You're What?: Chapter Two

[amberfocus]

 

Chapter 1:  http://amberfocus.livejournal.com/66365.html

Stepping Up

 

“Well, that couldn’t possibly have gone any worse,” the Doctor muttered kicking angrily at one of the coral support struts. He swore as he missed the part of his boot that had the steel toe in it and connected with the side of his foot instead. The TARDIS hummed angrily at him. “Oh, don’t you start!” he snapped at the ship. He heard a sound behind him.

 

Realizing he was being observed he spun around and saw Jack Harkness standing in the door to the console room, arms folded across his chest and a somewhat annoyed expression on his too-perfect pretty boy face. “You want something?” he growled.

 

“Heard the yelling,” Jack said non-committally.

 

“Eavesdropping again, Jack? Doesn’t suit you,” said the Doctor.

 

“It’s hardly eavesdropping when I can hear it in my room. With the door closed,” Jack said. The Doctor glared stonily at him. “So what’d you do this time, Doc? And where’s Rose?”

 

“Don’t call me Doc. She’s outside cooling off,” the Doctor said choosing only to answer the second question.

 

“Ah. Could be a while then.”

 

“What makes you say that?” the Doctor asked.

 

“I’ve heard Rose yell at you before, Doc. Lot’s of times. She’s always been angry, you know? But she’s never sounded so…hurt. What’d you do to her?” he asked again.

 

“What makes you think I did anything? What makes you think it wasn’t something she did? Something stupid and jeopardy friendly and dangerous?” he ranted.

 

“Was it?” Jack asked simply.

 

“Yeah, it was,” the Doctor said hotly. “She never should have let me touch her in the first place.  Never should have let me get close.  Never should have even come with me.  But mostly, she never should have let me have her.”

 

“Oh, ho, so this is a lover’s spat, not just one of your normal quarrels,” said Jack. “Well, get her some flowers and tell her you’re sorry and--.”

 

“She’s pregnant.”

 

“One more time?” Jack asked losing all of his teasing and nonchalance and striding to the Doctor’s side.

 

“Rose is pregnant.” The Doctor’s shoulders slumped and he dropped into the jump seat, putting his head in his hands.

 

“Doc, she’s just nineteen,” Jack said concerned.

 

“I know how old she is!” the Doctor snapped looking back up. “Knew how old she was when I took her into my bed, but damn it, she’s Rose and this isn’t supposed to be possible.” He gave Jack a speculative glance. “Is there any chance this kid is yours, Jack?”

 

“No!” snapped Jack indignantly. “You told me hands off when I came on board, Doc. Do you really think I’d go after someone else’s girl?”

 

“If it had a pulse, probably.  And she wasn't mine then.”

 

“Nice to know you think so highly of me. I didn’t touch Rose. The girl’s not interested in anyone else. Not since you and she became lovers a few weeks after I got here. Before that even.  Once she thought you were interested, she only flirted with me when she wanted to make you jealous.  Never did it when we were alone.  Rose is faithful,” Jack said. “And you better not let her even hear you thinking something like…” He trailed off at the look on the Doctor’s face.

 

“Oh, tell me you didn’t?” Jack said with a sinking expression on his face.

 

“Didn’t what?”

 

“You didn’t accuse Rose of sleeping around?” Jack said. The Doctor didn’t answer. “No wonder she’s so mad at you. Rose wouldn’t do that, Doctor. She’s not the sort.”

 

“She could have slept with you before that.”

 

“She didn’t. And she’s not sleeping with Mickey, either, though I suppose you probably asked her that, too?” Jack asked. The Doctor continued to stare sullenly at the floor. “So let me get this straight. The girl tells you she’s pregnant and you assume it’s not yours; tell her she sleeps around, and then what? I’m assuming there’s more. This hole isn’t quite deep enough for you to bury yourself in yet.”

 

“She thinks…she thinks I don’t want it,” he admits.

 

“You don’t want it?”

 

“Jack, what the hell kind of father would I be? I’m a killer. I’ve committed genocide. I’ve destroyed planets. I leave nothing but destruction in my wake,” he shouted. “What would I do to a kid? I was bad enough at being a dad the first time around when none of it really mattered because there were lots of my people to fill in the gaps. If I have a baby with Rose it’s going to--.” He broke off.

 

“What, Doc? It’s going to matter?”

 

“It’ll all be on me,” he said.

 

“You don’t think Rose will have a hand in it? I’m pretty sure she’ll be right there in it with you like she always is,” Jack pointed out.

 

“That’s not, that’s not what I mean. I’ve got…I’ve got a responsibility to the universe to right some of the wrongs I’ve inflicted, to make sure that the balance is maintained, that good will out, that evil doesn’t conquer all. I’ve got a responsibility--.”

 

“You’ve got a responsibility to that girl outside. And to that baby you made. So unless you can convince Rose to abort it…” The Doctor blanched at Jack’s words.

 

“Can’t,” he said. “You can’t abort a Gallifreyan pregnancy. The placenta weaves itself through the walls of the uterus and sends out blood vessels to all the major organs for more efficient growth and they don’t start to withdraw until the final month of pregnancy. It starts within a week of conception. An abortion would kill Rose.”

 

“Did you tell her that, too?” Jack asked.

 

“No. It didn't come up.  She wants to have it,” the Doctor said.

 

“And you don’t?”

 

“Haven’t you been listening, Jack? I can’t.”

 

“All I’m hearing, Doc, is that you think you don’t deserve to have a child with Rose,” Jack pointed out. “I’m not hearing anything that says you don’t want one.”

 

“You know this really isn’t any of your business,” the Doctor said grumpily.

 

“If you’re hurting Rose, then I’m making it my business,” Jack said somewhat aggressively.

 

The Doctor eyed him for a long time. “None of it matters, anyway. She’s going back home to Jackie. She’s going to raise the baby on Earth.”

 

“You’re kicking her out? You knocked her up and you’re going to abandon her just like that? How is she going to look after an alien kid on her own? And cope with a cross species pregnancy? What if something goes wrong? We’re talking about your child, Doc. We’re talking about Rose. I know how you feel about her. You can’t do that!” Jack was furious.

 

“You have absolutely no idea how I feel about Rose Tyler!” the Doctor roared.

 

“You’re wrong. Even a fool could see how much you love her,” Jack said gently.

 

“She wants to go home. She asked me to take her home,” the Doctor said softly.

 

“Before or after you acted like a jerk?” Jack wanted to know.

 

“After.”

 

“Then you need to talk to her. Let her know you’re going to take care of her,” Jack insisted.

 

“I’m…I can’t, Jack. It’s better this way. She’s better free of me, free of the kind of havoc my life brings with it. The baby’ll be safer without me in his life,” the Doctor said. “Jackie’ll help. She raised Rose okay on her own,” the Doctor said.

 

“Oh, no,” said Jack. “If you’re dumping Rose off on Earth to deal with this on her own then you’re leaving me, too. You may not want to step up to the plate and deal with this, but I won’t let Rose go through it on her own. She doesn’t deserve that. Her baby needs a father and if you won’t do it,” Jack sucked in a huge breath and met the Doctor’s steely gaze head on, “then I will.”

Chapter 3:   http://amberfocus.livejournal.com/69273.html

Comments

[honorh.livejournal.com]

Love the little scene! Isn't Jack too much fun to write dialogue for? I adore him.

[amberfocus.livejournal.com]

*giggles* Jack's the best!