I am back! Sorry for the long absence. Here is chapter 3!
Chapter 3: reapers and Rows
From the moment he regenerated, the Doctor had a death wish. The TARDIS never forgot his first attempt, when he tried to throw himself into the Time Vortex. Much to his annoyance, His ship had been mollycoddling him ever sense.
His other attempts to end his own life were a bit less direct, but attempts, none the less. One of the first places he visited after his regeneration was the island of Sumatra. He meant to land the TARDIS in 1883, the day of the Krakatoa eruption. He wanted to burn like the other Time Lords. The TARDIS landed him in 1880-the damned interfering time ship.
He tried again. He parked the TARDIS in Southampton, England 1912. There, he met a lovely family. He endured their domestics long enough to convince them not to travel on the Titanic. He took one of their unused tickets, and traveled on the ill-fated ship himself. If the universe wouldn't let him burn, then maybe he could freeze, clinging to an iceberg. He was rescued.
Over and over. It was the same story. He always survived. Nearly completely mad, he landed the TARDIS in Dallas, Texas, November 1963. The day of the Kennedy assassination. In his half crazed mind, he was going to try to jump in front of the President, take the bullets himself, and refuse to regenerate. He had gone so far as to position himself in the crowd. Then his time sense and what was left of his sanity caught up with him. The assassination of John F. Kennedy was a fixed point in time. Interfering would cause a wound, attracting the reapers. There would be no Time Lords to stop them; no one on earth would survive. The Doctor stood numbly as three shots rang out, killing the young president. The cheers from the crowd turned to screams. He watched the motorcade speed up and drive towards Parkland Hospital, where the president would be pronounced dead. The Doctor returned to his TARDIS. He had properly frightened himself. That was the last time he (purposely) tried to end his own life.
His punishment was to live. He was doomed to wonder the universe alone for the rest of his life. His only hope was the possibility that one of his adventures would go very badly wrong, and he would be killed. All he could do was to distract himself until the universe would let him die. He wouldn't let himself think too much about the war, about the man he was before his regeneration. Such thoughts would only lead to more attempts. He'd made up his mind to endure his punishment for as long as the universe would make him live.
Then there was Rose. The Doctor had been getting better since he let Rose into his life. He was a lot less reckless, at least, now that he had someone to look after.
Rose Tyler, a profoundly ordinary human girl that inexplicably captured his hearts, almost from the moment he met her. The profound effect she had on him made no logical sense at all. Such primitive feelings were supposed to be bred out of Time Lords. How deeply and quickly he'd developed these feelings for this simple human frightened him much more then he would admit. It was in the Doctor's nature to run, so he ran. He ran from his feelings. The Doctor worked hard to distract himself from his Rose ("Rose is not mine!" he had to constantly remind himself).
His strategy of ignoring the feelings he'd developed for Rose Tyler was working relatively well... Until she'd asked him to go back in time so she could see her father.
When he asked Rose why she suddenly wanted to see her father, he felt his hearts clench at her disappointed.
"All right then, if we can't, if it goes against the laws of times or something, then never mind, just leave it."
"No, I can do anything," He said, ignoring the implications behind his own statement.
He was the only being alive that had the power over the laws of time. He could do what he liked, and there was no longer anyone who could stop him.
This was dangerous. It was dangerous territory. He should have told her no, right off, but instead he said, "I'm just more worried about you."
"I want to see him," Rose said looking at him with those eyes.
This is trouble, the Doctor thought. Why couldn't he just tell her no?
"Your wish is my command," the Doctor said, knowing that Rose had no idea just how true that was. By way of warning, the Doctor added, "But be careful what you wish for."
Soon after, the Doctor and Rose found themselves on the street corner on that fateful day. The Doctor's instincts were telling him to drag Rose back to the TARDIS, and get as far away from this place as he could. Instead, he stood still, listening to his young companion.
"This is it," Rose was saying. "Jordan Road. He was late. He'd been to get a wedding present, a vase. Mum always said, that stupid vase."
Rose seemed to be in a daze as she narrated the scene in front of her. Her father got out of the car carrying an ugly vase that was to be a wedding Doctor's time sense was brought to the front of his conciseness on its on accord. He could see Pete Tyler's timeline rapidly coming to an end as a beige car came careening around the corner and plowed into Pete.
Pete was lying in the middle of the road, and the Doctor could see that he had minutes left to live.
"Go to him, quick!" He told Rose, but she could not. Instead, she turned and went around the corner.
This was a very bad idea, the Doctor thought. I should have told her no.
As they heard the sirens, Rose said, "It's too late now. By the time the ambulance got there, he was dead. He can't die on his own. Can I try again?"
The Doctor's instincts were screaming NO, but he ignored them.
Minutes later, they were back on the street corner, a little further down, staring at the past versions of themselves.
"Right, that's the first you and me," The Doctor said. "It's a very bad idea, two sets of us being here at the same time. Just be careful they don't see us. Wait till she runs off and he follows, then go to your dad."
"I can't do this," Rose mumbled with a slight shake of her head.
"You don't have to do anything you don't want to, but this is the last time we can be here," the Doctor said firmly.
His hearts stopped as Rose suddenly ran forward as Pete got out of the van.
"Rose, No!" Finally the Doctor told her no, but it was too late.
Rose pushed her father out of the way of the beige car. The ugly vase flew out of his hand, and rolled unbroken on the ground.
The Doctor felt timelines bending and twisting and warping out of shape, but he hardly noticed them because he was overwhelmed with a different feeling as he stared grimly at Rose Tyler. It was something like...betrayal.
The Doctor stared silently at Rose with the same look on his face as he stood in the Tyler flat, listening to Rose babble on and on.
"All the stuff mum kept," Rose was saying. "His stuff. She kept it all packed away in boxes in the cupboard. She used to show me when she'd had a bit to drink. Here it is, on display. Where it should be."
Picking up a trophy, "Third prize at the bowling. First two got to go to Didcot." Rose paused as if she expected the Doctor to say something.
When he didn't, she kept talking. "Health drinks. Tonics, mum used to call them. He made his money selling this Vitex stuff. He had all sorts of jobs. He was so clever."
Pointing to some blue prints, she said. "Solar power. Mum said he was going to do this. Now he can."
Finally acknowledging the look on the Doctor's face, Rose sighed, "Okay, look I'll tell him you're not my boyfriend."
Unable to keep the accusing tone out of his voice, the Doctor finally spoke. "When we met, I said travel with me in space. You said no. Then I said time machine."
He didn't have to say much more than that. Rose seemed to know where he was going. "It wasn't some big plan," she explained quickly. "I just saw it happening and I thought, I can stop it."
"I did it again, the Doctor said. "I picked another stupid ape." He ignored the hurt look of Rose's face as he kept talking. "I should've known. It's not about showing you the universe. It never is. It's about the universe doing something for you."
Rose fought back with her typical fire. "So it's okay when you go to other times, and you save people's lives, but not when it's me saving my dad."
"I know what I'm doing, you don't." The Doctor said, taking several steps toward her. Rose stood her ground. "Two sets of us being there made that a vulnerable point."
"But he's alive!" Rose almost pleaded.
"My entire planet died. My whole family," He didn't intend to mention his family. It was the first time he had mentioned them out loud since he regenerated. "Do you think it never occurred to me to go back and save them?"
Now Rose was definitely pleading. "But it's not like I've changed history. Not much. I mean he's never going to be a world leader. He's not going to start World War Three or anything."
"Rose, there's a man alive in the world who wasn't alive before. An ordinary man. That's the most important thing in creation. The whole world's different because he's alive."
"What, would you rather him dead?"
"I'm not saying that!"
"No, I get it!" Her voice was nearly hysterical. "For once, you're not the most important man in my life."
That stung. Quickly masking his own hurt, he said, "Let's see how you get on without me, then. Give me the key," He held out his hand. "The TARDIS key. If I'm so insignificant, give it back."
"All right then, I will." After a moment's hesitation, Rose pushed the little silver key into his hand.
"You've got what you wanted, so that's goodbye, then."
"You don't scare me," Rose said as the Doctor headed out of the door. "I know how sad you are."
Again, the Doctor pretended not to be hurt by her words.
"You'll be a minute, or you'll hang around outside the TARDIS waiting for me." As he slammed the door behind himself, he still heard her shout, "And I'll make you wait a long time!"
You're stupid. You're a stupid old man. Of course she wanted something. She had to have wanted something. Did you really think she wanted to be with a murderer like you?
The Doctor silently chastised himself as he stormed down the street.
Now she had what she wanted. It would serve her right to leave her here.
Rose knew him too well. He would never just leave her here. At the very least, he would drop her off in her proper time. Rose was right about something else, too.
I know how sad you are. You'll be a minute, or you'll hang around outside the TARDIS waiting for me.
She knew. She knew how much he needed her. As perceptive as Rose was, he wasn't very surprised that she'd guess, but how could she throw it back in his face like that? After all they've been through together, how could she choose some guy she'd never met over him? No matter if he was her father.
Hang on. He was Rose's father.
Was he feeling jealous because Rose essentially chose Pete Tyler over himself? And why did their fight feel suspiciously like a lover's row?
NO! The Doctor told himself stubbornly. I'm angry because Rose put the entire planet in danger with her stupid, selfish little stunt, and for no other reason!
Quite suddenly, the Doctor became aware of his own senses. He felt a shudder in time. He stopped in his tracks and looked above him. There was something there. He could feel it.
Shaking himself, the Doctor opened the TARDIS, and received the biggest shock of the day. Instead of seeing his console room, he was met by a tiny, wooden blue interior. The dimensions inside of his ship had disappeared. Only one thing could cause that. Reapers!
Adrenaline erased everything in his mind but a single thought. "Rose!" He had to get to Rose.
He got to her just in time. She was seconds from being devoured.
"Get in the church," the Doctor shouted as two more Reapers appeared. The Doctor managed to get most of the wedding party into the church, but the vicar and an older gentleman (the father of the groom) were lost.
The Doctor surveyed the building as his clever mind raced for answers. He knew right off that the Reapers was attracted by a wound in time caused by two sets of himself and Rose at the same spot combined with Rose rescuing her father when he was supposed to die. The only solution would be...no. He couldn't let that happen. There had to be another way.
"They can't get in," the Doctor said out loud as his mind raced. "Old windows and doors. Okay. The older something is, the stronger it is. What else? Go and check the other doors! Move!"
"What's happening?" Jackie Tyler asked shrilly, "What are they? What are they?"
"There's been an accident in time," the Doctor answered quickly. "A wound in time. They're like bacteria, taking advantage."
"What do you mean, time?" Jackie demanded in her unpleasantly loud voice "What're you jabbering on about, time?"
"Oh, I might've known you'd argue. Jackie, I'm sick of you complaining."
"How do you know my name?"
"I haven't got time for this."
"I've never met you in my life!"
"No, and you never will unless I sort this out," Focusing on Jackie, and remembering the sound slap he got from her weeks back, the Doctor took great satisfaction in saying, "Now, if you don't mind, I've waited a long time to say this. Jackie Tyler, do as I say. Go and check the doors!"
Cowering a bit, Jackie answered, "Yes, sir."
Smiling to himself, "I should have done that ages ago."
Rose was right about Pete Tyler being clever. It didn't take long for him to work out that the grown up Rose was his daughter from the future who had traveled in time. He was quickly on his way to working out the cause and solution for the wound in time. But the Doctor was determined to find another-
"Excuse me, Mister," Said a voice from behind him. The Doctor turned and saw the bride and groom.
"Doctor," he corrected automatically.
"You seem to know what's going on," said the groom.
"I give that impression, yeah," he answered distractedly.
"I just wanted to ask-"
"Can you save us?" The rather desperate question from the very pregnant bride made him turn around fully.
Straightening up, the Doctor asked, "Who are you two, then?"
"Stuart Hoskins."
"Sarah Clark."
"And one extra," the Doctor observed. "Boy or girl?"
"I don't know. I don't want to know, really," Sarah answered.
The Doctor eyed both of them for a moment. "How did all this get started?"
Stuart answered, "Outside the Beatbox Club, two in the morning."
"Street corner," Sarah piped up. "I'd lost my purse, didn't have money for a taxi."
"I took her home."
"Then what?" The Doctor asked, almost smiling at his own strange affection of ordinary human beings. "Asked her for a date?"
"Wrote his number on the back of my hand," Sarah smiled.
"Never got rid of her since. My dad said-" They both grimaced in pain when Stuart mentioned his Doctor knew all too well what they were feeling. There was a reason why the Doctor couldn't do domestics. Not anymore.
"I don't know what this is all about," Sarah said, "and I know we're not important-"
"Who said you're not important?" The Doctor almost gushed. "I've travelled to all sorts of places, done things you couldn't even imagine, but you two." Wistfully, "Street corner, two in the morning, getting a taxi home. I've never had a life like that."
He never could. Especially not now. "Yes," he promised. "I'll try and save you."
Moments later, the Doctor hid his amusement when Jackie Tyler asked if he could look after baby Rose while she ran to the loo.
Even as a baby, Rose was beautiful. Her honey brown eyes still looked familiar. Even as a baby, Rose trusted him completely. She was perfectly content in the hands of this strange old man.
"Now, Rose," the Doctor crooned, "you're not going to bring about the end of the world, are you? Are you?"
As the adult Rose joined him, he explained, "Jackie gave her to me to look after. How times change."
"I'd better be careful," Rose said. "I think I just imprinted myself on Mickey like a mother chicken." Rose reached out for the baby.
"No. Don't touch the baby," he said more harshly than he meant to. He was still upset with her. "You're both the same person. That's a paradox, and we don't want a paradox happening, not with these things outside. Anything new, any disturbance in time makes them stronger. The paradox might let them in."
"Can't do anything right, can I?" Rose asked in a defeated voice.
"Since you ask, no." The Doctor ignored how the hurt look on her face clenched his hearts. "So, don't touch the baby!"
The Doctor expected her to fight back like she always did. Instead she said, quietly, "I'm not stupid."
The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them."You could have fooled me!" He saw Rose wince at his words, and suddenly his anger at her dissipated. "Alright, I'm sorry," he said. "I wasn't really going to leave you on your own."
"I know," Rose said, looking at him with eyes full of trust.
"But between you and me, I haven't got a plan," he admitted. "No idea. No way out."
"You'll think of something," Rose assured him.
He said, "The entire Earth's been sterilized. This, and other place like it, are all that's left of the human race. We might hold out for a while, but nothing can stop those creatures. They'll get through in the end. The walls aren't that old. And there's nothing I can do to stop them."
Once again the Doctor felt a deep pain as he thought of his people. "There used to be laws stopping this kind of thing from happening. My people would have stopped this. But they're all gone." Almost laughing out loud at the irony of it all, he added "And now I'm going the same way."
Face full of guilt, Rose said, "If I'd realized."
It's not your fault, the Doctor thought. Not really. I should have told you no. I knew something like this could happen. I should have told you the risks. The Doctor also knew that Rose would never believe him if he told her it was his fault instead of hers.
"Just tell me you're sorry," he said, the soft look in his eyes belying is firm tone.
"I am," Rose said, looking less like a young woman and more like a young girl. "I'm sorry." He knew she meant it.
For a moment, It looked as if the universe was going to be kind. Their hug revealed a glowing TARDIS key. After giving baby Rose back to her parents, and some brilliant sonicking on the Doctor's part, the TARDIS was starting to materialize in the church.
Then the worst happened. While trying to convince Jackie that Rose and Baby Rose were the same person, Pete Tyler placed the baby in Rose's arms before the Doctor or Rose could stop him.
The Doctor tried to take her away and give her back to Jackie, but it was too late. A Reaper appeared inside the Church.
The Doctor shouted, "Everyone, behind me!" Knowing what would happen, the Doctor said to the monster, "I'm the oldest thing in here."
The last thing he heard was Rose shout, "Doctor!"
Then there was darkness. Is this death? The Doctor thought. The next second, the Doctor found himself standing, blinking in his own TARDIS console room. A familiar blonde woman with honey brown eyes was standing across from him.
"You!" The Doctor said, suddenly remembering where he'd seen her before. "You were there with me when I-" The Doctor couldn't finish that sentence. "The moment."
The Doctor looked around wildly. "A Reaper-I was-Am I dead? Are you here to-"
The woman spoke. "Hush, Time Lord." She looked half pitying and half amused when she said, "You're not finished yet."
The Doctor blinked and he found himself alone in the console room, having no idea how he got there. He had no memory of the strange blonde woman with the honey brown eyes.
Stepping out of the TARDIS, he found that it was parked inside the church. He could feel timelines returning to normal, and he could sense that Pete Tyler's was rapidly running out. Pete saved them all.
Just outside the church, he found Rose. He told her, "Go to him. Quick." This time, Rose didn't hesitate.
The Doctor knew that the TARDIS needed to be moved. No one would have any memory of what happened once Pete Tyler departed this life. A police box in the middle of a church during a wedding would be hard to explain.
By the time the TARDIS was moved back out to the street, he knew Pete Tyler was gone. The Doctor found Rose, and together they walked back to their ship.
