The Bells
-
Hear the sledges with the bells -
Silver bells!
What a world of merriment their melody foretells!
-
Rose let out a loud burst of laughter as the duo ran through the twisting, never-ending caves of Satellite 253, designed by humans to look like the most beautiful caves known to man. The Doctor glanced at her from the corner of his eyes and soon joined in, their peals of laughter echoing off the cave walls and surrounding them in a bubble of bliss.
"This is amazin'!" Rose screamed as they jumped over a ridge in the stone, "Do you think they're ever gonna stop?"
"Not until we disappear!" The Doctor returned, grinning before pushing himself faster, "C'mon, we have to keep going. If they catch up to us, we're toast! Quite literally, too. Funny they may be, but if we get in range of their weapons…" Rose kept smiling, and if anything her amusement grew till she couldn't keep back her mischievous smile.
"They're so funny lookin', hobblin' around on their hands," she giggled, tightening her grip on his hand, "They'll never catch up!" He laughed, his sides burning as he attempted to do so while running.
"We could stop running," The Doctor offered after he caught his breath, Rose glanced at him, her grin a permanent feature on her face. Her tongue peeked out from between her teeth and the Doctors hearts stuttered. Her look was mischievous and promising at the same time.
"Never in a million years," she said, her smile nearly blinding him with it's brilliance. His heart stuttered again, and they both turned a sharp corner. Rose yelled in glee, "There she is! C'mon!"
They raced forward and stumbled in through the TARDIS doors, slamming the door shut and almost immediately sending themselves flying into the vortex. They let their breathing settle before they finally looked at each other again. They smiled, chests heaving as they tried to gather their breath.
They didn't need to say anything to know that this was one adventure where everything was perfect. The one adventure where they felt the world was never going to fall, that there was nothing that could bring them from their eternal high. Rose took him in a tight, bone cracking hug.
"Thank you," she said breathlessly, "For everything." He just smiled and ran his fingers through her slightly tangled hair, subtly breathing in her intoxicating scent that was purely Rose. That would always be purely Rose.
-
Hear the mellow wedding bells -
Golden bells!
What a world of happiness their harmony foretells!
-
The two time travelers were silent as they basked in peace, laying beside each other and taking in the gentle heat of the sun that burned millions of miles away. Their fingers were loosely intertwined, seeming to be the only thing keeping them anchored to reality.
"This is nice," Rose murmured, breaking the calm, "Jus' relaxin'. I love the runnin' for our lives, but sometimes, jus' bein' able to lay here…nothing goin' wrong, nothin' to do…it's perfect. I love it." The Doctor opened his mouth to speak, but Rose continued, "But at the same time, you get antsy jus' layin' here. Start gettin' paranoid. Ruins the effect."
"We could stop looking for trouble," The Doctor offered, "Just relax, go to hotels and resorts and live the high life." Rose snorted, as if his offer was completely radical. As if he had said they could go domestic.
"Next thing I know, you're gonna be askin' me to marry you," she joked, "You may not wanna admit it, but you're getting' pretty domestic mister Time Lord." They both laughed, but the laughter quickly subsided as they both lay there, watching each other with warm, love filled eyes.
"How long are you going to stay with me?" He asked, and Rose smiled, very lightly squeezing his hand.
"Forever,"
-
Hear the loud alarum bells -
Brazen bells!
What a tale of terror, now, their turbulency tells!
-
"Doctor!!!"
Rose scream echoed around them, barely heard over the sounds of guns firing, screams from innocent victims as they were gunned down. IT was horrible, blood spattering the street and getting everywhere. Rose pushed through the crowds, narrowly avoiding death at every turn. She searched desperately for some sign of her Doctors brown suit and white trainers. She yelped as someone barrowed into her, locking her hands behind her back and pushing her face into the harsh gravel.
"Shut up!" The person hissed. His voice was as harsh as the ground she was forced against. His hands were sticky, and Rose feared that they were coated in blood, "Or I'll slit you're fucking throat!"
"Over my dead body,"
The man was kicked off of her back and Rose turned to see her savior hovering over her, fire burning in his eyes and momentarily astounding her. He wasted no time in hefting her up off the floor and running, never stopping, not paying any mind to the helpless screams that surrounded them. When they finally clamered into the TARDIS, he wasted no time in getting them out of there. When the sound of the TARDIS dematerializing filled the room, Rose allowed herself to break. She fell to her knees and sobbed, her hands coated with blood. It was a mixture of red and blue, the signs of the interspecies war going on somewhere in time, in their past and in the Earths future. It hadn't happened yet, but at the same time…
"I'm so sorry," The Doctor whispered, taking her into his arms and holding her close, allowing her to sob violently into his shoulder. Her nails dug into his shoulders, yanking him closer then what was possible. She melded against him, aching for his touch, his comfort. She felt so dirty. "I didn't know, I thought we landed in 5000. It was 4985, the middle of a war. I never meant…"
"It's okay," Rose whispered, sniffing into his shirt, "I'm fine." There was silence, and Rose shivered as memories assaulted her, "Doctor, a child…I saw a child die. Right in front of me."
"Shh," he whispered, running his fingers through her hair, "You're safe now. I'm not letting you go. I'm never letting you go."
-
Hear the tolling of the bells -
Iron bells!
What a world of solemn thought their monody compels!
-
Rose stared at the Doctor as he looked solemnly at her, his eyes brimming with unshed tears. She wanted to touch him, wanted to take him into her arms and give him the biggest hug they would ever share. But it wasn't possible. He was just an image. He wasn't there. He was never going to be there again. They would be stuck apart from each other, universes apart, and he would be all alone. So very alone.
"You're dead," he explained, momentarily shocking her, "Officially, back home. So many people died that day and you've gone missing…" He didn't really make eye contact; his eyes kept flittering all over her face, from her nose to her chin to her lips, before settling on her eyes. Then the pattern would start again, "You're on the list of the dead."
He was trying to memorize her face. He would never see his wonderful, amazing Rose Tyler ever again save for in a photograph, and a photograph was just an image. It couldn't speak, couldn't laugh, couldn't love him. It was a moment in time. A fixed point in time he would never, every get to experience again. His hearts broke as he saw the depression in her eyes, the sick humor as she tried to grasp the situation. She was breaking, and it was partially his fault.
"And here you are," He continued, "Living a life day after day. The one adventure I can never have." Of course, he had never wanted that. But now, looking at her, taking in everything about her…he wanted that more then anything. Her lips formed a twisted smile as she tried to keep her sobs at bay long enough to speak, long enough to say goodbye.
"Am I ever going to see you again?" she asked, her voice breaking under the effort. She pressed her hand against her forehead and brushed her hair from her face in an attempt to calm her self and keep her face clear. She didn't want anything interrupting her vision of him.
"You can't," he said, his voice soft and full of so much untold sorrow. Rose gasped in a shaky breath, her shoulders quaking.
"What're you gonna do?" she asked. He tried to remain calm, keep his emotions in check.
"Oh, I've got the TARDIS," he said nonchalantly, though the effect was diminished due to the pain that was etched throughout his face, "Same old life, last of the Time Lords."
"On your own?" Rose asked. It was hard for her to speak through the tears, but she had to try. There was no time for silence. How much time did they have now? He just nodded, and Rose decided to say it. This was her last chance. She'd never see him again.
"I," she mentally cursed herself as she stumbled over her words, her tears clogging her throat and making speech more difficult then it should have been. She pushed the words out of her, desperate to have them said, "I love you." She couldn't help the small laugh that followed. Of all there time together, it was only now they had the gall to admit it to each other. Only when they had already lost everything.
"Quite right too," the Doctor responded, his smile laced with sadness, "and I guess, if this is my last chance to say it," Hope filled her chest as she realized that he love her too. IT wasn't just in her mind. She wasn't just crazy. It was real. He loved her.
"Rose Tyler–"
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B.E. Nomads [Excerpts from 'The Bells' by Edgar Allan Poe]