Rose busied herself reorganizing her dresser. It wasn't necessary, but she thought it would be a good distraction as she waited for the results. It wasn't as distracting as she'd hoped. She bit her bottom lip, her mind unable to keep focused on her task. It kept returning to events that took place three months ago. The night before the Daleks and Bad Wolf Bay.
The first two weeks since that night had been difficult as James, the new Doctor, adjusted to life as a human and she adjusted to him. The Doctor was right about James. They thought alike and had the same memories, but sometimes James came out sounding a bit rougher, which he explained was that bit of Donna in him.
Even though she knew the Doctor had left her there to help James she couldn't help feeling betrayed. He told her he wouldn't do to her what he did to Sarah Jane, but he had. Those two weeks were filled with breakdowns on her part and James trying to comfort her, but it was hard because every time she looked at him she thought of the Doctor and what he'd done to her. Walking away like that without even saying goodbye.
Eventually she realized what she was doing to James. Blaming him for what someone else did, after all James was the one who told her the three words she'd never heard from the Doctor's lips. Yes, the Time Lord loved her. She knew that, but he wasn't able to tell her. To give that to her and James was.
They weren't together. Not in the intimate sense, but they were friends. He'd moved into the spare room in her flat, at first because he didn't have anywhere else to go. Well, he could've stayed with her parents, but she thought he'd probably rather sleep under a park bench than spend that much time with her mum.
Two weeks more and they were both working at Torchwood together. James had been reluctant at first, but she explained how things were different at the Torchwood in this universe and since he retained the Doctor's memories, which meant he could speak just about every language in the universe he would very likely serve as a translator, something they desperately needed. Although the TARDIS translated most languages that was usually a benefit for his companions since there weren't many languages he couldn't speak.
James wound up being the best and worst asset Torchwood could've asked for. His translator abilities came in handy on almost a daily basis, but his aversion to weapons had him and Pete butting heads on nearly a daily basis as well.
Rose's watch beeped, bringing her out of her thoughts. The three minutes were up. She sat the blue shirt she'd been holding back in her dresser and took a breath, trying to steady her hands because they started shaking. She turned around and made her way to the master bathroom.
As the doors to the lift slid open James reached in his pocket and realized he forgot the keys. He punched in the number for the floor that the flat was on he shared with Rose. He could be so daft sometimes. Well, all the time he was around her. He was glad she was finally moving on from that day at Bad Wolf Bay.
They had a rocky start at first and he wasn't sure if she was going to reject him or not, but she let him stay with her and after he helped her through the worst of it, which lasted about two weeks, she began to let him in. They weren't back to what they used to be, but they were close friends and he hoped that one day she'd be ready.
He was the same man after all. At least, up until the time when he and the Time Lord split. Well, not actually split, but he was born with all of the Time Lord's memories and his mind was essentially the same. He thought pretty much the same with a little bit of Donna thrown in, but that small part of her was probably why he'd been able to adjust so quickly to being human.
It still felt strange, being human, but if that was what he had to put up with to be with Rose it was worth it. The one adventure that he thought he'd never have and there he was. He'd thought about it many times when they traveled together and when he asked her how long she was going to stay with him and she answered forever he allowed himself to believe it. For a moment, but that belief was shattered when he remembered that she was human and her forever wasn't nearly as long as his. Yes, she could stay with him forever, her forever and he'd watch as she grew old, as she withered and died. He didn't think he could watch someone he loved die like that. He hadn't been able to before. That's why he let them go. Leaving them behind, but he found that he wasn't able to do that with her. He'd almost left her countless times, had even made it to the TARDIS once, but he couldn't leave her. It was as if part of his soul cried out for her.
When he lost her at Canary Wharf something inside of him died, but then she came back to him and it was as if he was reborn. He intended to keep her with him forever and that was where he and the Doctor separated. He'd been able to keep her with him, but the Time Lord hadn't.
The Doctor, The other Doctor, had to walk away from her forever because that was the price he paid. James felt sorry for the Time Lord because he knew that Rose was not just another companion. She was part of him, which meant she was also part of James because he felt the same way about her.
None of that mattered now though. The Doctor was gone and Rose was with James now. She was his Rose. They were together and now that she had begun to let him in he knew that eventually they would get back to the way things used to be. He might be stuck on the slow path, but being stuck on the slow path with her was worth it. The Doctor was right, just being around her changed him. She made him want to be better.
Of course seeing her in those short, shorts that were, well, not much more than knickers and tank top she wore to bed helped. Oh, and those few times she walked through the living room with only a towel wrapped around her because she forgot to pull her clothes out of the dryer before she took a shower. He could recall the exact color each towel was, but he couldn't, for the life of him, remember what he'd been watching on the telly when it happened.
He opened the door and immediately realized something was wrong. She was crying. She hadn't broken down in weeks and his heart dropped at the thought that she was reliving that day on the beach again. The day she thought the Doctor abandoned her.
"Rose," he called as he ran through the living room and into her bedroom.
She was standing just inside the doorway of the master bathroom, looking at something in her hand. He ran to her, wondering what she could be looking at that was so upsetting.
"Rose, what's wrong?" he asked, comfortingly.
Her eyes snapped to his and he saw – horror, guilt, fear, pain… It nearly took his breath away. Why would she… He saw what she was holding before she was able to duck her hand behind her back. He was filled with his own emotions – anger, betrayal, pain. He grabbed her wrist and stared at the pink line as all of his emotions converged into one.
"Who?" he growled, not taking his eyes from the pink line because he couldn't look in her eyes.
He didn't trust himself and he knew he was gripping her wrist more tightly than he should, but he was afraid of what he might do if he moved.
"I…it's…" her voice wavered, but at that moment he didn't care.
He didn't care that she was upset because she had…she had… He couldn't even bring himself to think about it. He knew if he did his anger would win out. The same anger that he felt when he killed all those Daleks. It was there, burning just below the surface.
"Who?" he repeated, insistently.
"The…the Doctor," she said, barely above a whisper.
"Liar," he yelled, releasing her wrist and glaring into her eyes.
He clenched his hands as they shook with the rage that now coursed through him. How dare she stand there and lie to his face. He loved her. He trusted her and this was how she repaid him. He gave up everything for her. The TARDIS. The other universe. Everything!
"It's true," she insisted, her voice rising to match his.
He tried to reign in the emotions churning inside of him and with every ounce of strength he possessed he took a step back because he was afraid he might actually strike her. He was one step from losing control and he really wasn't sure what he was capable of at that moment.
"You know we haven't been together in two years and you're going to stand there and tell me that we… I-I don't even know who you are!"
She could hear the anger in his voice and see the betrayal in his eyes. She felt guilty, but his words cut through her guilt and turned it to anger. He was accusing her of something she'd never do. The Doctor said that James was him and in that moment that was the only person she saw. The Doctor. The man who'd walked away from her. The man who'd dropped her back in that universe and disappeared in his TARDIS just like he'd done to Sarah Jane.
"I'm not lying! You're the one who lies, remember?" she snapped.
His hand shot up as if to slap her. She took a step back and gasped in shock. The Doctor, her Doctor would never do that. The reality of the situation snapped into her mind. She hadn't been with James. She'd been with the Doctor, the future Doctor. The Time Lord said James was him, but did he mean James was the Doctor or did he mean James was the man he was at that time? That regeneration?
Jame's hand clamped down on her wrist and he began to half drag, half pull her out of the bathroom.
"What are you doing?" she asked, struggling in his grip.
"You want me to believe it's mine? Fine. We'll just run some tests, but I'm pretty sure I know what the results will be unless I've somehow forgotten us being together within the last three months and I'm pretty sure I haven't," he snapped as he drug her though the bedroom.
"James, I…" She trailed off as the anger drained out of her, replaced by guilt. He ignored her as he pulled her into the living room. He stopped to grab the keys off of the stand by the door. "James, wait," she insisted. He looked at her, but didn't let go of her wrist. His eyes bored holes into hers. "There's something I need to tell you."
"Ready to come clean?"
"You're right. We…we weren't together. You and me that is…" His hand tightened on her wrist. "When I was trying to find you using the dimension cannon I found the Doctor. Not the Doctor you were, but a future version of you. I saw you…I mean him three times and the third time you were…I mean he was in so much pain and I just-"
"You expect me to believe that you saw a future version of me, well, him actually since I won't have a future version because I'm bloody human, not once, but three times?"
She thought he'd be hurt once she revealed the truth, but he didn't even believe her. She was sure the Doctor would've believed her. They weren't as much alike as she thought. The Doctor was wrong. They weren't the same person.
"It's true."
"Do you even know how impossible that is?" His eyes narrowed. "No, of course not. Otherwise you would've thought up a different lie."
That was it. She'd had enough. If he needed proof then she'd give him proof. Then he could sod off for all she cared.
"Fine. You want proof. Let's go run your stupid tests," she snapped, walking toward the door with his hand still clamped over her wrist.
He released her and followed in silence. A silence that stretched as he drove her to Torchwood, entered the building, and walked down the halls until they came to the infirmary.
James couldn't believe she was dragging this out. She was lying. She had to be. It was completely impossible that she would have seen his future self, The Doctor's future self, he corrected, three times when she was using the dimension cannon to get back to him. Part of him wanted to believe her. Told him that she was telling the truth. Rose would never lie to him like that, especially about something that important, but he pushed those feelings aside.
"How are we going to do this?" she asked as they entered the infirmary.
"If you're telling me the truth," he scoffed, "then the child you're carrying isn't human."
"What?" she gasped.
He paused for a moment. Taken back by the shock in her eyes. Maybe she was telling the truth. No, she probably hadn't thought of that when she made up the lie and now she was realizing that she'd be found out. Yes, that was much more likely.
"I'm human biologically. Well, except for my mind, but the Doctor is a full Time Lord."
"What do you-"
"If you are carrying his child, the likelihood of which is even slimmer than you running into a version of his future self three different times in one night," he continued, interrupting her question. "Then a DNA test should prove that."
"What are you going to do?" she asked.
The fear in her voice tugged at his heart, but he tried to push it aside as he retrieved a needle and syringe. He had to run the test. She was forcing his hand. If she would only tell him the truth he wouldn't have to do this. He walked back to the medical table she was sitting on intent on doing just that, but the closer he got to her the more reluctant he became.
He watched her glance from the needle in his hand to him as realization crept over her face. He could see the fear in her eyes then it was replaced by fierce determination as she pulled in a breath and laid down and looked up at the ceiling as if this was something that had to be done, not something she wanted to do.
"Just get it over with," she said.
He looked at the needle in his hand. What the hell was he doing? This wasn't just anyone. This was Rose. She wouldn't lie to him. Not about this. He let out an unsteady breath. Had he completely lost his mind?
He turned around and put the needle back in the drawer then retrieved the ultrasound equipment.
"What are you doing?" she asked, confused.
"I…" He cleared his throat, his voice still unsteady after he realized what he'd been about to put her through. "I want to make sure everything's okay."
"I thought you wanted to make sure I wasn't lying?"
He pulled the cart with the equipment to the side of the table she was lying on. Then he looked into her eyes, taking her hand.
"If you say it happened then I believe you. I…I'm sorry, Rose. I know you wouldn't lie to me. Now, let's see how the little one is doing."
He didn't ask her to forgive him because he was afraid of what she'd say. He'd acted like a sod, no worse than a sod. He'd almost…he pushed the thoughts aside. He hoped being there for her would help make up for his actions.
"This is going to be a little cold," he apologized as he squirted some gel onto the scanner.
She lifted her shirt to expose her stomach. He turned the machine on and then lightly slid the scanner across her abdomen. He located the baby almost instantly. Rose appeared to be about twelve weeks along, give or take a week, which would put her around when she claimed…said, he amended. When she said she'd been with him.
He felt anger growing inside of him again. Looking at the child, her child, who wasn't his child was almost enough to send him over the edge again, but he pushed the anger down. He'd done it before as a Time Lord and he wasn't about to let his weak human emotions rule him. Everyone might call him James in this universe, but he hadn't changed his mind about himself. He was the Doctor, just like he told Donna on the Crucible.
As he moved the scanner something caught his eye. Slowly he backtracked and…froze. His eyes widened in shock.
"What is it? What's wrong?" Rose asked, fearfully.
"Your…" he rasped because his throat had gone dry. "Your baby has two hearts."
"What?" Rose gasped.
"You were telling me the truth."
"I…wait. I thought you said you believed me?"
"I…" He tried to believe her because he didn't think she would lie to him, but until that moment he had doubts. Now, all of his doubts were gone. They were replaced by fear. "This…we need to run some tests."
"Why? Do you see something?"
"No. Well, yes. I…I need to check something."
"What is it? What's wrong?"
He was scaring her and he hadn't meant to. At least not until he knew. He had to retrieve some equipment. He needed to run a DNA test, but he didn't want to put her through more than she'd already gone through. The medical devices on this planet were rudimentary, but he could put something together using the ultrasound equipment and a few other devices. It wouldn't take him long, but he didn't want her to sit there and worry.
"Its fine, Rose. I just need to run a test, but I need to put something together first. It won't take me too long."
"Doctor," she said, taking his hand. "Tell me what's wrong."
He turned to her. His eyes widened in surprise. It was the first time she'd called him that since he'd been in this body. He could see the fear in her eyes, but she sounded calm.
"I…I…" he stammered, trying to find a way to tell her without making her more afraid. "Your baby has two hearts."
"What does that mean?"
"I'm part Time Lord, Rose, and I only have one heart."
"And?"
"And two hearts would mean that your child is more Time Lord than I am."
"Okay and being more Time Lord would mean what? Is there some special diet I have to be on or something?"
He sighed. If only it that were true.
"Doctor, you're scaring me. Please, just tell me what you're so worried about."
"Rose, carrying a Time Lord baby is dangerous for a human."
"What do you mean?"
He sighed again, rubbing his neck. He'd have to tell her. There was no way around it now.
"If this baby is as much Time Lord as two hearts indicates then having this child could…could…"
"Could what?"
"Could kill you."
He needed to look at the baby's DNA. He had to know so he could decide what to do. No matter what Rose said, and he knew she'd protest him on it; he wouldn't let this child kill her. He wasn't about to lose her.
Two hours later Rose was lying on the table again while James ran the scanner over her stomach, but this time looking for a much different reading. She watched him nervously. Please, just let everything be okay. Please. Her emotions had been bounced around so much that morning she was already feeling the onset of exhaustion. It was too much.
She wanted to be there for her child, but she knew what her decision would be if the outcome wasn't what she wanted. This was her child and she was determined to make sure he or she survived.
"What does it say?" she asked.
"It's…Rose this just isn't possible," he said in shock.
"Please, just tell me."
The tears she'd been holding back were threatening to fall.
"Your…your baby is a Time Lord."
"Yeah, but how much?"
"No, you don't understand. Your baby is a full Time Lord."
"Wait, but how is that even possible?"
"I…I don't know. It shouldn't be, but don't worry. The good thing is your early enough along for me to decide how best to take care of this."
Take care of this? What the hell did he mean by that? Part of her knew, but she didn't want to believe that he would even suggest something like that. This was their child. No, this was her and the Doctor's child, she amended. Was that why James was suggesting taking care of this?
"I'm not taking care of anything," she snapped, pulling her shirt down and sitting up as soon as he finished wiping off the gel.
"Rose, you don't understand-"
"Don't act like I'm an idiot! I heard what you said, even if it's true-"
"It is true!"
James growled as his anger spilled out. He knew she'd fight him on this, but it was the only way. He wouldn't let her kill herself.
"You can't know for sure," she shot.
"If it had one heart, if it was part human, then yes, you would survive. The birth would still scar you, but you would survive, but it has two hearts. It's a full Time Lord. It will kill you. Not maybe. Not possibly. You will die, Rose and I'm not going to let that happen."
"First of all, Doctor," she snapped, disdainfully, "This is my child not an it and second you have absolutely no say over what I do, even if you were the father, which you're not!"
"You're right. He's the one who got to walk away and I'm the one who's stuck here with you. At least he got a choice!"
He knew he was hurting her, but at that moment he didn't care. Her words had hurt him and he wanted her to feel as bad as he did. She looked at him in shock for a minute, tears trailing down her cheeks, and then she ran from the room.
James kicked the table, which did nothing, but earn him a sore foot. He cursed, grabbing his foot and flopped back in a metal chair that almost fell backwards from his weight. Rassilon! He ran a hand through his hair all at once feeling like a sod again. He hated human emotions. They had never affected him this much. He'd been angry before, mainly at Pete over the man's constant weapon building and scavenging. He'd been jealous a few times when he was with Rose and another bloke would hit on her, but he'd never treated her the way he'd been treating her all morning. What the hell was wrong with him?
Part of it was shock. Shock over finding out that Rose had…but he couldn't blame her for what she did. Not now that he knew who she'd been with. He was jealous, yes, that was another part of it because her child was also his child. The Doctor's. If she'd been with the Doctor he had grown from he knew he wouldn't be thinking this way and he also knew he was being ridiculous. He couldn't help how he felt though.
Another part of his shock was over the fact that this was so nearly impossible that he hadn't expected it. Not her being with the Doctor, but her even conceiving. Although humans looked like Time Lords their genetic differences made conception nearly impossible. Then, added to that, was the fact that the child was a full Time Lord. No human DNA whatsoever, which made his rational mind, and there was quite a lot of that, wonder how she was even able to carry the child. Her body should have rejected the fetus, but it hadn't. In fact the baby was growing at a normal rate and seemed quite healthy.
Now that he was calm he was able to better assess the situation. He had allowed his pain and jealousy to take over his mind. There was an alternative that he missed or ignored. He would be a lot more confident in the idea if he still had his TARDIS, but it could still be done and he knew it was the only option that Rose would accept. He needed to talk to her, profusely apologize, which he hoped she would accept, even if she didn't he was sure there was at least one slap in his immediate future that he deserved, then he could tell her about the other option.
I don't own Doctor Who, any of its Characters, any of its Story Lines, however I do own a fez.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I tried to make the Duplicate a little more human in this one.
Thank you to all my brilliant readers and if you have time reviews are always welcome! :)