Chapter Text
No-One Is to Blame
1.
Ever since the adventure with Madame de Pompadour in the eighteenth century France, Rose has stopped behaving like her usual self.The Doctor respected her gloomy mood, knowing better than to make her unwelcome unease grow any further.
After the Cybermen and the loss of the parallel Jackie, it has only become worse. Needless to say, the loss of Mickey might have worsened it further. Mickey Smith has been her childhood friend, no, her boyfriend! Her dark mood was only to be expected, the Time Lord kept telling himself.
Even when Rose has begun spending hours talking to people other than himself - her mother, most of all – he believed to understand her reasons.
Up until he has accidentally overheard something he was not supposed to.
“I can't, I won't leave him, Mum. No matter-” Rose's voice was uneven, as if she were on the point of tears.
“No matter of what, Rose?”
She exhaled, glad about not seeing the Time Lord anywhere. “This famous historical figure, she died, yeah, and the Doctor-”
“Has tried to raise the person from the dead?” Jackie guessed, both terrified and amused about the unlikely prospect, one only someone as the alien could ever think of.
Rose sighed heavily. “The Doctor has been unusually gloomy ever since, not talking to me in the ways we used to, and I-”
She chose not to word her deepest worry to Mum. “But it's okay now. Things are slowly returning to normal between us. You needn't worry!”
Jackie Tyler was not convinced. “That's only understandable, sweetheart! Maybe the historical person and the Doctor have only truly liked each other's company, time travel and everything,” Jackie tried.
Her daughter was almost deadly quiet all of a sudden. “Snogging with her, is this what you mean?”
Her mother gasped.
The bloody alien! Jackie knew from experience Rose would never talk about such personal things to her, unless...
Jackie Tyler wished she was there with them and could give the Doctor the slap of his life. Or hundreds of those. Talking to him seemed like the next best thing.
“Is your alien nearby? I'd like to share some words with him!”
Apparently, her shrieking voice has been audible even to the Doctor, now looking for a distraction under the TARDIS console.
“Am I in trouble?” He was on his feet the following instant, looking for some support from Rose, yet getting none. The girl shrugged at him instead and handed him the mobile phone, not quite as concerned about whatever was waiting for the Doctor. She simply couldn't make herself to feel that way.
Jackie was furious. “As long as my baby is being her usual cheerful self, all is fine, but when she's devastated you don't notice her pain?”
The Doctor gaped at her unexpected words. Surely, Rose might have seemed a bit tense, concerning the losses she'd been forced to go through. Maybe she's been over-dramatising things, like mother, like daughter?
“You need to talk to her, Doctor. If you feel snogging around is how things are supposed to happen, leave my Rose out of this. Better yet, send her home the moment you even think of allowing yourself to toy with my Rose in that way!”
He gulped. “That... It was never supposed to have happened! I haven't been the one initiating the kiss, I'll have you know, Mrs Tyler!”
Great. He was not even able to fight off women jumping on him...
”I wasn't asking for this information, Doctor. Frankly, I don't care about what you were doing or with whom. But hurting my baby is going too far!”
“I know! And I'm sorry!” The Doctor hoped Jackie would stop the unpleasant conversation herself. Luckily, Rose's mother did not sound keen on continuing the chat any further.
“When I ring next, I want those issues resolved, is that clear?” With a snog or even with a shag, whatever makes things work, she thought to herself. Jackie Tyler knew that at the rate their we're just friends relationship kept progressing these things were very likely going to happen.
The Doctor muttered something under his nose, uncertain. Rose has been talking to Jackie almost every day! However was he to succeed?
Jackie, on the other hand, was aware the alien has often found her terrifying. This was supposed to work out just the way it should.
“Not my problem, Time Lord. I don't care what you do. You know what needs to be done and you must know I would be able to sense any deceit.”
“Yes,” he spoke, never doubting it.
“Good luck,” Jackie wished that to him honestly. She understood a lot of things, complicated relationships included.
Once the chat with Jackie was over, the Doctor was unpleasantly surprised. “Whew,” he exhaled, relieved. “Is there something in particular you'd like to do, Rose? The universe is at your disposal!”
“I am still not talking to you,” Rose reminded him, sighing heavily.
“We have already spoken about- surely, something else must be the problem?”
He was apparently still dismissing the obvious.
“You have spoken about it,” Rose clarified. About her.”
What about us ?
The Doctor was stunned.
Rose inhaled, determined to let it all out.
“If I died, would you be as upset about my passing as about that of your courtesan's?”
He gaped at Rose, his mouth opening and closing several times. She was not-
“You are not going to die while by my side – not if I have anything to do with it,” he managed, shocked.
She rolled her eyes at him. “You sure?”
The Doctor realised he was not, could not be entirely certain about it, not when this jeopardy-friendly woman has had the tendency to head straight into trouble.
“Positive,” he said instead.
Rose sighed, shaking her head at him. She has experienced enough cases of people lying to her to know better. “It's useless to lie to me, Doctor. Just tell me if you don't want me here. Maybe it's true and you want some new faces aboard. It's okay.”
The Time Lord looked at Rose, suddenly feeling completely beaten. He knew she didn't mean it! “Please... Please, don't even think it. You are all I have, Rose!”
“Until you find yourself some gorgeous historical women to snog. Sure thing.”
It has hit him then. “Are you still mad at me for it?” He ventured. “It seems to me my kissing Reinette has affected you more than having Mickey lost in the parallel universe,” he spoke, thoughtful.
Rose gasped, slapping him. Judging from the look in her eyes, the companion would have gladly hurt him much harder than that.
The Time Lord backed away from her, knowing he has very likely deserved much more than this.
Jackie's words have caught up with him.
I don't care what you do...
“I suppose Jackie's right, Rose.”
Wha-
“We need to stop quarrelling.”
“Yeah?” She shook her head, incredulous.
“I know you hate me right now-”
Rose looked at him, stunned. “Hate is a very strong word!”
“If you don't want to travel with me, tell me.” Jackie Tyler was surely going to kill him for even beginning such a risky discussion. “I'd rather get to know it right now.”
“I love travelling with you, you daft alien!”
“Yes?” He was seeking for a confirmation which, as a matter of fact, was staring him right into his face.
“Don't be silly,” she breathed, uncomfortable.
“Silly? Who's silly? I was only trying to make sure your mother-”
Rassilon. He has only caught his slip of tongue then.
“I thought you two hated each other!”
“Hate is a very strong word,” he teased her kindly, relieved the girl did not catch it. "Could we... Could we try again?"