Rose had been quiet all morning, which both the Doctor and Danielle noticed. They'd not mentioned it to each other, but they shared a glance or two over breakfast as Rose had a cup of tea, drinking it in silence. Neither of them knew what had brought on the melancholy of their friend, but both wished to help her. Danielle wasn't sure what she could do, not knowing the Tyler girl very well despite the years they'd spent together at school.
The Doctor, on the other hand, didn't feel so nervous about approaching her about her unusual behaviour once the afternoon came. Rose told them the story her mum used to tell her. About her father, and about the day he died.
"'Oh, he would have loved to have seen you now,'" Rose recalled. "That's what Mum always says."
Danielle could tell instantly where the conversation was going, and so could the Doctor. He was sat on the pilot chair, Danielle was on the floor next to him, as Rose nervously asked her request. "I was thinking, could we, could we go and see my dad when he was still alive?"
Danielle frowned slightly because that didn't seem like the best idea. Wasn't that the stuff sci-fi horror movies were made from? Go back and see your dead relatives and suddenly you were never born? She may have been new to the whole 'Time Travelling' thing compared to Rose, but she was sure that really was just a recipe for disaster.
Plus, Rose looked upset, and going to see her dad and knowing he was going to die probably wasn't going to make her feel any better. It'd be bitter sweet at best, and devastating at worst.
"Where's this come from, all of a sudden?" The Doctor asked.
"All right then, if we can't, if it goes against the laws of times or something, then never mind, just leave it," Rose replied, almost in a sulk, belying the teenager in her. She turned away, shuffling her feet and playing with some of the controls on the TARDIS console to hide the fact that she did actually care.
"No, I can do anything," the Doctor replied modestly. "I'm just more worried about you."
Rose quickly nodded, reassuring him that she had thought about this, that it wasn't just a spur of the moment decision. She'd been thinking about it since travelling in a time machine was a possibility, and yes almost dying on a space station had jump started the decision somewhat, but no more than the rest of their trips. "I want to see him."
The Doctor glanced down at Danielle. He could tell this would mean a lot to Rose, but he really didn't want to set a precedent. It wasn't good going back to look at the past, at things that can't be changed, it only opened old wounds and made people bitter. He knew that better than anyone. However, by the look of concern on Danielle's face he didn't seem to have to worry about that. He could tell that she expected him to turn Rose down, and he really should have. But Rose had been kind, they both had really, and so he wanted to give her something in return.
"Your wish is my command," the Doctor told her. "But be careful what you wish for."
He hopped out of his chair, then held out his hand to Danielle. She smiled brightly and thanked him for helping her up. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" she asked timidly as he reached out for one of the controls.
"It's just one trip," the Doctor replied. "Nip in, nip out. Nothing to worry about."
~0~0~0~
Rose definitely was not impressed with her parents' wedding. Sure, she had been told it had been held in a register office rather than a large church, Jackie had always been open about that, and had complained often about how she'd missed out on a 'big fancy church wedding'. But, still, Rose had expected something more… just more than her mum and dad, the bare minimum of family and the tattiness of the office they were in.
Danielle had stepped out with them, but she felt decidedly uncomfortable with the entire thing. It felt like intruding in someone else's life, like she was witnessing something she should never have seen. None of them should have. The Doctor hadn't been invited, and she and Rose hadn't been born yet. She couldn't help but wince when Pete Tyler got Jackie's name wrong, and Jackie's reaction as far from the forgiving amusement Rose had painted when she'd told them about the day. In fact, the roll of her eyes and the distinctly annoyed look seemed a lot more like the Jackie Tyler Danielle had seen during her time in London.
When they headed back to the TARDIS it was with an air of disappointment. Rose hadn't seen the happy day she'd been told about whenever her mum was feeling a bit down about being alone. Her father had been painted as this dashing man who had loved her, who had stumbled over her name adorably. All Rose had seen was a man who hadn't been paying attention, and a woman who was already exasperated with him. She hadn't even been able to talk to him; after the ceremony, there had be the wedding pictures outside on the street, and then the bride and groom had been whisked away to their reception, to which the three time travellers had not been invited.
The Doctor flew them away in silence, and Danielle wondered if she should leave them to it. She still thought the trip that they'd taken had been a bad idea, and the sadness on Rose's face just seemed to confirm that for her. There really was no benefit on going back on the past, it always led to heartbreak.
"He died all alone," Rose stated sadly. "Mum said it was a hit and run driver, and no one found out who it was. She always wished there had been someone there for him." She looked up at the Doctor. "I want to be that someone, so he doesn't die alone."
Danielle grimaced, because she knew that the Doctor wouldn't turn her down. She could tell, with only the slightly look, that he wasn't going to say no to the blonde's request. "Is that a good idea?" Danielle asked softly. "You're not going to be able to stop it."
"But he shouldn't die alone," Rose protested. "No one should die alone. He's my dad. Would you want your dad to die alone?"
Danielle didn't reply to that, because she couldn't have cared less about her dad. However, Rose did have a point, but it didn't mean going back was a good idea at all. It was hard but the Doctor couldn't take her back, could he?
"November the 7th?" he asked to clarify and Danielle looked at him incredulously.
"1987," Rose quickly finished before he could change his mind. The Doctor set them into motion, Danielle holding onto the pilot seat, and then they were parked on the street a little further away from where he died.
Rose was walking to the door the moment the TARDIS shuddered to a stop, her mind on nothing but her dad, whereas the Doctor glanced at Danielle, who didn't move to follow.
"Are you coming?" he asked and she shook her head.
"This isn't a good idea," she replied softly, almost apologetically. "Plus, it's her moment, not mine. I'll wait here."
He nodded, understanding completely. It didn't settle well in him either. No one could change the past like that, the ramifications were too enormous to contemplate, and he had tried. It was just going to hurt Rose to watch her father die, but it was her choice, her wish. He could only be there for her.
He didn't particularly want to leave Danielle on her own, though. The difference in the girl was astonishing. When she was excited, it ran through her veins and shone on her face. Now, uncomfortable and slightly disapproving of the Doctor's choice to take Rose to this moment in time, her head was bowed and her face now shone with sadness. He quickly decided to change that when he got back, but Rose was already gone and Danielle would be safe in the TARDIS.
"Stay here," he told her anyway. "You'll be safe, and we won't be long."
She shot him a small smile, and watched as he left after the blonde. She shuffled around the console room, wondering what was happening, wondering if Pete Tyler was dead yet or not. She had no idea what the accident was like, what if it was bloody and gruesome? Was Rose going to come back with her father's blood all over her clothes?
Why was the Doctor allowing this? He was absolutely livid at Adam for trying to change the course of history. Of course, that was on a much larger scale, but this seemed just a selfish, just as wrong. Maybe she didn't know any better. She wasn't a time travel professional after all, but how was hurting Rose going to help anyone? And what if something went wrong? What would happen then?
She jumped as the TARDIS door opened and Rose stepped in first. The tears on her face and the way her head hung was horrible, and despite her disapproval of the whole situation, Danielle really didn't want her to feel that bad. She walked over, meeting Rose in the middle of the walkway and gave her a hug as the Doctor closed the door behind them.
"I couldn't do it," Rose wept softly. "He-He was right there, but I couldn't go to him, and then it was too late and he still died all on his own."
"I'm so sorry, sweetie," Danielle replied softly. "But, you were there for him, in a way. You were there thinking about him, offering a comfort her probably didn't know he had."
"We're trying again," the Doctor declared and Danielle looked over at him, shocked.
"I'm sorry?" she asked. Rose let her go enough to hold onto her arms, looking at her with pleading eyes.
"Please, if-if you're there, I'll be able to do it," she begged, her eyes widening slightly as Danielle's face contorted in uncertainty. "Please, Danni, help me do this."
Danielle looked back at the Doctor, who noticed her hesitate slightly at the sound of the nickname she didn't like. She looked at him, instead, for guidance on how to proceed and he gave her one small, guilty nod.
Danielle took a deep breath then turned to Rose. "Okay, I'll come," she conceded reluctantly and Rose shot her a smile, her eyes still wet with tears.
"Thank you. Thank you so much."
~0~0~0~
Danielle was kind of glad she hadn't gone the first time. Looking at the back of the heads of the two people she was stood with was a surreal experience and she was glad there wasn't a third head there. They were stood on the pavement by the edge of the road, side by side, just stood there waiting for the tragedy that was about to happen.
This time around, they were behind a wall just up from where the original pair were standing, and Rose was stood in the middle with the Doctor on one side and Danielle on the other. They were all peeking around to see the other two.
"Right, that's the first you and me," the Doctor told Rose. "It's a very bad idea, two sets of us being here at the same time. Just be careful they don't see us. Wait till she runs off and he follows, then go to your dad."
Rose didn't reply, and Danielle shuffled nervously on the spot. It was obvious Rose was only barely listening, that she only had eyes for the car that pulled up and the man who was sat in the driver's seat. She leant back, around Rose, and tugged on the Doctor's arm.
"I think we should go back to the TARDIS," she hissed, as if Rose was paying them enough attention to hear her words. "This is cruel, look at her."
Rose shook slightly as she started crying again. "I can't do this," she whimpered as Pete grabbed the vase that was to be his downfall.
"You don't have to do anything you don't want to," the Doctor told her gently, hoping that she would turn and leave. Danielle was right, this was cruel, she obviously couldn't handle being here. He shouldn't have brought her back once, let alone a second time, but he'd just wanted to help. Now they were here, though, he had to let her know how serious the situation was, and help her to the end she wanted. "But this is the last time we can be here."
Pete's door opened, and Rose couldn't take it anymore. They had thought that she meant she couldn't go and be there for him as he died, but she had meant that she couldn't watch him die again. She had to stop it, every fibre in her body was crying out for her dad and she ran.
"Rose, no!" Danielle shouted, having seen the slight way the blonde's eyes had widened. She dashed forward, grabbing onto her arm but Rose, whether she meant to or not, shoved her away and carried forward. Danielle yelped as she fell to the ground, skidding across it and scraping the skin off her arm.
The Doctor could only watch in horror as Rose dashed in front of their previous selves and shoved Pete Tyler out of the way of the car, saving his life. The past Doctor and Rose flashed out of existence, and he realised it was too late to stop her.
He looked down at Danielle, who was getting up off the ground and onto her knees, blood already seeping from the wound on the arm she cradled to her chest. Her eyes were on the road, where Rose and Pete were climbing off the floor, but then she looked back at him.
He wasn't sure it was any better that she didn't look angry, at him or at Rose. In fact, she looked terrified, like she really understood what Rose had done. "What do we do now?" she asked him quietly, hoping he had a plan.
But he didn't. Pete Tyler was alive, and everything had changed.
~0~0~0~
Danielle had only ever been in the Tyler flat once, about nine months ago after Rose had gone missing. Now she knew that it was because she was travelling with the Doctor, and he hadn't meant to bring her back so late, but at the time she had just come home from university and found that the girl she went to school with had disappeared one night. Danielle's mum had been leaving for yet another trip, that was no surprise, but she hadn't felt like she could sit back and do nothing.
She'd baked a batch of brownies and had headed straight up to Jackie's flat. She hadn't been quite sure what she could do, so she offered the brownies and her help, telling Jackie that she wanted to be whatever help she could. She'd always felt uneasy when she'd seen missing person pleas on the television, but now that it had actually happened to someone she knew, she knew it was because she couldn't do anything to help. With Rose, she could.
Jackie had been so grateful for the brownies, and had just asked her to hand out fliers of the blonde to shops and anywhere she went that didn't have one. She had been so defeated, so sad, and obviously so tired. Danielle's heart had gone out to her, and so she'd done the best she could.
Jackie had invited her into her home even though she barely knew her at all, and Danielle hadn't stopped long. She wasn't close to either woman, she had just wanted to help. But it looked so different to what she remembered, and it was really unnerving. Different furniture, different wall colours. The carpet looked the same, but she'd not really paid attention to it so maybe it wasn't. And it was so cluttered. Things and boxes everywhere, it was a wonder anyone could even walk in it.
"Sorry about the mess," Pete said to the trio in a voice that said he'd apologised for the mess a lot. "If you want a cup of tea, the kitchens just down there, milk's in the fridge," he smiled at Rose, looking a little flustered, but he'd almost been hit by a car so it wasn't surprising. "Well, it would be, wouldn't it? Where else would you put the milk? Mind you, there's always the window sill outside. I always thought if someone invented a window sill with special compartments, you know, one for milk, one for yogurt, make a lot of money out of that."
Rose couldn't stop smiling as his face fell to a thoughtful frown, his idea building in his head. "Sell it to students and things. I should write that down," he shook his head slightly. "Anyway, never mind that," he turned to Danielle, all smiles again. "There's some plasters and things in the kitchen as well, for your arm, if you like."
Danielle smiled shyly in reply, still unnerved by the entire affair. "Thanks," she replied lamely.
"It's strange, isn't it?" Pete started. "I'm the one who almost got hit by the car, and yet you're the one in the wars."
She nodded with a bit of a giggle, still clutching her arm to her chest. "It's weird how things work out, isn't it?" she replied kindly. It wasn't his fault that he was alive when he shouldn't be, she didn't want to treat him bad because of it.
He nodded. "Anyway, excuse me for a minute. Got to go and change," he turned, heading into the master bedroom to find a new suit for the wedding they were now apparently heading to.
Rose started walking around the living room, marvelling at all of the stuff that was out in the open. So many things from her childhood that her mother used to show her. Her dad's trophies, the evidence of the schemes Jackie used to tell her about.
She couldn't help but feel the Doctor's judgemental gaze on her and, in contract, the way that Danielle was looking down at her feet and not at her.
Rose sighed. "Okay, I know it's a bit of a mess, but they've got a new baby."
The Doctor didn't uncross his arms. "When we met, I said travel with me in space. You said no. Then I said time machine."
The Rose took a step forward, realising where his mind had headed. He wasn't right, she hadn't run in the TARDIS when he came back for her because she thought of her father. She hadn't even really considered coming back to see him until the night before when she dreamt of him.
"It wasn't some big plan," she explained softly. "I just saw it happening and I thought, I can stop it."
The Doctor turned away from her, his lips pulling up into a twisted grin before he turned back to her. "I did it again. I picked another stupid ape," he snapped. "I should've known. It's not about showing you the universe. It never is. It's about the universe doing something for you."
"So it's okay when you go to other times, and you save people's lives, but not when it's me saving my dad?" Rose challenged.
"I know what I'm doing, you don't. Two sets of us being there made that a vulnerable point."
"But he's alive!" Rose exclaimed, like it forgave everything.
"My entire planet died. My whole family. Do you think it never occurred to me to go back and save them?"
"But it's not like I've changed history," Rose insisted, motioning to the hallway before hesitating slightly. "Not much. I mean he's never going to be a world leader. He's not going to start World War Three or anything."
"Rose," the Doctor took a few steps towards her. He needed to know that she knew what she had done, that she hadn't just used to him to bring back her father from the dead. "There's a man alive in the world who wasn't alive before. An ordinary man. That's the most important thing in creation. The whole world's different because he's alive."
"What, would you rather him dead?" Rose challenged and the Doctor rolled his eyes.
"I'm not saying that."
"No, I get it! For once, you're not the most important man in my life," Rose threw at him and Danielle winced slightly at the words.
"Let's see how you get on without me, then," he retorted. He held out his hand. "Give me the key."
Rose looked confused, and the Doctor made a grabbing motion with his hand. "The TARDIS key. If I'm so insignificant, give it me back."
Rose bristled at his words and, not one to back down in an argument, reached into the top pocket of his jacket and handed it to him. "All right then, I will."
The Doctor held it tightly in his hand. "You've got what you wanted, so that's goodbye, then," he turned and walked out, Rose chasing after him like they were a real couple in a fight. Or, Danielle figured, more like a father and daughter having a fight and the daughter needing to have the last word.
She slowly came back into the living room where Danielle was still standing, looking away from her. "What?" Rose snapped. "I bet you're thinking that he should be dead and all, aren't you?"
Danielle shook her head. "No, actually I was thinking about how you came back to save him," she replied softly and Rose frowned slightly.
"What do you mean?" she asked,
"Well, you came back to save him because he died. But that Rose doesn't exist anymore, because he's alive, so who's coming back to save him?"
"I am," Rose retorted and Danielle shook her head.
"But why would you?" she challenged. "He's not dead, is he?" she motioned behind her at the front door. "I'm going to see if he's okay. I think you hurt him."
~0~0~0~
She had to jog slightly, but she managed to catch up with him relatively quickly. He was striding rather fast, but she was surprised when he slowed down let her walk by his side. She'd actually expected him to tell her to go away, considering the 'stupid ape' comment he'd thrown at Rose.
"Are we going to wait for her?" Danielle asked quietly.
"Yes," the Doctor replied shortly and she nodded as they fell back into a thick silence.
"I didn't come with you to change the past," she told him. "I mean, I can't say it was entirely selfless, but I don't expect that from you," she frowned in thought. "I mean, I don't think I do," her eyes widened slightly in horror at the thought. "I mean, I really hope I didn't. Oh, what if I did? That's horrible!"
The Doctor couldn't help but be a little amused at her panicky rambling, and he slowed down slightly more so she wasn't having to walk-run to keep up with him. "Why did you come with me?" he asked. "Most people are sceptical, but you just said yes without much thought at all."
"Because I don't really like my life," Danielle replied softly. "I'm just Danielle Song – swot. Danielle Song, who grew up on a council estate and thought she was better than everyone just because she went to university. My mum is barely around, I don't have a father. I don't have friends, or a boyfriend, and my spare time consists of reading books and baking cakes. I wasn't sure what you were offering me, but I knew it was more, and I wanted that," she shrugged, shooting him a little guilty smile. "See? Rather selfish, when you think about it."
He shot her a smile, because back when he was young that was one of the main reasons he's stolen a TARDIS and ran away. His life had been so mundane, and he'd just wanted something more. He didn't really even know how to drive the time machine, but he'd taken that chance and he'd never regretted it. "I'll bandage up that for you," he told her, motioning to her arm. "It's probably just a scrape."
"Yeah, you can say that because you're not the one who's hurt," Danielle retorted. "I'm bleeding to death here!"
He snorted. "No you're not, don't be so dramatic."
"Dramatic?" she continued, trying not to giggle. "I might lose my arm!"
"Well, if you do, I'll buy you a new one," he replied and they both laughed together. Thankfully he seemed to be calming down a bit, which was good because he didn't seem himself unless he was the jolly northerner. He'd told her very little about what had happened for him to be the last of anything, and it was probably just a persona to hide his grief, but she just wanted him to be happy.
A smile suited him a lot more than a frown.
"What happens with Mr Tyler, then?" she asked softly. "He can't just stay alive, can he?"
The Doctor looked away from her and up to the sky, and for a moment he thought he saw something moving. However, he couldn't spot anything but the blue and the clouds, so he turned back to the redhead. "Well, two things will happen. Either the universe will compensate for the existence of the man who shouldn't be there, or…"
"Or we start to see ourselves being erased from photographs?" Danielle finished and he shot her a baffled look.
"What is it with you and Back to the Future?" he asked and she shrugged.
"I just really like it," she replied. "It's a great movie. All three of them are, really."
"What, even the third one in the 'Wild West'?" he asked incredulously and she nodded.
"Yes, even that one," she retorted. "I learnt everything I know about time travel from that movie!"
"Oh, and what's that?"
"Don't change the past just for your own gain, and never snog your mother; it'll feel too weird," she replied factually and he laughed.
"Both very good points," he agreed as they turned yet another corner. They continued to chat randomly about the good and bad points of the Back to the Future franchise until the finally came upon the TARDIS. The Doctor unlocked the door using Rose's key, and then frowned as the door opened much easier than it should of.
He pushed both of them open and Danielle gasped at the inside. Instead of the beautifully large console room, it was just four blue wooden walls. The Doctor stepped inside, spinning around in a circle as he hit each side, checking that they were actually just the walls of a police box and not some trick.
"What's going on?" Danielle asked frantically. "What's happened to the TARDIS?"
"This can't be happening, this isn't right!" the Doctor replied in disbelief. There's absolutely no way that the TARDIS was just disappear out of itself, not unless…
He looked at Danielle, eyes wide in horror. Pete Tyler. Pete Tyler was alive, and the TARDIS turning into just another police box meant that it was just about to get worse.
"What about Rose?" Danielle asked.
"We've got to get to her," was the Doctor's reply and they both set off in a run towards the church where the wedding would be.
~0~0~0~
Hi everyone! Hope you enjoyed this short but sweet chapter! Don't forget to check out Danni's original story, the Time Child Saga, on my profile as well! It's pretty long now, but if you've not seen the original Danni, then you totally should check it out!
Reviews!
Rabbit887 - Thanks sweetie! Hope you enjoyed this chapter :)
serenitysaiyan - Yeah, a bit like Clara, she'll have a variety of names throughout the story. This Danni likes Danielle, and not Danni. I'm glad you liked the little glimpse, it felt appropriate XD xxx
myharlequinromance321 - Thanks sweetie!
Guest - Thanks!
scarlet rose white - Some more alone time, even if a little short and sweet!
Cypress-trees - Thanks sweetie! Glad you're enjoying it!
bored411 - Thanks sweetie! Sorry this one isn't updated as regularly as the main story, but I hope you enjoy it when it comes along :)
PopstarJ01 - I thought you would! A little bit more here :D xxx