PREDATOR AND PREY
Chapter Twenty Four The Doctor and John walked down the stairs, out into the parking lot and walked to the far corner where they stopped by a large dumpster. They looked at the highway and the cars whizzing past them for a moment before John spoke. "Rose was being vague about her captivity. The Valeyard did more than just hold her prisoner, didn't he?" he said to the Doctor. "Yes. He tortured her. First to obtain information and then just for the hell of it." "Damn that fucking bastard! I'll kill him with my bare hands!" John snarled. He remembered himself and coughed nervously. "Sorry, letting that anger of mine get the best of me," he said. "Actually, this time I share your sentiment," the Doctor said. "You want her back, don't you?" John said. "Now that she's a Time Lady, you want her back." The Doctor sighed and leaned up against the dumpster as he put his hands in his pockets. "Rose and I spoke about that. I am in a relationship with River at the moment but you know what happens to her eventually." "River? So all those implications about the two of you being married are true?" "Not yet. And I have to admit that at first I played along with her flirting and advances because of what she implied in the Library. But then I found myself actually falling in love with her." "So how does she feel about Rose…or does she know?" "She knows. And she and Rose are friends, much to my relief." "Good. It wouldn't do for your two wives to be at odds with one another," John said with a sneer. "John. I don't want to take her away from you," the Doctor said. "But she'll land up with you eventually." "Yes. But we agreed to stay in the relationships we're in at the moment." "Until River and I snuff it and then you have each other free and clear!" "Well, what else am I supposed to do, John?" the Doctor said angrily. "I can't change what the Bad Wolf did. I had no clue she was part Time Lord until now so I thought it would be better if she went with you so you could grow old together. Now unless I can find a way to make you into a full Time Lord you're going to have to face the fact that you'll grow old while she remains young and yes, one day, you will snuff it and then Rose will be alone. Same with River. River is going to die one day and seeing as how that's already happened for me, I can't change it now. So apart from Jack, centuries from now it'll be just me and Rose. Now I gave Rose to you and it would be bad form for me to snatch her back from you, especially when you've become close. So if you want to be with her for however long you have left, she's yours. Now…is that alright since that means you get to keep her for the rest of your life?" "And you're okay with this arrangement?" John said. "Especially if we go back to the other universe with you?" "I ask that I remain friends with you. But yes, I'm okay with this arrangement. I think it'll benefit everyone and in our case, it ensures that Rose will never have to be alone. Now if you want to become a full Time Lord, I can try to find a solution to that and…" John held up his hand and shook his head. "I've gotten used to being human and to be honest; living for centuries doesn't appeal to me any longer. I have ten lives worth of memories and that's enough. I'd rather live out this life and find some peace in death." "I understand," the Doctor said, nodding. "I've had the same thoughts from time to time so I can understand not wanting to prolong this life." "Having said that, I'll probably regret my words when I'm old and creaky and senile but for the moment, I'd rather stay as I am. I just hope Rose will want me when I'm old and grey." "I think she will. I think she's willing to go the distance with you, John. She's the one that came up with the idea of staying with our significant others for the time being. Rose loves you. I can see it in her eyes when she looks at you. Not to mention hoovering your face on the beach was a pretty big clue." John chuckled and nodded. "What about River? Does she know about this arrangement?" John asked. "Not yet. But if Rose stays with you, I don't think I'll tell her. I'll just wait until the day we meet each other and the presumably I'll never see her again after that." John shook his head. "This going backwards in time is odd. Does she know why she's doing that?" "If she knows, she hasn't told me. Spoilers, you know." John rolled his eyes. "Still sticking to that, eh?" John said. "Most definitely. But…for all her secrets, she is indispensible in battle and she's proved her loyalty to me time and again so I absolutely trust her." "Good because we'll need all the trustworthy people we can get," John said. He looked over the Doctor's shoulder and pointed up at the hotel. The Doctor turned and saw Rose coming out of her mother's room, a sour look on her face. The Doctor called to her when she shut the door and she looked their way and smiled before heading for the stairs. "I suppose Jackie's had her say," the Doctor said to John. "I hope so. I hope she doesn't keep badgering Rose, she's been through enough as it is," John said. Rose walked up to them. "The Doctor told me about this odd arrangement of ours," John said, putting his arm around her. "I get you until I die and then you revert to him, eh?" "And that's okay with ya?" Rose asked. "Well, I s'pose if you ran back to him it wouldn't be cheating since he's me and I'm him but if you want to do this and grow old with me…or I grow old and you just live with me…but do you want to do this?" "I do. I love you both and I want to be with you until the day you die," Rose said. "Even if I grow old and grey and fart and belch and wet myself and poo in the bed and creak when I walk and throw up when I eat prunes?" The Doctor giggled at the shocked look on Rose's face. "Well gee; you put it that way…" Rose said while John gave her an impish grin. "Okay, yeah, I'll stay with you through all that." "Then I'll grow old and happily poo all over the bed then." "Um…we can leave out the pooing on the bed thing, thanks," Rose said while John and the Doctor laughed. "Mum was cross with me but I managed to calm her down and she's not angry now." "Well, that's a mercy. I didn't want to spend the entire night listening to her rant and rave about my irresponsible behavior." "I told her that I forced you to go so you could protect the coral and that you wanted to stay so you weren't abandoning me. So she's not angry at ya." "Again, that's a mercy since I've had the harpy on my back since we got here," John said. "I think I will take Jack up on his offer to work at Torchwood. A universe apart from her is too tempting to pass up." "Unless she comes with us," Rose said. "P'eh! And leave behind her riches? She's not that insane," John said while the Doctor chuckled. "She loves you but I doubt she'll go back to the Powell Estate after living in the mansion and having a chauffeur drive her everywhere. Nope, I think you and I will go to the other universe and leave her far, far behind." The Doctor watched while Rose and John shared a passionate kiss. Then he heard Pete calling to them and he saw him coming out of the office holding up the card keys for them. John took Rose's hand while the three of them walked over to get the card keys from Pete.
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