Fic: Rosemary
Nov. 3rd, 2009 03:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dbskylerTitle: Rosemary
Rating: G
Characters: Sarah Jane, Ten, Four, Aunt Lavinia, Andrea Yates
Spoilers: Hand of Fear (DW), School Reunion (DW), Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane (SJA) and The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith (SJA)
Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction, offered freely. Doctor Who, Sarah Jane Adventures and all characters belong to the BBC.
Summary: There was something Sarah had realized when she was young.
"There's rosemary, that's for remembrance." -- Hamlet, Act IV, Scene 5
----------------------------
There was something Sarah had realized when she was young: people remember those whom they love.
* * *
Sarah once traveled through time and space with a Time Lord. Then one day, he made her leave.
She looked at him as she headed out the door. "Don't forget me," she told him earnestly.
"Oh, Sarah," he responded, "don't you forget me."
It was only after she had left that she realized: the Doctor hadn't promised to remember her.
* * *
When Sarah was four, she once sat in her Aunt Lavinia's lap.
"These are your parents, Sarah Jane." Her Aunt Lavinia opened up a photo album with care. "These are photos of your mummy and daddy."
Sarah looked at the pictures of smiling strangers. "I don't remember them," she said.
"That's because you were so young when they died. But I'll tell you anything you want to know, and it will be almost like remembering, won't it? Then when you're older, I'll let you have this album to keep for your very own."
Sarah reached out a hand to touch the image of the woman, but there was a film of protective plastic in the way. "Did they love me?" she asked.
"Of course they did, sweetheart. They loved you very much."
"I don't remember them," she repeated. "Do they remember me?"
Her Aunt Lavinia paused. "I don't know," she said.
There was something Sarah had realized about her Aunt Lavinia: she always told the truth.
Sometimes Sarah would gaze into the night sky and wonder if her parents remembered her, wherever they were. She wondered if they still loved her. But it didn't really matter, because her Aunt Lavinia had told her they would never come back.
They never came back.
* * *
Sarah once had a best friend named Andrea. When Sarah was thirteen, her best friend died.
"Remember me," Andrea whispered as she fell.
Sometimes Sarah would gaze into the night sky and wonder if Andrea remembered her, wherever she was.
She never forgot Andrea.
* * *
Sarah once had a best friend called the Doctor. When Sarah was twenty-five, her best friend left her.
"Till we meet again, Sarah," he said. She waited, but he didn't come back. Sometimes Sarah would gaze into the night sky and wonder if the Doctor remembered her, wherever he was.
It was thirty years before she met the Doctor again, by accident. When it was time for her to leave, she made him say goodbye, even though she knew she might see him again.
There was something Sarah had realized about the Doctor: she couldn't rely on him to come back.
* * *
Sarah was once in danger, and the Doctor came back. He came back for her.
When it was time for her to leave, she didn't say goodbye, even though she knew she might not see him again. "Until the next time," she told him instead.
"Don't forget me, Sarah Jane," he replied.
Sometimes Sarah would gaze into the night sky and remember the Doctor. She hoped he would come back someday, but it didn't really matter if he did or not. She knew he would always remember her, although he had never said.
There was something Sarah had realized when she was no longer young: people ask to be remembered by those whom they love.
Rating: G
Characters: Sarah Jane, Ten, Four, Aunt Lavinia, Andrea Yates
Spoilers: Hand of Fear (DW), School Reunion (DW), Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane (SJA) and The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith (SJA)
Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction, offered freely. Doctor Who, Sarah Jane Adventures and all characters belong to the BBC.
Summary: There was something Sarah had realized when she was young.
"There's rosemary, that's for remembrance." -- Hamlet, Act IV, Scene 5
----------------------------
There was something Sarah had realized when she was young: people remember those whom they love.
* * *
Sarah once traveled through time and space with a Time Lord. Then one day, he made her leave.
She looked at him as she headed out the door. "Don't forget me," she told him earnestly.
"Oh, Sarah," he responded, "don't you forget me."
It was only after she had left that she realized: the Doctor hadn't promised to remember her.
* * *
When Sarah was four, she once sat in her Aunt Lavinia's lap.
"These are your parents, Sarah Jane." Her Aunt Lavinia opened up a photo album with care. "These are photos of your mummy and daddy."
Sarah looked at the pictures of smiling strangers. "I don't remember them," she said.
"That's because you were so young when they died. But I'll tell you anything you want to know, and it will be almost like remembering, won't it? Then when you're older, I'll let you have this album to keep for your very own."
Sarah reached out a hand to touch the image of the woman, but there was a film of protective plastic in the way. "Did they love me?" she asked.
"Of course they did, sweetheart. They loved you very much."
"I don't remember them," she repeated. "Do they remember me?"
Her Aunt Lavinia paused. "I don't know," she said.
There was something Sarah had realized about her Aunt Lavinia: she always told the truth.
Sometimes Sarah would gaze into the night sky and wonder if her parents remembered her, wherever they were. She wondered if they still loved her. But it didn't really matter, because her Aunt Lavinia had told her they would never come back.
They never came back.
* * *
Sarah once had a best friend named Andrea. When Sarah was thirteen, her best friend died.
"Remember me," Andrea whispered as she fell.
Sometimes Sarah would gaze into the night sky and wonder if Andrea remembered her, wherever she was.
She never forgot Andrea.
* * *
Sarah once had a best friend called the Doctor. When Sarah was twenty-five, her best friend left her.
"Till we meet again, Sarah," he said. She waited, but he didn't come back. Sometimes Sarah would gaze into the night sky and wonder if the Doctor remembered her, wherever he was.
It was thirty years before she met the Doctor again, by accident. When it was time for her to leave, she made him say goodbye, even though she knew she might see him again.
There was something Sarah had realized about the Doctor: she couldn't rely on him to come back.
* * *
Sarah was once in danger, and the Doctor came back. He came back for her.
When it was time for her to leave, she didn't say goodbye, even though she knew she might not see him again. "Until the next time," she told him instead.
"Don't forget me, Sarah Jane," he replied.
Sometimes Sarah would gaze into the night sky and remember the Doctor. She hoped he would come back someday, but it didn't really matter if he did or not. She knew he would always remember her, although he had never said.
There was something Sarah had realized when she was no longer young: people ask to be remembered by those whom they love.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-04 04:32 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-04 04:48 pm (UTC)'cos I do. Even if the story's meant for someone else (eg been prompted for a ficathon, or just a request), I still have to want to write it for myself - if I don't, it doesn't get written, simple as. If the story idea doesn't interest me, I can't make it work.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-04 05:56 pm (UTC)What I meant was, this fic was a case where I didn't care if it was coming across to an audience or not -- for better or for worse.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-04 06:24 pm (UTC)Me, I don't worry about my audience. I explain what needs explaining in the context of the story, otherwise I leave it for people to find out if they feel so inclined. Maybe that makes me a bad writer, I don't know.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-04 10:00 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-05 06:28 am (UTC)*giggles* Yes ma'am!
Thinking about an audience is part of my usual writing process, but what works for me wouldn't necessarily work for you. If you do decide to give it a shot sometime, though, I'd be curious to hear how it went.
Hmm. I don't know - the idea of consciously thinking about an audience seems weird to me. When I'm writing, my conscious thoughts are all focused on finding the best way to tell the story that's in my head (and I never seem to write exactly the story I wanted to write - but I've learned to accept that something gets lost between brain and page/screen because the writing process isn't perfect).