Play the Game Tonight
The Doctor is not jealous. There is no reason that he should be. They're just humans doing the foolish things humans do when they're bored and have energy to expend. And it isn't because he feels left out that the sound of laughter and rapid footsteps echoing down the corridors bothers him. Though it is mildly annoying that he was in the middle of repairs when the phrase "play a game" had been uttered. He couldn't very well have stopped in the middle of calibrating the helmic regulator just to participate in tonight's version of tomfoolery, but at least he had been invited. "Find us when you're ready," he heard Rose say before she sprinted from the console room.
Of course he doesn't feel left out. It is simply concern for his fellow passengers that causes the Doctor to pause from his repairs and sit on the jump seat to ponder whether or not he should fetch his wayward companions. The Tardis could be a daunting labyrinth to those not familiar with her. Even he had managed to get turned around on occasion, and that was after centuries on board.
The Doctor lets out a huff. Human or not, his companions are adults and the Doctor shouldn't have to childmind them. But with jeopardy-friendly Rose Tyler and thrill-seeking Jack Harkness teaming up, there is no end to the chaos that could ensue. It's probably best to locate them before someone (likely Rose) ends up needing a visit to the med bay. It has nothing to do with the seductive grin permanently plastered on Harkness' face, the suggestive comments he is prone to make, or the fact that the Doctor cannot currently see Rose's reaction to either. He isn't even sure what caused that thought to flash through his mind.
The Doctor opens his eyes. He hadn't noticed that he had closed them or that he had bent over in concentration with a spanner held to his temple. He imagines he looks like some variation of The Thinker statue, and chuckles at the thought as he puts the spanner on the seat next to him. Rose's laughter, by comparison, is now distant and barely audible.
Rassilon, he loves her laugh. And her smile.
Not that it means anything. It is just that she has a way of brightening the darkness. Only she could've caused him to declare how glad he was to meet her when he was about to die in a dungeon—in Cardiff, no less! Only she could've persuaded him to dance in a hospital basement when he should have been focusing on resonating concrete. And only she could drive away the demons of the time war and fill the silence in his mind with music.
Silence. Presently, the only sound the Doctor can hear is the gentle hum of the time rotor as the Tardis drifts peacefully in the current of the time vortex. The Doctor, on the other hand, is in a panic. Silence means trouble. Rose and Jack are probably lost down some forgotten corridor. Or stuck in the zero room or the cloister room. Whatever their original intention was for the night, it has likely gone horribly wrong. Wandering off is practically in Rose's job description. She could be disoriented, scared, and alone. Or she and Jack could be lost as a pair, finding comfort by sticking close together—very close. The Doctor needs to find them. Now.
Not that he's jealous. There's nothing to be jealous of. There's no denying that he and Rose have a chemistry of sorts, but they are just mates, nothing more. The Doctor has no say in who she fancies. Though he hopes she would have the sense not to fancy a flirt like "Captain" Jack Harkness . She's smart enough to see through his charms, isn't she?
And, yes, the Doctor has flirted with her himself on occasion. But it was different. Very different...and in no way sending mixed signals. It doesn't matter that he cannot presently articulate exactly what the difference is. Trying to do so puts his mind into dangerous territory.
Danger. Rose. Right. He has to find Rose. (And Jack, he should probably find Jack too.)
The Doctor pushes the rest of the thoughts from his mind as he stands. Then he sprints down the corridor focused on nothing else but finding his companion. (Companions. There's two of them.)
The Doctor decides to start with the rooms his friends frequent most, calling Rose's name as he checks each one. He throws in Jack's name intermittently as well.
The media room is empty, and shows no signs of having been disturbed for almost twenty-four hours. The bowl of popcorn from the night before is still there. The throw blanket that Rose had covered herself with is in a heap on one side of the sofa.
The Doctor tries the library. He leaves no row of bookshelves unsearched. No one is there.
The kitchen (including the pantries and walk-in refrigerators) is equally empty. A check of the laundry room, swimming pool, and wardrobe produce the same fruitless results.
Perhaps Rose is not lost at all, and has just retired to her room for the evening. The Doctor locates the correct corridor then pauses in front of her door. He knocks lightly and calls her name, attempting to sound casual. There is no answer. Despite the concern he has about intruding upon her personal space, he opens the door. The room is vacant, as is her en suite bathroom.
The Doctor does his best to ignore the fleeting picture of what his companions could have been occupied with in Rose's room as he moves on to Jack's room and en suite. It is also vacant. An audible "Ha!" and a chuckle escape from his mouth, and he is glad only the Tardis is listening. But the Doctor's relief that no "games" are happening in the space are soon replaced with dread. If he had been honest earlier, he would have admitted jealousy was the primary driving factor behind his search, but now that he has searched several rooms without results, the Doctor worries that his concerns about safety are more than just an excuse.
The Doctor leans against a coral strut outside Jack's room as flashbacks of other times Rose has wandered off flit through his mind. At least she won't be hanging from a barrage balloon this time. That never would have happened if he had just scanned for alien tech as she had asked. In fact, why isn't he doing a scan now? He opens a hidden panel on the wall and programs the Tardis to scan for human life. She refuses. He kicks the wall, and the lights in the corridor flash in angry protest. The Doctor thought his ship liked Rose, so why isn't she cooperating? But he doesn't have time to worry about it. He has to focus on finding Rose and Jack, and he will check everywhere—logical or not—until he does.
The Doctor runs down corridor after corridor calling his friends' names as he makes his way deeper into the Tardis. After looking in ten of the fourteen or so bathrooms, at least four of the squash courts, the gymnasium, the garage, and the laboratory, he pauses to take a breath. Could they have gotten themselves locked in some storage area? He supposes anything is possible and adds cupboards and crawl spaces to his list of places to search.
Thinking it best to start from the beginning, the Doctor returns to the control room and heads down the main corridor once again; this time checking the cupboards. The first one contains a variety of tools and wire. The second, cleaning supplies from around the universe. Neither one has room to fit a person.
Then he opens the boot cupboard and is reminded that it is not a cupboard at all, but a rarely-used salon. And in front of him, sitting on the sofa, giggling, and reading a book of Shel Silverstien poems that had likely been there for decades, is the most wonderful sight in the universe.
"Rose!" the Doctor shouts, not attempting to hide his joy and relief. "You're okay!"
Rose looks up from her book and regards him with a look of amusement. "Why wouldn't I be?"
The Doctor is unable to come up with a satisfactory answer, and resorts to a shrug.
"Took you long enough to find me," Rose continues and she puts the book down. "Did you get lost or something?"
The Doctor shakes his head, still trying to understand. Rose was clearly never in danger. But neither does she seem to be playing a game—her partner in crime is missing.
"Where's Jack?" he asks.
Rose grins as she shakes her head. "Can't tell you. That'd be cheating."
Cheating? The Doctor steps over to the sofa and sits down next to Rose. He frowns, then flushes as realization begins to set in.
Rose gives him a look of pity. "You've been searching long enough," she says. "You didn't hear this from me, but I am pretty sure he said something about cricket."
"Cricket club then," the Doctor mumbles as he returns to a stand.
Rose nods. "I'll come with you," she says, also standing. "And Doctor?"
He hums in response.
"I know hide and seek is for schoolchildren," she says as she takes his hand. "So thanks for playing the game tonight."
All the worries of the past hour evaporate as the Doctor looks at Rose's warm smile. "Am glad to," he tells her, "childish or not." He squeezes her hand lightly as he chuckles. "But maybe next time we can just play Snakes and Ladders."
Author's Notes: Hey everyone! I've missed you!
Summer was hectic. It seems that the routine of the school year, despite the added responsibilities, provides predictable times for me to write. (Not to mention less young people stealing my computer all day!) And September was busy with finding our groove again. So summer hiatus might be a regular thing for me.
Anyway this little one-shot is my way of saying I am back. (So thanks to those who follow me and not just one story in particular.) I will now focus on finishing As Time Goes By then I will return to The Way We Were. And, of course, there may be a one-shot now and then as well.
I hope you enjoyed this little Game Night escapade. An FYI for American readers: Snakes and Ladders is the same as our Chutes and Ladders game except it has snakes instead of slides. The title (as almost always) comes from a song. This time one from Kansas. The words are not that applicable, but Kanas is an awesome classic rock band worth listening to. (Supernatural fans, they sing "Carry On My Wayward Son." ) I almost went with the oldie song "Apple, Peaches Pumpkin Pie" which has perfect lyrics, but it made me feel I should at least mention those things in the story, and I did not like trying to make it fit.
Anyway, I am glad to be back. I don't normally ask for reviews, but if you are one of my old followers, I would love it if you said hello. :)