A/N: Ok I keep saying this but two more chapters and I'm done. This is the longest thing I've ever written and I own nothing!
A Mother's Sacrifice
"Its ok, you're ok," said Dana, gathering Rose close as the manifested ropes fell away from her and disappeared, "Its gone, you're alright."
They had barely passed five minutes in their journey to the inner sanctum before they had been set upon by various nightmares they both had. Although they were more quickly dispersed by the disruptor they were still terrifying. The latest had involved Rose bound and gagged, facing a gang of boys from her secondary school, brandishing scissors and threatening to cut off her hair and scar her face. Dana had soon destroyed the illusion but Rose was still shaken, the memory all too vivid representation of what had really happened to her.
"I'm sorry, that must seem really childish," said Rose, glad they had been able to remove their helmets in the atmosphere, allowing her to wipe away her tears.
"Not at all, that looked terrifying. Are you okay to go on?"
"Yeah," said Rose, getting to her feet, "How much further?"
"Hard to say, the Idralas is aware we're here judging by the activity but he will appear to us when he'd ready. Be on your guard though, things will get worse before we can get to him and he seems to be concentrating on you," said Dana, shouldering her weapon once more, "Come on."
XXXX
The Doctor wanted nothing more than to break from his cell and stab the Idralas to death as it sat giggling on the ornate chair it had created for itself, currently manifested as The Editor he had encountered on his first trip to Satellite Five. The hazy image he had seen of Rose in the TARDIS had now been replaced by a running film of Rose and his mother's journey through the Idralas' trials, their weapon revealed and already sniggered at.
"Ooh your mummy's a clever one isn't she?" said the Idralas with a mocking grin, "And so caring towards darling Rose. You're lucky, most mother's hate their daughter-in-laws for taking their sons from them but I suppose as she abandoned you she really doesn't care who has you."
"She didn't abandon me," said the Doctor, his hand closing around the blade in his pocket, his fingers digging deep enough to draw blood, the pain keeping his mind on track, "Why don't you just bring them here? You can't do anything with Rose running round your little fun house."
"But its so much fun," said the Idralas, "She terrified of everything. That thing with the spiders was too much, far too easy. By the time she gets here she'll be a wreck."
"Underestimating her would be a mistake," said the Doctor, "She won't give up."
"Oh won't she?"
XXXX
The corridor wasn't as dingy as she remembered but she was still on the look out for the snapping mandibles of the Mantodeans as she shuffled along behind her more confident counterpart. Rose quickened her feet as she realised that Dana had managed to get several metres ahead of her. She held the containment jar a little tighter, praying to god that the plan worked and that they would find the Doctor alive and well. She strained her ears as she heard something in the darkness, muffled shouts of someone in agony. She grabbed on to the strap of Dana's space suit and hauled her to a stop.
"What the…?"
"Can you hear that?" whispered Rose, the moaning cry a little louder than before, "It sounds like someone in pain."
"Its one of the Idralas' tricks, ignore it," said Dana, continuing down the corridor.
"Rose? Rose!" came the weak cry, "Rose help me."
"It's the Doctor," said Rose, her heart hammering hard against her rib cage.
"No its not, come on," said Dana, "Rose you have to keep moving."
"But he might have escaped and been injured, I can't leave him in pain."
Rose hurried her feet after the sound, weaving down corridors she hadn't seen before when she and the Doctor had first travelled through the realm. The voice grew louder and more desperate with every step and she hurried onwards, only stopping when she saw the crumpled body on the floor. She ran to him and lifted him into her arms, choking at the map of pain across his exposed skin.
"I'm here, I'm here," she said brushing back his hair from his face, "Doctor you're going to be alright."
"I got away, I tried to find you," came the reply, muffled against her chest as she held him close, "They all came, came and hurt me. I couldn't get up. He's coming for us, you can't stop him Rose."
"Yes, we can," she said rocking him as Dana came around the corner, "You're Mum is here and we've got a plan."
"He knows it all," said the Doctor, "It won't work, he knows about the disruptor and it won't work, he's prepared for you. We have to run Rose, get out of here. He wants you, the darkness of the vortex is still in you from the Game Station and he can feed off that, we have to go."
"How do we know you're who you say you are?" said Dana, helping him to his feet despite his harsh words.
"You have to trust me," said the Doctor, "You trust me don't you Rose."
"Of course," she said as the Doctor pulled her into a hug before pointing to a stair case to his right.
"That leads to a way out, we'll have to climb."
He turned to the staircase and began his ascent. In a flurry of movement Rose grabbed the gun from the holster on Dana's leg and held it to the back of the Doctor's head. He stopped suddenly, raising his hands in surrender as she pressed harder, her finger on the trigger.
"Now how about we stop this bullshit?" she said through clenched teeth.
"Rose darling what are you doing?" said the Doctor, "We need to get out of here."
"You didn't take my hand."
"Well I'm a bit distracted with all the escaping we have to do, forgive me if I forget to be romantic."
"You didn't take my hand," repeated Rose, her finger twitching on the trigger, "You always take my hand. Now disappear or I'll shoot, I'm getting bored of these games."
"Rose honestly, its me. Please, this is what it wants, you not to trust me. It wants you to kill be because you'll be defenceless. I'm the only one who can get you out of here. I'll prove its me, question me."
Rose relaxed her hand slightly but didn't remove gun from his head, she searched her memory and felt something touch her consciousness, a sensation that always warmed her. She felt the sweet caress of the TARDIS in her mind and smiled as her question came to her.
"When was our first kiss?"
"That's easy, Penrith under the moonlight while we read Romeo and Juliet."
"Wrong," said Rose pressing the gun a little harder into his skull.
"Ok, alright, if you think it counts, New Earth when you were possessed, that was the first time we kissed."
"Wrong again," said Rose, the hiss evident in her words as her decision was made, "Satellite Five before you regenerated. You kissed me to save me. You're not my Doctor."
The shot rang out and echoed around the corridors. Rose lowered the gun and opened her eyes, hoping that the room had changed to show the inner sanctum and the Idralas ready to face her properly. She looked down in horror at the body sprawled at her feet, the impact of the bullet evident on her boots and clothes. She heard Dana scream next to her as nothing failed to alter around them. Rose felt sick, she wanted to scream, to cry, to take the gun to her own head as cold realisation dawned on her. It was real, he had been real and she had shot him. The warmth of the TARDIS had faded from her mind and she realised to her horror that it had been the manifestation rather than the Doctor. She looked at the weapon in her hand, that too splattered with blood and pulled back the hammer once more. She lifted it to her temple, her hand shaking so hard that she had to keep repositioning it.
"I'm sorry," she said and she began to squeeze the trigger. Her hand stilled suddenly. She looked to Dana but the woman was in no state to notice, her eyes trained solely on the body of her son. Rose squinted in the growing gloom or the corridor and then down at the body at her feet. Ignoring the choking sickness at the mess and wrestling the jacket off his body and pulling his shirt up from his waist. She saw it then, the absence of the secret only she knew of. She got to her feet and wrenched the disruptor from Dana's hands. She aimed it at the body and keeping her eyes open this time she pulled the trigger.
The room around her shimmered and faded from view, reappearing as the inner sanctum they had been searching for. Dana slowly came to her senses beside her as Rose handed the disruptor back to her and turned to the figure who stood clapping in the corner. Rose let her lips twist into a triumphant smile as she looked upon the Doctor's Ninth incarnation.
"Very impressive," he said, walking towards her but pausing as he reached the cell that contained the Doctor, he gave it a swift kick, "I almost had you but then you stopped, what were you looking for?"
Rose looked over to her proper Doctor and gave him a winning smile, seeing the pride in his eyes, "Tattoo," she said simply, "Made him get one of a rose on his hip when he lost a bet. He never told anyone and I figured you wouldn't have thought to put that much detail into the image. I think that's one to me don't you?"
"We'll see," said the Idralas clapping his hands in front of him, "Rose Tyler, you really are quite the conundrum aren't you? Shop girl, time traveller, girlfriend of the last Time Lord, and probably one of the most powerful creatures in existence, to me at least."
"Rose…" said Dana.
"Stay out of this!" snapped the Idralas, "I'll be dealing with you later, you made a bargain to remain here and you broke that. Then you insult me by coming to my realm with that pitiful creation of yours, as if some ion particles could harm me."
The Doctor silently slipped from his cell as the conversation continued but the Idralas soon turned his eyes to him.
"Go, stand beside them if you wish and you can keep your little granite dagger as a souvenir," said the Idralas, "I have no fight with you any longer Doctor. Rose and I need to talk now."
The Idralas morphed quickly into the bull that had terrified her and the Doctor watched as Rose gave a small shudder before calming herself. There was a slight tremor in her voice as she spoke.
"I'm not afraid of you," she said, "You're no stronger than us."
The Idralas just snorted in reproach and stalked towards her, "You can save them Rose, just give yourself over child. The disruptor won't work, that pitiful piece of technology you hold won't contain me. You're Doctor can go free and I'll even let the woman leave if you just give up."
Rose looked over her shoulder and Dana nodded, pulling a folded parchment ripped from the ancient book from her pocket. She began to recite the words but the Idralas simply laughed before a gag snapped tightly around Dana's mouth and despite both hers and the Doctor's best efforts it could not be removed. The paper caught alight at their feet and soon burned to nothing, the containment spell lost. When Rose looked up again she saw the Idralas around her in cyclonic form once again, the swirling blackness surrounding her and blocking out her view of the Doctor and Dana. She could hear the Doctor's voice and Dana's as the gag was finally released but she didn't know if they were pleading for her release or threatening to fight. Neither seemed to matter as the darkness closed around her. She stilled her heart, finding the bravery to sacrifice herself to save them.
"Idralas?" she called out.
Two large electric blue eyes appeared above her in the cyclone, their mirth evident. She felt a chill through her as they appeared to stare deep into her very soul. The cyclone increased its pace and the Doctor's voice was the last to be drowned out. Tendrilled hands drew themselves across her body but she repressed the shudder. Instead placing the useless container at her feet and straightening up to her full height.
"What do I do?" she said. A dagger appeared in her hand, ornate and ritualistic. She took the hint and pulled off her glove with her teeth. She looked down at her palm , seeing the perfect ivory skin, remembering the feel of the Doctor's hand in hers. She took the blade and laid it to her skin, the metal cool and biting. Gritting her teeth she pressed down and with one swift stroke she pulled it from her palm. She groaned in agony but repressed the scream that wanted to leave her. She loosed the dagger from her grip and it clattered to the floor. The eyes closed in something akin to carnal pleasure as the vapours from her blood drifted up to surround them.
Rose heard the thud of a heart, deep and resonating that made her stomach flip as if a percussion band had just walked passed her. She blinked her eyes to clear them of the swirling blackness before her but her vision barely cleared. She wanted to hear the Doctor's voice, the whirr of the disruptor as it fired up, Dana reciting the words that would save them all.
Relax
Rose looked around her as she heard the voice in her head, something off about it as it made no sound but she heard it perfectly. She felt herself grow slightly in stature as the Idralas continued to moan in delight and she was frightened, the Doctor had weakened in the ritual but she felt stronger. She watched as the heart that she had previously witnessed in the dragon appeared before her, thumping its macabre rhythm. She lifted her hand slowly, the icy tendrils wrapping around her and pulling her closer. She shut her eyes as her hand connected, flinching as she felt the thumping muscle and her own blood mingling with it. Pain ran through her and she screamed in the noiseless vacuum of the cyclone but her scream soon turned to something she didn't recognize. Words rolled off her tongue that she was sure she could not pronounce and a power surged inside her.
She closed her hand tightly around the heart, digging her nails into the flesh as the words continued to come to her. The Idralas had stopped its moaning and she felt the tendrils dragging at her, pulling her back but she held fast, causing the creature to cry in pain as she tightened her grip. She kept repeating the alien words, not understanding them but not stopping them. She practically sang with the power they gave her and above her own voice she could once again hear the Doctor and Dana calling out but the pleading tone had gone, replaced by exulted shouts of praise and amazement.
"Release me!" growled the Idralas, the cyclone thrashing as it tried to drag its heart away, "You cannot do this."
Rose continued her chant, feeling her foot move of its own accord to kick open the lid of the container at her feet. She focused her eyes on the heart before her, noticing with pride how it shrunk in her grip as vapours escaped from every side. She counted them as each of the souls she had known and it had hurt. Her father, Grace, Ivy, Catherine, Simon, the children, Clarence, Susan, the Doctor's father, Reinette, Dana. She shut her eyes tight, the chant subsiding but the powerful feeling remaining. She looked up and stared deep into the blue eyes, contorted in pain.
"For my Doctor," she said almost laughing with relief as she heard the sound of the disruptor firing up behind her. She smiled ruefully and pulled with all her might, yanking the heart from deep within the cyclone and stuffing it into the container. She felt the air leave her as her hand was released and the cyclone tightened around her. She screamed in pain as she felt her very soul being ripped out through the top of her head and as the pain became too much to bear she turned herself, settling her eyes once more upon the shock of brown hair and chocolate eyes of the man she loved. She smiled weakly before her eyes closed and she fell to the floor, as lifeless as one cold in the ground.
XXXX
"Good girl, open your eyes Rose, that's my girl," came the soft voice above her.
"Mum?" croaked Rose, finding her eyes heavy and gritty as she revelled in the cool cloth against her forehead.
"I thought you were one of those girls who didn't refer to their in-laws as Mum and Dad."
Rose forced her eyes open and focused of the soft, feminine features above her, "Dana?" she said blinking, "What happened? I can't remember, where's the Doctor?"
"I'm right here," said a familiar voice and Rose felt warm fingers flex against her palm, "And you're memory will return in time. You have retrograde amnesia but it will pass."
Rose looked down at their entwined fingers then up at him, "Definitely know its you though, no one else would talk like that," she said, feeling his free arm come around her and lift her to sitting. She looked around the dim hall of the inner sanctum and her thoughts turned immediately to the Idralas, "Did we win?"
"Oh yes," said Dana holding up the container, a ruby red light glittered behind the green glass, "Kinda glittery don't you think?"
"You did it then, the disruptor worked?" said Rose, grateful to feel the Doctor's firm chest at her back as she felt unable to sit up herself any longer. She felt his lips against her hair as he squeezed her gently to him.
"You did it Rose, if it wasn't for you we'd all be dead. You'll remember in time but you were the one who recited the containment spell, you weakened him."
Rose turned her head to look at him and instantly regretted it as colours swam in front of her eyes. She rested her head back against his shoulder, frowning, "How could I? That spell was in ancient Gallifreyan or something like that. I can't read your scrawl at the best of times."
"But the TARDIS can," explained Dana, "And like she can translate as she pleases she can also tell you what to say. I flipped off the translator before we left so that you could understand her and let the words through. You got close enough to the Idralas that by the time he realised what you were doing it was too late, he's trapped now and can't hurt anyone ever again."
Too confused and exhausted to question them further, Rose turned herself in the Doctor's embrace and curled into him, basking in the familiar warmth and scent of him. She felt herself being lifted and cradled like an infant, the gentle rocking motion of his walk soothing her against him. She wasn't sure how long they travelled but she was sure it bordered on hours, she didn't know if she had fallen asleep or not but she felt his arms tighten around her slightly, rousing her.
"Rose? You need to stand up now."
Rose let herself be set on her feet but stayed close to his side. Behind Dana she could see the path they had first travelled upon, the lights along it slowly blinking out. Rose turned and saw the mirror before her and her bedroom beyond, the candles flicking and casting a shadowy warmth over the body of the Doctor on the bed. She smiled up at the man next to her and took hold of his tie, pulling him down into a tender kiss. She heard the faint cough to her right and turned to see Dana giving them an arch look.
"You two should be more concerned about getting home don't you think?" she said, smiling at the couple.
Rose smiled, realising the Doctor was still a little ill at ease next to his mother. She had heard Dana explain his true history as they had travelled but the Doctor's reactions had been lost in her half slumber. She could not allow her heart to be pained however for the difficulties they would have now, they had many years to rebuild the lost years and Rose was glad that there would be someone with the Doctor if and when she was ever called to leave him.
"I can't wait to see what he does when he realises you can pilot the TARDIS better than he does," said Rose, nudging the Doctor in the ribs, "Best ride in that thing that I've ever had."
"Hey, I'm a wonderful pilot. Do you wanna drive?" he said, no anger in his voice, "Besides Mum or not, no woman gets to drive the TARDIS on regular occasions. Women drivers are a universal constant."
Rose gave a playful snort of offended anger and whacked his arm lightly, mindful of his injuries but she was surprised to see Dana's face remain grave and silent. As silent as she had been for the proceeding few minutes Rose realised.
"Dana?"
She gave a choked smile, "You won't have to worry about me driving little one."
"Hey, I was only playing," said the Doctor, reaching out for her hand, "If you prove a better driver then I'll be quite happy to kick back and watch the world go by while the women around me do all the work."
Dana laughed weakly, "You're as lazy as your father than," she said, clasping his hand in both of hers and looking up at him mournfully, "I won't be driving because I won't be coming with you."
"Why?" said the Doctor, "Where are you going to go? You said yourself your ship is lost and there's no Gallifrey to go back to. You wouldn't be in the way, we've plenty of room and you can get together with Rose's mum and make our lives hell. Do everything you're meant to do."
Rose stepped aside as Dana took her son's face in her hands, raising herself on to tiptoes to press a kiss to his forehead, "I'm not good at doing what I'm meant to. I can't come and you can't change my mind."
"But where will you go?" said the Doctor.
"I'm staying here," said Dana, "The containment of the Idralas isn't as strong as I'd hoped and someone needs to stay and watch over it. Besides, I've been here for nearly nine hundred years, this place is home."
"Mum…"
"Hush," said Dana, placing a finger to his lips, "You've coped without me for so long and you can again. You don't need me."
"Of course I do," said the Doctor, "You're my Mum, I always needed you and I can't let you stay here, in this dreadful place."
Dana smiled and pulled back, extending her arm to the space beyond her, "Its not so dreadful now."
Both Rose and the Doctor gasped as they stared down at a scene they both recognised, feeling the sunlight warming their skin and the wind ruffle their hair. Before them lay the hills and silhouette of Gallifrey's Capitol and below the hill they stood on lay a picturesque little village, like something off a chocolate box. The Doctor turned back to his mother, surprised to see the black jump suit she had been wearing replaced by the clothes he remembered from his childhood, her long dark hair dancing in the breeze.
"How…?"
"With the Idralas gone the manifestations I can create are no longer evil and I can revel in them and so, I'm going to have the life I always wanted. I was never cut out for space travel, I only did it for you. No, all I wanted was my little cottage with summer flowers in the garden and my family around me," said Dana, gesturing to a group of people waiting at the base of the hill.
Rose smiled as she recognized the Doctor as a boy and guessed at who the other three figures were. She slipped her hand into the Doctor's bringing him back to reality.
"We can always visit," she said softly to him, "Come back."
"You can't," said Dana, "Once you leave I'm going to make sure no one gets back in, then the Idralas will never get back out but I will be able to look in on you from time to time. You might not see me but I'll always be with you, both of you. Will you take care of him for me Rose?"
"I always have," said Rose, looking behind her at the mirror and then back up at the Doctor. She raised herself up and kissed his cheek, causing him to offer her a weak smile, "I'll be waiting on the other side for you."
The Doctor nodded silently, clearly not trusting himself to speak just yet. Rose loosed his hand and turned to Dana, smiling at the woman she had barely known a day and yet trusted like she had known her all her life. The Gallifreyan woman opened her arms and Rose went to her embrace, blinking away the few tears that threatened at their parting. She pulled back, smiling.
"You just be happy yeah?" she said, "And make sure that version of the Doctor turns out just as naughty and wonderful as the real thing."
"I will," promised Dana, "Thank you so much Rose. I'm so proud to call you my daughter because regardless of how long it takes him to ask you to marry him I will always think of you as my daughter, no arguments."
"I'm still not calling you Mum," giggled Rose as Dana pressed a kiss to her forehead, "Take care."
Dana bit back her own tears as Rose turned to the mirror and stepped through, moving over to the bed in the room beyond and sitting on the bed, her back demurely turned on the scene behind her.
Dana turned back to her son and reached up to turn his gaze down to her, "We never got a proper goodbye last time did we?"
"Why won't you come?" said the Doctor, barely keeping a reign on his emotions, "I need you."
"Do you though?" said Dana softly, "You were twelve when we parted little one, so many years have passed by and look what you've become without me. I'm so proud of you. No, you go on, live the life you always dreamed of and share it with that wonderful girl."
"But I've only just found you."
"And you'll always have me baby but I can't exist in that world. Do you remember when you were small and you ask me what happens when we lose our final incarnation?"
The Doctor nodded wordlessly, bringing his forehead to his mother's shoulder and closing his eyes as her arms went about him.
"Do you remember what I told you, about the beyond? That when we close our eyes that last time you wake up in a room full of people and regardless of race or species everyone you've ever loved is there and nothing bad ever happens. I still believe that's what happens," said Dana, tightening her arms around him, "And that's where I'm going to be waiting for you when this world is over for us but until then, we have to say goodbye."
"I hate goodbye," said the Doctor, "Always so much to say and never enough time to do it."
"Its in your eyes already," said Dana, pressing a kiss to his forehead before hugging him tightly, "I love you."
"I love you too," said the Doctor, "Just promise me you'll be happy."
Dana turned to the people below and a handsome young man the Doctor recognised as his father waved up to her, blowing a kiss towards the both of them. Dana nodded as she turned back to him.
"I have to go, they're waiting and so is Rose. Go back to her, just step on through."
The Doctor hugged her one last time before turning to the mirror, he stepped up to it before flying back to her side and holding her tightly, almost lifting her off her feet, "Thank you," he said, his voice muffled by her hair.
Dana released him silently and gave him a gentle push towards the mirror. The Doctor closed his eyes and stepped on through. He felt the odd viscous liquid cover him and then the strange tingle of familiarity come around him. He felt soft skin against his hand and a warm palm against his heart. He opened his eyes to be met by two smiling brown orbs. Without a second thought he sat up, embracing Rose tightly to him and breathing in the scent of her.
"You okay?" she asked, lacing her fingers in his hair.
The Doctor nodded, turning his face into the skin of her neck and losing himself in her perfume, "So long as I have you," he said.
Rose released him gently and tugged him to his feet. She walked over to the mirror and saw the young woman before her and the Gallifreyan landscape beyond. Rose raised a hand to wave and Dana waved back, a warm smile gracing her beautiful features. She raised her fingers to her lips and pressed a kiss to them before blowing it towards the Doctor.
Rose felt no alarm as all the candles went out, plunging the room into blackness. She heard the whirr of the TARDIS engines and the overhead lights flickered on, illuminating the room once more. Rose glanced back at the mirror, smiling as she saw both her figure and the Doctor's as they should be staring back at her. She turned and looked up at him, seeing the unshed tears in his eyes.
"Got you back," she said softly, taking his hands.
"Yeah, never doubted you for a second," he said, looking set to crumble any second.
Rose reached up a hand and drew her thumb across his cheek, the action causing several tears to drop onto her hand. She gave him a mournful smile, finding the only word she needed came to her instantly, "Tea?"
The Doctor nodded, his expression halfway between tears and laughter, "Tea would be good," he said as she led him away from the mirror.
A/N: Why do I always make myself cry! I really should stop writing stuff like that. Right, just one more chapter and I'm done I'm sure.
Please, please review.
Nova x