Title: Outside In
Rating: T
Spoilers: Anything up to and including 'The Long Game'
Set: A year after 'Rose'
Pairings: Doctor/Rose

Author's Note: I had a sudden realisation the other night that there was one place they hadn't explored and that plot bunny mutated into this fic. This is also probably the most shippy fluff fic I've ever done. Normal I don't do out and out shippy fluff. I mix it in with action and adventure, or major angst so I'm not sure if I can pull this off. Apologies if this comes out a bit crap!

And just for Jillybean there will be some mild smut later. Only mild though because I just don't write it very well. There's also a small reference to one of her fics. Hope you don't mind, but it just fitted too well!


Rose turned the corner and immediately came to another dead end.

Damn.

She had no choice but to admit defeat now; she really was lost. She had thought she'd finally gotten the layout of the TARDIS straight in her head. Or at least she knew enough to get to and from the places she needed to go. Apparently not.

She must've taken a wrong turn back at the swimming pool since that was the only junction she had passed between the infirmary and her bedroom. She'd only popped down there to get an aspirin for her headache. Which was now, ironically enough, getting worse than when she started as she found herself traipsing hopelessly down one identical corridor after another. There definitely should be signs on the walls or something. In the least she would make sure she carried her phone with her everywhere from now. Then problems like these could be solved by a quick, embarrassed call.

But neither of those ideas were much help now and so she continued on, trying to get a good picture in her mind's eye of where she had been so she didn't accidentally try the same route twice. The TARDIS was much larger inside than she'd ever realised though and finding her way back could certainly take some time.

Eventually, and much to her relief, she found herself back at the swimming pool, making doubly sure she followed the correct route back to her room. All she wanted to do now was lie down under the bed covers until her headache disappeared. At least she could be guaranteed some peace and quiet with the Doctor working busily away in the control room. Once he got started he could be at that for hours.

Opening the door to her room, she had already taken a step inside before she realised that the view wasn't at all right. Most obviously the floor was not where it should be - namely under her feet. She flapped wildly in the air to try to avoid falling forward, but it was already too late and her momentum took her through. She must have fallen at least ten feet down into almost total darkness before she landed on her feet with a thump. She immediately pitched forward onto her hands and knees as pain spiked through her left leg.

Sitting down, shocked, she spared a moment to take a few calming breaths before she looked around and tried to figure out what had happened. The room was, as far as she could see, completely empty, the only source of light coming from the still open door above her. The door itself was ten feet higher than it should have been. Or the floor was ten feet lower than it should've been, she wasn't entirely sure which. Either way, this clearly wasn't her room.

There was a considerable amount of pain radiating from her left ankle and she had a horrible feeling it was broken. It was certainly felt similar to when she had been six and had fallen off a swing and broken her arm. Tentatively she tried to put a little weight on it and immediately choked out a painful gasp, unbidden tears forming at the corners of her eyes. Yes, definitely broken. Not that getting up would have done her much good anyway. There was no way she could reach the door to get out.

"Doctor!" she shouted out, at the top of lungs, wondering how far from the control room she actually was, "Doctor! Can you hear me!"

The silent response convinced her she was definitely out of calling range.

Sighing worriedly, she looked around but couldn't see anything she could do.

Well, wasn't this just brilliant?