Lomeinie (lomeinie) wrote in time_stories, @ 2009-12-08 00:03:00 |
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Entry tags: | 10th doctor, classic series, drama, gen, new series, rated: everyone, romana iii, romana iv, rose tyler |
Fic: The Offer 4/5 (Rated PG)
Title: The Offer
Author: Amy1oM
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Er, Doomsday(?) and probably a few from what I've read about but never listened to Big Finish's Gallifrey stories
Characters: Rose Tyler, Romana III (or IV you decide), cameo by another former companion of the Doctor's, Ten
Summary: In a scene taking place several hours after “Romanadvoratrelundar Meet” Rose will suddenly be offered everything she could have ever dreamed when it comes to the Doctor but will she accept it?
Disclaimer: Don't own it and have made no money at all from this!
0o0
“However that was not the end of things there. You see the Doctor made a suggestion of his own regarding how we could reward him, and before I tell you what request he made of us it is important that you know we have already said yes.”
“You said yeah to what?” Rose asked, uncertainty written on her face.
Romana stood up, and halted Rose from doing the same with a gesture of her hand. “Please stay seated.” She moved closer to Rose, sitting again on the edge of her chair's arm so that she was facing her. Romana raised her hand but held back seeking consent from Rose for what she was about to do. Rose eyed the raised unsure of what she wanted from her.
“Please Rose, this will help you to understand better then if I tell you with words.” Rose looked into Romana's eyes finally understanding what she wished to do and she nodded her consent. The Doctor trusted her after all and Rose knew she could trust her too. Romana touched her right temple, and closed her eyes. Rose did the same and suddenly found herself looking at the Doctor through the Time Lady's eyes.
*
The Council had withdrawn when it became clear whatever it was the Doctor wanted to ask of them he felt more comfortable asking it of Romana alone first. So the Doctor had asked Romana to take a walk with him to a long forgotten room in the TARDIS in which the last living plants of Gallifrey thrived under her devoted care. The Doctor inhaled deeply as they entered the room, and a smile stretched its way across his face. “Schlenk blossoms! I haven't smelled them in oh what feels like a thousand years.”
They walked in silence for a long time with the Doctor working off nervous energy by inspecting every schlenk blossom he could find in their pathway. Even after the perfume of the blossoms became too much for her senses, Romana kept her silence because she knew he needed this time to gather his thoughts. She knew he would speak when he was ready to speak and not moment before. Finally after ten minutes of watching him among crawl among the schlenk blossoms the Doctor stood up and brushed off the knees of his trousers, looking at her as his hands were shoved into his pockets.
“Right, I suppose I ought to get to it then since neither of us are getting any younger, are we?”
“That's especially true in your case.”
“Oi! I'll take no cheekiness from you, Romanadvoratrelundar, Lord President or not!” He winked at her before running a hand through his hair, and clearing his throat. “You should make note of this for future generation, the Doctor at a loss for words. I really do not know where to begin.”
Romana laid a hand on his arm. “Doctor, it's me. Whatever you are about to request you do not have to be embarrassed over. I'm not going to judge or ridicule you for it.”
He looked around for a few seconds. “Why don't we go underneath that tree over there? I have a lot I need to tell you before I tell you my request.”
“All right.”
Underneath one of the silver leaved trees of Gallifrey, the Doctor told her how he had been the first days after the war's ending, after he had recovered from a serious case of regeneration sickness. He told her how he was in so much pain from the guilt he felt for deliberate the mass murder of his people by his hand that he considered finding a way to kill himself that would eliminate any sort of possibility of regeneration.
He told her about how he had tracked the Nestene Consciousness to London on Earth, and how he had planned to stop the Consciousness at the cost of his own life. It was a plan he had had every intention of going through with until he had met Rose Tyler in the basement of Henrik's. The Doctor was unaware of this but as he spoke Rose's name Romana saw a change come across his features, a change that spoke of a joy unequaled and of a pain immeasurable.
After she spent two more hours of listening as he told her stories of the adversaries they had fought and defeated together, Romana understood at last the source of the pain she had seen.
“I lost her,” the Doctor whispered before he began a painfully detailed recount of the battle at Canary Wharf.
“So,” Romana said as when he finished, her voice trembled from the sadness she felt for him as he spoke the next part, “What you wish from us is to open the door between this unwise and hers so that you may crossover.”
The Doctor nodded, “Well, that's only part of it.” He got up, stretched, and began to pace about nervously.
Romana watched, waiting for him to continue on speaking but all he did is pace. She finally lost her patience however and said, “Doctor, for Rassilon's sake, just say whatever it is!”
“Oh right, sorry.” He paced a little more before sitting back down beside her. “Romana, this is my second regeneration since the war ended.” He began by telling her about the encounter he and Rose had with the words 'bad wolf' either written or said aloud in so many of the time periods they had visited. He then came to the events of Satellite 5, and the last fateful confrontation his 9th incarnation would have with the Daleks.
He told Romana had wanted Rose to be safe from the Daleks, but he knew she'd never would have went home voluntarily. So he told Romana how he had tricked Rose into going back into the TARDIS under the pretense to retrieve something for him, and how while she was inside he had activated a program that would return her home.
“I sent her home to her own time and left her a message, asking her to leave a fantastic life for me. That should have been the end of it there. She should have lived out her life on Earth while the TARDIS became a street corner curiosity that no one knew the origins of.”
The Doctor paused, taking a breath before he continued, “But as too often happens with the people who travel with me she decided not to listen to me, and came back.”
“Came back how? Surely she couldn't have piloted the TARDIS herself and even if that were possible I'm sure you would have put the controls on lock down.”
“The controls were on lock down and she still came back because some how she cracked open the heart of the TARDIS and absorbed the time vortex into herself. She reduced to the atoms the Dalek emperor and every stinking Dalek present at Satellite 5 before scattering the words 'bad wolf' throughout time and space.” The Doctor have to explain the nature of Rose's self created paradox as such things were Academy Basics 101. “After the Daleks were turned to ash, Rose told me that her head was killing her. I knew the power of the vortex was beginning to kill her. So I kissed her and took the vortex into from her into myself.”
Romana saw no reason to state the obvious conclusion to his action so she elected to move on to the one thing he was avoiding. “Doctor, I think it is time for you to say what you would ask of the High Council.”
“What I would ask of the High Council is this: in lieu of the regenerations the Council was willing to give me be given to Rose Tyler instead.” Romana opened her mouth to say something and was silenced by the Doctor laying his fingers over her mouth.”I know she is human but I believe the short time the vortex was inside her will make it possible for her physiology to be altered to resemble that of a Time Lord.”
After he finished speaking Romana got up and made her own inspection round of the schlenk blossoms as she thought over what he had asked. When she finally faced him again it was as the Lord President of the Time Lords, formerly of Gallifrey, although she was not completely lost from the equation. “Doctor, what you ask is unprecedented in the entirety of our history.”
“I know.”
“Not even Andred has not asked for such a similar thing as this.”
“I know.”
Romana sighed, “Doctor, I will present your request to the Council. However you should be prepared for their refusal on this. They may ask you to be content with us extending your Rose's life through the slowing of her aging process as we've done for Leela.”
“Romana, there is nothing in the universe my hearts want or desire more than what I've asked.”
Romana looked sadly at her old friend, “I know, and I hope for your sake they will say yes.” I do not want to see your hearts broken any further.
0o0
Foot Note: There will be one more chapter after this to wrap the last bit between Rose and Romana up.