It wasn't my alarm that woke me up, but the obnoxious ringing of my phone and the incessant vibrating as it rang in my pocket. My hands stung and I remembered I had forgotten to clean them and should do that as soon as I could. I removed my phone and brought it to my ear.
"If you have been kidnapped and are currently shoved in some creepy blue police box, I am going to be really pissed, Rose."
"Should I be worried, Miss Williams?"
I sat up instantly, cursing mentally, as my Boss' voice reached my ears. "Mrs Martin," I chirped with a nervous laugh, "sorry 'bout that, thought you were someone else."
"Obviously," was the older woman's reply and I could just see her rolling her too-large eyes. "I'm calling to inform you that your shift is going to start later than planned. I'm okay now, but I'll be short staffed later tonight and could really do with the help. Will this be a problem?" she questioned, though, it wasn't really one of those questions where you really had a choice and I sighed heavily.
"No," I replied, "that's fine. I can be in then."
She gave me the new time and I looked at the clock on my bedside table. My shift wouldn't be for another five hours. What was I going to do until then?
"Thank you, Charlotte," Mrs Martin told me sincerely, "I'll see you when you come in."
"Bye, Mrs Martin."
"See you soon, darlin'."
I dropped my phone on the bedside table and buried my head in my pillow with a groan. Twenty minutes of talking myself out of my comfy bed resulted in me showered and dressed in my scrubs as I paced around my apartment. My copy of Romeo and Juliet was on my coffee table but I was too bored to actually read it. Which made no sense. Not that it mattered because, after an hour of restlessly pacing, my Nokia rang again.
I made sure to check the caller I.D this time before I answered the phone.
"Rose? Where are you? Did you talk to that Clive fella? Is he holding you hostage? Do I need to call the cops?"
Rose laughed and I sighed with relief, she wasn't mad at me anymore.
"Yes, it's me. I'm heading towards that pizza place you like to go to, do you wanna meet up for dinner before your shift? I talked to Clive, the guy was a complete nutter. No, I'm not being held hostage and you don't need to call the cops. Did I cover everything?"
I smiled at my best friend, "you did. Pizza sounds good, I'll see you in a bit."
"Okay, Mickey's with me too, okay?"
I shrugged, not that she could see it, "that's okay, means he can pay for our food."
Rose laughed before telling me she would see me soon and hanging up the phone. I grabbed my duffel bag with a change of clothes and a few snack bars before I left my apartment, knowing I wouldn't be back tonight.
It didn't take me long to get to the pizza place Rose had been talking about and I walked in to see her and Mickey sitting at a table nearby. I froze, however, when I saw Mickey. He looked odd, with shiny skin and a creepy grin, I felt my gut churn uncomfortably. Had Rose not noticed that her boyfriend looks like a plastic barbie doll version of himself? Because it seemed pretty damn noticeable to me.
Rose saw me and waved me over, a small smile on her face. She stood when I approached the table and threw her arms around me. "I'm sorry," she mumbled, "I shouldn't have gotten angry at you."
"It's okay," I told her with a smile, "remember who my Nan is? I've seen a Scottish woman throw a tantrum and nothing scares me anymore."
That was a little lie but not too far from the truth. My Nan was downright terrifying when she was angry and my Pop had told me to be as quiet as possible and let her get it out of her system before shoving a bowl of fish fingers and custard in front of her. It was an odd combination, but my Nan always got this nostalgic smile on her face and it honestly didn't taste all that bad either so I never commented on how strange a combination it was.
"Good point," Rose laughed as we sat down. I scooted my chair away from Mickey, eyeing him wearily as he continued to grin at Rose. "Do you think I should try the hospital?" Rose asked us, fiddling with her fork as she did, "Suki said they had jobs going on in the canteen."
I scrunched my nose up, "you're not some canteen lady, Rose, don't settle for those kinds of jobs if you know you won't be happy."
"Sounds like you just don't want to put up with me," Rose teased, "afraid I'll make you look bad in front of your nurse friends?"
I laughed at the absurdity of the statement and Rose chuckled too before she let out a heavy sigh, "I could do A levels. I don't know. It's all Jimmy Stone's fault. I only left school because of him. Look where he ended up?"
"In hospital with a busted jaw and nose?" I questioned with a smug smile.
Rose returned the smile, "mum chucked a fit when she had to bail you out of jail for that."
"Totally worth it," I replied without hesitation, and for what that asshole did to my friend he was lucky a busted jaw and nose was all he got. No one messed with the people I cared about and got away with it. No one.
"What do you think?" Rose asked, turning her attention to Mickey who had been watching us talk without saying a word. Which was odd because generally, you couldn't get Mickey to shut up. Believe me. I've tried.
"So, where did you meet this Doctor?" he asked and the question threw me off for a moment before my eyes narrowed.
"I'm sorry," Rose hissed, "wasn't I talking about me for a second?"
"Why the hell do you want to know anyway?" I asked, my body tensing as Mickey's gaze went to me. Sort of. Because it looked like his eyes were empty. Kinda like those creepy dolls, you'd find in an antique store.
"Because I recon it started back at the shop, am I right?" he continued his interrogation, ignoring mine and Rose's questions, "was he something to do with that?"
"No," Rose answered evasively.
"Come on," Mickey scoffed.
"She said no," I growled.
"Sort of."
"Rose!"
"What?" she questioned.
I shook my head, "he told us not to say anything!"
"It's Mickey, we can tell Mickey," she protested.
"I don't think that's Mickey."
She looked at me incredulously, "what do you mean, you don't think that's Mickey? Who else would it be?"
"Well, unless Mickey underwent several major plastic surgeries' since I last saw him, I'd say we're talking to his barbie look-a-like," I stated blithely, my eyes returning to Mickey and narrowing as he met my gaze. This Mickey gave me the creeps and I wanted to get myself and Rose far away from him.
"Don't be ridiculous," she scoffed.
"Me, ridiculous?" I questioned angrily, "says the woman who called me about walking shop dummies?"
"What was he doing at the store?" Mickey interjected.
"Shut up," I growled, my eyes darting between him and Rose, "this isn't Mickey. I don't know who the hell or what the hell he is but he's not Mickey-Mouse. How can you not see that?"
"What was he doing there?" Mickey continued and Rose and I turned to glower at him.
"I'm not going on about it, Mickey," Rose huffed, "Really, I'm not, because, I know it sounds daft, but I don't think it's safe. I think he might be dangerous."
"Hallelujah!" I crowed, "I mean, it only took you, what? A few hours alone to come to your senses?"
Rose glared at me but I didn't wither under her gaze and returned it with a glower of my own.
"But you can trust me, sweetheart. Babe, sugar, babe, sugar. You can tell me anything."
I looked at Mickey with a raised eyebrow and then returned my gaze to Rose who was looking at her boyfriend, concern shining in her eyes. "I think your boyfriend is broken," I joked, trying to lighten the look in her eyes, "think we can mail him back and get you a replacement?"
Rose cracked a smile but it was gone the moment Mickey spoke up again.
"Tell me about the Doctor and what he's planning," he demanded, "and I can help you, Rose. Because that's all I really want to do, sweetheart, babe, babe, sugar, sweetheart."
"Why are you so interested in the Doctor?" I questioned, "and where is Mickey?"
"That is Mickey, Charlie!" Rose exclaimed before she turned her concerned gaze back to her boyfriend, "what're you doing that for?"
"Maybe he swallowed a broken record player?" I commented, earning a what the hell, Charlie look from Rose. I simply shrugged.
"Your champagne?" asked a waiter and I looked up only to pause as I spied Dumbo standing before me. His eyes widened when he saw me before he gave a small shake of his head and gestured towards Mickey with his eyes. I nodded, even as my eyebrows furrowed and I turned back to the conversation happening in front of me.
"We didn't order any champagne," Mickey said before he reached out and grabbed Rose's hand roughly.
"Hey!" I exclaimed, moving to pry his hand off of her when his other hand shot out and grabbed my wrist in a vice-like hold. Apparently, he was squeezing my wrist a lot harder than he was squeezing Rose's hand because she still looked concerned for him and not pissed at him for manhandling her like I was. "Let go of me, Mickey!" I shouted as I tried to tug my wrist free, cringing as I felt his cold fingers dig into my wrist painfully.
"Where's the Doctor?" Mickey asked and I resisted the urge to throw a look at Dumbo as Rose asked Mickey if something was wrong.
"What's wrong is I'm three seconds away from giving you a good slap if you don't let me go this instant!" I growled, still trying to tug my wrist free.
"I need to find out how much you know, so where is he?" Mickey demanded, everyone apparently deciding to ignore me at the moment.
"Timbuktu," I commented harshly.
"Doesn't anyone want this champagne?" Dumbo asked and I rolled my eyes, couldn't he just get to the damn point? Did everything need a build up with this guy?
"Look, we didn't order it," Mickey growled, looking up only to grin as he laid eyes on Dumbo, "ah. Gotcha."
"Are you going to do something now?" I asked Dumbo impatiently.
He was shaking the champagne bottle and turned his eyes to me, irritation and amusement flashing in them, "must you always be so bossy?"
"You think I'm bad, you should meet my Nan," I answered simply as I felt Mickey's hold on me loosen. I yanked my arm back and cradled my red wrist to my chest as I glared fiercely at my best friends' boyfriend.
"I'll give that a hard pass," Dumbo teased and I actually felt my lips tilt into a small smile at the comment, "anyway, don't mind me. I'm just toasting to the happy couple. On the house!"
Dumbo released the cage around the cork and I watched as it flew into Mickey's forehead and vanished inside of him.
"Gross," I said with a wrinkle of my nose as Mickey chews on the cork and then spits it out. "Has he always been able to do that?" I ask Rose, earning a glare from my best friend.
"What do you think?" she snapped before Mickey was turning his hand into a chopper. I grabbed Rose and hauled us both out of our chairs and away from the table as Mickey wrecks it. Rose's scream hurts my ear but I keep my grip on her as I back us away from Mickey as Dumbo rushes at him and grabs his head.
"What are you doing?" I yell. Is this man insane? He pulls Mickey's head right off, the body still moving around and wrecking things and suddenly the rest of the customers are screaming. "Well, I didn't see that coming," I say as I turn to a panicking Rose, "did you see that coming?"
"Don't think that's gonna stop me," the Mickey head says.
"See, even without a body you can't get Mickey to shut up," I tell Rose before I run over to the fire alarm and pull on it, "everyone out!"
"Out now!" Rose yells, finally getting over her shock, for now anyway, "get out! Get out! Get out!"
I turn back to Dumbo who is still holding the head as the body flails around. "Are you following me?" I ask, my hands on my hips.
"Me?" he asked indignantly, "I was about to ask you the same thing."
I snorted, "like I'd ever follow you."
Dumbo shook his head before he ran off towards the kitchen. I was about to run in the same direction as the other customers when Rose tugged harshly on my arm and led me in the direction Dumbo had gone. "Are you crazy?" I yelled as I ran to keep myself from getting dragged behind her, "he's dangerous, Rose. You said it yourself. So, why are we following him?!"
"He might know what happened to Mickey," Rose puffed as we ran through the kitchens as the body followed behind us.
We ran through the exit and Rose dropped my hand as Dumbo turned, removed his little silver device with the blue top, and pointed it at the door. It made the same whirring sound it had at the apartment and I heard the door lock.
"What is that?" I asked as Rose started pushing against the padlocked gate.
"Open the gate!" she cried frantically, "use that tube thing. Come on!"
"Sonic Screwdriver," Dumbo informed us proudly, holding up the little silver tube.
"That looks nothing like a screwdriver," I replied.
"Use it!" Rose screamed, still pushing against the gate.
"Nah," Dumbo replied, walking over to the blue police box, "tell you what, let's go in here. And what do you mean, it doesn't look like a screwdriver?" he asked, poking his head out the door and glaring at me.
"You have seen a screwdriver, right?" I question as I approach the box and stop just in front of it.
"What are you waiting for?" he asked impatiently.
I shrugged my shoulders, "little small, don't you think? And what's a wooden box going to do if that thing is managing to beat down a metal door?"
"Do you have to question everything?" he said as he rolled his eyes, "just get in, will you?"
"You can't hide inside a wooden box!" Rose yelled as Dumbo disappeared inside the blue box again, "it's going to get us! Doctor!"
I watched as Rose tried the gate once more before she ran for the police box. I grabbed her just before she could enter, "you remember all those times your mum told you not to get into a stranger's car?"
"This is a box, not a car," Rose replied, panic lacing her tone.
"I'm pretty sure the principle still applies," I say, even as she gets out of my grip and runs inside. I look back to the metal door, the Mickey imposter making pretty damn good work on it and feel my heart speed up even more than it already had. Rose was out of the box a moment later and I watched curiously as she ran around the box and stopped beside me, her eyes wide and disbelieving.
"It's not a sex dungeon, is it?" I ask, seeing the look on her face, "I did warn you not to go inside."
"Is everything a joke to you?" she countered, her voice high as the Mickey imposter smashes through the door, "just get in!"
She grabbed my wrist and tugged me inside the blue box as I replied. "I joke when I'm-" my mouth falls open as I look around the blue box, "-scared," I finish lamely as the door closes behind me.
My eyes scanned the room I was standing in, unbelieving of what I was seeing. It shouldn't have been possible. There was no way a box that small should be able to fit a room this big inside.
"Right," Dumbo said as I finally came back to the conversation, "where do you want to start?"
"Er, the inside's bigger than the outside?" Rose asked.
"Or is the outside smaller than the inside?" I questioned, looking at the brass hexagons on the walls. This place was magnificent. Magnificent and impossible.
"Yes."
I looked back at Dumbo, "to which one?"
"Both."
"It's alien," Rose commented.
"Yeah," Dumbo answered.
I smiled, "she's beautiful," I breathed, jumping when a gentle hum sounded out around us. "What was that?" I asked, looking back at Dumbo who was already watching me curiously.
"Are you alien?" Rose suddenly asked and my question was momentarily forgotten as I waited for Dumbo's reply.
"Yeah. Is that alright?"
"Depends," I answer before Rose, both of them turning to look at me as I move further into the room, "are you gonna probe us?"
Rose snorted and Dumbo rolled his eyes, though, I didn't miss how his lips twitched. "No," he answered, "I'm not going to probe you."
"Good enough for me," I shrugged, "Rose?"
"Yeah," Rose agreed, both of us earning a smile from Dumbo. It was nice, seeing him smile, he always looked so sad.
"It's called the Tardis," he continued, "this thing. S. That's Time and Relative Dimension in Space."
"Time travel's impossible," I stated simply.
Dumbo sent me a raised eyebrow, "you're in a box that is bigger on the inside-"
"-or smaller on the outside-"
"-and you think time travel is impossible?" Dumbo finished with an exasperated sigh.
"I'm sure there is a logical explanation for how this box is possible," I argued.
"There is," he nodded, "but do you know what it is?"
I was about to reply when Rose suddenly burst out crying. I quickly turned to my best friend and wrapped my arms around her as she buried her head in my neck and sobbed.
"That's okay," Dumbo went on, "culture shock. Happens to the best of us."
My eyes narrowed at him again. I seemed to do that a lot in his presence. "You're thick, you know that?" I hissed, "she isn't crying because of you or the Tardis."
"Did they kill him? Mickey? Did they kill Mickey? Is he dead?" Rose cried and I shushed her gently as I ran my fingers through her hair.
"Oh. I didn't think of that."
I rolled my eyes at his answer. "No shit," I growled, "I'm sure he's fine, Rosey. Okay?
"You can't be sure of that, Charlie," Rose sniffled, "they copied him and he could be dead now. You pulled his head off," she said to Dumbo, her eyes red and beginning to puff, "and now you're just going to let him melt?"
I looked at the head to see it was indeed beginning to melt. This seemed to panic Dumbo as he ran around, pushing levers as the sound from earlier filled my ears. "What are you doing?" Rose asked as I let her go to hold onto the railing, hissing as I felt myself get shocked by it.
"Following the signal. It's fading," Dumbo explained as he ran around the console, "wait a minute, I've got it. No, no, no, no, no, no, no! Almost there. Here we go!"
"Where is here though?" I asked as Dumbo ran passed me and to the door, Rose hot on his heels.
"You can't go out there. It's not safe!" Rose shouted as she ran out the door after him.
"Seriously?" I asked myself, standing a couple feet from the door, "what is it about this guy that makes Rose act without thinking?"
There was another hum and I looked up as the lights dimmed a bit before they brightened again. "Is it usually like this with him?" I asked, feeling a tad stupid for talking to a ceiling. Another hum, and somehow, I knew this was a hum of agreement. I shook my head. "I was kind of afraid you'd say that," I sighed as I followed Rose's path to the door, hearing an amused hum before the door closed and I heard it lock. "Hey," I exclaimed, pushing on the door, "let me out! Dumbo?! Dumbo, unlock the door, this isn't funny!"
"It won't open," I heard him say from the other side of the door.
"What do you mean, it won't open? Just unlock it! You have a key!"
There was a pause before he finally spoke again. "The Tardis won't let me unlock the door and I don't have time to get it to open," he said, my heart sinking with his words, "we'll be back when we've found what we're looking for!"
"If anything happens to Rose, I will personally make you wish you'd never met her!" I yell at him through the door, "I mean it! You keep her safe!"
There was some grumbling before he told me he'd do what he could to make sure she wasn't harmed. Then, silence. I sat down with my back pressed against the door and did the only thing I could do. I waited.
Rose had just followed him out of the door when it closed and he heard the lock click into place. He turned to look at the Tardis curiously, wondering what had gotten into her lately that she was acting up more than usual.
"Hey," he heard Charlotte yell from inside, "let me out! Dumbo?! Dumbo, unlock the door, this isn't funny!"
He rolled his eyes at the ridiculous nickname she had given him as he pulled his key out of his jacket and tried to unlock the Tardis. She wouldn't unlock. His lips turned down in a frown as he took a step back to look over the Tardis.
"It won't open," he informed her and Rose, speaking loud enough to be heard through the door.
"What do you mean, it won't open? Just unlock it! You have a key!"
This woman is absolutely infuriating, he thought as he tried the key again. When it still didn't budge, he removed his sonic and pointed it at the door. Nothing. She wasn't going to let him unlock the door and he didn't have time to stand here and work out what was going on with the Tardis at the moment.
"The Tardis won't let me unlock the door and I don't have time to get it to open," he told her as he tucked his sonic back in his jacket pocket, "we'll be back when we've found what we're looking for!"
"If anything happens to Rose, I will personally make you wish you'd never met her!" he heard her yell at him through the door, "I mean it! You keep her safe!"
He grumbled under his breath, low enough that Rose wouldn't be able to hear him before he spoke up. "I'll try my best to keep her safe," he told Charlotte through the door. He didn't get a reply and took that to mean she was trusting him to keep his word.
For the life of him, he couldn't figure her out. He had run into her three times today; that was practically unheard of for him. Also, if he didn't know any better, he'd say the Tardis was pushing them together; what, with her not going where he wanted her too. She had been more stubborn than usual and he still couldn't figure out why but he'd bet his sonic it had something to do with the fiery redhead currently locked inside.
"She's beginning to trust you."
He turned to look at Rose, the blonde-haired teenager looking from him to the locked door. "I highly doubt that," he replied as he removed the key from the Tardis door and stored it back in his pocket, "we can't stand being in the same room as each other and I've only met her three times."
"You don't have to like someone to place your trust in them," Rose stated, "Charlie wouldn't have fallen quiet that fast unless she trusted you in some way. At least, enough to believe you'd actually keep me safe. She's not quick to trust people."
"I can see that," he replied.
Rose was silent for a moment before she looked back up at him. "What do you mean, you've met her three times? When was the third time?" Rose asked, her arms folded over her chest as she glared at him.
"That's not important," he answered with a shake of his head, "we've got a planet to save."
"So," I began after what felt like forever, "any particular reason you locked me in here?"
There was a hum and a beep but I couldn't make heads or tails of it even if I tried. I looked down at my watch and frowned, "I have twenty minutes to get to the hospital before I miss my shift. Do you know what happens when I miss my shift?" I asked, barely pausing a second before I answered, "I most likely get fired. I need my job to live and I can't do my job if I'm fired. So, do you mind unlocking the door so I can get Rose and get out of here?"
Silence.
"Oh, now you don't want to communicate?" I mutter before I let my head slump back and connect with the door behind me. A small amount of pain shot through my head but I ignored it as I continued to speak, "I must be losing my mind. I'm talking to a blue police box that is smaller on the outside and somehow alive enough to lock me inside." I shook my head, "maybe I should go back on my meds? Call my therapist and tell him I'm experiencing similar symptoms from my childhood."
There was a low, concerned hum and I moved my eyes back to the ceiling. "I used to have these… delusions, I guess you could call them. Nan and Pop were never concerned about them but one of my school teachers had insisted I see a therapist for them."
An angry hum, almost like the Tardis was mad that my teacher would ever suggest such a thing. I laughed. "Yeah, Nan had a similar reaction," I replied with a soft smile, "scared the teacher so much I thought he might just quit, to be honest. Nan can be down right terrifying when she wants to be."
I stood up with a heavy sigh, "I can't keep waiting around for them to get back, I'll go stir crazy." I noticed an open doorway leading into a corridor and looked at it with a raised eyebrow before my eyes darted back to the ceiling. "Just how big is this place?" I asked the Tardis.
The only reply I got was a small beep as the lights in the hall brightened. I smiled as my heart raced, eager to explore this new place and get my mind off my anxiety for Rose. Hell, I was even worried about Dumbo to some extent; not that I'd ever tell him that. Besides, it also got my mind off the fact I was likely going to be fired from work and Rose wouldn't be the only one of us job hunting in the morning.
With one last look at the locked door, I followed the flashing lights down the hall, curiosity and awe no doubt shining in my eyes the further I walked.
The Doctor, Rose, and Mickey ran into the Tardis. The Doctor running straight to the console and pushing a few levers to get them out of there. Mickey was tightly clutching Rose who was looking around in search of Charlie, her worry growing when she found no sign of her friend.
"Doctor? Where's Charlie?" she stammered as the Tardis jolted and she had to cling to a nearby support beam to keep herself from falling to the ground.
The Doctor looked up at her question, his eyes scanning the area for the infuriating redhead before he groaned. "She's somewhere in the Tardis," he answered simply, "I'll help you find her in a moment."
"I can go look for-" Rose began only to get interrupted by the Doctor giving her a stern look.
"-the Tardis is a lot bigger than you think; it's easy to get lost if you don't know where you're going," he informed her, "you have a stronger chance of finding your friend if I help you."
"Oh, God," Rose breathed, "what if Charlie's lost?! She's probably terrified!"
The Doctor snorted at the comment before his face became blank as Rose glared at him. He'd only known Charlotte for a few short hours but he was positive she didn't scare that easily. They certainly weren't going to find her clinging to something like a scared child as Mickey was doing right now to Rose. He wasn't happy that she had left the console room but she was only human and humans were a curious species that couldn't help themselves sometimes.
When the Tardis had landed and Rose had managed to pry Mickey off of her leg, she followed the Doctor down several corridors as they searched for Charlotte. The Doctor was opening several doors, shaking his head each time without actually letting Rose look into them. When they came to a large ornate door, he muttered something under his breath and pushed the door open.
Charlotte was in the room, surrounded by books with one on her chest as light snores filled the room. Her red hair had been pulled out of its bun, probably because it had been giving her a headache, and was now spilling over the edge of the sofa. Her neck was craned awkwardly and Rose had no doubt she'd be in a bit of pain when she woke up but also knew Charlie had become used to sleeping like that because she often fell asleep like that after a long shift at the hospital.
"Trust Charlie to find the library on a spaceship," Rose snorted as she watched the Doctor approach her sleeping friend and lift the book, she had been reading off of her. His eyes widened and his face paled, making Rose frown. "What's wrong?" she asked as she walked over to look inside the book. She frowned when there were no actual words, just a bunch of random circular patterns. "Is this some kind of alien language?" she asked. When the Doctor didn't reply, Rose looked over at him and took a cautious step back.
His eyes were dark and storming, a look that made her heart race with fear for her friend as he glared down at the sleeping woman. When he turned those angry eyes to her, Rose shrunk back. "Who is she?" he demanded, motioning towards Charlie, "what is she?!"
"She's human!" Rose replied tersely, "what else would she be?!"
"She shouldn't have been able to read this," he growled, holding up the large, leather-bound book.
Rose frowned, "it's just a bunch of circles, Doctor, she was probably just looking at them."
"For seventy pages?"
"Maybe she opened it to that page and was looking at it before she fell asleep, she's been exhausted for days," Rose retorted in defence of her friend, "it's just a book."
The Doctor seemed to pause for a moment and consider what she had said before he nodded grimly. Of course, not before pulling out his sonic and scanning Charlotte. He looked at the results. Human. Female. Twenty-two years old. Nothing out of the ordinary. He shook his head, perhaps Rose is right.
"Can I let her sleep?" Rose asked nervously, "she hasn't been sleeping well these last few months."
"Why?" the Doctor found himself asking before he could stop himself. He pulled out his sonic and pointed it at her again, reading the results with a frown on his face. "Nightmares?" he asked.
"Yeah," Rose answered, "she's had them since she was little. She never told me what they were about, said she didn't want me to get nightmares too; keeps them all written down in her journals at home."
The Doctor nodded and they left the room, leaving Charlotte alone to sleep, a soft lullaby filling the library as the Tardis watched the Phoenix begin to dream.
Smoke filled my lungs as I ran through the desolate streets. I did my best to ignore the bodies, calling on my training to keep my composure as I searched the streets for two people in particular. My lungs burned as my legs pushed themselves passed their limit. Tears stained my cheeks as my mind quickly flashed to the image of my sister's body lying in the street; her eyes devoid of life. I shook my head, I needed to focus.
I'd just turned a corner when a small arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me into a dark alcove as a beam of light and heat rushed passed the spot I had just been standing. My breathing was heavy as I doubled over, trying to fill my lungs with air only to cough as I inhaled more smoke.
A hand was on my back, rubbing circles into the fabric of my shirt. "Val? Are you okay? Where is Theta?" came a slightly high, masculine voice that instantly relaxed my racing hearts. Until his words registered. Then I felt only panic.
"I thought he was with you," I replied, standing straight and turning to look at him. He was so small now, so different from his last regeneration. A mere child now.
"I haven't seen him since we split up to look for you," he answered.
I shook my head in disbelief, "you left each other? Koschei!"
"We weren't going to do anything until we knew you were safe," he argued, "come on, I think I might know where he went."
He took my hand and tugged on it gently but firmly. We ran out into the war tarnished street, running in the opposite direction I had been running earlier. I frantically searched the streets, trying to find my best friend. Where could he possibly have gone? Was he safe? Alive? My hearts skipped a beat at the thought of Theta being dead but I quickly brushed the thought off as Koschei led me into a familiar hall.
"What are we doing here, Koschei?" I asked as I spied the Tardis' lining the hall. Most of them were destroyed now, the ones that were left sounded like they were crying, their hums were so sad.
"I'm getting you out of here," Koschei told me and I felt my hearts freeze.
"What? You can't," I protested, "we have to find Theta!"
Koschei turned to me, his eyes ablaze with anger, fear, and something else I couldn't quite put my finger on as he tugged me closer to him. "I have to make sure you're safe, Valsill," he retorted desperately, angrily.
"I'm not leaving without you or Theta!" I replied stubbornly, my chin lifted and my eyes narrowed.
I saw Koschei open his mouth to speak before I spied something over his shoulder and my eyes widened. "Koschei!" I yelled, pushing him out of the way as pain tore through my body.
I heard Koschei scream my name as I fell, my body already beginning to glow golden as larger hands grabbed me under my arms and dragged me into one of the Tardis'.
"You have… after her," I faintly heard Koschei say to someone, "make… safe or… like what happens." Then he was next to me, his small fingers on my face as he stroked my cheek softly, "I'm sorry… going to be okay… to be hard… through."
"Koschei," I breathed, feeling the energy moving throughout my body, "tell Theta-"
"-I know," he interrupted, "he doesn't deserve… I'll tell him… just stay-"
I didn't hear the rest as I was violently thrown from where I was laying.
I awoke with a startled scream as I was thrown from the sofa I had been laying on. The events of the day surfaced like an old movie and I buried my head in my arm with a groan only to pull back with a crinkled nose as my sweat covered forehead soaked my arm. I wiped the perspiration off my head with my hand and then wiped my hand on my scrubs. There was a concerned hum from above and I looked up at the Tardis ceiling as she beeped at me.
"I'm okay," I panted, fanning myself with my hand, "just a bad dream."
I stretched, hearing my back crack and pop before I sighed with relief and proceeded to crack my aching neck. When the pain steadily disappeared, I looked around. I remembered the Tardis navigating me towards the library where I had decided to pass the time by reading. I can't remember exactly what I had been reading before I fell asleep and couldn't seem to find the book when I looked for it either.
Giving up after a while, I followed the flashing lights out of the library, letting the Tardis lead me down the hall towards the console room. How long had I been asleep anyway? It couldn't possibly have been that long, right? I didn't know but when I entered the console room it was still empty.
"Have they not been back yet?" I asked the Tardis, slowly growing accustomed to her strange form of communication. It was sort of weird, talking to a ceiling, but the last twenty-four hours of my life had been pretty weird so I simply shrugged it off. When I found Rose, I would have Dumbo take us back to Rose's apartment and we could part ways somewhat amicably.
I didn't understand why I had fallen asleep, sure, I had been exhausted the last few days, but I had had one of the best nights of sleep that I could recall the night before Rose had called me about the shop. It had been the first time in years that I hadn't had a nightmare and the full eight hours of sleep had done wonders. Apparently, not enough to keep me from falling asleep in a stranger's library. A library inside a box that should be impossible but wasn't.
I walked to the blue door and tried to open it, surprised when it actually did what I wanted it to. "I'm allowed to leave now, huh?" I asked the Tardis, receiving a hum of agreement in reply.
Without further prompting, I stepped out of the Tardis, my eyes widening and my jaw dropping as I was met with a large window revealing an orbital view of Earth. I took two hesitant steps out of the Tardis, still in disbelief at what I was seeing. This had to be some kind of joke, right? God, I hope so.
I shook my head as I looked around the small room before I took the necessary steps back until my back was pressed against the closed Tardis door.
"Nope."
That's the end of Rose and now we'll be moving on to The End of the World. Don't forget to follow so you don't miss an update and please take some time to leave me a comment about what you think so far.