FIC: Timepiece (Rose, Romana I, PG-13, 5/5)

[lizbee]

Summary: Unscrupulous temporal engineers and a major breach in the laws of time lead Rose Tyler and the first Romana to join forces to rescue the Doctor. Both of him.
Rated: PG-13
Notes: So, I posted the first three chapters a few months back.  But it's been a while, and I changed a couple of minor details in the early chapters, so I decided to repost. This chapter contains a dash of shipping in all directions.


Timepiece
by LizBee

Five

Rose woke up on the TARDIS, but it wasn't home.  It was white and stark, and she was in someone else's bedroom.

"My head," she said.

"You took a rather nasty blow," said Romana, standing up.  "But there'll be no permanent damage."

"The Doctor," she said.

Romana's eyes clouded.  "It's been twenty minutes," she said.  "We're running out of time."

"If he fails, if we're wiped out of history―"

Romana's jaw was set.  "Another five minutes," she said.  "If he's not here by then, we're leaving."

"But your Doctor will still be erased."

"But you and I will survive. We'll end up just where we started, not knowing any different."  Romana didn't sound any more excited at the thought than Rose was.  She sounded like she was repeating her own Doctor's words, and not believing them.  "And the universe will be a much darker place without the Doctor."

Rose sat up.  Her head swam a little, but she felt okay otherwise. 

"I'm going to get him," she said.

"You're not going anywhere!"

"He's out there," said Rose, "and he needs us."

In the console room – more white, but the hum of the TARDIS was familiar – the portable phase machine was hooked up to the console.

"It's not an arbitrary number," the Doctor told her.  "I can keep the bubble stable for another few minutes—"

"Four minutes, thirty-eight seconds," said K9.

"—But then the entropy will resume.  Any more power will simply hasten the process.  I can't say I'm looking forward to nonexistence.  It will be quite dull."

"Don't worry," said Rose.  "I'll be right back."

He called out to her, but she was already running away.

"Wait," shouted Romana, but Rose ignored her, until footsteps came from behind, and Romana grabbed her shoulder.

"I'm coming with you," she said.

The underground city was dark and empty.  Rose kicked some rubble out of the way.

"Doctor!" she called.  "Where's he meant to be?" she added to Romana.

"Near the docks, I should think, making sure everyone's leaving.  This way."

"If we get out of here alive," said Rose, "and if we still exist, I'm gonna kill him."

"So am I," said Romana.  "Doctor!"  There was a crack in her voice.  "Doctor, where are you?"

"Right here."  They swung around; the Doctor was sauntering towards them like he was strolling down the street.  "Had to get the sonic screwdriver."

"Blast your sonic screwdriver," said Romana.  "Of all the selfish, immature—"

"Also, I had to talk a guy out of sacrificing himself.  I think he's one of yours?"

Rose waved at Kev, trailing amiably in the Doctor's wake, then Romana said, "Time!" and started to run, and they all followed.

*

"Home, sweet TARDIS," said the Doctor as he unlocked the door.  "It hasn't changed a bit."

"Good old coral," Rose agreed, following.

"I have to admit, I've come to like it," said Romana.  "Oh, we made a bit of a mess in the wardrobe room."

"It needed a tidy anyway."

"And I'll make sure you – forget."

"That's my girl," the Doctor's smile was so bright and sad that Rose had to look away.  She busied herself sitting down, putting her feet up on the console, looking comfortable.  Looking anywhere but at the Time Lords.  "I don't remember a thing," the Doctor said, "so you'll do brilliantly.  As usual."

Romana blushed slightly.  She'd deny it, but Rose saw it.  "Why, thank you!"

"And, well, do take care, Doctor.  Try to stay out of trouble."

"You know me, I like a quiet life."  The Doctor put his hands in his pockets.  "Try—"

"I—"

"What?"

"Nothing," said Romana quickly, "you?"

"Nothing," the Doctor said.  "It's good to see you again, Romana."

Romana caught Rose's eye.  She looked slightly panicked.  Rose stood up.

"You take care of him," she said, nodding at the Doctor.  "He needs a good kick up the pants somedays."

"I know," said Romana.  "Really, the irrational attachment to archaic technology—"

"Not even like it's a proper antique, it's just rubbish—"

"And K9 helps him cheat at chess."

"I'm standing right here," the Doctor pointed out.  He took Romana's hands in his.  "Take care," he said.  "Do magnificent things."

Romana tossed her hair.  "Always," she said.

"Get me to take you to Paris.  You'll love it."

"Paris.  Right."  Romana nodded.  "Anything else, while we're stretching the laws of time?"

"Just this," said the Doctor, and he leaned forward and kissed her.

Rose looked away.

She didn't count the seconds, or check her watch, or speculate on the Time Lord lung capacity.  She did think about washing her hair, and wonder what had happened to the pack that had held her clothes and hairbrush.  She'd probably find another brush in the TARDIS, discarded by some previous friend who'd died or left or been left behind.

Eventually, the Doctor said, "Sorry.  Couldn't resist."

"Typically immature," said Romana, "or possibly senile.  Goodbye, Doctor."

He let her go, followed her to the door, and leaned against the frame to watch her walk away.  Rose joined him.

"Goodbye, Romana."

She turned back to smile at them.  Rose gave her a surreptitious thumbs up, and watched as Romana entered her own TARDIS.  They kept watch as the TARDIS dematerialised.  Rose crossed her arms and looked down.

"Is she dead?" she asked the Doctor.

He looked old, and sad.  "I think so," he said.  "Difficult to say, but – if she was alive, I'd know."

"I'm sorry."

"It was a long time ago."  He closed the doors, and went to the console.  "What a day," his tone had become deliberately light, "where to next?"

Rose shrugged.  "Paris?"

The Doctor looked down at the console, and Rose wondered if she'd gone too far.  Then he looked up, grinning.  "Paris!" he said, "just the place.  Nineteen thirty-five, have we been there?  Great clothes, you'll love the clothes.  Rubbish politics, though.  Pretty good for temporal stability—"

Rose leaned against the console and listened to him ramble, and as they set out for the next perfect day.

 

end

Comments

[akashasheiress.livejournal.com]

I liked this a lot. The ending was sweet and melancholy in a good way.

[rimwalker.livejournal.com]

I agree with this comment 100%.

[nonelvis]

Oh, this makes me miss Romana I -- I started to rewatch "The Key to Time" a few months ago and haven't had time to get past "The Pirate Planet," but clearly I need to pick it back up again. I also loved seeing Rose being clever and competent instead of weepy and moody about her man leaving her.

[tree_and_leaf]

Very good- it reminds me of why I like Rose (I'm afraid I tend to forget this, what with all the wank), and her interactions with Romana are great.

The ending is very nicely pitched - sweet and a little sad, but not wallowing in teh emo.

[kerravonsen]

Awwwww.

You remind me that I miss Romana!

[fyrdrakken]

Thankfully you did this plot with Rose instead of with post s3 Martha or Donna, because now I can handwave his remark about how he'd know if she was alive as being canonically disproven...

[infiniteviking]

Finally went back in time and read this. And it's wonderful. I really, really like the way you handled Romana in re Rose's revelations. And Rose's awareness, once she realized the implications, of what it would all mean for the Doctor and for her.

And the dialog. The voices ring clear, especially Romana. And you've captured the best of Rose... in fact, it's all pretty darn awesome. Well done.