Post Pomp (22/22)

[amberfocus]

A/N:  Last chapter.  And everything is now put nicely back into canon.  Dialog you recognize is from Girl in the Fireplace.  There is an epilogue piece that will follow called Post Pomp Post Script, just so you know.

Chapter Twenty-Two:  Five and a Half Hours

“What happened? Where did the time window go? How’s he going to get back?” Mickey asked starting to panic. Rose just stood there, a look of disconsolation on her face as she stared into the future. An empty, lonely future without her Doctor in it. She couldn’t bring herself to tell Mickey what she knew in the very deepest part of her heart; that the Doctor couldn’t get back. It was breaking her spirit and she couldn’t trust herself to speak.

“We can’t fly the TARDIS without him,” Mickey said his voice rough with sadness as he hunched over a computer screen. “How’s he gonna get back?” Rose didn’t answer him, instead looking up at a series of windows far overhead, at the stars that now seemed so cold, so empty and so very far away.

Finally she got a hold of herself with a little shake and looked over at her friend. She owed him the truth. And at least if she had to be trapped like this, she wasn’t trapped alone. She took a deep breath and turned to face him. “The link with the ship is broken. There is no way back.”

“What d’ya mean no way back, Rose?”

“We’re stuck here.” She sighed sadly. “I’m sorry, Mickey. I never should have agreed for you to come along.”

“I wanted to come, Rose. I wanted to see what was so special about this adventuring you do. I suppose if we’re trapped it could be worse. Let’s go see what else this tub has to offer.” He held out his hand to Rose who just shook her head no.

“Maybe later, Mickey. Right now, I’m just going to wait.”

“You just said it was impossible for the Doctor to get back. Why you waiting on him then?” Mickey asked.

Rose didn’t answer him and so shaking his head, he went off to explore on his own.



As Cassi’s TARDIS flew through the Vortex the Doctor talked to her. “I’m going to be a better father to her,” the Doctor promised Philia. “I swear this time I’ll listen, whatever it is. And I’ll not damage you. I wish I knew what I’d done and why.”

The ship hummed at him and he smiled. “I know you can’t tell me. I already have too much knowledge of my own future and that can be dangerous.” He sighed and stroked the console.

“I’m going to set everything right. Everything right that I can,” he mused.

A little bing informed him that the TARDIS was about to land. Philia was completely functional now and Jack had added one little feature to her that she hadn’t previously possessed. Stealth mode. She could materialize without making noise. And she did, right over the fireplace, her chameleon circuit taking its image as she did so.

As Philia settled into place a cream colored paper with a bright red wax seal materialized on the console in front of him. In large cursive lettering was written the word Father. He picked it up and tucked it into his coat pocket. He’d read it a little later, after he rescued Rose and Mickey.

He stepped out of the TARDIS, looking for all the world as if he were swinging around the wall as he had done the first time he went into Reinette’s time. His feet echoed on the deck plates as he ran to find the woman he loved.

When he dashed into the control center Rose turned at the clatter of his shoes and smiled a tremendous smile, one he had so desperately feared that he’d never see again. She launched herself across the room and into his arms so hard she nearly knocked him off his feet.

“How long did you wait?” the Doctor asked anxiously, hoping it hadn’t been too long as Rose smothered him in her embrace. If he'd misjudged the time, put her through any kind of torment he didn't know if he could stand it.  Not after everything that had happened, everything he'd managed to set right.  He held her tightly, more tightly than usual, so happy to have her warm living body back in his arms again. He felt his smile was going to break his face, it was so wide.

“Five and a half hours,” she said, her voice full of relief and a little laughter.

“Right, always wait five and a half hours!” He reluctantly disentangled himself from Rose and moved towards Mickey. He wanted to throw his arms around Mickey and hug him, too. If it weren’t for Mickey and his clever idea, his ability to point out the obvious, this reunion might never be happening. Instead he reached out and shook hands with the smiling young man.

“Where have you been?” Rose asked her voice full of curiosity and happiness and just a tinge of uncertainty.

“Far away,” said the Doctor. “That was…far away. Still, I’m back now. Into the TARDIS! Let’s leave this place behind.” Rose and Mickey hurried into the TARDIS. Everything was going to be okay. He hoped. But still, there was Cassi. He couldn’t quite see how the time lines had played out yet.

The Doctor walked slowly up the ramp towards the console, a deep sadness threatening to overwhelm him as he thought of his daughter. A question from Rose distracted him. “Why her? Why did they think they could repair the ship with the head of Madame de Pompadour?”

He knew the answer to that now, because the ship had been named for the woman and the computer programming had gotten addled, but there was no way he could have done before. "We’ll probably never know,” the Doctor said his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his trousers. “There’s massive damage in the computer memory banks. Probably got confused,” he said rubbing at his ear. He reached the console saying, “The TARDIS can close down the time windows now the droids have gone.”

He focused on the switches in front of him reaching out to start the sequence that would trigger dematerialization. “They shouldn’t be causing any more trouble.” He tried to keep the sadness out of his voice as he thought of all that had happened.

“You all right?” asked Rose picking up on his sadness.

He looked at her so beautiful and more importantly so alive. This time he had to make sure she’d be all right. Whether he was or not was unimportant. He couldn’t bring himself to say his usual “I’m always all right,” just met her gaze and gave a tiny nod and a tinier smile. He looked back down and continued with his knobs and levers.

“Come on, Rose,” said Mickey, his voice full of sympathy for Rose. “It’s time you show me ‘round the rest of this place.” He reached for her hand and gently tugged her away. The Doctor looked up briefly as the two of them departed and then pulled the letter from his jacket pocket.

He unsealed the dark red wax and unfolded the cream colored paper. Steeling himself he began to read:

My Dearest Father–

Our time lines have never seemed so tangled and yet I fear I am nearing the end of mine. Reason tells me that you and I are unlikely to meet again, but I think I shall not listen to reason. I have seen the worlds inside realities and know that all things are possible. Hurry, though. The time to repair the damage grows shorter now and I am so very scared. Godspeed my lonely father. If you manage to change history, kiss Mum for me. Kiss Mum for me.

Despite it all, I loved you my whole life.
Cassi

He folded the letter back up, his face expressionless as he tucked it back into his suit jacket. He swallowed tightly and he looked at the view screen, the image showing was one of a fireplace, the disguise Cassi’s TARDIS had materialized in. He took one last look at Philia before she slowly faded back into her proper timeline, felt with relief the presence of Cassi settling along that same timeline, and watched the fire going out in the real fireplace as it did so. He turned the screen off.


Later that evening the Doctor heard Rose knock on the library door. “Come in,” he called.

She entered hesitantly. “You know you don’t have to knock on the door, Rose. You’re welcome in any room on the ship, any time,” he said seriously.

She raised her eyebrows. “Any room? Any time?”

“Of course,” he said.

“Even your bedroom?” she asked with an impish gleam in her eyes.

“If you like, Rose.”

“Really?” She was a bit more than surprised and a faint blush spread over her face.

“This is your home as much as mine.  I thought...well, I thought you knew that.  You need to know that.  So, yes, you're welcome anywhere, even in my bedroom.” He gave her a soft, shy grin, before adding, “Mickey still has to knock, though! And he’s not allowed in my bedroom ever!”

She laughed and then came and sat down by him. “Can I talk to you?” she asked.

“Always,” he said, reaching out and taking her hand.

“It’s about Mickey.” The Doctor tensed, afraid of what she might say. “Why did you let him come with us?”

The Doctor’s free hand rose to tug on the back of his collar. “I was afraid,” he admitted openly.

“Afraid of what?” she asked.

“Afraid of how close we were getting,” he said honestly.

“Over 900 years of time and space and you’re afraid of getting close to a London shop girl?” she chided him gently.

“You’re not just a London shop girl,” he said. “You’re Rose.” The way he said her name made her look at him with surprise and he recognized the flash of hope that came into her eyes.  But then they clouded again.

“I thought you weren’t coming back. I’m sorry. I should have had more faith in you,” she whispered, hanging her head. “I thought you were going to stay with her.”

“Her? Who her?” he asked.

She laughed. “And you think I speak funny." Her expression sobered. “Madame de Pompadour. Reinette. I thought you were staying behind with her. I thought you were choosing to leave us. To leave me.”

“Oh, Rose, no.” He reached up and stroked her hair away from her face. “I might have saved the life of the uncrowned queen of France, but at the end of the day I’ll always find a way to come home to my princess.”

Rose made a little strangled sound in her throat. He didn't know if she was touched or laughing at him and he wasn't sure he wanted to know.  He knew he was being ridiculously maudlin, but he couldn’t help it. He meant it.  He’d lost her, she’d died, and he wasn’t going to let that happen again.

"But Reinette?  You...cared for her?"

"Not like you think, Rose.  Not like I...  It was nothing like how I feel about you," he finally managed.

“Sounds like you’re not afraid of getting too close to me anymore,” she told him.

“No. No, I’m not. Rose you need to know, you’re the most important thing in my life. Don’t doubt that. Not ever.”

“Doctor, I…you’re the most important thing in my life, too.”

He let go of her hand, tugged her towards him until he'd pulled her into his lap, and cuddled her close.  After a moment he took a deep breath and tilted her chin up to face him. “The most important thing,” he repeated, and slowly, so slowly at first he wasn’t sure he was moving, he touched his lips to hers.  She came alive under his touch, the kiss burning through them both as his tongue came into contact with hers and she pressed her body into his.

It was not a kiss that would be forgotten. Not a kiss where someone else was in control. It was a kiss that held the promise of a glorious future, freely given between two people who loved each other even if they hadn’t found the courage yet to say it. It was him and it was Rose and it was so right.  He was afraid just yet to repeat the words he'd said to her on the time agency ship.  One day he would be able to tell her.

It was all right, he thought as he deepened the kiss still more.  They had plenty of time.  The rest of her life to be together and he was no longer afraid to watch her wither and die because he'd have her there for so many years of happiness and if that was the price then so be it.  One day soon, he would tell her or she would tell him and their fates would be sealed.  For now though, there was the kiss and there was Rose and she was everything and he'd never let himself forget that again.

Epilogue--Post Pomp Post Script:  http://amberfocus.livejournal.com/44754.html