InsaneJournal

The Doctor didn't do reunions. Not exactly. The thing about reunions was the implication things had ended on equal terms, and the Doctor's relationships never ended on equal terms. Not with his friends always dying, or being stuck in immortality, or well… It didn't matter. Things always ended badly; that was clear enough.

So, how he'd ended up in the company of Rose Tyler -- the one he'd lost to an alternate universe, the Doctor couldn't say. It was just like him to end up in a situation that he couldn't explain without any possible escape. Except such situations didn't frequently involve underground mess halls, which were, as far as he had been able to determine, fairly innocuous.

"This is still all very new to me. Generally speaking, reunions with your past self never end well…" He was sitting at one of those incredibly long tables that reminded him too much of military-style dining, which in turn, reminded him of that last time he'd been stuck on Earth, working for UNIT (of all things). "And both us running around? What a nightmare. Did I really have that much hair?"

Had Jackie Tyler been present, she would be scolding Rose at this moment for staring. Rose couldn’t help herself. She was told another face of the Doctor’s had been here before, but Rose didn’t remember or perhaps it happened after she had disappeared. Either way, this was an entirely new experience for her, and she couldn’t help but look over every detail. Yes, she had seen him change before, but this was different. How many years were between them now? How many faces changed between the two she knew and this one? Was he a completely different person than the man she new? No one could blame her for being curious right? He was the Doctor after all, no matter what face he had, she couldn’t deny herself getting to know an old friend again.

“How many times has it happened?” Rose asked him with a questioning look. “They told me it happened before. Not that I remember it, or I wasn’t around. Not quite sure on the details there, but I don’t think anything bad happened.” When he asked her about his hair, she grinned. “Yeah, you did. You were quite proud of the hair, if I remember correctly.”

Her question made him pause. "How many times? Let me see… It all gets a bit jumbled now. Lose things like time, like the last time I ran into that daft one with the recorder…" He frowned. "Was a bit before your time wasn't that? And it wasn't me, of course, but another version of me…"

He looked at her as he sometimes looked at Clara -- as though he'd already lost both of them to the inevitable eons of time and space. That was what it was to be a Time Lord, dashing about the universe with a TARDIS and anything else that decided to hang on. He was always alone, always losing the game that he knew was impossible. His frown deepened a little.

"Of course, this universe has different rules. Different properties of space-time. Can't imagine what it was thinking bringing us all here together."

“I think so. It must have been, I think I’d remember more than one Doctor running around.” Her eyes raised and she grinned. “Wait, there was a Doctor that played a recorder? Now I’m disappointed I didn’t meet him.”

She gave his words some thought and nodded in agreement. “Must be.” Rose said. “There’s a lot about this place that doesn’t seem to be possible. I’ve been told, by several people, that in their home, I’m a character from a series on the telly. All about you of course.” She made a gesture to him. “Still though, seems to be our speciality, right? No one better to deal with the impossible than us.” It did give her some comfort, knowing not only one but two Doctors were here. Plus with Donna, and Clara around, with all their heads together they can certainly find some answers. Rose had many questions she would like answered. At the top of her head, she’d like to know the purpose of being brought back, and why take her memory away from the first time she had been here? Rose came up with several theories, but none of them really seemed to make sense to her.

Rose continued to study him. Trying to catch the differences or similarities between the two Doctors she had known. She wanted to ask how much time had passed, but she didn’t really want to know the answer. Not to mention the Doctor regenerated when something life threatening happened to him. Rose didn’t want to think about the Doctor being in pain. Hopefully he would have someone with him, because she couldn’t bare the thought of him going through that alone.

“All right then.” Rose said, sitting up straight. “What’s your first impression of this place?”

The Doctor nodded along, not really hearing what she was saying, until the end. "Oh, this place?" He surveyed the mess hall, which was brighter than might be expected for an underground fortress. "Got something about it that I don't quite like. Maybe it's got to do with what you said, not remembering anything about how we got here or why…"

He let that thought trail off for a moment, looking at her. He didn't know what to say about them -- that had been the other's expertise -- and he knew it had been a long time. Did she look better being here? That seemed the sort of thing he ought to notice, or offer his opinion on. But all of that was so, so long ago...another lifetime, really.

"But you know, it's not all bad, don't you agree?"

Rose nodded, agreeing with him. “The why part definitely leaves me curious. There have been a few people, myself included, that return not too long after we’ve gone. Yet there are other people who have left and have yet to come back.” Rose put her elbows on the table, resting her head on the palm of her hand. “I can’t think of a good reason for that happening. No patterns that I can see, but then again I don’t have your brain.” Rose grinned at him.

She gave this question some thought. “No, it’s not all bad,” she agreed. “I’ve met some nice people, people I wouldn’t have had the chance to meet back home. And look!” Rose said happily as she motioned towards him. “Gives me a chance to see you and get to know you again.” Rose could clearly see that he was still the Doctor, but she knew each face could have a different personality to it. Although in some ways he was still the same, and it was like meeting a new friend and catching up with an old one all at once.

"No, neither can I." There were some things that even his brain couldn't puzzle out, least not immediately. "But you're right, there's you and me and other me…" He hesitated, ever uncertain of the intricacies of human relationships. Could they be friends after all that had passed? And did he want that? Did it matter what he wanted when they were stuck here?

"Almost like we got a second go of it." He tried to smile, but then stopped. "Do you think that's what this is? Never feels quite right when I...meet the people I've lost. Always end up saying goodbye again."

Rose smiled. He was definitely a lot more difficult to read than the last two Doctors she knew. It must have been quite a long time since he’d seen her. Rose didn’t consider how much it could hurt him, and she hoped her presence didn’t make him uncomfortable.

She listened to him carefully and nodded. “Maybe. I’m sorry,” she replied. “I was so excited to see you, I didn’t think about how it might make you feel. Might not be easy but spending time with you?” She smiled at him. “Always worth it.”

"Oh, no." He shook off his thoughts of melancholy. "No, you don't have anything to be sorry for. I'm sorry. Really, I am. I never mean for it to happen, you know. All of this…" He gestured vaguely, indicating the mess hall and everything else around him. "Just reminds a grumpy old alien he can't always run from his problems. And you…"

He offered her his best smile. "You're just as fantastic as I remember."