- PART TWO -

Chapter 26 - Gravity

Rose's heals made a pleasant tip-tap sound against the floor as she made her way through the TARDIS. The satin of the dress she wore whisked about her legs as she walked. The dress was a bit shorter in the front and longer in the back. Her first thought when she'd put it on had been that this made it ideal for running. Then she'd shaken her head and smiled at herself, amused that it had been her first thought. She picked up her pace, cool air brushing past her bare skin. Practically the whole back of the dress was bare, delicate gold lace along its edges. It had an antique feel to it. Old, exquisite and expensive.

Rose hurried up the steps and into the control room. Her blonde curls arranged at the back with about a thousand hairpins made her head feel heavy as she moved. The Doctor was standing, leaning his hip against the console, fiddling with something he was holding in his hand. He was dressed in his black tux and even his Converse sneakers were black for the occasion. His hair was still an unruly, gravity defying mess and he was absolutely gorgeous. James Bond had nothing on the Doctor when he decided to dress up.

The Doctor looked over as she entered the room and his whole face lit up as he saw her. He straightened and tossed whatever it was he'd held behind him. Couldn't have been anything overly important then, Rose thought. He straightened his jacket and made some futile attempt to flatten his hair. Rose walked over to him. She smiled and straightened his bowtie.

"You look..." he began, his voice filled with awe. "Beautiful," he finished. "You look beautiful. Rose, I can't even..."

"You don't look too bad yourself," she interrupted his stuttering. He glanced down. But his eyes quickly returned to hers.

"I changed my suit," he said.

Rose's smile widened. "Yeah, I noticed." He smiled back at her. His eyes ran over the planes of her face and the painstakingly created curls of her hair.

He mumbled something she did not catch.

"What?" Rose asked.

"Gravity," the Doctor repeated. "You're like gravity."

"Uhm... not sure if that's a compliment," Rose said, frowning. The Doctor reached out his hand and ran the tip of his fingers down the side of her face. The touch was featherlight. She could barely feel it at all. But she felt it on the inside. It was like every molecule in her body gave off a sudden spark.

"It's a fact," the Doctor was saying. "A beautiful, terrifying fact." Rose looked up at him, his fingers lingering on her skin. She didn't think she'd ever get used to it. That spark that ignited whenever they touched. The Doctor was right. It was beautiful and wonderful. But it also too swiftly became all consuming and that could be dangerous.

"Was there a reason we got all dressed up then?" Rose asked him, her voice a little breathless.

"Right," the Doctor exclaimed. "Right!" As he stepped back Rose could practically feel the strings tying them together stretching and finally snapping. It was like pulling free of a forcefield. Like fighting gravity.

The Doctor left her and ran around the console, flipping switches, the TARDIS humming to life. He had come to find her earlier, wondering if she fancied a party. But not any kind a party. A new years eve party. New year, new century. Rose could definitely use a bit of fun. The last few months had not been easy. Grieving the losses she suffered, dealing with the realities she now faced. The Doctor had been there for her as much as he could. Distracting her when she needed distractions and comforting her when she needed comfort.

"Temporal shift stabiliser!" he called to her. Rose kicked of her shoes and hurried over to the console, pulling the lever for the stabilisers. One of the distractions had been trying to teach her how to fly the TARDIS. The Doctor smiled at her from the other side of the console. "I really should have taught you this ages ago," he said.

"Things got in the way," Rose reminded him. "Nurse- cat- things and werewolf's and devils."

"And we beat them all!" the Doctor declared, flipping a switch with a theatrical flourish. Rose laughed at him and he came running over to her side.

"Your turn to steer," he said and gave her a nudge with his shoulder. Rose ran around the console and took the position he'd just held.

Steering the TARDIS was far from easy. Rose had a whole new understanding for why traveling in it was always so bumpy. It really had been a lot smoother when everyone had been there after the fall of the Dalek Crucible. Sometimes she wondered what they were all doing now. Not just her family but their friends too. She hoped they were happy.

Rose grabbed a hold of the console as the ship hurled through space.

"Put her down!" the Doctor yelled at Rose, holding on for dear life.

"I'm no good at landing! You know that!" Rose yelled back at him.

"Just don't crash us in the Cretaceous period again!" the Doctor told her. Rose clung to the console as she tried her outmost to land the ship. Without crashing amongst dinosaurs that wanted to eat them this time. There was a bit of a jolt as they hit ground. But both Rose and the Doctor managed to stay on their feet. Rose pulled the monitor over so she could check where they were. The Doctor was standing with his eyes squeezed firmly shut. "Ok, tell me, where are we?" he asked. "Are there things that want to eat us?"

"Mmm, planet called Lachrymose," Rose said. "51st century...9 pm?" The Doctor hurried over to her side. He looked at the screen.

"Well, would you look at that!" he exclaimed with delight. He turned to her. "You are brilliant you are," he said, smiling broadly.

"Aren't I though," Rose said, her tongue peaking out playfully between her teeth as she smiled back at him.

"Allons-y," the Doctor said with a wink and rushed over to the doors while Rose got her shoes. She pulled them on and hurried over to him. The Doctor held out his hand for her.

"Rose Tyler, would you care to accompany me to the grandest party of the century?" He asked with a crocked smile. Rose took his hand and felt the pleasant tingle run over her skin at the contact.

"Why, Doctor, I thought you'd never ask," Rose said. She laughed as he pulled her with him out of the TARDIS.

She'd managed to land them in an alley. The Doctor had set the coordinates so all she had to do was aim, really. Not that it made it all that much easier. They hurried out of the alley.

"Well, if this isn't a party, Rose, I don't know what is," the Doctor said as they emerged.

Before them was a big square, surely as large as a football field and completely packed with people. Lights and flags hung like canopies above them. From the point where Rose and the Doctor stood the square was divided into sections. Stairs leading down to each section, balconies separating them. At the lowest level in the centre of the square was a huge fountain, the water spray probably reaching twenty feet into the air.

Most women seemed dressed in wonderful sparkling gowns but nearly every male was dressed in evening attire much like the Doctor. There weren't just humans either. There were people with blue skin. Others with an almost bird-like appearance. Rose swore she saw a couple with horns. Not like devil horns but like ram horns. There was some twenties inspired music playing and a lot of people were dancing. The skyscrapers around the square were so tall they nearly blocked out the night sky. Rose thought she could hear the distant sound of thunder. Rose's smile widened as she looked out over the elaborate party. Then something caught her eye.

"Was that...?" she trailed off. One minute it had been there and the next it had been gone.

"What?" the Doctor asked her.

"I dunno," Rose said. "I thought I saw an Ood."

"An Ood?"

"Yeah, but you said you freed them all, right?"

The Doctor had told her about going to the Ood's homeworld when she had one of her bad days and had just laid curled up in bed. Of course if she'd known he was out galavanting about and getting himself into trouble she would have gone with him. But he hadn't let her know until afterwards. He'd told her about finding the Ood forcibly enslaved and how he'd freed them. How he felt he'd owed them after failing to save the others.

Rose remembered the Ood from that impossible planet orbiting the black hole. She remembered how wrong she'd thought it when she learned they were all born slaves. But the Doctor had found a way to set it right in the end. But if they were free. What would one of them have been doing here?

"You sure it was an Ood?" the Doctor asked, a strange note to his tone. Rose shook her shoulders. Maybe she'd been mistaken.

"I probably saw something else," Rose said with a shrug. She didn't notice the frown on the Doctor's forehead as his eyes searched the crowds for a moment. "Well, then!" Rose exclaimed with excitement. "New century. Time to start celebrating."

"Suppose you're right," the Doctor agreed, distractedly.

"Oh, come on," Rose said, linking her arm through his and pulling him with her into the throng of people.

"Do you have a destination in mind at all?" the Doctor asked as they navigated through the crowds. Everyone around them were laughing and chatting. The atmosphere was infectious.

"I do," Rose confirmed. They passed a group of men, impeccably dressed, with sparkling champagne glasses in their hands. Their gazes grew hooded as they passed by and the Doctor leaned down towards Rose.

"Maybe you shouldn't have worn that dress," he whispered with a smile in his voice. The dress was probably the most beautiful thing she had ever worn. Delicate gold lace over pristine white satin, intricate beading that caught the light and made the whole dress seem to sparkle. "I'm afraid one of these blokes are going to attempt to steal you away from me," the Doctor said, eying the men around them with newfound suspicion.

"I'd like to see them try," Rose said. "Besides, I doubt that a woman exists that can resist you in that tux."

"Oh, yeah?" the Doctor asked. Rose smiled, stopping and turning towards him. There was a hint of surprise in his eyes.

"You know you're bloody gorgeous," Rose told him. She took his right hand and placed it at her waist. The Doctor was smiling impishly down at her. Like a little boy given praise.

"Is it the hair?" he asked. Rose couldn't help but laugh at this. She shook her head.

"No," she said in a matter of fact voice. "It's the mole." She put her left hand on his shoulder and clasped his other hand in hers. "Definitely the mole." Rose was struggling really hard not to laugh.

"You can't see the mole," the Doctor pointed out. Rose looked up at him through her lashes, a smile curving her lips.

"Oh, but I know it's there," she said, her smile slowly widening.

"Rose Tyler, are you flirting with me?" the Doctor asked, clearly unable to keep from smiling back at her. Rose laughed.

"So perceptive, Doctor."

"Weell, I have my moments."

"Now, you'll find your feet at the end of your legs. You may care to move them," Rose pointed out, using words she'd used before when he'd been different and everything had been new.

The Doctor glanced down at his feet and then up again. Realisation dawned on his face. They were on the dance-floor, waltz position and everything and they were the only ones not dancing.

"I promise the world will not end," Rose told him.

"Well, it didn't last time," the Doctor agreed reluctantly.

"You do remember how to do this, right?" Rose asked. The Doctor smiled.

"Let's find out," he said.

The Doctor's hand tightened around Rose's waist and he pulled her into the dance. And boy, could he dance. They moved smoothly across the dance floor, easily navigating between the other couples. Following him was effortless. He spun her around, her dress twirling out with her, the gold lace catching the sparkling lights overhead. The dress was made for dancing.

"Not too bad, eh?" the Doctor smiled down at her. Rose laughed.

"Not bad at all," she said. She let him twirl her around on the dance-floor enjoying every blissful moment of it. For once they were just two people dancing. Not the last of the Time Lords. Not a girl plucked out of time. Not Bad Wolf. Just two people dancing. The most normal, ordinary thing in the world. So of course it couldn't last.

The music abruptly ended. Screams of shock and fear rang across the square. The Doctor pulled Rose to a sudden halt. Both of them twirled around looking for the source of the commotion. On the other side of the square she could see a troupe of Judoon. They were already fanning out, cutting off exits.

"What was that you were saying about the world not ending?" the Doctor told Rose.

"What? It's just those rhino-things," Rose said. "You said they were police."

"Judoon," the Doctor corrected. "Yeah, and last time we met them they tried to lock you up. Remember?"

"Well there is no way they're here for me," Rose said. "They can't have known we'd be here."

"Doctor!" The lead Judoon called out in its dark authoritative voice.

"Oh, you are bloody kidding me," Rose said in disbelief. The Doctor clasped her hand.

"No more dancing," he said and pulled her with him.

"It's not the dancing," Rose told him. "It's your damn tux. Something bad always happens when you wear that thing."

"I thought you liked it."

"What? You in the tux or bad things happening?" The Doctor glanced back at her over his shoulder a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Well, a bit of both," he said.

Rose found herself smiling back in despite of herself. "You are impossible," she told him as they scurried between the worried revellers. Everyone's eyes were on the Judoon. No one was paying attention to the Doctor and Rose. The Judoon were quickly cutting off more exits. They had to hurry.

"Doctor!" the Judoon called out again. "You will relinquish Rose Tyler."

"I will not," the Doctor muttered, his hand instinctively tightening around Rose's.

"What do they want with me?" Rose asked him in a hushed tone.

"Don't know," the Doctor replied. "But I am not sticking around to find out."

"We have a warrant for the arrest of Rose Tyler!" the Judoon called out. The Doctor and Rose skirted around a group of people that looked more annoyed than worried.

"I'll show you how much I care about your stupid warrants," the Doctor muttered.

Someone called out behind them.

"Hey! What are you two doing? Are you trying to get away?!" Rose and the Doctor didn't bother to look back to see who was shouting at them. They just picked up the pace. "Hey!" the man called out, louder this time. "They're trying to run! Over here!" he called to the Judoon. Rose saw two Judoon already heading their way, jogging down the stairs and cutting across the square. She knew the minute they spotted them.

"Over there." One of the Judoon pointed straight at them.

"Run!"

The Doctor and Rose took off and the Judoon took off after them.

"Halt!" they shouted. Neither Rose nor the Doctor headed them. They ran through the crowds, forced to push some people out of the way. Four Judoon came hurrying towards them, blocking of the exit they'd been heading for. The Doctor and Rose skidded to a stop. They twirled around. More Judoon were coming towards them from behind.

"This way!" The Doctor pulled her with him down the stairs just as a gun-blast sang past just above their heads.

Suddenly there was chaos. People screamed and threw themselves out of the way. The Judoon fired again. The Doctor and Rose both ducked their heads, hoping to avoid the blasts. Sparks rained down from above as lights got hit instead. The Doctor's hand tightened around hers, urging her to go faster. They ran down more stairs until they got to the centre and the big fountain. Judoon were closing in around them, weapons raised.

"Surrender!" they insisted.

"Come on," the Doctor said and jumped up onto the edge of the fountain. He pulled Rose up next to him. Round polished stones were placed out in the water. The Doctor jumped onto the first one and the swiftly on to the next. Rose looked down at her high-heeled shoes and made a split second decision. She reached down and pulled them off, tossing them to a woman in an elaborate purple dress. She surprisingly caught them.

"Happy new year," Rose told the woman and with a cheeky smile she jumped barefoot onto the first stone, following swiftly after the Doctor.

The Judoon split up and hurried around the enormous fountain. But the Doctor and Rose were quicker. They reached the edge and the Doctor jumped down, turning around and clasping his hands around Rose's waist. He lifted her easily off the fountain and put her down next to him. His eyes caught on her bare feet.

"What happened to your shoes?" he asked. Rose shrugged.

"I gave them away."

"What? Why would you...?"

"Duck!" Rose called out and dragged the Doctor down, just as a laser-blast blew by inches above them.

The Doctor clasped Rose's hand and ran. The Judoon were scurrying around, trying to cut them off. Rose and the Doctor dodged terrified people and more laser- blasts. What were they even thinking firing their weapons in a crowd like this? Rose knew the Doctor was trying to get them to the TARDIS but they both quickly realised there was no way for them to get back to it. They turned in another direction, nearly tipping over the buffet table. Laser- blasts whisked past them again.

The Doctor turned suddenly, pulling Rose with him into an alley. They ran flat out, turning quickly at the first intersection they reached. They zigzagged through the maze of alleyways. The sound of music and cheering reached them and they ran towards the sound. They stumbled to halt as they came out onto a street with a huge parade passing by. A big float rolled past them with an entire orchestra playing a beautiful, cheerful melody. Something like miniature fireworks sparked off along the parade. There were both dancers and acrobats tumbling past them. The Doctor pulled her into the fray. They ran straight into the parade, dodging all manner of creatures and people in elaborate costumes. They hurried into the crowds on the other side. Rose threw a glance behind her shoulder, but could not see the Judoon.

The Doctor and Rose made their way through the throng of people, most of them waving flags high in the air. They ran down another alley, crossing over another street, this one also filled with people, cheering and joyfully heralding in the new century. Rose was sure she heard thunder this time. Deep and rolling across the night. It was a big city they were in. Huge skyscrapers reached for the skies all around them. Glowing signs and lights on every corner. The whole city seemed to be alive and vibrant tonight.

The Doctor and Rose slowed their frantic pace, both glancing around. The Judoon were nowhere to be seen. Rose felt laughter bubbling out of her mouth. Adrenaline sang in her veins. The Doctor looked over at her. The worried frown quickly melted from his face and a smile lit it instead.

"Sorry," Rose said, trying to stifle her laughter. "I just haven't run like that in a long time," she said, smiling at the Doctor.

"Too long," he said. She wrapped her free hand around his arm.

"And all that because the Doctor danced," Rose said with a smile.

"Dangerous business dancing," he said, glancing down at her.

"Doctor..," she began. Thunder cracked across the sky cutting her off. Both of them stopped and glanced up. Lightning lit the night and the skies opened up, releasing a cascade of pouring rain. Everyone around them scattered in seconds.

The Doctor pulled Rose urgently with him, getting them under a roof to avoid the sudden downpour. Thunder cracked again and the rain hammered against the pavement. The signs on the buildings flickered and glowed, the light caught in the swiftly pooling water in the city streets. People were rushing under umbrellas and newspapers, some were holding up the flags they'd just moments ago been waving in the air, trying uselessly to stay dry.

Rose pulled free of the Doctor's hand, running out into the middle of the street. She threw out her arms and spun around, laughing in the downpour. The rain soaked her hair, ruining her curls and darkening its colour to an antique gold. It drenched her dress in seconds, plastering the silky material to her body. She raised her face to the heavens, closed her eyes and smiled into the impending storm. She was windswept and absolutely beautiful in the rain. The Doctor couldn't take his eyes off her.

He hurried to join her, ignoring it as the rain quickly soaked through his suit and plastered his hair to his forehead, thinking to hell with it all. The Doctor caught Rose as she spun and she laughed with delight. A smile spread across his lips. How he'd ever managed to stay more than two feet away from her was at the moment a mystery to him. Right now he couldn't seem to get close enough.

Rose ran her fingers up around his neck, playfully tugging at his wet hair. As she felt his skin against hers the bond blazed up between them like fire, untamed and wild. The Doctor bent her over his arm and her hands tightened around his neck.

Are you sweeping me off my feet, Doctor? she asked playfully across the bond. The telepathy between them had quickly become as natural as breathing. Rose couldn't seem to even remember a time when she couldn't speak to him this way, couldn't feel him this way.

"I try my best." The Doctor leaned down towards her. Like gravity, he'd said. Hard to fight gravity. Impossible.

She knew they both wanted to give in to it. Longed for it. Hungered for it even. And at that moment Rose couldn't remember a single reason why they shouldn't.

For just a second there was a question in the Doctor's eyes and then his long lashes hid them from her. His lips were mere inches away from hers. Rose didn't even realise she was holding her breath. Then he closed the gap between them and ran his tongue along her bottom lip. Rose's eyelids fluttered shut. "Mmm," he sighed. You taste like rain and magic.

Rose opened her eyes and immediately pulled him down towards her, his lips crashing against hers. She sighed into this mouth and let her tongue tangle with his. He tasted of the city at night, of running and storms.

"There they are!" Rose and the Doctor heard someone call through the night. They both froze. The Doctor pulled her back up. They looked around. A group of Judoon were making their way towards them down the street. Guess they hadn't lost them after all. The Doctor clasped Rose's hand and they ran. Water splashed around their feet as the Judoon gave chase.

Rose and the Doctor crashed though a door into a Chinese- looking restaurant. Head's swivelled in their direction.

"Sorry," they both said, nodding and bowing towards the staff, dripping water all over the floor. The Doctor pulled her through the restaurant into the kitchen. There her hand tightened around his and she yanked him towards her. They were kissing before either had finished the thought. Someone barked something angry at them that sounded Chinese. Cursing then, Rose concluded and pulled away from the Doctor. The TARDIS didn't always seem to translate curse words for some reason. Perhaps it was below her, Rose thought with a smile.

A big angry asian-looking man with a white apron stained with soya sauce came striding towards them brandishing a ladle. The Doctor pulled her away and they ran through the kitchen, dodging staff and flambés.

They stumbled through the back door and out into an alley. It was still raining. But above them hung strips of cloth in different vibrant colours, strung up between the tall buildings. It prevented some of the rain from reaching them. The Doctor spun Rose around and quickly had her trapped between him and the alley wall. Rose wrapped her arms around him and kissed him desperately, adrenaline rushing along with the electricity his touch sparked in her blood. The Doctor's hands were in her wet hair. Pins scattered and her hair spilled between his fingers. Rain ran in rivulets down Rose's back, but she wasn't cold. No part of her was cold. She was alive with heat and fire.

Every touch was ecstasy, every brush of his tongue against hers a delirium. Rose had never felt this out of control or this much alive. She found she didn't care about anything else. Not the warnings whispering in the back of her head. Warnings about playing with fire and getting burned. None of it seemed to matter. There was a ruckus from inside the restaurant and then they were running again.

They ran aimlessly through the alleys, the rain pouring down. It hit the cobblestones at their feet with such force the drops bounced back into the air, catchings streetlights like sparkles of stardust. They came out on a larger street as a big red dragon was making its way past. It's head was golden and it's body long and slim as a snake's, gold details painted all along its edges. People were dancing underneath the massive creation, holding it up and making it seem alive with their movements. Another parade. Orient inspired by the looks of it. There were people everywhere. Some hid under their umbrellas but others, like the Doctor and Rose had realised the futility of trying to escape the forces of nature. They danced and cheered in the rain. Young people, old people, kids. Aliens and humans alike.

Women in elaborate geisha- dress and white painted faces that somehow the rain seemed to have no effect on, were throwing confetti into the air as men played instruments Rose had never seen before, filling the atmosphere with beautiful foreign melodies. Lightning exploded across the sky and the hammering feet of the Judoon drummed closer behind them. The Doctor and Rose ran along the edge of the parade. They zigzagged through the crowds.

Rose dodged inside a doorway, pulling the Doctor with her. She wrapped her hand around his bowtie and pulled him against her. His lips moved hungrily against hers as the Judoon ran past without seeing them. The Judoon marched right across the street, momentarily holding up the parade and disappearing down another alley.

Rose and the Doctor tore free of each other and hurried back the way they'd come. Rose laughed as she ran with her hand in his, high on the thrill of the chase as much as the constant energy shifting between the two of them. Now there was nothing left but running with the night, letting it sweep them away.

Turning a corner they came out into a courtyard. Lights hung above them. Somewhere in the distance they could still hear thunder rolling across the night sky. Underneath the festive lights were a Chinese pavilion, its entrances hung with nearly transparent white fabric. The Doctor brushed the light material away, letting the wind and rain catch it as they stumbled into the pavilion. The Doctor captured Rose's face between his hands.

"I love you," he said, as he looked into her eyes. "I love you."

"Shut up," she told him and pressed her lips to his.

It took them less than a second to be lost, to feel nothing but each other. Every cell in Rose's body was alive with energy and adrenaline. She undid the Doctor's bowtie, unbuttoning the first few buttons on his shirt. She pushed the labels of his jacket apart and he let it drop to the floor. Even his shirt was soaked through with rain. She could feel every contour of his body as she ran her hands over his chest. The Doctor was kissing her until she was breathless. Never in her life had she felt this good. It was like she was weightless, suspended in midair, her body nothing more than a swirl of sensations.

That was why it took her so long to notice. Notice that something was wrong. She didn't even hear the screams at first, didn't feel the pain. What finally penetrated her blissful delirium was the Doctor screaming inside her head.

ROSE! STOP! But the Doctor wasn't the only one that was screaming. There was a woman. A woman screaming. Then the pain registered. Rose looked down at her hands and saw burns all along her arms. The energy inside her was burning its way out. Rose raised her head to the night sky as a painful, broken cry ripped its way from her throat.

"Rose!" The Doctor's terrified scream almost drowned out her own.

It was like there had been strings holding Rose up and suddenly those strings snapped. Pain shot up her leg as the bones in her right foot fractured on impact. She could feel the Doctor, his hands against her skin making the energy immediately respond to him. He wrapped her up in his jacket and pulled her to her feet. But Rose cried out as she felt the fractured bones protest. The Doctor didn't seem to care. He pulled her with him, his hold on her relentless. They stumbled through the streets. Somehow the festivities seemed less merry. Sound seemed far away. Everything was a blur of colour and motion as the Doctor pulled her through the city.

Rose felt it the minute they got inside the TARDIS. It was like a comforting hand brushed against her exhausted, scrambled mind. But even thought it was comforting Rose thought she could still feel a hint of fear underneath it. The TARDIS, afraid.

The Doctor left her on the jump seat. But she didn't seem to quite have the strength to hold herself up so she swayed where she sat. The Doctor fired up the ship, getting them out of there and into the vortex faster than he ever had before. He left the console and hurried over to Rose and pulled her back up. But her knees immediately folded under her. He lifted her up into his arms and ran with her through the hallways. Rose just vaguely recognised the ceiling passing by above her before the Doctor got her into the infirmary. He deposited her on the exam table in the middle of the room. Rose thought she could hear the whirring sound of the sonic. Then metal against metal, frantic fiddling.

"I'm sorry," she thought she heard the Doctor mumble. She cried out as he reset the bones in her foot. "I'm sorry," he mumbled again. Rose struggled against the tears burning at be back of her eyes. He wrapped her foot up in something and slowly the pain there eased. Unfortunately that only made everything else hurt more. Her skin felt as though it was still burning. She ground her teeth together, struggling not to cry out again. "Hang in there, Rose," the Doctor told her. She could feel him running about around her, the frantic urgency in his movements.

Tears finally spilled over and ran down Rose's cheeks. She couldn't fight them no matter how much she struggled. She didn't know what had happened. Didn't understand what was going on. And however hard she tried to form the words to ask him, she couldn't manage to push a single syllable passed her lips.

/

Sorry this took so long for me to post. I got cold feet. I had practically decided not to post part two at all and just leave it with part one. But a friend of mine said I was being stupid, so... wouldn't want to be stupid.. ;) I hope you liked it!