Viking Invasion

Chapter 3: Go to Valhalla

"You were right," the Doctor said, approaching Rose rather cautiously, as he couldn't read her mood when she was sitting at the kitchen table with her back to him.

Well, he could, but that was not only cheating, it was dangerous. Well, dangerously tempting... never mind. The point was, his human friend was drinking tea and ignoring him, and he didn't like it at all. "Rose?" he asked.

"Yeah, I heard you. I was expecting the TARDIS to explode."

The Doctor frowned. "Oi, you've been right before, an' I said so."

Rose turned and smiled. "I know, m'sorry. I'm just... I got a shock today, that's all. Ignore me."

"Were you hurt, Rose? With the Vikings?"

"No. They just came outta nowhere." She shrugged, then grinned at him, even if it was a little forced. "S'not every day we humans get ta hang out with the God of Thunder, ya know."

The Doctor blinked, then felt his own face explode into a grin that matched Rose's. "I didn't even think o' that," he said. "But how'd they get Thor, then? I'm pretty sure he was ginger."

Rose waved a hand as if to conjure something. "He was a god, though, right, an' they can disguise themselves. Besides, you had that bloody great glowing hammer, an' your eyes aren't exactly dull, either."

"You pay a lot of attention to my eyes, Rose Tyler?" the Doctor couldn't resist asking.

Rose's head tilted to the side and her tongue poked out at the edge of her smile. "Why you ask, Doctor?" she teased.

The Doctor started to reply, even though he didn't know exactly what he'd say. Rose just had this way about her, something sweet and dangerous at once and the Doctor found he could never resist her gentle flirtation. He might wish she didn't spread it around so much, but the sensible part of him that knew there were more dangerous things about their relationship than her attractive charms considered it best if she never knew he ever considered that.

He was spared any deeper descent into insanity by the sudden appearance of Jack, saying they were on Earth. The Doctor would be damned if he admitted that he actually resented the hell out of the interruption.


"What exactly are we doing?" Jack asked, leaning on his side of the console, tapping two keys alternately, one every six seconds. Ironically enough, it was just what the Doctor ordered.

Rose, who was ping-ponging a series of levers as the Doctor called them out, gave him an exasperated glare. "He already said - following the corridor."

Jack would have glared at her and said he really wanted a more detailed answer, as he knew that bit, but there wasn't time. The Doctor called out, "Rose, red switch and hold it down. It'll try ta fight you - we're passing the gap - but don't let go, or we'll end up in the middle of nowhere."

"Prehistoric Cardiff," she suggested, and pounced on the switch.

"Oi, that's not the right one."

"Still think we oughtta test you for color-blindness," she said, and toggled a large brass switch with the word "Red" scrawled on it in what Jack thought was probably Rose's handwriting.

"Thatta girl!" the Doctor sang out. Rose beamed at him until she realized he was petting the console as he bounced past her, and her grin faded.

Jack snickered at her. She stuck her tongue out at him. "No flirtin' from the ape contingent, please," the Doctor said. "This is important." Jack assumed he was the only one who saw Rose stick her tongue out at the Doctor, since the gesture passed without comment.

The next few minutes were hair-raising, really, as the old Time Ship lurched and dove and flipped through the time corridor's narrow confines. Jack supposed it'd gotten quite used to hogging the entire Vortex, and didn't much care to be told it was limited to a certain tiny temporal sub-pocket (or whatever Time Lords called them - he was learning that he and the Doctor had different words for some of the most basic concepts).

"Right, on three, Rose, let go that switch and shift to the other red one. Jack, hold both keys down hard. An' hang on tight, both of you, 'cuz this is gonna be nasty."

Jack shot Rose a look to say goodbye. "Doctor, it's been a privilege," he said calmly.

"Shut up," said Rose, faking confidence. Then, apparently because the Doctor didn't say anything to correct Jack, she added, softly, "Thank you, Doctor. Wouldn't've missed it."

"One," the Doctor said. "Rose, I'm still so glad I met you."

"What about me?" Jack asked.

"Two," the Doctor said. "Thanks for everything, Jack."

"Yeah, thanks," Rose agreed.

"See you in Valhalla," Jack said brightly.

"Three," the Doctor announced. His hands blurred over the console, seeming to be everywhere at once. Jack held down his assigned keys and Rose jumped on her switch, one hand holding it, the other reaching, as if by instinct, for the Doctor.

They were looking into each other's eyes as the whole world seemed to blur itself to screaming white noise. Jack wondered what it would be like to be loved like that.


"Ow," said the voice she most loved in all the universe.

Rose, who couldn't see for the multi-colored specks dancing in front of her eyes, blinked and tried to move toward the sound.

Another voice, familiar and well-liked, said something positively filthy.

"Rose?" came that wonderful voice again, saying her name in that way it had of making her heart flutter every time.

Rose groaned softly and stirred groggily, trying to figure out where she was, how she got here, what was going on, what that exquisite smell was, anything.

"Still with me?" came the gentle inquiry.

Rose decided she was perfectly comfortable, where ever she was, and balled up tighter, burying her nose closer to the warmth and the intoxicating fragrance so near her face. There was that all-encompassing double throb, the sound of her true home, right next to her ear. She was safe, she was warm, she was perfectly fine to just stay right here, forever.

"You gotta wake up now, precious girl," the Doctor murmured, deliciously, next to her ear.

"Don' wanna," Rose mumbled. "Comfy."

The Doctor whispered, "Me too, Rose. But..."

"You guys are so cute!" Jack's voice rang out from well above where ever they were.

Rose blinked blearily and forced her eyes to stay open. It was hard to focus, as she appeared to have her face buried in soft wool jumper and leather jacket. She tried to move but she appeared to be thoroughly tangled up. "Doctor?" she questioned.

The hand that appeared to be tangled in her hair moved slowly. "Yeah?"

"Are we in the TARDIS?"

"Yeah."

"Good," Rose decided. "And are my legs wrapped up in yours?"

"Pretty much," he agreed. "Lot taller than you, ya know."

"And Jack's laughing at us?"

"That'd be him," the Doctor agreed, accusation in his tone.

"So we survived? That's good, isn't it?"

"Think so," he agreed. "Not sure about our dignity, though."

"Do we have any?" Rose wondered.

The Doctor chuckled, and the rumbling under her chest felt wonderful. Rose decided now would be a very very good time to move before the Doctor became aware of what was happening to her. She tried to squirm off of him, and the chuckling was interrupted by an abrupt gasp. "Hold still," he ordered tersely.

Next thing Rose knew, she was standing up, the Doctor's arms supporting her as her head swam and her feet tried to collapse out from under her.

"Is she all right?" Jack asked, and he sounded a bit concerned, at last, as opposed to utterly amused.

"S'like jet-lag," the Doctor said. "Sure it's happened ta you before, too. You humans are very adaptable creatures, but things can shock your systems some times."

"I suppose it's never happened to you?" Jack asked in a tone that was scathing and amused at once.

"Nah," the Doctor said. "S'like the magic kids in Harry Potter stories, how they're always doin' stuff accidentally when they're real young? My species does the same thing, only with time."

Rose wanted to say something about him thinking he was so impressive, but what came out was garbled at best and more than likely complete nonsense.

"What do we need to do to make her better?" Jack asked hesitantly.

"Just needs water an' some rest. I'll go put her ta bed, an' we can go see about this trouble."

Rose forcefully pulled herself together. "I'm fine," she said, suddenly and determinedly. "Just needed a minute, I'm better now."

The Doctor grinned at her. "Have it your way, Rose Tyler."

"I will, thanks," she said firmly. "Not gonna let you two have all the fun without me."

The Time Lord smirked. "Wouldn't be the same," he said, and handed her a bottle of water he'd conjured from somewhere. "Drink that and we'll get going."

Despite Jack shaking his head and sniggering at her, Rose finished the water gratefully, then took the Doctor's hand. "What're we likely to find?" she asked.

"No tellin'," the Doctor admitted. "We should be skirting the edges of the source, an' we'll need to make for the center. I think, under the circumstances, it'd be safest if we kept a tight hold on one another before we stepped out there."

Jack laughed. "Hey, I'm always game for a cuddle," he offered flirtatiously.

The Doctor's answer was drier than entire deserts. "I don't doubt it."

Rose leaned against the Doctor's arm and held on tight. Jack exchanged a glance with him and moved to her other side, holding on to her other arm. As the TARDIS doors opened, she was quite safely wedged between two of her favorite people in the whole universe. They all stepped forward to see what they would be entering.

Then, there was a blinding sweep of golden light, and Rose felt as if every single part of her body was being wrenched away from every other part. There was a sound like screaming and she was almost certain she could only hear it because it was her own. Everything separated, parted ways, tore. There was the sensation of something titanic and powerful wreathing through her, trying to clutch her close. The scream lost coherence and Rose was terrified to think it was because she'd lost her lungs.

Then, there was silence.