Chapter 6:

Living with it/The Long Game/Father's day

By: Izzy

Rhiannon sat up that night, in bed. She had showered and changed into a nightgown, her hair in a mess bun. Laying in the middle of the bed was on of her goals before she could be comfortable moving on in love. She believed that was the first step to getting over the last lover. She felt bad that she had turned him down without him even asking for a relationship, but she had always believed in honesty. And to be honest with herself she knew she was falling for the Time Lord, but while Matt still had so much claim on her heart she couldn't move on. A tear fell down her face. She was honestly surprised that the Doctor had kissed her anyway. She knew he did kiss, she just even in a million years would ever think...

Suddenly a sharp pain ran through the top of her head and the muscles in her face began to twitch. She knew what was happening, the blow to her neck and back combined with the stress of her guilt had triggered her FMD, fibromuscular dysplasia, causing a mini stroke. She tried to stand and move to the console room but with how dizzy she was she barely got to her door. She passed out from the pain in her head just before the door.

In the console room, the Doctor was tinkering away trying not to feel. He tried to lie to himself and say what she said didn't hurt him in anyway. Suddenly he stopped feeling Rhiannon in the back of his head, so he figured that she went to sleep, but it felt different than when she went to sleep. Normally he would feel her presence wain then cut off, but this time it just cut off. He tried to dismiss it until the TARDIS lights began to flash. He jumped up out of the wires he was tangled up in and looked at the monitor and it was normal. That made him worry. If the lights were flashing because of something to do with the TARDIS then that would have displayed on the monitor but there was nothing.

Then his hearts sank, Rhiannon. It was something to do with her, he knew it. So he ran down to her room which the TARDIS was kind enough to move closer to the console room. He knocked on the door. No answer, that worried him. He tried the door nob and the door wasn't locked, he opened the door and in the floor just 3 inches from the door's swing lay an unconscious Rhiannon. He was more afraid than he had ever been, in all 900 years of time and space. "Rhee?" he asked as he jumped to her side. "Rhee, wake up." He turned her over and ran the Sonic over her. It told him there was no bleeding or any life threatening problems that it could find. "Rose!" He picked up Rhiannon bridal style carrying her to the Med Bay which once again the TARDIS moved.

"What's wrong, Doctor?" Rose asked as she ran from her room in her pajamas. She saw Rhiannon in his arms as he swiftly took her into the Med Bay. "What happen?"

"I don't know." he said as he laid Rhiannon on the table. He quickly ran around the Med Bay turning on scanners. He did a full body scan that showed him the same as the Sonic had. He sighed, running his hand down his face.

"Her face it twitching.," Rose said as she approached the table.

"What?" he said as he removed his hand from his face and moved so he could study Rhiannon's face. Just seconds after he moved to watch her face, he saw it. It was so miner that is why he missed it. His brain quickly went over all the things that could cause muscle twitching. Caffeine, but she doesn't drink enough. Calcium Deficiency Disease, but that would show on the scan. Everything he could think of would show on the scan.

"Could the fall she took cause this?" Rose asked.

"She fell?" he asked, she nodded. "When did she fall?"

"She fell on the Dalek," she said. That gave him and idea. He pulled out a different scanner. "Rose, hold her on her side." She did as she was asked, he scanned the back of Rhiannon's neck with the scanner. "Not what I thought." He sighed as he pulled the scanner away and Rose let Rhiannon lay back.

"What's wrong with her, Doctor?" Rose asked as he put the scanner back.

"She has fibromuscular dysplasia," he said getting an IV ready for Rhiannon.

"What's that?" she asked.

"Fibromuscular dysplasia, also called FMD," he began to explain as he worked on getting the IV in. "It's a rare condition that makes your arteries, in the effected area, to compress. It can cause TIAs also called mini strokes. I think that the fall she took caused her to have a mini stroke. Sadly all we can do is give her medication for the pain and let her rest."

"There isn't a cure?" Rose asked.

"Not that I have on board." he said sadly.

"Also why didn't it effect her earlier?" she asked.

"I think the adrenaline held the stroke at bay." he said. He had lied, the adrenaline helped yes but stress is the bigger factor when it comes to FMD. He felt guilty for causing this. He kissed her, to soon, she wasn't ready to let go of Matt. After the IV was set up he put some pain medication in the line.

"So we wait?" Rose asked. He nodded a sad look on his face. "I am going to go sleep. Tell me if you need anything? Or if she changes." He nodded and she left the room. He pulled up a chair to sit beside the bed. He sat down and held his head in his hands.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I did this." He sighed, knowing that blaming himself was not going to help. "When I'm around you I feel like I could do anything. When you smile at me I feel like the Time War never happened. You make me feel like a normal man, not a time traveling alien with the universe on his shoulders." He took a deep breath. "No one has made me feel normal. Not even my wife, and that was a large failure, my marriage I mean. Of course I didn't love the woman in the first place. The marriage was arranged, my family had us slated to marry the moment we were born. That is one of the many things I envy about you humans. Your ability to choose who you want to be with." He laughed. "I don't know why I am telling you this. Maybe it's because even when you're unconscious you empower me to be better, to do better, to be honest. Matt was a lucky man." After that he laid his head on the side of the table and he grabbed Rhiannon's hand. He fell asleep like that.

Rhiannon awoke feeling better. The pain in her head was gone, but as she moved her arm she saw the IV. "Doctor?" she asked. No response. He must be in the console room. She sat up, then swung her legs to the side of the bed. As she did this her feet hit a chair. That surprised her. "Ow, who would have left a chair here?"

"My thief did," Jess said as she appeared beside Rhiannon.

"Ah!" Rhiannon screamed and jumped. "Don't DO that!"

"My thief is in danger," Jess said.

"Danger?" Rhiannon asked. "Did they go without me?"

"Yes," Jess said. "You have been out for two weeks."

"Two weeks?" Rhiannon asked loudly. "OK, so tell me what's up?"

"The Long Game," Jess said as Rhiannon removed her IV. She got up and found a cotton ball and some medical tape. She taped the cotton ball to her arm where the IV was. "The editor has them."

"So I need some clothes," Rhiannon said as she swiftly went to her room. "And a Sonic."

"But you don't know how to use one." Jess said.

"Can't you teach me?" Rhiannon asked.

"Yes, but," Jess started. "It may flare up your FMD again. Psychic energy puts massive strain on a human brain."

"Do it, I will live I promise." Rhiannon said. Suddenly her head was filled with all knowledge of the settings for the Sonic. It didn't flare up the FMD but it did give her a headache.

"There is pain killers on your nightstand. I will have the Sonic ready before you reach the console room." Jess said then vanished. Rhiannon took the pain killers then put her hair into a messy bun, removed her nightgown, put on a pair of black leggings, blue jean short shorts, a spaghetti strap shirt, and her elbow length gloves that she realized that she had been without. That thought worried her for a bit, Rose may ask her about the scars, but she shook her head. There are more important things afoot at the moment. She grabbed her psychic paper she put it in her back pocket, her key she put in her front right and her phone she put in her front left. She didn't know why she carried her phone with her everywhere maybe it was because it had pictures of her family. Her only piece of home.

Just as Jess had promised there was a Sonic waiting for her. She stuffed the Sonic in her front right pocket was exited the TARDIS and noticed Cathica pacing. Rhiannon sighed, and approached Cathica. "Hello, Miss," Rhiannon said.

"Oh, no," Cathica said. "Whatever they did I had no part."

"Not to worry," Rhiannon said rather professionally. "I am looking for two of my associates. One is man that goes by the name of the Doctor and the other is a woman by the name of Rose Tyler."

"You're with them?" Cathica groaned. "They went to floor 500." Rhiannon nodded and moved to the panel that she knew the Doctor had removed. Once there she looked at the monitor. She groaned as the monitor didn't have the code. She pulled the Sonic out of her pocket and used it to hack the computer and get the code. "How'd you do that?"

"Elementary my dear," Rhiannon teased as she put the Sonic back then walked to the elevator. "Coming?" Rhiannon didn't have to turn around to know that Cathica followed her after being prompted. Rhiannon put the code in and smiled as Cathica stepped into the elevator.

"I'm Cathica." Cathica said.

"I'm Rhiannon." Rhiannon said. The elevator dinged, Rhiannon stepped out and moved straight for the back but hid and pulled Cathica down when she joined Rhiannon.

"Then they just carry on, living the life, strutting about downstairs and all over the surface of the Earth like they're so individual, when of course, they're not." the Editor said. "They're just cattle. In that respect, the Jagrafess hasn't changed a thing." Rose and the Doctor look up and Rhiannon is sure they see her so she waves lightly.

"What about you?" Rose asked. "You're not a Jagrabelly"

"Jagrafess." the Doctor corrected.

"Jagrafess." she said. "You're not a Jagrafess. You're human."

"Yeah, well, simply being human doesn't pay very well." the Editor said.

"You can say that again," Rhiannon whispered.

"But you couldn't have done this all on your own." Rose continued.

"No. I represent a consortium of banks." he said. "Money prefers a long-term investment. Also, the Jagrafess needed a little hand to install himself."

"No wonder, a creature that size." the Doctor said. "What's his life span?"

"Three thousand years." the Editor said.

"That's one hell of a metabolism generating all that heat." the Doctor said. "That's why Satellite Five's so hot. You pump it out of the creature, channel it downstairs. Jagrafess stays cool, it stays alive. Satellite Five is one great big life support system." Cathica shifted. Rhiannon grabbed Cathica's arm and shook her head.

"But that's why you're so dangerous." the Editor said. Rhiannon felt anger boil up in her. "Knowledge is power, but you remain unknown. Who are you?" He snapped his fingers and the manacles that held the Doctor and Rose started to electrocute them. Rhiannon shook with anger but she knew Cathica needed to see more so that way she could undo all this.

"Leave her alone." the Doctor shouted once the electric current stopped. "I'm the Doctor, she's Rose Tyler. We're nothing, we're just wandering."

"Tell me who you are!" the Editor shouted as he snapped his fingers again shocking only Rose this time.

"I just said!" the Doctor said desperately. Rhiannon shook worse as tried to rain in her anger, it wasn't working. That man was hurting her Doctor.. Wait when did she think of him as hers.

"Yes, but who do you work for?" the Editor yelled. "Who sent you? Who knows about us? Who exactly are you?"

"I don't work for anyone!" the Doctor shouted. The Editor snapped again.

"Cathica," Rhiannon said her voice cracking. "I need you to save them."

"How?" Cathica asked.

"Follow me." Rhiannon said as she took Cathica by the hand and pulled her to an area like the news room on floor 139. "Disengage the safety."

"And override the system," Cathica said as she moved the dead body out of her way.

"Their lives are in your hands." Rhiannon said as she dashed off back to the Editor's room.

"Someone's disengaged the safety." he said. He snapped his fingers and the monitor showed Cathica. "Who's that?"

"It's Cathica." Rose said.

"And she's thinking," the Doctor grinned. "She's using what she knows."

"Terminate her access." the Editor shouted.

"Everything I told her about Satellite Five." the Doctor said. "The pipes, the filters, she's reversing it. Look at that." The ice started to melt and Rhiannon silently cheered.

"It's getting hot." the Doctor said.

"I said, terminate. Burn out her mind." the Editor shouted as he grabbed the dead Suki's hands.

"She's venting the heat up here." the Doctor said. "The Jagrafess needs to stay cool and now it's sitting on top of a volcano." The Jagrafess growled angrily.

"Yes, I'm trying, sir, but I don't know how she did it. It's impossible." the Editor said. "A member of staff with an idea." Rhiannon took this opportunity to sneak in behind the Editor and free her friends. She pulled the Doctor's Sonic from his pocket and freed him first, then Rose. Rose ran out of the room not waiting on him or Rhiannon.

"Oi, mate, want to bank on a certainty?" he said. "Massive heat in a massive body, massive bang."

"Hey," Rhiannon said as she walked up to the Editor. He turned to look at her, she drew back her fist and swung at him twisting her wrist right before impact. She put all her anger at him into the hit. The impact caused the Editor to fall back on to the console unconscious. "See you in the headlines!" She waved at his unconscious form as she took the Doctor's hand and ran with him. Cathica and Rose were already at the elevator waiting for them.

Once back on floor 139, the Doctor went with Cathica to tell her how to help with rebuilding. Rose and Rhiannon walked to the TARDIS. "What happened between you and the Doctor?" Rose asked.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about." Rhiannon said nervously.

"Don't give me that!" Rose exclaimed. "He has been off for two weeks, and not in just the 'I'm worried about Rhiannon' way either."

"Well he may have," Rhiannon started. "Kissed me."

"What?" Rose said with a lot of excitement for her friends. "Did you kiss him back?"

"Yes," Rhiannon said. "But then I told him I wasn't ready to have a relationship."

"Oh," Rose said. "Now I know why he wanted to stay by you. I read up on FMD while you were asleep." Rose sighed. "He blames himself for you having that TIA."

"What?" Rhiannon said. "He shouldn't. He didn't know." Rhiannon sighed. "I didn't tell him. It is my fault."

"Do you love him?" Rose asked.

"Yes," Rhiannon said. "But I'm still in love with my dead husband. I don't want him to be a rebound." Rose nodded.

"That is understandable." Rose said.

"I know that if he gives me time I can be the woman he needs," Rhiannon said. "But right now he would live in the shadow of Matt. I don't want that for him." Rhiannon pulls out her key and unlocks the TARDIS. She slips in and heads to her room, because as much as she didn't want the Doctor to know she was hurting badly. She emptied her pockets on the the nightstand. She slipped out of her clothes and slipped into the shower.

In the console room, the Doctor and Rose walk in. "So you kissed Rhiannon?" she asked.

"Did she tell you?" he asked a look of fear and shock on his face.

"Yes," she replied. "You know, she only said she doesn't want a relationship because she doesn't feel she can treat you the way she feels you need to be treated." He looked at her in confusion.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"She feels that right now you would have to live in the shadow of her dead husband." she said. "She don't want you to be her rebound man."

"I told her I don't do domestic." he said feeling like an ass. Rhiannon was turning him down so she didn't hurt him. He sighed heavily.

"Give her time," Rose said as she left him with his thoughts.

He got under the grating and started to fix a random devise on the TARDIS. He shook his head, Rhiannon is softening him up. But as he said before she made him want to be a better man. True to himself and honest with others as well. And if the woman that made him feel like a good man needed time then he would give her all the time she needed.

"I'm so sorry," Rhiannon said as she stepped into the console room. He jumped up and hit his head on the console. She saw him hit his head and ran to his side. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," he said as he rubbed his head. He finally turned to look at Rhiannon, she was in a TARDIS blue dress, without her gloves, her hair was wet and not in a bun. She still had her boots she always were on. "Wow." Her hair was so long it was past her knees.

"Oh, I can't possibly look that good to you," she said. "All scared up and wet like a dog."

"Not a dog," he said as he climbed out of the grating. He sat on the jump seat.

"I wanted to say sorry for not telling you about my condition," she said. "It doesn't effect my life much. Just once in a great while I get a TIA."

"It's fine." he said. "And I know about it, I am the Doctor."

"I know," she said laughing lightly. "I'm just used to having to explain. Do you want to watch something with me?"

"Watch what?" he asked.

"I was thinking Sherlock," she said.

"Sherlock?" he asked. "The movies, or the series?"

"Series," she replied. "I started watching back home but never finished, but I will start from the beginning if you need to."

"Where ever you left off will be fine," he said as they walked hand in hand to the media room.

Over the coarse of a month, Rhiannon and the Doctor stayed at arms length. The only time they got close was when they would cuddle in the media room watching a show or movie they both liked. Rose and Rhiannon still spent time together while the Doctor repaired some part or another. Rose had been lost in thought all day that day and Rhiannon was worried that the blonde may try to shove the Doctor and Rhiannon together. "A penny for your thoughts?" Rhiannon asked.

"I'm thinking about asking the Doctor to go see my dad," Rose said. "You know before he died."

"That is risky," Rhiannon said. "If you do, you know, you can't save his life."

"Why not?" Rose said with a bit of anger in her voice.

"Because it would cause a paradox and those are scary." Rhiannon replied sadly.

"But my dad isn't anyone special," Rose argued. Rhiannon was happy that Rose was arguing with Rhiannon and not the Doctor.

"Rose everyone is special in their own right," Rhiannon said.

"Even me?" Rose asked sheepishly.

"Yes," Rhiannon said firmly. "Why do you ask? Has Mickey been rude to you?" She huffed. "I will kill that boy if he has done anything to hurt, my Rose!"

"No Mickey is wonderful and understanding," Rose said. "Your Rose?"

"Yeah," Rhiannon said. "You're my best human female friend."

"Really?" Rose laughed. "Had to add all that detail?"

"Yeah," Rhiannon laughed with Rose. "Cause I have my best human male friend, my best human female friend and my best Time Lord friend."

"Who's your best human male friend?" Rose asked.

"His name is Todd," Rhiannon said. "I call him Toddles." They laughed at the nickname. "He has been there for me for 8 years now. He and I are thick as thieves, he was the god father of my daughter." Rose smiled.

"He sounds great," Rose said.

"Oh, he is," Rhiannon said. "He is one of those friends that you call up and if it was important to you he would drop everything and be there for you." She laughed. "He is my Watson. Although knowing him he would say I was Watson."

"Nah, I could never see you as a Watson," Rose laughed. "Sherlock maybe. But never Watson." They laughed for a while, until both needed air. "Well, I think I can just be there for my dad when he died if you are there with me."

"I will always be there for you Rose," Rhiannon said. Rose took Rhiannon's hand and they walked together to the console room. Rhiannon was a bit surprised to see the Doctor just sitting on the jump seat staring at the monitor. Though she knew without adventure in a month, he had to be going nutty.

"Doctor," Rose started. "As you know my dad died when I was little. But he died without anyone there for him and so I was thinking, could we, could we go and see my dad when he was still alive?" She clung to Rhiannon's arm for strength.

"Where's this come from, all of a sudden?" the Doctor said as he looked at them both.

"All right then, if we can't, if it goes against the laws of times or something, then never mind, just leave it." Rose said. Rhiannon nudged Rose.

"No, I can do anything. I'm just more worried about you." he said. And he really was, he knew that it was hard to watch someone you love die. He had seen it too much.

"I want to see him." Rose said. "Plus, Rhiannon said she will stay by my side."

"Alright," he said as he jumped up and ran around flipping levers and turning knobs. The TARDIS landed. "This way." He led them to a church where Pete and Jackie were getting married.

"I, Peter Alan Tyler, take you, Jacqueline Angela Suzette Prentice," said the preacher.

"I, Peter Alan Tyler, take you, Jacqueline Suzanne Suzette Anita," Pete tried to repeat but failed.

"Oh, just carry on. It's good enough for Lady Di." Jackie said.

"I thought he'd be taller." Rose said. Rhiannon and the Doctor laughed lightly.

"To be my lawful wedded wife, to love and behold till death us do part." the preacher continued as they walked out the door. They got back into the TARDIS and jumped to November 7th 1987.

"It's so weird." Rose said as they approached the street where her father died. "The day my father died. I thought it'd be all sort of grim and stormy. It's just an ordinary day."

"The past is another country." the Doctor said. "1987's just the Isle of Wight. Are you sure about this?"

"Yeah." Rose said as they rounded the corner. "This is it. Jordan Road. He was late. He'd been to get a wedding present, a vase. Mum always said, that stupid vase." A green car comes around the corner. "He got out of his car." He parked and got out of the car. "And crossed the road." He started to cross the road.

"Oh, God. This is it." Rose grabbed Rhiannon's hand and held it tightly for moral support. A car whipped around the corner and hit Pete, the vase flew from his hand and broke on the ground. Pete laid there dying.

"Go to him, quick." the Doctor said. Rose dragged Rhiannon along with her.

"Dad," Rose said as she sat beside him tears streaming down her face. "It's Rose all grown up."

"Rose," Pete smiled at her as he passed away. Rose stood and walked away. Rose and Rhiannon walked back to the TARDIS. Once back in the TARDIS, Rose hugged Rhiannon and cried. Rhiannon let Rose just cry. The Doctor put the TARDIS back into the vortex. He felt bad for Rose but she wanted this, for closure.

After what felt like hours to Rhiannon, Rose finally stopped crying and went to her room. Rhiannon was left with the Doctor in the console room alone. "So," she said.

"What?" he asked.

"In the mood for a show or do you want to go somewhere exciting?" she asked.

"Go somewhere exciting?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said as she nervously fiddled with her loss strands of hair that spilled from her messy bun. "I don't know just some place new." A large grin played out across his face. He jumped around the console, flipping lever, pressing buttons, and turning dials. "I will go see if Rose is up to coming with us." She left down the hall to Rose's room, and knocked on the door.

"Yes," Rose sniffed. Rhiannon opened the door and poked her head so Rose could see Rhiannon.

"The Doctor and I were thinking of stretching our legs," Rhiannon said. "Wanna come? I think the walk will do you some good."

"Nah," Rose shook her head. "I know that you mean well but I think I'm gonna call Mickey and talk with him."

"Oh, OK," Rhiannon said.

"You go," Rose said. "Have fun with the Doctor." Rose smiled through her tears. Rhiannon returned the smile.

"By the way," Rhiannon said. "You can call me Rhee now too. K?" Rose nodded with a small smile. Rhiannon skipped down the hall to the console room. The Doctor looked up from his monitor when Rhiannon entered the room. "Just you and me this trip."

"Alright." he said. The TARDIS landed and he ran to the doors and flung them wide open. He moved so Rhiannon could see where they had landed. Rhiannon stepped forward and was blown away by the sight before her. They were in the middle of a garden. "I thought you might like this."

"It's beautiful," she whispered. She stepped out of the TARDIS and notice that most of these flowers she knew but there was so many that she didn't know. She walked straight to a lilac bush and sniffed the flowers.

He walked out and closed the doors behind him. He looked over to see her sniffing the lilacs. "I heard you mention the Goddess," he started. "So I thought you might be pagan. But being from the 21st century it's more likely that you are Neo-Pagan."

She turned to look at him. "Neo-Pagan," she replied. "Wiccan to be in fact." Ice blue eyes met sapphire eyes, she smiled at him. "Is that a problem?"

"No," he smiled back. "If you view me as a man, then you're just a woman." She opened her mouth to tell him how she feels but she knew that, that was a step she was not ready to take yet. She loved two men and that was tearing her apart. The pain from the thought to failing both men flashed in her eyes. "I'm not trying to push anything." He walked up to her and grabbed her hands. "I don't want you to feel like you have to hurry anything."

"That's just it," she said. "That is who I am. I rush in, and never look back." She moved away from him and turned away. "But I don't want to rush things with you, and end up hurting you." He frowned.

"Sounds like me," he said. "Always running." She laughed lightly then he noticed that she had scars on her shoulders. "How did you get these?" He traced the scars on her shoulders lightly.

"Oh," she said as her body shivered under his touch. "I was overweight. Medication caused it so I gained it all rather fast so the stretch marks scared." He stared at her in shock he couldn't believe the beautiful woman before him bared so many scars and so much pain. "If you want to know about all my scars you should just have asked."

"I didn't think it was polite to ask a lady about all her faults," he replied resting his hands on her shoulders.

"Well," she started. "There is only one set of scars that I don't like talking about. And you already know about those." She raised her gloves hands. "These are the only scars I hate. Yes, the only scar you don't know about comes with its own set of bad memories." She dropped her left hand and put her right hand on on his hand on her left shoulder.

"You don't have to tell me," he said as he moved closer to her, he moved his arms down her sides, then he pulled her close to him holding her from behind.

"I want to," she said. "When I was 22, I got pregnant." He felt her swallow hard. "It was an ectopic pregnancy. My tube burst, I didn't know. My mother took me to the hospital, because I was losing consciousness randomly. When I got to the hospital they told me that I needed emergency surgery." He held her tighter. "At 24 I had another one but this one was caught in enough time to save my tube. I had to sign a paper giving them permission to abort the baby." She sighed. "Even though I know that ectopic pregnancies mean that both the baby and I would die, it still hurt to sign a paper that would, end the life of a child."

He couldn't think of what to say, he knew that feeling all too well. After all he killed 2.47 billion children when he destroyed his planet. But at the same time it was different, this was her own unborn child. If given that choice would he make the same choice? They stood there for a long while then he remembered why he brought her here. He let go of her and she turned around. "I brought you here for more than just the garden." he said as he grabbed her hand and lightly pulled her.

They ran all the way to town. He led her to the main street where their was a large alien bazaar. She was taken away by all the different aliens and the different smells. Suddenly her stomach growled. "Guess I'm hungry." she laughed.

"Then let's fix that," he said as he smiled at her.

Notes: Well now you have more of Rhiannon's passed but she is only revealing it in small bits. Very soon she will reveal all. But to who?