Wolf Moon: Chapter Forty-Six

[amberfocus]

An alternative banner by angelfireeast, it goes well with this chapter as you'll see.

A/N: Oh, my goodness, I did it.  I finished it.  I'm shaking.  Wolf Moon is done.  It's done.  This is ridiculous.  I feel like I'm going to cry and yet I'm so happy to have completed something like this.  The ride, it's just been amazing.    It feels so unreal, so...crazy and beautiful and joyful and strange, because it's a story.  Yet, it was a story that wouldn't leave me alone.  And it was this story.  And I'm so glad it came to me, and bugged me until I wrote it, that it woudn't leave me alone until I ate, slept, and breathed it some days.  I want to thank my faithful beta JeopardyFriendly, all of my readers, and especially my reviewers, for coming along with me on this adventure.  I would have written it for me alone, but having you along with me made it so much better.  I appreciate every one of you.

Return and Away

The TARDIS had landed on the far side of the canyon from where she’d landed the first time, but she still hadn’t landed too close to the temple.  The Doctor asked her why.

 

“There’s some sort of protective shield around the main city, protecting it from space ships.  It’s why I landed so far away last time.  I could try to land inside it if you choose.  I am capable of doing so.  Might cause some minor damage to my hull, but it’d grow back,” the TARDIS said.  “Why?  Do you need me to move closer?”

 

“I’m not sure that Rose is up for a long hike yet,” the Doctor told the ship.

 

“Doctor, I’m fine.  We’ve been shagging all week and I’m fine.  I don’t think a little walk is going to do me in,” she told him.

 

“Maybe not, but it’s a five mile walk and that might be hard on that hip still.  I know it’s healed but there could be some residual issues if you do too much too soon,” he told her.

 

“I’m fine.  And I don’t want the TARDIS hurting herself just to spare me the walk,” she said.

 

“I do not mind.  I’ve picked up worse damage in plasma storms and grown back my shell within the week.  We’ll be back in the Vortex as soon as we leave here and I heal fastest there anyway.  I’ll be fine.  I’m happy to move closer if it’ll help you, Rose.”

 

“I’d like it if you would,” the Doctor said.  “But first there are a few maintenance things that need doing.”

 

“I’m not letting you under my console,” the TARDIS said with a warning tone.

 

“Not that.  You know I don’t go in there without your permission.  It’s just that in all the craziness of the past week or so, we never did finish tuning the translation circuit so Rose could understand Gallifreyan.  And we need to flush out the atmosphere containment unit to remove the residue leftover from the pink fog now that we don’t need it to be filtered through the air anymore,” the Doctor said.

 

“And I have a request,” Rose said.  The Doctor scowled at her and she backed up a step but crossed her arms defiantly.

 

“Are you sure about the ACU?” asked the TARDIS.  “It’s still controlling your hormones to a certain degree.”

 

“It is?” asked Rose.  “It certainly doesn’t feel like it,” she said her eyes drifting over to the Doctor and travelling lazily down the length his body.

 

“It is,” said the TARDIS.

 

“Well, we need to learn how to deal with the lusting without any form of outside control,” the Doctor said.  “We need to figure out how to self-regulate.  We won’t always be able to rely on you.  We'll have to leave and live outside you for days at a time during this Quest.  It’s best we do it now while we have time to acclimatize to it on the way to the next task.”

 

“Very well,” said the TARDIS.  She turned her attention to Rose.  “Rose, what is your request?”

 

“The Doctor is going to be taking me back to Earth before we start on the next task of the Quest so he can meet my family,” Rose said.  “And I was wondering, well, it’d make things easier, if you could, you know…look like the…other TARDIS.”

 

The TARDIS went silent.  Her continual humming stopped, started again, skipped a beat and stopped once more.  Then she resumed her regular noises.  “You want me to change myself?”  The ship’s voice sounded uncertain.  “Why?”

 

“I just think it would make it easier for my mum to accept things if you looked familiar to her,” Rose said.

 

“That answer does not seem entirely truthful,” the TARDIS said slowly.

 

“That’s because it’s not,” said the Doctor.  Rose glared at him.  “Well, it’s not.”  He crossed his arms.  “Rose wants me to pretend that I’m her original Doctor and I’ve managed to turn back a regeneration or regenerated again back into the first form her mum knew.  But I won’t.”

 

“Doctor.”

 

“I’m not lying to your mum, Rose.  It’s a bad way to start off with my mother-in-law and I’m not doing it,” he said.  He glanced at the console.  “And you aren’t either,” he told the ship darkly.

 

“The TARDIS can make her own choice, Doctor.  You can’t just bully her about like that,” Rose said.

 

“I’m not bullying.  I’m captaining.  She’s my ship!” he burst out.

 

“Thought you said she was her own ship if she was anyone’s,” Rose snapped back.

 

“Not when it comes to decisions like this.  I won’t allow it,” the Doctor said angrily.

 

“It does not matter what you will allow, Doctor,” the TARDIS said.  “I am my own ship and I will make my own decision on this matter.”

 

“Thank you,” said Rose.

 

“What…what do you want me to look like?  That old blue box thing his Type-40 was stuck in?” the TARDIS asked.

 

“Yeah.  If you don’t mind.  I don’t want you to do it if it bothers you,” she told the ship.”

 

“Apparently, it doesn’t matter if it bothers me, though,” sulked the Doctor.

 

“You don’t know my mum,” Rose began.

 

“And I won’t know her on the right foot if we start out by lying to her,” the Doctor insisted adamantly.  “I forbid it, Rose.  I absolutely forbid it.  No lying to your mum.  And you,” he said to the TARDIS, “I forbid you to change for Rose.”

 

Gears ground and sparks flashed across the top of the console.  “Too bad, Doctor.  I’ll do what I please,” the ship said in annoyance.  “One blue police box coming up.”

 

“On your own heads be it.  I’ll be in the ACU changing the filters if anyone around here decides my opinion matters for anything.”  The Doctor turned on his heel and stalked out of the control room.

 

Rose watched him go with some trepidation.  She put her hand on the console and said.  “You didn’t have to change.”

 

“I know.  But I don’t like him being so high-handed with either of us.  He does have a point though, Rose.  I don’t think you should lie to your mum, either.  I’ll look like this to ease the transition, but only if you promise me you’ll think about telling her the truth,” the TARDIS said.

 

“I’ll think about it,” Rose said.  “But honestly, you don’t know how my mum might take this.  She hated him for taking me away from her for a year.  Things got better towards the end, right before he changed, but…well, the way I left this time…just a letter, no good-bye…I’m afraid of how she’s going to react.  I don’t want her hating my husband.”

 

“I think you give your mother too little credit, Rose.  She raised you and you’re wonderful.  That doesn’t happen by accident.  She’s got to be a pretty wonderful woman herself.”

 

“She is…only, she’s got this temper and when it comes to the old Doctor, she never held back.  I like to think if he hadn’t changed when I went back to save him, that she would have softened.  She was so grateful he sent me back to her and when it came down to it, she’s the one helped me find the way back to him.  I just…I love him so much.  I don’t want her to hate him on first sight.”  Rose sighed and shoved her hand through her hair.

 

“He can be charming.  Tell him to be charming.  I think you’ll find you are worried for nothing,” the TARDIS advised.

 

“Maybe.”  Rose bit her lip.

 

“Talk to the Doctor.  Tell him what you’re afraid of.  He’ll do what he can.  That’s the kind of man he is.”

 

“You’re starting to sound like you almost like him,” Rose said.

 

“I do almost like him,” the TARDIS said with her chiming laughter.  “Now go and talk to him.”

 

With a grin at the TARDIS’ attitude Rose went in search of the Doctor.  When she found him he was covered from head to toe in pink dust and coughing.  He was just putting a grid back on over the six foot tall filter he’d just changed.

 

“Here,” he said on seeing her, “Help me take this to the cleansing pool.”  She helped him manhandle the device down the corridor to a room with a large narrow pool that was three feet wide, seven feet long, and four feet deep.  They got it over the lip of the pool and watched it splash down beneath the surface.  The Doctor hit a large red button—Rose had to grin as she remembered her old Doctor’s affinity with large red buttons—and the sound of a vacuum filled the room.  She watched as water was forced through the filter and the liquid turned pink and was swished away until eventually it became clear again.

 

Hesitantly she reached out and took his hand.  He didn’t look at her but his fingers tightened around hers.  Slowly she began to tell him her fears about her mother and what she thought her reaction might be on meeting him.  He listened patiently until she had talked herself out.

 

“Rose, your mum, she’s had to adapt to a different version of your father, and you say she’s done it really well.  She knows the building blocks are the same but that the Pete she is married to now is not the same Pete that gave her you.  What makes you think she can’t cope with a different version of me?  I don’t think you’re giving her enough credit,” he said.

 

“That’s what the TARDIS said,” Rose told him.

 

“Clever girl, my ship,” he said.  “I promise I’ll be on my best behavior when I meet your family.  So what’s it going to be, Rose Tyler?  Are you going to lie to your mum or are you going to tell her the truth?” he asked.

 

“I’ll tell her the truth,” she said.  A huge weight felt like it had been lifted off her as she made her choice.  He nodded at her.

 

“Good.  I need to go take a shower and get this dust off me,” he said.  “That needs to soak for twenty-four hours.  I’ll meet you back in the console room in about twenty minutes.  Unless…”

 

“Unless what?” she asked him.

 

“Unless you want to join me?”

 

“Tonight,” Rose said.  “If I get into a shower with you now we’ll never get that egg back to Ambigere.”

 

He laughed.  “Go and tell the TARDIS that she can breach the shield around the city at any time now.  See you in a few minutes.”

 

 

 

The TARDIS shuddered as she set down inside the shield of the city just outside the Temple of Hidden Means.  There was a hideous scraping noise and then all was still and the TARDIS resumed her regular healthy hum.  The Doctor emerged shortly after landing and double checked everything on the console before nodding to Rose.  He had the backpack with the egg in it strapped to his back and he held out his hand to Rose, waggling his fingers.

 

Rose took his hand, lacing her fingers through his and they walked out of the TARDIS.  Neither of them turned around to look at the ship but focused straight ahead of them, going around the side of the temple and on up the temple stairs.  At the top of the steps sat the big black wolf.  Her eyes focused narrowly upon them for a long time before she rose from her haunches, turned about, and trotted inside the temple.  They followed her.

 

Once in the large interior marble chamber the wolf slowly morphed into the black-haired, dark-eyed woman they knew as Ambigere.  “You have been successful then.”

 

Rose and the Doctor nodded as the Doctor removed the pack from his back.  “You might have been a bit clearer on what we were looking for,” he said as he pulled the Quyenseg Behavior Modification and Holographic Projection Unit out of the bag.  He handed it to the woman.

 

She smiled enigmatically as she removed the egg, sequestered it within her voluminus robe, and returned the pack.  “Yes, I could have done, but that is not my way.  If the Quest were easy, it would not have the required end result.”

 

“Which is?” demanded the Doctor.

 

“Not for you to know at this time,” Ambigere replied.  “Your next task will require a return to Earth,” she added.

 

“Earth?” asked Rose.  “I mean, we’re going there anyway, but Earth?”

 

“Yes.  You will be searching for the Orbs of Thessalameka.”  She reached into her robe and retrieved a cream colored envelope sealed with the same series of ancient symbols as before pressed into the brilliant crimson wax.  “When you find them, you will put the coordinates listed on this page,” and she handed them another paper, “into the TARDIS and it will lead you to me.”

 

“I thought we were to return to this planet each time?” the Doctor said.

 

“You will be returning to this planet,” she told him.  “But this planet will have moved by then.  There is no need for it to remain in the pocket universe any longer.  It will be free to move about the universe at large.”

 

“But why?” asked Rose.  “Why not just pick a spot and settle down somewhere?”

 

“It is not how it will be done.  It has been foretold.”  Any further questioning brought forth the same response from Ambigere.  When they desisted she said,” It is time for you to be on your way.  Good luck.”  She morphed back into the big black wolf and raced out of the room.

 

The Doctor and Rose opened the envelope and looked at its contents.  Inside was a page of instructions on the last known whereabouts in space and time of the orbs.  There was also a beautiful sketch of the spheres.  One was a translucent emerald green shot through with streaks of gold and the other was a brilliant, solid, cobalt blue shot through with streaks of crimson.

 

“They’re beautiful.  I wonder what they do?” she asked.

 

“May not do anything,” he told her.

 

“Didn’t expect the egg to do anything either, but it did.  Stands to reason that the orbs will as well,” Rose responded.

 

“Maybe,” the Doctor allowed.  “Come on.  Let’s get back to the ship.”

 

Hand in hand they left the temple, walked down the steps and headed back to the TARDIS.  It was only when they came around the bend that they saw she’d changed into the shape of a blue Police Public Call Box.  For the briefest of seconds Rose’s heart gave an illogical leap of wild hope, before she realized what the ship had done.

 

She stifled the disloyal emotion.  Even if it had been him it wouldn’t have mattered.  It would have been painful to see the other man again, but…nice to have that closure.  Her destiny was set now, held in the hand of the man who walked beside her and nothing would come between them.  She’d never leave her husband for the first Doctor she had known, even if her heart was still pounding at a ridiculous rate from that one brief flash.  She loved her new Doctor at a level that was deeper than anything she’d ever felt before.  Seeing the TARDIS looking like that only made her wistful, that’s all.

 

Rose realized suddenly that the sight of the TARDIS as a police box was also deeply affecting her husband.  She watched as he slowly put a hand against the surface of the door, stroking sadly and seeking for a mind that he knew wasn’t there, but couldn’t help but search for.  She closed her eyes tightly, forcing back hot tears.  It hadn’t once occurred to her in any of this what seeing the TARDIS disguised like this would do to the Doctor.  It would remind him of his own loss and grief for his original ship in the same way seeing the hologram of Romana for the first time had done to this TARDIS.

 

“I’m sorry,” Rose said.  “I shouldn’t have asked her to do this.  I didn’t think what it might do to you.  I’ll ask her to change back.”

 

The Doctor turned glittering eyes on her.  “I’m fine, Rose,” he said in a voice that most definitely was not fine.  “It’s fine.”  He shoved his key into the lock and strode into the ship and straight to the console.  He programmed it for Earth and waited until Rose had shut the door behind her and crept over to his side before throwing the final lever.

 

As the ship dematerialized with an uncomfortable grate as it went through the city’s shield, she took his hand.  “You must miss her,” Rose said.

 

He smiled at her with a touch of melancholy.  “I do, but…if the trade off was you, I’d lose her all over again.”

 

“Come on,” she said in a husky voice.  “I owe you a shower.  And then I’m taking you to bed.”

 

“Best offer I’ve had all day,” he responded with his usual mad grin firmly back in place.  The offer wasn’t the only thing he got the best of that day.  Rose made sure of it.  As they lay together afterwards she snuggled into him.  It amazed her that she had this moment at all, here and now with a man she loved more than her own life.  She’s spent so much time alone, even in crowds, and the loneliness at times had been bitter and unbearable.

 

Still she’d managed to carve out a fairly good life for herself, to move on and find a semblance of happiness.  If it hadn’t been quite honest, it hadn’t been a total lie, either.  But this turn of the wheel, life with this man she held in her arms, had given her back everything it had ever taken from her and added in more.  He loved her and she loved him more than she’d ever thought was possible.  Life, in the end, was good.  She smiled and the Doctor felt her lips move against him as she did so.

 

“What are you thinking about, Rose?” he asked her.

 

“I’m thinking,” Rose told him, “how much difference a month makes, just one little cycle of the moon, and everything’s changed forever.  And Doctor?”

 

“Yes, love?”  She squirmed up and kissed him thoroughly then smiled at him as she looked into his eyes.

 

“I wouldn’t have changed a thing.”

He smiled at her lovingly.  “Neither would I, Rose.  Neither would I.”