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| Shoes & Skates |
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| Written by AbbyRomana | |||
| Sunday, 28 October 2007 14:08 | |||
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Shoes & Skates By Ann_blue Jackie sat on Rose’s pink bed. Her thoughts had drifted back to her distant time-travelling daughter. Most of the time, Jackie managed not to dwell on the fact Rose was off travelling through the stars with a 900 year old alien. She did have a life outside her child. Jackie Tyler had friends, a job, boyfriends, dreams and more that didn’t include her daughter. But every once and awhile something drew her back to Rose’s room. This time was no different. In her hands, Jackie rotated one of Rose’s worn out and stained shoes. The old ratty footwear was nothing special. Just a tennis shoe bought on an outing with her daughter when there had been a big sale at Henrik’s Department Store. It was a few weeks before Rose started working in the same shop. Jackie smiled fondly at the shoe. Just like her relationship with her estranged daughter, the shoe had been through a lot - even showing the signs of time and wear. Through it all, the footwear still held together and withstood even the cruellest of punishments the life of a young adult could put it through. Drawing in a deep breath, Jackie ran a thumb along one of the loose shoe laces. Then in a quiet voice she sobbed, “I miss you, sweetheart. Where are you now?” oOo The Doctor and Rose strolled arm in arm down the snow covered pathway. Either side of the path was lined with a few park benches and lots of trees. The blue sky was coloured with a bright pale yellow sun. Today was a lovely day to be strolling through a London park, even if it was a cold and windy winter afternoon. Rose squeezed the arm of the Doctor’s tanned overcoat enthusiastically. Her bright fawn coloured eyes shone up from beneath the brim of her knitted hat. “I can’t believe we’re here!” she beamed. The Doctor raised an eyebrow in question. “Oh come on, Doctor, you know what I mean,” she grinned, tugging on the long red scarf around his neck. She dipped her chin into the wide collar on her puffy pink jacket and gave him a mischievous grin. The Doctor smiled back and nudged her. “Hey lay off,” he teased. “You happen to be tugging on my new favourite scarf, I’ll have you know.” Rose just laughed playfully, “Doctor!” She smacked his arm gently, and then pressed herself close to his side. After smothering her laughter, she went on. “It’s just… I never imagined you’d be okay with us coming here… I mean, after what nearly happened last time.” “Well, this time’s different. For one, I’m a new, new Doctor,” he told her, inclining his head toward her. He smiled, but said nothing further before returning his gaze forward. His sight was locked on the mass of people just ahead. They were circling a busy ice rink. “Do you think we’ll have time to try ourselves?” Rose inquired, peering up from under her cap. “Perhaps,” answered the Doctor simply. “Or can’t you skate, Doctor?” Rose asked as her left eyebrow quirked upward. The Doctor snapped his gaze at her, irritated. “I’m talented at many things,” he informed her. “I’ve tried skating loads of times.” “And when did you succeed?” she joked. The tip of her tongue peeked out between her teeth. “Hah ha ha! Very funny,” he said sarcastically. “Come along, I’ll show you.” The Doctor tugged her forward into the crowd. The mass of people were all dressed from head to top in winter wear. There was a rainbow of colours in front of them. People of all ages were laughing and chatting with one another. Then, briefly, the group gave way and part of a wooden railing overlooking the giant ice rink appeared. The Doctor pointed toward it. “You wait over there and I’ll get some skates,” the Doctor told her. Rose stuck her tongue out at him as a mischievous look filled her eyes. Then she took off toward the railing. The Doctor watched as her pink form melted into the rainbow world of coats, caps, scarves and gloves. But to the Doctor, Rose was a pink thumb amongst them all. Chuckling to himself, he headed off to get some skates. Meanwhile, Rose leaned against the railing and gazed out over the busy ice rink. Children and parents, couples, and friends filled most of it. They danced, or tried to dance, over the ice. The scene reminded her of the outings she'd gone on with her mum when she was little. Rose’s eyes skimmed over the crowds and the old feelings rushed back. The Tyler women had only occasionally found stuff to do together, for one reason or another. Sometimes it was an issue of time. Jackie had to work hard as a hair stylist to support them. Rose had to go to school and later work at the shop. Other times it was an issue of different interests and habits of both the women. Despite both Jackie and Rose being party girls at heart, who they hung out with and where they liked to go was different. One thing, Rose recalled them doing from her youth, was her mum taking her to the local ice rinks, every winter. The pleased smile and slight shimmer in Jackie Tyler’s eyes told her daughter everything; Jackie loved skating. She loved watching the skaters and trying to do skate herself. She especially loved trying to teach Rose to skate. As Rose thought of her mum, her eyes happened upon an adolescent, blonde girl a few feet away. Just like Rose’s mum, the slender girl was not very good, but she was trying very hard. The girl’s unsteady sliding technique particularly drew Rose’s gaze. Letting her chin rest on her arms, Rose watched the girl, for very short bursts, glide over the ice. The girl’s long legs wobbled as she made wide swimming strokes with her arms. They were making the moves her legs should have been doing. That and the determination glistening in those bright green eyes made Rose smile. The words “strength” and “stubbornness” popped into her head. Despite the fact that there were far better and far worse skaters on the rink, the blonde girl’s red petticoat made her stand out to Rose. The long coat looked like it could tell a few stories from the missing bottom button to the large purple stain on the hood. Rose could just imagine what she had done to cause the damage. To finish off the outfit, Rose noted a matching red muff around one of her waving hands. Unfortunately, the girl seemed unable to use it properly most of the time. Her hands were too busy trying to keep her balance or brushing her long, loose blonde hair out of her face. “So you found her then?” the Doctor piped up, stepping in from behind her. He was holding the laces of two pairs of skates. Rose snapped a grin at him and answered, “Yep! It’s just like Grandma Prentice described it.” “Huh,” the Doctor grunted, taking a position next to her. His eyes narrowed and a perplexed expression crossed his face. “She’s actually cute.” Rose elbowed the Doctor and looked at him sternly. “Oi! Watch it. That’s my mum you’re talking about,” she said. “Or, at least, she will be my mum… in another eleven or so years.” “Yeah, I know… I just mean she looks different, that’s all,” the Doctor tried to explain. Rose rolled her eyes, before she said, “It’s time, Doctor. Something I thought you’d be familiar with. Time changes us all.” “I know, I know. It’s just knowing what your mother looks like now and seeing what she used to look like,” he started to explain as his eyes drifted toward Rose. They moved up Rose’s form, scrutinizing her. “Well…” Rose slapped his arm and glared at him threateningly. “Be careful what you say next, Doctor, or you’ll find your screwdriver stuck somewhere you won’t be able to reach it,” she said, a smirk playing at her lips. The Doctor’s eyebrows shot up in mock terror. Rose did not need to explain further. The Doctor simply smiled and reached out a hand. “Shall we proceed?” he asked. Shaking her head in mock exasperation, Rose allowed the Doctor to guide her toward the rink’s entrance. oOo Amazingly, Rose thought, the Doctor was very good at skating. She herself was not bad, but she’d like to have taken it slower. Also, secretly, Rose would have liked to see the Doctor fall on his bum a few times for his earlier comments about her and her mum. Speaking of which, young Jackie was currently trying to spin in a circle without much luck. As she slowly pushed herself away from the wall again, Rose studied Jackie Prentice. The young girl was having trouble staying on her feet, much like Rose. Jackie even seemed to be struggling to keep her skates from crossing. Rose cringed repeatedly as she watched the young girl fall over and over. There was now an all too familiar scowl on young Jackie’s face. No mistaking the irritated words or the pigheaded determination in her eyes. Jackie got back on to her feet to try once more. Sliding in behind Rose, the Doctor slipped his arms around her, making her gasp. Then in a low voice he whispered into her ear, “One thing you’ve gotta give Jackie credit for, she doesn’t give up easily. After all those falls you’d think she’d have a sore bottom. But no, no… knowing your mum she’d keep it up indefinitely.” Rose smiled and turned to him, her nose bumping into his. She blushed and then said, pointedly, “Where do you think I get it from?” The Doctor chuckled and turned his gaze toward young Jackie. “Want me to help her?” he asked, gesturing toward the girl who was once again lying on the ice. Craning her head away from him, Rose looked at him, shocked. “But… but that’s interfering!” she stated before raising an eyebrow. “Isn’t it?” The Doctor shrugged and moved back from Rose. “More or less… but it’s not like saving someone from dying or overthrowing a tyrant,” he told her as he started to skate circles around her. “Yeah, like you’ve never done that before, Doctor,” Rose joked, reaching out to stop him again. Fluently the Doctor made a repetitive curved trek about Rose while facing her all the while. She tried to keep up with him each time he passed by her, even when he attempted to skate a few different patterns on the ice. One of which Rose was sure was the legendary seal of Rassilon he had showed her. Still she could not catch him. In fact, her attempts to stop him only made her dizzy and more unstable on her skates. He laughed at her each time he swerved out of her clutches at the last minute. She gave him a shrewd look and crossed her arms. “Any way, I don’t want you to help. One thing about mum, she enjoys what she can teach herself. In fact, she taught herself most of what she knows. And skating was one of those things she was especially proud of learning, even if she never got very good at it,” Rose explained. The Doctor slid to a stop in front of her, smiling. “Just thought, I’d offer.” “Thank you anyway, Doctor,” Rose beamed. “Any time, Rose,” the Doctor replied as he reached out his hand. Rose took it and he pulled her in close. “Now…what do you say I teach you how to…” The Doctor’s words were cut off by a very loud thud, followed by a shriek of pain. Rose and the Doctor’s sights shot toward young Jackie who now sat on the ice, grasping a hold of her right leg. Her face was streaked with tears. Sadness filled Rose’s soft brown eyes; she wanted to go to the young girl and help, but she knew she could not. Instead she buried herself in the Doctor’s chest and watched with a quivering lower lip. Several other skaters came over to help Jackie. One of them, Rose realised as she watched, was an old childhood friend of Jackie’s. She wept as her friend and a few adults talked to her and checked her leg. Eventually, they helped young Jackie onto her good leg. Then they led her off the ice slowly, while she continued to whimper. The Doctor could see how much it hurt Rose to watch her mum in pain, and he hugged her. “She’ll be ok,” the Doctor comforted, brushing her blonde hair out of her face. “I know. She’ll be in a cast for three months and Grandma Prentice will tell her she is never allowed to go skating again. But she will… when she’s nineteen,” Rose said solemnly. Then a small smile crept on to her face. “And the day she does… she falls again, but this time into the arms of the kindest, most handsome man on Earth.” The Doctor coughed, pulling her gaze to his face. Rose grinned at him. “Ok, ok. The handsomest human male,” she confessed before blushing. “My future dad, Peter Tyler.” “Then I suppose a broken ankle is worth it after all,” the Doctor commented cheerfully. “Well, like they say, ‘No pain, no gain,’” Rose joked, gazing up at him. Her moist eyes shimmered up hopefully at the Doctor. She gripped his hand tightly. “Yeah, I’d agree with that,” he said as he gently brushed away a few tears. “Now come on. Let’s get some hot cocoa; I’m feeling a bit chilly.” “Ok, Doctor,” she agreed, allowing herself to be pulled away. But as she turned, something red caught her eye. Looking again, Rose saw a fluffy item next to the wall where Jackie had fallen. “Wait a minute, Doctor.” Rose slid out of his arms. His eyes followed her as she skated shakily over to the wall. Bending down, Rose picked up the red bit of fluff. It was the muff young Jackie had been carrying. “Just like Gran said,” whispered Rose. “What?” the Doctor inquired, moving in behind her. His eyes studied the fluffy item frosted with ice shavings. “The day mum broke her ankle ice skating she lost her muff. Grandma Prentice was furious with her for breaking her ankle, after she had been told not to go, and for losing this,” Rose explained, turning the red muff over in her hand. “I remember Mum said she was crying night and day after losing it. She never forgave herself.” “Hmm,” the Doctor simply muttered. “Who knew Jackie would get upset about losing something you could buy in most any shop.” “Well it was special. Great Grandma Miller handmade it for mum’s ninth birthday. It was the last present mum got from her Gran… before she passed away,” Rose said glumly, cuddling the muff to her chest. “Ah, I see,” the Doctor said as he fingered the end of the new red scarf around his neck. For a moment he looked tearfully reminiscent as his eyes lowered. There was a deep frown on his lips. “Doctor?” Rose asked worriedly. Then quickly as the frown came it was replaced by a manic grin. “Say, you think Jackie might want it back then?” Rose looked incredulously at the Doctor, “But we can’t, can we? I mean it would upset the timeline or whatever, right?” “Not the way I’m thinking,” he beamed, flashing a huge manic grin. There was a mischievous smile on his face. It frightened and intrigued Rose at the same time. oOo There was a knock on Jackie Tyler’s front door. She jumped to her feet, Rose’s old shoe tumbling from her grasp. Taking a few moments, she wiped the tears from her eyes and then hurried from Rose’s room. As she approached the apartment door, there was hope in her eyes. “Rose!” she cried as her only daughter beamed at her, holding a bag full of laundry over one of her shoulders. “Mum!” greeted Rose as she and her mother embraced each other. “Oh, I’m so glad to see you, sweetheart,” Jackie cheered, pulling back slightly. There were new tears in her eyes. “I thought it’d be another month with his driving.” She flashed an irritated glare at the man in question behind Rose. The Doctor’s eyes widened. “What?!” he asked innocently. Jackie sighed heavily, shaking her head. She led her daughter into the living room. “Never mind. Come on in, sweetheart. What brings you back? Just the washing or is something else up. I hope it's not another alien invasion,” she said, sounding worried. Rose placed the clothes bag next to the couch. Shaking her head “no,” she took a seat on the couch next to Jackie. The Doctor wandered into the kitchen. “No, Mum, nothing like that,” Rose chuckled. “Oh! Then what is it, sweetheart?” Jackie inquired, holding her daughter’s hand firmly. Rose bit her lip as her eyes flashed to her bag momentarily. “Well because of what today is?” she replied happily before reaching for her bag. “Today?” inquired Jackie. “What’s today?” Rose’s eyes looked at Jackie concerned. “What do you mean ‘what’s today?’ It’s your birthday.” Shaking her head, Jackie informed her, “That was last month.” There was a clatter from the kitchen. Rose glared in the direction of the kitchen window. The Doctor appeared with a fake grin. “A bit off again,” he simply stated before disappearing from view. Rose’s shoulders drooped and she drew in a deep breath. “Oh never mind that dear. At least he’s getting better at it,” Jackie comforted. “Any way having you come home is like a birthday for me any day.” “I know, I was just hoping to give this to you on your birthday,” Rose told her. “Give me what, sweetheart?” Jackie beamed with a hint of worry in her eyes. “Did you get me another alien present?” “Not exactly,” Rose told her as she reached for her stuffed bag. Jackie sat patiently as Rose produced a medium sized box wrapped in pink birthday paper. “Well… Happy Birthday a bit late, Mum!” Rose cheered, handing the gift to her. At that moment the Doctor appeared with a wine bottle and three glasses. “Happy Birthday, Jackie!” the Doctor said happily, holding up the bottle. Jackie gave him a silencing glare. He complied, taking a seat in the puffy chair by Rose’s side of the couch. Placing the wineglasses down, he quietly watched as Jackie examined the gift. “Well this is a surprise,” Jackie commented with an unsure smile. “Go on. Open it!” Rose encouraged, grinning enthusiastically. Jackie smiled back. Carefully, she unwrapped the gift to find a medium, white cardboard box. She stared at it momentarily before opening it. Cocking her head to one side, Jackie stared at the fluffy red contents. At first she was perplexed. It looked like a child sized red muff. Then the new thought that went through Jackie’s head made her give the Doctor a deathly glare. He nearly dropped the opened wine bottle in response. “What?!” the Doctor croaked. “Did you get my daughter pregnant!?” Jackie growled. Red filled her sights. “What?!” shrieked the Doctor, leaping from his seat. He shook his head vigorously, tightening his grip around the neck of the bottle. “No! No, no no no no no…” “No, Mum,” Rose tried to calm her mother. She chuckled at the misunderstanding. “It’s nothing like that.” She gestured for the Doctor to sit down and then took her mother’s hand. She smiled brightly at Jackie. “Don’t you remember when you were about ten and you went skating by yourself and….” Oh,” replied Jackie, looking sheepishly back down toward the item. With a roll of his eyes, the Doctor took his seat again. “Mothers,” he grumbled softly, shaking his head. He went on filling all three glasses as Jackie continued. “You bought me one to replace it, sweetheart. Well that’s nice, but…” she politely replied. “No, Mum. We didn’t buy one to replace it,” Rose tried again. “We got it! The Doctor took me back to that time… and… well while we were there we found it. And thought…” Jackie’s mouth dropped open. “You… oh, sweetheart!” she exclaimed as she leaned over and hugged her daughter close. There were more tears in Jackie’s eyes. “You have no idea how much this means to me!” The Doctor sighed and looked up at the two Tyler women. It was a domestic moment, something he was sure his previous self would be complaining about. As for him, he decided he did not mind it too much. He smiled warmly. “I do, mum,” Rose cheerfully whispered. “And so does the Doctor.” Jackie pulled back, fixing her tear-filled eyes on her daughter’s face. “What do you mean?” Rose smiled, “Actually it was his idea to bring it back to you… now.” They turned toward the Doctor who was still looking at them longingly. “He did?” Jackie inquired, surprised. Rose nodded, beaming. Jackie looked toward him affectionately. “Oh you wonderful man!” She dove across Rose and toward the Doctor. He shrunk back, but he could not escape Jackie. She quickly enveloped him in a hug. “Come here, you big hearted alien!” The Doctor yelped as he got a lap full of Jackie Tyler. “No, Jackie… it… it’s not necessary to…” he tried to fend her off but she only hugged him even tighter. Like lightning, the Doctor’s eyes flashed to Rose on the couch. They pleaded with her to help, but all she could do was grin mischievously at him, trying to hold in her laughter. The scene was too perfect, particularly when her mum started to kiss him. “Looks like you were right, Doctor. It was the best gift to give her,” Rose giggled, her tongue peeking out between her teeth. “She’s never going to let you go. You’re a Tyler now!”
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| Last Updated on Saturday, 13 December 2008 16:00 |