Bad Wolf and the Oncoming Storm [Book One: Back in Time]

.:Chapter Ten:. Bad Wolf

     It had been at least two weeks since Rose had changed the course of time. At least it felt like two weeks for her. She could never tell time easily while traveling with the Doctor. With popping up out of order in time and the TARDIS’s time, she could never tell.

     Rose was curled up on her bed with a book in her hands. It was her favorite: Sense and Sensibility. She was nearly to the end of the crinkled pages of the book for the umpteenth time when her bedroom door opened unexpectedly.

     In walked the Doctor, in all his messy hair and pinstripe suited glory. Rose looked up at the Doctor with a bright smile. “Hello!” she spoke nonchalantly. Having the Doctor barge into her room without a knock or any warning was an everyday thing for her. When she was away from him, she rather missed it.

     The Doctor sat at the edge of her bed, giving her a grin that resembled her own. “How are you?”

     Rose moved over to where the Doctor was, crossing her legs. “I’m good. I haven’t jumped yet.”

     “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about,” said The Doctor, his grin gone and a serious expression on his face. “We need to find a way to make you stop stepping into another time every time you take a step.”

      Rose looked at him, her head cocked to the side slightly. “And how do you s’pose we do that?”

     “All that I can think of is attempting to remove the remaining traces of the Time Vortex from your head, but that might not work..” he said.

     “How’d you do it last time? Couldn’t you just...do it again?” she asked.

     “Maybe..” The Doctor trailed off, his brows furrowed in deep thought.

     “You didn’t answer my first question, Doctor.” Rose raised an eyebrow.

     “I just did,” said The Doctor, determined to not tell her how he actually did it. He couldn’t.

     “That stays the million dollar question, doesn’t it, Doctor?” Rose sighed, dropping it. She wasn’t going to force him to tell her anything. “Just tell me what to do, and it’ll be done. I don’t want to lose you again; I’m willing to do everything.”

     “That’s the thing, Rose,” he said, looking at her. “I don’t know if I can do it again. The last time I did it, you had the entire Time Vortex running through your head, but this time, there’s only traces. I don’t even think there’s enough left.”

     “Then there has to be another way,” said Rose. “I can’t keep jumping for the rest of my life.”

     The Doctor sighed in frustration. Rose took his hand and smiled softly. “We’ll figure this out, yeah? We are fantastically brilliant.” She pointed out.

     He smiled at her. “Rose, do you really want to know how I absorbed the Time Vortex from your head?” He asked.

     Rose was slightly taken off guard. She didn’t think he would try to tell her. “Only if you want to tell; I’m not going to make you.”

     The Doctor sat up a little straighter. “Alright, now face me. This might be a bit strange,” He warned.

     Rose turned to face him. “I'm a girl who has seen the end of the world, was possessed by a bitchy trampoline and had to endure Slitheen farts, which were vile, by the way. I don't know how much stranger things can get.” She smiled.

     The Doctor chuckled. “That’s very true. Now, here we go..” he said. He placed his hands on both sides of her face, closing his eyes. Rose’s eye closed too, and suddenly she saw herself and The Doctor’s ninth incarnation.

     She saw herself standing in front of the TARDIS, which was emanating light as bright as the sun. Her eyes shone with golden light. The Doctor was looking up at her, a terrified look gracing his face. Rose wondered what was wrong with the TARDIS.

     “This power’s gonna kill you and it’s my fault,” he said, lowering his head in anguish.

     A tear rolled down Rose’s cheek as she said, “I can see everything.” The Doctor raised his head to look up at her.

     “All that is. All that was. All that ever could be.” She said. The Doctor stood up, looking down at her as if he understood.

     “That’s what I see. All the time. And doesn’t it drive you mad?” he asked.

     Rose looked scared. “My head,” she said, her voice cracking.

     “Come here,” said The Doctor.

     “Is killing me..” Rose finished.

     The Doctor took her hands. “I think you need a Doctor.” He said. Rose saw her and The Doctor turn to face each other, and he looked down, gazing into her eyes before gently and carefully leaning down to press his lips against hers.

     As he kissed her, Rose saw golden tendrils of light flow out of her eyes and into his. They parted slowly once all the golden light no longer shone from Rose’s eyes, and gazed at each other for a moment before Rose’s eyes fluttered shut, and she fell into his arms, unconscious.

     Suddenly, Rose was back in the real world, and The Doctor’s hands were no longer on each side of her face. She opened her eyes quickly, remembering how desperate she was to get back to him. He looked down at her, waiting for a response.