This one came to me mostly formed, a little angsty so sorry to those who are familiar with my work and know me for my romantic humor!
Disclaimer: The BBC owns Doctor Who in its entirety.
The Doctor had been plagued by unsettling dreams as of late, always ending in the same fashion.
He had most recently rolled down a hill on New Earth gasping with delight as he came to a stop in the softly scented apple grass. He clutched a handful and looked to his left where the sound of her laughter filled his ears like the tinkling of tiny crystal bells. A grin plastered on his face he turned his sea foam green eyes her way; delighting in the softness of her voice and joy in her hazel brown eyes. Her chest heaved from her laughter as she turned her head toward him. "Doctor, I love you."
His smile stretched ear to ear as his mouth began to for the words his conscious mind would give anything to say. "Rose Tyler-"
It was always at this point that he would wake; a dull ache in his hearts at being denied again the chance to say to her the three words that haunted him since that day on that beach.
The Doctors superior biology made it so he needed to rarely sleep – thankfully- because his dreams were becoming more and more frequent; causing him to sleep less and less. It had been two weeks since he had slept last and the Ponds were beginning to worry.
Amy had commented recently about how he looked more raggedy than when he had landed in her back garden when she was seven. He still refused sleep.
It was about the time he collapsed in the console room in the middle of the night when his dreams changed. He was on the purple sanded beach on Lyss; hand clasped around hers as they stared at the candy floss clouds. As always it was just her laughter; no conversation but an elated feel to everything before the inevitable moment he woke and reality fell back around him. His head turned to her as it always did and she looked to him like she always did.
"The time is coming Doctor."
He furrowed his brows in confusion but when he tried to speak he found his voice absent.
She smiled and leaned over to him; her hair like a golden halo and her face shadowed from the sun. "When the water is at its most troubled, the time will come."
He woke with a start on the console room floor being shaken by Rory. "Doctor, are you alright?"
"Of course I am Rory the Roman I'm the Doctor!"
Rory stared at him critically from a healthcare professional's point of view. The Doctors eyes were hollow and Rory could tell he was sleep deprived. He knew for a fact that this was the case as the Doctor had admitted to Amy that he had not really slept in a month because of nightmares. "Doctor Amy told me that you were having trouble sleeping and I think you should maybe allow me to sedate you for a day or two."
"Now why would you do that? Don't need much sleep me, superior biology and all that."
Rory dropped the subject and simply went back to bed.
XOX
The sky was blue this time and it lead him to believe they were on Earth but it was in fact a tropical planet named Fooshai. They were on a cliff overlooking a dense rainforest; the leaves a shimmering silver, dangling their legs over the edge and clutching hands.
"The time draws closer my Doctor."
His eyes stared out and this time he was able to use his voice. "What time is coming Rose?"
Her laughter rung out before her words. "Spoilers."
They sat in silence together until the inevitable came and she said the words that sent it all tumbling.
"Doctor, I love you."
He woke with tears on his face, oblivious to the world around him he chose to lay in sorrow alone her words on a loop in his mind.
"When the water is at its most troubled, the time will come."
XOX
It had been about a month since he had slept last and he was starting to notice the effects yet would not enter his room. The dreams had become too much for him to bear; so much guilt and regret gnawing at his soul and the endless string of words he had begun to mutter.
"When the water is at its most troubled, the time will come."
Amy frowned at looked over at him. "What does it mean?"
"What does what mean?"
"That thing you've been saying." She stood next to him and drew his full attention. "You've got me worried Doctor."
"It's nothing I've not been saying anything." He looked at her and finally brought up the topic he had purposefully been avoiding. "Why aren't you and Rory wearing your wedding rings anymore?"
"What?" She said, startled. "We're not doing so great honestly. I think we might end up splitting."
"You shouldn't do that. Love the Ponds." He gasped slightly and began to mutter again. "Ponds, lakes, oceans, water. Troubled water...a storm? Nah she's too clever to make it that easy."
Amy rolled her eyes and walked away worried. Rory and her might not be talking much right now but she knew if she needed to help the Doctor he would.
XOX
There was a slight spring to his step after his adventure on Skaro; the Pond's had decided to give it another shot which was wonderful but – the poor Oswin girl.
He fell into a jump seat and drew a hand across his face those same words still echoing in his sleep deprived mind. "What did you mean 'when the water is at its most troubled'? There have been no storms but – water, lake, ocean, river, pond, troubled water, troubled Ponds now! The time is NOW! WHAT TIME IS COMING ROSE WHAT TIME IS HERE?!"
"The time I could jump daft alien."
Green eyes widened in surprise as he spun in his seat.
Before him in all her glory was Rose Marion Tyler; Defender of the Earth and the Shiver to his Shake. She looked every bit as brilliant as she did on the day his life crashed around him. He rubbed his eyes and shook his head. "Oh you sleepy, sleepy man this is not fun to mess with yourself like this."
"Oi! I did not wait a hundred and twenty years for you to ignore me Doctor!"
He reached out a shaking hand and grasped the sleeve of her jumper, leaping to his feet and pulling her close with a shaky laugh. "Oh Rose Tyler, you amazing girl how in the world is this possible?"
"Little bit of this old girl left in me." She said, taking an arm from around him and touching the monitor affectionately. "And a vortex manipulator that needed just a little sonicing."
"But what about-"She shook her head and he fell silent.
"I'm a hundred and forty two Doctor, I've had some time." Rose smiled and hugged him tight to her. "So new, new, new you, yeah?"
The Doctor slept that night, free from the messages Rose had been sending him ("I knew you'd figure it out, but I couldn't just tell you because I wasn't sure when.") because she was curled into his arms, where he was determined to keep her for the rest of his days.
Rose Tyler and The Doctor in the TARDIS as it should be.
Loved this idea and think it turned out well, if a little short for my standards.
Roxy x