Title: Prophetic Dream
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Tenth Doctor/Ten.5
Fandom: Doctor Who
Rating: PG-13
Table: 6, 50ficlets
Prompt: 19, Dream
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.

***

The Doctor sat bolt upright in bed, swallowing a scream that had risen into his throat and almost made its way out into the silence of the room. He looked around frantically, reaching to the side to make sure that Jamie was there beside him.

Yes, his lover was there, sleeping soundly and peacefully. He looked as though nothing could disturb him; the Doctor was relieved to see that his own disturbing dream hadn't extended to Jamie and caused him to toss and turn, or worse, have the same dream.

He could barely remember most of the dream now, but the horror of what he could remember was still with him. Jamie had been dead in his arms, with no pulse, no heartbeat. There had been no denying that he was gone, that no life stirred within his body.

The thought almost brought a sob to the Time Lord's lips; he had to clamp a hand over his mouth to be sure that it didn't come out and wake his lover. Why would he have a dream like that now, when their lives seemed as though they were moving along smoothly?

This wasn't the first time he'd had disturbing dreams, of course, but it was the first time that one of his dreams involving Jamie had been so vivid, so real. The anguish that he'd felt was still with him; he could almost taste the dregs of his own hopelessness.

But Jamie wasn't dead, he told himself firmly. It had been a dream, only a dream. A dream that he had been more than glad to awaken from, a dream that he wanted to push far away from himself and forget about. A dream that never should have existed.

He was going to keep Jamie safe, protect him through all the days of his life. Those days wouldn't be enough for him, the Doctor thought with a soft sigh. He wanted Jamie to live forever, to be with him for always, not just for a short human life span.

Would he be able to do that? He had always prided himself on being the protector of the universe; there had been times when he'd failed in the goals he'd set for himself, but he had always tried his best. He had done what he could, to the best of his abilities.

But this wasn't a universe full of unknown people. This was Jamie, the man he loved, the man he wanted to spend all of eternity with, even though he knew that wish would never come true. How could it? Jamie was human. He would die at some point.

Had he simply had a premonition of what that death would be like, the anguish it would cause him, the utter emptiness he would feel? Had the dream somehow been prophetic, showing him what the future would be like? And if so, when would it happen?

Did he want to know that? Of course he did, the Time Lord told himself, glancing over at his sleeping lover again. If he knew precisely when some horrible event would happen that could cost Jamie his life, then he would be able to prevent it from taking place.

His training as a Time Lord might tell him that he had no right to interfere in another race's destiny -- or even the destiny of a single person. But this wasn't just anyone. This was his lover. This wasn't just about Jamie's life -- it was about his own, as well.

And he wasn't going to give up the man he loved to the eagerly beckoning arms of an early death if he could prevent it. He would do everything in his power, move galaxies if necessary, to keep Jamie alive and safe and here with him.

To hell with his training, bugger what the rest of his xenophobic race had believed. He wasn't going to give Jamie up that easily, simply because his lover was human. He had the right to a bit of happiness in his own life -- and Jamie made him happier than he had ever been.

He wasn't going to let this dream get to him -- but he wasn't going to push it aside, either. From now on, he would be even more vigilant about Jamie's safety, even if it meant having the other man stay behind on the Tardis if he thought a planet might be even slightly dangerous.

It might not be the ideal way for them to live, but Jamie's safety had become his main priority above all others. The Doctor sighed, moving closer to Jamie and sliding his arms around his lover, hoping that the rest of the night would be free from any more disturbing dreams.

***