Found on fanfiction.net
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"Where to today, Juliet?" the Doctor asked, his ridiculously long, multicolored scarf trailing on the floor of the TARDIS behind him. "The United States when it was just the colonies? Greece in the 43rd century? The planet Reddistorm, where the seas are filled with whipped cream?"
"Actually, Doctor, I had an idea," I began carefully, leaning up against the TARDIS handrails. "Have I ever told you about my parents?"
"No, you haven't," the Doctor said, not quite meeting my eyes.
"Well…they're dead," I continued. "They were out grocery shopping and I was at home with my brother when they got in a car crash. I was ten."
"I'm sorry," the Doctor said apologetically.
I shrugged. "It wasn't your fault. But I was wondering—"
"No."
"You don't even know what I was going to ask!"
"You want me to go back in time and save your parents from crashing."
Oh. So he did know. And he overruled it.
"Why not? We have a time machine, we can go back! Plus, the TARDIS is nearly indestructible, so if we took the hit instead of my parents' car—"
"Juliet, your parents' deaths are a fixed point in your timeline," the Doctor explained. "If we alter or erase a fixed point in time—"
"What? The universe with implode upon itself?" I yelled sarcastically.
"Yes, actually!" the Doctor exclaimed. "Believe me, Jules, I would go back and save your parents if I could, but I don't dictate the Laws of Time and Space."
"But you can break them!" I retorted. "Please, Doctor, just this once? For me?"
He sighed, eyes filled with regret. He didn't get further than, "I'm sorry, Jules—" before I pushed past him, ran out of the console room, and sprinted down the corridor, fighting back angry tears.
"Juliet!" he called, but his voice could've been the sound of my footsteps for all the notice I took of them.
Eventually, I found myself in the TARDIS's observation room. It was a beautiful room; it was shaped like a bubble and had a huge balcony in the center, which housed a gigantic telescope. I walked to the edge of the balcony and leaned heavily on the railing, clutching it so hard my fingers began to cramp. The thought of saving my parents had fluttered in the back of my mind when I first learned of the TARDIS's capabilities, but I had been too blindsided by my adventures with the Doctor to really act on that hope. But it had sort of been festering and growing more irritating of late, and I had to bring it up to him at some point. I tried not to get my hopes up, but he tore them down all the same.
It was about ten minutes I stood there, quiet tears flowing down my face, until I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder. The other hand, clutching a bundle of soft scarf, came up to my face and dried it. I just stood there and let him wipe my tears.
"I'm sorry I can't save your mum and dad," he said quietly. "But I might be able to make it up to you." He tenderly held my head up, gazing sincerely into my eyes. "Will you allow me a chance?"
Very slowly, very tiredly, I nodded.
A smile blossomed over his face. "That's my girl," he praised, sliding his hand down to take mine. He led me back to the console room (thank God he could—I'd forgotten my own route) and gently escorted me through the TARDIS doors.
The first sensation I took in was rain. Heavy rain and a roiling sky over a familiar playground. There were about a dozen kids running away from the playground and taking shelter from the sudden storm with their parents. There was a pair of children running toward a couple seated on a bench beneath a tree a ways away, the little girl's chestnut hair flying out as she sprinted beside her assumed brother.
That's when I realized the little girl was me.
Well, past me, actually. The girl in front of me was about six. The little boy running beside her (me?) was my adoptive brother, Roberto. And the man and woman on the bench…
My parents.
It was as if the rain soaking my clothes wasn't there anymore. I watched as my brother and I ran clumsily towards our parents, my father's arm around my mother's shoulder. My mother had her arms out, awaiting our arrival into her lap. Younger Me was running a bit too quickly and one foot caught the other, sending me tumbling to the mulch covering the ground.
Roberto continued running to our mother and father, unaware that I had taken a tumble. As any six-year-old would do, Younger Me began crying.
"Oh, dear," the Doctor said, throwing his scarf out of the way and clearing his hands. "I'll be just a moment," he added, running up to Younger Me. The TARDIS had landed close enough so I could hear them speak.
"Are you alright, dearie?" he asked caringly, helping Younger Me up. "Oh dear, it looks like you've scratched your knee up pretty badly." Kneeling down, he plunged a hand into his jacket pocket and asked, "Just give me a moment?"
Younger Me nodded tearfully, and soon enough the Doctor had pulled his sonic screwdriver out, along with a few of his beloved jelly treats. "Jelly baby?" he offered. Younger Me snuck a look over her shoulder at my family, who was watching the interaction with suspicious interest (helping a little girl up and offering her candy wasn't exactly the most innocent thing to do at a playground) and said, "I'm not allowed to take candy from strangers."
"That's very good, my dear," he said, fishing around in his pockets again, "but I'm a doctor. You can trust me." He pulled out the psychic paper with a flourish and showed it to Younger Me, who nodded in approval.
"It's okay, Mama!" Younger Me called to my mother. "He's a doctor!" Younger Me turned back to the Doctor and thrust a chubby hand into his palm, taking the jelly treats and throwing them all into her mouth at once.
"Chew first, darling!" the Doctor playfully admonished, changing the setting on the sonic screwdriver and pointing it at my scraped knee. He hit the button and the shrill buzzing began, healing the scrapes on my knee.
"Thank you, Mister!" Younger Me said when her skin was completely healed.
The Doctor smiled and said, "No problem." By now, Roberto had brought our parents over, and my mother was protectively extending a hand to me. Respectfully, the Doctor stood up and nodded to my parents, who thanked him and then hurried me away to safety. The Doctor watched my family leave as I- present me- took a few shocked steps forward, unwilling to let my parents leave my sight.
I didn't even notice the Doctor come back to my side and draw me to the playground, sitting me down on a platform raised two and a half feet from the ground. He sat beside me and threw one end of his scarf over my shoulders, pulling me into a hug.
"Thank you so much, Doctor," I said quietly, my tears blending in with the raindrops.
"It was the least I could do, Juliet," he replied. "Believe me, if I could save them, I would. But it might tear a hole in the universe that can't be repaired."
"You know, ever since then…or now…whenever this happened, I've loved jelly treats," I added. "Never exactly knew why."
"That's my girl," the Doctor said, kissing my forehead and shielding me from the rain.
