Author's Note: Thank you for all who have read, reviewed, saved to favorites and following this story. I appreciate it and hope 'Should I Stay' continues to hold your interest. The Doctor and Rose are about to have their first interaction. Hope it doesn't disappoint and that the Doctor isn't too OOC. It's my first time writing him and it really wasn't easy so I have to give kudos to all the writers who have.
Happy reading and I hope you enjoy it!
~Valerie~
Chapter 3: A Reunion of Sorts
The first thing Rose felt was a cool breeze hitting her face as she scrambled out from the darkness she was engulfed in. The second were a couple of presences. Two males she quickly realized. Both had soothing tones and sounded as though they were hovering over her. Next she felt a pair of hands running along the back and sides of her head. Despite the gentleness of it, Rose felt a moment of panic. Had she been captured? Was that the uneasy feeling she had felt earlier? Did Torchwood finally succeed in imprisoning her again after all these years?
Her heart began pounding in fear.
But, if that truly were the case, then the hands on her would've been rough. Not gentle. Torchwood has wanted to get their hands back on Rose for a very long time. They wouldn't be so nice. So it wasn't them. When she tried to move, pain exploded in her head. She couldn't hold back the groan. Once it had dulled some she slowly opened her eyes and found herself staring up into a surprisingly pair of friendly ones. No, she quickly deduced, she hadn't been captured. Still, Rose didn't know who the man was and she was not taking any chances; especially when she saw the second, older man standing over her.
Though both men didn't seem to be dangerous, she learned a long time ago to be cautious. Rose had been burned before. Trust was a luxury she couldn't afford. The men introduced themselves as Brian and Rory Williams; father and son. She could see the resemblance. Their relationship had her thinking of her own mum and how much she missed her. Rory was the one who took charge while his father stood back, with his hands inside his pockets. It may have something to do with him being a nurse, but she felt comfortable with the younger man. She could sense he was good at what he does by the kindness etched in his face.
Rose wondered how long she was out. She knew she was alone before blacking out. And she remembered the excruciating pain that had coursed through her body, the golden shimmer that glowed around her hands and the melody that played inside her head; the one still faintly humming. She was relieved it was once again welcoming. Realizing she was still lying on her back, Rose bolted up into a sitting position and instantly regretted it. Everything around her began spinning. Clearly she shouldn't have done that. Rory had the same thought since he encouraged her to take it easy. So she sat there a few moments longer until she no longer felt dizzy and could stand.
With Rory's help, she was able to rise to her feet. She could sense his curiosity. No doubt it had to do with her refusal to offer up her name. It wasn't something she could give them. If they did work for Torchwood then there was a chance they'd recognize it. Can't have that. Protocol would be followed and then they'd take her in. Not that she would give them a chance to detain her. Rose hadn't survived all these years without being captured without a reason. Still, she didn't want to hurt Rory or his father. Apparently they had no clue who she was and she intended to keep it that way. Once she was through dusting the sand off her clothes, she would thank them for their kindness and be on her way before they had any chance at finding out.
With a fake smile plastered, she straightened herself and faced father and son, but before she could get the words 'thank you' out, movement from behind Rory caught her attention. There, just up ahead, stood a third man staring at her with a shocked expression. He had a flop of brown hair that swooped over his forehead. He wore black trousers that were too short for his legs; a pair of black ankle-length boots filled the space his pants didn't. A brown tweed jacket lay opened over a light blue buttoned-down shirt with a maroon colored bow tie adorned around his neck. His cheekbones were high and his skin looked naturally pale. But none of this was what captured Rose's attention.
What did were the man's eyes.
They were timeless - ancient looking.
And suddenly she knew who he was. The Doctor. Her body froze, her smile fell and she imagined she was staring back at him with the same shocked expression he wore. Rose's entire body began trembling and it had nothing to do with the cold winds that were blowing. He regenerated, was the first though that entered her mind. That saddened her. She wondered how it happened. Was he alone? Or was somebody else there, another woman who stood back and watched as he disappeared in a burst of light right before their eyes. Was this person still traveling with the Doctor? Was it her hand he now held?
He looked much younger than his tenth incarnation. Still handsome though; in an odd sort of way. Rose had a feeling he always would be. At least to her.
"Rose?" the unfamiliar voice called out. She felt a pang that never again would she hear the familiar one of her pin-striped, suit-wearing Doctor. "How…?" the question confused her.
'How' was what Rose was wondering herself. Why he was asking her she didn't know. How was he here without the universes collapsing? Why was he here? Was he here for her? His expression told her that wasn't the case. So, what was he doing here then? Was there trouble happening? Did it have something to do with what happened to her earlier? Was that why Rose heard the familiar song of the TARDIS? Was she close by? Rose didn't recall hearing the sounds of the ship materializing, and from her peripheral, she didn't see it anywhere. It wasn't something she could miss. The blue box would stand out.
So the question remained, what was going on?
Then it hit her; it really hit her.
The Doctor was here, in Pete's World. That meant Rose would soon be back in her own universe, safe from Torchwood, where she wouldn't have to look over her shoulders ever again. She wanted to holler out in joy. Laugh with relief. She did neither. Because she remembered why she was stuck here in the first place. Anger and pain swiftly took the place of her happiness. Rose wanted to lash out, break down and cry. The emotions swirling inside were strong. Somehow she was able to rein them in. To help keep them contained, she turned away, breaking their gaze but remained rooted in her spot. She instead fixed her eyes on the water and watched as the waves rolled in.
What she saw brought a frown to her face. It didn't look the same. Glancing around Rose realized that none of the beach looked right. Sure, the area was a flat stretch of land and there was a wall of cliff towered behind her, but it wasn't the same. Frantically her head swiveled around when she noticed the absence of her truck. Where am I? Rose had assumed the Doctor had traveled to Pete's World, but now she was thinking she was the one who had done the traveling. But how? Rory's words 'you had a bit of a fall' and 'you fell so you shouldn't be so quick to move' replayed in her mind.
Did that mean she was back in her own universe?
Out of confusion she ran both hands down her face. Rose was about to begin pacing, something that helped her think, when she saw the Doctor began walking towards her. A twinge of panic set in. In reflex she took a step back. She wasn't ready for this; not in the slightest. She needed time to prepare herself, muster up enough courage to face him; to steel her heart and plant a mask of indifference on her face. Not stand in front of him with her emotions bare for him to see. When his steps didn't falter or slow Rose turned and did what the Doctor always does when trying to avoid something; she ran.
Except in her haste to get away, she stupidly ran straight ahead towards the cliff wall. Definitely not one of her brighter moments. The Doctor had given chase immediately. Hearing him call her name told her he was right behind her. Rose stopped, she knew she wasn't going to get far. With a sigh she lowered her head but kept her back to him. She needed a few moments to gather herself together. When she turned around to face him she was ready; at least Rose thought she was, until she realized just how close he was. Her breath caught in her throat.
I can do this.
"Hello Doctor," she greeted casually as though not much time had passed since they last saw each other. Inwardly she grimaced at how hard it was to get the words out. Hating the weakness she was feeling, Rose swallowed down her emotions, squared her shoulders and with determination, lifted her head.
"Rose Tyler," the Doctor's voice was soft and laced with tenderness, "Is it really you?" Hearing it had her wanting to forget how he had abandoned her and have the reunion she always imagined they would. But that couldn't happen. No matter how much she wanted it. Best to keep things impersonal.
"Unless there's a clone of me," she trailed off and grimaced at her poor choice of words. The Doctor didn't seem to have caught what she said. He was too busy studying her, a thoughtful expression on his face.
"You were glowing in gold light."
That surprised her. Rose knew she was before blacking out. Apparently she still was when she got here. However that happened. "I didn't notice. You know, me being out cold and all."
"Last time that happened, you had the entire vortex running through your mind."
"Memory's a bit hazy of that time."
"Had to take it out or you would've burn."
"Is this going somewhere?"
"Thing is," he continued on, ignoring her, "if I'd taken it all out, then why are you swimming in Huon particles?"
"Have no idea what you're talking about."
"Either, particles remained inside you or someone's been dousing you with it; which is extremely dangerous. Deadly even. So it's very important you tell me if anybody's been giving you something to drink, eat or take on a daily basis."
"Nope." She popped the 'p' in the same manner as his previous self. Rose hoped her nonchalant response was enough to hide the nervousness she felt with how close to the truth he was.
He looked perplexed by this. "I don't understand."
"Makes two of us then," Rose responded flippantly.
"Then how is it you're here?"
"Don't know."
"Did you use the dimension cannons again?"
"No."
"Were you working on anything at Torchwood, or perhaps they were?"
"Was nowhere near them." And if she were she would've been locked up and strapped to a metal table.
"Any suspicion looking objects around you?"
"Nope." She popped the 'p' again.
"What was the last thing you remembered before waking?"
"Blacking out."
The Doctor gritted his teeth. Rose knew she was frustrating him by being vague with her answers. That and the fact that she wasn't being very forthcoming with details; ones that would help him figure out the mystery of how she had gotten here. It might have been childish of her to do, but it made her feel good to throw him off his game. Something she never been able to do.
"Where were you at?" Now that question gave her pause. The Doctor was pleased by that, he was smirking smugly.
Oh how she itched to slap that look off his face. She was ready to show him that her mum wasn't the only Tyler who could give a good slap. Rose fists her hands to prevent them from doing just that. Instead, she glared and replied, "I was about to get in my car aaand," she dragged out when his mouth opened to interrupt, "I was completely alone," she added, knowing what his next question was going to be.
The Doctor's face fell. She flashed him one of her own smug smirks.
It was the Doctor's turn to glare at her. Rose ignored it and smiled. Not the genuine kind that she used to beam just for him; no, the fake one that held no emotion. Seeing it did not bode well with him. His eyes darkened. Was it wrong a tremor of thrill shot through her at that? Rose pretended she wasn't aware of how upset he was with her. In all honesty, she didn't understand why the need to keep silent about what had occurred before somehow appearing here. Maybe it was the anger she still felt from his abandonment or maybe it was simply because she no longer trusted him.
How could she after everything Jon told her?
The Doctor took a step forward, suddenly standing in her breathing space, "Why are you being so evasive?"
He was stepping up the game.
Definitely not what she was expecting.
Rose tilted her head to the side; she could play too, "I don't know what you mean."
He took another step and leaned in. Other than tilting her head back a bit more to remain in eye contact, Rose remained unmoved; though it took a lot of will power not to react to his nearness. "Do you really think you can keep secrets from me?"
Oh, he's different.
When his previous self was angry he ranted and raved letting the entire universe know just how unhappy he was. This new one seemed to have a rein on his temper. She couldn't help but wonder just how far she could push him before cracking that facade he now wore. Well, if the Doctor thinks he can intimidate her, then he had another thing coming. No longer was Rose Tyler that same naive human who mooned over the Time Lord. Her claws had been sharpened since he last saw her and it was time he knew that.
"And do you really think if I had any secrets I would tell them to you?" The Doctor's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't expected that. Check. Followed by a flash of hurt when he understood what it implied. And mate.
The lines had been drawn.
What happens now, Rose didn't know. But she wasn't planning on sticking around long enough to find out. No matter how much she wanted to see how far things could go. Depending on where they were, she was going to ask the Doctor to drop her off in Cardiff or London. And hopefully after that they'd never had to see each other again.
Author's Note: Remember Rose is acting that way because Jon (the meta-crisis clone) made it seem the Doctor didn't want her in his life anymore. So I'm sorry if anybody was expecting some kind of happy reunion.
Comments, criticisms and suggestions are always welcomed. Chapter 4 will be posted soon.
