A/N: I'm really sorry it has taken so long! I have been rediculously busy. Anyway, this is the last chapter of Power of the Mind. Thank you all for the comments and enthusiam you have shown. xx
Justice?
It was friday evening. Rose was sitting in the back of Pete's car with Mickey, the Doctor, Pete, Jackie and Tony. Anyone passing them by would think they had been to a funeral by the looks on their faces and their formal clothes.
They hadn't been to a funeral. They had been to court.
Rose felt like she was going to cry again. The Doctor's hand tightened around hers as a tear slipped out of her eye.
She didn't want to think about that anymore. She wiped the tear away and looked out of the window. It was a summer evening. It reminded Rose of what she used to do on friday nights – she would go for a long walk with Mickey, and her close friend, Kit. After their walk, they would go back to either Rose's or Kit's house and watch a movie. That was when she was fourteen.
She had no idea that eight years on she would be going to court on a friday evening to face the man who tried to rape and kill her, and to tell a room full of people exactly what happened.
Rose sighed. She was pleased, in a way. He was in jail. He was paying for what he did to her. But it wasn't enough.
X
The Doctor knew. He knew the courts wouldn't bring Rose justice. That's why he wasn't supposed to get the police involved. He would have done it his own way. He could have made that thing pay for hurting Rose, because frankly, seven years in jail wasn't enough.
X
The family walked into the house silently. Mickey wasn't there – Pete had dropped him off at his and Jake's flat.
Pete didn't really know what to say. He didn't like awkward silences, so he muttered something about bathing Tony, took him out of Jackies arms, and walked upstairs.
Jackie gave her daughter a hug and asked, "What do you want for dinner?"
"I don't mind. You choose." Rose wasn't even hungry, but she wanted Jackie out of the room so that she could talk to the Doctor.
When they were alone, Rose and the Doctor walked into the lounge. The doctor closed the door and switched on the light.
Rose felt strangely nervous. She did not understand why she was feeling this way at first, but then she realised that it was because whenever she talked about what happened, she ended up either having a panic attack or breaking down in tears. Even though she wanted to talk about it, she also didn't because she felt crap whenver she did. Not only that, she was worried about burdening the Doctor. She was confused.
"Are you okay?" The Doctor asked.
Rose wasn't sure. She was tired and emotional. "I don't know." She paused. "I'm relieved but angry, because he's in jail and i'm safe now, but he's only there for seven years."
The Doctor sighed. "I know," he said, and put his hand on her lower arm. "But on the way back from court, I was thinking about his sentence. Once it's over, in seven years, I'm going to kidnap him. I haven't thought of a punishment yet, but i'll make sure he'll never hurt you, or anyone else again. But for now, he can suffer in jail."
They smiled at eachother. "Thankyou." Rose said.
The Doctor nodded. "Love you." He said.
"Rose smiled again. "Love you, too."
They both sat silently for a few minutes, absorbed in their own thoughts.
"Doctor?" Rose asked.
"Mmm?"
"I want to be able to talk to you about this."
He frowned. "You can."
Rose sighed. "But I really don't want to be a burden to you. If you are just saying that, then it's fine. I can just talk to my counsellor, 'cause I would hate to be a burden to you."
The Doctor shook his head. "That is one of the most rediculous things I have ever heard in my life!"
"You say that every week."
"Yeah, but i'm serious this time. Rose and burden don't even work in the same sentance! Talk to me. Or cry, whatever, just don't feel guilty about it. If you even consider feeling guilty, i'll make you clean every single wall in the TARDIS. And trust me, that will take a long time."
Rose laughed. Suddenly, she knew she could get through it. She could see a light at the end of this long tunnel. She knew that with the Doctor holding her hand it would finally be okay. It would always hurt, remembering what happened. You can try to block out memories but you can never erase them. Maybe one day she would be able to look back at this without it hurting quite so much.
