When You Have Only One Lifetime

Part Three

by

Sabrina Lonewalker

Rose looked at him, "Go ahead," she said softly. He nodded, "After he was gone, I went to Grace. Those beautiful, intelligent eyes were staring at nothing. She was dead and my hearts were broken. I carried her up the staircase and laid her out on the landing. I knelt there for the longest, thinking of what might have been. I loved her, Rose, I loved her and she was gone, like all the others. Then, a strange thing happened. I had forgotten that we were travelling back in time. A golden shape rose from the Eye." His voice reflected his awe and wonder. "It came over and descended on top of Grace then, she opened her eyes. I was stunned, at first then, she lifted her arms and I pulled her to me. I remember whispering, "You came back." Then, we walked down the stairs and I took her home."

Rose was surprised. "She didn't go with you?" Darick smiled, "Not at first, she didn't want to feel like she was abandoning her patients. I understood that so, I left. But, I couldn't stay away. I did something I'd never done before, I went back for her. I found her out in front of her house and asked her again. This time, she said yes." His eyes filled with tears. "The rest you know about, I told you when I took you with me to visit her." Rose nodded, "I remember." Darick smiled, "She's the one who found within me the capacity to love again and she drew that out of me to the light. That's why I was the way I was when you first met me. I was hurting, angry, mad at the universe. The hole in my heart was so big."

Rose squeezed his hand again. "I found out something, I don't know how it would help but, I checked into Grace when I got to this universe. Darick," she sighed, "In this universe, Grace Holloway died in a boating accident when she was twelve. She never had the chance to become a doctor, to live life, to love." Darick was quiet after that revelation. So many things were different here. He nodded to Rose and soon, they drove back home. He asked Rose, "Could I visit her grave?" Rose nodded, "Yeah, she's buried in San Francisco. I can get Dad to arrange for us to go there, unless, you'd rather go alone."

Darick smiled, "No, Rose, I want you to come with me. You're always by my side." She smiled and nodded and they drove home. Once back, the wedding preperations got into full swing and Darick was totally bewildered by it all until Pete had a good, long talk with him, explaining what he could. Darick relaxed when he realized that he actually had very little to worry about. He asked a few questions that cleared up some point for him then, headed outside, to take a walk, to clear his head and think.

What Rose had told him about Grace in this universe had hurt him more than he let on. He was remembering the warm, loving woman he had known. His marriage to her had brought him so much joy and then, that damned Time War! Then, he remembered 1913, a professor named John Smith and another what might have been but no, He had to be the Doctor, never having a normal life. He picked up some stones along the beach and threw them as hard as he could, screaming his rage as the waves crashed in. Then, he sank to his knees in the wet sand, tears flowing again as the memories almost overwhelmed him then, Rose was by his side, her arms around him, pulling his head onto her shoulder to let him weep. She said nothing. Somehow, she knew, he had to get this out of his system, he had held it inside for so long.

"Let it out, Darick," Rose mummured in his ear, "Let it out and let it go. Do what he won't do, what he can't do." He pulled away from her and she watched the rage and grief of a Timelord, centuries of love and loss poured out of him as he finally let himself go. Rose listened and learned things she had never known about him, his capacity for love, the grief he had held back for so long, the rage at never being able to have what would be called a normal life, at having to leave behind those he had loved. She marveled at the iron will of this man who had gone on as normal for so long with all of this churning inside of him. She thought she had known him but she realized that he had never let anyone in, not that far, not far enough to see his rages, his anger, his grief. Finally, he again sank to his knees in the sand, spent and emotionally exhausted.

Rose went to him and he pulled her to him, burying his face in her shoulder as he held on for dear life. "Rose," he said, his voice still choked with tears, "Don't ever let me go." Rose smiled and kissed the top of his head, "I won't, Darick, I chose you. I'll never let you go." He held onto her for the longest. Then, he pulled back to look at her and kissed her, passionately. She returned the kiss, this was what she had waited for, had wanted for so long but, he pulled away and she smiled, remembering what he had said.

He looked into her eyes for a long time and finally managed a smile. "It will be all right, my Rose, I promise you that." She grinned, "I know, Darick, I know." They walked the beach for awhile, quiet, just content being in each others company, his arm around her shoulders and hers around his waist. Just after sunset, they returned to the house and the family noticed Darick was different, not so tense now. He seemed to enjoy dinner more this time and Rose watched him but, not as closely as she had been once they were home.

Over the next few days, wedding preperations were at a fever pitch. Pete got Darick away from all of the chaos by giving him a job with Torchwood as, what else? Scientific Adviser. The one thing Darick was especially happy about was that there was no Captain Jack Harkness around. Something about that man had always made Darick uncomfortable and it wasn't just his flirtations with Rose although, he admitted, that was part of it. .

Three days later, there was a press conference about Rose's wedding and Darick was there by her side. She smiled then, she saw his face change and followed the direction he was looking in. She nodded, she was afraid this was going to happen. One of the reporters was Sarah Jane Smith, looking older, face lined but still "His Sarah Jane". Rose nudged him and he looked at her. "Darick," she whispered, "In this universe, she never met you. She married Doctor Harry Sullivan about thirty years ago and they have four grown children. Ok?" His face fell for just a moment but then, he relaxed and smiled, squeezing her hand a little tighter. "It's ok, I have the woman I want. I'm glad she's happy."

Rose smiled back. He was a lot more comfortable with himself after that day at the beach. It was something he had desperately needed to do for so long but, only the Human Doctor could allow himself to let go like that. Rose was sad thinking how the Doctor would not let himself go. She sat quietly as Darick handled most of the questions with grace and a wicked sense of humor. On the whole, it went very well and they headed home.

Weeks passed and finally, the day had arrived. Darick woke up in his own room, realizing that this would be the last time he woke up alone. He stood back, looking at the wedding tux hanging on the door and shook his head in wonder. He had seen lots of different wedding customs on the different planets he had visited and dozens here on earth. Right now though, this wedding custom was all that mattered to him. He began to get dressed.

The wedding was taking place there in Pete's mansion and for once, even Tony was behaving himself. Darick came downstairs and Pete pulled him into a side room. Pete had double duty that day, he was giving away the bride and, Darick had asked him to be his best man. Once inside, Pete talked, giving Darick a chance to catch his breath. "You all right?" Pete asked. Darick was quiet for a few seconds then, that incredible smile spread across his face. "Yes, I'm fine. Pete, I'm marrying the woman I love, what could be better than that?"

Pete nodded, "I'm glad to hear that. I've come to care about my little girl and I don't want her hurt." Darick nodded, "I understand that, and I would never hurt her for the world." Pete growled at him, "You'd better not." Darick laughed, a happy, relaxed laugh and the two men took their places. Peter escorted Darick to his place before the altar and then, went to get his little girl. Darick was nervous, more nervous than he had ever been facing Daleks, Cybermen and the like. This was different, this was the love of his life, the woman who meant everything to him.

One thing had not changed, the wedding march. When it began playing Darick turned around and his heart caught in his throat. His Rose was so beautiful! Wearing white was not a tradition for brides on this world so, Rose was wearing, what else? A rose pink wedding dress. He felt tears starting in his eyes, she was so lovely and she was his. She seemed to float down the aisle towards him and she only had eyes for him, no one else. He felt so proud and happy. Then, she was beside him, looking up at him, smiling. She had made her choice and she had chosen him.

They stood before the Celtic Priest as he spoke of love and life, of the joys of sharing the journey together. Darick thought he might look foolish with that smile on his face but, the entire audiance could see just how much these two loved each other. The reception seemed to go by in a blur for him and Pete and Jackie saw them off for their extended honeymoon trip. They were taking Pete's private derigible on an around the world trip or, as much as they could visit in three weeks.

The trip started off rather comically as Darick argued wind speeds and fuel economy with the Captain of the ship. The computer couldn't keep up with Darick's calculations and Rose was laughing. Later, she was sorting through her suitcase, looking for a dress when she found the small package. She wondered how it got there. It was addressed to "Meta Doctor" and written in the Doctor's precise printing. She picked it up and found Darick in one of the lounges on the promanade. She came over.

"Darick, I found this in my suitcase, the one I took off the TARDIS. It's for you." Darick's eyes widened, "From you, love?" He asked. Rose's eyes were hooded, "No, it's from the Doctor." Darick's gaze narrowed as he took the small package. He recognized the printing and his eyebrows went up. "He must have done this after my creation because I have no memory of it. That must be why he left the control room after setting the coordinates to bring us here, remember?" Rose nodded as she sat beside him. She remembered they had been talking quetly and the Doctor had left. His face looked like he was thinking hard about something.

Darick opened the package and his eyes widened like a child's. He pulled out a folded sheet of paper and handed it to Rose. She read it out loud. "You'll need this. It wouldn't be right for you not to have one. Good luck and take damned good care of her or so help me, I will find you." Rose smiled and then caught her breath as Darick pulled out a brand new sonic screwdriver. Rose then smiled, "Now do you feel better?" Darick smiled, "I was planning to construct one, I felt lost without it. Now," he almost purred, "What about tonight?" Rose laughed as she kissed him and, whispered in his ear, "Oh, you'll see." he grinned.

End Part Three.