Hello again!

Sorry it's been a few days since I've updated, I've been majorly busy. But here are two new chapters for ya, hope you enjoy. This story is slowly drawing to a close now, and I've got two great endings in line I just can't decide on. I'll let you know more in later chapters. For now, please enjoy and let me know what you think xx

Ten Days Quarantine

Disclaimer: I own nada.

Chapter Eleven

Rose stirred, and slowly her eyes flickered open. She blinked as the first rays of morning sunshine filtered through the blinds and landed indiscreetly across her face. She frowned. There's no blinds in the TARDIS…

Her eyes opened wide as she looked around and realised where she was. The bright pink aura and mountains of stuffed toys (not a Pugsley in sight) left her in no doubt.

But this is impossible!

"You up yet, Rose?"

Rose sat up and flicked back the covers. Still in her pyjamas, she wandered out of the room, and found herself looking at the living room of her mother's cramped flat. The Powell Estate. London. England. Earth.

The voice that called to her earlier swam through the air again, and this time Rose recognised it. And her heart sank.

"What you doing after work tonight, love?" Jackie appeared from the kitchen with two mugs, and offered one to her daughter. "I thought I'd better make you one. I know what you're like without caffeine."

Rose took the mug carefully, and the aroma of crushed coffee beans filled her lungs.

She looked up at her mum, who had made her way into the living room and turned on the breakfast news.

"Where's the Doctor?" Rose asked shakily.

Her mum visibly frowned, but didn't turn her head from the screen.

"What are you talking about? You not well? Dr. Karmell's away, but I think there's another doctor taking his place at the minute.

"NO!" Rose exploded. "The Doctor! Great big time machine? Saved the world hundreds of times? Pinstripe suit?"

Jackie finally turned to look at her daughter. "What were you drinking last night?"

Rose sighed in frustration. She put her mug down on the cluttered coffee table, and went to look out of the window. Just an ordinary day on the Powell estate. No TARDIS in sight.

"Mum, stop messing around, where is he?"

"Who? Mickey?"

Rose looked at the TV. In the bottom corner it said Thursday, May 11th 2006. 7.47a.m. She shook her head. This couldn't be happening.

She ran back to her room and broke the world record for getting dressed, and ran out of the flat. Jackie called after her. "You want chips tonight?"

Rose ran down the staircases to the ground floor and burst out into the street. No sight of the Doctor.

"Doctor?!"

Nothing.

She ran all the way to Mickey's flat, and banged on he door til her hand hurt. Mickey opened the door groggily, and frowned when he saw her distressed expression.

"What's up with you, then? And where'd you go last night, you just went off."
She ignored his statement. "Where's the Doctor?"

"Who?"

"The Doctor. Mickey, please tell me you know who he is."

Mickey wiped the sleep from his eyes, and shook his head. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and planted a kiss on her cheek, which made Rose recoil in shock.

"What's up?" he asked.

Rose shook her head, and ran back out into the street.

"DOCTOR! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

--

Darkness. All around was darkness. The Doctor shuddered, squinting his eyes, looking for something, any source of light to fix on. But there was nothing. He took a step forward, and another. Something was wrong, and it took him a moment to realise what it was. His footsteps made no sound. He jumped on the ground several times, but there was no thud, no echo.

"Hello?" he called, but immediately clamped his mouth shut. No sound came from his throat. He frowned, and reached for his sonic screwdriver. It wasn't there: his pockets were empty. This wasn't good.

Where am I? Where's Rose?

Those were the only thoughts running through his mind. He turned around, and his hearts almost stopped in panic.

A Dalek, right behind him. He began to run from it, but he found her could barely move. On closer inspection, he saw that the Dalek was making no move to chase him, to kill him. No move at all. He dared to look into the eyestalk, and there was no light there, no life. The Doctor frowned, and began to walk around this mysterious shell of a monster.

A sudden noise surprised him: the first noise he'd heard in this place. Carnival music. Faint, haunting carnival music coming from behind him. He turned around, and his eyes widened in horror.

Inching towards him through the air of their own accord, a herd of pink balloon elephants, with eyes that glared at him. He tried to run, but again found this useless. He yelled, but to no avail.

All he could do was hide behind the dead Dalek, waiting for them to find him…

--

"AARGH!"

Two simultaneous screams rang out through the TARDIS, and two figures ran towards each other down a never-ending corridor in a blur of flannel pyjamas and flailing arms. They eventually found each other, and screamed in shock at the sight of another living thing in their path.

"Doctor!"

"Rose!"

They hugged fiercely, trying to catch their breath. Rose was crying into the Doctor's shoulder.

"Don't take me home, promise you'll never leave me at home. She clung to the Doctor like a maniac, refusing to let go. "They didn't know who you were, they thought I was insane…"

The Doctor finally managed to speak, his words slightly muffled against her shoulder.

"Those damn elephants!"

It took a moment for Rose to work out what he'd said. When she did, she pulled him back and looked him in the eye, confused.

"What?"

"Don't ever, ever take me to a carnival."

--

They both sat in Rose's room, holding mugs of cocoa in slightly trembling hands. Rose was curled up in the covers, and the Doctor sat on the end of her bed, tapping his mug in thought.

No matter what he's just been through, Rose thought as the tapping made her cringe, if he doesn't stop that soon I'll introduce him to hot chocolate shampoo.

"Virus."

Rose blinked, and smiled sweetly in his direction. "Sorry?"

"Nightmares. Another effect of the virus."

Rose nodded, and shuddered, remembering that all-to-vivid dream.

The Doctor noticed her shuddering. "Don't worry. Only a couple of days left now."

A Cheshire cat smile grew on Rose's face. "Yeah. And you haven't even been that bored."

The Doctor nodded thoughtfully, finished the remains of his drink, and took the mug with him.

"Goodnight, Rose."

"Night, Doctor."

He left the room, but hovered in the doorway.

"Rose?"

"Hmm?"

"Promise me something."

"What's that?"

"Never rent 'Dumbo.'"

--

Thanks for reading, please review xx