Disclaimer: "Doctor Who" is the property of the BBC, and no infringement is intended.
Thanks, as ever, to Sonic Jules for moral support and beta assistance.
Author's Note: This is set immediately after the TARDIS departs Bad Wolf Bay in "Journey's End."
The wind did not diminish after the ship's abrupt departure. Rose stood with the Doctor, her fingers entwined with his, watching the empty beach. He gave her all the time she needed, keeping his hand firmly within hers and watching her with patient, mildly concerned eyes.
It was Jackie who finally broke the silence. She'd pulled out her mobile immediately after the TARDIS disappeared, but the hiss of the wind carried her words away.
"Right. I've phoned Pete. He's sending a helicopter, but it can't get here 'til tomorrow mornin'. Looks like there's a storm comin' in, an' the pilot won't risk it. But Pete's found a hotel we can stay at tonight, an' the 'copter'll be here first thing in the mornin'."
The Doctor nodded and looked down at Rose again. She met his gaze, offering him a thin smile.
"S'pose we'll be home soon," she said.
"Home," he repeated, wondering at the implication of the word. He would have a new home now, a grounded, permanent place to live. His thoughts whirled, but all he said was, "Will I have to get a mortgage?" He arched an eyebrow at her.
Rose took a moment to recall the reference, but when she did she grinned, a gesture of both humor and relief. He remembered their time on Krop Tor; he really did have all the same memories, all the same feelings…
"So where's this hotel?" he asked Jackie.
The air was growing colder by the minute, and the wind had not relented. The older woman studied the small screen on her phone for a moment then pointed the device toward her left. "This way, 'bout three-quarters of a kilometer."
The Doctor slid his arm around Rose's shoulders, and they followed Jackie across the deserted, chilly beach.
The flat, sandy surface yielded to a small patch of rough rock, exposed now that the tide was out. The three travelers could see the inn; its lights glowed warmly in the gathering gloom. They would be able to reach the hotel most quickly by crossing the rocky tide pools. Skirting the area would add another half a kilometer to their trek, and the weather was worsening quickly.
"This'll be the fastest way," the Doctor shouted over the rush of wind. He swept a hand toward the stretch of low rocks.
Jackie nodded, already moving ahead. She was clearly anxious to get out of the wind, to find shelter before the storm hit fully. She stepped gingerly over the slick, coarse stones.
The Doctor touched Rose's elbow. "Go ahead!" he yelled.
She nodded, brushing the hair out of her face. With one quick glance back, she called, "Be careful!"
Jackie trudged forward sturdily, moving with more alacrity and surety than the Doctor would have expected from her. He supposed that chasing a toddler about had made her quicker than she'd been last time he'd seen her. His eyes moved back to Rose. She was stepping gingerly, watching her footing and trying to look back at him often.
"I'm all right!" he called. Really, he was. But she appeared mildly worried. He supposed it was the thought that he was no longer infallible; he had a definite life span now, and that was something he'd need to consider long and hard.
He looked up from the rocks, watching Rose as she moved along. Jackie was nearly to the edge of the tide pool now. In a few moments her feet were back on the hard-packed sand. She looked back to assess her daughter's and his progress.
"C'mon," she called, beckoning with a wide arc of her arm. "Storm'll be here any minute!"
Indeed, the wind sheared across the beach more fiercely than ever. A strong gust blasted over the rocks, catching the Doctor momentarily off guard. He tottered, scrambling to maintain his balance.
"Doctor!" Rose cried, turning back quickly.
He regained his bearings, finding a higher rock against which he could quickly plant one foot. Rose, however, did not fare as well. By the time he realized she had slipped, it was too late to spring forward and catch her. He saw he fall onto her knees, blond hair whipped furiously about her head.
"Rose!" he shouted, hurrying forward.
She was still struggling to regain her footing when he reached her. Quickly he took her elbow and pulled her up. "All right?" he asked.
She nodded. "Yeah."
Icy rain had begun to fall, stinging their exposed skin. The rocks would be too slick for any type of successful movement within a few minutes. He took her hand and led her forward as quickly as he dared.
They reached Jackie, who immediately hugged her daughter then urged them all to sprint for the hotel. By the time they reached it, sleet was slicing through the air. They entered the lobby, immediately relishing the warmth from the large stone fireplace. Jackie marched to the small reception desk to announce their arrival.
The Doctor brushed the ice from Rose's hair, and she did the same for him. She was shivering, and he realized that he was, too. He had a human's body temperature, or something close to it, now; he'd have to get used to that. He realized that he was slightly winded from their dash, too. Damn. He'd probably have to start working out, building up his respiratory and coronary fitness to compensate for the loss of his bivascular system…
"Rooms're ready," Jackie announced, bustling back to her daughter's side. "But they've only got two. You with me, sweetheart?" she asked her daughter.
Rose looked up at the Doctor questioningly. He nodded and took her hand.
"S'pose you two've got some catchin' up to do," Jackie assented, passing the Doctor a key. "Room's up there." She tilted her head to the left.
"Meet you in an hour for dinner?" Rose replied with a grateful smile.
The elder Tyler nodded. "In the meantime, you both look liked drowned rats. Get warmed up."
"You too, Mum." Rose kissed her mother's cheek, and Jackie headed up the stairs to the right.
The Doctor glanced at the key. "Ten," he said.
"What's that?"
"Our room number. Ten."
"Oh, right."
She was still shaking, and her hand felt very cold even against his own chilled skin. "Come on. I think a hot bath is in order."
He urged her toward the staircase. However, when her foot hit the first stair, she grunted in pain, stopping to reach down and press a hand over her knee.
His eyes followed the movement. Her jeans were damp, and it took him a moment to realize that the patch over her knee was darker. He hadn't lost his heightened sense of smell entirely; he could still detect the faint tang of iron.
"You're bleeding," he said.
"'S nothin'," she replied. "Just scraped it on the rocks."
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
She climbed the staircase beside him, but he saw that she was limping. He'd do a quick scan with the sonic screwdriver once they reached—Oh. He didn't have that trusty instrument any more. He could make another one, if he could find the proper equipment and parts, but that would require time.
"This is it," Rose said, stopping in front of a door.
He slid the key into the lock and opened the door. The room was small but cozy, with a little pot-bellied wood stove that had already been lit. There were two double beds, a loveseat, and a diminutive writing desk. Thick down comforters graced the beds, and two terry cloth robes hung in the tiny open closet.
Rose's teeth were chattering as she sank down onto the nearest bed. "God, 'm cold," she said.
He was chilled, too, but not as severely as she was. He caressed her cheek gently, his fingers brushing over the pulse point in her throat. His hand stilled for a moment at the fluttering beneath his fingertips. No wonder she was so cold; reaction was setting in. And why shouldn't it? After all she'd been though, after all she'd lost and all she'd found, of course she'd be close to shock once it all sank in. He understood that now…but there wasn't time to ponder it.
He moved to the bathroom quickly, disappointed to find only a stall shower rather than a bathtub. Well, it would have to do. He turned on the water then returned to Rose.
She sat motionlessly, her gaze blank. He could see the rapid rise and fall of her chest.
"Need to get you warm," he told her, but she did not reply.
Quickly he pulled off her jacket and shirt, before lifting her to her feet and tugging off her shoes and socks. When he slid off her jeans he saw the blood on her knee, but that wasn't his primary concern just now.
He propelled Rose into the bathroom. He checked the water, adjusted it slightly, then placed his hands upon her shoulders.
"Get in," he told her.
She nodded woodenly, but he saw comprehension in her eyes. He turned away while she removed her underwear, but once he heard the shower door click closed he spun around to watch her foggy form.
To be continued...
