Author: RamblingRose
Rated: PG
Summary: Rose tells the Doctor to take her back to her time and come back in twenty years to get her. But after leaving her, TARDIS takes him to a post-time war Barcelona where he is assigned the task of taking on several companions and teach the ways of the Gallifrey.
Notes: 10/Rose. Somewhat AU.
Chapter Four - Barcelona
It was two years after the end of The Time War, in Barcelona. The Doctor was unsure as to why Dee had chosen this specific time and date but he had and they were there.
The Doctor stepped from the TARDIS. He took in his surroundings and recognized the buildings as the same that had been across from the Empress's Shrine. He raced around the TARDIS and froze. The gleaming white building wasn't there. In fact, there was nothing there except a few trees, grass and a very old goat chewing and gazing at the TARDIS with mild disinterest.
Rose ran up to his shoulder. "What is it Doctor?" she asked, panting for breath.
"It's not there," he said quietly. "Why isn't it there? It's supposed to be there!"
Rose tilted her head, puzzled at the Doctor's confusion. "What's supposed to be there?"
"The shrine! The shrine is not there!" The Doctor turned as Rose's children and Lilith came slowly around the side of the TARDIS. "Where is it Lilith? Where's the shrine?"
The girl gazed at the empty space for a long moment, her eyes cloudy. "It's wasn't built until right before I was born, Doctor," she said vaguely.
Rose gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "Doctor," she said softly. "We'll stay here. You have things to get done." She stood on her toes and lightly pressed her lips to The Doctor's cheek.
The Doctor sighed heavily and lightly squeeze Rose's hand. "When I get back, we're going to be talking about those little ankle bitters of yours."
Rose slowly grinned. "When you get back, we won't have to."
"Doctor!"
Both Rose and the Doctor jumped when Lilith cried out. They looked back at the child, her eyes were wide and she was pointing to the empty land in front of her. The Doctor looked back and could see nothing. He knelt down to the child's eye level.
"What is it? What do you see?"
"It's there," Lilith whispered, her tone was hollow and sounded more like an echo than her real voice. "The Shrine is there."
The Doctor looked over his shoulder, seeing nothing he looked back at Lilith's blank eyes. She jutted her hand out and grasped his coat sleeve tightly. "Lilith, there's nothing there," he said in a calm voice.
Wordlessly, Lilith released his coat sleeve and walked around him. The Doctor stood back up and turned to watch the young girl as she walked dreamily toward the spot where the future shrine would stand. She halted for a moment and turned to him.
She opened her mouth to speak. When her voice came out, for some reason, it didn't sound like her normal, childlike voice. Instead, the voice sounded very much like the one he had heard coming from The Empress. "Come on Doctor. My time in this dimension isn't infinite, come towards me."
Lilith walked forward and seemed to disappear into thin air. The Doctor looked at Rose and her children. The children flanked Rose as if trying to protect her. Rose offered him a small smile of encouragement. "Go ahead Doctor, we'll be fine," Rose said.
The Doctor looked back to where Lilith had disappeared and reached his hand out in front of him to see if he would be able to feel the entrance out. After a few steps, ripples formed around his wrist as his hand disappeared in front of him. He yanked his hand back out and studied it with curiosity. He stuck his hand back in and pulled it back in several times, each time his grin getting progressively bigger.
"Doctor," Rose commented. "I know you're enjoying playing with the portal, but…"
The hand of a full-grown woman shot out from the portal and grabbed his wrist roughly. Before the Doctor could object he was pulled forcefully into the portal. When he emerged on the other side, instead of a full-grown woman, Lilith greeted him. She curtseyed and bowed her head slightly.
"The Empress is waiting," she said with reverence.
The Doctor surveyed his surroundings. He had been pulled directly into the shrine. The long corridor was aglow with the familiar golden light. The source of the light emanated from the end of the passageway. Lilith took his hand and led him toward the light.
Once they were close enough, The Doctor could see the vague outline of what he could only describe as a throne. He could also see the vague figure of a woman sitting in it, her eyes glowing the same gold as the vortex that surrounded her.
"Lilith, leave us," the Empress commanded gently. The child bowed deeply and scurried into a side room. "Doctor, I understand you have questions about my plans for you."
The Doctor buried his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. "No, not really. They are mainly just inquires pertaining to my interest in your recent actions." He took a few steps closer. With curiosity, he asked, "Such as… Why Gallifrey and not the other planets? I can think of several of them that were far more worthy of being saved…"
The soothing, echoing voice of The Empress was like music to his ears. It was an oddly familiar voice but at the same time very alien, even to him.
"You loved and protected me, so I love and protect you," the Empress replied with affection. "The Time Lords fought to protect me from ones that would try to control me. You of all people should understand that Time is one thing that should never be played with or controlled. I could not bring myself to restore all of Gallifrey though, my Doctor.
"In spite of all the good they did, the Time Lords had forsaken so many things. They had wrapped themselves up in so many rules and regulations that I could no longer allow them to exist as they were." He could see the Empress close her golden eyes and shake her head disapprovingly. "Looming was their way of playing the part of Gods. I cannot allow anyone to think themselves as Gods."
"But the curse…" The Doctor started.
"Gone," The Empress stated firmly. "In fact, I doubt it ever really existed except for in the minds of the ones who created the concept."
"What about you then, Your Highness? Aren't you a God? Creating and controlling what does and doesn't exist… who lives and dies…" The Doctor pointed out accusingly.
"No, I am merely a vessel," The Empress replied softly. "Like Lilith, I am here to assure that the continuum remains intact. She is the only thing of me that remains mortal, in a way. I know you have had questions regarding her origins."
"Amongst other things," the Doctor interjected.
"She is my daughter. When The Vortex chose me, I did not know she was on her way. She was merely a cluster of cells and matter within me. That is why she could see the shrine once her eyes grew accustomed to her surroundings. She can always see it, it transcends space and time so it is always here, even if just in the metaphysical sense. But she is the only one that can show others the way until it is physically constructed." The Empress's tone dropped to one of sadness. "She only knows what I let her know. She knows she has an older brother on Gallifrey, but she doesn't know who he is. Even if she were to see him, she wouldn't know him unless I allowed her to. Her mind does not know to age unless I will it."
"Why would you do that?" The Doctor asked angrily. He removed his overcoat and dropped it so that he could take on his most intimidating arm-crossed-over-his-chest pose he could muster. "She's a child for crying out loud, not some celestial pigeon for you to order about and control. I mean honestly, how old is she if you don't allow her to age? Though that would explain a few things as to why she knows so much, wouldn't it? I'd guess at least four hundred years old… five hundred at the most. I couldn't image a parent keeping their child a six year old for more than that. I've known a few six year olds that could be right terr--"
"Doctor," The Empress interrupted. She waved one hand in moderate annoyance. "I know you are a man of many words, but please…" He heard her sigh almost wistfully. "I suppress things because knowledge of all time and space is too much for one being to take, especially for one so young. If I didn't suppress them it would drive her to madness, no matter her age. If I wanted, she would know everything a Time Lord needs to know. I kept her young so that you could teach her how to live as the proverbial normal being. Besides, I wanted her to enjoy being young and innocent."
The Doctor smirked and laughed slightly. "If you think I'm normal then you were given very wrong and skewed information."
At this, the Empress stood. The golden light flared as she stretched her hand toward him. He could almost feel the warm ribbons of light kissing his cheeks as the Empress took steps down from her throne. He felt his eyes grow heavy so he closed them. He felt his arm lift to take The Empress's hand.
"My Doctor," the Empress said softly. "You were the last Time Lords. Now you are the first of the new Time Lords. It is my gift to you, for all that you have done for me. Teach the children your ways, your knowledge. With your help, they will love and respect time and space… Then they will teach their children their ways, and all will be as it should."
He felt The Empress's warm lips touch his cheek. For a moment his eyes opened. His eyes widened as he recognized the face of The Empress. He opened his mouth to speak but found that he was unable to get the breath to work through his throat to allow the words to become actual sound. Before his mind could firmly grasp the knowledge, the image of her face blurred in his memory and he could no longer remember who he had thought she had been.
For a moment, the Doctor could see a field of Remembrance flowers being blown by a gentle breeze. In the distance was the capital of Gallifrey, glowing with the same golden light that surrounded The Empress.
"Who I am is not important, Doctor. Lilith," the Empress called affectionately. "It is time for you to go learn the ways of the Time Lords."
The child scurried from the room she had been confined in during the conversation and bowed deeply. The Doctor couldn't help but notice that, for some reason, Lilith looked somewhat older than she did previously. He looked to the Empress, whom was once again seated in her throne.
"Happy birthday Lilith," the Empress said sweetly.
Lilith looked at her hands and gasped as she continued to age ever so slightly. She was growing taller; her hair darkened a few shades. Though her face still held a prominent child-like shape. When she stopped aging, she looked little more than twelve or thirteen years old. Lilith squealed with delight and raced to the Empress, embracing her wildly around the neck.
"Thank you Mum, you have no idea how much I have wanted this," he heard Lilith sob. Even her voice sounded somewhat older.
"Go, Lilith," the Empress whispered. "The Doctor is waiting."
Lilith bowed repeatedly as she backed away from The Empress, whispering softly over and over "thank you" as she did so. When she reached the Doctor's side, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. She released the grinning Time Lord and took his hand, her eyes were brimming with tears of joy.
"Let's go Doctor," she said breathlessly. "We have some children to teach!"
As she yanked him toward the exit, The Doctor looked back over his shoulder to watch as The Vortex faded away and the diffused outline of a dark haired woman sat on the throne, with her face in her hands.