Apocalypse Rising (Book Two)

Diamond Memories

"So, where to now?" Rose asked cheerfully as she entered the library, where she'd seen the Apocalypse go after they'd flown into the Vortex. "Can we finally try Barcelona? The dogs with no - " She cut off, seeing the Apocalypse sitting on the reading couch, elbows on her knees, holding something in her hands. " - noses," she finished softly, walking forward. "Caly?"

"Hello," she replied simply.

"Hi," Rose answered, sitting next to her. "You all right?"

In response, the Apocalypse showed Rose the pieces of jewelry she held in her hands. Rose's eyes widened at the pristinely cut diamonds and jewels. "These are from Gallifrey," the Apocalypse said, her voice cracking. "I once thought about possibly going into being a jeweler, after I finished school. But then I was taken in for Experimenting, and that future was tossed out the window. Whenever the Doctor or the Master saw me again, they gave me one of these."

Rose took one of the necklaces out, running her fingers over the silver chain, then the three jewels: three diamonds, and strands of rubies and pearls in between. "These are beautiful," she told her.

"That was shortly after I became an Experiment," the Apocalypse said with a smile. "The first time I was able to see both of them again. They said they made it themselves. I don't know if they did or not, but it was the thought that counted. I never took it off." She picked out one of the rings, laying it flat in her palm. Rose leaned forward to examine it. She noticed that currently, it was a black band with golden citrine gems. "But this one I know they made personally," the Apocalypse continued, a crack in her voice. "My wedding ring."

Rose's head shot up. "They made this?" she asked in awe.

The Apocalypse nodded, biting her lip. "Mum, the Priestess, helped them," she said. "They enchanted it to match me for every regeneration I had. Every time I changed, it changed with me."

"Your last incarnation," Rose realized.

The Apocalypse nodded, then slid the ring onto her left hand. Once it was in place, the black and gold were replaced with a silver band and ten shining rubies. "Well, look at that," she said. "It still works."

Rose looked at the Apocalypse, biting her lip. "How long was it, after you became an Experiment?" she asked. "How long was it before you married the Doctor?"

The Apocalypse sat back. "It was still a few years," she decided. "There were laws on Gallifrey, about who you were to marry, your Contracts. Once you were an Experiment, those rules were gone. You couldn't marry. You weren't supposed to, anyway. The Doctor had a Contract, just like everyone did, but there was another option to choose. If you fell in love with someone else, before your Contract was enforced at 300 years, you could break your contracts and Unite."

Rose's eyes widened. "And he broke his Contract to marry you?" she breathed.

She nodded. "I couldn't believe it when they said I could do it," she admitted with a small laugh. "And I couldn't believe he was willing to do it!"

"You didn't?" Rose asked in surprise.

"Not at first, no," the Apocalypse admitted. "I couldn't believe anyone would want to ever Unite with an Experiment. And then one day, I heard the Doctor, the Master, and our parents arguing with the Elders about something. The next day, they told me I could have the day off. They never do that. The first place I headed was one of the meadows of Gallifrey where the Master and I used to play before he went to the Academy, surrounded by silver trees and full of red grass. And the Doctor was there already, as if he'd knew I was coming. I didn't know what he wanted, but he told me that he'd turned down his Contract." She looked down at her hand with a small blush on her face. "And then he continued to kiss me senseless."