Chapter 4 – Old Friends
They sat for hours under that sunset just watching. When night came and the stars blanketed the sky, they returned to the Tardis. The drenching leap back through the waterfall was considerably less enjoyable this time they thought as they squelched back to the Tardis's blue doors. Once they were back inside the Tardis began to hum, a slow and resounding sound that seemed to comfort the soul, she was content.
Rose and the Doctor both went to change and get dry. Rose returned in her pyjama bottoms and a hoodie to discover the Doctor, in a identical but completely dry suit, concentrating on parking the Tardis for the night. She stopped in front of the console.
"Um...Doctor?" She broke the awkward silence building between them.
"Mmmm," he mumbled, trying very hard to concentrate on the Tardis braking system and not on her.
"About today..." She held her breath waiting for a response.
The Doctor's shoulders fell. He took off his glasses and returned them to his pocket, running a steady hand through his hair.
"Umm yeah...today was..." He tripped over his words.
"Well, I just wanted to say that, well...thank you for everything, it was...perfect," she finished.
"Oh Rose." He moved closer to her. She looked up once again in to those frantic eyes, she searched for his next sentence, those three little words she so desperately wanted to hear. He rested his forehead on hers and studied every detail of her beautiful face, he wanted to know every angel, every curve, every feature.
All of a sudden, there was an almighty flash of bright white light, and a massive bang like a clap of thunder. The Doctor swung around alarmingly, but he never let go of Rose's hand. They were both left temporarily blinded and deafened, neither said a word or moved, instead they just stood there, backed against the railings, holding each others hand so tightly as if one half of them were to spontaneously vanish before the others eyes. As the light dissipated, Rose blinked to discover a body lying in a heap on the floor of the Tardis, it wore a distinctive long navy coat. Rose recognised it instantly.
"Oh my god, Doctor it's Jack!"
The Doctor, roused from his state of shock by the sound of Rose's voice, ran over to him and checked his pulse.
"Yep still going, he'll be fine, pulled one of his life-death tricks on us again."
The Doctor observed Jack lying there, seemingly dead, and shook his head.
"He like to play God this one does..., he'll be back with us in a minute" The Doctor sighed and ran a hand through his hair, he couldn't help but feel some level of responsibility for this though, after all he knew what it was like to live on when everyone you love crumbles before you.
Sure enough about thirty seconds later Jack moved. He rolled over, breathing heavily, and sat up.
"God that was a bumpy ride in!," he exclaimed. He rubbed his head.
"That's what happens when you try to jump through the vortex to a non-fixed point in space-time such a the Tardis on that primitive teleportation pogo stick of yours," the Doctor replied unimpressed.
"Doctor! Oh I missed that spaceman sense of humour." Rose smirked.
Jack jumped up, brushed off his coat and embraced the Doctor in a huge bear hug. The Doctor looked distinctively uncomfortable. He broke the hug quickly.
"I'm still promised that drink right!" Jack winked in the Doctor's direction.
"And Rosie!"
She ran up and hugged him tightly as old friends.
"What happened?," she asked worriedly.
"How are you here, I mean in the Tardis?"
"Yes that's what I would like to know...," the Doctor added, leaning against the central pillar, arms crossed crossly.
"It shouldn't be possible."
Jack held up his arm.
"Vortex manipulator, got caught up in a sticky situation back in Cardiff, couple of Slitheen on the lose, got cornered and shot, used this. Combined with rift energy, it was my ticket outta there. And here I am," he finished.
"But enough of that!, he walked over to the Doctor and punched his arm lightly.
"I'll leave you guys to it, I'm off to pick a room."
"Leave us to what?," the Doctor asked confused.
"Well it looked like my unexpected arrival might have interrupted a little romantic situation in here!"
Jack grinned as he walked away, Rose smirked and looked down, her cheeks coloured in embarrassment. The Doctor tried in vain not to look guilty.
"Oh and Doctor!," Jack called from the corridor.
"Hurry up and kiss her next time!"