It's a dark night. It's a bright day. It's a fast hurdle through time and space, and all is quiet in the TARDIS. Even with all the adventures of the Doctor and Rose, they both must sleep at some point. So it's quiet, very quiet, and the only sound is the TARDIS' soft grumbling as she travels mindlessly.
The soft sleepytime is interrupted by dark dreams. This isn't unusual. The Doctor has an ugly past, so it often haunts him: massacring his own kind; his family. This time is different, though. It's the first time that someone else has entered the dream. He is trying to avoid pushing the big red button, but he knows that he will. It happens every single time. He has to kill them. It's the only way for there to be peace. But Rose appears to him suddenly, kneeling on the opposite side of the box. She glances at him without emotion and speaks calmly. "Hello, Doctor."
He gets caught off-guard. "Rose." In all of the times that this nightmare has happened, Rose has never been shown. Is he beginning to be influenced by her so greatly?
She traced the big red button with her index finger lightly. "It doesn't always have to end like this."
"I don't want it to, but it will." His eyes are filled with pain.
Rose cocks her head and smiles slightly. "How about a bit of motivation? If you push that big red button, your whole family will be killed."
"That's not new-"
"It will kill me, too."
The Doctor's eyes widen. He breathes heavily. He doesn't want to kill his family, but he must, as the peace must be kept. However, with Rose thrown into the picture… "Rose, please. Get out of here. I can't kill you, too."
She reaches forward and cradles his jaw in her hand. "But you will."
He closes his eyes and begins to cry. "Please."
"Just don't push the button, and I'll stay alive."
The Doctor opens his eyes and holds Rose's gaze as he presses down on the button. Time seems to freeze. Her bittersweet smile is stuck in place. "Rose." She begins to fade. "Rose?" Her smile is the last thing he sees before he is alone once more.
"Rose!" His eyes fly open and he sits up in bed, panting heavily. "Rose!" he yells again, scrambling to get up and run out of his room. What if he really has killed her? What if his best friend in the world has been wiped from existence? "Rose!" he cries, stumbling through the seemingly endless maze of the TARDIS.
At one of the intersections, they crash into each other and fall down hard. "Bloody hell!" Rose complains, slowly getting up while dusting herself off. "I can't sleep with all this… yelling…" She sees his tear-stained face and immediately sobers up. "Doctor?"
He stands up and wraps his arms around her. She is safe. He hasn't killed her. "I thought you were dead."
She returns the hug and soothingly rubs his back. "Hey, why would I be? I'm safe with you."
"I can't kill you, too."
"But you will."
The Doctor swallows and breathes audibly. "Of course you are." He nods, trying to assure himself. "Yes, I'll make sure you're safe."
"And I'll do the same for you!" Rose gives him one last squeeze before letting go and smiling at him. "Now, let's go back to sleep, eh?"
The TARDIS' emergency alarm suddenly goes off, startling both Time Lord and companion. The Doctor shakes off his bad dream and grins. "Looks like another adventure!" He grasps her hand, and the two run together down the hallway, all nightmares forgotten.
