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The Doctor was standing at the console, coordinating the TARDIS back to Earth in Rose’s time. She had asked to go back a few days ago after she got a text from Shareen, who had just been through a nasty breakup and wanted a girl’s night out. He happily obliged, although he knew it was going to be a few rough hours without his precious girlfriend.
After Krop Tor, he stopped being a coward. In the face of death and the warning of Rose dying, he realised that his time with her was not time to be wasted. He told Rose that he had feelings for her (he chose not to say love just yet, feeling worried about scaring her away completely with that declaration), and she said she felt the same. He grinned like an idiot and hugged her for a while, the world feeling perfect. They became a couple that night, overwhelmed and sated by their mutuality and the extinction of doubt and hesitation, and had their first date at one of the most romantic spots in the universe, followed up by a cheesy, classic dinner date on Earth.
That was a few months ago now, and they were in a state of bliss. Rose chose to completely ignore the prophecy they received, and the Doctor tried his best to as well. But they both knew he couldn’t let go of it entirely, always tense during adventures and eyes seeking any danger to protect her from.
His hand gripped onto the edge of the console as panic boiled within, breath becoming ragged. The alien lied. Rose would be safe. He wouldn’t lose her. He couldn’t lose her.
He was pulled away from his terror as Rose sashayed into the console room, alerted by the gentle clicking of her heels. His head darted up to watch her, and he quelled his anxiety. His breath was taken away at the sight of her. She was wearing a short, sparkly, cowl neck dress, the silver gems shimmering in the blue light of the time rotor. They caught each other’s gaze, smiling at each other.
“Wow,” the Doctor breathed, stepping away from the console and meeting Rose in the centre. “You look gorgeous ,” he crooned. “Not that you don’t always,” he teased, making her smirk in amusement. His hands settled on her waist as he looked over her appearance entirely, appreciating the fact that, at the end of the day, he got to call the most beautiful woman in the universe his .
“Sweet talker,” she mumbled shyly, poking his shoulder.
“Nope,” he protested, popping the ‘p’. “Just an honest man, and a man of facts .” She giggled, tucking a small lock of fringe behind her ear. She had worn heavy makeup for tonight’s outing, emphasising her lips and eyes in all the right ways. The Doctor couldn’t recall ever seeing Rose with so much makeup on before, but he loved it. Just as much as he loved her with little to no makeup at all.
“Alright, what are you going to be up to while I’m gone?” she asked, adjusting his tie that had gotten crooked and loose whilst doing repairs as she had gotten ready.
“Who knows,” he replied with a low voice, quirking a brow. “Keep doing repairs, watch some telly, read a book… But don’t be surprised if you see me hiding in a booth in the corner of the room,” he joked with a smirk, earning another slap on the shoulder. “ What? ” he exclaimed in falsetto. “Clubs are dodgy places - you can’t blame me for wanting to keep an eye on you!”
“You better not get all primitive and caveman now that we’re officially together,” she warned, half-serious half-joking.
He swallowed. “Me? Never . It’s not like Gallifreyeans were one of the most possessive species in the universe…” he murmured, prompting a smile from her. He had cautioned her about this before they became romantic, wanting to make sure she knew what she was getting into.
“ Are , Doctor. You’re still alive and kicking,” she reminded him, stroking his cheek softly. He grinned affectionately at her words and touch, feeling her tenderness towards him. She was always so caring and compassionate about his species and planet. Wanting to remind him that he was their legacy.
The TARDIS settled, and the Doctor gave a forlong sigh, gesturing to the doors. “Alright, off you go. Clubbing instead of visiting Barcelona with me…” he quipped melodramatically. She chuckled, kissing him deeply, which he reciprocated. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, prolonging the connection as long as he could before she pulled away and strutted down the walkway, purse hanging from her elbow.
She opened the TARDIS door, slipping halfway out before looking back at him. “Don’t miss me too much,” she teased, sending him a wink and blowing a kiss before exiting the ship entirely.
“Minx!” he called out with a grin. He quickly turned to the console and turned on the exterior camera, watching her with a held breath as she walked out of the alleyway he had parked the old girl in and into the crowded streets of London.
“Please keep her safe,” he whispered worriedly, hoping that any sort of authority in the universe heard his plea.
He needed her safe.
---
A few hours of Rose’s absence later, the Doctor could only find himself in the depths of the TARDIS, repairing and tinkering. Usually, the old girl would toss him out after a while for being a nuisance and for prodding her too much, but she could sense her pilot’s anxiety and allowed him to cope this way.
He jumped up and scrambled his way out of the gratings at the sound of the phone ringing, stumbling and tripping his way to the console. He grinned at the sight of Rose’s name, although his stomach churned nervously, and he picked it up.
“Rose?” he asked, trying to conceal his adrenaline and emotions.
‘ Oh, Doctor. You’ve gotta come - right now, ’ Jackie sobbed over the phone, making the Doctor’s hearts clench in terror.
“Jackie? What’s wrong? Where’s Rose?” he demanded, suppressing the fear within himself. Had the prophecy been true? Was he going to lose Rose?
Jackie let out a whimper, choking on a wail. ‘ Someone j-jumped her - tried to rough her up. ’
His hearts broke at the news, brewing a storm of anger and pain within him. Who dared to hurt his precious girl? “Jackie, breathe . Where are you? Hospital?”
‘ We’re at the flat, ’ she answered in a shaky voice. ‘ She asked for you. Come, please.’
“I’ll be there in thirty seconds, I promise,” he assured her, hanging up and piloting the ship. He cursed in Gallifreyan as he did, tears forming in his eyes and panic pounding through his body. He knew something was going to happen. He knew it. He shouldn’t have let her go on her own. He shouldn’t have let her leave the ship, period. As he waited for the TARDIS to land, he slammed his fist against the rim of the console, his jaw tight and trembling.
The minute his ship settled, he burst out into Jackie’s living room. Jackie came out from Rose’s bedroom, holding a wad of tissues in her fist and makeup streaked down her face.
“Oh, Doctor,” she whispered, bottom lip trembling. He strode forward, pulling Jackie into a quick hug before entering the bedroom.
He froze at the sight of Rose laying in bed, unconscious. His body shook with fury and horror at the sight of grazed, bruised skin littered with small cuts in different places. He clenched his fists when he spotted her black eye and cut lip, her bandaged arm.
He came to her, sitting beside her on the bed as she did when he was in the same position during Christmas. He took her hands into his and kissed her bruised and bloodied knuckles. She had fought back, his courageous girl, he thought proudly. He took a free hand, brushing hairs behind her ear, feeling a few tears fall from his eyes.
“What happened?” he murmured in a quiet voice, eyes still fixed on Rose.
“She had left the club, and he attacked her a few blocks down. Came at her with a knife - that’s why her arm’s bandaged. He wanted money - he knew that you two are a thing, and thought you’re a literal doctor. She fought back.” He took in a shaky breath, eyes closing as he continued to silently cry from hearing Jackie’s recount. Someone had dared to hurt and intimidate his precious girl.
“Who was it?” he asked, opening his eyes.
“Her ex - Jimmy Stone,” Jackie answered quietly, feeling the Time Lord’s fury. The Doctor’s hand tightened around Rose’s, his anger intensifying.
He knew damn well who Jimmy Stone was, and how he had already hurt his Rose through manipulation, lies, adultery, debt, and abandonment. He stroked her hair once more, recalling what Rose had told him about their relationship. How Jimmy drank himself away some nights, and how he always liked to get high when he went out clubbing and raving. How he started dabbling in drug dealing when his band crashed and burned. How he started to get rough and aggressive with his mates physically, and mentally with her when she pissed him off. How she felt lucky that things didn’t turn physically abusive before he ran out on her, but still bore the scars of her wellbeing and self-esteem being dwindled by that pathetic excuse of a man.
But, he’d done it anyways, together or not together, because Jimmy Stone was a scumbag desperate for cash and wanted a quick solution. He’d already stolen eight hundred pounds from Rose last time and decided that it wasn’t enough. And he took the most extreme measures to acquire it.
That enraged the Doctor beyond words.
“Did he do anything but beat her?” he murmured, feeling disgusted from the words escaping his mouth. He hated that he had to verbally acknowledge that she had been hurt like this. That her body had been abused and tarnished. He wanted to be in denial, remain within a bubble of ignorance that the prophecy was a lie and that Rose would be safe forever and that she would get forever with him and that he would get at least a solid sixty years of loving her before he would have to face the inevitability of losing her, yet there she was right now in front of him in bed, unconscious, beaten, bleeding, ruined —
“No,” Jackie murmured, pulling the Doctor away from his destructive, furious thoughts. His free hand, which now sat on his knee, had clenched with the strength that made his knuckles turn white as he fell into the depths of his thoughts. He let out a quiet breath of air and relaxed his grip. He needed to calm down before he did something stupid.
“Did he take anything from her?” he asked, sounding a bit calmer now.
“The cash she had. And the jewellery she was wearing.” His hearts broke at that detail, remembering what was adorned on her neck, wrist, fingers and earlobes when she left the TARDIS. It was a set from an alien marketplace they had visited not long after they’d gotten together, made of an equivalent to gold and emeralds. The jewels were like droplets, suspended from her neck and earlobes. They were embedded into the bangle and pinky ring. It was a special type of jewellery that allowed the wearer to feel music within their body whilst they listened to it, which was why she had worn it tonight.
“Do we…” He inhaled, taking a moment to compose himself, feeling himself struggle with his emotions again. “Do we know how bad her injuries are?”
Jackie shook her head. “No,” she whimpered.
“And where… is Jimmy Stone?” he whispered, the anger seeping from his voice. Fuck it, he decided. He was the Oncoming Storm; Destroyer of Worlds. Rage was what made him. Fury of the Time Lords was a legend feared by many lifeforms, and he would embrace it proudly. He witnessed two point forty-seven billion children die at his hand, so he deserved to let his wrath run free, he decided. Because someone had decided to hurt and steal from his precious girl, and Jimmy would get to experience every inch of his fury for that mistake. He would learn what it was like to anger a Time Lord, and he would never forget it. It would become his biggest regret and have to live with it for the rest of his stupid, pathetic life.
“No idea. He ran off when the girls found them - Rose had left her phone behind, so they followed… and came upon him—” She sniffled. “Hurting my little girl,” she sobbed. He vibrated with fury, very close to being pushed over the edge. Jackie’s distraught voice and the intrusive images and thoughts flurrying in his mind were killing him, so he needed to do something before the darkness within him ran rampant with the sole intention of destroying Jimmy Stone. Or, the destruction of the Tyler flat. Which wasn’t something he wanted Jackie nor Rose to experience.
He finally ascended from his perch, coming over to Jackie and frowning at her wet face. He took her face into his hands, peering into her teary eyes.
“I’m going to help her, alright? I’m going to take her to the TARDIS and make sure she’s okay,” he promised. She nodded, sniffling.
“Please,” she begged. He nodded, pulling away and returning to Rose. He picked her up in a bridal carry, tensing up at how weak her body felt in his arms. He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead before making a direct beeline out of her room and to the TARDIS.
The TARDIS hummed in worry and in sorrow for her Bad Wolf, and the Doctor could also feel her vibrating with anger; just as furious with the pathetic human that had dared to hurt her passenger as much as the Doctor was.
“I know,” he murmured. “Just help me,” he pleaded. She hummed in agreement, bringing the infirmary to the first door.
The Doctor burst in, putting Rose down on the closest examination bed. He quickly scanned over her with his sonic screwdriver and frowned at the results. Contusions; fractures; a concussion. He cursed in his mother tongue, quickly coming up with a treatment plan in his mind as he prepped - removing his coat and suit jacket; rolling up the sleeves of his oxford; washing his hands.
First was that he had to make sure she wouldn’t feel a thing as he took care of her. Jimmy had already put her through enough tonight, and he refused to make her feel any more discomfort or pain. He dragged the medical trolley over to his station, grabbing antiseptic, cotton balls, bandaids, and a syringe, and placing them onto the metal tray located on the top. He approached the fridge he had located in the corner of the room, opening the door and retrieving the mild anaesthetic he was looking for. It acted both like a general and a local anaesthetic - it wouldn’t render her unconscious, but it removed sensation for the whole body.
He grabbed the tourniquet when he returned to Rose, positioning her non-dominant arm and disinfecting it once he tightened the tourniquet around her arm, ready to be injected. He snapped on a pair of gloves, took the syringe, filled it up with a completely accurate dosage and removed all air bubbles. He then placed the needle against her elbow, ready. He punctured the needle into her vein, cringing as he did so.
“I’m sorry, love. I’m so sorry,” he murmured quietly, knowing how much she hated needles. Even though she wasn’t conscious for the injection, she knew that upon seeing it when she awoke, she would fret. He quickly pressed a kiss to her temple as he completed the injection before sliding out the metal, undoing the tourniquet and covering the wound. If he had time before she woke up, he would heal the injection site, he thought to himself.
After putting away the equipment and tools he no longer needed, and giving the anaesthetic time to kick in, he cleaned her face of her makeup and stripped her out of her clubbing clothes, firstly removing the strappy, black heels she’d chosen before moving onto the dress. She wore no bra underneath, making the task a little bit easier for him. They had already been intimate and seen and explored each other’s bodies. Making love was a deeply special and important thing for them; unifying as one. For the Doctor, it was the closest thing he had to being inside her mind and bonding with her.
Tears came to his eyes when he scanned her beautiful body and saw the bruises, and grazed and cut skin. He brushed his tears away, trying his best to slip into a professional, detached persona. His job right now was to heal her body. He could be her concerned boyfriend when he was done.
He draped a sheet over her body, going to require access later to fix her injuries.
He focused first on the knife wound, disinfecting it before knitting her skin back together with the dermal regenerator. Jackie had done quite a splendid job treating the cut, especially in her distressed state. He would be sure to thank her for helping Rose as much as she did. She was, truly, a great mother. He also used the tool to fix her cut lip, grazed knees, palms, and other bits of skin that had been tarnished. He healed her superficial cuts and her damaged knuckles. For extra treatment, he wrapped a natural gauze around her fingers to fix any tension and pain from fighting back.
For the fractures, he rubbed a bone repairment cream into the affected parts of her body and watched in relief through his live feed x-ray as her fractures healed. He then applied a different cream to her black eye and bruising, restoring her body to its original condition - unharmed; unblemished.
He then fed her medication with a liquid dropper into her mouth to remove her concussion and any head pain she might’ve felt. After a few moments of her body taking in the drug, checking her with a head and full body scan, he finally stepped back and sigh in relief, allowing his body to droop as the tension exited his body. She was fine. He had helped her. She was fine .
She didn’t die. The prophecy lied , he thought angrily, infuriated that he had become so worried. He scrubbed his face with his hands, a few frustrated and anxious tears building up, and gave a heavy exhale.
Rose was fine, he reminded himself once again. She was alive. Right in front of him.
Yet he was trembling with fear. He could’ve lost her, and that was something he knew he wouldn’t be able to cope with or withstand. If he lost her, he would find himself curled up in a ball in the TARDIS, and he would lay there until he regenerated or simply withered away into dust, seeping into the grates, and finally making Gallifreyeans and Time Lords extinct. She had become his lifeline, and he couldn’t go on without her.
He couldn’t lose her. Jimmy Stone had made that a possibility and the Doctor needed to see through a suitable punishment for it. But, he needed to finish taking care of his precious girl before that.
He picked up the dermal regenerator once again, taking her arm that he had injected and peeling back the bandaid. A small, faint, red dot sat where the injection site was. He hovered the device over it and began to seal the small wound. But when her fingers began to twitch, he paused, glancing up at her face.
The Doctor froze at the sight of Rose’s eyes fluttering open, immediately dropping his focus to worry about her. He came to her side, cupping her face and searching her gaze with panicked, terrified, jumpy eyes.
“Rose?” he murmured. “Sweetheart, you awake?”
“Doctor?” she rasped, hushed and confused.
He gave a quiet, tearful gasp. “I’m here, darling. I’m here,” he promised. Her eyes fully opened, and she looked around the room and at his face with confusion and overwhelm. He frowned at the sight of tears in her eyes.
“Why can’t I move?” she croaked, panicking.
“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” he assured her. “I gave you an anaesthetic,” he explained, cradling her head and smoothing away hairs.
“I can’t feel anything,” she sobbed. “Doctor, what’s happened? I don’t understand,” she babbled. The Doctor’s stomach dropped at the scene unfolding before his eyes, taking in a breath, and guiding his thumb to her temple.
“It’s alright, sweetheart. Just go back to sleep,” he urged gently, slipping into the surface of her mind and guiding her back to unconsciousness with a heavy sigh. He hated having to do that. He hated that he pretty much sedated her with his mind.
Rose had granted him the privilege of being in the surface of her mind a few weeks prior, not only wanting to share the intimacy of his people that he spoke so fondly of within her boundaries, but also to learn a thing or two. They had had a particularly close call with telepathy around then, where Rose was imprisoned and her captor was a telepath who tried to get the info from her. Thankfully, Rose was a bloody natural at guarding her mind; perhaps because of the Time Vortex and Bad Wolf. The only thing her captor learnt was what the Doctor looked like, so when the Oncoming Storm came thundering through to rescue her, the captor knew he had made a grave mistake. After then, she wanted to learn how to protect herself and her mind from unwanted telepathy, which he obliged.
He clenched his jaw as he placed her in a careful state of deep sleep, which would keep her unconscious for a few hours. He drew back from her mind and her temple, although he yearned to keep holding onto the gorgeous, gold tendrils that weaved in her mind.
He brushed away more tears, now even more frustrated and distressed than he was a few minutes prior. Tonight had been a heavy burden on both of them.
A gentle nudge from the TARDIS alerted him to a neat pile of clothes on the counter beside him, paired with one word - jim-jams. He smiled gently and thanked the old girl, picking up the items and placing them beside Rose. He drew back the sheet he had laid over her, placing it into a washing hamper. He tugged the pair of cotton shorts over her legs, and then pulled his oxford that the TARDIS had supplied over her arms before buttoning up. He wanted his scent to be near her, so she would be calm as she slept, and have something familiar and comforting if she woke up before he returned.
He scooped her back into his arms and carried her out of the infirmary, through the console room, and back out into the Powell Estate. Jackie was waiting on the couch, looking nervous and worried as she chewed at her nails the same way that Rose did. The moment the blue door creaked open, she jumped up, on high alert.
“Is she okay?” she whimpered, rushing over to him and inspecting her daughter.
“Fine,” he murmured. “She’s fine. I’ve treated all her injuries and wounds, and I’ve put her asleep for a few hours,” he explained, walking over to Rose’s bedroom. He laid her down on her bed, bundling her up in her sheets. He stroked her hair, pressed a soft kiss to her lips, and stood up once more.
He returned to the living room, where he was ambushed by Jackie hugging him. He reciprocated with no thought, hugging the woman tightly.
“Thank you,” she whispered against his chest.
“Always,” he promised. “And thank you for helping her as best as you could - you did a splendid job,” he praised, resulting in her squeezing him gently. He did the same before pulling away and looking at her with a stern face and wide eyes. “Stay with Rose. I want you to lock all the doors and windows - don’t let anyone inside except for me, alright? If Jimmy or any of his mates turn up, lock yourself and Rose in her bedroom, and call me immediately,” he instructed, making his way back to the TARDIS.
“Where’re you going, Doctor?” He paused in the doorway, looking at the ground, a little ashamed.
“Do you want the truth or a lie?” he asked.
“Truth. Always.” He turned and looked Jackie in the eye, refusing to be a coward.
“I’m going to hunt down Jimmy.” She didn’t look fearful or terrified. She looked content.
“Are you going to kill him?”
“Yes.”
“Good,” the older Prentice woman said, a coldness in her voice that the Doctor had never heard before. She wanted Jimmy to be punished as much as he did. “Be back before Rose wakes up,” she demanded. He nodded, disappearing into his ship. It dematerialised before her eyes a few seconds later, leaving a gust of wind in its wake.
Jackie felt a sense of satisfaction bloom within her knowing that her daughter was being protected and avenged by one of the most powerful men in the universe.
Jimmy Stone had no idea what was going to hit him.
---
The Doctor stood on the quiet street beside his TARDIS, hands tucked in his trouser pockets, head and eyes lowered in his signature style as he observed the club across the road. He watched as Jimmy was violently thrown out of the side door, stumbling over and crashing to the ground drunkenly. Jimmy staggered to his feet, spitting in the direction of the bouncer.
“I don’t even wanna be in your fuckin’ club - it’s shit!” he goaded with an overabundance of confidence, arms spread open as he wavered unbalanced on his feet.
The bouncer shut the door in his face, Jimmy flipped the bird, spat a gob of spit and mucus towards the door, and then slunk down the street, away from the club. The Doctor inhaled deeply and began his follow, keeping a good distance behind Jimmy. He was so drunk, and likely high, that he didn’t even notice he was being tracked, distracted by trying to stay on his feet and whatever was interesting to him on his mobile.
They approached a seedier side of town after about ten minutes of walking, and the Doctor could smell it. The sex; drugs; alcohol; cigarettes; violence; blood; gunpowder; feces; urine; vomit. It was a vile part of society, and it made sense that Jimmy would lead him here.
Prostitutes hollered and they were side-eyed by drug dealers and gangsters, but the Doctor ignored them and continued to zero in on Jimmy. No one dared to approach the Doctor, as though they could sense his authority; his intentions. He wasn’t some poor, rich sod who stumbled into the wrong part of London. He was a man who had business to deal with.
When they got to a particularly quiet area, near a park that obviously was intended for and once belonged to children before being stolen by drug dealers, horny teenagers and gangbangers, the Doctor picked up his pace and got to Jimmy quickly. Within seconds, he snatched Jimmy by the back of his collar, slapped a hand around his mouth to keep him quiet, and yanked him into an alleyway.
He pinned Jimmy against the wall by his neck, fuming at the man underneath his grip.
“Who the fuck are you?” he slurred in a panic, horrified and confused.
“I, Jimmy Stone, am your worst nightmare. In fact, I exceed the most deranged, horrible things that your pathetic little mind could conjure up,” he seethed.
“Huh?” The Doctor got nice and close, feeling Jimmy tense underneath his hand.
“You hurt the woman I love, and you’re going to be punished for it. What Rose felt at your hands is going to be repaid a million times over, and I’m not talking about only tonight’s actions, Jimmy. I’m talking about everything you’ve ever done to her,” he snarled. Jimmy chuckled, a smirk coming onto his face.
“Ah, you’re her doctor fella, then. Trust me - Rose got exactly what she deserved,” he said, pride seeping from him. The Doctor tightened his grip, feeling pleasure at the sound of Jimmy gasping for air and how his windpipe constricted.
“You shouldn’t have said that, Jimmy. Not a single word of it,” he growled.
“What the hell do you think you’re gonna do to me, huh, pretty boy? I’ll kill you, and I’ll get that bloody money I wanted from her!”
“Oh, I’m going to do something unimaginable ,” he declared, bringing his fingertips to Jimmy’s temple and knocking him out. Jimmy slumped to the ground, and the Doctor released him, smiling in satisfaction.
He placed a perception filter over Jimmy’s neck and then himself before hauling Jimmy over his shoulder, exiting the alleyway and returning to the TARDIS.
He threw his body to the grating without care, and the TARDIS hummed lowly as her time rotor changed into a dark green hue. Although she was very much a pacifist like her Thief, she was eager to see the man who hurt her Bad Wolf being rightfully punished.
The Doctor pressed his fingers against Jimmy’s temples, closing his eyes and surging his way into the bastard’s mind, locating where he had pawned off the jewellery too. As he did, he caught glimpses of Rose… What he did to her hours ago. His fury exploded, and he knew that Jimmy needed the worst penalty possible.
He turned to the console, coordinating where he wanted to go. When done, he looked to his side and noted the serum beside him, smiling.
“Thanks, old girl,” he murmured, picking up the dropper. Within, was a detox serum. He wanted Jimmy to be completely sober for this process.
He approached Jimmy, crouching down and forcing open his mouth. He squeezed the dropper and watched the serum enter Jimmy’s body, standing up straight and putting away the tool. He waited a few seconds, and Jimmy suddenly sprang to life, gasping for air. He looked around the room, horrified.
“What the fuck?” he whimpered, stumbling to his feet. His eyes latched onto the Doctor. “What the fuck ?” he repeated.
“Hello,” the Doctor grinned sinisterly. “Welcome to Rose and I’s home - the TARDIS.”
“What the fuck? Get me out of here!” Jimmy wailed, running around the room fruitlessly.
“Oh, I don’t think so, Jimmy,” the Doctor crooned, following the man in a slow-paced walk. “You’re not going anywhere.”
“Who are you? What are you?” he demanded.
“I’m so glad you asked. I’m the Doctor - a nine-hundred-year-old alien. I’m a Time Lord, Jimmy. Ever heard of Time Lords? Gallifreyans? Nope? Didn’t think so,” the Doctor taunted.
“I want my mum!” he screeched.
“You won’t be seeing your mother, Jimmy,” he growled out, terrifying the human with the sneer pulled across his face. “Now, back to the biology lesson. Time Lords, Gallifreyans, are one of the most powerful races in the universe. Not Earth, universe ,” he emphasised.
“You’re a psycho, mate! There’s something wrong with your head!” The Doctor paid no mind to his comments.
“And do you know what we do, Jimmy? We protect Time and Space. We have the authority and responsibility to manage history and the universe.”
“Let me out!” Jimmy pleaded.
“And guess what, Jimmy - your time is up ,” he snarled, rushing forward and grabbing Jimmy by the collar, dragging him over to the TARDIS doors. He swung open the doors, and a black hole sat before them. Jimmy screamed in horror and terror as he was thrust forward, dangling out of the doors, the soles of his feet rocking against the edge and hardly keeping him on balance.
“You know what this is, Jimmy? It’s a black hole. And nothing survives a black hole,” the Doctor murmured into his ear, a terrifying contrast to his voice just moments prior. “Humans in your time period hardly know a thing about black holes. They don’t know where they go, or what’s inside. To you lot, it’s an abyss ,” he explained.
“No, please!” Jimmy whimpered, tears and snot dribbling all over his face and shirt.
“And today’s your lucky day - you get to find out what’s within,” the Doctor declared in a whisper.
With that, the Doctor let go of Jimmy, watching him tumble through space and into the black hole.
The Doctor stepped back, pulling the doors shut with him once Jimmy had been sucked in. He returned to the console as the time rotor reverted back to its standard colour and the TARDIS hummed happily.
“I know, girl,” he murmured. He quickly coordinated the ship to the pawn shop and obtained the jewellery back for a price tag he had no care for before piloting back to the flat. He stepped into the living room once more, finding Jackie asleep on the couch. He was a little surprised that she didn’t awake, but guessed that she would be worn out.
He made his way to Rose’s bedroom, his hearts easing at the sight of her asleep, peaceful. She was in a deep sleep still. He pressed a kiss to her temple, stroking her hair.
“You’re safe now, love. Nothing can hurt you,” he promised quietly. He scooped her up in his arms, bringing her back to the TARDIS.
He walked to his (unofficially, their ) bedroom and laid her down on the bed, bundling her up in sheets and planting his lips on her head once more.
He then entered the en suite, stripping down and thoroughly showering himself to rid his body of the place he had visited and Jimmy’s presence.
He stepped out, dried himself and changed into his pyjamas, before returning to the bedroom and climbing into bed with Rose, wrapping his body around her and keeping her tightly in his embrace. He kissed her head again.
He felt her shift and awake in his arms after a few minutes, and he gently stroked her back and hair as she did, easing her. She lifted up her head and blinked drowsily at him, a little confused and disoriented.
“Doctor?” she rasped.
“Hi, my darling,” he murmured happily with a grin, tears building up. She gave a sigh of relief and burrowed against him, making him grip her a little tighter.
“Oh, you came,” she whispered gleefully against his chest.
“I did, sweetheart. I did,” he assured her, kissing her temple. She pulled back again and caressed his face with one hand, smiling up at him.
“How long have I been out for?” she asked, the perplexion evident in her gaze.
“A few hours,” he answered. “You were passed out when Jackie called me, and I put you in a deep sleep to make sure you got all the rest you needed.” She nodded, smiling sweetly at his explanation. He cared for her so deeply.
“How bad are my injuries?” she then followed up, worrying her lip. He shook his head and grinned reassuringly.
“All gone - I healed you with the best medicine and treatment history and space have to offer.” She sighed, burrowing against his chest again and relaxing. He relaxed with her, drawing patterns with his thumb against her arm. Rose considered the night, recalling as much as she could. She thought about it for a few moments, and then her stomach tightened as she acknowledged a detail.
The Doctor had come. So, mum probably called him, because he definitely hadn’t shown up before she passed out. Mum would’ve told him what happened… who did this to her. He knew who Jimmy was. What did he do once she was fixed?
“And Jimmy?” she murmured quietly after a while, a little nervous to ask. He hesitated, clenching his jaw.
“I handled him. He can’t hurt you or anyone else ever again, Rose,” he replied vaguely, in a cold, tense voice. She pulled away from his chest, but not his embrace, looking deeply into his eyes within the darkness of the room.
“What did you do?” she whispered.
“I tossed him into a black hole,” he admitted, voice even and neutral. She paused, tensing in his arms. “Rose, I—” Fear and panic emerged in his tone. Had he messed up? Had he gone too far by letting his fury run rampant? Rose would leave him - he knew it. He could already see her fleeing out the doors in horror and disgust.
“Good,” she said firmly, surprising him. The respiratory bypass that had engaged deflated in a shaky breath of air out of his lips. Was he dreaming? Was his leg getting pulled?
“Good?” he repeated in a small voice, needing confirmation that she had said what she had said. She nodded.
“I believe in second chances and rehabilitation… But Jimmy was pure evil,” she muttered, a pained look coming across her face. The Doctor frowned, hating to see her upset, and cradled her face with his hand, stroking her skin.
“He was, sweetheart. He was,” he said gently. She gave another sigh, looking up at him and resting her hand on his forearm, caressing his own skin with her thumb.
“Are you okay?” she questioned, searching his dark eyes for any telling signs of emotion.
He gave a small smile. “I should be asking you that.”
“I’m alright,” she insisted with her firm face and voice. “I know how much you like to bottle up, but not tonight, mister, and not with me,” she demanded. At her words, the brave and contained facade fell, and he felt tears well up in his eyes again and his bottom lip tremble.
“I was terrified , Rose. I thought… I thought the prophecy was coming true,” he whimpered, pressing his forehead against hers. She moved her hand to entwine her fingers in the nape of his neck, soothingly scratching his scalp and brushing through his hair. She felt him ease underneath her touch.
“It didn’t. It’s a lie,” she promised him, brushing her nose against his. “I’m right here, and I’m never gonna leave you. Not if I have anything to say about it,” she beseeched, making him grin a little and wheeze out a small laugh. Not one of amusement, but of joy and delight.
He pulled back a little, gazing into her eyes as a few tears fell down his cheeks. He couldn’t be a coward anymore. Not after nearly losing her again .
“I… I love you, and I can’t bear the thought of not being with you,” he confessed, holding his breath as she anticipated her response.
She beamed brightly at him. “I love you too.” He wheezed out a laugh, diving in to kiss her deeply. She loved him as well.
Their kiss broke after a few moments, snuggling deeply against each other.
“Nothing will ever take you from me,” he declared, kissing the top of her head.
“And nothing will ever take you from me ,” she grinned, kissing the hollow of his throat softly.
They drifted off into sleep shortly after that, the TARDIS singing them to slumber with joy and satisfaction in her hum. As they rested, Rose Tyler’s timeline unfurled, stretching out all the possible pathways that could be and were destined to be.
The branch that held a tearful goodbye in two different dimensions, a disrupted reunion, and a metacrisis dissolved and died, with some elements drifting away to be absorbed by a young man in another dimension.
From the dead branch grew a new and solidified pathway: The Doctor and Rose together, in the TARDIS, travelling Time and Space forever, just as it should be. The golden tendrils of time curled back into place, entwining with the glittering, iridescent tendrils that belonged to the Doctor as they did, bonding their timelines together and ensuring that they would remain together.
The Doctor smiled in his sleep as he felt Time shift, and dreamt of a fruitful future with Rose; no fear of death and loss in sight. He tightened his grip around her unconsciously, and she did the same.