Fallout
Joshua drank the tea Jackie offered him greedily. Granted, he hadn't Regenerated, but he had just suffered from a severe psychic episode. The second in so many weeks and both because of the Time Lord who was a Universe away. He was beginning to think that he wouldn't be able to live his life at all without his counterpart's shadow always following. To say he was upset didn't cover it.
His burst of anger startled Rose, who shot up quickly from the narrow bed. They stared at one another before her face crumpled in confusion. Joshua watched her eyes glaze over. After a moment, her vision cleared and the look she gave him was scathing. It was anger directed at him, but at the same time, not. It was very close to the anger he felt. To feel her lashing out at him in the same way made him tamp down the fires of his anger. He waited patiently for her to speak.
"He could've damaged my Time Line. Stupid, inconsiderate Time Lord thinks he's the master of all Time and doesn't take into consideration how he messes with other people's lives." Jackie stepped closer to her daughter, trying to soothe her.
"Rose, dear, what are you talking about?"
"You remember New Year's, 2005?" Jackie blushed a bit.
"We went to a party together. We walked part way home before you stopped. I went ahead and went up to the flat. You came up a few minutes later, grinning like a fool. You never would tell me what happened, just that you'd been wished a great year or something."
"The Doctor, dying from radiation poisoning, stopped by. I think it was so say goodbye but I didn't know who he was. It was just before Henrik's. But he could've changed everything. What if I'd insisted on following him? We wouldn't be here. None of us, I bet. He just...how could he be so inconsiderate?" Jackie and Joshua exchanged glances. Rose was distraught, and for good reason, really. But being around Joshua right now probably wasn't the best idea. Jackie grabbed Rose's elbow gently and started maneuvering her out the door.
"Let's go for a walk, dear. Clear your mind." Joshua watched as Rose was taken from the room. The tension was palpable but he jumped from the table and plastered his fakest grin on.
"Well, Pete, Jake...what do you say about a bit of lunch? After that ordeal, I'm a bit starved." Pete nodded while Jake looked between the two of them.
"What? You're just going to leave without them?" Pete and Joshua looked at one another, then back and Jake. Simultaneously, they answered.
"Yes!" Jake shook his head and followed them out the door.
~DW~~DW~~DW~
Jackie and Rose wandered the halls aimlessly. They were on the upper level now, which was open to the public. Nothing dangerous was housed here. They walked hand-in-hand, while Rose tried to calm herself. Finally, Jackie broke the silence.
"I know you aren't angry at Joshua. So why are you taking this out on him?"
"I'm not trying to. But I just had a new memory shoved into my head because of something the Doctor did. Worse, my entire life I have now could have changed. That's what makes me angry."
"But nothing did happen, Rose. We're all here, safe and sound. Nothing has changed. Can't you just drop it? Focus on the fact that he wanted to see you one last time?"
Rose stopped and looked at her Mum. The years in this world had changed Jackie Tyler. Where before she was frightened and intimidated by aliens and things people would call "unnatural", she'd blossomed into it here. She took the aliens in stride and often could be seen at Torchwood, nursing those who were injured, no matter their species. Rose really looked up to Jackie and felt a sense of pride that she helped bring this change about. Rose, Pete, Mickey and even the Doctor had changed Jackie Tyler.
"I...I just was so scared, Mum. I finally have what I want, and it could have been ripped from me. And not just my happiness. Yours and Pete's also. I'm shaken."
Jackie enveloped her daughter in a tight hug. They stood there for a moment before Jackie began rubbing circles on Rose's back, soothing her.
~DW~~DW~~DW~
Pete, Jake, and Joshua made their way to the center of the city. Pete knew of a restaurant that he thought Joshua might like. It was centered around Mediterranean Cuisine. They talked on the way, but eventually, Joshua's hurt at Rose's reaction made him quiet. Even after they arrived at the restaurant, Joshua's mood was sober. Pete sighed to himself before addressing his melancholy.
"Give her a while. She's upset with him, and the fact that you have his face probably doesn't help."
"First time in a while that I actually wish I had changed my face with regeneration. Ole Big ears wouldn't have had this problem with her."
"Tell me about what you were like when you were him." Joshua chuckled, but there was no humor in it.
"I was and always will suffer from what you call PTSD. Also probably Bi-polar. Definitely Multiple Personality Disorder. I'm clinically insane on several planets and absolutely brilliant. Those are the traits that span regenerations. But each one has it's quirks. That one…was lonely. He'd just lost his planet, his people. He went to Earth, intent on killing himself. Didn't plan on surviving at all. But then, Rose has to throw a kink into all his plans. All of a sudden, he found himself enjoying life again for the first time in years. She brought that spark back into his life. A little ray of sunshine in his otherwise dismal world. And it didn't take long for him to fall for her. When she was threatened...oh, the seriousness and the glare would stop armies. I'm more fun, quirky, and enigmatic. His emotions were actually the easiest to read of all of my regenerations. The War had rubbed him raw and it was harder to hide behind the mask."
"He was wonderful." He jumped at her voice and stared at her. He was unsure of what she was feeling. She'd placed her walls so tight around her mind that it was blank. "I never had to worry about how he felt about me. It was plain as the nose on his face. Then you…the other you, and suddenly I wasn't so sure. I know you love me, my Doctor. My Joshua. But it's still difficult when he does something stupid like that. Just, give me some time. This really upset me. I'm sorry."
Joshua smiled at Rose softly and held out his hand. She hesitated for just a second before taking it. Joshua pulled her to stand in between his knees. He wrapped both arms around her and pulled her close, burying his face in her stomach. She wrapped her arms around him. Joshua and Rose held one another for several minutes, with Jake, Jackie and Pete looking on. Finally, Jackie cleared her throat, prompting Joshua and Rose to release one another and sit down. Pete had ordered for all of them, leaving the two of them to reconcile. Through the entire dinner, they kept their hands clasped. Granted, that meant Joshua had to eat with his left hand but what use was being ambidextrous if you didn't use it every once in a while?
~DW~~DW~~DW~
Joshua felt Rose's mind brush his during their dinner. He looked up at her, startled, but let her in easily. He'd missed her resting in the back of his mind. He'd felt so empty and alone. That hurt him more than her being angry him.
'I'm sorry, for how harshly I reacted.'
'It's fine. I get it, honestly.'
'But it's not alright. I lashed out at you and you weren't the one to blame at all. You've done nothing but be there for me and I...I need to remember that.'
'Rose, I understand if you get mad at me for things he'd done because up until Donna touched that hand, we were the same man. Same memories. I had all of his memories up until this hand was lopped off. And when I came to exist, he transferred all his memories to me. A Time Lord is the sum of his memories. For all intents and purposes, I am the same man. It's just what I decide to do with him life here and now that defines me as different. And I will never fault you for being upset. Not in regards to him. And if you are upset with me, for any reason, I want to work through it. Because you are my life, Rose Tyler. And you have my forever.'