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rynneHappy birthday, ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
thunderemerald! Have some fic. :D
Title: Stepping Stones
Author: Rynne
Rating: G
Fandom: Doctor Who (2005)
Summary: After The Christmas Invasion, Rose has a few questions for the Doctor.
Notes: Forthunderemerald's birthday. I can't give you David Tennant, but I can give you fic. :)
Use missteps as stepping stones to deeper understanding and greater achievement.
--Susan Taylor
--
"So you've done this before, right?"
He pops his head above the grille, his gaze darting towards where she's sitting on the jump seat. Somewhat confused, he looks back down at the sonic screwdriver in his hand, which he'd just been using on some wires. "Repair the TARDIS? Really, Rose, you've seen me do this plenty of times."
"I don't mean repairing the TARDIS." She sounds exasperated, and he frowns. Is he just supposed to divine her meaning without any previous indications as to the topic? That's one aspect of human females he's never liked.
"Well, I can't read your mind from here, so would you like to tell me what you do mean, then?"
Her eyes widen, then narrow again, a furrow appearing on her brow. "Read my mind? Can you do that, really? That another alien thing you never told me about?"
Oh. Another alien thing he never told her about. He sighs, but he knew they'd have this conversation at some point. Apparently now is when she decides to push it. "You mean regeneration."
"'f that's what you call it, yeah, I mean regeneration." She glares at him a bit, and he suppresses a wince. That expression directed at other people is amusing--directed at him, not so much. And the glare is weighted with disappointment, which somehow makes it so much worse. He hates to think he's failed her. "You've done it before?"
Well, best get it out of the way. "This was my ninth regeneration. Tenth body."
She stares at him. "Nine times. You've done this nine times now? What triggers it?"
What does she mean, what triggers it? Couldn't she tell? But, wait, no, she doesn't remember coming back to the Gamestation, or what he did to save her. She wouldn't realize that he took upon himself the death that would have been hers. He raises a hand and rubs the back of his neck, not sure how much to tell her. "Oh, bodies wear out, that sort of thing. Other Time Lords could control theirs better, but mine tend to happen when I take too much damage to heal any other way."
"Take too much damage to heal?" She stands up and takes a step forward, her hand reaching out to him. The movement is quick and jerking, almost involuntary, like she hadn't realized she was doing it until it happened. "Like death? Is it like death? Something kills you and then you do this--" She stops, suddenly, and even from a distance he can tell her eyes are watering.
She's getting distraught, and oh, he doesn't like that. Not at all. Rose looks so much better when she's smiling than she does with unshed tears in her eyes. Swiftly tucking the sonic screwdriver into his jacket, he lifts himself up from beneath the console and strides over to her, grabbing her hand and entwining their fingers together.
"I don't die, Rose," he says, his voice low and intent, like it was when he was trying to convince her it was really him, just after he'd regenerated. "I'm still very much alive. Nothing killed me."
Her fingers tighten around his, gripping him almost painfully, but he doesn't mind. If it reassures her that he's still here, alive and with her, he can let her crush his hand a bit.
She blinks away the tears, and when she speaks again, her voice is almost steady, though now it has an undercurrent of anger. "Why didn't you tell me it could happen? 'S not exactly a safe life we lead. You knew this could happen an' you never told me."
He sighs, though a part of him is warmed by her claiming his life as her own, even now. "Normally my bodies last...a bit longer than that one did. I seem to be running through regenerations a lot more quickly than most Time Lords did, but they still usually tend to last for longer than a year." He grimaces. "I don't often make them last centuries anymore, but I can usually manage decades. I just never thought it would come up." His lips quirk in a wry half-smile. "Just goes to show that the unexpected will pretty much always happen to me, huh?"
But she doesn't smile. "You exploded," she says. Her voice is low and her hand is trembling in his. "You babbled on about dogs with no noses and changing and then you exploded and I had no idea what was going on."
The pain in her voice makes his hearts hurt, and he quickly frees his hand and wraps both arms around her. He's immensely reassured when she returns the embrace. "I'm sorry, Rose," he says. "I tried to explain, but the process had already started and my brain had already started changing. I suppose I wasn't very coherent."
There is a snort from somewhere in the vicinity of his chest, which Rose has her face pressed against. "You've got that right," she replies wryly, though her voice is muffled a bit. "I'm not sure there was a way for you to be less helpful."
He pulls back, enough to shoot her a mock-indignant glare. Obviously seeing through him, she grins, and he can't help but grin back. To have her starting to be comfortable again with him, getting over the way he changed on her...it's a good feeling. Still, he protests, "Sure there was! I could have just not said anything about it at all, you know."
She shakes her head a bit and pulls away fully. His hands, feeling a bit empty now that they're not holding her, go straight into his pockets, and he steps back to lean against the railing.
"That might've been better," she says. "At least you wouldn't have scared me with all your talk about changing."
The grin drops from his face. "I really didn't mean to scare you, Rose," he says earnestly. "It just sort of...happened that way."
She gives him a considering look, but her face is soft when she replies, "Yeah, I understand. Just...try not to do it again soon, right?"
"Believe me, I have no intention of doing it again anytime soon," he assures her. "I'd like at least a little time to get used to this body first. Haven't really had time to discover all those new quirks and all. Well, apart from the gob. That's pretty obvious."
"Just a bit, yeah," she agrees. Her face is straight, but he can see the laughter dancing in her eyes. "An' now you're willing to eat Christmas dinner with my mum."
"Oh, well..." One of his hands leaves his pocket to ruffle through his hair. "She didn't have to take care of me. And besides, she's your mum! You came from her, which is enough of a reason to be nice to her."
Rose does a delightful combination of blushing and beaming, and the Doctor has to remind himself not to stare at how charming she looks like that--though it's more difficult than it should be. Then his attention is drawn away as Rose says, "That's definitely something different."
"Good different, I hope," he replies, and is rewarded with a quick smile. "Though don't expect me to tell her that. I do not want to be mothered, thank you very much."
She laughs, and he smiles, pleased to have gotten a laugh out of her. "Not that different, then," she says. She leans against the console and traces her fingers along various knobs and levers before resting her hand on the edge.
"Not that different," he agrees. "I'm still me."
She catches his eye and slowly nods. "I know that. Now, at least," she tells him. "When you were sick and unconscious and I didn't know what was going on, it was hard to believe." She smiles, quick and bright, and he takes a moment to bask in the warmth of it. "After you woke up, and I could talk to you again, an' listen and see you, I got it. You're still the Doctor."
He thinks of Rose, filled with the power of the Vortex and calling him her Doctor, and looks at her smiling at him now, and his own smile widens. "Yes, I am," he says, to the Rose of now, and the Rose of a few days ago. Yes, I am.
thunderemerald! Have some fic. :DTitle: Stepping Stones
Author: Rynne
Rating: G
Fandom: Doctor Who (2005)
Summary: After The Christmas Invasion, Rose has a few questions for the Doctor.
Notes: For
thunderemerald's birthday. I can't give you David Tennant, but I can give you fic. :)Use missteps as stepping stones to deeper understanding and greater achievement.
--Susan Taylor
--
"So you've done this before, right?"
He pops his head above the grille, his gaze darting towards where she's sitting on the jump seat. Somewhat confused, he looks back down at the sonic screwdriver in his hand, which he'd just been using on some wires. "Repair the TARDIS? Really, Rose, you've seen me do this plenty of times."
"I don't mean repairing the TARDIS." She sounds exasperated, and he frowns. Is he just supposed to divine her meaning without any previous indications as to the topic? That's one aspect of human females he's never liked.
"Well, I can't read your mind from here, so would you like to tell me what you do mean, then?"
Her eyes widen, then narrow again, a furrow appearing on her brow. "Read my mind? Can you do that, really? That another alien thing you never told me about?"
Oh. Another alien thing he never told her about. He sighs, but he knew they'd have this conversation at some point. Apparently now is when she decides to push it. "You mean regeneration."
"'f that's what you call it, yeah, I mean regeneration." She glares at him a bit, and he suppresses a wince. That expression directed at other people is amusing--directed at him, not so much. And the glare is weighted with disappointment, which somehow makes it so much worse. He hates to think he's failed her. "You've done it before?"
Well, best get it out of the way. "This was my ninth regeneration. Tenth body."
She stares at him. "Nine times. You've done this nine times now? What triggers it?"
What does she mean, what triggers it? Couldn't she tell? But, wait, no, she doesn't remember coming back to the Gamestation, or what he did to save her. She wouldn't realize that he took upon himself the death that would have been hers. He raises a hand and rubs the back of his neck, not sure how much to tell her. "Oh, bodies wear out, that sort of thing. Other Time Lords could control theirs better, but mine tend to happen when I take too much damage to heal any other way."
"Take too much damage to heal?" She stands up and takes a step forward, her hand reaching out to him. The movement is quick and jerking, almost involuntary, like she hadn't realized she was doing it until it happened. "Like death? Is it like death? Something kills you and then you do this--" She stops, suddenly, and even from a distance he can tell her eyes are watering.
She's getting distraught, and oh, he doesn't like that. Not at all. Rose looks so much better when she's smiling than she does with unshed tears in her eyes. Swiftly tucking the sonic screwdriver into his jacket, he lifts himself up from beneath the console and strides over to her, grabbing her hand and entwining their fingers together.
"I don't die, Rose," he says, his voice low and intent, like it was when he was trying to convince her it was really him, just after he'd regenerated. "I'm still very much alive. Nothing killed me."
Her fingers tighten around his, gripping him almost painfully, but he doesn't mind. If it reassures her that he's still here, alive and with her, he can let her crush his hand a bit.
She blinks away the tears, and when she speaks again, her voice is almost steady, though now it has an undercurrent of anger. "Why didn't you tell me it could happen? 'S not exactly a safe life we lead. You knew this could happen an' you never told me."
He sighs, though a part of him is warmed by her claiming his life as her own, even now. "Normally my bodies last...a bit longer than that one did. I seem to be running through regenerations a lot more quickly than most Time Lords did, but they still usually tend to last for longer than a year." He grimaces. "I don't often make them last centuries anymore, but I can usually manage decades. I just never thought it would come up." His lips quirk in a wry half-smile. "Just goes to show that the unexpected will pretty much always happen to me, huh?"
But she doesn't smile. "You exploded," she says. Her voice is low and her hand is trembling in his. "You babbled on about dogs with no noses and changing and then you exploded and I had no idea what was going on."
The pain in her voice makes his hearts hurt, and he quickly frees his hand and wraps both arms around her. He's immensely reassured when she returns the embrace. "I'm sorry, Rose," he says. "I tried to explain, but the process had already started and my brain had already started changing. I suppose I wasn't very coherent."
There is a snort from somewhere in the vicinity of his chest, which Rose has her face pressed against. "You've got that right," she replies wryly, though her voice is muffled a bit. "I'm not sure there was a way for you to be less helpful."
He pulls back, enough to shoot her a mock-indignant glare. Obviously seeing through him, she grins, and he can't help but grin back. To have her starting to be comfortable again with him, getting over the way he changed on her...it's a good feeling. Still, he protests, "Sure there was! I could have just not said anything about it at all, you know."
She shakes her head a bit and pulls away fully. His hands, feeling a bit empty now that they're not holding her, go straight into his pockets, and he steps back to lean against the railing.
"That might've been better," she says. "At least you wouldn't have scared me with all your talk about changing."
The grin drops from his face. "I really didn't mean to scare you, Rose," he says earnestly. "It just sort of...happened that way."
She gives him a considering look, but her face is soft when she replies, "Yeah, I understand. Just...try not to do it again soon, right?"
"Believe me, I have no intention of doing it again anytime soon," he assures her. "I'd like at least a little time to get used to this body first. Haven't really had time to discover all those new quirks and all. Well, apart from the gob. That's pretty obvious."
"Just a bit, yeah," she agrees. Her face is straight, but he can see the laughter dancing in her eyes. "An' now you're willing to eat Christmas dinner with my mum."
"Oh, well..." One of his hands leaves his pocket to ruffle through his hair. "She didn't have to take care of me. And besides, she's your mum! You came from her, which is enough of a reason to be nice to her."
Rose does a delightful combination of blushing and beaming, and the Doctor has to remind himself not to stare at how charming she looks like that--though it's more difficult than it should be. Then his attention is drawn away as Rose says, "That's definitely something different."
"Good different, I hope," he replies, and is rewarded with a quick smile. "Though don't expect me to tell her that. I do not want to be mothered, thank you very much."
She laughs, and he smiles, pleased to have gotten a laugh out of her. "Not that different, then," she says. She leans against the console and traces her fingers along various knobs and levers before resting her hand on the edge.
"Not that different," he agrees. "I'm still me."
She catches his eye and slowly nods. "I know that. Now, at least," she tells him. "When you were sick and unconscious and I didn't know what was going on, it was hard to believe." She smiles, quick and bright, and he takes a moment to bask in the warmth of it. "After you woke up, and I could talk to you again, an' listen and see you, I got it. You're still the Doctor."
He thinks of Rose, filled with the power of the Vortex and calling him her Doctor, and looks at her smiling at him now, and his own smile widens. "Yes, I am," he says, to the Rose of now, and the Rose of a few days ago. Yes, I am.
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Date: 2008-05-16 11:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-16 03:19 pm (UTC)*hugs*
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Date: 2008-05-16 05:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-16 06:05 pm (UTC)I liked seeing what he was thinking, it was very sweet. Loved the Jackie bit! XD
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Date: 2008-05-17 04:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-17 03:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-17 08:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-17 08:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-17 09:00 pm (UTC)*hugs back*
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Date: 2008-05-17 09:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-17 09:08 pm (UTC)Thank you! :)
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Date: 2008-05-17 09:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-17 09:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-17 09:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-20 01:57 pm (UTC)