Sorry about the lack of updates lately, life has been a bit mad... But here is a new chapter for your reading pleasure!
Un-beta'd, all mistake my own.
A hint of something bloomed in the back of her mind; a softness, a sorrow, a deep sadness that they shared but both seemed unable to speak of. “Don’t let this get away. Don’t lose him again.”
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| Tenth Doctor, Torchwood | |
Never Say Never by Kimori1024 [Reviews - 58]  Chapter or Story Author's Notes: | |
“Rose?” Rob abruptly sat up on the sofa when the blonde entered the room and silently sat down beside him. She’d been crying and he had spent the last half hour attempting not to over hear what had been happening down the hall between her and that Doctor. “I mean... uh, Mrs. Smith would probably be more appropriate given the circumstances...”
“No, Rose is just fine...” Rose just sat staring at the ring she absentmindedly ran up and down on her finger. The diamond seemed to lack its sparkle, it just sat there dull and insignificant in the morning light.
“Well, I mean, Rose was fine when I thought you were Tori’s sister. I really feel it doesn’t show enough respect...” He looked at the young, or well not so young, woman beside him. It was hard to believe that she was Tori’s mother, but with all that was going on, he’d believe anything right now.
“How did my daughter get a catch like you?” Her eyes were suddenly on him. Sorrow, confusion and love swam through the dark brown pools.
“If only she thought that...” He averted his gaze to the television not really paying attention to the programme.
“She does. She is very lucky to have someone like you. Here we are, parallel world and all and not one complaint out of you.” Rose just looked at the boy somewhat in awe. He was so damn loyal to her daughter. He deserved so much more than to be in this crazy mixed up life of theirs. She wondered if she’d been like that all of those years ago, clinging to the Doctor. Had he thought she was foolish to fall for him; to leave everything she’d ever known for nineteen years behind just to follow him? Rose could see the mistakes she made reflected in Rob. Maybe that was all she and the Doctor were — a mistake.
“I drove her out the night this all started. I feel more than slightly responsible...” Rob swallowed and leaned back against the sofa. “I’m just weak...” He laughed bitterly as he stared up at the ceiling. “I can’t really tell her no.”
“I’m pretty sure it would have happened any way,” Rose spoke softly, knowing that this whole deal was her fault; it had to be. She was the bad wolf. Those wolves at that zoo had tried to tell her something. She’d brought herself back here.
“I know it isn’t really my place to ask, but what’s really happening?” He mustered all of the courage he had left to look at the fractured woman beside him.
“I don’t know....”
“Mum?” Tori’s voice came from behind them causing them both to spin around.
“Tori? What are you doing awake?” Rose looked at her clearly frazzled child and immediately pulled herself up from the couch. She should still be asleep after the bout she had... unless she’d heard her and the Doctor. Oh god, please no... “I hope we didn’t disturb you...”
“No, my head feels fine. Fantastic, really...” The brunette forced a lopsided grin at her mother, her blue eyes sparkling along.
“Tor?” Rob stood up next to Rose instantly.
“Rob?” Tori turned to the young man, so happy that he hadn’t left. She wouldn’t blame him if he had. Her smile grew genuinely this time.
“You alright?” Rob spoke cautiously, unsure as to how stable she was now. He’d watched her break down and then pass out; that was far more severe than any other attack she’d had in the past.
“Fine. How are you?” Rose could see that her daughter was nervous as she spoke. Her little girl hadn’t been afraid of anything since the day she was born, but one human nineteen year old boy meant the world to her. Too bad Tori would never say it to hi. Rose couldn’t blame her really, she’d been through it. Of course, Rose had been in Rob’s shoes at the time.
“So the Doctor helped actually....” Rose turned to Rob as he spoke somewhat in awe and then back to her daughter who for once, didn’t seem to have a nasty quip about that Time Lord.
“Yeah... he did...” Tori’s tone was a bit lost in thought. She still wasn’t entirely sure just how he had helped, but she’d never felt more at peace in her life. She met her mother’s eyes. They were so full of worry and something else entirely. She did look a right mess though... “Mum, what’s wrong? Listen, I’m sorry.... I didn’t mean to make you worry again.”
“I’m just glad you’re okay sweetheart.” Rose tried to smile, but her eyes betrayed her. Her mind traveled back to her conversation with the Doctor. He’d helped her daughter; she even thought she’d heard him call her his own. Why didn’t he want her then? Why wouldn’t he ask her to come with?
“Did he hurt you? Was it the Doctor?” Rose’s silence was the only reply to her daughter’s questioning.
“Mum, what did he do?!” Tori’s voice rose frantically. If that bloody man had done anything...
Her daughter’s words only just managed to shock Rose out of her thoughts. “Nothing. Here, let me make you two some tea.” She moved away from the sofa and walked over to the kitchen area, but was blocked by the brunette.
“No, mum. We don’t bloody well need tea,” Tori ensured her tone was forceful as she stepped in front of her mother. She wanted some answers.
“Maybe I should leave...” Rob motioned toward the door, but Tori looked over the blonde woman’s shoulder and pointed directly at the young man.
“Nuh-uh. You sit,” she commanded. “Both of you! Sit! Now mum, tell me.” Rob followed the order and sat back on the sofa, but Rose was less cooperative.
“I told you it doesn’t matter, I’m fine. He’ll be leaving soon and I’m sure Torchwood can bring us back. Everything will be back to normal soon enough.” The blonde tried to shift past her daughter, but Tori wasn’t about to have any of that.
“What did he do!?”
“He’s not you’re dad Tori. We don’t need him.” Rose felt the words come from her lips, she could hear her voice pronounce each syllable, but it didn’t feel like her speaking. Maybe she didn’t need him, hell he d made it clear he didn’t need her. And yet... She could feel herself step backward, her daughter’s hands gripping her shoulders and guiding her back to sit on the sofa.
“Yes you do.”
“No I don’t.”
“Fine, just be stubborn and mope around like you always do!”
“What?”
“You’re been moping around for a whole fucking year mum! Dad would never have wanted this! I know you think I can just be a cold hearted bitch, but maybe it’s because you are messed up enough for the both of us! I loved dad just as much as you did, if not more because something happened between that Doctor and you that I don’t think ever allowed you to love him. No, he’s not dad, but you’ve got to admit they share a hell of a lot!” Tori couldn’t help but scream at her mother. “Apparently the way you feel about them in one of ‘em!”
“They’re similar because your dad came from him,” Rose muttered quietly under her breath. She’d never fathomed needing to explain this to her daughter and did not feel that now was the best time. She didn’t even want to think about that man, either of them.
“What?” Tori didn’t quite catch what the blonde had said.
“But that doesn’t matter. I don’t...”
“But you love him....”
“Tori, I loved your dad. He is not your father.”
“But I can feel it.... Ever since the Doctor fixed my headache, s’like I can feel things, things that I should have been able to feel before but were blocked out by something crazy that I had no control over. But everything is so clear now because of the Doctor and right now, I can feel that you care for him.”
“Tori stop it! Don’t question me!” Rose tried to retaliate but she was in shock. The Doctor could never feel emotions. But she could almost feel her daughter’s mind connecting with hers. The Bad Wolf was on the prowl and it bound their minds together.
“But you do! I told him my headaches were from alien and time bloody vortex. What would make me say something like that, yeah? Doesn’t make any sense, does it? Suddenly I could see it, like he knew and I could access his mind. Why was that mum?” Tori stood directly in front of her mother. She could feel the older woman’s mind blazing; a similar energy to hers that she could sense. The hidden energy of the universe and she could connect with it now. She could see it so clearly, her mother’s fear and love. “He’s important and I’m far too much like him to drop this now. And you love him! I can feel that too! It’s driving me mad, but feeling all of this makes so much more sense than those headaches. I knew we were all different. We didn’t age and all that, but dad did so I thought we were the odd ones. You mentioned vortex energy once being the reason but you never elaborated.” Golden light flashed in the brunette’s eyes as Rose tried her best to break the connection. Tori’s inability to control her mind and fight back forced the light to dissipate and the connection to wane. But the rage in her deep blue eyes was far from cooled. “Now dad’s the one with the bloody clone!”
“He’s not a clone Tori,” Rose shook her head still attempting to come to terms with the power her own child had just displayed.
“Then what the hell is he?!”
“Can we not discuss this right now, yeah?” Rose met Tori’s eyes with firm determination.
“Just don’t do anything stupid mum. You’ve got a track record for that...” With the young woman’s signature coldness snipping at the air with her words she sat down in the overstuffed chair beside the sofa.
“Tori, you shouldn’t talk to your mum that way...” Rob, who had tried his best to stay quiet spoke, but almost immediately regretted his actions when Tori’s sharp tongue was turned on him.
“Stay out of it!” She yelled at the young man before turning back to her mother who was once again up from the sofa and turning to leave. “Mum, there’s something about him. No, he definitely ain’t dad, but there’s something about him that’s making him stick around here with us. After the hell I put him through he still wanted to help me.” Tori smirked mirthlessly. “I can see it inside of you, whether you like it or not. I see some sort of shattered hope that I’ve never seen before, but it is still hope.” She looked down at her knees and Rose could almost feel the girl’s demeanor soften, even though her back was now to her daughter. A hint of something bloomed in the back of her mind; a softness, a sorrow, a deep sadness that they shared but both seemed unable to speak of. “Don’t let this get away. Don’t lose him again.” Rose swallowed as the tiny something washed away and she continued back down the corridor that she’d seemed unable to escape for days; back to that dark place in her mind that she wondered could ever be lit again.
“You can run and hide but it won’t make anything go away you know. Oh and mum, don’t overestimate the thickness of these walls, yeah?” Tori’s familiar voice wafted to her ears as she reached the door to her mother’s old bedroom, unable to face the Doctor still in her own, and slipped inside.
“Oi... that was weird...” Tori touched her head as if she couldn’t believe it was her own. She’d made some sort of connection with her mother just then. She’d never been able to reach out like that before. A sad smile curved her lips, that was probably the closest they’d ever gotten. Her eyes shifted to Rob, whom she’d nearly forgotten was still in the room. She could reach his mind...
“I’m really sorry about everything tonight...” Rob spoke, shocking Tori out of her thoughts. Abruptly, she realized that she’d been trying to seek out the boy’s thoughts and a blush spread across her cheeks.
“No, I am....” Flustered at the feeling of being caught at invading something extremely private she found herself tugging at her hair and top. When she met his eyes, she saw the fear and sadness that he was clinging to; she didn’t need to read minds to see that she’d hurt him after the events of that night. “Do you wanna leave?” She didn’t want to hear his answer.
“What?” He looked at her quizzically as she mustered all of her courage to walk the few steps over to the sofa and sit beside him.
“I mean... alien and all, me I suppose. I don’t age, I don’t change. I can never be bloody normal.” She attempted a half hearted laugh, but her breath caught in her throat as her eyes met his.
“I won’t take back what I said last night.” He would never take back his feelings. He hadn’t a clue in hell what was happening, but if there was one thing he honestly knew, he loved this girl. Whether she was human, angel, demon or a little green alien; he loved her. He placed his arm around her gently and to his pleasant surprise, she didn’t pull back.
Tori gingerly placed her head on the boy’s shoulder as he tightened his grip around her. Her arms followed suit and wrapped around his waist. It was well into morning, but neither of them had gotten much sleep. The brunette felt herself begin to doze off as the craziness began to slip away from her mind. Just before she fell asleep, she could have sworn she felt the tiny pressure of a kiss on the top of her head.
TBC
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