Flux
By Kimmzie
Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who.
Author's Note: I fixed some grammar issues! Read, Review and Enjoy. The Eighth Doctor was my first Doctor!
Her heart was a piece of lead. The staccato beat thundered in her chest, and the lightning within tried to crack her ribs. Rose Tyler leaned against a wall and felt her body sliding down the wet, hard bricks. She noted that with every dimension jump she seemed to end up in an alley. At least she was alone.
She had been too late…. He was gone. The piece of lead drifted down into her stomach. Her hot tears plastered her gold hair to her cheeks. She should've worn water proof mascara.
Only his white trainers had been visible from under the red tarp. She felt anguish. Everything was too heavy to support as she sat on the pavement. She should just sink away. He was gone and the stars were going out. She closed her eyes and rubbed the tears and mascara off her cheeks.
"Excuse me, miss… Pardon me, but are you alright?" a deep voice said and broke Rose's contemplation. She lifted her hazel eyes a little and saw scuffed knee high boot.
"Sorry mate, I'm fine. Just fine. Just need a mo," she said. Rose wiped off her trousers and made an attempt to get up. Strong arms steadied her shoulders and helped lift her to her feet. She looked up and saw blue eyes.
"Are you sure you are alright? People don't tend to sit in alleys. Well, maybe in this place," he said in a soft and steady voice.
"W'What do'you mean this place?" Rose said as her tongue tripped over the words. This man was odd. She looked him over appraisingly, he was older than her and had short, curly brown hair. He looked like he walked out of a Jane Austen remake, cravat and all.
"I'm not a big zeppelin person." He gestured up towards the ships. "There was this big fiasco with an airship and a princess a few months ago. But I am not used to these type of airships being in London," he trailed off.
"So, who are you then?" Rose questioned trying to gain her composure.
"Oh, me? Just a traveler. I'm the Doctor. And you are?" he replied. His blue eyes shone with a familiar mad, brilliance.
"Rose, Rose Tyler. Doctor?" She didn't know what to do. "Doctor," she repeated.
"Have we met before? Sometimes I meet people and don't know them yet. Hazards of my kind of travel. But you, Rose Tyler are most interesting." He looked down at her. "Your timeline is twisted within itself. You don't belong here." His blue eyes shone darkly at her. "This is wrong."
"Doctor," she breathed. Her heart felt lighter. She couldn't help it, her arms were around him and she tried to squeeze so that he would never leave her again.
"Ah! So Rose Tyler, we have met." He gently pulled away. "And your smile can reach your eyes."
"Yeah," she replied with a smile that let her tongue peak through her teeth. "Will time be damaged with you being here? I haven't met you yet."
"I can make myself forget these events if necessary, "the Doctor answered. His fingers pinched the edge of his nose as he looked at her. "But how are you in the wrong reality? Time in this Universe is bending around you. It's compensating… but, I can't tell you how long that will last."
"I got trapped... But it's more than that. Take a harder look. Time moves faster in this dimension. It's happening everywhere the stars are going out. All of reality is fracturing," Rose said quickly.
"Yes, it seems there is quite a bit going on." He winced as he opened his time senses further. The time streams were splintering and breaking off. The Time Lord couldn't stand it. He dulled his sense and tried to gulp away the sick sensation that was at the back of his throat. "It doesn't seem to be just the Time War anymore. But let's not waste the night in an alley. Where to?" the Doctor said pleasantly as he tried to recover.
"I'll make my report in the morning. To my flat?" Rose smiled, and held out her hand out of habit. The strange Doctor appraised it and smoothly entangled his fingers with hers. For a second, the rotation of the Earth and Stars slowed.
"Usually I make people buy me a drink first." He swung their hands in a slow rhythm. "The TARDIS is slightly damaged, but I could use my instruments to look and see why the timelines are fracturing," he continued. Rose squeezed his hand.
"Oh right, Brilliant! Where is she?" Rose looked up to him and smiled. His worry lines smoothed away.
"Ah yes, Right down this way." He twirled her around a corner. But he could still see that her hazel eyes were glassy.
He smiled as he saw her eyes light up as she gazed upon the blue box he called home. She took out a key from around her neck and dangled it back and forth on its silver chain. "May I?" She grinned.
"You can try," he said with an expectant eyebrow.
"Well, here goes nothing.'" She took the key and the door opened with a smooth turn. "It worked!" She jumped a few times in glee shaking her hands.
The Doctor crossed his arms in amusement. Who was this golden girl? This Rose Tyler, who had such sad eyes.
"Well, a door once opened may be entered. Ladies first," he said. He couldn't help but smile at the distinctive ooo that came from inside. He did have taste.
"There's so much wood, and arches. Very posh," she said stroking the console. She heard the TARDIS hum in approval.
"Hello girl," she said with a grin. The lights of the TARDIS flickered. "So Doctor, the dimension cannon needs time to recharge. I'll give my data and report tomorrow. That means I am all yours til 'then." He could see her smile did not reach her eyes.
"Well then Rose Tyler, care for a cup of tea?" the Time Lord asked. She nodded and started to let her hair down. Her bangs covered her eyes. She shrugged out of the purple leather coat and left it on one his favorite reading chairs. "The temperature is a little off… Damage," the Doctor said noncommittally. "There may be shifts in the atmospheric controls, and translation may get dodgy, while the TARDIS is focused on other things. Crossing over into this dimension drained several power conduits and stabilizers." He pulled a hand through his hair as he looked over the main console. "I may be here for a spell." He looked over to Rose who was now perched on the arm of the reading chair. He smiled as he shrugged off his raggedy overcoat and undid his cravat. It was quite hot. His body was even close to sweating.
"At least you got company."
"Yes, I do. It's been a while," he trailed off. "Good to know I have you to look forward to." He handed her a cup of tea that had appeared out of the ether. The cup was hot pink.
"You've been alone?" She reached out to grab his bare forearm with her spare hand. His nerves sent electric shocks through his body at the contact.
He withdrew a little, and the Tyler girl frowned.
"It's been a long couple of decades," he said with a shrug.
She nodded. "I've been jumping between dimensions for a few months. At first, the times were random." She lowered her eyes. "I saw scenes of the Time War in other Universes. It was numbing, horrifying." The Doctor turned his back.
"I will take no part in it," he said sternly.
Rose shook her head. "Well, we've got more than the Time War to deal with," she said in a small voice. Her voice was breaking. As the Doctor turned around the girl was in a ball silently sobbing. Her hands clawed at her hair as she hid her face from him. He put the forgotten tea on the side table and went to kneel by her.
"Well that was some rubbish tea; supposed to make everything better," he murmured as his hand hesitantly found her back. Rose stiffened to his touch. "Yes, that was a bad quip," he apologized. "Why did I find you crying in an alley, Rose Tyler? I don't think it is because reality is fracturing."
"Y'you…" she whispered. He could tell that she was holding back sobs. He dare not let out a breath as his respiratory bypass kicked in.
"Me?" His hand was bold enough to disentangle her hand so he could look in her teary, hazel eyes. Her heart was racing. "What do you mean?" he asked. The Time Lord ignored the insistent humming of the TARDIS in the back of his mind. "Rose, what do you mean? How can I be more important than reality fracturing?"
"Because." She turned her head. "You're you. You're Brilliant. You're the Doctor. My Doctor," she stuttered. Her hands clasps both sides of his face. He was frozen and his hearts stopped pumping. "And now you're gone." She let go of his face and started to grab her hair. She rocked slowly back and forth. "I found you! Then you were gone!" she cried. She was seething as she held out what looked to be a damp sonic screw driver. He could sense her pain; the rage, anguish, and emptiness emanating off her slight form.
"Rose, I don't know what happened. But it can be fixed. Time is in flux. Especially around you. May I add the fabric of reality is in flux. We can fix this. I am the Doctor. The Doctor is right here." He adjusted himself so he could wrap his arms around the girl.
"You drowned…. I was too late. It's so wrong," she continued. She grabbed him tighter.
"No time to regenerate I see," he said with a sigh. She shook her head against his chest.
"There was supposed to be a woman there to help you. To stop you."
"You?" It was a simple question. She kept back a chocked sob. "Sorry," he whispered his fingers finding their way into her hair.
"No, we got separated. I got trapped here and I'm trying to find," she cutoff the sentence. Her hands took his out of her hair and entwined them within her own. "I'm trying to find you." She smiled a bit.
"You found the right man, just a tad early," he said as his thumb stroked the back of her hand. "It's not a fixed point in time." His adventurous thumb found her cheek. She smiled and it reached her eyes.
"Hello." She continued to smile.
"Hello," the Doctor replied calmly. "Now, who is this woman that stops me?"
"Her name is Donna Noble. She's special. But her timeline has changed somehow. You weren't supposed to die." His eyes darkened at that statement.
He hid a sigh. "Well, we shall fix this," he murmured. Rose's breathing was steadying and her heart was slowing down. "First, I believe you need some rest. Humans do tend to sleep a third of their life away." He slowly started to break away from the comfortable weight on his chest. He would never look at that chair the same again. "Let's see if the TARDIS has the energy to give you a room." He let his arms sweep over the control room. "Take your jacket, it's about to get frigid." He scooped up his rumpled coat.
Rose followed the Doctor down the corridors and felt intense déjà vu. Same man, old face. Well, the face was new to her. Rose heard a hum and a light flickered near a door. "Doctor, I think it's this one." She went over to the heavy wooden door. It opened on its own accord.
"It's pink!" Rose said in a high pitched voice. "Kinda looks like my old room," she continued.
"The TARDIS stores rooms in its data banks. She must like you. Lots of ruffles," the Doctor commented as he leaned against the door. "I'm going to go into the time vortex so I can calibrate some tools to figure out this situation. Sleep as much as you need. We'll get you to your report on time. Which you still have to explain to me." Rose perked up from the bed and the Doctor shook his head. "Get comfortable, I'll be back in a moment." He turned and left the room hands clasped at the small of his back.
Rose jumped on the fluffy bed for a few minutes and then went to check out the wardrobe. She grabbed a fuzzy pair of pink pajamas and wrapped a dark robe around herself. It was getting cold. She fought back a shiver and could feel the hairs on her arms standing up.
This Tyler was focusing on the moment. The despair of losing the Doctor and the confusion of finding an earlier version of him in the same day was too much. Far too much.
"Well, it definitely is getting colder. I can fix the atmospheric controls in a few hours. I'm trying to tune the Eye of Harmony to your timeline and mine." the Doctor said as he entered the room. "I may need help from your instruments to find this Donna Noble, woman."
"You just want m' company," Rose said jumping on the bed.
The Doctor shrugged his shoulders and slowly approached her. He had a heavier coat on that was a greenish velvet. "Well, Rose Tyler. You do seem apprised of the situation." Rose nodded and looked down to the Doctor's hands.
"What's all the pink?"
"Oh yes, here you are. Something to keep warm. It's going to get colder soon. A hobby. Sometimes there is too much time."
"Sure, yeah right. The superior Time Lord knits." She examined the scarf and hat.
"A man needs his hobbies over the centuries," the Doctor said with a shrug. Rose bundled herself up in the pink wool. "There! It will help you from getting cold." He straightened the hat on the girl's head. "Good night." He didn't even think when he kissed her forehead.
Rose was too exhausted and numb to overthink the gesture. She laid back and closed her heavy eyes as the lights dimmed. "Thanks," she whispered.
The Doctor leaned against the outside of Rose's door. Who was this woman? He was never this affectionate towards his former companions. Well, he had kissed a woman over a pair of shoes that fit. But still. He listened for her breathing to straighten out. She would have to be strong enough to look into the eye. This Donna Noble woman would be found.
He stunted his time senses as he felt the time lines flux, reality fracture, and the screams of the Time War. His mind was weary. This pink and yellow girl had brought him here and he would help her. He was her Doctor.
Author's Note Additional:
I started this soon after a fellow Whovian left the mortal coil.
It's been my therapy and my aggravation for about a year now and still going. I've written it through too many serious hospitalizations of my own … I've gotten to go on some real life adventures around and see and meet some fantastic people. But Flux is still here. (jeeze) The plot is CONFUSING but that's half the fun. It's a wimbly wobly timey wimey mess. And I LOVE IT!