Work Text:
The Doctor never thought this day would come. So much had happened since he’d lost Rose at Canary Wharf. He was so much older and tired now. He worried that she wouldn’t want him after all this time. The phone call from Jack had been a shock to say the least, although Donna had been excited. He looked at himself in the mirror fussing with his hair to make share it was tousled just right and straightened his tie, the one with the swirls on it that she loved so much. He smiled a bit as he remembered a night right before Canary Wharf on the planet Vargas IV when he had worn this tie and how things had gotten steamy between them. He had dared to let go and so had she. They had enjoyed that world’s version of mardi gras and gone back to the Tardis continued the celebration including lots of dancing, the kind they had only ever talked about before. It had been even more amazing than he imagined and he relished the memory even if he pretended it didn’t happen the next morning. He knew she was slightly hurt but like him, she was too afraid of losing what they had to say anything more.
Now, she was by some miracle back. Jack had been elusive about the details other than to mention a void ship, transcendental technology and someone named Mya. It had set the Doctor’s senses on edge and he had a little itch nagging at the back of his mind that worried him but the Tardis hadn’t seemed at all bothered which somewhat soothed him. He trusted is magnificent ship. If universes were imploding, she would sense it first. He finished examining himself in the mirror, finally nodding. He was as prepared as he ever would be.
He walked into the console room to find Donna waiting. She looked him up and down and sniffed. “Are you wearing cologne?” she asked with a smirk.
The Doctor looked offended. “Time Lords don’t need to wear cologne. Really Donna. Superior biology. Time Lords don’t smell.”
Donna rolled her eyes. “Yeah well, coulda fooled me when you took your trainers off in the library the other day,” she said, almost snorting. “Just keep ‘em on before you scare Rose back to that other universe.”
The Doctor stared at her with his mouth open. “I…that is to say, Rose likes the way I smell.”
“Yeah, well it’s been a while. I’m sure she’s gotten used to livin’ without stinky spaceman feet,” Donna quipped as she opened the door and walked out into the Plass at the Millennium Center. The Doctor looked at his feet and lifted one foot up sniffing as he hopped out the door. Donna stood back snickering. He straightened up and glared at her.
“Oh come on you prawn, or we’ll be late,” she said, as she grabbed his hand and dragged him forward. He paused and aimed his sonic at the Tardis which beeped and blinked like a human car being locked. He turned to back to Donna and grinned. She again, rolled her eyes.
They were to meet Jack and Rose in a nearby park. They saw Jack sitting with Rose with a member Jack’s team, Gwen Cooper, nearby playing with a child on a swing set. The Doctor paused when he saw Rose. She was dressed in a black leather jacket with a bright blue angora sweater with jeans and trainers. Donna paused watching the look of awe on his face.
Rose looked up and over at him as she felt his gaze on her. When their eyes met, it was a good thing he had a respiratory bypass as he could barely inhale. Then she smiled brightly at him and he slowly moved forward as if drawn to her. When he was a few feet from her he breathed out her name, “Rose.”
She stood up and looked him in the eyes. “Doctor,” she said and looked like she wanted to throw herself at him but hesitated.
Jack reached over and shook Donna’s hand. “Captain Jack Harkness,” he said flirtatiously.
Donna responded just as flirtatiously. “Donna Noble.”
The Doctor glared and chastised Jack, “Stop it!”
Rose giggled at this interaction and it was music to the Doctor’s ears. Suddenly, a toddler with brown hair ran over. “Mummy!” he called out and attached himself to Rose.
The Doctor stared down at shock and even more shocking was that the little itch he’d felt in the back of his mind blossomed into a curious innocent presence. He stared down into inquisitive brown eyes and understood who this child was. He looked back at Rose and his face darkened.
“This is not possible,” he said with a tight voice and an angry glare directed at her.
“Doctor, we need to talk,” she said nervously.
“Talk! You want to talk about this!” he said and pointed to the child. “You lied to me!” he hissed and began pacing. He stopped and walked up to her standing over and raging oncoming storm down on her. “You. Lied. To. Me!” he said with such cold fury. “Worse, you lied to me about something that could not have happened, should not have happened. And now…here you are with…this child. And what did you do this time! I told you it was impossible to travel across the Void!” he shouted. Rose flinched. The little boy clung to her leg and stared at the Doctor.
“Doctor,” Jack said with warning in his voice. Donna stood there in shock just watching him, Rose and the child. She was stunned to see him screaming at Rose.
“No!” he spit out glaring at Jack. “Stay out of this!” He turned back to Rose. “What did you do. Rip another hole in the universe to get back just so you could…” he couldn’t even finish the sentence. He was so angry and hurt and shocked. He thought he was prepared to see her but this..this was too much.
“Doctor, it’s not like you’re makin’ it out to be,” Rose pleaded, tears beginning to well in her eyes.
“Oh really! Cos from where I’m standing it looks like somehow you produced a child which appears somewhat Gallifreyan. And, you lied about being pregnant. I asked you and you told me it was Jackie!”
“Mum was pregnant. She had a little boy. At the time, I wasn’t sure if I was,” she pleaded and then she became angry that he was lecturing her. “And, what exactly did you expect me to say to you. You told me it was impossible that we would never see each other again. What, you wanted me to tell you, oh by the way, I think I might be pregnant with your alien baby!” Rose shouted at him.
“Guys, let’s everyone calm down and not have this shouting match in a public park,” Jack tried to reason while Gwen tried to keep nosy onlookers away.
“Calm down!” the Doctor raged. “I will not calm down. She tears her way back into this universe with the evidence of her lie and expects what of me? I’m suppose to just accept this child who shouldn’t even exist.”
“Doctor!” Donna shouted in warning. “Have you forgotten there’s young ears here?”
“Young ears, Donna? He’s been buzzing around my telepathic barriers since we got to this park. I don’t think he needs to hear what’s being said to know what‘s happening.”
“You know what, you’re right,” Rose acknowledged angry and with tears coursing down her face. “He doesn’t. He’s been telepathic since before he was born. Been in my head ever since my six month of pregnancy. Took me forever to figure it out. Alien pregnancies don’t happen every day in Pete’s World. You have no idea what we’ve been through or all I’ve done to keep ‘im safe. Never thought I’d have to protect ‘im from you. You of all people. The one person I thought could help us,” she said shaking her head and crying. “Guess I got that wrong.”
“Guess you did,” he said, still angry and his mind trying to process all that she had just revealed to him.
“Mya,” Rose called out. A woman with long wavy ginger hair held back in a pony tail dressed all in black approached.
The Doctor turned to the woman and paled. “It can’t be,” he whispered in shock as he stared at her in disbelief. He could sense immediately that she was not human and was a creature that reminded him of a species he had encountered regenerations ago.
Mya crossed her arms and glared at the Doctor. “I suppose you have had several shocks today Doctor. It’s not easy finding out how wrong you are about so many things. I wasn’t wrong though. I told Rose it was a waste of time contacting you. Rose and this child are better off elsewhere.”
“What are you doing with them?” the Doctor demanded emotionally. “The Eternals left ephemerals to their own destruction at the onset of the Time War. They refused to intervene. How can you be here?”
Mya smirked, her green eyes lit with amusement. “You understand so little. I was born of an ephemeral who was gifted certain abilities by Eternals. My kind doesn’t live by the same rules as you. I found Rose and her child about to be taken by creatures who would have used them for less than pure intentions. Rose and her son are unique like me and didn‘t belong in that universe. I was leaving so I took them with me. Besides, the creatures that had them annoyed me. They were pompous and arrogant not unlike the Time Lords. Rose and her offspring deserved better.”
The Doctor stared at her. “So you’re taking them to the Eternals are you?” he asked with an edge to his voice.
Mya rolled her eyes and turned to Rose. “He always this miserable and oblivious?”
“Please Mya, let’s just go,” Rose said, wanting to get away so she could think and not expose Tyler to any more of the Doctor‘s rage.
“Mummy, we’re suppose to go with Daddy. The monsters will find us if we don’t,” the little boy said solemnly. He then looked at the Doctor. “Please Daddy, don’t send us away.”
The Doctor felt all the turmoil drained out of him at the child’s plea. He then looked at Rose, really looked at her and opened his mind to the possibilities he didn’t want to see earlier. Mya was right, he was being too much like his pompous people and not paying attention to what was happening right here and now. He was laying all the blame on Rose and that was wrong. He was the brilliant Time Lord and what had he done, blamed someone who was centuries younger than him who was trying to do the right thing. Rose wasn’t perfect but she tried to make the right choices. He knew she kept silent on this pregnancy to spare him even if part of him still raged at her deception.
He looked down at her kneeling by their child. Their child. That phrase touched something in him that he thought was gone. It was inconceivable that he was a father and yet there was the proof before him. He dropped to his knees beside them. “I’m not going to send you away. I couldn’t if I wanted to. I’m not strong enough. I’m so sorry. Of all the things I was prepared for, this… you were not one of them,” he said softly to the boy. Then he turned to Rose. “Please. Please give me another chance.”
Rose, with her arms protectively around her son, looked at him without speaking for a long time. “You have to promise me something first.”
The Doctor nodded his head. “Anything.”
“Don’t you ever talk like that in front of my son again. He’s not a thing. He’s a person, my son, your son. Ours. We made him together. And, he has a name. It’s Tyler. Ty for short.”
The Doctor smiled. “Tyler? You named him Tyler Tyler?” He grinned broadly. “I rather like that.”
“It’s Tyler Smith really. I had to make up a story to keep us safe. We told people his father was lost at sea. It seemed simpler that way. Sorry,” Rose said softly, not looking at the Doctor.
The Doctor nodded. “Course. I understand. Smith’s a good name.” He looked down at Tyler. “Well Tyler, you and I have a lot to talk about I think. How would you like to see my Tardis?” the Doctor asked, now warming to the idea of having a fresh young mind aboard the Tardis. It had been ages since he’d had a child aboard. Although he was a bit frightened by it, he was also looking forward to this new adventure.
He looked back at Rose. “Rose?” he asked. “Will you please come with me. I can’t promise not to be prat occasionally.” Donna snorted at this and the Doctor looked over at her with a glare.
“Just a prat?” Mya asked with a raised eyebrow. “Come now Doctor, I don’t think you give yourself enough credit. I believe humans have far more descriptive words for one such as you like, idiot, barmy, arsehole, git..”
“That’s enough! I know I may have jumped to conclusions I shouldn’t have, but I’m going to make things right by Rose and Tyler. If they’ll let me, that is,” he acknowledged and looked at Rose.
Rose looked at Tyler and then at Mya and Donna. She turned back to the Doctor. “All right. I think we’re all safer together anyway, but you and me, we have to talk. And, by talk I don’t mean you babbling about some new planet and takin’ off. I mean, we have to talk about us and Tyler. I told you how feel on that beach oh so many years ago. I still feel that way even if you did just rain oncoming storm down on me. I got my own feelins too you know and you’re gonna listen.”
Donna stepped over. “Oh, don’t you worry. He’ll listen even if I have to tie his skinny pinstriped arse down. I’m Donna by the way. Nice to meet you,” Donna said and looked at the Doctor with a superior “you are so in trouble” look.
Rose smiled and stood up. “Nice to meet you, Donna. I think you and me are gonna be good friends. This is Mya. She’ll be comin’ with us.”
“What?” the Doctor exclaimed as he began to realize he would be vastly outnumbered on the Tardis. “I don’t recall…” he started to say before three sets of female eyes glared at him. “Right,” he said nodding his head. “Of course she can come. Nothing like an Eternal hybrid on the Tardis to keep things exciting.”
Jack and Gwen who had remained silent finally stepped forward. “Rose, you gonna be okay?” Jack asked.
Rose smiled. “Yeah, Jack. Thanks for everything. You too, Gwen. Don’t know what we would have done without you.” She hugged both of them.
“If you need anything and I mean anything, you call, yes?” Gwen said.
“Promise,” Rose acknowledged.
Tyler walked up and tugged at the Doctor’s coat. The Doctor knelt down and scooped him up and gently brushed his mind against Tyler’s mind. The boy grinned brightly at him. “You have your mother’s smile,” he whispered.
Mya sighed. “All right Time Lord, you might not require much sleep but Rose and Tyler do and they’ve had a long day. Let’s get loaded up into this time machine and get moving. Something’s coming here and we can’t be a part of it.”
Donna looked over at Mya. “What? What’s coming?”
“It’s best not to ask, Donna. Mya knows about fixed points and altered time lines. She says we’ve already changed things by comin' back to this universe. If she says we need to leave. We need to go now,” Rose explained.
“Just what I need, another one that talks alien gibberish like space man here,” Donna muttered as they all headed back to the Tardis.
Once inside, Donna took Tyler and Mya back to find rooms leaving the Doctor and Rose in the console room. “I am sorry, Rose,” he said once they were alone.
She ran her and lovingly over the console and looked up at him. “I’m sorry too. I wish things could’ve been different, that you could’ve been there to see Tyler born and…” She teared up. He walked over and grasped her and. Rose looked down at how well their hands fit together. “I meant it all those years ago you know. I promised you forever and I want to give it to you if you’ll let me.”
“I…I’d like that,” he whispered back emotionally. Rose looked at him for a long time and felt that tiny telepathic connection she had shared with him flare to life. With a cry she threw herself into his arms and it was like you could not tell where one of them began and the other ended. It was a long time before they parted and when they did they spent a moment just inventorying each other.
“Barcelona,” he said suddenly and began flipping switches. “We could go shopping there. I’m sure you’ll need stuff. I mean Tyler needs lots of stuff. Kids…they grow and need stuff and Donna loves shopping.”
“Doctor,” Rose said warning. “Remember what I said.”
He looked up and nodded. “Right. Maybe we just park in the vortex for a bit and spend some time having tea.”
“I’d like that,” Rose said nodding. The Doctor grabbed her hand and began walking down the corridor with her. “I even have some of those special Jaffa cakes you like. We could, you know, maybe share and…talk.”
“Sounds good,” Rose said softly, swinging their hands between them as they walked down the corridor.