A/N. I'm back, after two weeks in hospital and three weeks in sanatorium. Home at last! Updates at last. Your favourites and follows (no new reviews, why's that?) have made my stay away from home bearable. Thank you!
Flashback it is… I have been trying to shorten it, but I'm afraid it has turned out to be too long to fit it in a single chapter (as I prefer keeping my chapters ~short, as you might have noticed).
Previously…
Rose has put on an everyday ensemble and pinkish trainers quickly… and they were both ready to fwce Jackie Tyler.
Or so it seemed.
Black Light
Gold can turn to sand
Five months ago
Rose has still been giggling at the Doctor the moment he has taken the TARDIS into the vortex without a single word, looking honestly aggrieved.
The girl did not understand why he had looked so wounded. "Was it something Mum said?"
"What did Jackie mean when she said 'That's open to debate'?"
Oh. Ah.
Rose turned her eyes away. "Our relationship is open to debate, in a way," she said. "I am used to it, don't worry," the companion hurried to assure him. "People from aside are positive we are a couple. Let them think it, it saves us from unnecessary trouble," she winked at him.
The Time Lord knew she was right. Constantly labelling Rose as his 'plus one' or his 'best friend' has long since become natural for him. A way to harmlessly protect themselves in the ordinary human mass.
The thoughtful look on his face was unsettling. "As long as we know who we are," Rose sent him a wry smile. Even if the way you see it differs from mine.
The Doctor did not react to her words, Jackie's thoughtless remark still playing in his head.
It still amuses me how everyone keeps asking me about 'Rose's boyfriend.'
"Stop, it, Mum. You know we're not-"
The Time Lord has sent but one look towards Jackie Tyler. She gasped at the momentary self-explicatory gaze he gave her, covering her mouth in shock. It bore such deep feeling of a worlds-shattering love to her daughter boiling within him in that one look has made her question if love of such intensity could even exist without causing some kind of irreparable danger to the universe.
Having cleared his throat meaningfully (Jackie seemed to have seen some meaning in it, anyway), the Doctor shrugged, shaking it off. "Either way, we should better be going," he grabbed Rose's hand, no sight of the overwhelming feeling in the Time Lord's eyes once again.
She did not object, likely as much in need to leave as he has been. "Yes. See you again soon, Mum!"
"Don't you dare not to! And, Doctor… even if your relationship with Rose" – he stared at Jackie pleading for silence – "is open to debate," Jackie continued, ignoring him – "my baby only deserves the best. Make sure you grant it to her! Now… off with the two of you! Out, out!"
Rose was ready to forget this small incident, knowing the Doctor was always ready to put the uncomfortable things out of his mind.
"Where to next, Doctor?" She asked him, aware he needed some distraction.
He smiled at her softly. "Wherever you want, Rose. Whenever you want."
This was unexpected. Even if she knew that much should not have been a surprise for her by now, the girl stuttered. She has hoped to avoid this option, but even the fate seemed to lead her towards it. Towards exposing one of her most painful secrets, one she has hoped to hide from him for at least several months more. "Er… well… I-" Rose bit her lip.
"Tell me. Perhaps I should listen to your mother for once. Wherever, whenever you want- your wish is my command!" The Doctor's sincere excitement amused her.
Rose took a deep breath. "You have told me once there was but one place more medically advanced than the TARDIS. Take me there?"
The TARDIS let out a sorrowful wail. Rose has taken it as a sign of discontentment from the old girl. The Doctor's bond with his ship has allowed him to see more to it. He sighed. "Are you aiming for hurting her on purpose?" The Time Lord said lightly instead, almost as good at hiding his feelings as Rose.
"No, never," the companion hurried to assure both the ship and the Doctor. "It's just- you'd said, and I've been wondering-"
"Fine," he said simply. "Hold on, because it's going to be harsh!"
Rose has barely felt any movement at all. "Harsh, eh?" She grinned at him.
"Before we step out, Rose… you'll need to think of some illness, because we wouldn't be allowed on the planet otherwise."
"But we are on the planet now?" She countered, smiling.
"For as long as-" The Doctor gazed at her, as if looking for determination in himself to do something. Preferably, with Rose.
The cheeky human eyed him knowingly and stepped out. There was a reason why she has insisted they visited this particular planet… A reason why she was determined to be the first to step out. Luckily, the Doctor has decided to stay inside for a few more minutes and try to calm his hurt vessel down.
"Hello!" Two humanoids addressed Rose at once as soon as she left the ship. "Surely, you are aware a human is not supposed to be travelling across time and space without someone of higher species?"
Rose nodded. "He's still on board. Perhaps too mad at me for having decided to visit this place," she shrugged. "Or perhaps the ship has found a way to hold him back."
"Perhaps it's better this way," a man with greenish skin and dark green hair – with the bright green of his eyes almost shining like neon – agreed, taking her by the hand. Rose shuddered involuntarily, blaming her reaction at the unusual sight. She was glad the other man, one whose skin and eyes were a variation of violet kept away from touching her. "We wouldn't want your lover to know you're dying?"
Rose did not seem surprised, sighing, not even bothering to object to the lover part. "I suppose nothing can be done to-"
"To stop it? No. Try and make the best of your brief remaining life, yeah? Considering he seems up to fulfilling your wishes, get him to take you to some sort of pleasure planet!"
The girl grimaced, sighed… then smiled, turning away from the curious aliens. "I am going to do just that." She was hoping to be left alone to make her own research for a while, but the men did not move. "It is clear you want to go look for something on your own, dear…. But we can't allow a human, particularly one so undeveloped, to wander on her own!"
The TARDIS kept the Doctor from leaving the vessel.
"What's up with you, old girl?"
The ship remained silent. How was she going to explain the situation to her pilot?
Luckily, Rose returned then. "They wouldn't allow me to get out of their sight, can you believe it, Doctor? They say I am undeveloped!"
"Raihumans… A vain, self-centred species. Not very clever. Like to attend parties above all. Nothing to worry about!" He smirked at her.
"Raihumans?" Rose choked with laughter. "As in, rainbow-humans? Not very clever, indeed."
He nodded, failing to keep a straight face. "They are great at identifying illnesses, though not as good at healing them as they claim to be."
"You must look very pretty to them, golden hair and all," the Doctor continued dreamily. "This must be one of the reasons they have not brought you straight back to the TARDIS, aggressive that they might be."
Rose shuddered, but not because of his words. She has already seen their ability to identify illnesses… But what about their ability to keep their mouths shut? She sighed.
The Doctor saw an entirely different reason in that. "Don't worry. They don't find Earthlings attractive in that sense at all. Are you ready to go?"
"I am always ready. Have you thought of an illness, though?"
The Doctor grinned at her. "Is being unimaginably in love not an illness big enough?"
Rose stared at him, not having expected that. "Are you? Anyway, love's not an illness. Sorry."
The Time Lord shrugged. "Pity. Let's just tell them I am your guardian. Anyone can see just how jeopardy-friendly you are, Rose."
She smacked his hand. "They have suggested me to visit some pleasure planet. What do you say to that?"
His eyes widened. "I would go wherever with you. It's my duty to keep you safe, yeah? Pleasure planet or not," he took her hand and exited the ship with Rose by his side.
"Hello!" The green humanoid spoke, addressing the Doctor. "Are you sure you are fit to enter this place? You don't seem to have any health problems."
"I am here to accompany my curious little human," the Doctor spoke dryly.
Rose giggled, it usually being the other way around.
"I hope you find what you need. It's lovely to see someone caring about-"
The pink and yellow human looked at the man with plea in her eyes. He eyed her pityingly. "Get her to a pleasure planet instead. There are things no medicine can fix, but sufficient rest and good care should postpone the inevitable somewhat. I hope you keep showering your human lover in love and affection until the end, yeah?"
The Doctor was neither blind nor stupid and was even ready to trust raihuman judgement this time. "How long?" He mouthed. The green man raised two fingers, smiling at him sadly. The worst thing was it was nearly impossible for the species to be mistaken in these things.
All of a sudden, the miraculous medical planet was forgotten, as all the Doctor could think about was the dreadful thing his golden Rose has never spoken to him about.
A/N. Please, share your thoughts! :)
