Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the mentioned characters. Although I actually would quite like to. Who does own the Doctor though? I mean I bet I could try and wangle Rose of Russell T. Davies, but the Doctor? I mean, he is sort of time less and the people who invented the original character are long dead, so ... Although, as I'm thinking about this, I think I'd rather have Jackie Tyler to be honest.
What? Don't call me mad! Come on, Jackie is brilliant! Who wouldn't want a frantic forty-ish old fuzzing around the Estate and scaring of the neighbour kids? ... No? ... All right, just me then.
I dedicate this story to XxMichelleMikaelsonxX, who was the first follower to my story! And LoricVampire Hybrid who wrote my first ever comment! Thank you guys, you are amazing!
Inside a Murky Haze
Rose suppressed a deep yawn. The Doctor shot her a funny look but didn't say anything, his eyes smirking in mischief.
"What?" she asked him, her eyebrows raised high above her eyes.
He didn't answer but instead shoved her a wide grin and gripped her hand, entwining his long, coolly finger with hers.
"What is it?" she asked him again, enjoying the comfort of his light touch. His hand felt so perfect in hers, as if it had always belong there and she just hadn't realised a part of herself missing before.
"No idea what you're talking about" he told her, his voice bouncing in joy. Rose eyebrows shot even higher.
"Oh no, no Doctor. You are up to something. I can see it all written over that big mouth of yours" she stressed, slightly pulling at their joined hands.
The pair of them had just spent a lovely afternoon on a planet called Deltrex 7, exploring a small market place which the Doctor had exclaimed as the best market in the whole wide of the Delta galaxy to shop for gear.
Of course, instead of finding anything they had been searching for, they instead ended up in a huge fight between two clans of the native species Methatix, which appeared in form of slightly green tainted humans, and Ryx, who looked like huge pixies with big fluffy wings on their backs.
Fortunately, the Doctor and Rose could manage to set a peace offer to the ongoing war as the Doctor suddenly pulled a huge ever growing banana tree out of his trans-dimensional bigger on the inside pockets, which could end the famine in their wastelands.
Rose hadn't even started to ask where he might have that tree from or what it had been doing inside his pockets.
Now they were just taking their stroll back to the TARDIS after enjoying a huge banquet all sorted with various banana flavoured dished.
Rose was sure she didn't want to see even one banana anymore for at least the next couple of weeks, whilst the Doctor seemed to have enjoyed himself tremendously.
Rose would never understand that weird banana fascination of his.
The Doctor let go of Rose hand and pulled out his key to hold the door open for her to enter. The TARDIS greeted them with a delighted hum as Rose entered the large console room. She looked back at the Doctor, who jogged up the long ramp behind her.
"So, where to next?" she asked him with a radiant grin.
"Uhm" The Doctor had stopped by the console, apparently very interested with some of the switches. He avoided her gaze. "I thought maybe we could call it a break for the day? It was a pretty exhausting trip after all" he told her, pulling at his ear.
Rose shot him a suspicious look. "Well, isn't it always with us?" she laughed. He caught her glance, a small smile pulling at the corners of his mouth.
"Anyhow, you seemed a bit tired, I could do some work on the servo-camouflaging system, so…" he let the sentence drop, burrowing his hands in his long coat pockets, rocking slightly on his heels.
Rose eyed his all jolly attitude warily. "Camouflaging system? Since when does the TARDIS need camouflage?" she asked him, her eyebrow croaked.
He snorted. "Oh please, Rose! Of course the TARDIS has a camouflaging system! Do you think she has an actual pool in the middle of the library?" He laughed.
"Ehm yes? Hold on, wait …" She looked up at his bright smiling face in shock. "So she doesn't? There is no real pool in the library? What was I doing sitting in there in nothing but my bikini the other day?" she asked him horrified, but instead of an answer he just pushed her gently in the rough direction of her room.
"Have a good night, Rose! See you tomorrow!" he exclaimed chipper, a huge goofy smile plastered on his face.
Rose shot him an angry glare, but instead of noticing he just waved her off with his big teeth-y smile and sprinted off to the other side of the room.
Rose shook her head. Oh this smelled so false. He was definitely up to something. And coming from the Doctor, this meant trouble for sure. Bad trouble.
She sighed. Oh well, she was not Rose Tyler, defender of the Earth and companion of the all-time energetic and unpredictable Doctor if she were to be put off by a bit of trouble.
Laughing slightly she shook her head again, as she slowly walked off to her room.
She had to admit, she did feel a bit knackered after yet another day of marvellous adventure which had turned, as so often with the Doctor, into an awful lot of running. So Rose decided to take her chance and enjoy a lovely hot bath in the private en-suite to her room.
Rose could practically feel her muscle relax as she drifted in the lightly steaming water.
It wasn't long after that she fell dead asleep, even too tired and relaxed to change out of her pink and fluffy morning gown, just merely able to drag herself over to her welcoming waiting mattress.
The next morning Rose stretched her stiff arms as she slowly toddled up to the TARDIS galley. It had been a surprisingly comfortable night.
Apparently the Doctor was right, she desperately needed a bit of a good night sleep. Feeling all rested and relaxed, she now thought herself ready to face any new mischief the Doctor might be up to.
And it definitely sounded like he was already up to something. Rose could hear little blows and soft explosions echoing through the TARDIS corridors all morning.
Or evening. Or whatever time it might be in the miraculous time ship. It was quite hard to catch up with time in the TARDIS.
Days morphed into weeks and weeks turned out to become months and soon Rose couldn't recall anymore how much time she had actually spent alongside the Doctor.
Suddenly, a harsh strike blew through the TARDIS, sending small vibrations and a low clatter running over the floor. Rose felt a wave of heebie-jeebies raise over her arms.
This definitely did not sound good.
She shook her head, trying to shake off the unpleasant feeling, before running off in the vague direction of the TARDIS kitchen.
"Doctor?" she called out, as she reached the entrance door, just to find it locked.
Rose stopped in surprise, rattling at the sneck. "Doctor? Doctor are you all right?" she called out through the thin wooden frame. A faint wave of smoke greeted her.
Rose felt her heart drop. Now, this definitely meant trouble. "Doctor?" she called again, rocking the handle in alarm.
"It's all right, Rose! Just go away!" his soft voice answered her in response, sounding like it came from a far distance.
Rose stopped in surprise. "Doctor? Are you in there? What's wrong?" she wanted to know, knocking fiercely at the door.
"Nothing. Everything's fine! Molto Bene! Just, just … move back a bit" he instructed her. Rose felt fear crawling up her spine.
She knocked at the door again. "Doctor, just tell me what's wrong. I can help you!"
"Nothing is wrong" he called back. "Look Rose, why don't you enjoy your time in your room? Go ahead and read a book! Weren't you complaining you didn't have enough time to catch up on all your magazines with me shooing you around all day?" he laughed softly.
Rose felt her heart sink. "You want me to leave you?" she recalled dull.
He was in clear danger, possible mortal danger, and he still had so little trust in her that he'd rather send her off? Rose could feel her own hand sink slack against the sleek door frame.
She thought they had finally managed to pass this. She thought with his new face and his bright smile, he finally saw a true companion in her. Someone he could trust implicitly no matter what, and not the little girl he gathered up somewhere back on Earth. The little shop-girl from the Powell Estate whose job he'd blown up and who now had nowhere else to go then to run off with the first stranger who'd take her with him.
"Rose…" his voice was soft and suddenly sounded much closer. Very close. Rose felt her heart jump.
"It's all right, really. I just need to… finish something here, okay?" he told her softly through the thin wood of the door. "I'll be back in a tick, promise, and we're off to anywhere you like. Your pick" he added quickly.
Rose felt a small smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. "And you are really fine?" she asked. She needed to know. He laughed. "Of course I am! I'm always all right!"
Rose slowly shock her head at this, but obviously he couldn't see her roll her eyes on him.
"Trust me, Rose" he said instead and Rose worried her lip. She couldn't deny him this. She trusted him with all her heart. With all the entity of the universe! Who was she to doubt him now? He surely knew what he was doing.
Rose sighed. "All right. But you just call me if you need my help, yeah?" she asked insistent.
He laughed again. "Course I will!" And with that he moved away again. Rose couldn't hear his soft footsteps through the closed door, but she could feel the loss of his presence as if time itself had just shifted a bit.
She let her head drop against the sealed door. Well, no use arguing with him. She was better off doing as she was told. With a deep sigh she pushed herself of the wall and slowly strolled off in the opposite direction of the closed room, with no particular goal at hand.
Rose let her chin drop to her hands as she observed the slowly moving column of the TARDIS console in despair. The rhythmic motion covered in dim greenish light had something rather hypnotic and soon Rose found herself struggling to keep her eyes open. It had been hours.
Hours and still no sign of the Doctor.
Oh of course she had heard him. She had heard him many times, actually. He'd call out from the kitchen from time to time, swearing angrily in a language Rose couldn't put and the TARDIS vehemently refused to translate.
It probably was for the better, judging on his growling tone and raging voice.
Rose had rushed to the closed wooden door every time she heard his voice shout out. Had dropped whatever she might be doing to distract her worried mind, to rush over to him, and find the door locked.
He refused to answer her calls since he sent her off the first time and no matter how persistent Rose knocked, the door stayed closed.
Instead the smoke coming off the small cracks of the doorframe had even increased and an unpleasant smell soon started to fill the corridors surrounding the galley.
The sight alone had dug a big hole of worry into Rose stomach.
What if he was hurt? Rose tried to recall their past adventures, but she wouldn't say he seemed hurt. Sure, he never hesitated to throw himself between any victim and their potential aggressor in the blink of an eye, but no matter how hard the strike, he always seemed to come of unharmed.
Just bouncy as always, with his huge vibrant smile, which kept Rose from worrying about him too much.
But maybe he had faked his smile one time too many. Maybe the last strike was just too hard, the last blow too much to take in. What if he was sick?
Oh, this smelled so much like him! Being seriously hurt but not telling her because of his pompous Time Lord pride. Just like the last time.
But what if he was really hurt? So hurt, he was eventually dying? Dying, while Rose was left standing locked outside a stupid wooden door.
Rose was pretty sure she couldn't bear him change his face again. Sure, he was the same man and no matter what, she would always stay by his side. But he'd just burnt his last face and he surely couldn't change like that forever, could he?
Rose was quite sure that there must be a stint to how many faces even a Time Lord could wear and his reckless attitude worried her. Besides, she had just lost the old face. The grumpy face, with his big nose and ears to get this jolly, young and all energetic Doctor.
She had just gotten used to him, she wasn't sure she could bear losing him again right now.
Rose whimpered a little, letting her head drop with a soft thud against the console. Oh she hated this. She hated that he always shut her out.
She wanted to stand by his side, to help him, and take some of the guilt of his shoulders. He might be the last of his kind, the last Time Lord left in existence, but this didn't mean he had to carry the burden of the entire universe alone.
She was his hand to hold, his plus one. Rose was more than happy to lend her hand, he just needed to realise he could take it.
Suddenly a heavy strike shook the TARDIS again, leaving the console room joggle in a slight tremor. A small shocked shout escaped her lips, as Rose tried to cling on to the TARDIS console to prevent herself from crashing into the railings.
The whole place seemed to rock; wild red lights flashed around the ceiling and a sick, deafening sound echoed through the entire room. Rose screamed out in surprise, as the TARDIS jerked her violently through the room, almost as if in an intent to shake her off.
Suddenly Rose had the strange picture of scared animal, desperately trying to shake off the aggressors trying to hurt her. Not like the TARDIS was an animals, obviously.
Eventually Rose mind kicked back in. Trying to clear some strains of hair off her face, she stiffened her grip on the console, steadying herself upright.
With a little stumble she finally managed to steady her grip and secure her footing. She shoot the still violently shaking console a worried glance.
"What is it old girl? What's wrong?" she tried calling above the angry clashing cloister bell. As an answer the TARDIS just shook desperately, flashing the lights above Rose head in an angry red.
Rose looked a little baffled. If she couldn't tell it any better the TARDIS looked … mad. Very mad. Fuming quite literally and by the still rapidly flashing lights in rough direction of the corridor leading towards the galley, Rose had a feeling the TARDIS wasn't angry with her.
Rose patted the console comfortingly. "Don't worry, I'll take care of this" she told the ancient ship soothingly. It helped a bit, the wild rocking decreased and the TARDIS uttered a soft, ratty purr.
Rose laughed at the behaviour of the sentient ship.
Suddenly yet another loud, heavy explosion sounded off the far end of the corridor leaving the TARDIS jerk again in her despair. Rose looked down the corridor in shock. The TARDIS emitted a vibrant quiver and before Rose even knew what she was doing, she was already running off in the direction of the vibrant cause.
"Doctor?" she called out desperately, as she reached the by now heavily fogged corridor. Rose couldn't even see her hand stretched out in front of her.
Thick clouds of smokes emitted from the still firmly locked door of the TARDIS kitchen, the exact spot the Doctor was still locked in. Rose felt panic rising up her spine. Without even thinking about it, her body started acting on its own accord.
She ran up to the door with a valiant kick; the thin wooden plank finally bursting open in front of her.
Rose coughed as even more thick clouds of smoke flushed to her face and eyes. She tried protecting her nose, but it did sparse profit. Instead Rose tried to hold her breath to prevent herself from breathing in too much of the hazardous toxic clouds.
"Doctor?" she called out again, taking a brave step into the room.
Inside the smoke seemed to become even thicker, even though Rose wouldn't have believed that even possible. Obviously she was approaching the source.
Rose felt her stomach twist in anxiety. If this was just the result, what had happened to the Doctor?
Desperately she tried making out any figures in the dark clouds, but it was just impossible to spot anything in the murky room.
Rose eyes flashed over the shaggy surfaces, desperately searching for a familiar lean tall figure. Or just anything.
Eventually her feet stumbled over something soft.
Rose tried to gather her footing, as she quickly bent over the tall figure lying on the floor. "Doctor?" she called out breathlessly, trying to search for his face. But she couldn't make out any detail in the thick clouds and her fingers groped blind above the rough floor.
The figure had disappeared.
Rose blinked a little startled, letting her fingers trace the spot where something or probably even someone had laid just moments ago. Gone.
Rose felt fear slowly crawling up her neck. What if the Doctor hadn't been alone in here after all?
What if this whole drama had indeed been to protect her? What if something had forced its way into the TARDIS? Something so dangerous and devilish even the TARDIS couldn't protect them any longer?
What if this whole time the Doctor was right? What if he had tried to protect her from all this?
Rose heart stopped as realisation hit her hard from behind; she had just more than freely run into a trap. And moreover, just exposed herself completely unguarded by giving up her position like this.
Rose jumped to her feet as she heard the low growl coming off the shadows directly behind her.
She wanted to scream, but her voice seemed trapped inside her throat. All she could do was step back into the sheer endless dark clouds in hope to escape the monster lurking hidden within them.
Desperately Rose tried to search her way out, tried to spot the door in the heavy haze, but it was impossible. The smoke had emitted the entire room, making it impossible to tell any figure in the murky fog.
The growl sounded off right behind Roses back again, this time appearing even closer. Rose closed her eyes.
Oh Doctor. She just hoped he had managed to escape somehow. What would he say?
Would he be disappointed with her? Disappointed that she disobeyed his orders? Disappointed she'd just die on him like that? He had died for her once, would he feel sorry he had wasted one of his lives like this? That she would die so soon after he had sacrificed his life for hers?
Rose barely laughed at the irony, as she felt a soft breath tickling at the back of her neck. That was it.
She had nowhere else to go. No escape route. Rose held her breath.
Suddenly, something cool and rather soft started scuttling down her upper arm and Rose screamed in surprise, as a grip closed firmly around her palm.
Rose high pitched shriek echoed of the invisible walls, but the grip around her hand strengthened as long soft fingers interlaced with hers.
Very familiar and compared to her heated touch slightly cool fingers. Rose blinked.
"Rose?" a terribly familiar voice croaked out, coughing vaguely above her, hidden in the opaque clouds.
Rose let out a shaky laugh as she threw her arms through the hazy fog, burying her face in the familiar soft fabric of his shirt. Oh, she knew that voice, how hoarse or even cawing it may sound.
"Oh god you're all right" she mumbled softly, and tightened her grip around his lanky figure. The Doctor coughed lightly as his response.
"Rose? What's wrong? What happened? Where do these clouds come from? Rassilon, I can't spot a thing." Rose felt him shift under her grip in an attempt to make out something in the hazy smoke, but she just got him back, she was far from letting him go wandering off again.
As he felt her desperate clinging the Doctor stopped trying to move around. Soft, feathery fingers traced down her hair and neck, before settling on her shoulders.
"Are you all right?" he called softly, his voice a little shaken under his sudden worry.
Rose laughed quietly, finally loosening her grip. She cleared a strain of hair of her face, trying to look up at him to spot his troubled expression in the murk.
"You're seriously asking if I'm all right? You caused all this! Doctor, what happened? The TARDIS seemed distressed, I just heard this huge explosion and suddenly the whole place is covered in smoke!"
Rose felt him stiffen as suddenly his brain kicked back in. "Oh no!" he screamed desperate and turned around in a flash, abruptly running off into the haze. "No, no, no, no, no, no!"
"Doctor?" Rose tried calling after him, but she quickly lost his figure in the thick smoke. Rose sighed, as suddenly a small, mechanical click echoed right next to her and a soft hoovering sound sloshed through the room.
With once, the thick smoke surrounding them had cleared off in seconds, leaving Rose right in the centre of the TARDIS galley and a very distressed Doctor desperately hovering around a still lightly fuming stove at the other side of the room.
"What are you doing?" Rose asked, as she walked up to the Doctor. Now that she could finally see him properly in the now again bright yellowish light of the kitchen, she could tell he looked rather ragged.
He had taken off his suit jacket, leaving his sleeves rolled up, showing off his bare arms. His tie was hanging loosely around his neck. His hair was a mess, if Rose could tell even more so then usually.
And it seemed he was besmeared with thick soot and covered in some strange white powder which, fitting to his current appalled expression, left him appear even madder than usual.
Rose stopped by his side, peaking a little over his shoulder as the Doctor dug his hands in his wild hair. "Oh no, no, no, no, no" he called out again. Rose laughed a little at his manic expression.
"Are you all right? You seem a bit stressed." His glare snapped down on her, as if he now for the first time realised her standing there.
He grabbed her shoulders. "Oh no Rose! You are not supposed to see this!" he whined, now desperately trying to shove her out of the room.
Rose blinked. "What? Why?" she asked puzzled. "What did you do?!"
The Doctor didn't answer her, but instead fought a hopeless battle of trying to hide the still quietly fuming oven from her sight.
Rose frowned and escaped out of his firm grip. With crossed arms she turned over to pin him down with a scolding glare. "Now, you explain. Doctor, what is this all about?" she demanded to know.
The Doctor let his head drop as he slightly slumped down in front of her. "I'm sorry Rose, this was meant to be a surprise" he conceded reluctantly, tiredly rubbing his eyes.
Rose eyebrows shot up. "A surprise?" she repeated taken aback. "A surprise for whom?"
The Doctor tried to avoid her gaze. "For … you" he muffled quietly, rubbing his neck.
Rose cocked her head. "And how would it be a surprise for me that you blow up the TARDIS galley? I mean, I know you two head a disagreement about the amount of banana she is willing to store in her box room but this …" Rose stopped to stretch out her arms in an attempt to encompass the whole mess of the room.
It wasn't just the smoke that had left a tint greyish cover on the furnishing, the whole place was a mess. The entire room was jammed with various sticky bowls, dripping spoons and diverse other kitchen supplies lying all sprawled over the counter and floor.
The Doctor just let his arm drop again and reluctantly walked over to the still smoking oven, pulling the door open.
Surprised Rose spotted a very, very black looking … cake? Stunned she looked up at the Doctor.
"You were trying to bake a cake?" she concluded dumbfounded. The Doctor looked up at her sheepishly, his hands dug deep into his pockets he softly rocked on the heels of his scruffy trainers.
"Happy Birthday, Rose."
