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The Doctor was flying in his brand new Tardis, anywhere he wanted to go. She felt happier, the Tardis was more alive than ever before and The Doctor thought she was brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. It had been sometime since he had just flown, with the whoosh sound of the Tardis that kept him company. It was perfect. This was why he had run from Galifrey, his home. To travel. To experience this feeling, to -
The Tardis made a sort of aching sound, she sounded like she was in pain, wheezing, The Doctor couldn’t describe the sound but it was clear she was hurting. The engine seemed to be fading, perhaps even dying. No, not dying. Not when she was so new. “What is it dear? What’s wrong?” he asked, stroking the console. He held on, it was as though someone else was flying the Tardis. They had complete control. She suddenly landed and The Doctor froze for a second. Where could they possibly be? He ran a hand through his messy hair as he whacked the scanner, trying to get it to work. It didn’t. Typical.
“Only one way to find out,” The Doctor muttered, straightening his bow tie, not waiting a second later he walked briskly to the doors. If he had waited a second longer, he would have seen that he was in the one place he couldn’t possibly be. Ever. But the world was funny like that. Just sometimes, fate wanted a good day.
The Doctor stepped outside to see London, he was smack bang in the middle of London. He took a set of car keys from his pocket and found the one for the Tardis. He then locked the Tardis, the doors closing, before putting the key back in his pocket. The river Thames was beautiful on this summer's day, and nothing seemed too unusual. Someone walked past him with a newspaper in their hand and he grabbed it, giving them a not very sincere apology as he looked for a date. The other person shrugged and walked off, while The Doctor stared at the date. 5th of June 2025.
“The future? But… No, no. This can’t be right,” The Doctor muttered to himself pacing back and forth. What he hadn’t noticed were a group of armed forces, about a handful, were circling him. He was too deep in thought until he heard a cough for attention. He looked up and blinked a few times. A teenager, looking around eighteen stood before him with blonde hair, blue eyes and pale skin. He was wearing ripped jeans and a camouflaged hoodie with a leather jacket over the top. The boy grinned, and it was a smile that The Doctor recognised.
“It worked then?”
The Doctor had no words. He heard footsteps and The Doctor let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding. “Brigadier Lethbbridge-Stewart,” he said in a whisper but everyone could hear him. His old friend smiled at him and The Doctor’s eyes widened. I’m in a parallel world. I can’t be here. How long do I have?
“I thought we’d never have the pleasure of meeting again,” Brig said and The Doctor grinned brightly, stepping forward to hug the man. “Neither did I. You didn’t stay dead then?” he joked and Brig laughed.
“Got boring,” he said, “Travelling alone, not like you?” The Doctor nodded in response and his eyes widened slightly in realisation. Amy. He had left her again. He hoped it hadn’t been too long this time. After this he needed to go back, just to see her. Brig saw the look on his face and raised an eyebrow.
“Well we shan’t keep you long. I just wanted a chat. Mr Tyler, you may stand your men down, that was a very good trial run,” Brig added and The Doctor stared, “Mister Tyler has shown exemplary work within the company. He is too young to take on any major rolls at this time but I believe when he is ready, he will do a fine job,”
The Doctor nodded in understanding, he glanced at the teenager once more, who was trailing not far behind on his phone. Why did he look so familiar? What was nagging at him?
"So it was you who took control of my TARDIS, can I ask how? You know, to stop it from happening again," he joked and Brig grinned, clearly proud of what he had managed to accomplish.
"With help from a few people, we devised a way. That's what we wanted to show you. If we can do it, who knows who else could?" Brig questioned but the Doctor had stopped listening and started focusing on another conversation.
" - Dad, I know. But she would want to know he was here! Yeah, yeah. Timey wimey, all that shit. Screw the paradox, we're in a parallel world! Dad, please! You can't ground me. I'm nearly eighteen! Love you too…" the Doctor spun round to face the boy, waiting for the inevitable crash from both him and Mr Tyler. Though The Doctor frowned when the teenager seemed prepared, and had stopped walking when The Doctor had done.
Brig looked like he wanted to say something but couldn't quite manage it, while Mr Tyler had a 'I'm fucked' expression on his face.
"Who exactly are you?" The Doctor asked, not moving until he got an answer. That nagging feeling wasn't going away.
"Jacob John Tyler," the teenager answered, straightening up. The Doctor waited for a more in depth answer and Jacob pulled a face, continuing. "I'm the child of Rose Tyler and The Doctor,"
The Doctor didn't know what to think. Rose. How old would she be now? Old… but… not that old. I don't like endings.
"Is she…" The Doctor started but Jacob seemed to have read his mind. "Alive, yes. But only just. Dad and I, well. We think she hasn't got long," Jacob trialed off and The Doctor sighed, turning to Brig.
"Now see why I shouldn't be here?" he asked and Brig nodded, "Yes, which is why you can only be here for an hour, tops. This way,"
They were heading towards the Tower of London, and The Doctor sighed with some relief at the familiarity.
"Jj, would you like to inform the others of The Doctor's arrival?" Brig asked, as they entered the building. Jacob nodded once, hesitating, looking at the Doctor with the facial expression that he recognised well. A Tyler is fighting back, he thought with a smile.
"For what it's worth, sir. She would want to see you you again," Jacob told him as he left.
The Doctor shook his head, he couldn't. He shouldn't. He then faced Brig with raised eyebrows. "Jj, really, why didn't he choose Jack as a nickname?"
Brig laughed lightly as they got to the lab, the place was a disaster. "He didn't want to have to live up to Captain Jack's standard, apparently,"
"Why am I really here, Brig? It can't just be a social call?" The Doctor asked as he picked up something random from the pile of broken bits and pieces on the counter.
"Why not? You left it at least twenty years back on your world, and by that point it was too late. Thanks to Rose, and now Jj, we have a way of summoning the TARDIS. But it can't happen again, by the looks of things." Brig explained.
"Why is that?" The Doctor asked, frowning, putting on his glasses as he bent down to look at the different parts. Some parts look more broken than others.
"The whole device exploded when you landed. The parts, everything we collected, were destroyed. It would take years to mend. We can't waste resources like that, no offense," Brig spoke as he sat down on one of the stalls, with a cheeky grin. The Doctor understood, but his frown deepened. If this was my last time here… maybe I could see her…
"I know that look," Brig said, "But it's like Jj's Dad said, I mean… you… this is confusing," he chuckled, "This confusing, paradox, timey wimey stuff?
"This might be my only chance, my last chance to see her," The Doctor had already made up his mind. "Where is Jj?"
Brig sighed, and pressed a comms button for the building, and spoke into it, "Can Mister Tyler please come to the lab immediately? And bring your car keys,"
0o0
"She's here?" The Doctor asked quietly, not believing where he was standing. He glanced at Jj, who nodded with sadness in his eyes.
"She fell ill, Doctor. Cancer,"
"I don't like endings," The Doctor said, before stepping into the hospital. He smiled slightly, it didn't quite reach his eyes, when he saw a shop. He loved a good shop. He followed Jj to where Rose was, in silence. Both just in their own thoughts. The Doctor never expected to see Rose again, ever. But fate seemed to have other ideas.
"She told me stories about you," Jj broke the silence and The Doctor blinked, turning to him with a neutral expression.
"She did?" he asked softly.
"Is it true the first trip you took her to was to the end of the world?" Jj questioned, and The Doctor winced, nodding. He was so young then. Of course that's what he would do.
"Didn't your Dad confirm that?" It felt weird calling himself Dad. Well, not him. But… God this was complicated. The Doctor rubbed the back of his head, trying to wrap understand his thoughts.
"Yes but I wanted to know if you'd remember," Jj explained, "That was two faces ago for you,"
"Are you smart, Jj? I suppose you would be, considering who your Dad is," The Doctor asked curiously.
"A*'s in every subject," Jj told him with a proud grin, "Double A* in physics,"
The Doctor blinked, "Can you get a double A*?"
"You can now," Jj responded, grinning wider. Although his expression changed once they reached a bit with closed curtains, and The Doctor bit his bottom lip nervously. Rose.
"Dad said he was going to be at the hospital, he said her time was coming to end and he wanted to be with her. Can you two be here without causing the planet to explode or the sun to die?" Jj asked all in one breath with panic in his eyes.
"I thought you were meant to be smart?" The Doctor replied before bursting out with laughter. It took him a minute or two to calm down and by that time, the curtains had been opened and Jj's Dad looked very pissed off. His laughter died down and he gulped.
"Jacob John Tyler, you knew the risks bringing him in here yet you did it anyway! I don't care how old you are, you're grounded! You can't see your boyfriend for two weeks,"
The Doctor frowned in confusion as he glanced at Jj, who was blushing, 'boyfriend?' The Doctor mouthed and Jj smirked, winking.
As The Doctor stepped forward, he finally spotted Rose. There she was, her long blonde hair gone, but she still looked as beautiful as he had remembered. She was propped up on the hospital bed with pillows, and he spotted the dark circles under her very tired eyes. Her hand was held tightly in his other self's hand. The Doctor stood by the side of the bed, straightening his bow tie, he couldn't find the right words.
"The Doctor from the future, here to see me die," she coughed, and The Doctor ran a hand through his hair.
"This wasn't planned, Rose. I'm… you know I'm not supposed to be here," he spoke softly, his voice breaking at the end. He didn't like endings.
"Then leave!" The past self told him, clearly feeling very over protective in his old age, the grey hair. The wrinkles, The Doctor forced himself to look anywhere else.
"Dad!" Jj scolded and before they could argue, The Doctor interrupted.
"He's right, Jj, Rose. He has a point. I should leave, in fact, I'd say I've got about twenty minutes before I need to go for the last time," The Doctor said, earning different glances from each of them. "I just couldn't leave without saying goodbye,"
He heard Rose sigh, it felt like an eternity had gone by before she spoke once more, "Jj, take your Dad to the shop. He loves a good shop," The Doctor let out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding as he watched Jj and his Dad leave, if a little reluctantly.
"Come here, Doctor,"
The Doctor moved closer to Rose, and she took his hand in both of her hands, squeezing him as she spoke, "Did you find someone? You aren't travelling alone?" she questioned, "Dona?"
"She found a man and settled down," The Doctor explained with a shaky breath, "Amy Pond is my companion now. I think,"
Rose nodded in understanding, and The Doctor saw a look in her eyes, he was about to speak when she best him to it. She put a hand to his lips to shh him.
"We haven't got long now, Doctor," she said softly, "Don't blame yourself, never, ever blame yourself. You gave me everything. I… I gave you nothing," she said with a light chuckle, her eyes watering.
"You gave me love, Rose. That's all I could want, all anyone could want. You gave me a family, and a son. Yes, I may not be him, but… it counts all the same," The Doctor wasn't doing a very good job in explaining but he couldn't help it. "You should be proud of yourself,"
The Doctor let a tear fall down his cheek and he saw Rose was crying herself, and he wiped a tear away for her. "Promise me one thing, Doctor. In your time, find someone. Not just a companion, but find someone to love,"
The Doctor gave her one final squeeze, before letting go. He nodded, and glanced behind him to see Jj and his Dad returning.
"I'll give you space," he said to him, and he turned to Rose, "Goodbye, Rose Tyler. Sleep well," he said softly, not wanting to let his tears fall he walked with pace out of the hospital. He didn't stop until he crossed the street and was heading back to the TARDIS. Until he realised Jj was behind him, running to catch up with him.
"You should be with your mother," The Doctor said sternly and Jj shrugged.
"Her and Dad need space. I've said my goodbye already Doctor," he said and The Doctor nodded, rubbing his eyes. He needed to think about something else. It was then he remembered the small detail that was revealed at the hospital.
"Boyfriend?" The Doctor questioned with a smirk and Jj nodded, blushing slightly, "Grayson. He is on the way to meet me,"
"But your Dad said you weren't to see him for two weeks," The Doctor couldn't help but point out and Jj smirked at that.
"Ah but he didn't say that started today," Jj pointed out and The Doctor laughed, something he hadn't realised he needed to do.
The pair continued to walk in comfortable silence, as The Doctor spotted the TARDIS he heard heavy footsteps running up to them and he turned to see Jj running towards him hugging his boyfriend. He was about Jj's height and was wearing joggers and a hoodie in a leather jacket, and they held hands as they caught up to The Doctor who smiled at them both. Maybe he did need to listen to Rose.
"Who's this?" Grayson asked and Jj grinned, "The Doctor, this is Gray, Gray, this is the Doctor!" he introduced casually and Grayson's eyes widened in shock.
"So it worked? You did it!" Grayson said clearly proud of Jj.
"I need to get back to the TARDIS, before the sun really does explode," The Doctor said with a straight face and he watched as Jj's eyes widened with worry, "The TARDIS is that way…" Jj's eyes narrowed at the smirk The Doctor was trying so hard to hide, "I don't like you." Jj declared and only then did the doctor burst out laughing.
0o0
"You're leaving already, aren't you?" Brig said, seeing the look on The Doctor's face, being with Grayson and Jj as they stood outside the TARDIS. The Doctor nodded once, it was time. He had to go.
Rose… she's…
"Brig you know I wasn't meant to be here, not really," The Doctor said with a sad smile. They all knew that, and he saw Brig give a reluctant nod.
"I understand. Well, this is goodbye," Brig said bravely. And The Doctor sighed, he really hated endings. He didn't need to speak as he hugged his friend.
It was time. The Doctor had a feeling it was time to go and checked his watch. Two minutes to leave.
"Thank you Brig. I will miss you, but I have to go. I have things to do, people to see, places to go… no wait. That's a quote from something. It fits all the same," he joked and Brig laughed, wiping his eyes.
"Keep being you, Doctor," Brig said, saluting him. The Doctor saluted back and stepped inside his TARDIS.
"Wait!" he heard Jj's voice and The Doctor peeked his head around the door with raised eyebrows. He wished every luck to Jj and Grayson. He hoped they would be happy.
"Doctor Who?" Jj asked with a wink, and The Doctor grinned, winking back. Doctor Who, indeed.