In case you missed it in the last chapter, this chapter is a continuation of the prompt that I began. This is still following the request from Lovemuffin.

So…Let's continue the adventure, shall we?

God bless and have a great day (or night)!

ThePro-LifeCatholic

Writing Prompt #45: Lost

Characters: 10th Doctor, Rose Tyler

Shippings: 10/Rose

Genre: Hurt/Comfort/Friendship/Slight Romance

Rating: K+, mild T – more mature thematic content

Prompted by: Lovemuffin

Summary: The 10th Doctor becomes angry with Rose, and accidently does something that makes her run into the depths of the TARDIS- where she gets lost! Can the Doctor find her and make things right?

Note: This is going to be Part 2.

The Doctor's high-tops slapped against the metal floor, creating a methodical thumping that bounced off the empty hallway walls. His trenchcoat billowed out behind his skinny form like an iconic superhero cape. The Doctor's eyes were trained ahead, his hands stuffed in his pants' pockets. Mentally, he was conversing with Rose, trying to find the perfect words and how he should best go about apologizing for his actions. He slowed as he approached his destination; the door to Rose's bedroom.

He stood outside the door for several moments, staring at the spotless white wood and feeling the seconds drag by. As if to urge him on, the TARDIS gave a short, buzzing whine. The Doctor couldn't help the small grin. Taking a deep breath, he reached out a hand and twisted the knob. The door wasn't locked; it swung open effortlessly.

"Rose?" he called, peering into the darkened interior. When there was no response, he stepped inside, groping for the light-switch. When he found it, the room was flooded with light, and he had to blink a couple of times. As his vision adjusted, the Doctor scanned the room. He could see her bed (still not made from that morning), the nightstand, the dresser positioned against one wall. But he couldn't see Rose.

The said blond-haired girl had gone inside the TARDIS room nearest to her. Beyond the door (which was shaped like an oval for some unknown reason) she was greeted by a bizarrely beautiful sight. A garden stretched out before her, but the plants were certainly not from Earth. Flower-like plants towered above her, standing as tall as trees. Neon petals shivered on thick black stalks. Squat bushes were decorated with dark purple berries, and ivy crept across the ground, covering the short, prickly grass in a soft carpet. Rose had to stop and stare, taking in the strange and wonderful scene.

"I should go exploring more often," she said to no-one. If half of the TARDIS rooms were this beautiful, then she didn't see why she hadn't gone to new rooms before. Of course, she could plan a dozen expeditions for future days. Right now, though, she had an alien garden to enjoy. With thoughts of the Doctor momentarily banished, Rose rushed into the room, leaving the door swinging open behind her.

The Doctor's pace quickened. He descended a stairway, taking the steps two at a time.

"Rose?" he shouted. There was no response; only his own voice echoing off of metal walls. He frowned. His companion hadn't been in her bedroom, not the console room, not the kitchen. She didn't frequent too many other TARDIS rooms…so where could she be?!

He didn't doubt that he could find her. The TARDIS could easily direct him to her in a matter of moments. Why she wasn't helping him right now, he didn't know. Maybe she felt that, since he had gotten himself into this mess, he should be getting himself out of it. On top of that, the Time Lord had a sneaking suspicion that the sentient ship liked to watch him wander around like a clueless idiot. Probably something along the lines of keeping him humble.

"In the name of Rassilon…" he muttered, stopping for the umpteenth time to survey his surroundings. "You know, any time you'd like to start helping me, that would be great!" He said this phrase rather loudly, directing it towards the TARDIS. When he got no responding hum, he sighed.

"Right, then. If that's how you're gonna be. Rose!"

How long she had been the garden, Rose had no clue. The whole TARDIS seemed to be…timeless, for lack of a better word. However, it couldn't have been more than twenty minutes when she was struck with a sudden wave of dizziness and nausea. Clutching her stomach, Rose attempted to struggle to her feet. She had barely shifted when nausea struck again, followed by overwhelming malaise. Alright; maybe not moving would be better for right now.

"Roooooose!" the Doctor more drawled than yelled. It had been at least twenty minutes by now; he could've been fixing the TARDIS, or making banana cupcakes, or browsing through the latest metaphysics manuals from the 67th century. He sighed, thoroughly aggravated. Any more time, and he'd seriously begin to regret ever trying to apologize to his companion. Let Rose sulk somewhere in the TARDIS for a few hours. See if he cared anymore.

The TARDIS broke into his skulking train of thought with a loud warning thrum. Of its own accord, a door to his immediate right slammed open. A trail of lights twisted out of sight down a hall. The Doctor stared at the new path, anger giving way to confusion. Then confusion turned to concern. He could think of only two explanations for the TARDIS' sudden impulse to help him find his companion: 1) the TARDIS had gotten tired of his futile attempts to find Rose on his own, or 2) there was suddenly a very important reason why he needed to get to Rose.

The Doctor broke into a sprint, his brown coat flapping out behind him.

"Rose!"

The plants blurred and melted together before Rose's eyes. She blinked and squinted, trying in vain to refocus. Every breath was short and forced; her throat felt thick and constricted. Despite the uncomfortable feeling that her lunch was going to make an appearance any second now, she knew that she had to get out of this room. Whether it was something in the air or given off of the plants, where ever it was coming from, she had to leave. Using a nearby trunk for support, Rose pulled herself to her feet with shaking arms. She swayed unsteadily, the garden around her pitching and swirling in a whirl of color. She staggered forward, unsure of where the exit was.

The Doctor rushed down the lighted path. His hearts hammered wildly in his chest; his throat and mouth had gone completely dry. His breath sounded harsh and loud to himself. The TARDIS was giving him all the assistance she could, opening doors and shifting rooms around to shorten his journey.

He was running so quickly that he actually sped past the partly opened oval door. When he realized his mistake, he skidded to a halt. His trainers squeaked loudly as he made a sharp U-turn, leaving black scuff marks in his wake. The Doctor backtracked to the doorway, and his hearts skipped a beat (or two) when he discovered which room Rose had entered. Grabbing the knob, he yanked open the door, rushing inside.

Rose shuffled forward several steps. Her stomach lurched and she doubled over, a stab of pain sweeping through her and leaving her breathless. Her legs gave way beneath her, and she crumpled into a small yellow-and-pink heap. Vaguely, she was aware of the sharp grass tips pricking her hands. As a haze clouded her mind, she could have sworn that she heard a voice calling her name from far away. She tried to answer, but wasn't sure if the noise from her mouth had been words or inaudible garbling. Black spots danced in front of her vision, blocking out the pretty splashes of orange and purple. In the back of her mind, a small voice insisted that she get up and get out. She made a few half-hearted attempts at movement, but her strength and willpower was gone. Slowly, slowly, she slumped forward, her body splaying out across the grass and ivy. Her eyelids fluttered shut as her breath came more sporadically and her heartbeat pounded faster and faster.

The last thought she had before unconsciousness took her was whether or not her mom would have liked the weather-predicting metal that she had just found for her at an alien bazaar.

OK, you guys…I promise that this one-shot (which is now becoming a three-shot) will get finished. Just one more part to go. I promise. I'm not teasing.