Fanfic for New Who: No Need

[rose_cat]

Title: No Need
Author: Rose Cat
Rating: G
Fandom: (New)Doctor Who
Characters: Tenth Doctor, Rose Tyler
Spoilers: New Who episode 4.13 “Journey’s End”
Word Count: 181
Summary: How it might have gone a little differently at Bad Wolf Bay.
Disclaimer: Shows and characters are not mine, I’m just playing with them. (no, not that way)
Author’s Notes: Just one quote from 4.13, no copyright infringement intended. Unbetaed, so feel free to complain suggest changes. Crossposted to dwfiction and doctorwho communities.


Rose gazed across the windswept beach. “It’s almost the same spot as last time.”

“Yes, I guess it is. Perhaps it’s fate.” The Doctor was tracing idle patterns in the sand with a sliver of driftwood. He looked up from his squat, his smile sad. “You still haven’t asked me.”

“Asked you what?”

He stood and turned to face her. “What I was going to say.”

She stared at him. “Doctor, I don’t need to ask. I knew, of course I knew!” She shrugged. “I would have liked to hear it, yeah, but…”

Nervously, they both looked back at the TARDIS. The man in the blue suit, him-yet-not-him, was still inside, saying goodbye.

“I wanted to say it, Rose.” He pushed a stray tendril of  hair behind her ear and cupped her face gently in both hands. “I still could.”

“Does it really need saying?”

He grinned. “Guess not.” He bent down as she stood on her toes to meet him. The kiss was tender and lingering, their first and their last.

No, it really didn’t need saying.

He said it anyway.

Comments

[cassandraterra.livejournal.com]

How cute!

[rose-cat.livejournal.com]

That was quick! Thank you :)

[thistwilight.livejournal.com]

(-;

[rose-cat.livejournal.com]

Thanks :)

[morgaine-nicely.livejournal.com]

*and they hid on the other side of the Tardis til alt!ten came out and then they ran back inside and took off* :P
hehe
sorry, couldn't resist!
I loved this, wish it'd been this way :)
(since my icon has ten's coat looking brown, i prefer to think this could be how your story was yeah? :)
great story!

[rose-cat.livejournal.com]

*and they hid on the other side of the Tardis til alt!ten came out and then they ran back inside and took off*

*snorks*

I love your Real!Ten icon. It would make a great illustration to the fic, wouldn't it?

Thanks :)

[cytherea999.livejournal.com]

Very cute!

[rose-cat.livejournal.com]

Thank you :) That's a cute icon you have. It's also very hot ;)

[cytherea999.livejournal.com]

I know! Cassanova much. That show *melts* me

[rose-cat.livejournal.com]

Oooh, I should see that sometime. "Hello, I'm David, and I'll be taking you from behind." Do you know where that's from?

[jenni-wren.livejournal.com]

Oh wow! I like your version so much better!

[rose-cat.livejournal.com]

Me too! Maybe I'll rewrite some more scenes...

And thank you :) Come back soon!

[helygen.livejournal.com]

Oh that's adorable. Heart-breaking, given that it didn't happen that way, but adorable nonetheless.

[rose-cat.livejournal.com]

Oh, it did happen that way, at least in my Journey's End fanon. (I'll bet a lot of people have personal AUs for that ep.) Thank you so much!

[vail-kagami.livejournal.com]

That was sweet! Some beautiful images here, I could almost smell the sea.
Your writing is great - great enough for me to like this. Because I wouldn't have read it hadn't it been short and written by you. While I like Rose I hate the pairing with a passion. That I still enjoyed this story is saying something about your qualities as an author.

[electrictoes.livejournal.com]

*Melts into a pool of melted fangirl*

[rose-cat.livejournal.com]

Gee, I didn't realize the story was that hot--oh, wait--*pulls mind out of gutter*

Um, I mean, thank you! Glad you enjoyed it :)

[karaokegal.livejournal.com]

Awwwww. I don't ship them per se, but it's almost impossible to resist the chemistry and the love that David and Billie play for each other. Very sweet.

[rose-cat.livejournal.com]

Thank you :) I don't specifically ship them, but I was quite irritated with how the canon scene seemed to suggest that the Doctor was somehow too "alien" to say the words, or that Rose was so immature as to press him to say it -- both of which are inconstant with previous canon, anyway. As the Doctor said in Satan Pit, "She knows."

[asahifirsa.livejournal.com]

Problem is that he couldn't say it. If he'd say it his wonderful master plan would have never worked, Rose would have come with him, that's for sure. I see it as giving himself up for her sake in that scene, which doesn't make it any less painful and even more frustrating! He was about to say it in Doomsday, and Alt!Ten did say it, so he's definitely not too alien for that.

[rose-cat.livejournal.com]

What bugged me about the scene (well, what bugged me the most, anyway) was the suggestion that "human" Ten was able to say it whereas actual Ten couldn't, as if the Doctor himself couldn't love, or couldn't admit to loving, a human. That's how it hit me when I first saw it: Rose asks Ten and he won't say it. "Human" Ten walks up to her, presumably says it in her ear, and snogs the life out of her.

As far as Ten hiding his feelings so Rose would leave, I have problems with that, at least with whether it would work.

1) Rose isn't stupid. She knows the actual Doctor loves her. And just because the other one has some human genes, or whatever, that doesn't necessarily mean he'll be more able, or willing, for that matter, to live life "on the slow path." (Whether "human" Ten will be OK, and whether the Doctor should have just sent him off to the parallel world, with Rose, not knowing what might happen, is another big question.) So, if the Doctor's just trying to manipulate her for her own good, she should have seen right through it -- just like the other times he tried to send her away!

2) It seems pretty darn presumptuous for the Doctor to decide what's good for Rose here, and she should have called him on it. ("Oh, this is for my sake? My arse!") Even first season, less mature, Rose would have been smart enough to see through it and strong enough to object. And she's older, wiser and more independent now.

3) Why couldn't Rose stay? Mickey got to stay! And there didn't seem to be any problem with Rose, Mickey and Jackie all going to the parallel world in "Doomsday."

It might have made sense if we'd seen some discussion, at least. Maybe the Doctor couldn't bear to leave his universe undefended (martyr!) and Rose couldn't leave her Earth undefended. Maybe they don't need each other as desperately as they once did. Me, I'd have liked more resolution of this and less let's-cram-every-Whoniverse-character-we-can-dig-up-into-three-episodes. (I could definitely have done without crazy cackling Dalek Caan!)

(end ranting)

Oh well. There can never be too many fix-it fics :)

[asahifirsa.livejournal.com]

That episode definitely has some serious problems. If it hadn't been Ten anymore (i.e. if he really regenerated) I guess it would have been different because he does change his character quite a lot after a regeneration. Then it would have made a lot more sense too.

1.) I think the bit with the Doctor giving them their own Tardis in the deleted scenes helps a bit here. After all the Human Doctor is also the Doctor and I really can't imagine them traveling as threesome, not really an option there. Also Rose had no idea what was going to happen with Donna. Not to mention that the Doctor didn't really give her much time to object. He just left without a single good-bye (<- I hate him for that, a bit).

2.) Oh, but presumptuous, that's the Doctor for you. That's what he does. And I don't think Rose really had time to argue. Afterwards there's tons of things one could have said or should have done, but while it's happening? She thought she'd get back to her Doctor and now she's back on alternate Earth with two of them, with one of them telling her she's to stay and the other telling her he's human? Would totally confuse anyone, I think.

3.) Because it wouldn't work with Rose anymore. I think they reached a point where they couldn't travel as they did simply because of what they feel for each-other. I doubt the Doctor would be able to choose to save the world over saving her, as he did in series 1. Or maybe he could, but he would never be able to forgive himself anymore. It's different for Alt!Ten. No matter how much he's like the Doctor, he's still human and therefore not bound by all this "last of the timelords" crap :)

You're definitely right about fix-it fics though. In that regard JE is a god's end for us fans :) And I still prefer the JE ending over DD, because I wouldn't have been able to accept such an ending but I can grow to accept JE :)

[rose-cat.livejournal.com]

I think, if I were Rose, and turned around to see that the Doctor had left without a word -- and, maybe, without telling me beforehand -- that I would have thrown one hell of a hissy fit. I probably would have cussed out "human" Ten, too, and maybe kicked sand all over him. Come to think of it, that could be a good crack!fic :D

[asahifirsa.livejournal.com]

I'm all for reading that one, rofl. But then Ten would point out that the other Ten will "loose" Donna and therefore be all alone again and then I'd just break down crying, I guess :)

[asahifirsa.livejournal.com]

So I'm not the only one, hehe :) I'll still try to get my version out at some point. Until then, this will tide me over!

[rose-cat.livejournal.com]

I'd love to see your version :)