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

.:Chapter Eighteen:. Always Wait Five Hours

“Nope!” he answered.

Rose sighed, slightly frustrated, but she dropped it, knowing that she wouldn’t get an answer out of him anyways. She walked around the console room, and suddenly, she received loads of knowledge about the jumping, similar to when the TARDIS would translate things for her.

She stood there in complete awe for a moment, attempting to comprehend the extravagant amount of knowledge her mind now held. Without warning and without taking a single step forward, she disappeared.

The Doctor, after deciding where they would go today, had been flipping various levers and switches. He placed a thin hand on the lever that would set the TARDIS into flight and looked up with a grin, not knowing that Rose disappeared.

“Ready, Ro-” he began, but quickly realized her absence. His grin quickly dissipated. “Rose!?” he asked in panic.

He searched around the TARDIS for what seemed like hours, finally deciding to sit down in the jump seat, feeling completely hopeless. Nevertheless, he rummaged the TARDIS database for information on her ‘jumping’, hoping to figure out a way to find her and maybe, just maybe, cease her tendency to spontaneously ‘jump’ to different times or dimensions.

About five hours later, Rose reappeared, a deeply saddened expression gracing her features. The Doctor looked up, seeing her reappear, and immediately got up, walking over to her.

“Where have you been..?” he asked gingerly, not wanting to intrude.

“Nowhere,” Rose said quietly. “Just some planet..it was weird.” She smiled softly. “I’m going to go to bed, yeah?” She went to her room, changed clothes, and laid down.

“Goodnight..” responded The Doctor, not believing her one bit. He went to his room, and sat down in the armchair by the bookcase.

Rose couldn’t sleep, so she just laid there, staring into empty space.

In another room, The Doctor was still sitting in the soft, fluffy, armchair, a rather dirty, arenaceous book in his hands.

He looked at the door conjoining his and Rose’s room and noticed that it was suddenly wide open. Unable to contain his concern, he stood up and walked through the door into her room. He looked at her.

“Rose..?” he asked with caution. She looked over at him, wiping her eyes; she had been crying.

“Hmm?” she replied. The Doctor sat on the end of her bed, not taking his eyes off of her. “I know you didn’t just go to ‘some planet’, Rose,” he said gently. “What actually happened?”

“I can’t tell you.” said Rose.

“Why?” he inquired.

“Because,” her voice cracked. “I just..I just can’t.”

“Was it that bad?” he wiped a tear from her face. She nodded, swallowing a lump in her throat.

“Can you lay with me?” she asked. “I don’t want to be alone.”

“Of course.” he said, laying down next to her. She curled up against his side, holding his hand. He squeezed her hand gently in response.

Rose fell asleep a lot easier with him there by her side. The Doctor, on the other hand, didn’t sleep at all, still exceptionally concerned for Rose

It was well into the night when The Doctor was pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of Rose’s voice.

“Doctor.. Don’t leave me. Y-You can’t. Please.” Rose’s voice broke as she spoke barely just above a whisper. The Doctor was about to ask what was wrong when he noticed that Rose wasn’t awake; her eyes were closed and she was splayed out on her side of the bed. Rose’s fingers were still intertwined with The Doctor’s though and the grip she had on his hand got tighter.

“Please. You can’t die. You can’t… You… You have to… You have to…” Rose became restless. She twisted and turned. Her breathing increased, her chest lifting and falling rapidly. Tears started falling down her cheeks.

The Doctor couldn’t stand seeing her cry so he put a gentle hand on her shoulder and gave her a shake. “Rose.” He spoke in a deeply concerned, and frankly scared, voice. “Rose. I’m alive. It’s just a dream. Wake up.”

The world around Rose began to shake and she heard the voice of The Doctor faintly. She fell to her knees and covered her face with her hands. The gravel below her knees was cracked and the world became dull and bleak. Why does she need to be tortured? She lost The Doctor and she can still hear his voice. Will she have to live the rest of her life with the constant memory that she could do nothing to save him?

Rose shot up suddenly. Her heart felt as if it was going to jump out of her chest any moment. As she looked frantically around she felt The Doctor’s warm hand in her own and she nearly bursted into tears. It was only a dream.

The Doctor waited a moment, letting Rose calm herself. “Rose?” He asked softly. “What happened?”

“I… I think I… I just saw you die.” Rose stumbled over her words, not able to believe herself that she had actually dreamed that.

“Die?” He asked, utterly confused. Rose just nodded and laid back down. The Doctor did as well and she buried her face in his shoulder. “I’m not going to die, Rose. I promise.” He kissed the top of her head. All Rose could do again was let out a choked sob and a nod. The Doctor rubbed her back, holding her close to him. “You can sleep now, Rose. I’m not going anywhere.”

Rose lifted her head and shook it. “I don’t want to sleep. I just want to talk to you.”

“Alright.” The Doctor nodded in agreement and kept his arms around Rose.

“Can you tell me ‘bout the things you saw and the places you went while I was gone?” Rose asked, looking up at him with her deep brown eyes.

The Doctor grimaced a little. The time right after he lost her weren’t a favorite of his to reflect upon, but he couldn’t resist those brown eyes. They got him every time. He sighed in resignation and nodded. “Alright. So… Remember when you appeared in the hospital where the rain was upside down?”

Rose smiled and nodded. She cuddled into his side like a little kid getting ready for story time. The Doctor proceeded to tell Rose about his adventures with Martha. Of course, he left out the part where he ‘kissed’ her. It was a genetic transfer, yes, but he wasn’t sure Rose would be happy about that either way he put it.

“Martha seems nice.” Rose spoke when he was done. “She’s smart.”

“She is nice. I think you’d like her.” He replied before continuing with more stories of his time with Martha.

Rose eventually fell asleep to his voice and The Doctor was soon to follow. They both fell asleep with a smile on their faces.