Disclaimer: Don't own the Doctor, Rose, the TARDIS or the concept for the show.
Inspired by Shh by Frou Frou. – Listen to the song it's good.
Note: Not yet Beta'd but I'm mostly just putting it up to see what kind of response I get. I'll post it finished with love and corrections later.
The Doctor lay under the control panel tinkering his world back together. Their last excursion outside the safe haven of the TARDIS had left it slightly shattered. Watching Rose plunge into the rapid, green and white waters of the alien river had torn both of his hearts out and run them over several times with an Osocotocon-aan, the rough equivalent of a steam roller but much bigger and more precise. He let out an exaggerated sigh and pushed the button on the sonic screwdriver with more force than necessary. As much as he hated it every few seconds the scene would play over in his mind as if a sadistic god were rewinding it and then hitting play over and over again.
The sudden jerks of the small, wooden vessel and suddenly she was no longer next to him but half way off the side and holding onto his hand for dear life. The craft jerked again and his grip just wasn't strong enough. He was too small, too thin, and didn't nearly have the muscle of his 9th self. His 9th self could have kept her safe.
The Doctor growled low in his throat partly at the self pity game he was playing but mostly at the image of her brown eyes looking pleadingly at him just before her blonde head was dragged under the water.
His hand still felt just as empty as it had the moment hers had slipped from it. That empty feeling had taken away all need for self preservation and he'd could have only pulled that jacket off faster if he'd been back in the TARDIS and Rose had walked in to tell him she wanted him in her bedroom naked that very moment. With the help of a local amphibian he'd recently made friends with Rose had been pulled out of the water without a scratch. Though she was a little shook up and needed him to comfort her. She didn't know that he needed her comfort and as much as she needed his. Specifically he hadn't let go of her hand till they were back at the TARDIS for fear that the empty feeling would return again. Once her fingers left his it had.
The smell of her summer rain scented shampoo filling his nose and the slight patter of her feet against the grating of the floor let him know she'd returned from her shower and roughly tossed all unpleasant thoughts out the back door his mind. He noted with amusement that she moved almost noiselessly. She was trying to sneak up on him. He grinned wide and pushed himself out from under the control panel to to look up at her pout. Doctor-one hundred thirteen. Rose-zero.
Despite her pout she still shined like a gift from the Earth sun gods. Apollo, Freyr, Liza, Re, Inti, Lugh, Amaterasu had given him this beautiful, delicate sunbeam. So brilliant to light the way in his once sinister world, a ray to shine so bright that the darkness was forced to hide in the corners far from where he stood. His sunbeam glowed as a smile graced her features and she offered a hand to help him up. He took it gratefully and wrapped his arms around his radiant sparkle. Ironically, to his amusment as he thought through these metaphors he realized she was wearing golden glitter.
Her laughter scattered across the room-laughter he'd inspired. There was nothing better in all of time and space. He pulled away from the hug and took a step back to rock onto the balls of his feet. He had a secret. He lived to please his sunbeam and this he knew for sure was going to make her smile and forget all about the unpleasant, icky, muddy river. He couldn't keep the grin from spreading across his features.
"So where are we going next?" his smile contagiously lit up her face even brighter. She knew he had something extra wonderful planned.
"You'll see when we get there," He replied noting her dark blue jeans and loose sweatshirt. While looking absolutely stunning in them they were not conducive to what he had planned. This was easily solved. She could slip down to the wardrobe once he'd surprised her. He could even lean forward and play seductively whisper the suggestion in her ear. He grinned wider.
He began the familiar dance, more of a jig really, around the controls of his amazing ship before she could ask anymore questions. Pulling knobs and pushing buttons, he clicked the keys of the console to throw time and space into play around them. The whir of his living machine buzzed in his ear and in his head and he directed Rose to push a small blue button on the opposite side of the consol. She smiled at him and reached down to obey his command.
Her blind trust of him warmed his heart as much as it worried him. He had asked her to trust him and get onto that small hardly managed to stay afloat. She could have died. Now was not the time to think about those things. He had his ship to fly! It needed his full and undivided attention. Actually it needed 7 of him's full and undivided attention but it had to make do with just him and half the time it didn't have his undivided attention, being that most the time Rose had done some adorable thing to steal it.
The TARDIS came to an abrupt stop throwing Rose to the floor affectionately. The Doctor sighed and walked over to where Rose was quite verbally cursing him for it. It was hardly his fault. The TARDIS had a mind of her own.
"We're here!" He informed his fallen angel offering her a bright grin and a hand up.
"I hadn't noticed," She grumbled sarcastically but accepted his hand and continued to hold it once upright.
The Doctor smiled, warmed by her touch and led her over to the door. He took a moment, hoping to draw out her anticipation even just for another second then threw the door open and proclaimed. "Welcome to Shemowari."
Rose tugged him outside to discover this new and exciting place.
Rose stared wide-eyed at the beauty that surrounded her. The Doctor felt he'd over done himself once again. The TARDIS had landed in a romantic cove cut out of a regal mountain towering over them. The whole scene was an exotic array of bright blues, yellows, reds and deep greens.
Coloring the mountain and the edge of the beach were trees ranging from the size of a number 2 pencil to challenging the mighty sequoias on earth. Their bark was blood red with streaks of deep brown and black. Huge deep green leaves, round and velvety looking hung down like a draping corner of a table cloth with tall, thin, gold leaves shot up towards the light blue almost green sky.
Rose squatted and ran her fingers through the white sand with little silver and bright blue crystals glittering within it. She made an excited squeak at the wonder of the whole scene. Then she turned around to see the water. Soft blue and clear, it shined with the departing evening light. She was in perfect awe of the scene around her. She shined with such happiness it excited the Doctor. He moved towards her.
"Sunbeam," he whispered into her ear from where he stood behind her. "There's a whole collection of swim wear in the wardrobe. This water is going to be the most magical place for swimming in ah," He paused to figure out how many minutes before the sun would fully set. "30 minutes. Well 27 really"
She turned to meet his eye and he managed to stop before his mouth ran off with him, or worse, Rose.
She laughed-with him, at him, it didn't matter. He watched her turn and head towards his beloved ship. The two things he loved most in the universe. It was like having his cake and eating it too. She pulled the door of the TARDIS shut quietly after she stepped inside.
Once Rose was gone the Doctor headed towards the closest fully grown tree. Bunsa Trees they were called and he had a particular fondness for them. Well for their fruits anyway. He thought the trees themselves looked a little silly.
Hidden under the enormous, green leaves were oblong, puke green fruits that actually tasted like artificial grape flavoring. He could eat them all day. Infact he had eaten all day back when he was his 4th self. His companion, who'd also loved the fruits, had gotten violently for the experience. He'd learned that the human constitution couldn't handle more than 5 or 6 of the fruits within a short period of time.
He plucked six of the ripest fruits and carried them back over to a nice sitting portion of the beach and stared out over the water. He was tempted to start eating the fruit but was worried he'd finish them off before Rose got there. Instead he examined the cove and compared it to the last time he'd been there.
The small crystals in the sand had been a teal instead of a bright blue. He wondered exactly how many years it had been. He never bothered to set a very specific date when visiting uninhabited planets. It didn't really matter as long as the scenery was still there.
The Doctor sprawled out on the sand and closed his eyes. His sole occupation was to observe certain moment, instances in history, and this one demanded to be properly observed. He could smell the fresh water of the sea water and the artificial grape aroma of the fruit. He could taste, well the lingering of his afternoon tea. Anyone else would had said it didn't fit with this exotic, alien scene but to the Doctor it seemed perfectly natural -Perfectly natural like the sound of Rose's trainers on the jeweled sand.
She stood over him. He smiled up at her without opening his eyes while he filled his senses with the imprint she left on time. It made him shiver.
"What are you doing?" she asked half curious, half not sure what to make of the situation.
He didn't reply just continued to lay there wondering how long she'd put up with it before she playfully kicked him. He got his answer a second later when she dropped something on him.
His fingered examined thoroughly the object in question. "Swim trunks?" He asked finally opening his eyes to look up at her.
"Well I'm not going swimming on an alien planet by myself. They looked about your size and I'm sure they'll look perfectly handsome on you!" She retorted clearly understanding he had no intention of getting into the water with her.
He sighed and examined her pretending to consider her words. She still wore the sweatshirt and jeans but he could see the tie of her swim suit against the back of her neck. He sighed again and made his decision.
"You've got to try one of these fruits though!" He exclaimed happily pulling her down to sit next to him.
She perused the fruit carefully once he'd sat up and handed one to her.
"It's puke colored," Rose informed him quite seriously.
"Just try it." He insisted
She bit into it clearly concerned and chewed slowly completely aware of how closely he was watching her. Sudden recognition filled her features. She squeaked and took another large bike out of the fruit before exclaiming. "Tastes just like grape candy!"
He laughed and looked back towards the sun. They'd have to enjoy the fruit later. Right now he needed to get changed because they were going swimming.