fic: Worth It (Ten/Rose)
Worth It
Ten/Rose, John Smith - AU (Human Nature/The Family of Blood)
He didn't care to push the boundaries of his happy little reality, and deep down in the darkest recesses of his subconscious, he knew why.
Love.
Love is an interesting thing, often brought on at the most inopportune moment. But as they say, when Cupid's arrow hits, there's nothing that can be done about it. Rose Tyler was no stranger to love. She had felt love before, had her heart broken, but still she let herself fall in love again. Rose was fairly sure that the Doctor was also in love. With her. Which is why nothing could have prepared her for this.
Had it never occurred to him that his human self might fall in love? Had it never crossed his mind that if and when he did, it might just be with someone else? Apparently it had not, for here he was, in love with another woman and Rose had no idea what to do about it. He'd left her a message, told her everything she would need to know. Or rather, everything he thought she would need to know. Unfortunately, he had left out just about the biggest thing. Love.
Rose sighed as the tape replayed. She'd watched it three times now, but found no answer to her question. What was she supposed to do? He was supposed to be in love with her, but he was not. Not as a human, anyway, which both frightened her and made her thank her lucky stars he was a Time Lord. Was.
And that was the scariest part of all. He wasn't her Doctor anymore. He was just a shell of the man he was, filled instead with a different personality. John Smith, he was called. Rose chuckled slightly. He could never think of any original names, and this time was no different. But this John Smith, she though to herself, was nothing like the Doctor. He was average. Human. He believed in fact, and if something was impossible, it was impossible. He didn't care to push the boundaries of his happy little reality, and deep down in the darkest recesses of his subconscious, he knew why. That last spark of Time Lord inside him, waiting to be ignited, knew. And it waited, dormant, until that damned locket was opened.
Oh, how Rose wished she could just open that locket and get her Doctor back. But the Family were still on the hunt, never giving up. She knew she had to wait, and so she did, reluctantly, while the Doctor wooed Joan Redfern. While Rose stood on the sidelines, watching the man she loved fall for another. It was heartbreaking, but of course, he didn't know that. To him, John Smith, she was just another woman. His friend, whom he had grown up with in Nottingham, but never desired a romantic relationship with. Rose sighed again, wishing she had just told him she was his wife. It certainly would have made things much easier. Or harder.
Rose stood up straight and crossed the room to the double doors, letting herself out with one final sigh, locking the doors. She turned around and walked towards the school, ready for another day with the man who wasn't the Doctor. He was nothing, but she still pressed on, because soon she would have her Doctor back. Just a matter of time, she thought. And so she would wait. Because even after all this, he was worth it.
fin.
notes: This fic was written for sunnytyler001 , who gave me the following prompt: Human nature with Rose. Hiding from the family and trying to help the Doctor/John Smith; Rose is supposed to act like a lady... but of course, it's very complicated... and sometimes, really against her (wolfish) nature...