AN: Well hello everyone, long time no see! It seems my plot bunny returned for a short visit and begged me to write a short addition to this. I couldn't refuse.

Finally, I haven't written in a long time nor do I have a beta. So apologizes if this is rough or for errors. I tried to break it up so it's not one giant block but now I think I just made it choppy... whatever.

I hope you enjoy and share some feedback

Chapter Two: The Endless Night

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After she had fallen asleep, the Doctor gently placed his fingers upon her temples. Unlike last time he wouldn't linger in her thoughts. That's what started this whole mess in the first place, he thought dismally. Because of my inability to mind my own business, I carelessly allowed my memories to meld into her own. The Doctor gazed at the sleeping blonde fondly. Truly out of all his previous companions, Rose was unique. She was innocent and kind, but she was also incredibly strong. Often times she seemed even stronger than himself. Every time he thought he had her figured out she would do something so perfectly human it blew his mind. He had seen so many wonders in this universe, but none of them compared to his Rose.

Sweet Rose, he thought. She didn't deserve the burden of the Time War on her young conscious. No one deserved it, but least of all her... Shaking himself from his gloomy thoughts, the Doctor set himself to the task at hand and entered Rose's mind. True to his word, he did not linger in her older memories like last time and set his sights on the one set of memories that did not belong to her. They were incredibly simple for him to find for as he wondered down the hallway that held all her thoughts and memories, he began to notice that the radiant golden light that illuminated the room was fading into the shadows. The Doctor quicken his pace and soon found himself standing in front of a somber door. He instinctively knew these thoughts did not belong to Rose. Behind the door he could sense an old malice, resentful and accusing, Rose could never have such thoughts. He suppressed a shiver at the sight insidious door. While all the other doors had emitted a golden radiance, full of love and hope, this door was veiled in an impenetrable darkness, full of sorrow and venom. Unable to resist, the Doctor tentatively pushed the door open and peered into the room.

Shrouded in the dark was a face that had haunted him for years, ever since the Fall. The face he was unable to escape. No matter how far or how fast he ran, that face was always there, lurking in the deepest corners of his mind, waiting for him to slip up. In that door, buried in the mournful and oppressing dark, stood Theta Sigma. Theta stood silently, his face sallow and blank, but it was his eyes that held the Doctor prisoner. They were empty and dead, but at the same time, were full of blame and anguish. Blame for forgetting Gallifrey, for leaving the planet and its inhabitants to burn. Blame for being a coward and turning his back on the ways of the Time Lords. Blame for leaving and forgetting him. He reached out as if to grab the Doctor, to drag him through the doorway and make him remember. The Doctor stood entranced, watching as that hand, that thin skeletal hand, responsible for the deaths of thousands, reached out to him pleadingly. Please don't leave me, it seemed to whisper. Don't forget me. Don't leave me here alone in the shadows. Save me. With a shuddering sob, the Doctor stumbled back and slammed the door shut. Propping his back against it, the Doctor wasn't aware his legs had turned numb nor was he conscious of his body sagging to the floor. Placing his head in his hands and feeling a strange moisture around his eyes, the Doctor finally realized his slim frame was shivering uncontrollably. Taking a shaky breath and trying to dislodge the image of Theta from his mind, the Doctor turned and faced the now shut door again. Hastily but delicately, the Doctor placed a lock on the door. As soon as the lock clicked shut, the darkness in the hallway dissipated and tender loving light once again filled the hallway. Tilting his head back and relishing the warm light that screamed Rose, the Doctor turned his back to the lone shadowy door and quickly made his way down the hallway.

Upon returning to his own body, the Doctor instantly realized his throat was scratchy and his eyes were burning. Rubbing his face and wiping away any excess moisture from it, the Doctor inspected Rose carefully who continued to sleep peacefully, oblivious to her friend's distress. But that's the way it should be, the Doctor mused. No one should have to carry those memories, they are my burden alone. As the Doctor layed in the soft bed, he felt his exhausted body begin to pull him into the throes of sleep. Unable and admittedly unwilling to resist, the Doctor soon succumbed to the urge. However as soon as he had closed his eyes, the Doctor saw that terrible hand accompanied by two cold eyes staring at him from the darkness, reaching and beseeching the Doctor to join him... With a soft cry, the Doctor awoke with a start, his body shaking from fear and terror. Panting heavily the Doctor checked on Rose and was glad to see she still slept soundly. He would hate for her to see him in this state. She knew nothing of the terror that haunted him that night and the Doctor planned to keep it that way. She didn't need the added stress of worrying over his health, which he knew she would do, when he had been dealing with this for years. No, it was better to keep his suffering to himself. He had managed well enough over the years and there was no reason he couldn't keep his facade up in front of Rose. Although it had been a long time since his dreams had scared him this bad, he honestly thought he was over it. Apparently seeing Theta in Rose's mind had reawakened his old fears. Still, it was nothing he couldn't handle, he was a Time Lord after all.

Nevertheless, the Doctor thought. I shouldn't stay in here. If Rose were to wake up and see me like this... Silently rising from the bed, the Doctor nimbly made his way out of the room, shutting the door quietly behind him as to not awaken its sleeping occupant. Though he felt guilty leaving his friend when she had asked him to stay, the Doctor knew it would be better from him to deal with these emotions in solitude.

Quietly padding his way barefoot through the Tardis, the Doctor felt more than heard the worried hum of the Tardis.

"Don't worry old girl," he muttered, patting the wall reassuringly. "Its just a bad night that's all."

Unconvinced but unable to argue the point, the Tardis settled on singing a comforting hum for her pilot. The Doctor gave another soft pat, this time of thanks, and meandered his way to the console room. This room had always offered him relief during the long nights when he was alone, unable to occupy himself either out of exhaustion or because of his Companions. He would spend the long hours of the night fiddling with the Tardis, rewiring her circuits and ensuring his oldest friend was in her best condition. It was also an effective way to keep the memories that hounded him at bay.

However after several minutes of tinkering and more than a few hums of disapproval from the Tardis, the Doctor realized his past time wasn't helping him tonight. He was doing more harm than good to his friend. Unable to concentrate on the Tardis, he kept putting wires in the wrong spots and upsetting her. He didn't want to stop however, he knew as soon as he stopped occupying his mind Theta would return. He was already there watching the Doctor. He stood in the corner, his pale translucent skin eerily illuminated by the soft glow of the Tardis. The Doctor quickly averted his gaze and returned to his tinkering. The Tardis groaned.

The Doctor would still be there when Rose awoke in the morning, wiring and rewiring the same switch, unable to bare those judging eyes watching him from the dark.

Rose woke the next morning feeling stiff but extremely refreshed. Stretching she absentmindedly remembered the Doctor helping her to fall asleep and having a nightmare. She focused on that for a moment, trying to remember what the dream was about. But as with most dreams after we awaken, she couldn't remember the details, all she could recall was a vague notion of hopelessness and deep sorrow. Suppressing a shudder she counted her lucky stars she forgot it. Not one to dwell on unhappy subjects, she quickly jumped from bed ready to see what new adventures this day would bring.

Scampering down the hallways, she made a quick stop in the kitchen to grab a quick snack. Glancing around the kitchen, Rose was bemused to see the only fruit they seemed to have were bananas. Bowls upon bowls of them. With a fond sigh of exasperation, Rose peeled one and began munching on it. Really, she thought. I enjoy bananas as much as the next person, but I don't understand the Doctor's obsession with bananas. Still, she decided. he is an alien, he's allowed to have his odd quirks. At least he doesn't eat mold or sludge or something equally revolting. Rose gave a snort of amusement at that and went to find the alien in question. Rose entered the console room and was greeted with a familiar sight. The Doctor seemed to be once again working on the Tardis' circuitry. He's back was turned to Rose but she could see his rumpled blue suit, his mess of brown hair, and the tip of the sonic no doubt clenched between his teeth. She smiled at him affectionately.

"Good morning Doctor" She announced herself brightly. He gave a slight jump and turned to her quickly. For a moment she saws an odd emotion flash through his eyes. Fear? Horror? Guilt? Whatever it was it vanished behind his mask and he grinned broadly at her, he eyes alight with joy.

"Good morning Rose!" He cried, turning back to his task but not ignoring her. "I hope you slept well, although I've no doubt you did considering how many astrocytes I released last night. And I see you're having a banana for breakfast, good choice there! You know, bananas are a great source of potassium. You should always have one Rose, you never knew when you might need one. That's why I always keep the kitchen stocked with them..."

Rose ignored the rest of his rambling. As much as she loved him, the Doctor could talk all day. Not because he liked the sound of his own voice, but he had so much knowledge packed into that head of his that he felt he needed to share it, and Rose was always the target. Not that she didn't find it interesting. She loved to learn about the civilizations they visited and the use of certain alien objects, ect. However the Doctor didn't seem to have a filter and could talk about the most boring subjects, such as the history of shaving cream. She remembered that discussion all too well. Besides, none of this was her main concern at the moment. Right now she was concerned with the Doctor himself.

He was acting very strangely. For one, he didn't seem to be doing anything productive with those wires. Not that she knew anything about Time Lord technology mind you, but she knew the difference between wiring and repeatedly switching two wires with one another. Also he was incredibly jumpy this morning. She couldn't remember the last time she had managed to actually make the Time Lord jump, and she had tried plenty of times. And he hadn't just jumped, he had spun around defensively at her. That was beyond weird. Then there was his face. While the Doctor had always looked thin and lanky, he appeared more haggard than ever. His eyes seemed too bright, his pupils were blown, and he had dark bags hanging under them. His face was ashen and his rambling was more of a nervous defensive hey-look-at-me-im-going-to-keep-talking-so-you-cant-ask-me-questions-im-fine rather than his usual hey-rose-listen-to-me-this-is-really-cool kind of lecture. Then finally there was that look on this face. Right after he had spun at her when she walked in, there had been this flash of emotion. She only caught a fleeting glimpse of it and she couldn't place her finger of it. All she knew was that it had no place on her Doctor's face. What scared her most was all the signs were there but he was acting like there was nothing wrong.

He was hiding something from her and they never hid anything from each other.

Rose was scared for her best friend.

Ok so that's it! Again, if you want more let me know. The plot bunny is still here but I don't know if I'll write more just on my own. Thanks for reading and I hope it was fun.

Cheers!