PAST LIFE, PAST LOVE

Chapter Eleven

"God," Rose said. "I'm glad I finally took your side. To stand there and just watch that…and cheer for it. Course I've seen that sort of thing traveling with ya."

"Yes, but the difference is we actually made an effort to stop it," the Doctor said.

"But what is the point of you all?" Jackie said. "What is the point of being a Time Lord if all you do is watch? You invent time travel and you just go and watch things? Why be a Time Lord at all then?"

"I agree with you, Jackie, which is why I chose not to stand back and watch. I know it's odd to think that my kind invented time travel just for the purpose of watching things but in the beginning it wasn't like that. Rassilon who was one of the three inventors of time travel didn't mean for Time Lords and Ladies to be observers. He did want us to go out there and make a difference."

"So what changed then?" Rose said.

"Other civilizations learned the secrets of time travel and used them for evil purposes in addition to a few renegade Time Lords who did the same. Rassilon finally had to put a stop to it so he devised the laws of time and number one on the list was you could not interfere, only observe. And…"

"Yeah?" Rose said when he fell silent and lowered his head.

The Doctor took a deep breath.

"Rassilon led an army that annihilated most of the civilizations who were using time travel in order to return that knowledge solely to Gallifrey. He also killed most of the renegade Time Lords to get rid of them."

"He committed genocide?" Rose said.

"Yes. Actually, eons before I was born, there was a lot of genocide going on. The Time Lords went to war with anyone they felt were a threat to Gallifrey."

"The Daleks?" Rose said.

"What about them?" the Doctor said.

"Did they go to war with the Daleks as well?"

"No, the Daleks were created after I was born. However, there were the Racnoss, the great vampires and others who were threatening Gallifrey and all of creation. The Time Lords eliminated them."

The Doctor frowned when Jackie suddenly got up from her chair and walked over to him. She bent over and hugged him.

"I know you and I have often been at odds," she said as she hugged him. "But bless you for not following the crowd and going out and doing something about the atrocities in the universe. You got a lot of ridicule for trying to stop those people hurting that mother and child but I'm glad you spoke up when no one else would."

"Thank you, Jackie," the Doctor said, hugging her back. "I did what my hearts felt was right, nothing more than that. And that's part of the reason why I take people like your daughter with me, because it's a big job and I need help."

"Well, bless you for doing that," Jackie said, breaking off the hug and leaning back up. "But those people, did you ever go back to help them?"

The Doctor looked down at the floor and shook his head.

"No. I tried to find out where we went but Professor Dantura kept the location secret on purpose. Every once in awhile I do try to figure out where we went so I can go back and save them but so far, no luck."

"I'm going to make a fresh pot of tea and get some more biscuits. Keep on with your story," Jackie said, patting him on the shoulder before taking their cups and walking back to the kitchen.

"I love moments like this."

The Doctor looked at Rose.

"Moments like what?" he said.

"Like this, when you and mum care about each other. I know you both like each other; you just don't show it that often. Then moments like this come along and it makes the wait worth it."

"Okay, I admit I have gotten used to your mum in the two years I've known her."

"She's gotten used to you as well. It's getting late, Doctor, she goes to bed around this time but she's staying up to listen to your story. She's not the evil monster you think she is."

"I never said she was evil, just annoying at times," the Doctor said. "But she has her good points and you're right, there are moments like this when the good points surface."

"I hate that you haven't found them yet, the mother and child," Rose said, stretching out on the sofa and turning on her side to look up at him. "I hope you find them someday and stop all that from happening."

The Doctor nodded and gazed at her tenderly.

"I didn't protest at first. I stayed silent with the others while you got angry," Rose said. "I don't like that I did that."

The Doctor smiled fondly while he pushed a bit of her hair away from her face.

"Don't feel bad. Since the genocides, Rassilon pounded it into everyone's head that no one is to interfere in anything and that indoctrination continued until mine and Arella's time. I'm sure the other students hated watching what was going on and just being required to stand there and do nothing but that was part of the conditioning. You protested or tried to fight the system and at best, you were an outcast and at worst, you were imprisoned and possibly even executed if you were too much of a malcontent. I love my home world but like Earth, it had its bad points along with its good. You did manage to gather the courage to speak up near the end though so be proud of that."

Rose smiled when he laid his hand on the side of her head.

"So your professor secretly liked what you did?" Rose said.

"Yes. He was hoping someone would say something. Of course, he had to pretend to be shocked but deep down inside, I was what he was hoping for, someone who wouldn't be afraid to stand up for what was right."

"But he was too scared to do it himself," Rose said.

"Well, it was that conditioning. He had a very nice job and a nice salary and he didn't want to lose that. Flaunting the laws of time and space was a serious offense."

"But you managed to do it and nothing happened to ya," Rose said.

"No, actually, I was put on trial twice in my second and sixth lives because of that. But you see, the other Time Lords secretly supported me or a lot of them did anyway and sometimes they gave me missions to carry out. Like I said, the other students may have stood there but that didn't mean they approved of what we were seeing."

"And these secret supporters of yours didn't stop these trials when they happened?"

"No. The first trial was a coverup for a crime the High Council did. I was the scapegoat for that one. The second one…a man called the Valeyard convinced the council to put me on trial and have me executed. Otherwise, the government looked the other way for the most part. Then the Time War came along and they found a ready soldier so once again, I was used to do what the others wouldn't."

"And everyone else just stood back and watched you fight the Time War by yourself?" Rose said angrily.

"Not everyone. There were a few secret helpers, both in the council and on the front lines but those helpers made sure they and their activities were discreet."

"Ugh. At least your motives were out there in the open," Rose said. "Did I…Arella support you as well?"

The Doctor considered that for a moment.

"She did but her main problem with me was I was a traveler and she wasn't. She did approve of me fighting evil but our marriage fell apart because I made a vow to stop injustice wherever I found it and I gave myself to that rather than to our marriage. She left because I became a neglectful spouse and father rather than being a renegade Time Lord."

"Father?" Rose said.

"Yes, I had children and grandchildren. I did have a bit of a family life but I lost it all when I made the decision to be a full time traveler. That's the price I paid for my desire to help the universe."

"Then if I am Arella, maybe I'm here now to make up for that. Travel with you when I didn't do it before," Rose said.

"Perhaps. Even if you were just channeling her spirit and you're not her reincarnation, I still see a lot of her in you. Perhaps that's why I'm so fond of you."

"Happy to hear that, Merzy, can I fluff the hair some more?"

"No, the hair is sacred. It will not be fluffed."

The Doctor bolted out of the chair when Rose jerked her body up and started to get off the sofa.

"I'll stop the story. I'll go outside and spend the night in the TARDIS if you touch one follicle on my head!" he said. "The hair is sacred, you hear me?"

"Blast, wanted to run my fingers through the sacred locks," Rose said, settling back down on the sofa.

She giggled when the Doctor gave her a wary look before sitting back down in the chair. Rose laughed when the Doctor jerked his body the moment she wiggled her fingers.

"Yup, you have a bit of Arella in you," the Doctor said. "You're just as cheeky as she was."

Back                         Home                              Doctor Who Main Page                          Next

Your Name or Alias:      Your E-mail (optional):

Please type your review below. Only positive reviews and constructive criticism will be posted.