So, I started a fic ending-first. And I was too excited about it to not share. Spoilers for a Doctor Who x Bloodymary fic that I may or may not eventually write (I probably will, haha. I'll post to AO3 once I write the rest of it).
Premise: The Fourteenth Doctor (that is, the pansexual David Tennant version) and Donna landed on the Hail Mary after Rocky and Grace solved the astrophage crisis. They tried to give them a lift to Erid, but ended up saving Simon on the blood moon along the way first. They've now arrived at Erid and are saying goodbye. Featuring ace!Grace/Fourteenth Doctor, and pre-Bloodymary (very pre - we don't really get to meet Simon in this fic, I hope nobody's disappointed!)
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Before I can even process what’s happening, Donna has enveloped me in a crushing hug. I wrap my arms around her and squeeze her back. Gosh, it’s nice to hug another human being. I thought I might never have the chance to do that again.
“You take care of yourself, you.” she says, giving me one last squeeze before moving on to do the same to Rocky in his ball.
Then it’s the Doctor’s turn to say goodbye.
He clasps both of my forearms in his hands and looks me in the eye.
“It’s been an honor, Doctor Captain Ryland Grace.”
He’s standing so close to me, I can make out the individual freckles on his nose. He looks so human. If it weren’t for Rocky confirming that he had two heartbeats, I’m not sure that I would believe he was an alien.
“You sure you don’t want to come with us?”
“Positive.” I tell him. I’ve had enough outer space adventures for a lifetime, I think. I may have saved three solar systems, but I still have no desire to be an astronaut.
He doesn’t let go. He’s giving me this look; it reminds me of how I might look at an interesting scientific specimen. And then I catch his gaze briefly flicking down towards my lips. Oh. Oh! Does he want to kiss me? Do Time Lords even do that? Do I want to kiss him?
Oh, what the heck. He’s a decent looking guy, and I’m not about to pass up what might be humanity’s first chance to kiss an alien. (Although, then again, if this guy really has been flitting about the galaxy for a thousand plus years, it’s probably not, is it?) For science, right?
I give him a subtle nod, and he doesn’t waste a second. He pulls me in, and plants one on me, hard. And it’s… nice. The heavens don’t part or anything, but it’s a jolt of human (err, humanoid) contact that sends a tingle down my spine. I’m not going to be spending the next several years daydreaming about it or anything, but I’d do it again.
“Still sure?” he asks me, cheekily.
“Still sure.” I tell him, resolutely. I want to see Erid, meet Rocky’s mate. Maybe see Earth again someday; but after how things went down right before I left, I’m not sure I’ll be ready for that for a long time.
“We can take him, you know.” The Doctor says, gesturing past me towards the dormitory area, where Armando is diligently watching over the sleeping man we’d found on the blood moon.
That’s a harder question. I can decide for myself that I want to try out living on an alien planet, but it doesn’t feel great making that decision for a stranger in a coma who I’ve never even met. It feels selfish, somehow, to want to keep him with me - but sending him off to be dropped off Gosh-knows-where before I even get a chance to meet him also doesn’t feel right. Call it a gut feeling, I don’t know, but something in my bones tells me that this man is supposed to stay.
“That’s alright.” I tell him. “But maybe you guys could come back and check in on us in a bit? In case he needs a ride somewhere?”
“I can do that.” The Doctor nods.
And then it’s time. Rocky rolls out first to deploy the bio-tent, and then I follow, with Armando wheeling out the stranger’s cot alongside me.
My life is about to be a whirlwind; I know that for sure. In a few minutes, the people of Erid will descend on this tent, full of wonder and questions - Rocky will be whisked away to share our findings with Erid’s top scientists and finally save Eridani Sol.
But for the moment, it’s peaceful, as the TARDIS whirs as it blinks out of view. The atmosphere outside the bio-tent is dark, so there’s not much to see besides Rocky, myself, Armando, and the sleeping stranger.
“We did it.” I say. “You’re home.” I can feel tears starting to well up in my eyes.
“Grace Rocky home.” he says.
And huh. I like the sound of that.
“Yeah,” I say. “Grace Rocky home.”
