Disclaimer: I do not own the shows Doctor Who and I Do. No profit whatsoever is being made through this work of fiction.

I Do

A Doctor Who FanFiction

By CyberParchment

Chapter 01 –Public Engagements

Fear. It was something intangible, a disease hidden from the naked eye, yet it was a dangerous infection. Once it had stained its victim, it would spread faster than wildfire, contaminating everything it touched, tainting everything pure and colouring it dark with the sickness it inevitably brought.

Humans, by nature, were prone to this disease. But even after thousands of years of existence, humanity still hadn't discovered a cure for it. There was no medicine to stop it. The only defence people had against it were treatments and prevention, and even that couldn't do anything to stop fear once it was too late, once it had already taken someone prisoner. Once it had started its journey to pollute a person, there was no fighting it. There was no way to stop the symptoms from showing. And once the symptoms had transpired, the natural reaction was to let defence mechanisms arise and protect them futilely.

Fear was the incurable disease, the killer that could not be stopped. The prevention for it was denial, the futile attempt to trick oneself into believing that the infection had not taken one its prisoner. Symptoms appeared as paranoia and secrecy, while the defence mechanism was lying, something that the infected opted to do to shield themselves from the effects of the disease. So, what, then, was the cause of all of it, you ask? What brought it on? What was the origin of this? Just like how trees came from seeds, just like how a fire was started by a spark, every disease was brought on by a virus.

And in this case, as the woman with the golden hair stood behind the thick curtain, her trembling fingers wringing her pale wrist, the disease continued to slowly swallow her whole being, slowly but completely consuming her. All caused by one virus, brought on by one spark, started by a lone seed.

It was all because of a sin. One sin that might lead to the destruction of everything she held dear.

Little by little, the fear crept over her, stripping her of her shield until all that covered her was a thin sheet of her lies, secrecy and denial, protecting her virus, her secrets, her sins. As each second ticked by, small cracks started to appear on the pane of glass. And she knew, she just knew, that this move of theirs, this decision that her boyfriend made to expose them, their story, to the public, to let the people know of their love, would be that final blow to expose everything she hid. It was then, in that moment, a few minutes before they would be introduced to the public as one of the couples to stay in that village for 120 days, that she questioned why she didn't just say no to him. In that moment, there and then, her excuse of loving him too much to say no to him, and to deny him this source of happiness, sounded so stupid. She knew then that it would have been better for them had she just refused to take part in this. She knew then that given the chance to make the decision again, she would have said no.

But it was too late. It was too late. She could not turn back now. All she could do now was curse whoever it was that came up with the gimmick of separating the couples from each other until the time of their introduction. In her opinion whoever decided it was a good trick to make the lovers miss each other for a better, more dramatic entrance was someone who deserved a smacking because right in that moment, all she wanted to do was to keep her boyfriend close, to have his hand enclosed inside hers, to keep him within an arm's length, within her vision all the time. Because she feared that every second that passed with him separated from her was another inch that he was closer to the truth. They would be exposed to the public now, stripped naked of their privacy. Any of these people could tell him the truth. And she feared that without her there to steer him away from it, to keep him from finding out about it, everything would be revealed. She feared that if she wasn't there to keep her hands over his eyes, everything would fall apart.

She could not do anything to stop it. All she could was hope. But unknown to her, this hope, even before it started to soar, was already being shot down from the sky.

Unknown to her, even before they stepped onto that stage, her lies had already been planned to be revealed. Unbeknownst to her, the game had already started, and should they lose a turn, just one misstep, just one wrong move, they would all be bound to lose.

The arena had been opened, and now...it was them against the world.

Lights of different sizes, colours and shapes blared all around the studio, illuminating the walls, the stage and the audience, but the brightness, no matter how intense it was, only added to the excitement that wrapped around the whole site. The sounds that bounced around the circular walls and the domed ceiling were sophisticated, soothing the ears and giving the excitement a touch of class and elegance. Together, these two created an aura of erudition and grace—one that, by now, was already familiar to the loyal audience of the show that had been following the journeys and stories of different couples that had been featured in it all through its years of existence.

In front of the sea of a widely-grinning audience was a wide platform, a stage full of decorations: ribbons, flowers, draperies, and, of course, paper and cardboard hearts. On the stage, looking out at the thick crowd with their postures straight and regal stood two people. One was a dashing young man with dark hair falling over his forehead, his cleft chin prominent as a dimple appeared on his cheek due to the wide grin glued onto his face. Beside him stood a woman clad in dark green, her cheekbones sharp and pronounced even as she regarded the studio with calculating eyes. And the moment the director signalled for the show to start, their faces swung to the camera, a set of picture-ready expressions taking over their natural features.

"Good evening, Englaaaaand!" the man in the handsome black suit yelled deafeningly at the whole of the studio, his voice booming loudly as it was amplified by the microphone attached to the lapels of his suit. Facing the audience, he outstretched his arms on both sides as if welcoming everyone and coaxing them all into a hug. Beside him, the woman, tall and slim, greeted with a professional tone, "And good evening, world!

The crowd then started clapping, some of them looking like they couldn't manage to stay on their seats as the cameras swung over them.

"Are you excited?!" the man addressed the crowd, earning a loud yell of affirmation from them, a yell so loud it tuned out the music coming from the speakers. But as a knowing smile appeared on the man's face, he turned to his co-host and said, "Vastra, I don't believe these people are excited. I mean, I can barely hear them. Can you hear them?"

"Sadly, Jack, no. I don't think we even have an audience tonight. All I can hear are the sounds of the crickets outside."

"Yeah, I believe so. I think we only have, like," he went on to point at the stage and count the people on the crowd, "Maybe five people here. And I'm already being generous. That's so sad considering the surprise we have prepared for them."

The woman nodded sadly, sticking to her script and her directions, "I know. We have prepared so much for them, and yet they don't even seem happy at all."

At that, loud and scattered contradiction erupted from the crowd, which, in turn, made the hosts grin even wider. "I'm hearing contradiction, Jack. Shall we try again, then?"

"Allow me the honour, then, Vastra," Jack said before turning to the audience and yelling once more, even louder than before. "TARDIS Hall, are youuuu exciiiiited?" And this time, when the crowd cheered ferociously, the sound tumbled around the dome, making the walls vibrate. "That's more like it!" Taking the noise as further sign to go on, Jack Harkness, the famous host of I Do then said, "And with that, our lovely audience, we are officially opening the show!"

The adrenaline rush raised a hundred notches higher, and even the hosts were beaming as they heard the wild reactions from the audience. Together, Jack and Vastra roared over the crowd and the music that suddenly boomed louder from the speakers. They turned from their spot, their arms gesturing to the huge screen erected at the left side of the stage, and said, "So, now, please welcome our first pair..."

The music washed over the crowed in a sweeping motion as the lights dimmed and everyone's focus was turned to the huge screen. A video clip started playing, voices of two people coming from the speakers as a way of introduction to the stories. At once, the noise of the crowd ceased, every single one transfixed to what they were seeing and hearing.

"There's a saying that when you love someone, you gotta let 'em go. And if they come back, then it means that they're really yours and that you're made for each other," the voice of a woman streamed out of the speakers. On the screen, the frames and clips were vague, refusing to show the people's faces and opting to focus on other details, like half of the face, their clothes, their hands, and even the back of the head, as the story was narrated. "Well, not to boast, but my boyfriend and I have already proved that we really are for each other."

"The two of us met years and years ago," said a male voice, continuing where the woman left off. On the screen, a clip of two people running around a beach from afar played. The man wore a pair of blue pin striped suit, his hair that stuck up on the front whipping against the wind as he chased a woman with blonde hair, wearing blue leather jacket with the same shade as the man's suit atop what seemed to be her everyday clothes. Loud laughter came from the couple, serving as background noise to the man's narration. "Went on a vacation on Powell Estate to visit one of my cousins. Turns out her and my cousin are childhood best friends. That's how we met. It was one of the best and most enjoyable vacations of my life."

"My life had been boring back then," continued the woman again, "I had a job in a little boutique as I struggled with schooling. I was having, let's just say, an early midlife crisis. I didn't know what to do with my life, how to proceed from there. I didn't know if I wanted to leave home to pursue a dream I hadn't even realised yet. Or just stay in that little place for the rest of my life, minding shops, living a mediocre life. And then I met him."

"Quite different from her, I visited my cousin there to get away from the wildness of the life I'd known. Ever since childhood, as you know, my life has been decided for me. Eight years old, and I was already being shaped to be the best man I can be. And at the age of eighteen, I was already holding meetings after meetings instead of getting wasted in pubs and bars. I was having an identity crisis, not knowing if I was becoming the man I dreamed to be or becoming the man I was sculpted to become because of my last name. And then I met her."

"It was like our own brand of paradise, wasn't it?" the voice of the man asked as the camera focused on two figures conversing with each other as they leaned on the barricade of a balcony, looking out into the horizon. The only visible parts of their bodies was their upper torso's and their heads, captured by the camera from behind.

"It was," answered the woman, a chuckle coming out of her throat. "It was like we had our own personal bubble, a little respite from all the problems we were having."

"Identity crises, midlife crises, we had them back then. But we solved it together." The man swung an arm around the woman's shoulders and in turn, the woman leaned against the man's side. "We gave each other the identities we were having troubles finding...But then..."

"But then real life took over again," the man said with a sigh. "I had to go back to my family, return to the duties I momentarily left, the future I left hanging."

"But before you left, you gave me a reason to move forwards. That's what you did. You gave me a reason to look forward and to realize my own dreams. You gave me something to aspire for."

"I did?"

"Yeah, I haven't told you that before, have I?" At this point, the clip no longer seemed like a narration, but an actual coverage of a conversation between the couple, something that held more meaning than just letting people know of their story. It was them divulging deeper into their own story. "I was merely a common girl from a small place. But you're one of the heirs of one of the richest families ever known. I had to prove myself. So I pushed myself to become someone, something as extraordinary as you."

"Funny, because since then I've tried my best to become more of a human rather than a robot with a distinct set of orders to follow. I wanted to become more of a real man for you." He chuckled again, his head shaking from side to side slowly. And had the camera only captured his face, it would have caught him looking at her with complete adoration decorating his features. "And that's what we went on to do after that vacation, I guess. We tried to become better people for each other."

"But before we went our separate ways, we made a promise."

"We're letting each other go, but one day, one day we're going to find each other again. And then...we will hold on and never ever let go again."

"And here we are now. Years and years after that. Even before we went and looked for each other again, the universe itself led us to each other. That's what you call fate, innit?"

"Fate or magic or destiny, or whatever it is called, all I know is that it led me back to you, and that means the world to me," the man said before pausing. The camera then focused on their hands which were now clasped. "We conquered space and time, we did. Years and miles of being apart, meh, that's all rubbish because we're us. And we always win, don't we?"

"Exactly. So all those other couples, they better beware. It's not every day they deal with the Oncoming Storm and the Bad Wolf. Good luck to them."

"Good luck to them indeed."

And then the lights and the music came back on just as the screen dimmed and faded to black. And then the booming voices of the hosts were back as they said, "Now, please welcome..."

"Ten Smith and Rose Tyler!"

It was all madness, energy and adrenaline from there because just as the dark red curtains started to lift, from separate sides of the stage, two people emerged from backstage, running at full speed towards each other. From the right was a woman with golden hair. Her lips stretched in a full grin. She wore a pink dress with a skirt that billowed behind her, and a blue jacket that hugged her body snugly. From the left was a man wearing a pinstriped suit and a brown coat, his fringe swept in spikes that pointed upwards, noticeable sideburns that could make Elvis Presley weep decorating the sides of his face. His mouth opened in glee as a booming laugh emanated from his throat.

"Roooooooooooose!" the man yelled as he sprinted, his arms flapping on his sides.

"Teeeeeeen, incomiiiiiiiing!" the woman, Rose, replied while lifting a finger and pointing it to the direction the man, Ten as she called him, came from. At once, Ten turned around, paused momentarily and in a swift, natural movement that suggested they've done this multiple times in the past already, Rose jumped onto Ten's back just as his arms poised on either side of his torso and caught Rose's thighs. Without missing a beat as if she weighed nothing more than a sack of flour and that this position was something that felt natural to the both of them, Ten then swerved and headed to the very front of the stage in a run where the hosts were staring in awe and glee at them. All the while, Rose continued her battle cry of "Attaaaaack!" in the midst of her chuckles.

The crowd cheered them on, enjoying the show they were seeing. Just as Ten and Rose reached the spot where the hosts stood, Ten skidded to a halt, his face still stretched with happiness. "That's what you call an entrance, eh?" he said, his head turning to the side to look at Rose still attached to his back.

"That was fun, let's do that again some time," agreed Rose. "But for now let me down, Ten. We've got cameras on us. Don't wanna look inappropriate," she whispered on his ear, to which Ten responded with a light chuckle.

"That was quite an entrance," said Vastra, finally addressing the couple just as they both fixed themselves.

"Can't say I'm surprised, though. Knowing Ten here and all that," commented Jack, a teasing grin already on his face.

"Captain Jack!" exclaimed Ten, clapping Jack on the back, their familiarity with each other showing.

"Hey, careful with the suit, man. I'll still be using this later for a party."

"Oh, sorry. I forgot how important clothes are. I don't worry about clothes, see. Not when you have a face as good as this one that I have. Someday, you'll learn that properly, Captain."

Shaking her head, Vastra turned to Rose. "Men." And Rose replied with a knowing nod. "Tell me about it."

"Oh, I've missed you, you cheeky nugget!" said Jack. He was just about to lean in to whisper something in Ten's ears when Rose cleared her throat and Vastra interrupted with: "Boys, we're live on national television, remember?"

The two stopped mid lean and turned their attention back to the audience. "Like I haven't been my whole life," added Ten.

"Now, now, now, she's right. We shan't forget our manners. And with that said," he stepped closer to Rose, and planted himself between her and Ten, and outstretched a hand to her while flashing her a smile. "Captain Jack Harkness, but you can call me Jack. Or if you want, you can call me Cap. I'll be more than happy to extend special privileges, especially to a beautiful lady like you."

Rose made to reach for Jack's hand, an equally witty response ready on the tip of her tongue, but before she could, Ten intervened, and said, "Might I just remind you, that this woman is taken. You'd do well to remember that, mate."

"Oh, come on, Doctor, I was just saying hello." Jack then turned to the audience, who, at this point, was just following the conversations on stage with amusement. Like they were in on some inside joke. "Right, right?"

"Well, don't. Because I know you, Jack."

"Hey, what happened to 'Captain?'"

"I'm not calling you Captain when you're flirting with my girlfriend."

"Awhhh, no need to be jealous, My Doctor. You know my attention is still all yours."

It was then that Rose interrupted, "So, is there a romantic relationship between you two that I should know about?"

"Well," answered Jack, "As a matter of fact..." but he did not finish what he was saying. He merely grinned at Ten, and then continued, "Another conversation for another day. Don't fret, though, because I'll be hanging out with you guys the following days to come. You'd have such a great time with me and Vastra."

"You'd see and hear plenty from us for the coming days. But for now, you'd have to say goodbye to the outside world first and enter the village. Are you ready?"

"Is it even possible to be ready for this kind of thing, though?" asked Rose as an expression of worry slipped onto her face, something that Ten immediately noticed.

"Don't worry, Rose. I've had lots of practice with this. You've got me to help you out."

"There we go. Teach her, Ten, you experienced man. Show her how to have a good time."

"Jack, please stop with the innuendos."

"Nah, you all love it." He then turned to the white car that was rolling by the right side of the stage. "Your ride awaits, Ten, Rose. Good luck, my friends. Enjoy your stay!"

And without further ado, Ten and Rose were escorted down the stage and into the white car. The screen at the top of the stage followed their progress. With the cheers from the crowd, the car then rolled out the stadium, the "Just Got Married" sign swaying against the back window, and not too long from there, it entered the gates of the village that was just outside the dome, and stopped at the front of the biggest house situated in the very back of the village. Then the two were escorted through the doors, and then the camera snapped back to Jack and Vastra.

"And that, ladies and gentlemen, is out very first couple," Vastra said. "Now, are you getting clues as to why this edition is the most special of all of the past editions of I Do?"

"I think they're gonna need more clues, Vastra."

"Well, then, Jack, let's provide them with more clues, shouldn't we? When we come back, we will be welcoming our second couple. But for now...good luck to our first."

"God knows they're gonna need it so much."

And with that, the camera swooped away from the stage, the cheering of the crowd once again serving as a partner to the music. As everybody wondered what was going to happen to the first couple, and if they really were as strong as they introduced themselves to be, the fear continued creeping in. The fear continued poisoning Rose. Even as her hand was clasped inside Ten's as they walked the hallways of the mansion that they were supposed to call home now, she was already practicing the lies she would have to shield herself with. Unknown to her, she was deemed to fail even before she began.

A/N: There we go. Sorry for the long wait. Work's just been incredibly hectic these last few days, and all I have time for is to sleep and rest. Also, I apologize for the lack of Whouffle in this chapter, if that's what you were waiting for. Rose and Ten are one of our main couples, so we have to include this chapter. It'll make sense how they're connected to Whouffle in the coming chapters, I promise. And the next chapter after this one is actually Whouffle-centric, so you have that to look forward to.

Thank you to all those who put me on their alerts' list and who reviewed. Keep 'em coming!