So many questions, so few answers. But some serious answers are on their way, promise! ;) Also, maybe, just maybe, it's time for the Doctor to take the next step... Happy Reading! =)


CHAPTER 9. HIS SOUL SINCERE

Adam yanked at the chains that were keeping him from the one thing he wanted. He didn't want to believe she was really there because it would mean that she had been captured as well. But if it was true…

'Rose,' he repeated her name, the single word already warming him from the inside.

'Adam…'

He edged closer to the window, the ankle cuffs cutting into skin, but he didn't even care. 'Rose. You're here… How?'

She pressed her face against the bars. He could see her clearer now, a little paler than he remembered but still very much his Rose.

'What have they done to you?' she said.

'It's not important.'

'We're going to get you out of here.'

'They didn't… You're not a prisoner?'

She shook her head. 'Nope. There's a secret passageway here. But I can't stay long. The guards will be back any minute. I promise I'll come for you soon.' Rose reached up through the window and something shimmered as it caught the light. As she handed him the object hers fingers brushed his. The small human contact made him shiver with delight and he swallowed down the lump in his throat as he glanced at the object. It was a small vial with a dark liquid in it. 'Drink that. It will help keep up your strength.'

Adam uncorked the vial and sniffed. Whatever this was, it smelled like rancid oil.

'I'm not trying to poison you.'

'Well, bottoms up then.' Adam quickly swallowed the entire contents of the vial. He winced. It tasted even worse than he'd expected. For a moment his head spun and he suspected he made a big mistake. Then all of a sudden the cold began to disappear from his skin and his cramped muscles relaxed. Even his mind began to clear. For the first time in ages he felt like his old self again. With his sight improved he was better able to see Rose in the dim light. It was truly her. 'Oh, Rose,' he said, 'I'm so sorry.'

'What for?'

'I should have taken better care of you.'

'I'm not the one who's locked up.'

He chuckled. 'Quite right.'

The light reflected off her face as she smiled back. Then her smile dropped again. 'Are you hurt?'

'Nothing that can't be fixed. I just don't understand what they want. You're on the good end. What is this place anyway?'

She hesitated. 'We don't really know either. Some sort of government facility. Have you told them where you're from? Or about the Doctor and me?'

'Nobody ever asked. And you know I wouldn't.' He gritted his teeth. He was the Doctor. Why didn't she call him by his proper name?

Rose suddenly became agitated. 'Look,' she said, 'I promise I'll be back soon.' Her face disappeared from the window and Adam felt a stab to his chest. Then she was back. 'Please,' Rose whispered, 'Just… don't give up. I love you.'

Adam stared at the dark window for a long time before he sat down again and closed his eyes. Rose was alive. Rose would come back. Now there was nothing anything that could stop him.

~x~

The Doctor sat beside Rose on the floor of the ruined building as they leafed through the book and it began to give up its secrets. 'I was right,' he said. 'There are two humanoid species on this planet. Even the Time Lord records never mentioned that. According to this they're called the Caliuns and the Eohim.' He turned another page and came across an illustration. 'The Eohim were shapeshifters, but the Caliuns were not. Somehow they managed to live together in peace.'

Rose read along over his shoulder. 'At one point ancient alien beings arrived and created the Rift, to protect the City from the evil that threatened it. The Ancients also created the Keeper, to watch over the Rift. Everything went great until some sort of natural disaster struck.'

'The Shadow Plague,' the Doctor said. 'Look, it says here that the peace continued even as supernatural events disrupted normal life. It didn't matter. These three races fought the plague and those terrible events together.' He turned another page, but the next part of the book had been destroyed by age and moisture, the paper now brown and rotten.

The sound of footsteps startled him and he instinctively covered up the book. He breathed a sigh of relief as the little girl Niyoli trotted up to them. 'What are you doing?' she asked. Her eyes were bright with curiosity, looking to see what he was hiding.

'We're trying to find our friend who's gone missing,' Rose said.

Niyoli frowned. 'Was he taken by the monsters? Aleas says they aren't real, but I think he's wrong because I've seen them myself.' She sat herself down on the floor and picked up the puzzle box that the Doctor had put next to the book. She turned it over in her hands and studied it intently.

'These monsters,' the Doctor said, 'where exactly did you see them?'

'At night. Outside my window.' Niyoli continued to play with the box.

'I've seen monsters as well,' Rose said. 'Sometimes they can be very scary. Weren't you afraid?'

'Used to be, when I was little. But not anymore because at the Temple they teach you not to be afraid. They say not being afraid is very important, because otherwise I can never become the Guardian.' Niyoli's nimble fingers poked and prodded the puzzle box. 'I'm not actually allowed to play outside the Temple but I don't really care because I'm not going to be Guardian anyway. I will be all grown up before the old Guardian dies. Who is your friend? How did you lose him?'

Rose glanced at the Doctor and he shrugged. Niyoli was only a little girl after all, and she didn't pose any danger. 'His name is Adam,' she said, 'and he was abducted by bad people. We have to find him before we can go home.'

Niyoli didn't take her eyes off the puzzle box, but she nodded. 'Maybe they are the same bad people who have taken all those others.'

'Others?' The Doctor scooted a little closer.

'Yeah, you know. It was all real mysterious because they got taken at night, when they were asleep. That's what Aleas says.' She looked up. 'Are you two boyfriend and girlfriend?'

The Doctor opened his mouth and closed it again.

'We're friends,' Rose intervened, 'like you and Aleas.'

'Oh,' Niyoli said, 'but Aleas and I are going to be married. When we grow up. Only he doesn't know that yet.' She smiled, then returned her attention to the box and poked at it with her thumbs. 'This is really easy.' The box popped open and a small amulet fell out. Niyoli picked it up before the Doctor could. 'Pretty,' she said, then put the box down on the floor. 'Have you got another puzzle?'

~x~

By the time Rose and the Doctor arrived back at the Temple, the crowd was already awaiting the start of the Last Ceremony. Niyoli had traipsed along.

'Don't you need to get back to the Temple?' the Doctor asked.

'Nah,' she answered. 'They'll be too busy with the Ceremony to notice I'm gone.' Her eyes lit up. 'Look, there's Aleas!' In a flash she was off again.

The Doctor didn't want to be here. He'd had enough of all this show and sacrifice, but so far they had made precious little progress. There were only a few days left to find a way into the Temple. Frankly, the Doctor had expected to come up with a way to get in sooner, but his mind was preoccupied with too many other things. Rose had suggested they return here and try to find out more about the Key. Two of the onlookers nearby were bickering. The Doctor moved closer to hear what they were talking about.

'None of them have ever returned,' the first man said. 'So why are they wasting their time anyway?'

The second man gave an exasperated sigh. 'Because it's all about the ceremony, of course. It's ceremonial.'

The Doctor eased closer, then leaned in. 'Buy you wouldn't want your loved ones ending up in his clutches,' he said in a confidential tone and nodded towards the stage where the Protector sat.

The two men nodded in unison, clearly happy they'd found a like-minded soul. The Doctor produced his most congenial smile. 'You know what,' he said, 'why don't we all have a drink? You two look like you can use a drink.' The men's eyes shone in anticipation and the Doctor threw an amicable arm around the shoulder of one of them. They sat down at the nearest watering hole and the Doctor ordered drinks for his new friends. It didn't take long before the one called Abium became a little more talkative. The Doctor suspected the other may have already had a drink or two earlier that day, for his attention had already wandered from the generous drinks-buying stranger to a nearby waitress.

The Doctor took a generous gulp of his own drink, showing camaraderie.

'I can tell,' Abium said, 'I can really tell which ones of them you shouldn't cross. It's a gift. But when you have worked for people like that, as I have, you need to be a quick learner.'

'Who do you work for then?' the Doctor said.

Abium bent forward and lowered his voice. 'The Shalas, of course.' He waited for an appropriate response from his drinking companion. 'Excellent pay, but Malesis Shala, she's a real harpy.'

Abium plunked his empty mug down and the Doctor ordered more drinks.

'But these families,' the Doctor said, 'the Shalas and the Zaqars, they don't look so menacing.'

Abium's head shot up, at least as far as he could still manage. 'No, no, no,' he said. 'Don't be fooled. They're vicious as hell.' He glanced around and lowered his voice. 'I really shouldn't be saying this but I am no friend of the Order. Those priests are just as bad as the noble ones. And, you know, my boss, she's a real piece of work but I don't want them gone. I'd be out of work.'

'What would happen?'

'There's rumours going about. Some strangers have arrived, poking their noses where they shouldn't and the Order wants them gone. Came to the house last night, those sneaky priests. I know I shouldn't have listened in. They are looking for this man and a woman. Apparently he's dressed real strange-like.' Abium frowned, some sort of recognition passing through his inebriated brain. 'Actually,' he said, 'this stranger they described, he sounded a lot like you…'

'Of course I'm not.' The Doctor feigned annoyance. 'You said the stranger was a woman. Do I look like a woman?'

Abium frowned, confused now. 'No, no, of course not,' he mumbled. 'I'm really happy for you. Because you don't want to get on their wrong side. You'd be in a world of trouble…'

'But you were saying something about the Order? They came to the house?'

In the distance the crowd cheered. The Ceremony was about to begin.

'Yes, yes,' Abium said. He tried to remember. 'Malesis Shala, she has joined with the Order because they want the Key.' Abium's voice was slurring.

'But why would they want that?'

'Because everybody needs a key. They're very handy for opening doors and such…' Abium looked at the Doctor. 'You, sir, are a very sturdy drinker.' His head collapsed on the table, and Abium began to snore loudly.

~x~

Rose moved through the crowd, trying to find a suitable place from where to watch the ceremony. The Doctor was still busy near the alehouse, 'interrogating' some strangers. A little further ahead Rose could see Aleas and Niyoli, already engrossed in some game or other, not the least bit concerned with the upcoming event.

Across the square she suddenly caught sight of Lord Asman. One of his arms was bandaged and he had scratches on his face. There seemed to be little else wrong with him. She felt glad he had escaped in time, but who had attacked him in the first place?

The sun was about to disappear behind the horizon and torches were being lit around the square. Rose looked out over the crowd. Unlike earlier, there was an air of anticipation among the people. They had been angry before, but now they were hoping for a good outcome, despite knowing that chances were slim. Almost everyone was staring at the large hourglass as time slowly ticked away. The last rays of sunshine were fading and the hourglass was all but empty. The sun then dropped behind the horizon and the crowd let out a collective sigh. It was all over. Once again none of the candidates had returned. A woman standing nearby had tears in her eyes as she clutched a small child. It could have been the collective emotion at work or perhaps she'd lost a loved one. On the stage the priests gathered to perform the final ritual.

A bright flash of light made Rose shield her eyes. The crowd gasped and she tried to see what was happening, but the light had momentarily blinded her. As she regained her sight, she could make out a young man, standing on the stage. He was bleeding from a wound on his shoulder and his right leg dragged.

Someone to the left, an older man, gasped in shock. 'It's Polesius,' he said, then turned to the people beside him, repeating the name in awe.

Rose turned to the person next to her. 'Who's Polesius?'

'He was a candidate,' someone else said. 'But thirty years ago! Look at him. He's still the same!'

The previously stunned crowd was beginning to realise something extraordinary had happened and they were starting to chant his name, culminating in a collective cry of outrage. The lonely man on the stage fell to his knees and began to cry. He must have understood they were on his side, for he dragged himself to his feet again and tried to speak. His voice was broken, but still his words rang out over the square.

'There are no gods,' he shouted. 'There is no immortality to claim. I was sent to hell!' He turned to the Protector, up on his private balcony. 'That man is a liar. They are all liars!'

There was a bustle from the back of the stage as a group of palace guards appeared. The priests were staring wide-eyed as the grand performance threatened to escalate into a disastrous climax. The guards grabbed Polesius and roughly dragged him off the stage, causing the crowd to roar in anger.

One of the priests stepped forward, visibly scared of the now furious faces peering up at him. He waved his hands, trying to quiet them, but failed miserably.

From behind, someone grabbed Rose's arm and began to drag her away. Rose tried to fight back at first, then found herself looking at a familiar face.

'In a minute we'll have a full-scale riot,' the Doctor said. 'Not even the Protector's guards are going to quiet this mob.' He pulled her away from the mass of surging bodies and the shouting. 'They're already saying he's a fraud.' The Doctor looked back over his shoulder. 'An impostor.'

'We have to go back,' Rose said. 'I saw Aleas and Niyoli earlier. If this turns into a riot they'll be caught in the middle.'

'No need,' the Doctor said. 'I've got them.'

Rose looked behind the Doctor and found the children sitting side by side in the alleyway. They seemed a little demure but not exactly frightened.

'I don't want to go back to the Temple,' Niyoli said. 'It's a bad place.'

Rose looked over at the Doctor. He returned her gaze with a pained expression of his own, then turned to Aleas. 'I'm not entirely convinced, but if you do have a home somewhere, perhaps we should go there.'

Aleas looked extremely pleased all of a sudden, as did Niyoli. Rose held out her hand and the little girl smiled as she took it.

'It's not very far,' Aleas said.

They made to leave, but then Rose stopped dead in her tracks. The entrance of the alley was blocked by several men. She recognised them as Temple officials, now apparently turned into thugs. They didn't waste much time explaining themselves and two of them went straight for Niyoli. The Doctor tried to step between them and the girl but he was roughly knocked aside. Niyoli screamed as they grabbed her and started carrying her off, a crying Aleas still holding on to her arm. The taller of the men swatted at the nuisance, sending the boy flying.

Rose took a leap for the shorter of the two thugs and grabbed his neck, planting her knees firmly in his back. It may have been a hopeless action, but that didn't stop her from sinking her teeth in the fleshy part of his arm. The man howled and struggled to get Rose's arm free from his neck as he stumbled and began to turn in circles. Then his taller, more muscular companion grabbed Rose around the waist and pulled her away. She hit the ground with a painful thud. The men didn't wait for their victims to recover. Within seconds they were gone, dragging Niyoli between them as if she were a piece of livestock. Rose struggled to get up, but her ribs protested wildly and she sagged back to the floor. From the corner of her eye she could see Aleas, sitting on hands and knees, a look of despair on his face.

The Doctor scrambled towards her, clutching his own side. He panted for breath. 'We'll get her back,' he said. 'It doesn't matter what I need to do. We'll get her back.'

~x~

It took the remainder of the little group about twenty minutes to reach Aleas' home, a once splendid but now slightly neglected villa at the edge of the Rich Quarter. Out here, among gently swaying trees and peaceful greenery, there was little evidence of what was taking place at the Temple.

Aleas led Rose and the Doctor past the impressive front gate and to a more modest entrance at the back of the house. The boy didn't wait for anyone to show them in and Rose felt a little apprehensive about entering the house unannounced. As soon as they were safely inside, Aleas shouted out to anyone nearby. Two female servants came running, followed by another woman, also dressed modestly but with a different air of authority about her.

'Mother,' Aleas called out and he ran towards her.

The woman seemed startled by the sudden activity. Aleas threw his arms around her and she hugged him back, obviously relieved. She then seemed to remember there was also some parenting to do. 'Where in heaven's name have you been?' she yelled, then looked up at the unknown visitors. 'And who are you?'

'They took Niyoli,' Aleas said. 'And Rose and the Doctor are going to help.'

The mother was put out. 'Niyoli? Have you been with her again? You know it's not allowed.'

'Yes, but she doesn't want to be the Guardian,' Aleas said, 'so it doesn't matter.'

'Of course it matters. What if you'd taken her here and they came for us? Wouldn't it have mattered then?' She was getting angrier by the minute, but so was Aleas. He scowled fiercely.

'But she's being bullied by the priests,' he said. 'And she's too smart to stay in the Temple. She wants to be an explorer.' He began to rattle off more about his friend, seemingly oblivious to his mother's growing anger.

'That's enough,' she said. 'You will be quiet now or you will be punished extra.'

Aleas took a deep breath, ready to continue the fight the consequences be damned, but was interrupted by the appearance of a richly-dressed man in a wheelchair.

'What is going on? Aleas, you know you shouldn't go outside at this time of day.'

Aleas conceded a little. 'Yes, Father, but…'

'Enough,' the mother shouted, glaring at her son. Aleas stumped off, leaving his mother fuming. She turned away in embarrassment and quickly walked off as well.

The father folded his hands across his lap. 'I do apologise for my son,' he said softly. 'Recent events have put our family rather on edge, and my wife in particular.' He looked up. 'And perhaps I have to apologise for myself as well. In all this commotion we completely forgot to introduce ourselves. My name is Eshar. You already met my wife, Sunaq. Her name means 'the Peaceful One' I assure you that this is usually a very appropriate name.' He looked them over appraisingly. 'And you are?'

The Doctor smiled. 'Of course, sorry. I'm the Doctor and this is Rose. I think we got ourselves in a bit of a tangle. Any chance you can spare us a bed for the night?'

~x~

Rose wouldn't have been surprised if they had been thrown back into the streets, but despite Aleas' little tiff with his mother, they were welcomed and even provided with a room and something to eat. The family retired to another part of the house and soon they were alone again.

The room they had been given was spacious and warm, decorated with a wooden cupboard and folding chair next to the foot stove. There were no bed stands, only a little tripod table in the middle of the room. Decorated lamps were placed on shelves and a small oil lamp sat on the centre table. The beds, with an ample number of fluffy pillows, looked soft and inviting.

'The mother wasn't just angry,' Rose said, 'did you notice how nervous she was?'

The Doctor continued to stare out the window. 'Must have to do with everything going on in the city, like Eshar indicated.'

'Nah,' said Rose. 'Not that. More like she was hiding something.' She thoughtfully chewed her bottom lip. 'Whatever's going on, we'll find out, eventually.'

From the corner of her eye Rose saw the Doctor smiling at her. Her desire to know more didn't stop at what was going on at the house. It extended to what went on in the Doctor's head right at that moment. He was either extra alert about possible danger, or something else had raised his already towering emotional barriers. It seemed strange, even unnatural, for them to be like this.

'Doctor, what are we doing?'

He turned around, confusion written all over his face. 'What?'

'Our plan. To get out of here.'

'Oh. That.' He considered it for a moment. 'Still the same, I guess. Find Adam. Break into the Temple on the Day of Convergence, hope the TARDIS is still where we left it, and leave.'

'Easy.'

He nodded.

'With Adam at some secret location in the Palace and hordes of people trying to kill us for no apparent reason and with no idea whatsoever of how to get into the Temple?'

The Doctor nodded again. 'Yep.'

Rose lay back on the comfortable bed and closed her eyes. 'Wake me up when you're ready.'

'At least I have my own bed tonight,' the Doctor said.

Rose listened at the Doctor shuffling around for a bit until he had doused the lights and the little oil lamp on the table was the only source of light left. He settled down on his own bed and Rose stared into dimness of the room. The wall paintings were of a garden and sparsely-dressed nymphs playing in the sunshine. In the wavering light the birds appeared to flutter around their shoulders.

'Doctor?'

'Yeah... '

'How is it possible I can sense your emotions?'

A heavy silence descended. Rose imagined she could actually hear him scramble for an answer. She wished she hadn't said anything.

'I don't know,' he finally spoke. 'Still trying to figure that out.'

'So it's not just you, then. It's me? I'm the one who's become telepathic?'

'And your abilities are still developing, growing stronger. It shouldn't be possible, really.'

'Is that... is that why you keep sending me all these mixed signals? I don't understand why you're with me one minute and gone the next. It confuses the hell out of me. And it hurts.'

'No, Rose, no. I... I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm so sorry. There's absolutely nothing wrong with you. But your ability, it's singular. Unique. It's been so long since I felt a connection like that. I need time to adjust.'

'Everything used to be so much easier,' Rose said. 'Perhaps you can teach me how to control this thing? Then we can be like it was before.'

She heard the Doctor get up and sit on the edge of the bed. 'We need a better plan to find Adam,' he said abruptly. 'There's a library downstairs. Maybe I can find some more clues.'

He got up and opened the door. Already half-way through, he suddenly stopped. 'I really didn't mean to hurt you.' The door clicked shut and Rose was alone again amongst the painted flowers.

~x~

The Doctor hadn't gone very far. He sat in the hallway, in the dark, having hardly moved in over an hour. The house was quiet and Rose had to be asleep by now, even though the light from the oil lamp still shone from underneath the door. His own mind was tearing him apart as it kept dragging up images of the woman on the other side.

He couldn't figure out which had been the real crime; was it not staying away from her, like he should, or was it the fact that he'd been moments away from giving in and admitting the truth? He wanted to do that so badly, he was shocked by his own lack of restraint.

Telling the truth would be so easy. All of his doubt about Rose, all those years of tortuous longing would be washed away. No more secrets. He closed his eyes, imagining Rose's reaction if he were to walk up to her and tell her what she had wanted to hear for so long.

Then the Dark Thing in his mind stirred, eclipsing his moment of indulgence. The Doctor cursed internally and suppressed a steadily growing rage. Over and over again, the universe tried to take away what he loved. Such a close call, this time. How many near-misses would it take for him to finally realise what he was doing to Rose? What he was doing to himself? He could either continue this internal whining, or he could simply go to her and enjoy what time together they had left. Forget that one day she would be taken from him forever.

He already knew it was an impossible decision, but he didn't want to see her with Adam, either. Never did, really. It was just another miserable attempt at deflecting his true feelings.

The Dark Thing writhed and howled. He first tried to ignore it, then glanced down at his arm. With it came the realisation that he had to stay away from Rose no matter what he thought he wanted or needed. Everything that had happened since they arrived, so many moments of weakness, every time saved by the bell. How long before things would escalate? Every moment that passed would make it harder and more painful to say goodbye.

The Doctor pulled back his sleeve. The purplish lines still showed on his wrist. They had faded somewhat, but it didn't make a difference. He was still going to die.

For a few seconds he allowed himself to contemplate that other option—the option of becoming human. It was something he wouldn't have considered in any other situation or at any other moment in time, not for anyone. Except when it came to her.

He had turned the idea over and over in his mind, weighing the consequences. Once they got back to the TARDIS, it could be done. The very thought was a speck of light on a very dark horizon—being with Rose, never mind the consequences to himself. Then, the speck of light faded and died. He could never become human. It was impossible. But the thought of a true dead equally frightened him. There was no way to win.

In frustration the Doctor got up again and started pacing the hallway. He didn't want to think anymore. He didn't want this anymore. He turned and glanced at the door. There was still a light on the other side. He put a hand against the wood, remembering the previous night when he had stood exactly like this. Had it only been last night? It felt like an eternity.

The Dark Thing stalked nearer, ready to strike. Again, he ignored it. He slowly opened the door, afraid to wake Rose if she was asleep after all. The light of the lamp allowed him to see just enough, and he held his breath as he looked over to the bed. Rose was lying there, head on one arm, as he knew she liked to sleep. But this time she was facing him, her large eyes luminous in the flickering light.

He wanted to speak but couldn't find anything to say, not even an 'I'm sorry I ran away from you again'. He waited for a few seconds, then quietly shut the door behind him.

The Doctor walked up to the bed and sat down next to it, on the floor. He still didn't know what to say, except all the things he couldn't. Maybe it was easier than he believed.

Sitting beside the bed, he was now at face level with Rose. She hadn't said a word either. He reached up and took her hand. Not wanting to overwhelm her, he kept a small section of his mental barriers in place, just enough to keep his deepest secrets buried but exposing a fair part of his intimate feelings.

'Your hands are cold,' Rose whispered.

'Yours are warm.' And you're so beautiful.

The Doctor's feelings matched his thoughts. He hoped Rose would understand. To his surprise she slowly pulled back the sheets and scooted a little further back. He looked at her for a long moment, a strange sense of happiness taking hold. He wasn't used to that. The Doctor got up and removed his shoes, careful not to make too much noise. Then he took off his jacket and dropped it somewhere behind him. He climbed in and the mattress sagged a bit under their combined weight as he lay down next to Rose. She draped the sheet over his side and lay back herself. He didn't want to speak anymore. Damn all the things he couldn't say. Maybe he had been right all along, maybe she just knew. This time it was Rose's turn to take his hand, entwining their fingers.

It was only hours since he had held her, in the ruined building, and he wanted to feel that warmth and comfort again. If he touched her now, really touched her, would she let him? The Doctor swallowed heavily as his eyes dropped lower, to her mouth. He lifted his right hand and let it hover only an inch from her face. He sensed the warmth of it and ached to feel her.

'If this was a perfect world,' Rose whispered, 'what would you want?'

The Doctor struggled to keep his breathing even. 'I think you know.'

'You said you needed time to adjust to my telepathic abilities.'

'There are things in my mind even I don't want to see. How can I burden you with those memories?'

She cast her eyes down to look at their entwined hands. 'And now you're... ready?'

'I want to be.'

Rose tilted her head a little to the left, putting them face to face once more. The Doctor didn't turn away. 'I'm glad,' she said. 'Because I wouldn't want to live in a world where we can't touch.'

'No,' he said softly, 'that would be very bad indeed.'

The Doctor closed his eyes and felt Rose's contentment, then her surrender as he let his own feeling of serenity cover them like a blanket, protecting what was still so fragile. No words were necessary anymore. Just for now.