A Place in Time (13/30)
Apr. 29th, 2008 04:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
amberfocus
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Chapter Thirteen: Good-bye to You
“I want to say my good-byes now, Doctor,” Martha said as the Doctor prepared to land the TARDIS in front of the Millennium Center.
“What? Aren’t you going to come and meet Rose?” he asked her in surprise.
The Doctor looked at her quietly, opening his mouth to say something but then shutting it, leaving the words unsaid. He was so good at leaving words unsaid. Especially when he needed to say them.
“Travelling with you has been the best, Doctor,” Martha said. “I saw so much. Thank you for that.”
“You act like we’re never going to see each other again,” he burst out. “I’ll be by Torchwood from time to time, you know I will. And if U.N.I.T. needs me I'll be there. And you can still come travelling. Just because I'm getting Rose back doesn't mean I'll push away my friends.”
Martha shook her head no. “I think Rose and you should take some time. Then maybe, if you want to bring me along again…well, you know where I work and you know where I live and you know how to call.” She bit her lip, trying hard to keep her emotions in check.
“Okay,” he said. “If that’s how you want it.”
“It is.” Martha squared her shoulders. The Doctor came around the console and gave her a gentle hug. When he released her she headed for the doors.
“Martha, wait,” the Doctor said. Martha turned back to look at him. She watched him as he dug through his pockets for a moment. “Here we are,” he said, and he handed her a scrap of paper. "I should have given you this the last time we said good-bye like this. Didn't think to."
She looked at it and frowned. “A phone number?”
“It’s for a woman named Sarah Jane Smith. She used to travel with me a long time ago. She’s someone you can talk to.”
“What, a therapist?” Martha sounded offended. “I don’t need a therapist, Doctor. It’s not the end of my world.”
“She’s not a therapist, Martha. She’s just…someone who will understand. A normal person outside of work.” Again he left so much unsaid. Martha shoved the number into her coat pocket and made for the door. “Good-bye, Martha,” he said.
“Good-bye, Doctor.”
“Well, that went as well as could be expected,” Donna said entering the control room as soon as Martha had shut the door. She had waited in the corridor to give Martha some time alone with the Doctor, but of course she'd been listening.
“She always was one for the melodramatic exit. She didn’t have to leave. You don’t have to leave,” he said. “You know that, right?”
“I’m going to meet your Rose, Doctor,” Donna said. “And then I’m going to go visit my family for a week. I expect you to pick me up again after that week is over. But I want you to take some time alone with Rose. About six weeks. And then you can come back a week after you left. Time machines have their practical uses. And don't you dare be late. Mum will be driving me crazy by then.”
The Doctor nodded at her with a smile of agreement. Sylvia would probably be driving Donna crazy by the second day. Possibly the first. “I can do that,” he said.
“And do ask Martha to come along from time to time. She won’t ask. She’s got too much pride for it, but she doesn’t want to lose you from her life.”
“You know I couldn’t love her. Not the way that she wanted me to.”
“I know, Doctor. I know. And I don't think she really wants that anymore, but she's still...well, I imagine she's a bit jealous losing the travelling.”
"She doesn't have to. That was her choice."
"I know."
He looked down at the control monitor. “The TARDIS has detected an object emerging from the Void. I just need to get one thing and then we’ll be on our way.”
“Not our way,” Donna said. “I’ll wait in my room. Give you two a bit of privacy.”
“Donna Noble, I think you’re just a pushover romantic at heart.”
Donna laughed. “Get going or I’ll push you over.”
*****************************************
The capsule finally split open and Jack and Rose emerged, doing all kinds of crazy stretches to get their muscles and joints back to working order after being cramped in such a confined space for too long.
“And who is this lovely creature?” said a man that Rose recognized as Dr. Owen Harper. The only significant difference in this universe she could see was that he had darker hair. The similarities, including the one that most annoyed her, were strong.
As he looked her up and down Jack said, “Keep your pants on, Owen. This one’s off limits.”
Owen frowned. “Off limits to everyone?” he asked. “Or just to me?”
“To everyone,” Jack said firmly. “But especially to you. Has there been any word from the Doctor?”
Gwen shook her head. “You never said you were bringing anyone back, Jack. Just that you wanted to see what was on the other side.”
“This is Rose. She’s the reason I can’t die. She got trapped in the wrong universe. I brought her back. Rose, this is Gwen.” Jack's tone indicated he did this sort of thing every day.
“Hello,” Gwen said.
“Hello.” Rose searched Gwen’s face, looking to see if there were any differences between this woman and the one she had worked with. All she noticed was a small gap between her front teeth that had been missing in the other universe.
Jack introduced her to Toshiko and Ianto. It was a little disconcerting to meet people she had already met. Parallel universes were a bit like time travel that way. You could meet yourself or others coming and going.
“What’s that?” Rose asked as the loud noise of hydraulics echoed through the hub.
“It’s just the lift,” said Jack. “Come on.” He led her up to the hub and she could see a giant platform being lowered from somewhere near the ceiling. Jack showed her around to the various stations, telling her who did what where.
When the noise of the hydraulics stopped, Rose glanced around curiously to see who was getting off the lift.
“Hello, Rose,” said the Doctor. He was holding one hand behind his back which he brought around to the front and offered to her. In it was a greasy, steaming brown bag. “Chips?”
Ch. 14: http://amberfocus.livejournal.com/51087.html
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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Date: 2008-04-29 11:58 pm (UTC)Oh and I have to say that this is still my favorite reunion line ever:
Classic!
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Date: 2008-04-30 07:28 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-04-30 12:57 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-04-30 07:28 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-04-30 12:57 am (UTC)I can't wait for more, its fabulous.
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Date: 2008-04-30 07:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-04-30 01:41 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-04-30 07:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-04-30 07:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-04-30 07:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-04-30 07:58 pm (UTC)(huh... lol... please her.. *starts blushing*... Well, that way too, I guess... Once Donna is with her mother)
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Date: 2008-05-02 06:27 am (UTC)re: A Place in Time (13/30)
Date: 2008-05-29 08:41 am (UTC)Re: A Place in Time (13/30)
Date: 2008-05-30 01:15 am (UTC)