A/N: This is my first fic, so please don't be too harsh. And also my native language isn't English, so that's why I surely have mistakes somewhere in the text. And, of course, review please. Hope you enjoy the story. :)
Campbell couldn't sleep, he just couldn't. It was the middle of the night and everybody was in bed for hours now, sleeping peacefully. But Campbell was just laying in his bed, eyes open, staring through the window. He already got up an hour ago and sneaked in the kitchen to make himself hot chocolate. And, obviously, it didn't work. He watched the cars in the street, counted sheep but nothing helped. Even tried to count the dots on his pajama trousers but soon got bored.
So now he was just staring through the window. From his position he could see only the sky and the stars but he liked them. Thought they are beautiful. What if he was able to travel among them. He had always wondered what would it be.
Suddenly he heard noise. After a second somebody screamed, followed by sound from a small fight. It was coming from the hall so Campbell, with nothing else to do, got up again and went to see what's happening.
The lights were on in the hall. There were a few people, one girl screaming, and the doctors trying to calm her down. Campbell saw Isabel near the girl, trying to talk to her. But she was holding one big hypo with sedatives ready to insert them in her veins any moment. Stuart was there holding the girl just above her elbows but she was kicking and fighting to get free. She was shouting at them, she was shouting that she is not for here, she is not crazy, she just wants to go home. Campbell couldn't watch her anymore. Stuart was hurting her and any moment Isabel could just knock her out with these drugs. He didn't know what he was doing but in the next moment he was running towards the group. He pushed Stuart with all his strength, so he dropped the girl's arms. Then Campbell got in front of the girl, protecting her from the other doctors and assistants with his body. She immediately curled up behind him, hiding from the others, not knowing who is he. But obviously he was helping her, right?
"What's going here? What do you want from the poor girl? Can't you see you are hurting her?"
"Campbell, what are you doing up so late? Go back to your bed."
"It's not your job boy, unless you want to spend the night in one of the special rooms. Get away from her." Now Stuart was really cross. He made one step forward and Campbell instinctively took a step back.
"What do you want from her? Why she is here?" Campbell wasn't going to give up without fight. Stuart had no right to treat the girl like this. Obviously she was scared now, hiding behind the young boy.
"Campbell, why found her in the back garden. She was walking around and crying. We thought she need help and brought her here. But when we asked her a few questions, she went mad."
"Yeah, maybe her family dropped her off here because they don't want her. Just looked at her, she is crazy." Stuart cut off Isabel. "Though, everybody here is crazy, not big surprise."
Campbell got angry. He felt the girl behind him tensing a bit.
"You have no right to talk about her like that. You don't know anything about her. Leave her!"
"Campbell," Isabel got nearer him and took his hand. "It's okay. We just want to ask her a few questions, that's all. We won't harm her, you know."
"Aye, I know how you are drugging us with one God knows what." He looked at her annoyed then turned around to the girl. She looked up to him surprised by his sudden move.
Now he saw her for real, without anybody fighting with her. She was blonde, with dark green eyes which looked brown at moments, maybe from the angle of the light Campbell thought. Dressed in jeans and a jacket, he couldn't see more. He thought she was his age, eighteen or nineteen. And which was most important she was really, really scared. Campbell was angry but concerned about the girl. Nobody had the right to behave like this with anyone, no matter who.
"Don't be scared, they won't harm you." He smiled kindly. "What's your name?" When she didn't answer he continued to talk. "I am Campbell, Campbell Bain. No need to be scared from me."
She looked into his eyes and answered, surprising even him. "My name is Rose Tyler."
"Nice name, I like it. Come on, relax. Tell me what do they want from you?" Rose was silent again, now looking at the floor. Campbell didn't know if she is shy or has some problem or is just like Francine, closed in herself.
Maybe she had hard childhood like her, or something else. But it wasn't his job to know so he just dropped it for now. He put his hand under her chin so he could lift her head, and their eyes met. He raised his eyebrows and smiled at her again. She smiled, too. He could sense she is a bit more relaxed now.
"They told you, just want to ask questions. But I can't tell them the truth, they won't believe me. They will think I am crazy, and I am not." At that Campbell smiled mischievously at leaned down to whisper in her ear.
"Well, then don't answer the questions honestly. There's always a way to get out of here. Come on, tell them that you were just walking around or something like that. They won't believe you but they won't think you are completely crazy like the most of us here." After his last words Rose pulled back a little and he looked into her eyes again, and winked. She smiled, knowing that he was just trying to help her, and nodded.
Then Campbell turned to Isabel.
"Ok, now you can ask her some questions. But don't ask too much because it's late and the girl is tired. I am watching you!" With that he smiled and eyed them from head to toe. Then turned to Rose and winked again.
After he walked to his door, he turned around to see the girl and Isabel heading to her office, with Isabel's arm around Rose's shoulders. When he was about to enter his room, he saw Stuart watching grumpy at him. After a second he just started walking down the hall. With a sigh, Campbell entered his room.
After half an hour Campbell still couldn't fall asleep. He thought about Rose. Why he defended her? She just met her and... Well, not exactly met but the point still stood. Now, thinking about it, the girl was really beautiful. Though, he still couldn't quite understand everything, how she got here, why, but she looked nice and polite. He still couldn't forget the scared look on her face.
So after laying in the bed without any sleeping at all, Campbell decided to sneak out and get to Rose's room. Just to see how is she. But on second thought maybe she would be asleep. But, again, Campbell had nothing to do, so he decided to go and see her. The questioning should have finished by now, so he presumed Rose would be in one of the beds where the doctors put the patients, knocked out from the drugs.
He got up quietly and opened the door slightly. He knew that Stuart was somewhere there, walking around and looking after patients, who try to escape. But Campbell knew his routine and knew from where it would be safe to go. He got out of his room and looked around again. Then he quietly ran to the end of the hall. But just before he could make the turn, somebody bumped into him. When he looked down, Campbell saw Rose. He immediately smiled at her.
"Trying to get out? You know, Stuart, the guy from earlier, he walks around here to look if somebody is sneaking like you. Better be careful more."
"I could say the same thing about you! You are walking around, too. Where were you going?" Rose asked, brow furrowed.
"Well, actually I was coming to check on you. I thought that Isabel had finished with the questions, so I thought I can come and see you, how are you doing." Now Campbell was slightly embarrassed. He ran his hand nervously through his hair. Rose smiled at him.
"Very kind of you. Thank you. But actually I am trying to get out and... Well, go home. Can you help me?"
"Of course. Where do you live?"
"Now that's hard to explain actually." Rose led out a nervous laugh. At the next moment, they both heard steps coming through the hall, approaching them. Campbell put his finger on his lips to tell Rose to be silent and peered over the corner. He could see the light from Stuart's torch. Now he was panicking. If Stuart saw them, they would be both in very big trouble, especially Campbell. But he remembered the hope in Rose's look when he told her he would help her. He couldn't let her down. He looked up and down the hall, trying to figure out what to do. Suddenly he saw the door to one of the staff's rooms. In this they were only stocking the cleaning products, nobody could see, or even search for them there. So Campbell took Rose's hand and pulled her towards the door. Whey they reached it, he opened it fast and led Rose in. Then he entered and closed the door just before Stuart went round the corner.
It was very dark in the staff's room. Campbell rose his hand and searched for the lamp switch. When he pressed it, he and Rose could look around. There wasn't anything interesting, just mops, buckets and other things for cleaning, what Campbell expected. But the place was very tiny so he and Rose were pressed one to another. He looked at her with apologetic smile. Rose looked at the door, and particularly, at the tiny space between the door and the floor. Campbell looked, too, and saw the light from the torch. When he looked up again he saw that Rose was about to sneeze. If she did so, Stuart would definitely hear them and then kill them. Campbell quickly put his finger under her nose and she relaxed a bit. After Campbell was sure that Stuart has taken the next turn in the hall, he removed his hand. After a second Rose made a tiny "ah choo" and at that Campbell giggled.
"Bless you!"
"It's not funny. Since when you haven't cleaned here?"
"Aye, it's not funny. You could have get us both killed. You don't know what happens when Stuart finds you out of bed at this time of the night." He continued giggling and Rose slapped lightly his arm.
"Let's get out of here before he comes back, okay?"
Campbell only nodded and opened the door. He couldn't see the scary man anywhere so he got out and helped Rose.
"Let's go to safe in my room and decide what will do. We can rest a little there."
He grinned at her and started walking. Rose just shook her head and ran after him, he had very long legs and she couldn't walk with his pace. He opened the door and led her to enter first again. "Gentleman" Rose thought and smiled. Campbell closed the door behind him and jumped on his bed.
"Have a seat... Or, well, do whatever you want." He smiled shyly.
Rose looked around the room and the walls. It was nice here, very clear and warm. The view from the windows was nice. But she noticed that the bed was like after a war, maybe he couldn't sleep. Rose wondered if it was because of her. Then she noticed the guitar in the corner of the room.
"Oh, you can play the guitar?"
"Well, is it that big surprise?" He smiled. "Aye, I love music. Did I mention I am a radio DJ?" He suddenly puffed his chest proudly. Now was Rose's turn to giggle. He smiled, too, and noticed how beautiful she was when she was happy. He hadn't noticed till now.
"And... Are you a patient here? The others didn't treat you like a doctor back in the hall." Campbell saw her stumble at the word "doctor". He couldn't understand it. Was she scared from him?
"I am a patient, yes. Are you scared from me? I won't harm you, really. I am here because I am manic. Just obsessing with things, nothing more." He was worried that Rose would any moment now run out of his room with screams. But she smiled.
"No. Why should I be scared. If you wanted to harm, you could have done it by now. And you helped me, so there's no reason for me to be scared from you... Right?"
"Oh, no no. None at all." He smiled. Rose seemed to relax, her shoulders not so tensed. She believed him, wasn't scared. Campbell was happy. He didn't want to scare her after all she went through that night.
"So, where do you live? I can walk with you to your home. Just to see that you're safe, of course." He suddenly asked, blushing slightly. Rose looked at him, thinking. He was nice boy, trying to help her, but if she tell him the truth, wouldn't he think she is a loony, too? Campbell was looking questioningly at her.
"It's really not that easy to explain. But I'll tell you, I live in London. My mum has apartment in Powell Estate. Do you know where is this?"
"I've never been in London but I'll try to help you get there. And what are you doing at midnight on the other end of Britain? How did you get here?" Campbell's brow furrowed. Now Rose was sure he wouldn't believe her, no matter how crazy he could be.
"That's the part for which everybody will think I am crazy..."
"I prefer the word "loony"." Campbell interrupted her. "Crazy sound a little... offensive. Just tellin' you. You can called whatever you like... Sorry for interrupting." He looked down at his hands, blushing again. Rose smiled at the boy. He was either very shy, or didn't know how to talk with girls. Or just didn't want to embarrass himself in front of her. Rose didn't know what to think and this wasn't something that occurred her. Maybe it was personal. So she just started talking again.
"So, this is the part for which everybody will think I am a loony." At that Campbell grinned at her. "I-I traveled with a man, calling himself the Doctor. Still don't if he was a real doctor, but we traveled through time and space with his machine. Or spaceship, whatever you like. It's called the TARDIS - that stands for Time And Relative Dimensions In Space. We-we went back and forward in time. from history to future. It was a trip of a lifetime."
Rose stopped to catch her breath and took a key out of her right pocket. Campbell was just watching her while she just walked around, talking fast, so he couldn't say a word. Now his brow rose so high that it was near his hair. Though, Rose couldn't see it thanks to his fringe.
"This is a key to the TARDIS. The Doctor gave it to me after our first adventure." Then Rose suddenly stopped, looking sad, tears filling up her eyes. Campbell immediately jump, not wanting to see her cry, or even sad.
"Hey, what's up? What happened next? Where's the Doctor?" He put his hands on her shoulders and she looked up at him.
"He... died yesterday. We were on this planet called Plinta. But the Daleks surprised us. Before we could do something or just turn and run, they shot him and... I was afraid, just ran to the TARDIS and closed the door behind me. Couldn't even take his body to bury him... I never imagined this. Well, the next thing that happened was that the TARDIS took off without me even touching the console. When I went out, I was here, in the garden. You know everything after that." Now Rose was crying. Campbell hugged her and she buried her face in his t-shirt.
"I'm sorry. I am so sorry, Rose. I shouldn't have asked you this. I am really sorry."
"S no problem. I wanted to tell somebody, I couldn't keep it in me." She pulled back, wiping her tears from her face. "I'm sorry, I don't cry usually. I'm like these stupid girls. Really! Just..."
"Ok, ok. You need rest now. Why don't you sleep on my bed this night? Well, the next three-four hours."
Campbell laughed nervously. "Tomorrow morning we'll get up before the others and go out. We will find your ship, this TARDIS, and then you will go home."
"And what about you?"
"Oh, I'll be fine. I will sleep on the chair next to the window. Won't touch you, I promise." He ran his hand through his hair.
"No, I meant... What will you do after I go home? If you come with me, you wouldn't be able to come back."
"Oh... Well, I'll be fine. I can find another job. Are there many radios in your time?" He laughed but Rose looked worried. "Actually, from which year are you?"
"From 2005. And there's something else. I-I don't know how to fly the TARDIS, the Doctor didn't teach me."
"Oh, we'll be fine." Campbell assured her. "So how's the future? Are there flying cars or... something like that?"
"Is this your idea of the future?" Rose was laughing again. Campbell was really glad she wasn't sad anymore. He just couldn't stand to watch her sad. Though, he didn't know why. Was he falling in love? But Rose interrupted his thoughts.
"No, there aren't any flying cars, sorry. But ours are faster than yours, from this time I mean. And there are new, modern things. Computers, portable phones, things like this. You'll see... if you come." She looked at him. After a second she yawned. Campbell jumped and clapped his hands, causing Rose to jump. He took her arms and led her to his bed so she could sit down on it.
"Okay, time for bed. Come on, you really need rest. I'll think of a plan for tomorrow morning."
"Won't you sleep?"
"No, I couldn't fall asleep all night. If I do now it will be weird. Usually I sleep very well, but I don't know what's with me tonight. So, good night, Rose Tyler." With that Campbell push her to lay down and covered her with his blanket. She only mumbled something like "good night" and in the next second she was asleep. Campbell stared at her for a minute, then went to the window and sat in the chair, looking out. He didn't noticed, but he soon fell asleep, too.
Campbell jumped from the chair and fell to the floor, waken up by the shouts in the hall. While he was rubbing his head, Rose sat in the bed, waken up by him. At this moment there was another shout in the hall and both Campbell and Rose looked to the door. The boy immediately jumped, went to it and locked it. After that he looked over at the clock on his nightstand and his eyes went wide.
"I think I have fallen asleep... And a little bit overslept. Sorry, I am really sorry. Maybe should have switched the alarm on." he smiled apologetically at Rose. After a second they heard another shout and this time they understood the words.
"Find her! She can't run away! We had to lock her up last night like I told you!" This was Stuart, banging on doors and slamming them open.
"Oh, she can't be far. We'll find her, relax, calm down!" Isabel was trying to stop him from banging on the next door, unsuccessfully.
Rose looked at Campbell horrified. Oh, was such an idiot. He promised her to help her and what, he overslept. He banged his head on the door.
"No, no, I got it. It's this boy, Campbell. I bet he has done something. He came last night when we brought that girl here, he talked to her!" Now Stuart was walking towards his door, Isabel clinching on his hand, trying to stop him.
Campbell ran to his wardrobe, took a rucksack out of it and put some clothes in it. At the same time he was talking to Rose, trying to calm down both her and himself.
"Okay, don't panic. We'll go out of here. I am really sorry, not the best to relay on getting you out of here... But still we will go out of here. Come on, through the window!" At his last words Campbell started to remove the blankets and sheets from the bed as well as taking some spare from the wardrobe. Rose was looking him, stunned.
"And how will this happen? Now you are crazy. And when I say crazy, I mean CRAZY, not a loony." Now she was shouting. But Campbell was just tying up the corners of the blankets and shushed her.
"If you shout like that, they will hear you and then we are at trouble. Help me and we'll get out of here faster. I promise you, you'll be safe, you won't fall or hurt yourself. Fergus... my friend... Well, he did this quiet often."
"Yeah? And is he fine now? Where is he?" Rose crossed her arms on her chest, not moving from her place. Campbell stopped tying everything together and his head fell on his chest. Then he looked at her, eyes filled with tears. Then he blinked and they were gone.
"He had problems... and... well, jumped from the roof." Then Campbell looked back down and continued his work. Rose went to him, crouched next to him and out her hand on his shoulder.
"I am sorry, shouldn't have asked." He just nodded and she started tying, too.
Then they heard Stuart who had escaped from Isabel and now was banging on Campbell's door.
"Open! Open or I will break it! Open now!"
Campbell just put his finger to his lips and took the rope from blankets. He tied one of the corners to the bed and threw the other from the open window.
"Come on, it's not that high. We are only on the third floor... Somewhere near twelve meters from the ground?" There was another hit on the door.
"You first and if something happens I will slow him down. I promise you this time I'll try and do my best."
He smiled at her. Rose didn't know what to do. She came closer and kissed him on the cheek. Then she said thank you and started climbing out. Now that Campbell was alone, he just stayed there, struck. She just kissed him. Well, on the cheek, but she kissed him. A girl kissed him. He grinned like a loony. Well, he was a loony, and was proud of it. He had to help Rose so he got a move on and put the nearest chair under the doorknob. When he looked down from the window he saw Rose, safe on the ground and waving at him to come.
But it was late. At this moment the door flew open and Stuart, very, very angry, came in. Campbell just started to climb down faster but the man was faster. He caught Campbell's bag. The boy started to struggle. Rose didn't know what to do. What if Campbell fell down? She didn't want the boy to harm himself because of her.
But somehow he managed to get off his ruck sack and Stuart led it fall. Rose got it and hug it near to her chest, ready to run when the boy reached the ground. Now she noticed, he was still in his t-shirt and pajama trousers. And he was barefoot.
Campbell managed to get away from Stuart when he led go of the bag and now was climbing down the blankets. Stuart decided to follow him and started to climb of the window. Isabel stopped him and pulled him in.
"Stairs!" She shouted and everybody went out of Campbell's room.
By this time he reached the ground. He took his bag from Rose and put his hand on her back to make her move. She smiled at him and started running. They ran to the back side of the building and stopped.
"Be careful where are you walking, there is a lot of trash and broken glasses here."
"No problem, we just have to get you out of here. Faster, they will come soon." And as if on command, they saw Stuart running towards them. Rose started running, too. Soon she saw the TARDIS and got her key out to unlock it. She opened the door and turned to see where was Campbell. He was right behind her, looking at her sheepishly.
"But-but this is a police box from the 90's."
"Yes, it looks like one but it's not. Come on, get in."
"And what? You thing that they can't brake it. Even I can brake that old wood."
"Come on Campbell, please. Just get in or they will get here and catch us. You can't stop now. If I go, they will catch you and you will be in big trouble. Please, believe me." She was ready to cry again. She didn't want him to be in trouble because of her. Campbell smiled at her, he just couldn't help it, and took a step in.
And then he stopped, looking around himself. He barely heard Rose closing the door and running somewhere around him. But Campbell couldn't believe his eyes. Maybe he was still asleep, dreaming about it all. But he knew he wasn't.
He was in a big room with yellow walls with round things on them. There were a few steps in front of him, and there in the center was something round and blue, humming. Around him from the ceiling there were some big yellow things going to the floor. There were some doors in the walls, too.
Then he saw Rose looking on one screen next to the round thing in the middle of the room... If it could be called a room. He got nearer and saw Stuart and Isabel looking for them outside the box. Then Campbell finally found his voice.
"It's-it's bigger on the inside..."
"Yeah, I know. Everybody says it." Rose grinned at him, tongue between her teeth. Then she nodded towards the screen. "They can't get in. I think they don't even know we are here. But the problem is that I still have to figure out how to control the TARDIS. Last night I tried but nothing happened. I even begged her to materialize at my home, my time, but nothing happened again." When she lifted her eyes from the controls, Rose saw Campbell with his eyes closed.
"What's the problem? Are you seasick or something?" She asked with smile but was concerned about him. She went next to him, holding his hand.
"There's something in my head. What is it?" His eyes snapped open. He was scared.
"Oh, relax. That must be the TARDIS. She connects with the people telepathically. That's the way she communicates with us. What do you feel, what is she saying?"
Then Campbell grinned at her, now relaxed and somehow happy.
"You'll see! Just a second." Then he jumped from his place, tossing his bag on the nearby chair. Then he went near the console and flicked a few switches and rolled one wheel two or three times. Finally he pulled one lever and the TARDIS jumped, making its usual whooshing. Rose looked at him wide eyed, gripping to one of the corals. Campbell just continued to grin like manic and winked at her. Then they both looked at the screen and saw Stuart, Isabel and the others looking at the box, not even blinking. Soon they disappeared from the screen and the TARDIS calmed down a little. Rose led go of the coral, going near to the boy.
"How did you do it? She never told me how to set coordinates and these things. And the Doctor... never taught me." Rose was sad, Campbell could see it. But she had to admit it, she was a little bit jealous, too.
"Hey, come on!" Campbell put his hands on her shoulders. "I can teach you if you want. Well, I haven't learned yet. Just did what she told me." At this Campbell pointed to the ceiling and smiled. Rose smiled, too and nodded. But after a second the TARDIS shaked again as she started to materialize. The couple lost balance and fell, Rose on Campbell's chest. Then the TARDIS stilled.
"Sorry 'bout that." Rose jumped up immediately, blushing.
"No, no problem. We just fell down, wasn't holding on anything." Campbell ran his hand through his hair, blushing too. Then he heard sound from outside the TARDIS. Rose heard it too and looked to the screen on the console. Then she jumped grinning and flew out of the door. Campbell looked to the display, too and saw that they had parked in a small room with pink walls. Then his look fell on Rose, who was hugging one woman, probably her mother. She was blonde, too, as tall as Rose. Seemed like the woman was very happy to see the young girl. Then Rose pulled away and gestured to the spaceship. Campbell frowned and then Rose went in.
"Oh, so you are stalking us?" She crossed her arms, scowling at him.
"I uh... I just watched, nothing else. Didn't know what to do. Really, Rose." Campbell raised his hands in the air, looking really guilty.
"Relax, I was kidding. Come on, Mum wants to meet you." Rose laughed at his face expression. She really didn't want to upset him.
"Me? Why me?" Now the boy looked surprised.
"Well, I told her that you brought me here. She didn't ask the Doctor, though. But... Well, I gotta tell her about him. She won't let me travel again but I have to try." She smiled. "Come on. Let's not make her wait." She offered her hand and Campbell grinned, taking it. Then they stepped out of the TARDIS together.
