behind and your mum so you can go gallivanting off again with a half crazed alien, and possibly get yourself killed?"
"Life is full of risks, Pete." Rose said angrily. "I decided long ago that risking my life was worth seeing the universe, and being with the Doctor."
She looked at him.
"The Doctor is everything I've ever wanted and I wouldn't trade him for anything in this universe or the other one. If you traveled with him, Pete, you would see what I see; what Martha and Mickey see. Riding in the TARDIS is a once in a lifetime experience and I thank God every day that he thought I was worthy enough to go with him. He is a unique, wonderful person and I'm sure he was unique even when he wasn't the last of the Time Lords."
"Technically I never was the last of the Time Lords anyway since the Master and the Valeyard survived, but never mind, just go on with your speech about how wonderful I am."
Rose shot the Doctor a look.
"You know me, Rose, everything has to be correct." He said shrugging.
He grinned and pinched Rose's cheek when she let out a sigh.
"Anyway, the point is, this is the moment I've been waiting for since you brought me to this universe and I'm not going to give up the chance to go back with the Doctor for anything. Not mum, not Tony and not you. I'm sorry, but I keep telling everyone I made my decision long ago to be with the Doctor and I'm sticking to it!"
Pete threw up his hands.
"Fine, whatever, you wanna go off and leave your family; that's your choice. I just hope your sister is young enough that she won't remember you being here because I'm not going to spend the rest of my life explaining to her that you're in another universe where she can't get to you."
He looked at Jackie.
"Is supper ready yet? Tony and I just had a nice day at the park and I think both of us are hungry now. I know I am."
"It's just about ready."
"Well, I'm gonna get changed and get some of this dirt off me."
He looked at Rose.
"When are you leaving? You planning to eat or do you just wanna run out the door now?"
The Doctor put a hand on her shoulder when he sensed Rose was about to go off on Pete.
"We can stay awhile and eat. I'm not in any hurry to leave." He said.
He smiled at Rose.
"You aren't in any hurry, are you?"
"No." Rose said as she gave Pete a pointed stare. "I had every intention of staying for supper."
She glared at Pete as he walked past them towards the bathroom.
"God, Doctor, I'm so glad you came back to get me." She muttered. "I never thought I'd say it but I'll be so glad to get away from that man."