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Jealousy has been a familiar feeling in your life with the Doctor. It might be the most permanent feeling next to love and undying loyalty. A paradox, really. But you have gotten used to it over the centuries and millennia the two of you have spent together. A lot of it could be attributed to the doctors shifting self-worth. It fluctuated with each face, often bordering on the extremes of self-loathing and arrogance.
So it came as no surprise that the pesky emotion flared up when this new, younger and magically charismatic incarnation approached you after the action had passed. The older face watched silently and with apprehension as the new Doctor approached you. Furrowed brows and a downcast look. He tried to play it cool, hands in the back pockets of his dark pants.
15 approached you slowly. You felt his warm, gentle aura even without looking at him. He gently took your hand, making you turn towards him with a soft pull.
There had only been time for a quick hello on the UNIT Landing Platform. And you longed to finally have a calm moment to get to know him. You were always excited to meet the new versions of your husband. They were all unique, perhaps even more than your own incarnations were.
"Hello, darling",he whispered quietly, gaining your attention and stealing you away from a conversation you held with Shirley. You had been showing her around the Tardis console, explaining the gears and buttons that allowed you to work your time machine. You hardly flew it despite being a trained pilot.
"Hello, stranger", you joked, eyes wandering over his new face. His deep eyes, the soft slope of his nose, the glow of his skin and that small scar at his right brow.
You quickly realized that you were going to love that bright smile. It was distinct, different from the other versions of your husband, yet so very much him.
"Stranger? I hope not."
He grinned, hands slowly moving from your hands towards your arms.
He held you gently, still unsure despite his charisma and showstopping entrance. He looked down at your hands, smiling softly at the wedding band on each ring finger. You persisted in keeping the old traditions alive, even if it was only for one generation. You were special that way. Persistent on tradition yet so open and ready for change.
"So you'll be off then? Can't stay put even for the holidays?" You replied awkwardly and toyed with the tie hanging loosely around his neck. It suited him. His unconventional outfit, his share after they divided themselfs and their belongings equally.
"I'm afraid not. You know me too well." He smiled softly, taking your teasing as an invitation to proceed and step closer. He loved your touch, just being close to you. But this was a very new situation, and he knew he needed to tread carefully, especially with his older self around.
"Besides, staying put is his job. I trust you to make sure that he does." He lazily points towards his past version. He looked over towards him briefly.
You laughed; the nervousness that had been present was slowly fading. It was a new situation for everyone, despite the number of times you had been in the presence of multiple incarnations of him.
You followed the new Doctor's gaze, giggling while you did so. Number 14 was mad; you knew it already, but that had to wait. You never understood his jealousy in the first place. How could he be jealous of himself and the love you share with all versions of him. Wasn't that something to be relieved over? The loyalty despite the timelords' ever-changing nature?
You let that thought fade to the back of your mind. This moment was precious. It would take some time to meet this version of him again. And there was no way to guarantee that you would still have this face for your next meeting. So you savoured the moment, gently pressing your forehead against his.
His face lit up even brighter, and joy-filled him. You accepted him in every way, each time in a new way.
He had grown since that moment.
He remembered it. Watch the new him holding you.
The old version quietly fretted and fumed over the gentle touch and soft whispers between you and this new version of him. And he remembered the process of healing. Finally realizing that it was going to be you and him. Over and over again, face after face, till the end of time.
"You realize that it's you, yeah? No need to get all possessive, spaceman." Donna watched her friend with amusement. He had been transfixed on the scene, eyes locked onto his supposed opponent, his fame stiff and unmoving.
He didn't react, not hearing or not caring at the moment. He loved Donna's wit and adored her for it, but he couldn't appreciate it then. He let out a low hum. Letting her know that he had heard her, hoping it would be enough of an answer.
She chuckled, "you silly, silly man." shaking her head at his behavior. "daft, that's what you are." She tried to get his attention, to no avail. Shaun had been right not to be scared about leaving her alone with him. For multiple reasons, really.
After another moment of brooding silence, she decided they both had enough of it. She placed her hand on his arm. Gently pushing him to turn towards the new Tardis door. "Let's go. Let them have a bit of privacy." She regretted those words as soon as they passed her lips. The Doctor swallowed hard, quickly blinking away whatever vision just passed before his inner eye.
"Oh, come on! Stop it with that nonsense." She swatted at his arm, provoking a yelp from him. "Hey!-"
The sudden noise pulled you and the Doctor out of your embrace.
He chuckled softly.
"Looks like I should hand you back over to that one."
You briefly looked over the other one before once again focusing on Timelord standing in front of you.
"Yeah, jealousy is something we'll have to work on. But it seemed to have worked, no?" You gently brushed your fingers along his jaw, trying to mesmerize his new face.
He seemed hopeful, a healed man. Ready to discover new stars and planets without the heavy baggage on his soul. You were very much looking forward to doing so with him. It was part of the duality that you two had to live with.
"I sure hope so. He has a long way ahead of him before we get to you, hm?" You looked into his eyes, marvelling at their deep dark colour. You loved the green ones of number 11, the pale blue of 12, and the chocolate brown of the last two versions. Each held their own beauty.
He just nodded his head gently, smiling softly at you. "But you were there. Every second of it. Always there." He looked at you with the purest love in his eyes. He tried to convey his gratitude. He had no idea how to express it in words. It was too big and overpowering to do so.
You couldn't hold yourself back any longer, gently pulling him forward to meet him in a soft kiss. It felt different: new lips, new teeth, a little clumsy, just like every other regeneration. You smiled into the kiss, enjoying the new sensation before pulling away softly. He was hesitant to let you go. He felt the pull towards you; holding you like this felt so very right.
You held each other quietly. His hands moved to your cheeks, cupping your face and smoothing his thumb over your cheek. He was going to do it very soon. He was excited to see you again.
14 held his breath, watching him kiss you. It hurt. Why? He couldn't fight it despite the logic behind it.
"Oh wow. Now it's really time to go. Come on! "Donna hooked her arm under the Doctor's, effectively pulling him away from the view of the Tardis console where the new him and his wife shared their first kiss. She could already predict how grumpy he would be for the next few days. Stuck in his cycle of thoughts.
"Come, come, you'll see her later-"She tried to usher him away.
"No need!" 15 suddenly broke away from their wife. Only a hand remained at her waist, where he gently held her.
"I'm off. We'll see each other soon enough." He turned around to look at the Tardis console. "In 23 minutes, to be precise." He grinned at his other version, trying to ease the tension in the room.
"And you two-" He pointed at you and 14, "are in for the best roast you ever had. I swear!" He laughed, patting you on the back to gently move you towards the Tardis exit. You looked at him again, marvelling at him for a second before walking straight towards 14. You kissed him quickly on the cheek, turning his face to focus on you.
"Can't wait for that, ey?"
He was awestruck at your cheerful demeanour, the sudden shift between the soft, sentimental moment and the giddiness you displayed. There were just seconds between them.
You held his cheek, making him look at you for a moment. Effectively grounding him in reality and shaking off the dark thoughts. "Haven't had a good roast since that pub in Galway, 1840s."
He hummed in agreement. His expression softened, face relaxing further as he kept looking into your eyes. They stayed the same after each regeneration. Well, not in a physical sense. The colour and shape changed with each form, but that twinkle in them remained.
"We'll wait outside. You say bye-bye and safe travels. Can't have you leave off with bad energy in here. You know how long it takes to get that out. And it's bad luck." You giggled, swiftly placing your hands over both of his hearts in a gesture of love and trust. Your touch was gone just as soon as it was placed. You pushed yourself off and left the Tardis with Donna to let your husbands see each other off.
The 25 of December 2023, Christmas day
"Okay, but I have to ask. Why two wedding bands?" Rose leaned over to you, eyes moving between your wedding rings and your face. On your left ring finger was a thin, twisted band adorned with a clear gem. On the right a wider band decorated in fine Gallifreyan symbols.
"It's an old tradition." You chuckled. "Two rings-"
"For two hearts?" She finished for you, smiling softly at the idea of the intricate gesture.
"Yep, exactly." You laughed softly, squeezing her hand under the table. The Doctor sat opposite you, next to Donna and Shaun. The table was set beautifully with Christmas decorations, lights and candles. The new Doctor had been right about the roast, complementing the Noble-Temple household for their magnificent cooking.
"Aww, that's so sweet!" Rose marvelled, gasping at Doctor. He blushed softly, suddenly very interested in the bits of carrots on his plate.
"One for each heart? I thought that whole ring to the heart idea is an American thing?" Shaun wondered, looking between you two and the others at the table.
"Well, actually-"The Doctor started, setting his cutlery in an attempt to create a rhetorical pause. You chuckled at his antics. You loved his storytelling. His expressiveness and capturing performance. You leaned back a little, watching the family around you, focusing on him with curious expressions.
"many human cultural practices are adopted from alien contact." He casually crossed his arms, basking in the attention like a cat in warm sunlight. "Weddings themselves. Imported from the Bisianth. Inquisitive creatures, birdlike, like um-"He went on with his tale, pretending to think about the proper expression.
"Like ostriches." You offered, leaning your elbow on the table to cover your grin. He loved it even more when you joined in. A team effort at wowing the company.
"Yes! Ostriches! Thank you, love." He laughed.
Rose smirked at you suggestively. She had grown close to you and your partner over the last few weeks. She loved each and every story about your adventures, fascinated by what is out there. She felt connected to you in a way that only the Doctor was. She was so much wiser and grown than her age allowed for.
"And what about them? You were explaining about the rings," Sylvia interjected. She was quick to notice the Doctor drifting off from his original story.
"Hm? Oh well, they bond for life. Ostriches, I mean. And Bisianth-"
He was lost in thought for a moment. Eyebrows furrowed, and gaze focused on the light of one of the candles. He remained silent for another moment. The humans at the table became slightly concerned at his sudden stop and change in demeanour.
He blinked a few times, shaking his head slightly. He seemed to have lost the plot, so you stepped in.
"They bond for life as do timelords. But our culture does so at a deeper level since death is a more, let's say, abstract concept." You explained simply, sipping from your glass and gently smiling at the others.
"And on that note, we'll ask you to excuse us. Someone here is still woozy from their Bi-regeneration and needs to sleep." You explained, finishing your drink and smiling at Donna.
"I thought timelords don't sleep…" Donna explained, looking at you and the Doctor quizzingly.
"I don't need sleep" The Doctor replied with a scoff. "Just a little bit for regeneration sickness, but I'm fine, so-"
He stopped talking when he saw your and Donna's doubtful expressions.
Rose spoke up after a moment of awkward silence, "Looks like that's something you can work on." she joked, getting up to help the others gather the plates and cutlery. You gave a soft laugh, sharing a knowing look until she rounded the corner to the kitchen. You also got up, pushing your chair to the table and walking around to meet the Doctor.
"As I said, Dinner was fantastic. Thank you so much, Donna, all of you." You called a little louder to make sure that all of them heard.
They had taken you in without any questions. You instantly became family and integrated with them as if it had been like this from the beginning. You were happy to have helped them when UNIT came in to fix the Noble-Temple's house after what happened with the Meep. The house had to be cleared and empty for repairs, so the whole family moved in with you. They spend 2 weeks living with you in the Tardis. It was a delight, the fascination they felt, and it finally gave you a chance to organize and relocate the rooms. In the end, you finally had a functioning kitchen, a proper bedroom for you and enough set guestrooms for a full-on family trip. The Doctor also enjoyed the new proper setup, even though he tried not to show it.
"Of course, darling. "Donna smiled, watching happily as you sneaked an arm around the Doctor's waist. His reaction was instantaneous, leaning into you and placing his arm around you, smoothing his thumb over your arm. You were good for him. Always have been. But your relatively stationary position on earth only allowed for a few visits and meetings between you and the Doctor. You had travelled with him every once and again but mainly took care of earth, protecting it when he was gone.
"Now get this one to bed. He's losing focus again, and I'm not going to let him sleep on the couch again. Not after all that complaining last time." She replied, pretending to sound strict and fed up. The Doctor had tried to sit through a binge-watching session with Rose, trying to build that proper Uncle-Niece relationship early on. But even a timelord has no chance against the hyperfocus and messed up sleep schedule of a 15-year-old. So he spent the night sleeping on the couch in an almost impossible position and proceeded to complain about his back for the next week.
"Eh, I'm fine. And I didn't complain." He scoffed, "But I won't fight with this one here." He pecked a kiss on your head, pulling you into his side.
"So, have a good night!" He called into the house, smiling softly at the "thank-you!"' s and "you-too!"' s that came from the kitchen and hallway.
He took in the moment, that easy joy he felt. He was surprised at how happy these small things made him. Dinner with the family, a game of cards, gardening, or simply watching the others with a cuppa in hand. It felt good, a joy that didn't need a grand entrance or having to save a civilization. Just life.
He took your hand and gently led you out towards the terrace, the garden, and into the blue box you called home. He opened the door for you, letting you inside while smiling at you with soft admiration. You thanked him, listening to his soft-soled steps as he followed you inside. You threw your jacket over one of the railings and approached the upper level.
But you paused at the door when you noticed he didn't follow.
"Are you coming?" You leaned onto the upper railing, watching him flip a few switches at the controls and studying one of the screens intensely. It took him a moment to answer, looking up at you. "Yeah, I'll be there in a second. Get settled already."
His focus shifted back towards the controls. He even took out his glasses, all attention on the screen.
You smiled at him and made your way towards the bedroom. You changed into your nightwear, brushed your teeth and settled under the soft duvet. With closed eyes, you focused on the steady hum of the Tardis. It was like breathing, a soft whining that sounded like home to you.
Soft rustling and a gentle tug on the duvet made you open your eyes again. The Doctor slipped under the covers next to you. He laid on his back and immediately lifted his arm to let you rest your head on his chest. He let out a long sigh, lowering his arm as your head came down over his right heart and gently running his fingers over your back and arm. You closed your eyes, letting out a sigh of your own and relaxing as the sound of his heartbeats drew you in. You hummed softly, just enjoying the moment and running your hand over the cotton of his shirt. Your hand consistently over his other heart.
"Why did you stay?" He whispered, almost as if too afraid to ask you out loud. Ever since that kiss with the new version, he had been thinking about it. It only seemed logical for you to keep going and settling in with the new Doctor. Especially since that one seemed to do so much better than he did.
You slowly lifted your head and turned to look at him properly. The lines on his face seemed more prominent in the soft orange light of the Tardis night setting.
"Why wouldn't I stay?" you ask, your hand gently smoothed through his hair. You felt him relax under you. Melt into your touch like candle wax.
He remained silent, eyes closed and quietly enjoying your touch. Then he breathed in deeply, licking his lower lip before focusing on your eyes with a stern look.
"He is better than me. In so many ways." He gently shook his head. "A younger body, the charisma, that smile. Oh, that damned grin. How dare he-"He gritted his teeth, his eyes moving away from you to focus on some random spot in the room. Anywhere, really, he regretted starting the conversation. He knew it was silly, but he needed to know.
"And he seems to be so much better. Lighter…”
"Healed." You interjected. Holding his chin to bring his attention back to you. You knew that you two would have this talk. You always had these types of discussions after he met other versions of himself. Especially the younger ones. Being with 12 had been a real challenge in that sense.
"He is healed. Because he stopped running." You smooth over the lines on his forehead. Caused by so much thinking and worrying.
"He stopped and faced his past. And that hurts, but it's the only way to keep going." You kissed his eyebrow that dared to lower in confusion to your statement.
"He stopped and reflected, spending his time with life's little joys. And over time, it helped him to become better. To lose that baggage." You saw the tears starting to well up in his eyes. He tried to look away again, but you kept your eyes on him.
"It's okay, Doctor. Let it out. You don't have to keep your emotions shut away." You encouraged him softly, feeling your own tears welling. It felt like a relief to feel his tears soak into your shirt. It was a first step.
He sat up slightly, pulling into a tight embrace and burying his face in your neck. You just held him, both of you letting your tears flow.
After a moment, you laugh softly, "See, this is what made you become him." Turning your head to kiss his cheek.
He sniffed softly, "Yeah?" "Yeah. And I'll be here for it. Every step of the way." You gently pushed him back onto the bed, resting on his chest again, both hands placed on his cheeks.
"And when this run ends, I'll be there for the next chapter." You kissed him slowly, feeling his desperation as he kissed you back. His lips moved softly against yours, and he moved his hands to hold your face like you had his.
"Hopefully, with this face, but who knows. Maybe I'll have a new face by then, and you'll have to be clever to find me in the crowd. No, wait-" You stopped to think about the exact workings of time in your situation. "You'll know the new face 'cause you were here before. Oh, I wanted to have you work for it. At least once." You sighed dramatically before going for another kiss.
He chuckled softly. "What are you on about?" the Doctor said, shaking his head softly. "We split. It's me and him from the point of Bi-Regeneration and onwards."
You stared at him momentarily, dumbfounded that he hadn't figured it out. You laughed, sitting up and looking at him with mischief.
"Is that how you think Bi-Regeneration works?" You giggled, watching his confused face.
"Well... Yeah! What else should be happening? It's two time-strands opening. I've got this once, and he's off doing new version things!" His hasty and offended answers made you laugh even harder.
"See, that is why I was at the academy and learned the proper stuff while you just went and stole a Tardis." You calmed down, still giggling but moving back towards him.
"This here is a time loop, silly." You peck a kiss on his nose. "You remain in this form till you regenerate, and then it's back to the rooftop, love." You grinned, watching gleefully as his 'Oh, now I understand' – expression took over his face.
He blinked, thinking for a moment, and you watched him quietly, a knowing smile on your lips.
"That's where he took off to. That's why he was in a hurry to leave!" He grinned triumphantly. He pulled you into a deep kiss, holding you close as he celebrated his achievement.
You pushed yourself off him slowly," Now you have got to remember the date, Kensington Park, the 12 of June 2023. Italian Gardens."
"And bring some Ice cream?"
You held his cheek, gently smoothing over his skin.
"You know it, darling."