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Rose tried to remain sympathetic for as long as she could. Really, she tried. But her patience lasted all of about fifteen minutes, when she’d lost Mickey’s attention in the media room and went back to check on the Doctor.
He was still sitting there, letter in hand but looking through it, deep in thought.
"Right, then. Where we off to next?" she asked, mostly to announce her presence and shake him out of this mood.
"I thought you were going to bed?" he asked, barely glancing up at her.
"Nah. Not tired. And Mickey’s gonna be ages in the media room, judging by the look on his face when I left him. I thought maybe you and me could make a quick trip on our own? Something to cheer us up, maybe?"
"I’m not really up for it right now. Besides, what do you need cheering up about? I’m the one who messed up, forgot about the time difference, thought I’d only be gone a second and then she was gone."
"You really wanted her to come with us? For what, then? A trip? For good?"
"Dunno. Would have been up to her, I guess. But she’ll never get the chance, and it’s my fault. She died waiting for me."
"Look, I’m sorry Doctor, but it’s not like she died the instant you left. She still had a life, yeah? She lived for what, forty odd years? In that whole time, she knew you for about a day. I really don’t think she was miserable, pining for you. She was practically the Queen of France, right? Bet she had a great life, no offense, but even without you. She only knew you from memories, really. Memories and dreams. Didn’t really know you at all. Otherwise she wouldn’t have…," Rose trailed off, realizing she’d almost over-spoken.
"What?" he asked, after he realized she wasn’t going to continue.
"Nothin’," she said, turning around to hide her quickly reddening face.
"No, finish that sentence. Otherwise she wouldn’t have what?"
Rose hesitated, but realized she’d already stepped in it and decided to make it worth it. “Otherwise she wouldn’t have wanted to come with you. If she knew the life we really live, not that little girl’s fantasy she grew up with, she’d never want to come. If she knew she could get abandoned on a space ship, thousands of years in her future, with no foreseeable way home, she’d never have wanted to come,” she finished, quietly.
"Rose, I didn’t abandon you. But I needed to save her and figured I’d find a way back, somehow. I always have, haven’t I?"
"Yeah, but it was different this time. Couldn’t we have used the Tardis to go back to that time? Why’d you have to jump through that window?"
"Rose. I’ll never admit this again, but just this once, and no repeating this to anyone, got it? But, you know my accuracy isn’t always as…accurate as it could be. And if I’d missed it, she would have been killed. And I know you didn’t like her, but I also know you’d never want that."
"No. But, you could have, I dunno, packed us all in the Tardis and used it to fly through, not that bloody horse."
"Yeah, but, come on, the horse entrance? Pretty impressive, you’ve got to admit."
"Maybe from the other side," she muttered, turning away from him.
"Oh, come on Rose, I would have found some way back to you, you know that."
"What was the name of the ship? I mean, if that hadn’t worked, and you didn’t have the Tardis, how would you get back to us if you didn’t even know the name of the ship?"
"Rose, I’d have found a way. I’d have had to hitch a ride with another version of me, and it would have been unpleasant and annoying, but I’d have done it, for you. And with two of us, two Doctor brains, and a Tardis, we’d have found you. There’s no question of that, okay? And I’ll tell you what, between you and me…." he lowered his voice, indicating she should come closer. She hesitated, but gave in after a moment. "You’re absolutely right about Reinette. There’s no way she’d have lasted one trip with us, let alone longer than that. Can you imagine? Pampered, stuffy woman like her, getting covered in slime, or chased by spear-wielding aliens?"
Rose giggled, despite herself. “I dunno, she seemed to do all right with those clock robots.”
"Oh, of course she did. She was a formidable woman and the palace was her domain. She may have been able to hold her own in her house, but take her out of the palace, out of the fancy clothes, out of her comfort zone and there’s no way she’d have been able to keep up with you. Not for a minute."
"Yeah?" she asked, with a half grin.
"Oh, yes. Now, I believe you said Mr. Mickey was in the media room. What say you, Rose Tyler, to a movie night? We can make him watch that terrible animated one from Caranas, and we won’t tell him it’s interactive until he starts complaining about it. Let him find out for himself how rude films end up being in your future."
"That’s just not very nice," Rose said, trying to sound stern but failing to cover her laughter.
"It’s, what’s the word? Hazing? It’s hazing. A rite of passage, if you will. A welcome to the Tardis gift."
He put his arm around her shoulder and walked her out of the room, down the corridor, leaving the letter laying on the floor where he’d dropped it, completely forgotten.