Parting's End

Chapter Four: Call of the Bad Wolf

Donna paled at the blank screen. “We've lost them.”

“No, no, no, no, no. There's another signal coming through. There's someone else out there. Hello? Can you hear me?” the Doctor called out as he set Rose and Gailia on the couch to work his magic on his daughter’s outstanding network signal.

The voice that answered shocked those who knew the being it emanated from. “Your voice is different, and yet its arrogance is unchanged.”

Before their daughter could speak, Rose set her hand on the child’s lips. Through her new bond to her lover, she knew this was past bad in the worse of ways. Rose knew this was a defined enemy, just not who or why yet. Sarah Jane’s voice quivered as they heard her say, “No. But he's dead.”

No, not dead. Though everyone who knew him truly wished that were so. Rose wondered about the voice and began to simply know the scientist and the history between the Daleks of Skaro and her husband. In heartbeats, Rose understood all of her lover’s memories and how bad of a position life and fate had set them in without warning. The situation was pouring downhill at negative infinite friction fast. Funny how much of their bond already managed to alter both husband and wife.

“Welcome to my new Empire, Doctor. It is only fitting that you should bear witness to the resurrection and the triumph of Davros, lord and creator of the Dalek race.”

As great as the reunion with both his lover and daughter had sent the Doctor’s hearts, Rose knew this revelation crashed the Time Lord down even further still. The existence both parents knew was a direct threat to their child if the crazed scientist ever learned of Gailia. Donna tried to help the only way she could.

“Doctor, it's all right. We're, we're in the TARDIS. We're safe.”

“Untrue, human female. I know the Doctor is not aboard his TARDIS. Though I have not traced where you are yet, Doctor, we will find you.”

Rose wanted to kiss the woman for the lie, even though the bluff failed. Both parents doubted Davros would fall for the trick by the last word from Donna’s lips. Rather than risk giving their position away, the Doctor distracted the other man with an attempt to glean information. “But you were destroyed. In the very first year of the Time War, at the Gates of Elysium. I saw your command ship fly into the jaws of the Nightmare Child. I tried to save you.”

Feeling the guilt of that failure eating at him, Rose sent her own faith, love, and trust back through their bond she knew pleased the Doctor. They were meshed so well that the flow moved without difficulty. Rose grasped quickly how such normally took Time Lord couples many hundreds of years to master and not near where they had arrived in minutes. Both held a small hidden pride for that achievement in spite of the deadly situation they existed within for the moment. Especially so when Davros answered.

“But it took one stronger than you. Dalek Caan himself.”

With the name said, memories again grew in Rose’s consciousness rather than within her mind. Understanding without holding these as part of her brain. How close her lover came to death without her, fighting for the homeless with Martha Jones. Rose was grateful to the jealous woman for having the Doctor’s back while the pair were held apart. That Martha held any jealousy Rose noticed had surprised the Doctor. He assumed the woman moved on after their parting and Rose saw the scene in her mind. In love with a man whose heart fully belonged to another. Rose did not envy Martha Jones.

The last of the Cult of Skaro boasted with glee. “I flew into the wild and fire. I danced and died a thousand times.”

Rose was far from impressed by the number because of all she had endured to gain her little family. Becoming a Goddess of Time, she stood for her lover and husband of her heart against their Emperor to take out the last fleet from the Time Wars. Two words Rose chose to describe Caan’s trip: Big Deal. Her thoughts near undid the Doctor into laughter as he sent her love and gratitude—he missed her attitude and so much more. Only then did Rose realized how deep from a memory of him crying himself to sleep in her old room. Her skin cells left over from sleeping on that pillow stuck on by his tears of grief and loss. The machine and their full grown daughter. Gailia had a big sister! But that child was lost protecting her father. Both parents mourned within the impossible young woman whose gymnastics skills sent her mother’s heart soaring in pride and joy. Then, Davros had to interrupt with his own voice full of insane glee and pride.