Rose's heart sank as she took in Rivers distrustful gaze. "Look, I'm going to unlock this door and then I'll explain everything to you, okay?"
River shook her head. "The door has a deadlock seal; you won't be able to open it."
The blonde grinned smugly before holding up a small identification card she has swiped from the desk on her way in. "Unless you have the key."
She ran the card over the small black box in the corner of River's cell and with an audible beep, the doors swung open. Rose only had a moment to feel satisfied before both of her arms were pulled behind her back and she was slammed against the neighboring cell.
River leaned her face close to her ear. "I don't know who the hell you are, but I know a trap when I see one. Who sent you? Is this part of the mental exertion testing?" She tightened her grip on the strange girl and pushed her harder into the cell.
Rose grimaced as she felt a bruise forming where her check was digging into the bar. "It's not a trap River, we were friends and I can prove it, but you have to let me go."
"And why should I trust you?"
Rose rolled her eyes, everything came back to trust she couldn't prove. Irritated at getting slammed into a bar, she weighed the option of simply knocking River out and dragging her out of the cell block. Sadly she knew that her friend was more useful awake then unconscious.
"You shouldn't. But you have no idea how to get out of here and don't have the time to figure it out. The routine guard will be coming any minute."
There was silence while she waited for River to make the decision, after a moment she felt the grip on her arms loosened "Go ahead then, prove it."
Rose nodded before reaching for Rivers hands which she placed on her own temples.
"I know you're slightly telepathic. Go ahead take a look."
With an audible sigh River adjusted her hands on the strange woman's head before allowing their minds to connect.
The older woman gasped as her mind filled with blazing gold light.
I know it's a bit overwhelming, just look for the door. Rose's calm voice filled her head.
A plain white door appeared in front of her.
Without hesitation River reached for the handle and swung the door wide open.
She was in a dark cell, the days had blurred into an endless night. The door to her cell opened and a young blonde girl was shoved through. She went to help her up.
"What's your name?" She asked.
"Rose Tyler."
Memories of a whole different experience flooded River's mind. Rose helping her stage a rebellion with the other prisoners. The pain of watching her fellow prisoner's die in their failed escape attempt. The two of them getting separated as they tried to break into the main lab.
River gasped as she was pushed back into her own head, stumbling slightly as she reached to the wall for support.
"Is that enough proof for you?"
She studied Rose, noting the tears gathering in the corner of her eyes. The flashback had obviously been hard for her.
"Just one more question before we break out of here. Assuming that's why you need my help." Rose nodded for her to continue.
"What you showed me looks quite a lot like an aborted time line. Are we going to be ripping apart the fabric of reality be changing events?"
Rose smiled. "Not at all."
"Damn, I do love a good end of the world crisis."
"Don't be so sure you won't see one." Rose said mysteriously.
"Well then," River grinned. "Geronimo."
…
"This was not what I had in mind when you said we were going to defeat Pravus and free all of the prisoners" River muttered, glaring at the blonde woman hanging in front of her.
The plan had been going beautifully. The two women had found the Central Matrix that regulated the energy beamed to the guards. Without it, the shadow like creatures would disintegrate and the Vespine would be incapacitated. It took only a shot from River's blaster to do just that. The Matrix was permanently destroyed and the two had set off to free the rest of the prisoners. It was only as they reached the cell block that they ran into a furious Pravus who swore their immediate death and chained them in the lab.
The two were now dangling from manacles connected to a metal beam raised a few inches off the ground, just enough that the two prisoners' feet couldn't touch and were fully supported by the shackles.
"Look River, I'm sorry I got you into this mess." Rose apologized. Anger at her own stupidity coursing through her blood, she wouldn't be able save anyone. They would all die because she was too stupid to fix what went wrong last time.
"You know sweetie, I can practically feel your self hatred all the way over here."
Rose's head shot up. River's voice hadn't come from in front of her, but from across the room.
River smiled from her perch on the examination table. "Lock-pick Bracelets," She said, shaking her wrist to show off the slim silver band. "Can get out of any handcuffs in the universe. I plucked them off an unsuspecting waitress in this little bar on omega 13." She jumped off the table and made her way towards Rose.
"They've gotten me out of more interesting situations than this." She smiled suggestively. She slipped the bracelets onto each of the blonde's writs. Rose watched curiously as the metal glowed slightly before the manacles clicked open sending Rose back to the ground.
"How do they work?" Rose asked, rubbing her wrists.
"The bracelet emits a frequency that opens the lock. A friend of mind has something like it in screwdriver form."
Rose's eyebrows furrowed. Screwdriver form?
Before she could question the coincidence a large explosion tore through the building sending both women to the ground.
"That would shock wave from the matrix being destroyed. This whole building is going to crumble."
"River, go get all the prisoners out. I'll stay here and distract Pravus."
The older woman nodded, making her way to the door.
"Don't get yourself killed!" Rose warned. River grinned, before running out of the room.
Rose shook her head as she climbed to her feet. She felt anger at herself boiling over. She had assumed that she could do this. That she could change what had happened here. But all she was doing was rearranging the events. People were still going to suffer if River couldn't get everyone out.
At least I stopped the Doctor from being tortured. Rose thought to herself. She had stopped some of his pain. And even if this was only an echo, it helped her to know that she helped in some small way.
Rose jumped as the door to the lab slammed against the wall.
"And where do you think you're going?" Pravus hissed. He walked into the room taking in the broken manacles and missing prisoner. "And where has your little friend gotten to?"
Rose did the math in her head. River would need at least twenty more minutes in order to get down to the cell block and get all of the prisoners out of the building. She needed to hold her captor's attention.
"Just try'n to escape." Rose said, keeping some distance between herself and Pravus.
"Escape! What an impossible dream you have." He laughed.
"Hey, it could happen." Rose defended, trying to keep him talking.
Come on Tyler, think of something.
"I will tell you something young one. I will not let you live for all the trouble you have caused me. You have killed all my soldiers and now I will kill you." He drew a crude dagger from inside his robes. "I want you to feel it as I spilt open your skin and cut out your hearts. You will be awake until the last second and then only when I allow it, you will regenerate. Then we will begin again."
Rose cringed as he told of her torture. She looked desperately around the room for anything to defend herself with.
Wait.
'As I spilt open your skin and cut out your hearts'?
Even with one heart that could definitely take awhile.
Without another thought Rose walked straight up to Pravus, took his daggered hand and shoved in into her stomach.
Oh.
Red blossomed in the corners of her vision as pain exploded from her abdomen.
Rose looked up into the vacant holes where eyes should be in her captors face. What passed for his mouth was hanging open in shock. He had not expected this.
Rose cringed as a new wave of pain spread through her body. Of all her brilliant ideas…this certainly wasn't one of them.
Her vision went black and she hoped she had given River enough time to escape and she had somehow found The Doctor and Jack.
Muffled yelling reached her ears and she groaned. Can't a dying woman get a little peace?
"Rose"
The sound of her name caused some of the thick darkness to disperse.
"Please, Rose."
The Darkness disappeared and her vision quickly sharpened, as well as the pain spreading throughout her body. The Doctor's panic ridden face swam into view. She was in his arms, her body cradled against his leather coated body.
"Rose you're going to be okay, do you hear me? You need to hold on."
She seriously doubted this, but it was a pleasant thought so she humored him with a small smile.
"I'm sorry Rosie, but this is gonna hurt." Jack's voice floated over to her.
Her stomach was suddenly aflame as Jack yanked the dagger out of her body. She cried out and the Doctor tightened his hold on her, whispering words of encouragement into her hair.
The flow of warm blood as it left her body was an interesting feeling.
Rose wondered what would happen when she died. This was just an echo of her memories, none of this really happened.
Another flood of pain ripped through her body.
It sure felt real though. Maybe she would just be allowed to die. She had no body to return to in the real world. It had been destroyed by the beam.
Technically, didn't that make her already dead? She thought she could make out Pravus's mangled body in the corner of her eye. Maybe they would share a cell in hell.
"Rose, look at me."
It was hard to keep her eyes open.
"Please Rose."
But she would do anything for him.
She opened her eyes and was surprised to find him crying. She reached a shaking hand up to stroke his face.
"Look Rose, you were Fantastic, and I couldn't have asked for a better companion. I was so lonely and you literally swung into my life and showed me that life was still worth living. You made me a better person and I don't know what I'm going to do without-" The Doctor broke off his eyes staring at the large blood stain spreading on her shirt.
Rose knew this was hard for him; fortunately she was getting quite good at their final goodbyes.
"I love you." She whispered smiling.
The Doctor looked back up at her face, his own contorted in pain. One rough hand cupped her face and his thumb stroked her cheek.
"Thank you." He leaned down and punctured his words with a chaste kiss.
And with the Doctor's lips on hers, Rose Tyler's world went black.
…
Rose awoke with a small gasp clutching her stomach tightly.
What the hell?She thought.
She was lying on a spotless white bed dressed in silk sheets that cost more than Rose made in a month working at Henrik's. She slipped out of the bed stumbling slightly. Her head was pounding, causing her memories to become slightly foggy.
What in the world did I drink last night? And why can't I remember.
The room was spacious and even had its own balcony that opened to reveal a gorgeous view of London town. Ivory walls with gold leafing formed the master bedroom and Rose could see and large couch and fireplace peeking out from the adorning room.
Panicked at her unfamiliar surroundings, she walked back into the main room and started pacing the floor.
Okay Rose, what's the last thing you remember happening.
She tried to think back but her memories drew a blank. With a huff of frustration Rose sank to the ground and rubbed her face tiredly. How did I get in this mess?
Stretching her legs out to relive some tension, her foot brushed fabric. What the-?
Rose looked up to see grey trousers that blended into the carpet. Curiously, she reached for the pants and started to dig through the pockets.
Few pounds, lotto ticket, cigarette lighter, Ah!
Rose grinned in triumph as she fished a wallet out of the back pocket of the pants. Opening it Rose took a look at the name her hands freezing in recognition.
No.
She clutched her head as memories came swarming back. UNIT, the Bad Wolf, River, Jack, and The Doctor all came back into her mind. Facing Parvus, stabbing herself with that dagger, the Doctor's kiss, she gasped in the overload of memories.
She glanced down at her body, immediately noticing the differences. A hand came up to her hair and she fingered the choppy strands.
With a new found determination, Rose picked herself up and walked to the door, leaving the wallet on the floor behind her. She knew that he would be coming back to get it.
And Jimmy Stone was never very happy when he forgot something.