calufrax

Story: Forgiveness and Cat Pins
Author: Astellya
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 1971
Author's Summary: The Tenth Doctor visits Peri to ask an important question and to seek forgiveness.
Characters/Pairings: Peri Brown, Ten
Warnings: N/A

Recced because:

Great writing, emotional dialogue, and a startling twist.

Peri is the Schrodinger's Cat of Doctor Who. Here, Ten pays her a visit to ask for forgiveness with words and actions. Meeting the Doctor has effected Peri's life in good ways and bad. She's rather philosophic about it: happy about what she's gained, and pragmatic about what she's lost. This fic shows how much the Doctor cares about his companions, even though he is a coward sometimes; especially when it comes to loss. Most of all, it shows how much the Doctor needs the people he travels with and what he might turn into without their influence. I recommend reading this twice, because some of Peri's early observations become much more significant following the final paragraph.

Sample:

“I know you may find it remarkable,” she began, “but I’m truly happy here. Yrcanos and I are in love and I have two wonderful children. I couldn’t take them away from their father.”

He smiled at her, a wide, beaming smile and rocked back on his heels, his hands in his pockets, a gesture that made her heart pang with loss as he reminded her of a younger, blonder Doctor. “I’m happy to hear that.” He rummaged in his pockets for a moment, sticking his arm far further down than he should have been able to. “Aha!” he grinned in triumph and pulled a palm-sized cat pin from his pocket. He held it out to her, a pleased look on his face.

She stared at it for a long moment before she grinned. “I hated this pin,” she told him.

“That’s why I wore it.” She took it gently and his smile faded a little. “I’m sorry that I couldn’t keep you safe.”