Chapter 7
Jon and Rose took the next day off of work to be together and sort things out. What had happened was so disturbing on so many levels they agreed they needed to spend some time together.
Rose was worried about Jon. If a pregnancy did result from her dream-state encounter with the Doctor, he would be raising someone else's child, even if that someone else was, essentially, himself. She also worried about the Doctor, all alone in the other universe. If Jon's dream was accurate, the Doctor knew about the child. How would he feel about that? She knew he'd feel guilty about what had happened between them in that dream-state, would he be even more devastated that his clone was raising his child?
Jon was worried about Rose. He knew she felt guilty about what had happened, although he assured her she did nothing wrong. She and the Doctor had been manipulated, but by what or whom? Was it the Bad Wolf? The golden glow he had witnessed would seem to support that, but Rose had no inkling, and the Bad Wolf had not left behind any signs. Could it be Dalek Caan? He had demonstrated the ability to manipulate Time, although he had also admitted that everything that happened at the Crucible would have, anyway (presumably because of the Bad Wolf, Jon thought). He also had an extraordinary knack for survival, although he had seemed to want to die. Or could it have been someone else? One of the Guardians, perhaps?
They spent the day talking, comforting one another, hashing things out, and shagging like bunnies. By early evening, they were both sure of one thing – no matter what, they loved each other, and nothing or no one would ever change that fact, no matter what.
They had no way of knowing that that commitment would be challenged someday, by the last person they ever thought.
Meanwhile, the Doctor sat in his library in the TARDIS in the other universe. They were in the Lupus constellation, near the wormhole he had previously discovered that had enabled him to contact them via Rose's altered cell phone. He had been able to reach through the wormhole into Jon's subconscious and talk with him via a dream. He grinned triumphantly to himself. Yes! He thought, I might not be able to be there physically – yet – but I can certainly communicate.
He had been cursing himself lately, angry that he had let Rose go, that he had denied himself the love that he deserved. And what about her? She was the Bad Wolf, she had sacrificed herself for him, and what had he done? Why he'd abandoned her in that other universe with his... clone. A poor imitation of himself. What an idiot I was, he thought. He was determined to get her back. He'd have to be careful, he knew she'd fallen for the clone – Jon, he was calling himself. He was going to have to arrange things carefully, once he figured out how to travel between universes again.
And the child! His child! The wondrous chance to have a child with the Bad Wolf. What abilities would his child would have? He had to be there, he had to be able to raise this child. This was something that could not be trusted to the clone. He had begun to think of Jon as a thing, not a person. Certainly not someone fit to raise a child with the Bad Wolf.
He had a lot of planning to do. But first, an experiment.
He closed his eyes, and thought of Jon. They would be in bed by now, any mental defenses Jon had would likely be down. He let himself fall into a deep trance, where he saw himself waking in Jon's body, in bed with Rose. He held Jon's hand up and looked at it, then reached down and rubbed the back of his neck, as he often did. Wonderful, he could feel it! Carefully he rolled Jon over and spooned Rose. He wrapped Jon's arms around her and felt her softness, inhaling her fragrance. He nibbled on her earlobe. She stirred, laughing softly.
"Not again," she laughed sleepily, "Really, how can you possibly have anything left?"
"Try me." he challenged, grinning maniacally.
She rolled over to embrace him, and he took her with the fury and passion of one whose hearts' desires had been denied for far too long. Every fantasy he'd had, every pent-up desire came flooding out, and he took full advantage again and again. By the time he was finally spent, she was exhausted.
"Jon, that was just – incredible!" she moaned. "How on Earth can you do that?"
"You deserve the best, my love," he whispered hoarsely, "and I'm going to see to it that you get nothing less."
With that, he slipped away from Jon, and back to his own body. He looked down. He needed a shower and a change of pants.