Rose winced about the other blonde woman. Figures. Then again... maybe it was hope for her? She didn't know. "River's blonde too," she grumped and drank her tea before listening to the real story.
Lucy. Another way to mock the Doctor, about Rose. And Jack. And it explained a little about Fluffy before he went back. When he was just at that point with Jack and Martha before the dream docks, the hairdryer place. It aligned with what Fluffy tried to tell Rose yesterday too, that it wasn't about romance to him, just that shared headache. Which, actually irritated the hell out of Rose, a bit. She wanted to be there. Didn't anyone get that? Micks would have, but he hated hearing about it and didn't normally... or initially want to be part of it. And maybe Guitarist did. After a lot of Rose yelling it at his face.
Somehow... the Doctor being tortured had been left out. She knew about Jack being tortured... from 12's nightmare replica of Missy and the way he didn't deny or talk Rose out about it, but the Doctor too. Her heart surged all over again. Sympathy, empathy, affection, love, and adoration for him still wanting to do anything to convert his old friend. He stopped his policy of no second chances.
Then again... maybe that wasn't such a good thing?
She would have to talk to Fluffy. Was it really just his face that was that way, or had something changed him?
Rose wanted to growl about the Master's attempts to use her to hurt Martha. She wondered if the Master really believed that. Believed that it was about power. That wasn't what Bad Wolf was. Bad Wolf was her promise of love, to always find the Doctor again, to be with him.
At the end, Rose got up, and moved over to the other side and hugged Martha hard as hell. She was going to protect Martha just as hard as she protected Jack and the Doctor, and maybe then some. "You, Martha Jones, are one of the most incredible women I've ever met. You are far from rubbish, and it was never your fault. Taking the vortex into my head wasn't a good thing. It nearly destroyed the universe for the second time I almost did that with my recklessness, and it made Jack hate himself, nearly hate life and living, and suicidal, but even if he had comitted suicide it wouldn't stop." Rose's arms fiercely held Martha in her own.
"Near as I can tell, all the TimeLords were like that about any species not their own. The Doctor never talks about the Time War, but I know they wouldn't accept help against the daleks. And Bad Wolf... was never about power or strength. Bad Wolf was me takin' the TARDIS into my head and leaving clues for myself through all of time. It's just my promise to the Doctor, so he won't be alone. And what kills me is I didn't so the same for Jack. Just made him a fixed point and abandoned him like that." TIGHT HUG, and Rose even gently rocked Martha a little.
"They're not tellin' me to keep it easy on you because they think you can't handle me. You more than can. It's just because they love you, and you shouldn't have to, yeah?" Rose leaned her head sideways on the top of Martha's head, suddenly very glad, and very affectionate that the woman would one days marry Mickey, even if she wouldn't say so. At first when Jack mentioned it, Rose had been torn, and as Mirajane pointed out, there was no way Mickey would be too pleased with Rose encouraging Martha and the Doctor to be together. Because that was the thing so many of them thinking they knew what Rose wanted, didn't get. Being the best didn't exclude anyone. And just because Rose wasn't with the Doctor, didn't mean Mickey had a chance with her anymore than in Pete's Universe when everyone thought they were sealed off from each other. Because Mickey deserved better. There was no one better than Rose, but there were definitely women like Martha who'd help him be a better person, who'd treat him better than Rose could.
And not for the first time, and probably not the last, Rose wondered if the Doctor ever felt that way about her and Meta. Thoughts for another day.
"It's not your fault. Do you blame the Doctor for being there? Or how about how he deposed Britain's golden age Prime Minister Harriet Jones because she ordered Torchwood to kill the sycorax because she was scared that the Doctor wouldn't be back in time to defend Earth when needed? The Master wouldn't'a been Prime Minister if not for that, but we both know, he'd've done something else. Or Jack for not finding a way to kill the Master? Don't underestimate him, Martha. Everyone thinks a see a halo around Jack, even he thinks that, so--" she closed her eyes and sighed, but stayed leaning against Martha, even if she let go of the hug. "We don't... we're not as real with each other as you and him, I think. As me and the oldest Doctor. But I do know he used to be an assassin. What I was going to tell you, about he and I first met. He was trying to con me. But I loved him almost instantly. All I wanted was to corrupt the hell out of him, wrap him around my little finger, and then somehow or another, it got the way but even more messed up."
Rose snorted. "And TimeLord or not, there's plenty of ways to kill them. That's why they hate fixed points like Jack so much. One of their weakensses." She sighed, growled, and rubbed the back of her own neck with one hand. "But he didn't kill him. Because he trusted the Doctor, and he trusted you. And Fluffy just... really wanted to fix his oldest friend."
Siiiigh. "No Martha Jones, it's not your fault. But I think... I need to let go of some of my own guilt about Jack too. I've been letting it eat me up, because he couldn't have been tortured, wouldn't have been left behind if I hadn't brought him back to life... but then he would have been dead too, and that's still actually worse. His story hadn't even started yet. And neither has yours, yeah?"
"It's not your fault when people do bad things with the chances that you give 'em. If Jack had done a 180 and instead of protecting people went on a crazy murder spree, it wouldn't be my fault or responsibility either." It still felt different. More intimate. Because Jack was suffering, and she wanted to have been there. Story of Rose. Wanting to be everywhere on all the adventures, no matter how horrible the rest of the universe thought they were. Which made pulling back from the Doctor a bit more difficult, come to think. "And you know know that --" Spoilers? Sod it. "He still might get better some day. The Master." Her heart fell and she looked down completely. But Jack would never be able to forgive it. Nor should he have to, really. And yet... Rose was always so much more demanding on the Doctor. He wasn't allowed to the shoot the dalek that was trying to change. But then... Jack had learned better too, like she said, or he could have killed the Master, human or not.
"When I was on my mission... I used a lot of anger. You use whatever you can to keep goin', yeah? But for here, it's important that you know, you're irreplaceable, you're loved for who you are, not who you remind anyone of," Rose gently leaned up, pulled Martha's head forward and kissed the top. Fight her. "You're talented, right brilliant, and it's never a fault to give chances."
And... maybe... Rose needed to do that more with the Doctor instead of just running away.
Re: Tea with Martha || At the Haunted Eatings
Lucy. Another way to mock the Doctor, about Rose. And Jack. And it explained a little about Fluffy before he went back. When he was just at that point with Jack and Martha before the dream docks, the hairdryer place. It aligned with what Fluffy tried to tell Rose yesterday too, that it wasn't about romance to him, just that shared headache. Which, actually irritated the hell out of Rose, a bit. She wanted to be there. Didn't anyone get that? Micks would have, but he hated hearing about it and didn't normally... or initially want to be part of it. And maybe Guitarist did. After a lot of Rose yelling it at his face.
Somehow... the Doctor being tortured had been left out. She knew about Jack being tortured... from 12's nightmare replica of Missy and the way he didn't deny or talk Rose out about it, but the Doctor too. Her heart surged all over again. Sympathy, empathy, affection, love, and adoration for him still wanting to do anything to convert his old friend. He stopped his policy of no second chances.
Then again... maybe that wasn't such a good thing?
She would have to talk to Fluffy. Was it really just his face that was that way, or had something changed him?
Rose wanted to growl about the Master's attempts to use her to hurt Martha. She wondered if the Master really believed that. Believed that it was about power. That wasn't what Bad Wolf was. Bad Wolf was her promise of love, to always find the Doctor again, to be with him.
At the end, Rose got up, and moved over to the other side and hugged Martha hard as hell. She was going to protect Martha just as hard as she protected Jack and the Doctor, and maybe then some. "You, Martha Jones, are one of the most incredible women I've ever met. You are far from rubbish, and it was never your fault. Taking the vortex into my head wasn't a good thing. It nearly destroyed the universe for the second time I almost did that with my recklessness, and it made Jack hate himself, nearly hate life and living, and suicidal, but even if he had comitted suicide it wouldn't stop." Rose's arms fiercely held Martha in her own.
"Near as I can tell, all the TimeLords were like that about any species not their own. The Doctor never talks about the Time War, but I know they wouldn't accept help against the daleks. And Bad Wolf... was never about power or strength. Bad Wolf was me takin' the TARDIS into my head and leaving clues for myself through all of time. It's just my promise to the Doctor, so he won't be alone. And what kills me is I didn't so the same for Jack. Just made him a fixed point and abandoned him like that." TIGHT HUG, and Rose even gently rocked Martha a little.
"They're not tellin' me to keep it easy on you because they think you can't handle me. You more than can. It's just because they love you, and you shouldn't have to, yeah?" Rose leaned her head sideways on the top of Martha's head, suddenly very glad, and very affectionate that the woman would one days marry Mickey, even if she wouldn't say so. At first when Jack mentioned it, Rose had been torn, and as Mirajane pointed out, there was no way Mickey would be too pleased with Rose encouraging Martha and the Doctor to be together. Because that was the thing so many of them thinking they knew what Rose wanted, didn't get. Being the best didn't exclude anyone. And just because Rose wasn't with the Doctor, didn't mean Mickey had a chance with her anymore than in Pete's Universe when everyone thought they were sealed off from each other. Because Mickey deserved better. There was no one better than Rose, but there were definitely women like Martha who'd help him be a better person, who'd treat him better than Rose could.
And not for the first time, and probably not the last, Rose wondered if the Doctor ever felt that way about her and Meta. Thoughts for another day.
"It's not your fault. Do you blame the Doctor for being there? Or how about how he deposed Britain's golden age Prime Minister Harriet Jones because she ordered Torchwood to kill the sycorax because she was scared that the Doctor wouldn't be back in time to defend Earth when needed? The Master wouldn't'a been Prime Minister if not for that, but we both know, he'd've done something else. Or Jack for not finding a way to kill the Master? Don't underestimate him, Martha. Everyone thinks a see a halo around Jack, even he thinks that, so--" she closed her eyes and sighed, but stayed leaning against Martha, even if she let go of the hug. "We don't... we're not as real with each other as you and him, I think. As me and the oldest Doctor. But I do know he used to be an assassin. What I was going to tell you, about he and I first met. He was trying to con me. But I loved him almost instantly. All I wanted was to corrupt the hell out of him, wrap him around my little finger, and then somehow or another, it got the way but even more messed up."
Rose snorted. "And TimeLord or not, there's plenty of ways to kill them. That's why they hate fixed points like Jack so much. One of their weakensses." She sighed, growled, and rubbed the back of her own neck with one hand. "But he didn't kill him. Because he trusted the Doctor, and he trusted you. And Fluffy just... really wanted to fix his oldest friend."
Siiiigh. "No Martha Jones, it's not your fault. But I think... I need to let go of some of my own guilt about Jack too. I've been letting it eat me up, because he couldn't have been tortured, wouldn't have been left behind if I hadn't brought him back to life... but then he would have been dead too, and that's still actually worse. His story hadn't even started yet. And neither has yours, yeah?"
"It's not your fault when people do bad things with the chances that you give 'em. If Jack had done a 180 and instead of protecting people went on a crazy murder spree, it wouldn't be my fault or responsibility either." It still felt different. More intimate. Because Jack was suffering, and she wanted to have been there. Story of Rose. Wanting to be everywhere on all the adventures, no matter how horrible the rest of the universe thought they were. Which made pulling back from the Doctor a bit more difficult, come to think. "And you know know that --" Spoilers? Sod it. "He still might get better some day. The Master." Her heart fell and she looked down completely. But Jack would never be able to forgive it. Nor should he have to, really. And yet... Rose was always so much more demanding on the Doctor. He wasn't allowed to the shoot the dalek that was trying to change. But then... Jack had learned better too, like she said, or he could have killed the Master, human or not.
"When I was on my mission... I used a lot of anger. You use whatever you can to keep goin', yeah? But for here, it's important that you know, you're irreplaceable, you're loved for who you are, not who you remind anyone of," Rose gently leaned up, pulled Martha's head forward and kissed the top. Fight her. "You're talented, right brilliant, and it's never a fault to give chances."
And... maybe... Rose needed to do that more with the Doctor instead of just running away.
Maybe.