Title: Never Be You
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Tenth Doctor/Ten.5
Fandom: Doctor Who
Rating: PG-13
Table: 10_per_genre
Prompt: 2, Jealousy
Author's Note: The human version of the Doctor is being referred to as John Smith in this fic, since it's the Doctor's human alias and his clone needed a name.
Author's Note: Spoilers for Journey's End, somewhat. This is an completely alternate take on the ending of Season Four.
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 his human clone. Please do not sue.

***

Jamie stomped into the Tardis, wanting to slam the door behind him but knowing that he couldn't very well do that, as the Doctor was following him. But he still managed to make an impressive entrance into the ship, venting his temper as he went along.

The visit to Torchwood hadn't gone well at all. There had been a veneer of politeness, but there was an air of awkwardness among all the people there, as though the Doctor was an interloper rather than the friend he'd always been viewed at in the past.

And their reception of him had been less than friendly, Jamie thought angrily, wishing there was something around that he could kick. Well, that wasn't entirely true. They'd been perfectly polite -- but the chill in the air was more like Siberia than Cardiff.

It was obvious that no one approved of him being with the Doctor. What had happened? Had that child complained to them and told them some sob story to make them feel that he and the Doctor were wrong to be together? Yes, that was probably it.

Either that, he thought sourly as he flung himself down on the couch, or they had never wanted the Time Lord to be with him in the first place.

And Jack Harkness .... Jamie's lips thinned into a straight line as he thought of the immortal. He'd been the worst of all, pointedly ignoring Jamie's existence as he'd talked to the Doctor, even flirted with him, acting as though the Time Lord belonged to him.

He knew about their past relationship, of course. After all, he had the Doctor's memories. He could recall every soft word that had passed between them when they were curled up together in bed, every empty promise that Jack had ever made.

But now that the Doctor had someone in his life, someone who he cared about and wanted to be with, suddenly Jack was making a play for him, after he'd callously walked from the Doctor and broken his hearts! It made Jamie's blood boil.

The way he'd acted made it seem as though Jamie didn't even exist, that he was less than nothing. It had not only been rude, but it had shown Jamie exactly what Jack thought of him -- and it had made Jamie take an instant dislike to the other man.

Jack had been insistent about him going off to that alternate universe when they'd first met, but at least then he hadn't just ignored the fact that Jamie was alive.

The Doctor had tried to smooth things over, but it hadn't been easy. That was why they were leaving so precipitately, Jamie surmised; the Time Lord hadn't really talked to him about what had been discussed between himself and Jack.

The immortal had asked the Doctor to come into his office, and then closed the door firmly behind them. Jamie could only go back to the Tardis, fretting and wondering just what was going on behind that door and hoping that Jack wasn't turning on the charm.

Could he possibly be jealous of that man? He sat up straighter on the couch as the idea struck him. Could he be jealous of the relationship that the Doctor had shared with Jack in the past, and worried that it might flare back to life?

He shook his head resolutely, pushing the idea away. No. He wasn't jealous. The Doctor had chosen to be with him, and the fact that he'd walked away from Jack and taken Jamie back into the Tardis with him was proof of who he'd chosen to have in his life.

He shouldn't be jealous, but he was. He wanted to know why the Doctor had spent so long in that office, and had looked so sad when he'd come out.

The Time Lord hadn't said much when he'd left Jack's office; he'd only come over to Jamie, who had been sitting on a couch and pretending to look at a magazine, wishing that they had never come here and that they could leave as soon as possible.

And he still wasn't saying anything, Jamie thought, looking up at the Doctor as the other man pressed a few buttons on the console. The familiar sensation of time and space shifting themselves came over him, and he closed his eyes, feeling relieved that they'd left Earth.

A few moments later, he felt the Doctor sit down on the couch beside him; the Time Lord took his hand, taking a breath before he spoke. "I told Jack that we won't be coming back," he said softly, his voice sounding both regretful and relieved.

"What?" Jamie blinked, almost unable to believe what he was hearing. "Why did you tell him that?" He had imagined that the Doctor was going to give him up, that Jack had made him agree to put Jamie out of his life -- anything but this.

"Because he thinks I made a mistake to be with you," the Doctor told him, a rough edge to his voice. "He thinks I should put you out of my life, make you live as a human."

"I don't know how to do that," Jamie whispered, shaking his head and looking down at their clasped hands. "He should know that. I don't have a human mind. I only know how to live as a Time Lord. And I don't want to be anywhere but with you."

"You won't have to do that," the Time Lord said, squeezing his hand. "I'm not going to give you up, Jamie. I told him that was out of the question, and if he couldn't accept that you're a part of my life -- the most important part -- then I didn't want to see him again."

"He wants you back, doesn't he?" Jamie asked, a sharp stab of jealousy knifing through him. "That's one of the reasons he wants me out of the way. He wants to be back in your life again -- even though he won't stay with you."

"I don't know. We didn't discuss whatever feelings he might have for me," the Doctor said with a sigh. "If he does want me back, it's never going to happen. I've found the person I want to be with -- and it's not him. Maybe it never really was."

Jamie slumped back against the couch cushions, relief sweeping over him and making him feel weak. The Doctor wasn't going to give him up. Far from it.

He'd given up a friend who he'd thought a lot of to keep Jamie by his side. That was a sacrifice that not many people would make, but the Doctor had willingly done it. For him. He owed the Time Lord so much, so many debts that he'd never be able to repay.

"I was jealous of him," Jamie admitted in a low voice, sighing softly and resting his head against the Doctor's shoulder. "I shouldn't have been. I know you're not going to give in to any pressure to get rid of me. I should have trusted you more."

"You have no reason to be jealous of him," the Doctor whispered, sliding his arm around Jamie's waist and pulling him close. "What Jack and I shared was over long ago. And there's one important thing that you need to remember, Jamie."

"What's that?" Jamie asked, his curiosity piqued.

"He isn't you," the Doctor murmured softly, turning slightly to take Jamie's face between his hands and gaze into his eyes. "He could never be you, not by any stretch of the imagination. And you're the one I want to be with. Remember that."

"I will," Jamie whispered, blinking back the tears that threatened to spill over. There had been no need for his jealousy, none at all. The Doctor had just proven that beyond a shadow of a doubt. He had no reason to be jealous of anyone.

He was first in the Doctor's life, and he always would be. He wasn't going to be relegated to the shadows of some alternate universe. No, his place was here with the Doctor, by his side -- and that was where he always intended to be.

***