CHAPTER 2
The man at the front door just stood there. He was tall but not as tall as her husband. He had a fairly large chin, and was wearing a white shirt with a brown suit coat over it, darker brown patches on the elbows. He also wore a bow tie, he adjusted it as he looked straight at her husband.
She looked at John's face, it was in shock, confusion sprinkled in his eyes behind the dark look of knowing that he always wore and she had become so used to.
"Well," said the stranger. "Isn't this a surprise!" And without any permission what-so-ever, he walked strait into their house.
"What are you doing? This could be very dangerous! What are you doing here? It's impossible!" Rose looked at her husband as he spoke the the man he so obviously knew, but how? Who was he?
The man spoke. "Calm down" he said. "It couldn't be a paradox because you are not me, so there's no danger whatsoever," the mans eyes flickered over to Rose and then back to John.
"Well, you might as well sit down then," John said to the other man. "Honey," she looked over at him when he addresses her.
"Yes dear?" She asked. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the other man flinch.
"Can you get us some tea?" He asked.
"Of course" she said as she waddled away to the kitchen.
She listened intently to the men as they spoke.
Her husband spoke first. "What are you doing here? More importantly, how did you get here?" His voice was not mean or demanding but curious and friendly
The other man spoke. "I don't know. I was actually trying to get away from earth for a little bit, I was planning in going to Axelon, but the TARDIS apparently had other plans. I usually find it sexy when she does that, but this is not good, I've been through enough pain in the last few months, I don't really want to dredge up anymore," Rose's interest sparked at the mention of the TARDIS, but she heard that unbearable sadness in his voice as he spoke.
"Why would she bring you here do you think? Does she want you to take Rose back? Does she think we don't have a life started?" Her husbands voice got harder as he spoke. What does he mean by "want Rose back"? She had never met this man in her life.
"Calm down, that not what she brought me here for, I'm sure of that. I couldn't take her with me anyway, I'm giving up on companions, they always leave in the end. That is pain I just don't want to deal with anymore," again there was sadness in the strangers voice. She carried the tea out and handed one to each of the men, then carefully sat down.
"I know, I'm sorry Doctor; wow that's weird, addressing you as Doctor. It's like talking to yourself. Well technically, if you thing about it, i am," her husband rattled on. Then it hit her like a speeding truck.
He tea glass dropped from her hands as she stare at the stranger who wasn't a stranger. "Doctor?" She said quietly.
The man looked over at her, she saw the sadness in his eyes that was so different from her husbands. It was the sadness that only appeared when you lost someone you cared about. "Rose, I'm not your Doctor. I was a long time ago, but I'm not the same man, obviously. You're Doctor is sitting right next to you,"
Her husband put his hand in her shoulder. "But how?" She asked. "How many regenerations since you left?"
"Only one," he replied. "This is my eleventh, well technically my 12th, but this is my eleventh body,"
Her husband tried to speak but she interrupted. "How did you die?" She asked very quietly.
"Radiation. After the Master sent the time lords back to the time rift. I died to save Donna's grandfather, radiation poisoning. That's when the TARDIS crashed in Amy's yard..." He trailed off, stopping when he mentioned the girl named Amy.
"Amy?" Rose asked quietly. "Why isn't she with you?"
Her husband spoke. "Rose, I think that's enough questions for now," he said. She looked at him confused then looked over at the other Doctor.
There was a tear on his cheek. She rarely saw the Doctor cry. "She died. Her husband was taken by the weeping angles and she joined him so they could live, and die, together," he closed his eyes. "I would be in much worse condition if River hadn't been there, we comforted each other, they were her parents, it must have been much harder for her. Amy was my best friend..."
"Who's River?" Rose asked. The Doctor smiled.
"Well, to put it simply, she's my wife," he laughed aloud. "She's quite clever she is, and she thinks my bow tie is cool," he smiled again, adjusting his bow tie. "Bow ties are cool," he said more to himself that to the others.
Rose was very confused. This doctor was so different from her husband and the doctor she know before him.
She looked over at her husband and saw he was laughing too. "River, I should have known," now Rose was definitely confused.
"How do you know River?" she asked her husband.
"Met her in the library when I was traveling with Donna; well technically I wasn't the one who was traveling with Donna, he was, but I have the memories so..." He paused to take a breath. " I was so confused in how she knew who I was, it's quite obvious now," he gestured to the Doctor.
This conversation seemed to lighten the mood. The Doctor stood up. "Well I'm not going anywhere soon, not until the TARDIS recharges. You mind if I park her in here?" He asked stretching his arms upwards.
Her husband stood and spoke. "Not at all! I'd love to catch up, see what's been happening since I apparently died. I'd like to know how the Master came back, if you don't mind,"
The Doctor: "it's quite a long story, but we should have plenty if time.
"Well," Rose said shocked. "That is not something I was expecting,"
The Doctor laughed and then jumped out the door.
When the door shut, rose looked over at her husband. "I'm glad I stayed home today," she said. "Because I really need to go lay down,"