A/N: I'm baaack! So sorry for my long absence, work during Christmas was absolutely crazy (shopgirl, remember?) and the holidays are always just so busy! I was able to eke out this little chapter for you guys today though, so I hope you enjoy!
With the continued treatments, Rose got weaker and weaker. She was no longer able to accompany the Doctor or her mother into town on everyday tasks, except when she was well-rested, and she was constantly asleep and in bed. Her eyes sunken, and skin pale, it seemed to the Doctor that all that remained of his companion physically was a shadow of her former self. Mentally, however, she was still as smart as ever and perhaps even more determined to live now than ever before. The Doctor routinely sat by her on the couch in the living room, where he had now set up a permanent residence, leaving the TARDIS locked and to her own devices on a nearby street corner, and watched repeats of her favorite shows with her. She didn't feel up to much else a lot of the time, so the Doctor delved into the world of EastEnders and Strictly Come Dancing along with his funny little pink-and-yellow human. At this particular moment, Rose was curled up with her head on his arm, eyes closed and sleeping peacefully. The Doctor's arm began to tingle and go numb, but he didn't dare to move it, as he didn't want to disturb her. He knew she needed the rest. Perhaps he would allow himself to drift off, too.
There, in front of the telly, Rose began to dream. In the middle of London, she was arm-in-arm with the Doctor, huddled together in the winter cold. Her legs were steadier beneath her than they had been in months, and her breath, visible through the swirls of fog it left in the night air, was strong and steady. The pair were walking through a small little market set up in the city, Rose perhaps thinking it was the remains of a Christmas market that had yet to shut for the season. They walked together to the Thames, the lights of the city reflected in the dark, glassy water. They leaned over slightly over the railing of a bridge to see their reflections in the river, and Rose smiled. Her hands went to her shoulders, which found her much-missed locks of golden blonde hair, just the same as it had been before. She shivered in the cold, and the Doctor held her tighter, helping to warm her up as much as he could do. Rose sighed, taking in the beauty of the moment.
"Doctor, I have something I should tell you…before…" Rose said.
"Before what?"
"Before…before I die."
"Don't say that." The Doctor said
"No, it's true. I'm gonna die one day, whether it's cause of this cancer or not, and I'm gonna have to leave you. That's ok, I'm human, and I suppose it's what we do. But before that, I need to tell you…that I love you." Rose said. She took another deep breath, "Oh god, why can I only say that in a dream?" She sighed. The Doctor smiled, and the dream began to fade. Rose was waking up.
Rose opened her eyes, realizing that she was watching the menu screen from the DVD they had put in hours ago. What had they been watching, anyway? Rose had been asleep to long to remember. She felt the Doctor move under her, and she moved her head from her arm to allow him the room to stretch. He had evidently fallen asleep, too.
"Did you sleep well? Have nice dreams?" The Doctor asked.
"Yeah, I definitely did." Rose said.
"I know." The Doctor said, smiling knowingly. Rose blushed. Oh my god, I should've known…telepathic Time Lord and all that, he probably knows how to share a dream! She thought. Just then, to save her further embarrassment, her mother came through the door, announcing that it was time again to see the doctor. They were going to check on the progress of her treatments again, and make adjustments if necessary. These visits always got Rose's hopes up. She always liked to imagine the tumor in her brain shrinking, dying away and letting her live. However, Rose's rational half told her it was impossible. Rose liked to block that part of her out from time to time. Most times, it led to good things, like it did when she ran away with her Doctor. Time would only tell what it may bring her this time.
