A/N
If you have nay questions regarding Rose and her timeline, don't hesitate to PM me or ask me in a review that I will answer in the next update.
Now, on with the story =D
Beta:ed by my friend Sam.
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Chapter 2 Bed of Roses
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About all of the things that I long to believe
About love, the truth, what you mean to me and the truth is
Baby you're all that I need
I wanna lay you down in a bed of roses
For tonight I'll sleep on a bed of nails
I wanna be just as close as the Holy Ghost is
And lay you down on a bed of roses
~Bon Jovi
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"I'm sorry," He said as he watched her stare at him in silence. He had seen the realisation on her face when she figured out who he was, before he had even had a chance to tell her his story. But he had also seen the apprehension and fear, and he was scared she would reject him. "I shouldn't have brought you back." He placed his hand on top of hers, the one still laying on his chest, and started rubbing circles on the back of it with his thumb. "It was selfish of me, but I saw the opportunity and..." He sighed, his shoulders deflating a little. "I couldn't resist."
"No," She shook her head, her eyes still seemed to be miles away, but her voice was resolute. "Don't you ever apologise for bringing me back."
"No?" He smiled hesitantly, straightening up again.
"No." She smiled back, her eyes coming back to the present again as she roamed his face, and for the first time since he stepped out of the TARDIS, he felt happy. "You're him. You're really him." She said silently and raised a hand up to his cheekbone. "You look so different."
"Good different or bad different?" He asked, seeing the smile grow on her lips as she remembered.
"Just... different." She smiled up at him, her tongue peeking out of her teeth and his eyes followed the motion for just a fraction of a second before his eyes found hers again. He could see that she had noticed, but she didn't comment on it. Instead he saw her smile fade slowly and she dropped her hand from his chest.
"Rose?" His voice was laced with worry as he looked at his pink and yellow girl. "What's wrong?" He tried to search her eyes for answers, but she refused to meet his.
"Am I still me?" She looked up at him with wide eyes, and his hearts broke by the intense emotions in them; emotions of fear and maybe a bit of betrayal. "I'm not just a copy? Like your meta..." She waved her hand as she tried to come up with the word.
"Meta-crisis," He helped her.
"Yeah," She nodded. "Am I like him?"
"No," He shook his head, terrified that she had come to that conclusion. "You're still you." He hurried to clarify. "And you're definitely not a copy. You're merrily a younger version of the you from my timeline. Still the same Rose Tyler." He revelled in the way her name rolled of his tongue in this body. It still felt perfect, just like when he had held her hand earlier. He brought his hands up to rub at her shoulders reassuringly, and it seemed to work since the tension in them vanished after a few strokes.
"But there's still another version of me tha's with the younger you." She scrunched up her brow. "Won't me bein' here disrupt her timeline? Aren't I just taking her place?"
"You may not be a copy," He said and used his hand to rub away the frown from her forehead before dropping it back down to her shoulder. "But you're also not her. Not anymore." He looked her deep in the eyes. "From the moment you woke up, you became part of a new timeline, separating yourself from her permanently." He noticed she still looked uncertain. "Think of it as a cell, splitting itself to create two new cells that are exactly the same as the original one. The first one dies, but the two new ones live on. In this case, the other you continue on the same path as the original one, while you create a whole new one with me." He beamed, happy at his analogy for once. Relief flooded his body when he saw understanding in her eyes.
"Still doesn't explain why I woke up alone in the flat without any clothes on." She muttered, looking down.
"What now?" He let go of her shoulders like he had been stung, and he could feel his ears burning red as he tried not to imagine her all naked and... stuff.
"Naked, Doctor." She looked up at him steadfastly, his hearts skipping a beat when she used his name for the first time. "I was naked when I woke up in my bed a few hours ago. And shouldn't the other me 'ave been there as well?"
"Yes, well..." He wringed his hands, refusing to meet her eyes. "To prevent a paradox, there would have been a slight delay between the other you leaving the flat and you waking up. And the... the... other thing..." He swallowed hard. "That's just a side effect from the reboot, nothing to worry about. Amy's parents probably went through the same thing." He smiled sheepishly, a grin that quickly vanished when he saw Rose's uncertain expression, staring down at her clasped hands.
"Is Amy..." She began hesitantly. "Does she travel with you?" She looked up at him then.
"Yes," He answered, but quickly added when he saw her dejected expression. "But not right now. She and Rory just got married. They both travelled with me for a few months until Rory got erased from history... He's fine now though." He said as he saw her incredulous look. "He came back as a plastic centurion, just like Mr. Mickey remember." He smiled. "A bit more realistic though," He added as an afterthought. "The Nestene consciousness sure has improved. It even fooled me." He stopped his tirade when he saw her large smile. "What?" He rubbed his cheek. "Do I have something on me?"
"No," She shook her head, her tongue peeking out again, but he ignored ever impulse that told him to look down. "It's just... You're just so you. I mean... You look so different, but you still 'ave one 'ell of a gob on you, Doctor."
"Oh, yeah?" He tweaked his bowtie. "And that's a good thing?"
"Definitely," She nodded.
"New new new Doctor." He said with a cheeky grin.
"New new Rose." She said just as cheekily.
The Doctor was about to say something cheeky back, but he was interrupted by the sudden appearance of a "ghost". He realised it was time for them to leave, so he reached out with his hand to grab hers. He leaned forward towards her ear and said one word.
"Run."
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"Run." The Doctor whispered into her ear and she grinned widely at him before the two sprinted of towards the TARDIS. She had come to realise during this short talk that he was still very much the same Doctor. Maybe she could get used to this him given time.
He opened the door with a snap of his fingers, something she filed away to ask him about later. Right now she was too surprise to form any coherent thoughts.
She stopped dead inside the doors as the Doctor continued up to the console and brought them into the vortex.
"You've... you've redecorated." She gaped at the new console room. If his confession hadn't been enough, this sure convinced her that he truly was a future version of the Doctor. Gone were the coral struts and metal grating, replaced with a raised glass floor and an orange tinge on the walls, giving the room a soothing feeling.
"Yeah," He looked at her sheepishly; oh she was quickly taking a liking to his puppy dog eyes. "Regeneration gone a bit wrong. Had to remodel the whole thing."
She wondered briefly if he had been alone, but quickly dismissed the question at the tip of her tongue. It could wait for another time. Instead she opted for a more humorous approach.
"Is that what happened to your fashion sense?" She grinned, her tongue peeking out from her teeth. She had noticed him looking at her earlier when she had grinned like that, but she didn't want to ask him about it. It was probably just a reflex. "Regeneration gone a bit wrong?"
"Oi, I'll have you know, Rose Tyler," God did she love it when he used her full name, no matter which body, and this one seemed to be no exception. "Bowties are cool." He tweaked the object in question, and she couldn't help but burst out into full out laughter.
"I'm sorry," She tried to keep it in as she walked up to the short stairs to the raised platform and up to the console, where he stood waiting for her with a slightly miffed expression. She lifted her hand when she came up to him, looking him in the eyes, asking for permission to continue. He nodded once, and she finished her action, straightening his bowtie before her hands fell down to the lapels of his jacket. All humour was gone now as they looked into each other's eyes. "Bowties are cool... on you." She grinned and stepped back as he beamed back at her.
"Quite right too." He bounded of around the console with an energy that surpassed the old him.
Old him.
She hated the fact that she had already adapted to think as him as the old him. But then she looked at this new version, and she knew that she shouldn't feel guilty. They were still the same person, just different bodies. Not that it helped ease her guilt, but it made it easier to watch him without doubling over with grief.
"Where do you want to go, Rose Tyler?" He popped his head out from around the console. "We never did go to Barcelona, the planet, not the city." He started pushing buttons and pulling levers all over the place. "Or how about..."
"Doctor." She didn't raise her voice, but it was enough for him to stop midsentence. He stared at her with wide eyes, like he was afraid for what she was about to say. "It's just... It's been a long day, lots of new information to take in." She walked around the console so she stood in front of him. "Do you mind if I...?" She waved her hand in the direction of the staircase situated between the two single jump seats, hoping he would understand what she meant. She saw understanding dawn on his face, and she was happy this new face of his was as easy to read as his old one, at least when it came to the normal things.
"Of course," He smiled at her, and if she saw a hint of relief on his face, she just chalked it up to his new personality. "Let me take you to your room." He offered her his tweed clad arm and she accepted it without hesitation. "We can go to Barcelona tomorrow." He led her up the stairs, her hand sliding down into his as they reached the platform at the top. She once again marvelled at the fact that they still fit together so seamlessly.
They walked down the corridor in silence as she took in all the changes. She loved the old coral theme, but she had to admit that this new orange version was quickly growing on her.
Her room was farther away then she remembered, and she wondered if the TARDIS had placed it like that so they would have more time to just walk together. She didn't say anything about her theory to the Doctor though, instead she grabbed his arm with her free hand and leaned against his shoulder as they walked, fighting of a yawn.
He didn't say anything, instead she felt him kiss her on the top of her head, the action making her breath hitch involuntarily. If he noticed, he didn't acknowledge it.
Sooner than she would have liked, they arrived outside of her room; a single white door with a pink rose carved on it. Just like she remembered.
She released her grip on him so she could use her newly freed hand to open the door. Letting go of his hand as well, she stepped inside the familiar room. It looked just like she had left it; the only change was her jumper that lay neatly folded on the bed instead of lying in the hamper with the rest of her dirty clothes.
"It's strange," She said, her back still to him.
"What is?" She looked over her shoulder at him; he was leaning against the doorframe, his brow furrowed.
"I was only in here a few hours ago," She turned her head back and took in the room. "But it feels like it's been ages. Like..." She struggled to find the right words, but failing. Instead she sighed and sat down on the bed, touching the cover to make sure it was the same ones as before.
"It's the first time you're here in this body," She heard the Doctor say, and looked up at him. "It will take a while for you to get used to it. And..." He pushed away from the doorframe and walked up to her, kneeling in front of her and taking her hand in his, keeping his gaze locked on their hands. "It's been a few years since you were in here in my timeline." He almost whispered.
"How long 'ave you had this body?" She asked, using her free hand to stroke his cheek. He closed his eyes and leaned into her touch. He looked so young, and yet so old; burdened by his past.
"A few months," He shrugged and opened his eyes again, still refusing to look up. "But we were separated for a while before..." He trailed off, and she understood that he didn't want to talk about it. Whatever had made him regenerate must be too difficult for him to talk about since he had refused to mention details when he told her about it outside. All he said was that he had saved a friend of his.
"Did you 'ave other companions with you?" She had been afraid to ask. Not that he would have replaced her, but that he would say he had been alone until he found this Amy person.
He didn't answer; he sighed and stood up. She thought he would leave, her heart clenched with worry, but he sat down beside her on the bed, her hand still in his, rubbing soothing circles on her palm.
"I met this medical student a few months after we..." He swallowed hard before continuing. "Martha Jones her name was, and she was..." He trailed of, a lost expression on his face as he remembered. "She fancied me a bit." He smirked and gave her a wink.
"You're so full of yourself." She laughed and hit his arm playfully.
"It's true," He chuckled but then his face dropped. "She left because of it though." He turned his head so she couldn't see his expression, but she could hear how hurt he was. "But she's good now, works at UNIT." He turned back to look at her, a small smile on his lips. "And then I met Donna." His eyes lit up with joy. "Oh, you would have liked her, she had spunk. Always knew what to say to make me feel better." He lifted up her hand so it lay on his lap, using both of his hands to grip it. "She left shortly after the meta-crisis." He said silently. She wanted to know why, but she could tell he wasn't ready to tell her yet.
"How did you meet Amy?" She broke the silence; keeping her gaze fixed on their hands just like he was, watching as he rubbed patters into her hand.
"I crash-landed in her garden when she was a kid... It was right after my regeneration." He paused, and she could see he was trying to find the right words to say. "She gave me fish fingers and custard, and I fixed the crack in her wall."
"Fish fingers and custard?" She cringed at the idea of eating it. Her thoughts must have shown on her face because when he looked up at her, he looked offended.
"Oi, I'll have you know that fish fingers and custard is an excellent combination." He tried to seem stern, but she could see his lips twitch underneath it.
"If you say so." She turned her head so he couldn't see the look of incredibility on her face. Clearing her throat, she turned back to him. "How about you tell me about this crack in her wall."
"Oh yes," He let go of her hand, a loss she immediately missed, so he could clasp his hands together and then leaned towards her so he could whisper dramatically in her ear. "It was actually a crack in the fabric of space and time."
"Is that even possible?" She raised her eyebrows in disbelief.
"Apparently," He shrugged and took her hand again, and she almost sighed with relief. "But I'll come to that later."
He went on and told her about prisoner zero that had come through the crack and how the TARDIS was acting up so instead of five minutes, he arrived twelve years too late. He still managed to solve the problem, but when he took the TARDIS for a short trip to the moon and back, he managed to travel two years into the future.
Rose had to hand it to Amy that still wanted to stay with him after having to wait for fourteen years. It truly put five and a half hours into perspective.
He told her about Rory, and occasionally he mentioned a woman by the name of River Song, but she got the feeling that he was wary about her. She tried asking about her, but he just changed the subject, and she decided to wait for another time.
When he finally reached the point in his story that involved the Pandorica and the cracks in the wall, she was too tired to sit upright and lay down with a big yawn, her feet still dangling over the edge of the bed. She was pleasantly surprised when he had lay down beside her, their entwined hands between them.
"But who blew up the TARDIS?" She asked after he had explained how he had saved the universe by flying the Pandorica into the event horizon of the blowing TARDIS.
"Don't know," He said, and she tilted her head to look at him. His brow was furrowed and he had a dark look in his eyes. Whoever it was, they better stay away from him unless they want to witness the Oncoming Storm head on.
"Doesn't River know?" She asked. "You told me she lives her life backwards to you so she might already know."
"Spoilers." He ground out through clenched teeth, and she nodded in understanding. Apparently it was River Song's favourite word.
"What did you do after the universe was restarted?" She decided to change the subject, lifting his hand up to her stomach so she could draw circles on the back of it like he had done to her before.
"I danced at Amy's and Rory's wedding." He said and tilted his head towards her, and she copied his action, their faces only inches apart.
"See, I told you 'the world doesn't end if the Doctor dances'." She tried to mimic his Northern accent, her tongue poking out of her teeth as she grinned at him.
"Oi, I didn't sound like that." He lifted their entwined hands so he could swat her stomach.
"Yes, you did." She giggled. "You were all grumpy and broody." She did an attempt at looking broody, but she burst out laughing when she saw his puppy dog eyes and pouty mouth. "You're such a baby," She used her free hand to swat him on the arm, but he captured it with his own free hand before she could reach her destination.
The laughter died in the throat as she took in his serious expression, their faces so close their noses were almost touching. She swallowed nervously and her eyes flickered down to his lips of their own accord for a second before meeting his eyes again. They were impossibly dark, and she was sure her own reflected his.
"I should go." His voice broke the tension between them and he sat up quickly, letting go of her hand in the process.
She raised herself up on her elbows, looking at his backside as he sat at the foot of the bed. His shoulders were tense, and when he stood up, he rolled them a few times to release the tension.
"Where're Amy and Rory now?" She asked, knowing the best way to get rid of the awkwardness was to give him something else to think about.
"I dropped them of in Leadworth before going to find you." He said, turning to look at her. "I might have dropped them of six months too late, but they'll be fine." He waved it off.
"Six months too late?" She raised her eyebrows in disbelief.
"Six months too late." He nodded, twisting his hands where he stood at the foot of her bed. She was starting to realise it was his new nervous habit, just like the old him had rubbed the back of his head, or pulled at his ear when he lied.
"Amy must really like you," She grinned and flopped back down. "Twelve years, then two, and now six months."
"Hey!" He hit her foot playfully. "It's getting shorter."
She didn't reply; she just rolled her eyes at him before bringing her hand up to stop another yawn from escaping.
"You're tired." It wasn't a question. "We can talk more tomorrow." She heard his footsteps retreat and immediately sat up.
"Doctor!" She called out and he stopped by the door and turned around so he could look at her. "I..." She didn't know what to say. "Thank you." She settled on.
"For what?" He frowned.
"For bringing me back." She smiled hesitantly. He didn't answer; instead his face broke out into a wide smile.
"Good night, Rose Tyler." He stepped out into the hallway, the smile still on his face.
"Good night, Doctor." She smiled back and watched as he closed the door. She stared at the white door for a long time before shaking herself out of her reverie.
Raising herself from the bed, picking up her pyjamas in the process, she ventured into the en suite to get ready for a few hours of sleep before her adventure with the new Doctor began.
She was surprised at how quickly she was accepting him as the Doctor, especially since technically she had woken up that morning in the same room she was standing in right now but under completely different circumstances and with another Doctor.
Granted, she had woken up again in the flat, but that hadn't felt like sleeping, more along the lines of a very long blink.
Now she was back again, not even 24 hours later, in her bedroom. So much had changed, but at the same time nothing had changed at all. It didn't feel weird being around this him, it felt right. Maybe it was because he was still so similar to... Not like the last time.
The personality change had freaked her out, she couldn't deny that, not to mention the whole experience with witnessing him change into a new man.
Perhaps it's better this way, getting to know him after he has already figured himself out? Still, she wished she could have been there for him when it happened.
She had no idea what would wait her in the future, but she didn't care. As long as she wasn't going to be separated from him in a parallel world, she couldn't care less what would happen. She was just happy that he still wanted to travel with her after all that time.
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To say he was happy was an understatement. He stood outside her door for a few minutes, his hand resting on the plain white surface. He thought about getting a couple of hours of sleep, but he was to wound up that it felt like a lost cause. He had almost lost control in there, with their faces practically touching. He needed to make sure it didn't happen again, for both their sakes.
She was only human, she would wither and die long before him, and even though it would hurt either way, getting involved with her like that would only make it a thousand times worse.
He pushed himself away from the door and walked aimlessly down the corridor, stopping when he reached the door to the library, thinking that he could pass a few hours by reading up on quantum physics or some other easy subject.
It only worked for three hours, then he couldn't concentrate enough on the words on the page. His thought kept drifting back to the girl sleeping somewhere in a purple room a few corridors away. He still couldn't believe she was actually back and that it wasn't just an elaborated dream.
With a sigh, he closed the book and put it back on the table beside the sofa he was sitting on, rubbing his eyes. He stood up and stretched out his gangly body, tweaking his bowtie just to be sure, and then walked back out to the corridor.
He decided to head to the console room and find some wires to tinker with. He passed her door on the way there and paused outside it for a few minutes, trying in vain to hear her breathing, but the door was too thick. Giving up, he continued down the hallway until he reached the platform overlooking the entire console room, stopping for a few seconds to collect himself before descending the stairs and crossing the glass floor to the set of stairs that led down under the console.
Walking down under the platform, he positioned himself in the swing and started tinkering.
Exactly five hours, six minutes, and thirty seven... thirty eight seconds later, he heard soft footsteps on the glass floor above him. He removed his safety goggles and looked up and followed her feet as she walked above him and towards the stairs leading down to him.
"Good morning." He beamed at her when her head became visible at the stairs, and she smiled back, though she seemed a bit occupied with taking in all the new changes.
"Thought I dreamed it at first." She said and drew a hand along a support beam.
He didn't respond, knowing nothing he'd say at the moment would make a difference. Instead he just watched her.
"I miss the old theme, but..." She glanced at him, her tongue poking out again.
"But...?" He urged her on.
"It suits you." She looked around appreciatively. "The new you."
"It does, doesn't it?" He nodded, and jumped down from the swing. "Have you eaten?" He took her hand as he guided her back upstairs, revelling in the feeling. He had missed it even though it only had been eight hours.
"Nope," She popped the 'p' just like the old him, and let go of his hand so she could walk around the room more freely, while he started pulling levers on the console.
"How about Barcelona then?" He asked, watching her out of the corner of his eye. "We can eat breakfast there. They have this fruit that just melts in your mouth."
"Sounds perfect." She beamed and he was filled with energy as he ran around the console, setting the coordinates for the planet, not the city.
They landed without much turbulence and he walked up to her with a goofy grin on his face.
"You've gotten better at landing." She teased as she laced her fingers through his.
"Nah," He dragged her towards the doors. "A happy coincidence, nothing else." She laughed, and his hearts swelled when they heard that wonderful sound. He pushed the doors open and pulled her outside.
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He had landed them on the side of a road in what looked like a jungle, but instead of green, the trees all had purple leaves in various degrees. Some were dark, while others were light, and it was just perfect.
Several birds flew over them, all in brilliant colours, and when they hit a sunbeam, they shone up like a rainbow.
A young couple walked past them, waving and smiling happily as they saw them, and the Doctor waved enthusiastically back while she just stood there and took them in.
They looked like humans, but their skin was a brilliant blue, just like the sky, and their hair looked like it was made of silver. They were just beautiful.
"It's rude to stare." He whispered in her ear, and she shook herself from her surprise and waved back at the couple. She took a few steps forwards without letting go of him, peeking around the TARDIS to see where they were headed.
Just barely visible between the trees were the outlines of a village. It took her a while to notice it at first, since the buildings seemed to melt into the forest. They were made out of the trees themselves, shaped into liveable houses after what must have been decades of careful growing.
"Doctor," She breathed out and turned around to look at him. "This is amazing." She beamed.
"Wait till you see the dogs." He winked. "They don't have any nos..."
"Noses." She finished with a laugh. "I remember."
"Come along then, Rose Tyler." He started walking towards the village without waiting for her answer, which ended with him practically pulling her the first few steps until she managed to catch up with him.
They walked slowly down the road, the Doctor spouting out facts here and there about the different animals or the history of the village they were in, which had a name Rose could barely remember, let alone pronounce.
Eventually they found a lovely little restaurant that served the fruit he had promised her earlier, and they ordered a plate each.
"This is amazing, Doctor." She repeated her words from earlier around a mouthful of the pink fruit, the juices dripping down her chin as she bit into it. The taste was unlike anything she had ever eaten before and she hoped they could bring a basket with them when they returned to the TARDIS.
She watched as the Doctor took a bite of his own fruit and managed to splatter juice all over himself. The look of horror on his face when he noticed the pink stains on his shirt was too much for her and she cracked up.
"It's not funny." He pouted as he tried in vain to wipe them off with a napkin.
"I'm sorry," She brought a hand up to her mouth to try and stop. "At least it's almost the same colour as your shirt." She gestured to his pink chequered shirt, and he stopped his wiping with a sigh. "And you didn't get any on your bowtie."
"I guess," He grimaced. "Are you finished?" He asked, looking at her empty plate.
"Yes," She nodded, excited for where he would take her next.
"Well then, Dame Rose," He offered her his arm with a flourish. "Care to take stroll through the village?" Grinning like a fool, Rose took his arm.
"It would be my honour, Sir Doctor." She laughed.
It still felt strange to see him with his new face, but the more time that passed, the more relaxed she became in his company. She liked his new quirks more and more, and the childishness he sometimes gave off. She even liked his bowtie.
They had walked around for a couple of hours when they came across a mother and her daughter walking with three puppies. Just like the Doctor had said, they all lacked a nose, other than that they seemed unusually normal with brown fur and white paws.
"Aww," She cooed and crouched down so she could pet them. "They're adorable." She looked up at the mother. "May I...?" She reached a hand towards one of the pups, and after receiving confirmation she began patting the smallest one behind the ears.
She probably spent more time than was acceptable by social standards, petting the pups. Eventually the Doctor had to practically drag her away from them, apologising to the mother as they walked away. It took all of her willpower not to beg the Doctor for a pup on her own.
"They look so normal," She looked over her shoulder as they walked down the road. "Except for the noses, of course." She added before he had a chance to say something snarky.
"Unlike the other wildlife, the dogs actually originate from Earth. One of few planets they exist naturally on." He shrugged and she looked over at him with a small frown, and he seemed to know what she was about to ask, because he continued before she had a chance to open her mouth. "The lack of noses comes from a genetic mutation a few hundred years ago; a female dog had a litter of puppies that were all born without noses. For some reason they became so popular the owner decided to keep breeding with her, and soon a new race of dogs was created. Only a handful of the original dogs are left now."
"That's..." She didn't know how to finish the sentence, unsure how she felt about it all.
"I know," He nodded and squeezed her hand.
They continued their walk in silence, but as is custom for them, they ran into trouble shortly thereafter. It wasn't anything big, just a row between a shopkeeper and a costumer, but the Doctor had to jump in before it escalated into something else entirely.
As a thank you, the shopkeeper gave them a basket of fruits that they ate as lunch while sitting down on a bench overlooking a pond filled with strange looking birds. They were similar to ducks in shape, but their beaks and legs were a deep pink, and the feathers shimmered in all kinds of colours.
Rose was about to throw a piece of a fruit, that was very similar to an apple, at them, but the Doctor caught her wrist before she could.
"I wouldn't do that," He warned.
"Wha's the worst tha' could happen?" She asked, looking between him and the ducks. "'s jus' a piece of fruit."
"Suit yourself." He let go of her wrist, a sly smirk on his lips.
Not wanting him to win whatever it was they were doing, she threw the fruit away while keeping eye contact with him, a similar smirk on her own face.
She immediately wished she hadn't.
The moment the ducks got scent of the fruit, their calm demeanour changed into a rabid one. Flashing rows of pearly white teeth, they shifted their focus on Rose and the rest of the fruit still in her hand.
"Geronimo!" The Doctor called out, grabbed her hand and hauled her away from the bench.
Hand in hand, Rose and the Doctor ran away from the hungry ducks chasing them. They didn't stop until they reached the outskirts of the village, far enough from the pond for the ducks to stop going after them with their sharp teeth.
"I told you." The Doctor mocked and she shoved him away.
"Don't need your mocking, thank you." She said, refusing to look at him because she knew she wouldn't be able to keep in her laughter.
Seeming to sense her conflict, he went to stand in front of her. He lifted her chin so she would be forced to look at him, and it only took a second of seeing his smug face before she was unable to keep it in any more.
Bending over double with laughter, she wiped away a few stray tears from her eyes.
"Tha' was..." She gasped out between laughs.
"I know." He grinned goofily. "We should do that more often."
"Once is enough for me, thanks." She took in a few deep breaths to calm down, flashing him a tongue touched smile when she was done.
"You're no fun." He pouted, and to cheer him up, she took his hand in hers and together they continued down the road towards the TARDIS.
Instead of stopping, he continued down the road and Rose was forced to come with.
"I thought we were going back to the TARDIS." Rose said, confused as to where they were going.
"Without visiting the beach?" He looked at her like she had a huge wart on her nose. "Let me tell you something, Rose Tyler. No one leaves Barcelona without first visiting the beach."
"What's so special 'bout it?" She asked, genuinely interested in what he had to say.
"You'll see," Was all he said, and even though she wanted to make a remark about his sudden lack of words, she kept silent. She could see the gap in the trees farther ahead and realised they would soon reach the beach. She could make her remark afterwards.
The view was breathtaking. The slightly pink sand seemed to stretch out endlessly, too far away for her eyes to make out the end.
The water had a brilliant turquoise shade, just like the pictures on the postcard her mate Shareen had once sent her when she had been on vacation in Spain. It looked very inviting, and she decided to test the temperature.
She let go of his hand so she could remove her shoes and socks, the sand warm and soft under her feet. It was softer than any sand she had ever seen before, and it didn't seem to stick to her either.
Dipping her toes into the water, she found it was a bit too cold to actually take a swim in. Disappointed by her discovery, she made her way back to the Doctor who was in the process of laying out a blanket he seemed to have pulled out of his pocket. She wondered how much bigger on the inside they actually were.
"Why's it so cold." She asked as she reached the blanket, plopping down beside the now seating Doctor.
"It's winter." He said like it was obvious. "Couldn't land in the summer, the rays would be too damaging to your fragile human skin."
"Oh, and Time Lord skin is more resilient?" She teased as she pulled on her socks and shoes, no sand evident between her toes despite them being wet when she walked back.
"Well," He tweaked his bowtie. "We do have..."
"Superior biology," She rolled her eyes. "Haven't heard that one before." She leaned her head against his shoulder.
"Exactly," She could hear the smile in his voice and bumped his shoulder playfully with her own.
"You owe me a trip to a real beach now." She picked up a handful of the pink sand and rinsed it between her fingers.
"This is a real beach," He sounded offended.
"You know what I mean." She looked over at him.
"I know," He nodded and lifted his arm so he could wrap it around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him. "Which beach do you want to go to?" He kissed the top of her head, and her heart skipped a beat. She had come to realise after only two days that it was just a new quirk of his new body, but try as she might, she couldn't stop herself from hoping it meant more.
"My mate Shareen once went to Mallorca with her mum and new step-dad." She gazed out over the still water. "I don't know," She shrugged. "The postcard looked nice."
"Mallorca it is then." He said and squeezed her shoulder.
They spent the rest of the day at the beach, the Doctor venturing off to buy them some dinner in a nearby restaurant by the beach; this time a little more filling than the fruit they had consumed for breakfast and lunch.
The sunset was something out of a fairytale. The sun had more of a red tinge than the Earth's, painting the sky dark pink while it set, and it lasted much longer than a sunset on Earth. They lay down on the blanket after the sun had disappeared completely, looking up at the foreign constellations and the three moons.
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The Doctor took in Rose's profile as she watched the sunset; her eyes were wide with wonder and his hearts almost stopped when her eyes turned to him, a coy smile on her face.
"What?" She asked, and he smiled back at her.
"Nothing," He tore his eyes away from hers, letting them land on the almost gone sun. "I'm glad you're back." He said silently.
"Me to," She said and leaned her head against his shoulder.
After the sun had disappeared they lay down, looking up at the stars. He tried to point out as many as he could, but he noticed her concentration slip away, replaced with a look of sorrow or longing.
"What's wrong?" He shifted so he lay on his side, supported on his elbow.
"'s nothing." She refused to meet his eyes, tilting her head away from him, but he could hear the soft sniff.
With a sigh, he propped himself up a little more so he could reach out with his free hand and, cupping her chin, he moved her head back towards him. Using his thumb, he wiped away the stray tear that was falling from her eye.
"Rose," He pleaded. "Tell me what's wrong."
"'s jus'..." She sniffed, still refusing to meet his gaze. "I will never see my mum again." She met his gaze now, her eyes red-rimmed with unshed tears.
"I'm sorry." He didn't know what else to say. This body was annoyingly useless when it came to consoling humans. He just kept stroking her cheek with his thumb, hoping it was soothing her. "I didn't think..." He said after a while, removing his hand so he could lie back down on his back, staring up at the stars.
"No!" He was surprised by her suddenly harsh voice and looked over at her with a frown.
"What..."
"You don't get to blame yourself for this as well." She shook her head, or tried as best as she could considering she was still lying down, and grabbed his hand in a firm but gentle grip. "You don't get to feel bad for bringing me back." She sad softer, lying on her side so she could meet his eyes. "My mum is with the other me, yeah?"
He nodded, not daring to interrupt her just yet.
"Then she's fine." Her gaze fell on their locked hands. "I will still miss her, but at least I know tha' she's alright." She sighed. "I jus' need to get used to it, 's all."
"You shouldn't have to." He said silently, gripping her hand tighter.
She didn't answer; she just shifted so when she lay back down, her head was resting on his shoulder, their clasped hands resting on his stomach.
Should he tell her that Mickey was back? He didn't want to. Not yet. He wanted to spend this time with her alone before he had to share her. Share her with... Amy. And Rory he supposed. He wondered how they would take to the change, not that their opinion really mattered. Not about this.
His inner clock said that it was exactly twenty-eight minutes and forty-three seconds later when her eyes started to drift close and she began to shiver.
"We should go back to the TARDIS." He leaned his head on hers. "You're freezing."
"'s nothing." She shook her head, burrowing her head deeper into his shoulder.
"Nope," He sat up, pulling her up with him. "I'm not in the mood to deal with a sick Rose Tyler."
"Oi," She frowned. "I'm not tha' bad when I'm sick."
"Of course not," He wriggled his hands, refusing to meet her eyes. "Now, upsy daisy, oh." He grimaced. "That's a terrible expression. Never let me use that again."
He stood back as she stood up, taking the blanket as soon as it was free. Shaking it a few times to get rid of the sand, he draped it over her shoulders.
"I'm not tha' cold." She protested and made to remove it.
"Humour me." He pleaded, and hand on her shoulder to stop her from taking of the blanket.
"Fine," She sighed, but he detected a hint of fondness in her eyes as she met his eyes.
"Thank you," He kissed her forehead, refusing to question her blush when he stepped back.
The walk back to the TARDIS was filled with suggestions as to what they should do before they went to bed, or rather she. He could go a few more days without sleep but he decided to humour her.
"I don't know 'bout you, but I wouldn' mind watching a movie before bed." She said as they stepped into the TARDIS.
"Oh," He wriggled his hands enthusiastically.
"Not Back to the Future, Doctor." She shook her head fondly. "We've already seen it four times."
"Then what do you suggest?" He
He walked up to the console as she sat down on the staircase between the two jump seats, wanting to send her into the vortex before they actualised their plans.
Before he had a chance however, his eyes caught sight of something blue lying beside the scanner.
"... 'aven't seen it yet. What do you think?" He heard Rose's voice in the background, but he was too occupied to take in what she was saying.
He walked up to the blue object, taking in as many detail about it as he could without touching it.
"Doctor?" Rose's voice was closer now and he felt her small hand on his arm, but he still couldn't tears his eyes away. "What is it?" She asked.
"I don't know," His voice was monotone, lacking any emotion. "Someone has been in here and placed it for me to find."
"Tha's impossible." He could hear the confusion in her voice. "You need a key to get in here."
"Exactly." He mumbled, his eyes tracking the single One marked on it. "And still someone has been able to do it." He took up the object so they could both take a closer look at it.
It was a letter.
A TARDIS blue letter.
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A/N
I hope you liked it and that it was enough fluffiness. For those of you who prefer less fluff and more angst, tune in to the next two chapters ;)
The songs in the beginning btw are ones I've tried to pick that will match the chapters as best as possible. Sometimes it's only a line, but they're still worth a listen. If you do know of a song that might be a better fit, please tell me and I will check it out and perhaps change it.