Title: Don't Let Me Down
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Tenth Doctor/Ross Jenkins
Fandom: Doctor Who
Rating: PG-13
Table: 4, 50ficlets
Prompt: 3, Weapon
Disclaimer: This is entirely a product of my own imagination, and I make no profit from it. I do not own the Tenth Doctor or Ross Jenkins, just borrowing them for a while. Please do not sue.

***

"I understand why you don't like guns, but that doesn't change the fact that it might be a good idea for us to have one," Ross argued as he followed the Doctor into the control room. "I'm human, Doctor. I don't have all the avenues of protection that you do."

"You don't need to carry a gun, Ross," the Doctor said, his tone firm. The Time Lord didn't turn around to look at him; the tone of his voice seemed to say everything that he wanted to convey. "I'm not going to have one on the Tardis. I have before, but not now."

"When did you have a gun here?" Ross didn't want to change the subject, but he was annoyed that the Doctor didn't seem to think that he should be allowed to carry a gun, as though he was some child who had no idea of how to use such a dangerous weapon.

He was fairly sure that the Doctor hadn't had any objections to his other companions carrying weapons -- and knowing full well how to use them well. He'd been around guns for a long time; he was used to having one, and he wouldn't misuse the power it gave him.

But the Time Lord didn't seem to understand that, as a soldier, Ross had much more than a passing acquaintance with guns. He didn't want his lover to be able to protect himself -- or at least that was how it seemed to Ross. He wanted to be Ross' protection.

That wasn't feasible, not with some of the situations the two of them found themselves in, Ross reiterated inwardly. He needed to have some sort of protection for himself, whether the Doctor thought so or not. After all, they wouldn't always be with each other outside of the ship.

"Jack always had guns," the Doctor said, his voice trembling a little. "And I never liked them. I always felt that he relied on them too much, and that he was always too ready to do violence with them first and think of other solutions later. That's never a good thing."

Ross didn't want to agree; he wanted to convince the Doctor that carrying a gun for his own protection whenever they left the Tardis was a good idea, especially considering that he had experience with them. But he found himself nodding, albeit reluctantly.

"I'm a trained solider, Doctor," he said, keeping his voice calm and steady. He had to persuade the Time Lord that he could be responsible when carrying a weapon, if he wanted his lover to agree to it. "I'm not going to shoot before I think. I never have."

The Doctor turned to Ross, regarding him with a slight frown on his face. "Are you sure of that, Ross?" he asked, sounding dubious. "It's not that I doubt your integrity, or that I think you're prone to violence. I know you're not. But in some situations, you could lose your head."

"I've been in tight situations before, Doctor." Ross wasn't going to give in, not when he was absolutely certain that he was in the right. "And I've never shot anyone for any reason other than doing what had to be done to keep myself and my unit safe."

The Doctor sighed, his shoulders sagging. "If it's so important to you that you carry a gun, Ross, then do it. But I'm not going to pretend that I like it, or that it's something I'll ever condone. You know how I feel about that sort of a weapon."

"I know how you feel about guns, Doctor," Ross said quietly, reaching out to take the Time Lord's hands in his own. "And I promise you that I know how to use them responsibly. You don't have anything to worry about with me. I'm not going to misuse that power."

"I'm trusting you not to abuse the privilege of having a weapon like that, Ross," the Doctor told him, his dark gaze riveted on Ross' face. "I don't think you will, but at the same time, I've seen what having that sort of power can do to people."

"You forget that I've had that sort of power in my control before, when I was with UNIT," Ross reminded him, on firm ground with his argument now. "And I never abused the privilege then, so I know that I"m not going to go that route now. I never have, and I never will."

"I trust you," the Doctor told him, his voice barely audible. "But I'll never feel easy around a gun, Ross. You know that. I've had too many bad experiences with them in the past for me to feel comfortable with them, even knowing that you do."

"I'll make sure that the gun isn't near you," Ross told him, squeezing his hands. "And, Doctor -- thank you for trusting me. I know it isn't easy for you to do. And I appreciate the fact that you can do it. It's a big concession for you, and it means a lot to me."

"Just don't let me down, and everything will be fine," the Doctor told him, taking a deep breath and turning to the console. The two of them looked down at the readouts, deciding where they would go next, both of them wondering if there might be a use for that gun in the near future.

***