Title: Rebirth of the Time Lords
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. Very AU.

Chapter Seven -- Returning to the Past

Rose just gazed up at him. "If that's what one has to do to assure the universe doesn't collapse, then so be it. Unless… You know who Lilith's mother is don't you?"

The Doctor looked at Rose blankly again. He debated confessing who exactly it was, but realized that even if she knew, she might not change her mind. She'd been eerily logical about the situation. The entirety of the universe in exchange for one life. Just one, one that got to live for all eternity, albeit alone with just Lilith as her company. If Rose could think that way, he sure as hell could -- considering he had taken multitudes of lives to save the universe, he winced at that thought.

Besides, it wasn't the first time Rose had put everything on the line for the sake of others. He could still remember when the Slitheen had threatened humanity and she had been more than willing to sacrifice herself for the sake of humanity. And now here she was, willing to sacrifice an unknown vessel for the universe. Well, unknown to everyone save himself and Lilith. He knew who it was, and didn't want it to happen.

"Doctor…" Rose snapped her fingers in front of his face to get his attention to return. "Who is it? Who is her mother?"

"Rose," The Doctor said quickly. "You and the tribe stay here. Lilith and I have some things to do. We'll be back, I promise." The Doctor didn't wait for a reply, just quickly pressed his lips to hers and ran down the steps of the dais with Lilith on his heels.

"Move it, move it," Lilith yelled. "Time Lords coming through!"

The Doctor chanced a look back at Rose and the children. They were all huddled together waving to him. For some reason, he knew that it wouldn't be the last time he saw them. He looked over at Lilith, her face set on adventure, somehow he couldn't help but know as if he was remembering it from the future, it would be the last time the children saw her.

As they reached the TARDIS, Lilith stopped at the doors and gazed at him with all knowing eyes. "Don't worry about me Doctor. I've the Empress of all space and time on my side, if I die she'll simply will me to live again."

Lilith pulled out her TARDIS key and let them in, tossing the Time Lord his sonic screwdriver as she did so. "Thought you might want this back."

888

The engines came to a soft hum, signaling that they had finished materializing. Before the Doctor could get to the screen to check their location, Lilith had already claimed it and announced. "Powell Estate, February, 200--"

"Excuse me," The Doctor interrupted, giving her a slight shove to the side to he could see the screen. "My ship." He narrowed his eyes at her and put his glasses on to get a better look. "Did you age again?"

Lilith looked herself over and yelped. "Blimey I did. I hate when that happens. I'd guess I'm about sixteen then, Ambrosia's age right? I'd something like this happen once before, fluctuation in ages and all…" She trailed off in thought. "About a hundred years ago, Mum felt a shift in time and I ended up being ninety-eight years old for about a week while she fixed the shift. Think I'll stay like this though, at least it's not the start of puberty and—" She suddenly seemed to get self conscious, "I need to go change."

Lilith darted down the corridor. When she returned she looked almost as if she could've been Ambrosia's twin, only in brunet. She whirled around grinning widely. "How does this do?" She stopped whirling and sampled the new curves and how the earth fashions fit them. "Gotta blend in and all so, I nicked a few of Ambrosia's things. I'm sure she won't mind since she's, technically, not even conceived yet and all."

"You look like a teenager, now let's get going," The Doctor said hurriedly, his mind not on fashion. He held out his hand and she took it with a bright smile.

They stepped out and took in the surroundings. The Doctor was a bit surprised that the cement courtyard looked exactly like it always had. The sky was a bit overcast and little bits of rubbish fluttered along the streets. He turned to face the building that would be their ultimate destination and saw a pink clad figure come running toward them.

"Oh great, Jackie," The Doctor grumbled, Lilith just snickered.

"Thought she told you not to be coming about," Jackie yelled as soon as she reached them. "She left on her own, no reason for you to be here. She can take care of herself. So, go on with yourself and…" she eyed Lilith speculatively. "Got yourself a new one then?" Jackie eyed The Doctor flatly and crossed her arms over her chest. "Sure she would love this one. She told me all about that little frenchie you almost took along. Come 'ere to rip her heart out with a younger one 'ave you?"

"I beg both your pardons," Lilith huffed, folding her arms in challenge. "But I'm not French. And trust me, there's no worries of me trying to rip her heart out. Too much in love with time and space, me, to be bothered with the Doctor. Now where's Dee, the little ankle biter?"

The anger that had just been on Jackie's face melted away in an instant. "How--"

"Haven't seen him since he was nineteen. Always wondering what he looked like as a wee one," Lilith brushed past Jackie and started for the building.

Jackie watched the girl for a moment her eyes wide with shock and confusion then, she narrowed them and turned to glare back at the Doctor. "What're you doin' here?" she demanded.

"I'm here to see my son," The Doctor informed her curtly. Jackie's eyes widened, The Doctor just grinned widely. "Amazing what one can find out whilst traveling through space and time it'n it?"

The Doctor patted Jackie on the head and brushed past her, following Lilith's example. He could hear Jackie running behind him, but mostly because her objections.

"I'm telling you, we're fine without you coming about, bringing all your dangers along with you… She left to keep him safe from that sort…" Jackie stopped shouting for a moment to catch her breath.

"That's alright then, didn't plan on taking them along," The Doctor replied. "Actually, come to think of it… I may actually stay a while… Just to piss you off Jackie. Wouldn't that prove to be fun? Fancy me as a flat mate?"

The Doctor bound up the last flight of the stairwell to the Tyler flat and knocked on the door. Luckily Lilith had gotten lost and found Jackie right as she was about to follow the Doctor up. Even luckier was the fact Lilith somehow managed stall Jackie for long enough for a private reunion. There was sound of scrambling on the other side of the door, followed by a loud thud against the door.

"You forget your keys again mum? All the auto locks have latched but the key locks haven't, that's how I can tell," Rose's voice called. "The utility truck woke me just a moment ago so you came home just in time…" Locks were being turned. "Did you bring something home for lunch?" The door flung open and Rose gasped in shock, leaping back a few steps. "Doctor?"

"Hello again," The Doctor greeted happily.

Rose looked at him, wide-eyed. Then her eyes just sort of rolled back in her head and she collapsed. The Doctor caught her before she could hit the ground.

888

Slowly, Rose came around and her eyes centered in on her mother. "Must have been a dream…" Rose murmured, rubbing her eyes. "The utility truck sounds so much like the TARDIS that I must have been dreaming he was here…" A figure came up behind her mother's head. Rose looked up and…

"Actually, that wasn't a dream," The Doctor said, peeping in over Jackie's head, grinning excitedly. "I am here."

Rose's eyes widened as she sat up to look at the Doctor. She could feel her heart racing and her breathing become somewhat faster. "My mind is playing tricks on me it'n mum?" Rose asked. "I must have just hit my head harder than I thought yesterday and… and this is all just some bizarre dream sort of thing. Because you are not supposed to be here!" She leapt to her feet, pointing her finger at the Doctor accusingly.

The Doctor rolled his eyes and sighed impatiently. Lilith, which had been looming behind him, bound over to Rose and promptly pinched her on the arm.

"Ow! What was that for?" Rose asked, rubbing the pinch mark. She looked to her mother. "I have to go… I really, really have to go. I'll be back, just give me a some room." She stared at the Doctor, he struggled for words, but Rose didn't give him a chance… She quickly grabbed her coat and raced from the flat and down the stairwell.

To say the least, she was panicking. Her mind whirred as she walked the familiar route. Just a little over three years had passed since she had bid The Doctor farewell. And now seemed as good of time as any to go pick up the reason she had to say that farewell. Tears stung her eyes.

What was he doing back so soon? She had been sure she'd told him to wait at least nineteen years. That would've given her time, time to figure out how to tell the Time Lord about the reason she'd left so abruptly. It would've given her time to explain the vastness of his existence to the young boy that was born only three months after she had stepped off the TARDIS.

She had only been three months along when she'd departed. A six-month pregnancy, who would have thought it? But by all rights, the local pediatrician had not found anything odd or strange about her son.

Ten fingers, ten toes, two eyes, one heart.

Even Rose had been perplexed by the one heart. She remembered being nervous because of the prospect of him having two, like the Doctor. But no, there had been one steady, very human heartbeat. In a way a very big relief.

Rose sat on a bench in front of the pre-school and put her face in her hands. The Doctor's arrival had thrown all sorts of snags in her plans. The key to the plan was to keep her son safe from harm until he was old enough to learn the wisdom of his father.

Of course, maybe now she could get answers to why Dee had been walking before his first birthday -- the pediatrician had said he was developing a little fast for his age but nothing noticeably wrong. By time he was two, he was able to communicate in full sentences -- which the pediatrician had the boy tested and his IQ was higher than anything they had seen from a two year old. Well she had to expect something different; the Doctor had contributed half of his son's genetic make up.

Now Dee was three, soon to be four in a matter of months, and the pre-school he was in treated him like he was a prize. He could even memorize fifteen page books, a talent not even the older kids had. She wondered if that was considered normal for Time Lord children, and since the Doctor was there, he could help her to understand.

Rose took a deep breath and tried to get things into perspective. The Doctor was here, now. That could only mean one thing; danger had to be lurking about. She wondered if it was alien invasion or the rift becoming unstable again, it could be anything, she refused to speculate. The Doctor and Danger were always such good friends. So maybe it was good that he had come. But how was she going to explain her son? Or would she have to explain?

She stood and the concrete path to the pre-school. The moment she walked in, the head of the pre-school approached her and pulled her to a quiet place. It didn't surprise Rose, however, she was rather used to getting small details of her son's day from the woman. Rose couldn't help but wonder what sort of stories the woman would have today.

"He was an angel as always, Miss Tyler," the woman whispered. "But right after their after-nap snack… They went out into the playgrounds and he knelt down to touch the ground. Caught one of the caregivers completely off guard when he asked her if she could feel 'it'… She asked him what he meant and --" The woman's voice dropped in awe. "-- and he said 'The Earth moving.' Been going around asking everyone all day."

Rose smiled gently and went to the doorway leading into the activity room. Dee was standing in the middle of the room, his arms spread out at his shoulders, spinning around as fast as his feet would allow him. She looked over her shoulder to the administrator. "He was asking me and my mum both last night and most of the weekend." She looked back at him and smiled softly. "Just like his father, he is."

Dee lost his balance and toppled over. Rose laughed and clapped her hands over her mouth. The little boy sat up, beaming proudly. Rose walked over and scooped him into her arms. "Find anyone that can feel it yet Dee?"

"One girl said she could and started spinning about," Dee said promptly. "I told 'er that was just the fluids and stuff in her head making her feel like ever'thing was spinning, that she wasn't really feeling it. But it looked fun so I did it too."

"You ready to go home and see grandmum?" Rose asked.

Dee looked off toward the direction of Powell Estates and nodded gently, biting his lower lip nervously. "See you tomorrow!" he called, wiggling out of Rose's arms and racing for the door. "Come on Mum, Gran said she was bringing home some sweets today!" He put his nose in the air slightly. "Wait a minute…"

Rose brushed her hair out of her face and watched Dee as he ran back to her and started digging in her coat pocket. He pulled a few sweets from the bottom of her pocket with a victorious grin. He waved goodbye to the administrator and took his mother's hand. He dragged her out the door and started toward their home a few blocks away.

"Why are you so eager to get home Dee?" Rose asked as she tried to plant her feet firmly against the pavement. "You've never been like this, storming straight home… Don't you want to go to the comics shop or something first like we usually do?"

The boy stopped and turned to her, the expression on his face was unreadable as he looked up at her as if she had said something amiss. "No," was all he said and released her hand.

He began to walk away on his own, Rose leapt forward and caught his shoulder, spinning him around to look at her when she knelt down to his level. "Why not? You're always on about wanting to go get some comics or something or other when I come get you. Why not today?"

Dee gave a crooked smile and patted her cheek affectionately. "Because, mum, before today I couldn't feel them. I knew they were coming. But they're here now and I really want to see him mum. I do, I really do." He took her hand and gave her the biggest set of puppy-dog eyes he could muster. "So can we please go home Mum? I know Gran isn't having any sweets there but… he's there."

Rose smiled gently at her son. For some reason, she felt she didn't have to ask Dee who was at the flat. "You're not scared? Mummy's scared."

"That's okay Mum," Dee grinned. "I'll hold your hand and you'll be all right." He threw his arms around her neck for a quick hug. "Can we go now?"

"Ugh," Rose mock scoffed, tweaking Dee's nose. "Mister Sensitive you are." In spite of her tease, she was very proud of her brave little boy.

She stood back at full height and Dee slipped his small hand into hers. Dee looked up at her, stumbling over his own feet slightly at first, until he got used to not watching the ground as he walked. "Do you think he'll like me Mum?"

Rose pulled the boy to a stop and knelt down to his level again. "You can sense him here can't you Dee?" Dee nodded slightly in response so Rose continued, "Odds are, he can sense you too." She bit on her bottom lips nervously. "I'm just sacred because I thought I would have nineteen years to get you ready for this day. But 'ere he is, only been gone little less than four years. But if that's the case, we all must be in danger."

"No, not really," an all too familiar voice said.

Rose jolted to her feet. "Doctor!" She held Dee close to her leg with a protective hand on the side of his head. "Did you follow me?" But, the Doctor didn't seem to be paying much attention to her, his eyes were latched on the little boy hiding behind her leg.