ATTENTION ALL AUSSIES (and people who want to help out Aussies). There is an online poll for a TV Week poster boy, and one of the options is David Tennant! I, and I'm sure many others, would like David to win to we can stick him up on our walls. So please help out by going to www(dot)tvweek(dot)com(dot)au and going to the poster poll. Voting ends in a few days, so get to it!
After getting over the initial shock of seeing the Doctor kissing a woman, Rose sat down silently and watched what else was happening. She made use of a few brief moments to ask what she'd missed. But when her friends showed her the picture of herself in John Smith's diary, she tried not to show her surprise.
"He remembers me – so what?" she said. "He also remembers the Slitheen, the gas-mask zombies, the Clockwork Droids…"
"But you're the only companion in the diary," said Vicki.
"It's probably because we travelled together fairly recently," surmised Rose. "Maybe he can only remember recent events."
"Then how come he can remember all his previous forms?" asked the Brigadier. Rose chose not to answer this. Instead, she turned her attention back to 1913. Her book lay forgotten.
Despite Heaven's filtering out of sad feelings, each companion certainly felt something as they watched John Smith make his life-ending decision. And though they were glad to see their Doctor back, they couldn't help but wonder what happened to John Smith.
"Do you think he's here?" wondered Katarina. "He did die, after all."
"I don't know," said Barbara. "Didn't the Doctor say that John Smith was still in him somewhere?"
"But for 2 months, John Smith was alive," said Jamie. "He could be here."
"You're all forgetting something," said Rose. The others looked at her. "Joan. She's definitely here. And I think she needs to talk to us."
"Rose, don't be ridiculous," said the Brigadier. "The poor lady doesn't want anything to do with the Doctor."
"Maybe she didn't 90 years ago," reasoned Rose, "but she might now. Anyway, it's worth a try." The other companions exchanged glances.
"I suppose she falls into the category of 'Companions, Assistants and Associates'," said Ian. Rose smiled.
They all went to see Joan together, thinking that they might be more convincing as a group. The Brigadier took command, and giving the door three firm knocks, he stood ready to face this woman who had charmed her way into John Smith's life.
"You realise she's probably living with her husband," said Barbara. "Don't you think she's happy enough with him?"
"Aye, that's true," agreed Jamie. "And she's never contacted us before. I think if she really needed to talk she would have done so by now."
"Maybe she was scared," suggested Vicki. "The Doctor's life is quite fantastic."
"She's in Heaven!" exclaimed Katarina. "What's more fantastic than that?" Meanwhile, Rose was thinking. Joan was most likely back with her husband. But what if John Smith had stayed behind, and they'd grown old together? When they died, who would she choose? Who did anyone choose when they had everyone they'd ever met in one place? Was there polygamy in Heaven? She'd have to ask Nathaniel later…
Finally, Joan opened the door.
"Can I help you?" she asked.
"It's more a question of whether we can help you," said the Brigadier. "You don't know us, but we're associates of the Doctor." Joan closed her eyes.
"I take it you aren't referring to a medical practitioner," she said. They nodded, and Ian stood up.
"You've been here for a while, I take it," he said. "And yet we never heard from you. We just wondered if there was anything you needed to get off your chest. We've all been there, you know. Well, not quite as much there as you have, but…"
"The Doctor came into my life a long time ago," said Joan. "He was only a part of my life for a very short time, and for the majority of that time he was another man entirely. I don't think he made a big enough impact for me to need to talk about him."
"I know where you're coming from," said Katarina. "I only knew the Doctor for a brief period too. I didn't even understand anything about him – I thought he was a god! And I'm one of many who have died because of him. But he changed me so much in that brief period that I want to learn more and more about him."
"I lost my memories of the Doctor," said Jamie, taking over. "And when I finally died and recovered them, I was so sad that I hadna had them in the remainder of my life, because I experienced such amazing things in his presence that would have lit up my life." They looked at Joan longingly, but she turned her head.
"I appreciate your concern," she said, "but really, I'm not interested." From the back of the group, a voice spoke up.
"Please," it said. The people in front parted, to reveal Rose. As soon as Joan saw her she gasped.
"The girl from the journal…" she whispered. "Even after all these years I remember your face. Rose, wasn't it?"
"That's right," said Rose. "And I've had one of the closest relationships with the Doctor than all these guys put together. If you want to talk about losing the man you love, then I'm the one to talk to." Joan slowly nodded.
"Very well," she said. "I'll talk with you. I'd invite you in, but my husband's entertaining some friends."
"That's okay, we'll take you back with us," said Ian. "You might even want to come on a regular basis."
"We'll see," said Joan. Just then, they all disappeared.
"'Companions, Assistants and Associates of the Doctor'," read Joan. "Are you sure you didn't leave anything out?" Rose smiled. At least Joan had a sense of humour.
"I'm so glad you agreed to this," she said. "I just want to help you. We all do."
"Yes," said Joan uncertainly. "I don't suppose it would be possible for us to keep this ... between the two of us?" The other companions couldn't help but feel a little offended.
"Oi, we've been through the same things, you know," said Jamie.
"Let her do what she wants, Jamie," said Vicki in understanding. "She obviously doesn't want to be crowded at a time like this." Reluctantly, Jamie and the others left, leaving just Rose and Joan.
"I have to ask," said Rose, "didn't you ever think of tracking down the Doctor or people associated with him once you got here? You've got so much knowledge at your fingertips, and you just ignored it."
"That's not quite true," said Joan. "At first I was just so happy to have my husband back that I didn't feel I needed any closure. He told me he was fine with me falling in love with another man, because he wanted me to be happy. He told me he'd looked for John Smith, but he isn't here." Rose bit her lip.
"Then is he still part of the Doctor?" she asked.
"My husband made some enquiries," continued Joan. "Apparently when John Smith died, he did in fact come here. He was met specially, since his case was so unique. He was told that he could join the rest of us here – or leave." Joan lowered her head. "He chose to leave." Rose gasped.
"Why?" she asked quite forcefully.
"I think he realised that this wasn't the place for him," answered Joan. "He had no family, no friends, no actual memories other than from those 2 months of his life. And while Heaven no doubt would have been a place where he could learn things and enjoy himself, it wouldn't have given him the things that he truly needed. He couldn't even enjoy a proper relationship with God, since he was created separately." Rose let out a long breath.
"Blimey," she said. "Poor guy.
"But I'm getting off track," said Joan. "As for the Doctor – I truly wanted to forget about that part of my life. I wanted to leave it at John dying, and that was the end of it. And whenever I got a bit curious, I got myself so distracted that I didn't have time to think about it. I know it probably wasn't the best option, but even in Heaven you've got to be ready for these sorts of things. I wasn't ready."
"But you're ready now," said Rose.
"I suppose I am," replied Joan. "And I am curious to know about your relationship with the Doctor. He obviously cared very deeply for you." Rose nodded.
"We never acted upon our feelings, but they were there all right," she said. "It was just so complicated that neither of us knew what to do. The guy was a 900 year old alien, for crying out loud!" Joan's eyes widened.
"Are you serious?" she questioned. Rose laughed.
"Of course – you didn't know any of that," she realised. "Oh Joan, you know so little about the Doctor. And there's so much to tell! I suppose ... I could do the transfer of information." From the corner of her eye, she spied her book lying on the floor.
"Actually," she said, "I have a better idea. I know how much you love reading people's journals, and I documented all my adventures with the Doctor. Would you care to browse through them?" She leaned down and picked up the book. Joan looked at it, then the hint of a smile came onto her face.
"It's been a while since I read a good book," she said.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Right, that's done. Now I'm going to try to stop referring to current Who, since this is meant to be AU and I've got to get through A LOT of time. Already I think bringing Joan in this late was a mistake. Not that it wasn't a good idea, but I've written a lot of chapters and yet it's been a year at most.