"Jack!" Rose screamed. The Doctor held onto her tightly while she struggled to get free.
"He'll be fine." The Doctor tried to sooth.
"He'll be fine!" Rose repeated hysterically. "Look at him. Doctor, just look at him."
Tilting his head, the Doctor watched the pool of blood seep uncomfortably close toward his own face.
He turned away slightly and closed his eyes. "Rose, trust me he'll be fine."
Donna ran up towards them, catching part of the conversation "How would you even know. What if he's wrong? What happens if he actually does die?"
The Doctor stared up into Rose's eyes, "he'll be alright." He whispered less convincingly, more in hope than belief.
With nothing left to say the Doctor leant up towards Rose as she lay a head on his shoulder. Donna joined them and the three sat in complete silence for what seemed like hours, however, in reality, was only a few minutes. Sirens could be heard approaching their location, urgency was suddenly upon them. The lifeless bodies that lay strewn over the pathway appeared very incriminating.
"Why hasn't he got up again?" Rose asked quietly.
The Doctor picked himself up off of the ground and held Rose's hand tightly as they both walked over to Jack's body.
Rose's grip tightened as she looked at Jack's mangled face. She passed her hand carefully over his remaining cheek, the contours of his jaw line and down to his lips, which were red with his own blood. Withdrawing her hand, she stared at the smear upon her fingertips.
"We need to leave." The Doctor said as the combined sirens of police and ambulances came closer.
"We can't just – "
"Rose, if he doesn't wake up, there's nothing we can do to change that." The Doctor looked back at Donna, who hadn't dared to take a step closer. "We need to leave." He repeated, "Right now."
Without another word the three turned to run, it was only a single voice that made them hesitate. A hoarse, male voice, which each one of them was thankful to hear.
"What?" Jack placed his hands on the ground, his face completely repaired. "Did you forget about me?" His jacket billowed behind him as he ran towards Rose and picked her up into a hug. "Nice work Rose Tyler." He said before putting her back on the ground and pulling forward both Donna and the Doctor into a group hug. All the companions completely at ease, laughed in relief.
"Now it's time to run." Jack said before taking off with the others close in tow.
Various media outlets, news crews, police cars and ambulances arrived shortly after they left. It was determined and confirmed by multiple doctors, nurses and medical practitioners that all the deceased had been killed by spontaneous aneurisms. However the cause for this, was never found. The area of Paris was cordoned off to civilians for months after, but by the following year, after no single thing could be blamed for the deaths, the park along with its footpath was reopened.
"It was nice to meet you Donna from my future." The Doctor said as they returned to the TARDIS. "Hopefully I'm not too far away."
Donna smiled, "it'll be nice to have you back again." She shook Rose's and Jack's hands before turning toward the EiffelTower which stood over them. "Plus, added bonus, I got to see Paris." Her grin widened as she heard her TARDIS before she saw it across the other side of the monument. "Right, I'll see you lot another time then." She turned back around to find an empty space. Looking up to the sky she shook her head and shrugged. She made her way over to her own Doctor. As he opened the door to let her in, he leaned his head up against the frame, "see I didn't forget you." He said with a cheeky grin.
"You'd have known about it if you did forget me." Donna punched him in the arm playfully.
"Would've heard it all over the universe I imagine. Your loud voice booming across all of time and space."
Donna stepped inside, "you'd better believe it alien boy."
"So how was your holiday? Enjoy Paris?" The Doctor asked as he shut the door and left Earth behind.
Previous Day - Friday
The Doctor placed his hands on his head and looked at Donna, his eyes wide with surprise and anger, "what did you do that for!?"
"You said if her mind was destroyed then that thing possessing Rose would die."
"You'd kill Rose too though!" Jack snatched the plank of wood away from Donna. "If you haven't already."
The Doctor placed his hand in the crook of Rose's leg and cradled her in his arms as he picked her up and carried her out of the TARDIS without giving Donna a second glance. "Jack, grab Kyle and we'll go to the first place to stay that we see."
"What about me?" Donna asked quietly.
"You've done enough." Jack said as he walked past her out the door.
"Doctor, I didn't mean any harm." Donna shook her head and pushed past Jack. "Honestly, I didn't think she'd be killed. She's stronger than that."
"Look, Rose needs a good shock, go find something to do that alright." The Doctor said bluntly as he picked up the pace.
"A shock?" What kind of shock?" Donna stopped in the middle of the path.
"I don't know! Get creative!"
The Doctor and Jack made their way to an old building with a small, red flag hanging on the outside. The Doctor pushed the door open awkwardly and saw Donna in the distance as she ran in the opposite direction down the street.
"Rose doesn't need a shock does she?" Jack asked.
"No."
With a small, hidden smile Jack looked down at his feet. "So you've sent her on a meaningless task?"
"Yep." The Doctor lay Rose down on the lobby couches and immediately approached the receptionist with his trademark smile. "Hi – " He started as he fished around for his psychic paper. " – just wondering if our room was ready?"
The girl in front of him, no older than twenty-five years, scanned the book which lay on the desk in front of her. "Thank you Mr. Fitzgerald. Looks like you're perfectly in time. Room was just cleaned five minutes ago." She glanced up with the slightest concern on her face as she saw Rose, Jack and Kyle behind him. "It doesn't state here that you have any extra guests staying with you though. Will one room be enough because – "
"One room is perfect." The Doctor cut her off.
The girl nodded and selected a small paper sleeve from the shelf behind her. Handing it to the Doctor, while still glancing at the unconscious version of Rose, she explained that their room was on the second floor.
The Doctor returned to Rose and lifted her to his chest.
"Will she be ok?" The receptionist asked just as the Doctor took to the stairs.
"She just needs a nap. She's fine."
Jack hauled Kyle over his shoulder and looked at the girl sheepishly as he followed the Doctor, "it's been a big day."
Hello Potential Readers :)
Got a double update for you this time. 2 for 1.
Big thanks to skidney for being lovely and reviewing all the time. Big smiles and hugs. Welcome to all my new followers and favouriters (yes, I know that's not a word) I really appreciate that you guys have made the effort to stick with me!
Feel free to read and review. Not long left in this saga!
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