Chapter 2 – Open Arms
The TARDIS was surprisingly warm as Rose balanced on the wall sides, squinting through the darkness though she knew perfectly well what she was seeing. The whole room was titled at an angle, wires and pipes looping around the coral like columns that held the roof high. The central column was still glowing faintly green, signifying the TARDIS was probably stunned or something.
Rose gazed around slowly, sucking everything in, everything that she had done to a ship that she'd loved. Almost wounded it with her own hate and unrealised revenge. Quickly she shut away these thoughts, locking them away for she knew that the voices would pick up on them, mock her with them and cover her with more of their blackness. Now she imagined that door, locked and barred and pushed those thoughts inside and slamming it. It was something the Doctor had taught her, not long after the second incident with Cassandra, preparing her again if she was to be controlled. Since, she had used it so many times and it had worked so well. He had cared for her well.
The guilt hit her like a blow and she found herself crying silently to herself. She still didn't understand what this revenge was for. He'd loved her, cared for her and always been there, like the friend that she'd always wanted. She was briefly reminded of Mickey but then the Doctor floated back into her head and smiled his boyish grins. She relived the moments when they ran away from the danger, hand in hand, laughing as they flung themselves in the TARDIS and fell on the floor.
'Again with these lovey-dovey thoughts, I see.'
The voices were back. Their silence had almost convinced Rose of herself again, but now the inky black voices told her otherwise, pulling her back into their oily grip.
'He's gone. You made sure of that. You see what you've done. Is that not proof enough?'
Why were they always trying to convince her of what she had done?
'Don't contradict us. We will make you suffer if you do.'
"I'm not." Rose muttered quietly.
'Look upon him. His pale complexion, blue lips and bloody side.'
Rose jumped as she felt her foot touch something heavy and soft. She looked down and saw the suit, dimly lit from the glow of the central column. His eyes were closed as he lay sprawled against the wall, his legs tangled around one of the rails. Instantly, Rose knelt down, a sob escaping her and touched his shoulder lightly. Under the clothes she felt the rigid muscles, cold and lifeless.
'A kill is done.'
"Leave me alone! I don't want to go anywhere! I need to help him!" Rose gasped for breath as she cupped his cheek and stroked it softly with a thumb while her tears dripped into his hair.
'You'll return to him? Return to lies?' The voices snapped in unison.
"I don't care!" She retorted. "I can't leave him like this."
'You may not be able to. But we can.'
Almost as though their words had triggered something, a great wave of pain swept over her body causing her to cry and fall to the wall beside the Doctor. She shook and trembled, before hearing something hum loudly. Lights began to flicker and Rose knew instinctively that the TARDIS was beginning to stir from its stupor.
'Leave now, before you are locked in...She is already sensing his death...' One of the voices utter quickly, jolting Rose to her feet before pushing her towards the door. She slipped over the loose pipes and bit her lip, drawing blood before bursting outside. The TARDIS slammed the door shut behind her. As it did, Rose heard a groan.
"Doctor?" She said faintly, looking back with wide eyes.
'No, the TARDIS. He is dead.' The voices gurgled. 'The dead can't groan.'
'Go from this place. To that man you thought of before.' They rifled through her memories and came upon the beaming American ex-time travel agent.
'Captain Jack Harkness. That's him. Go to him.'
'Yes, go. Do not think we will not notice if you stay...'
'Never forget. We are you...' The voices faded. Rose shook as the wind around her grew cold. Or was it her? She looked round. She was practically nowhere, if it hadn't had been for the small car that was parked alongside a gate and someone was looking in, a mobile pressed against their ear and staring at her.
Rose began towards the gate, feeling conscious of the grubby clothes and bruised skin that she was wrapped in. She drew the cuffs of her once light pink jumper around her fingers to hide the burns.
"Are you alright?" He was young, the faint presence of a beard around his chin with thin wire glasses allowing sight to curious brown eyes. He climbed over the gate, stuffing the mobile in his puffer jacket pocket and came over to Rose.
"I...I..." Rose stammered and looked behind her. The TARDIS still lay on her side, but she could hear the faint whirr of the engines beginning. This person didn't seem bothered by it though, only giving it a faint glance before returning to Rose.
"Is there anyone with you?" The man asked, eyes taking in the state of Rose and hung on the yellowing bruises on her face. "Are you badly hurt?"
"No...No, I...I was out for a walk and I must have fallen or something." She caught the glimmer of disbelief in his face. "On rocks..."
"Did you decide to take a roll in mud as well?" He asked jokingly, trying to get a smile from her. But Rose remained gaunt and tired. He must have thought she was out drinking and got knocked out or something.
"Do...Do you need to go to the hospital? There's one nearby in the next town." He said quickly, gesturing to his car behind. Rose spotted a terrier sat in the window, looking at her suspiciously as though expecting her to hit its owner over the head with a pole or something.
"No, I'm fine, honestly. If you could just take me to town, I'll call someone from there to pick me up." Rose replied kindly, but her voice was almost flat.
"No problem." He said and walked along with Rose to the car, unsuspecting of the evil that was lurking around this blond haired girl, nor of the mental pain that she was in.
"Rose?"
Rose jumped, practically falling off the bench as she whirled round.
The man, his name turned out to be Chris, had driven her to the town, a quiet town in the Welsh countryside. Though along most of the way, he had been trying to persuade her to go to the hospital to get a check up at the hospital. But she had been patient and just kept to getting to the town. From there, she'd gotten her phone out, feeling a pang of dismay as she saw the broken screen and called Jack. She couldn't remember when they'd swapped number, apparently not long ago though. Probably when they'd been on the last few adventures they'd had, before...that happened.
"Jack?" She said, standing up and going up to him, flinging her arms around him and felt suddenly like crying. But she couldn't. She just knew that the voices would make her feel that pain again. Jack was hugging her back tightly and he laughed slightly, before he pulled her back and looked at her properly.
"What the hell happened to you?" He asked quickly, looking horrified at Rose's condition. "Where's the Doctor?" Guilt flooded Rose, followed swiftly by fear.
"I...I don't know..."She stammered, looking down at the ground. "It's a bit of a blur."
"Haven't you tried ringing him?"
"I couldn't..." Rose replied slowly. "I think the TARDIS crashed." She felt the bitterness of lying make her stomach clench and she felt sick.
"Crashed?!" Jack exclaimed. He looked so worried. It was then in a sudden rush the Rose felt like telling him. But then they came back, like a pair of vultures at a carcass. They were tutting.
'Whatever would Jack think?'
'Murderer...'
Rose held her mouth shut, feeling her cheeks blanch further. Jack noticed this and knew it'd be unwise to continue further.
"Come on, I'll take you back to London."
"No!" Rose suddenly said. Jack looked taken aback.
"No?"
"Mum's away with friends at the moment. Spain or somewhere like that. And my key's on the TARDIS..." She lied.
"Oh...Well..." Jack thought for a moment. "You can come back to mine, until we find the TARDIS." Rose felt relief wash through her. "Can't be that hard to find a blue box in the middle of Wales can it?" He grinned. Rose gave a weak smile and felt her body tremble.
"Rose?" Rose could barely hear him now, blackness was etching at her eyes and her mind was in a spin. She saw Jack lurching forward to catch her, his eyes wide and stricken, as she gave in and plunged into the unknown darkness.
Sorry, I'm a bit bad when I come to cliffies, in the fact that I do them a tad too much. I hope you're enjoying the story so far. I enjoy writing it :D Please Review! Reviews are amazing and I will do the review dance of Doctor Whoness!
