The Other Side Of Me
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Previously in Chapter Three ...
The Doctor's fingers left a sizzling trail as they moved up her arms and reached behind her neck. He pulled her gently towards him, and Rose eagerly complied, turning herself as she came down on top of him, stopping only when her lips joined his. They kissed passionately, and it was just as she knew it would feel - just like in the movies when two people who loved each other finally became one.
His kiss was heat - fire in her veins with each touch of his tongue to hers - his moan letting her know that he was enjoying this as much as she was. She fell into him, letting him wrap his arms around her and hold her for his mouth as he broke the kiss and slid his tongue down her neck. Rose felt her eyes roll to the back of her head. Nothing could ever feel as good as this.
Then her world was suddenly spinning. The Doctor gripped her tightly and rolled them gracefully. Before she knew what was happening, Rose was on her back with the Doctor leaning over her, grinning almost evilly.
"I've got you now," he whispered, then kissed her nose playfully.
"You've always had me," she replied, eyes closed and smiling.
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Chapter Four
The Bath
"Rose!" The Doctor's voice drifted into her thoughts and she opened her eyes, watching him. His lips didn't move the next time she heard her name called, and she wondered if perhaps he was using telepathy.
But his voice, when she heard her name called again, sounded muffled and almost panicked. Yet the look on the face before her was incongruously calm, even as she heard the frantic sound of her name once more. Definitely not the tone she expected from the softly grinning man above her.
Then it hit her; she must be dreaming. And the Doctor was trying to get through to her. Of course this wasn't her real world; apparently this was some fantasy that she'd buried so deeply even she didn't recognize it fully.
Dear God, she must be going mad. Had to be.
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The Doctor had not intended to enter Rose's personal space, especially in the privacy of her bathroom, but soon came to realize he had no choice. He'd been calling to her for over a minute, banging on the door that separated them, but she did not answer.
He'd remained seated as long as he could across from her room, understanding females and their bathroom indulgences. It seemed most all female humanoids enjoyed 'quiet time' in a hot, soaking tub. But soon his worrying got the better of him, and he stood from his chair and walked into the corridor, never hesitating until his hand knocked on Rose's bedroom door.
His hesitations began when she did not answer him. Oh, it was possible that she was still in the tub; in fact, it was more than likely. He didn't want to invade her space; really, he didn't. But she wasn't answering him, and he could justify entering her room because of his worry due to the past events of this day. He'd never be able to justify not going in there, however, if she were hurt or worse.
Horrid visions of her drowning surrounded him in a looming dark cloud, laced with the worst scenarios he could imagine. Normally, if something was amiss with someone on his ship, the TARDIS would inform him with a nudge to his mind. But on this occasion, she remained eerily silent, like Rose, raising his fears.
The ship was unwell. What if she couldn't tell him that something was terribly wrong?
He entered Rose's bedroom, calling her name as he walked in, but received no answer. Everything was where it should be. Nothing out of place, which meant she was still in the bathroom.
"Rose?" he called to her, waiting impatiently for her to answer. He knocked on the bathroom door then called to her again. And again.
Trying the door knob, he found it unlocked and entered the steamy room without reservation, inhaling the sweet floral smells from the oils of her bubble bath.
Rose was still in the tub, immersed in warm water with bubbles up to her neck, leaning against it's back. The Doctor knelt down beside her.
"Rose?" he queried, his voice just above a whisper as his hand reached up to her cheek. Her eyes were open, but they closed at his touch.
"Rose."
She wasn't responding. Damn it! He'd known permitting her to have this bath was a bad idea - known it deep down in his hearts. Gently holding her shoulders, he pulled her towards him, sitting her up in the tub. He expected her to slump forward, possibly slide down further into the bubbles, but she didn't; simply sitting as he posed her. Her eyes opened again, but it was clear she wasn't seeing him.
"Rose? What's wrong?"
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Rose looked up at the Doctor, leaning over her in the bed as he steadied himself, keeping his weight off of her. He looked terribly worried and she was beginning to understand why.
"This must be a fantasy," she said softly, her hand raising to hold his cheek, brushing slightly against a bit of stubble. "But you feel so real."
"I am real. And I'm worried. What's happening with you?"
"I don't know," she answered honestly.
Suddenly the Doctor sat up, wiping his face with his hands. "Something's not right. I can feel it," he stated as his eyes wandered the room for a moment before meeting hers again. He soon smiled though, letting his worries slip down a notch at the sight of her. "You're so beautiful."
Rose blushed, realizing she was lying before him, naked for his eyes to explore. And it felt good, for with all her insecurities and human flaws, he thought she was beautiful. She wanted to remember this moment forever.
Pain suddenly ripped through her mind, stabbing through her thoughts. She felt like her skull was being ripped open in half. She screamed at the intensity of it, her mind losing conscious thought as the pain became too much to bear.
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The Doctor stared at Rose for the longest time, trying to read the something from the blank expression on her face as she sat in the bathtub, still unaware of his presence. He'd been kneeling beside her a good five minutes, waiting for her to come out of her trance-like state. But she hadn't. And he had no idea how long she'd been this way since he hadn't been with her when it began. He was sure, however, that this was the longest episode so far.
Quickly making up his mind, the Doctor brought his fingertips to her temples. He hated doing this to her. If felt like an invasion of her privacy without her permission, but he was worried. And there really didn't seem to be a choice. He couldn't figure out what was happening to her and was no longer willing to do nothing about it, intrusive or not.
Fingers in place, he stared at her for a moment, then closed his eyes.
Rose screamed at the first tendrils of his mind touching hers. He felt her pain and knew he was the cause of it, immediately releasing his hold on her. Her tormented scream echoed in his mind even as her body slumped towards him, now unconscious.
Not only was he no closer to finding out what was wrong with his Rose, but now he had inflicted such pain on her that she had literally passed out in his hold.
The Doctor pushed Rose gently back until she was supported once more by the bathtub, taking deep breaths to calm his nerves now that she seemed no longer in pain. He stared at her for a moment, trying to understand. He'd never had anything like this happen before in all his nine-hundred-plus years.
He looked away from her, shaking his head slightly as he pinched the bridge of his nose. The sudden disorientation that threatened him came out of nowhere. He felt a bit off-kilter; dizzy with a touch of nausea. He focused his mind. He had no time to dwell on his petty symptoms. Although, if he thought about it, they were most likely related to her reaction when he tried to join her mind.
Something was very, very wrong here.
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The Doctor turned away from Rose for only a moment when she began sliding down in the tub. He'd heard the slight swoosh of the water's movement and spun back towards her quickly, seeing her form slowly lowering into the water's depths. Before he could reach a hand out to stop her, she began slipping beneath the water, making the Time Lord rush toward her in panic. Grabbing Rose's shoulders, he hoisted her quickly upwards, splashing the water around enough to soak him thoroughly in the process, though he didn't notice. He was too busy looking her over.
"Rose - Rose!" The Doctor shook her gently in hopes of a response, but got none.
And she wasn't breathing. Surely she hadn't been under the water long enough to ...
Rose's sudden intake of air startled him, though he never lost his grip on her shoulders. He did however, allow a deep, calming breath for himself.
The Doctor made sure to drain the tub before he moved into her bedroom, spreading out a couple of towels across Rose's bed. His movements were functional with speed, not wanting his companion out of his sight for too long. That scare mere moments earlier already had taken a few years from his lives, he was sure.
Returning to Rose, he found an abundant supply of towels stacked neatly on the back of the toilet; just what he needed.
Getting Rose out of the tub was his next priority, but he paused, leaning down to look at her closely. She looked as if she were merely sleeping - no traces of pain on her features. Her thin body was covered in bubbles, protecting her modesty if only slightly.
Taking a deep breath, he resolved himself to do what needed to be done.
Reaching his hands beneath her, the Doctor lifted Rose easily from her ceramic sanctuary. Her skin was cooling down quickly and he hugged her close to him and turned, sitting her on the covered toilet beside the tub. Balancing her steadily with one hand, he pulled the towels from behind her one by one, quickly wrapping her in their warmth.
Of course, that was when Rose awoke.
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