The Feast of Fools
Chapter One: The New Yet Old Doctor
By Lumendea
Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any spinoff material, and I gain no income from this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.
AN: Here we are, the era of the Tenth Doctor in the Guardians of the Universe series. I have so many emotions! As always, thank you so much for your support. Stay safe and please take care of yourself.
….
"Well, how do I look?"
Mixed emotions battered Rose's already sore chest as she took in the man before her. She was vaguely aware of Jack tentatively approaching and eyeing the Doctor as well. The golden glow had faded, its job done, and Rose did her best to take comfort in that, even if some part of her was still in open rebellion.
"How do you feel?" Rose managed. She didn't know what else to say or ask.
"Good, fine," the Doctor said in a rush. "That went better than expected!" He tilted his head and rolled his shoulders. "One head, that's good. Can't be sure with Rassilon." Bringing his hands up to his face and cheeks, the Doctor ran his fingers over his new features curiously. "Sideburns! I've got sideburns… or really bad skin."
"Sideburns," Rose assured him. His gaze snapped over to her, his eyes wide and a bit awed. "One head, two eyes, one nose, one mouth, two arms, and two legs. Nothing out of the ordinary for you." Rose stepped closer to him and brought a hand up to touch his chest. The Doctor kept staring at her, a hint of nervousness in his eyes as if waiting for her to pull back. Rose shifted her hand, finding the steady beat of both of his hearts. "Two hearts, both working."
"That's…" the Doctor's voice squeaked a little before he cleared it pointedly. "That's good." The Doctor swallowed, and Rose heard Jack snigger behind them. "How do I look?"
"You look good," Rose said.
"Am I ginger?" he asked with so much seriousness that Rose almost started laughing.
"No," she answered with a soft chuckle. "Brown."
"Aww, I wanted to be ginger," the Doctor whined. "I've never been ginger!" He sighed dramatically but focused back on her quickly. "What else? Come on, what do you think? How do I look?"
"Alive." Rose brought her other hand up to touch his face. Meeting his gaze, she willed him to see all her gratitude. The teasing mirth in his eyes vanished. "You look alive." Tears were pricking her eyes again. "I'm sorry, but… thank you."
"Better one of my lives than yours." The earnestness in his eyes broke Rose's control, and a small sob escaped her. The Doctor flailed for a moment, but only a moment wrapping his arms around her. "I'm here," he assured her. "I'm right here."
"I know," Rose gaped into his shoulder. The leather coat was still there, but this Doctor wasn't supposed to smell like leather. "I know, but you were in pain, and you had to use one of your lives."
His fingers tangled in her long hair, and he held her close. It was strange. Rose had been held by this him many times in her past, but here in the present, it felt off. He was in the leather jacket and jumper, which was wrong for this him. Rose was torn between staying right here in his arm and dragging him to the wardrobe to find the right clothing. Her mind was spinning, trying to take it all in and, more importantly, accept it.
"I'm here," the Doctor whispered. "Please, Rose, it's me."
The soft pleading note warned Rose how worried the Doctor was. Pulling back, Rose took a deep breath and met the Doctor's brown eyes. She smiled and nodded. Reaching up, she wiped at her eyes, very aware of both Jack and the Doctor watching her.
"I'm okay," she said softly. "Today was just…." They'd started the day at a giant art museum that she hadn't even been able to enjoy, and it had all been awful since then. "I'm okay. Jack, how are you?" She turned to look at her friend.
"I'm alright. Sore, but nothing feels wrong," Jack assured her. Then he grinned at the Doctor. "And I am loving the pretty boy look."
"Pretty boy?" the Doctor repeated, a hint of his old distaste shining through. "I'm not." He turned to Rose. "Am I?"
"A bit," she answered.
"A lot," Jack corrected. "Pretty sexy."
"He's taken Jack," Rose reminded him.
The words made the Doctor beam brightly at her. Chuckling at him, Rose shook her head fondly at him and reminded herself that this was difficult for the Doctor too. She hugged him again and smiled widely when he made that small little happy sound she'd used to know so well. Then, Rose released him and stepped back.
"How are you?" she asked. "Do you need to check anything over in the medical bay? Rassilon's attack was meant to kill you permanently."
"Oh, I'm feeling great!" the Doctor beamed at her and bounced over to the console. "Where should we go? Maybe not modern Earth, not just yet. I'd like to break this body in a bit before we have to explain things to Jackie."
Rose inwardly agreed with that. She doubted her mum would remember having met this incarnation of the Doctor during her knighting. Remembering faces over that span of time wasn't a human talent though Jackie Tyler did have a sharp memory for those that crossed her or gossip.
"Maybe a change of clothing and some rest first," Rose offered. "You hadn't slept in a few days prior to the museum."
The Doctor pouted at her, and Rose heard Jack snort in amusement. She really, really hoped once the Doctor settled into himself that, this would get easier. Then again… the personality that he'd had when she knew him in her past was after he lost her. That had likely had an impact on him. So, she couldn't assume that she knew his personality as fully as she thought she did. That would be unfair to him, expecting him to be like he was in the future. Blimey, this was more complicated than she'd considered before.
"It has been a long day," Rose repeated. "We could all use a shower, a fresh change of clothing, and some food. We can see if your tastebuds still like banana bread."
"We're out," the Doctor said. "Unless you've been hiding it again." The look he gave her was full of betrayal, but his eyes were glittering.
"I bake it; I get to eat some of it." Rose tilted her head. "Do you still like bananas?"
The Doctor paused and pulled his hands off the console. "I don't know. Hopefully. That would be tragic. Rose, what if I don't like bananas anymore? What if I like… I don't know, apples? Even with that silly phrase about keeping doctors away?"
"Then I'll learn how to bake with apples," Rose assured him. She reached out to take his arm. "Now, really, why don't we get some-"
The Doctor groaned and stumbled. Jack caught his shoulder and held on tightly. The amused grin on his face was gone, replaced with sharp worried focus. The Doctor's expression shifted from excitement to worry.
"You're not alright," Jack said.
"Total organ shutdown isn't the best way to go," the Doctor managed. "Things are restablizing. Rassilon's attack was a lot for my body to take. Everything had to be rebuilt, total molecular reset." Rose didn't dare ask how that was different from usual. She wasn't sure that she wanted to know. "I'll be fine. I just need rest." He almost spat the last word, looking very upset that it was necessary.
"Rest isn't a bad thing, Doctor," Rose reminded him as she stepped closer. Giving him a soft smile, she toyed with the hairs at the nape of his neck. It felt a bit like cheating, already knowing the things that soothed him and that he liked. "Today was very… it was a lot," she settled on, not knowing how else to describe it. "We can all rest up. Then you can decide on your new clothing, and we'll start on that list of yours."
The Doctor's eyes brightened, and the mention of the list. Jack made a joke about having lists, and the Doctor turned to scowl at him. It was such a proper reaction that Rose started to relax. She remembered this Doctor pouting and grumbling about Jack of the future flirting or kissing her in her past. Tucking that thought away, Rose carefully lowered her telepathic shields. There wasn't much left of them. The pain had been so crippling that her shields had mostly shattered. But she reached out for the Doctor, gently tapping on his shields in greeting. To her relief, he let her in, and she pushed a wave of acceptance and love towards him. There was no way to keep him from feeling the lingering sadness and grief, but he'd never believe her if she tried to hide that.
"I love you," Rose whispered. "I've loved you for a long time." Someday, he would start to understand how long she'd loved him. "Now, come on. Zero Room."
"Yeah… that's probably a good idea," the Doctor agreed, his voice a little dazed. He didn't sound thrilled with that, but he didn't fight Rose and Jack as they partially carried him deeper into the TARDIS.
Rose was beyond grateful that she knew about the Zero Room. As they walked, the Doctor started rambling about the history of bananas and why banana flavouring didn't actually taste like what people could buy in the shops. Apparently, there had been some sort of massive disease in older bananas that led to another breed taking their place as the main agricultural banana. Rose hadn't known that. Rose hadn't needed to know that. But it was clear that the Doctor's mind wasn't on helping them figure out what to do. If Rose hadn't known about regeneration and how to handle it, she might have been overwhelmed.
She mentally noted to send an apology to the others. Upon hearing some of their regeneration stories, she hadn't had the proper level of sympathy. It all made so much more sense now. And she had the benefit of both warning and knowing this new incarnation already.
The TARDIS didn't shift the Zero Room closer for them, much to Rose's disappointment, but together she and Jack were able to get the Doctor inside. The Doctor was still rambling about bananas even as his telepathy crashed over and over against Rose's mind. It was chaotic. There was excitement over being alive, lingering worry for her and a desire to push down his grief for both the Master and the Monk. Rose did her best to keep her emotions calm. The Doctor hadn't put his shields back up, and hers were gone. He didn't need her emotions leaking into his consciousness. Hopefully, rest would be enough because Rose wasn't sure what else she could do. Her knowledge of her abilities was still very limited outside of moments where… well, the Guardian seemed to take over.
Jack took on the Doctor's weight to allow Rose to open the Zero Room doors. In typical Jack fashion, he flirted with the Doctor but only got an eye roll and a smirk for his troubles. Still, Jack quickly brought the Doctor into the Zero Room. The stark white walls were a little unsettling to Rose, but the room immediately soothed her brain. Totally null. This space was safe from telepathic interference, and she was fairly certain it gently lowered stress. That was the only explanation for how much better she suddenly felt.
"Ahhh," the Doctor breathed. He shifted himself off of Jack and stood straight up. Closing his eyes for a moment, the Doctor inhaled deeply before he smiled once again.
"Are you alright?" Jack asked the Doctor.
"Yes," the Doctor said with a grin. "I just need rest." Rose had the distinct sense that he was underselling the state he was in, but she was also grateful for it. The Doctor turned and looked at her, a soft gleam in his brown eyes. "I'll be alright," he promised. He reached up and tapped his head. "Just need to let all the new systems get back online."
"Are you sure the medical bay wouldn't be better?" Jack pressed.
"No, the Zero Room is ideal." The Doctor sniffed at the air. "Huh, my sense of smell isn't as strong. Though I can still smell the roses." His grin softened to a gentle smile, and he glanced her way.
"Do you need anything?" Rose asked. She wasn't sure if she was hoping or not that he wanted her to stay.
"No, I'll be alright after a bit of rest," the Doctor replied. His smile faded a little. "What about you, Rose? How are you?"
"I'm alright," she answered softly. "Sore, but nothing feels wrong."
"If that changes, get me at once," the Doctor said firmly. He caught her hand and pulled her close to him. "I mean it, Rose. Please."
"I promise," Rose answered honestly. She raised her hand and brushed her fingers over his face. "Are you sure you don't want me to stay?"
"Better not," the Doctor answered. He seemed sad at the words. "You're telepathic too, and your shields…."
"Yeah." Rose nodded her understanding. "Okay." Backing away from the Doctor, Rose tried to quiet her wild thoughts. "Jack, I'm gonna take a shower, so stay out of trouble."
He gave her a grin. Rose wasn't really worried, but the bit of teasing was nice. Together she and Jack left the Zero Room, and Rose closed the door behind them with an uneasy feeling in her stomach. She couldn't be sure if there was really something wrong or if it was just the stress of the day crashing down on her. Jack gave her a soft look, but Rose didn't want to talk.
Heading for her bedroom, Rose took a deep breath before stepping inside. There were so many little signs of her prior Doctor scattered around the room. She gave herself a moment to wonder if the room would change now that the Doctor had changed. A pair of his boots, the old heavier boots that he wouldn't wear now, were at the side of the bed. Rose turned away from them and headed into their bathroom.
It was difficult to ignore the smells of the Doctor and the signs of his past incarnation. Rose told herself that it would get easier and focused on taking a quick shower. The hot water helped ease some of the painful aches still clinging to her though it wasn't enough to completely deal with the pain. Rose closed her eyes and inhaled the steam. There was so much. She's met her future daughter Alice and been helpless to protect her from the Monk and Master. They hadn't even been able to stay to be with her when she regenerated. They had better correct that in the future.
And there was the revelation of her healing factor. Rose grimaced as phantom pains from the shrapnel of the explosion radiated through her torso and limbs. She's always known that Jack was too caviler about his healing ability, but she hadn't understood just how much so. And add to that the Master killing the Monk and the emotional turmoil that would inflict on the Doctor only for the Master to then turn around to help save the Doctor when Rassilon… Rose started to cry, letting the water in the shower wash away the evidence of the tears.
She stayed there for a while until the water started to cool. That, more than anything, drew Rose back to the present. In all of her time on the TARDIS, she'd never had the water turn cold on her. As she dried off and dressed, Rose focused her attention on the TARDIS. Her hum was softer than usual.
"Sorry, dear," Rose apologized. She brushed a hand over the wall. "With your pilot in a fragile state, you're probably weaker too." The link between Time Lord and TARDIS was strong, even if Rose didn't fully understand it. "He'll be alright soon," she promised.
Rose headed for the galley. She wasn't really hungry, but eating something was probably wise. There was no way to know for sure how soon the Doctor would be back on his feet, and he might need help. Being tired and hungry would leave Rose poorly equipped to help him. Rose made herself a cup of tea and a sandwich. Nothing really appealed to her, but she forced herself to eat before heading for the console room.
Jack was already there, pacing nervously with still-damp hair. His gaze snapped to her as she entered, and relief flooded his face. In his hand was his phone.
"I couldn't make any calls to the companions," Jack told her. "Thought they might have advice."
"Yeah," Rose said. "I don't think the TARDIS is up to directing the calls right now." She shook her head. "I think it's due to her link with the Doctor, but I suppose the temporal event that she was next to might be having an impact as well."
"That would make sense," Jack agreed. "Either of them." He moved over to Rose and wrapped her up in a warm hug. "How are you?"
"Exhausted," Rose answered honestly. "I really wish he hadn't had to go through that. Or you."
"Well, I was useless."
"Don't say that." Rose pulled back and glared at Jack. "Don't even think it."
"Rose-"
"No." Rose wasn't interested in having this argument and made sure that Jack saw that in her eyes. Slowly he nodded. "Better," she said before hugging him again.
Jack laughed softly and kissed her forehead. Suddenly, the TARDIS rolled. Everything went sideways for a moment before the ship adjusted its gravity. Rose hit the grated floor and gasped with wide eyes. That hadn't felt right. The Doctor had regenerated on a planet to make sure that the ship wasn't damaged. Scrambling to her feet, Rose hit the series of buttons to restabilize the TARDIS. She really hoped that the Doctor hadn't felt that in the Zero Room. They didn't need him trying to help if he wasn't healed.
"What caused that?" Jack asked. He was staring at the screen as it flashed Gallifrenian characters. Rose glanced over and recognized with a start that she could read it.
"Some sort of collusion," Rose said. She gently pushed Jack to the side and tapped the screen. "Unknown source. We're still in the Time Vortex though…."
"Maybe some junk hit us," Jack said. "Or another time ship tried to make contact."
"I don't like either of those options." Rose scanned over the data. "But the TARDIS isn't reporting damage. Just a shake."
"Good." Jack exhaled loudly and then looked at her. "So… how long have you been able to read the Doctor's language?"
"No idea." Rose sighed and rubbed her tired eyes. "Probably since I took up my post, but I hadn't noticed. I usually leave playing with the screen to him or only use it when the TARDIS is translating."
"Probably a Guardian thing," Jack said gently. "Makes sense when you think about it."
"Yeah." Rose nodded slowly. She wasn't sure how the Doctor would react to that, though. "I'm gonna check the Zero Room," she said quickly. Rose hurried off before Jack could respond and rushed down the corridor of the TARDIS.
The door to the Zero Room was the same as ever. Everything was quiet. While the hum of the TARDIS was quieter than usual, it was still there, and the lights were on. She wasn't on emergency power. Things were probably fine. Still, Rose opened the door a crack and peeked inside.
The Doctor was floating in the middle of the room with his eyes closed. Under other circumstances, it might have been funny, but he didn't react at all to her opening the door and seemed to be completely out. Rose hoped that was a good sign, that it meant he was relaxed and healing.
She eased the door closed and stepped back.
"Easy, Rose," she told herself softly.
"Rose?" Jack called from the console room. "Everything alright?"
"Yeah," Rose answered. Shaking her head, she returned to the console room. "He's asleep."
"Good, probably needs it."
"What about you?" Rose asked. "How are you doing?"
"I'm…" Jack shrugged, and Rose studied him. "I'm alright, Rosie."
"I made myself eat something," Rose said. "You should do the same." Giving Jack a smile, Rose added. "That's an order."
Jack's lips quirked into a small smile. Straightening up, he nodded to her. "Yes, ma'am."
Once he had left the room, Rose moved back to the screen to check it over. The TARDIS had only one recent scan from just after the collision, but nothing else. Trying not to let it worry her, Rose quickly read through the report. The shields seemed to be normal though it looked like the Time Vortex itself was in flux. Rose didn't fully understand that bit of information, but she didn't like it. She didn't like that the TARDIS had collided with something and that Black and White weren't contacting her.
Movement in the corner of her eye drew Rose's attention, but it wasn't at the door of the corridor. Rose gasped and spun around in alarm. There had been something there. She only caught a hint of colours and a humanoid shape. The ship was humming fiercely, and a sense of worry and dread was draped over Rose's shoulder. Everything in her rebelled at the warning. She was exhausted; they were all exhausted. Both Jack and the Doctor had died and were recovering. She had been tortured by Rassilon, who meant to rip her apart.
"Not now," Rose growled. Not at the TARDIS but at the universe. "Please." The last word was more of a plea than an attempted order.
Still, Rose had to concede that what had just happened on Earth had probably created waves. There were the rips, and they had been, were being, and would be dealt with. But there might be more. The near murder of a Guardian probably caused issues.
"White? Black?" Rose called. "Please come and see me as soon as possible!" Then she sighed and turned to the console controls. "I'm being punished for skipping Guardian boot camp."
There was another flicker in the corner of her eye, and Rose quickly looked over. There was a large humanoid shape, and a shadowed, very pale face staring at her with a wide grin. The clothing it wore was colourful or at least had been once, now appearing faded and decayed. But she had only a second to observe it before it was gone with the shadows.
It had looked like Odd Bob. Rose's chest tightened. No, she realized a moment later, not exactly like Odd Bob. It had been a clown, but the appearance was different. She exhaled and moved her hands across the controls. They needed to land. They needed someplace to wait and get their bearings. If something was trying to push its way into the TARDIS from the Time Vortex, then they needed to get out of it until the Doctor could check over the readings.