Part Six

Rose shifted uncomfortably, trying to stop the cable tie Jimmy had tightened around her wrists from digging into her flesh so painfully. Whatever she did only seemed to make it worse and in the end she stopped trying, instead sitting there in stony silence, resigned to being bound up but certainly not happy about it. Her cheekbone still ached where he had hit her, her nose stung with every breath. She could feel the dried blood that had collected just above her top lip.

If she had had trouble hating him before she had no difficulties now.

After a while he turned off of the main road and down a windy gravel track, leading into the darkness at the side of the road. Eventually Rose saw a building looming up ahead. In the glare of the car headlights she could just make out the distinctive outline of an Oast house.

It wasn't one of those ones that had been converted into a posh house though, it was one that looked like it had been abandoned for fifty years. There were dozens of tiles missing from the roof and broken windows galore. It creaked ominously in the wind and to be honest Rose thought it looked on the verge of collapsing. Great. That was all she needed to finish off this day; to be crushed under a building because her idiot ex-boyfriend could find somewhere structurally sound to hide.

Jimmy got out and slammed the driver's door shut. Rose briefly considered making a run for it again but quickly decided against that idea. With her hands bound and no phone she wouldn't get far. As she had seen what happened the last time he had tried to get away. She didn't want to risk it further.

The door next to her was yanked open and she was manhandled out into the pouring rain once more. She glared at him but said nothing as he firmly grabbed her arm and ushered her towards the building.

"My grandparents used to live near here," he explained as they walked, "Me and brothers used to sneak over here and play commandoes when we came down to visit."

"What makes you think I care?" she snapped, unable to hold her tongue. She didn't want to partake in pleasant small talk with him. At the moment she rather wanted to scratch his eyes out.

He gripped her arm painfully tight and she could almost feel the bruises forming under where his fingertips pressed.

"Just get inside," he muttered, pushing her through the main door.

The building was in no better condition on the inside than the out. The wooden beams looked damp and rotten, the brickwork covered in mould. There were heaps of rusted, unrecognisable machinery lying discarded and she was sure she could hear rats shuffling about in the dark.

He forced her over to the nearest wall, pushing her roughly to sit on the floor and then perching himself on an up turned bucket a few feet away.

They sat there in silence for a few long minutes, Rose burning inside, almost feeling her innards liquefying at the sound of his every breath. She'd never hated anyone or anything so much in her life and it wasn't a good feeling. But he had kidnapped her. Taken her away from the man she loved. Smacked her around like he could control her and she wouldn't fight back. He was using her like he always had.

"Now what, Jimmy?" she taunted eventually, unable to maintain her silence for fear she was going to explode unless she said something, "What's the big master plan then?"

She knew she shouldn't do this. She knew she could be putting herself in danger by provoking him, but she couldn't help it. She was just so furiously angry.

He looked at her, a little startled by the venom in her voice.

"I'm gonna wait until it's getting light," he said stonily, "And then go to this house near here. I'll tell 'em my car's broken down and I need to call the AA. Then I'll ring your mum and get her to give a message to that new boyfriend of yours."

She had to hand it to him, at least he had thought of a solution which was slightly more productive than just sitting in the damp.

"So you're just gonna leave me here then?" she sneered, although hindsight told her she probably shouldn't have pointed out the flaw in his plan.

He looked at her darkly, "You won't be going anywhere…"

Despite herself, a cold chill shuddered through Rose at the suggestion there. She stared at him, almost daring him to do something, daring him to take that next step. She'd seen death, stared her own in the face on countless occasions, watched as others had perished before her. He hadn't experienced that. He'd never felt death's cold breath sweep through a room, taking the unfortunate ones with it. He had a long way to go before he was ready to face that.

Jimmy got up and turned away, uncomfortable with her glare. The thought make Rose cheer inside at her silent victory.

She watched as he paced restlessly up and down in front of her, clearly struggling with something inside. Struggling to come to terms with what he had done and what he might still do.

"It wasn't easy you know," he said, whirling suddenly back round to face her, "You wanna try growing up in my family and see how you'd turn out! I didn't have a fucking chance with that lot, did I?"

What was she supposed to do? Feel sorry for him because he never had the balls to stand up and say 'no'?

"Oh poor little you," she brushed off scornfully, "You're your own person, Jimmy. If you're too weak to stand up for that then that's your problem, isn't it? Don't blame other people cos you're a screw up."

Much to her surprise he didn't answer back at that. Didn't get angry or hurt. He just nodded slightly and sat down again, clutching his hands together a looking at the floor.

For the smallest moment Rose did feel pity for him but she knew that wasn't what he really wanted from her.

There was a long silence again.

"I did love you, Rose," he said with a quiet sigh, glancing at her once more, "You were always good to me. I never should have broken up with you."

"No you didn't," she said with harsh, brutal honesty, feeling ashamed of herself as she realised it, "You liked the way I made you feel. You liked that the other blokes were jealous because I'd have sex with you and the girls they fancied wouldn't. You used me, Jimmy. I was only ever there to give you what you wanted. You never gave me anything back."

He glanced up at her with a questioning frown.

"I brought you tons of presents."

"Brought or stole?" she questioned with an arched eyebrow.

"I looked out for you, didn't I?" he pointed out, ignoring her.

"You never gave me anything I needed," she clarified, "In fact, you very nearly ruined my life. And now here you are, trying to do it again when things are finally going good for me."

She sighed heavily, shaking her head.

"Why do you hate me so much?"

He didn't answer that. Instead, he looked at her with a frown and a shake of his head.

"You've changed, Rose," he said darkly, "You've grown hard. Cold."

"No," she said, staring at him steadily, "I've just outgrown you."

Any response he had was cut short when a faint, unusual whooshing sound was heard outside. Rose smiled to herself. About bloody time too.

Jimmy ran over to the window squinting out of the filthy glass as the sound pulsed even more loudly, seemingly to make the air around them crackle and throb. He was scared by it. To Rose it was comforting. It felt like safety. Like home.

"What the hell is that?" Jimmy whispered, his eyes widening in shock. He looked at Rose but she just threw him a mysterious smile, enjoying the sudden shift in power. Enjoying that all though she was bound and bruised she was the one in charge at the moment.

He glanced out of the window again, his mouth falling open as he continued to stare.

"That's just not possible," he said with a perplexed shake of his head. He turned back to Rose again, fear in his eyes.

"Who the hell is your boyfriend?"

Rose just smiled.

Then there was the sound of footsteps outside and Jimmy grabbed her, hauling her roughly to her feet, holding her by the arm and using her body to shield himself from whatever was just about to enter. Rose continued to smile. That wasn't going to help him.

And then she felt something sharp pressing at her side and the smile fell, her breathing going shallow to avoid accidentally stabbing herself with the blade.

The moment the door flew open and two figures entered. The Doctor's eyes immediately locked on hers without even trying. She felt her insides soar and her heart warm. He was here. She was home. His gaze asked her silently to tell him she was all right and she nodded just slightly in reassurance. She was so overjoyed to see him that it took a moment to realise her mum was there too.

At least until she began shouting, the Doctor holding out an arm to stop her marching over to Jimmy and punching him.

"Jimmy Stones you little bastard!" she seethed, looking like she was about ready to lay him out, "You let her go or you have me to deal with! Haven't you done her enough damage already?"

Rose had never seen her mum so frighteningly cross. Not when she had caught Liam Tanner feeling her up on their couch when she was fourteen. Not when she'd found fags in Rose's school bag and made her promise never to smoke them again because she didn't want her to die of lung cancer like her granddad. Not when she'd lost one of her diamond earrings when she'd borrowed them without asking for that night out with Shireen and the girls. For a small moment Rose was very proud of her mum, proud to be her daughter. Proud to see the fierce protection in her eyes.

Then she squirmed as Jimmy pressed the penknife against her a little more forcibly. It was only small, it couldn't really do much damage, could it? Although it had left Mickey on the floor lying in his own blood…Rose wondered briefly if the Doctor had found him in time. The thought that he hadn't hurt her more than her stinging face and bruised body did.

"Keep away from me!" Jimmy hollered, his voice shaking, "You come near me and I'll stick this in her!"

Jackie paused, all the colour draining from her face in realisation, "Oh my God…Doctor he's got a knife."

"I know," the Doctor whispered tightly in return, his gaze still locked on Rose's face.

"He's pointing it at my daughter," she added uselessly.

"I know," he repeated, pushing Jackie back a little with his arm, telling her to keep out of his way.

He smiled ever so slightly at Rose and she could almost hear his voice in her head.

It's going to be alright.

I won't let him hurt you.

"I'm not coming near you, Jimmy," he stated, his voice all gentle calm, not showing a hint of the storm that was brewing in his eyes.

"Who are you?" Jimmy muttered, pointing the knife at him before returning it to press dangerously into Rose's side.

She flinched slightly and she saw the Doctor tense, the muscle in his cheek twitching. But he continued in the same calm, reasonable tone.

"I'm the Doctor," he explained, "I'm Rose's…."

He paused, glancing back at her mum, remembering her presence.

"Travelling companion," he finished.

Rose half expected Jimmy to contradict that. That was all she needed right now, her mum going off on one because she found out that the relationship between her daughter and the Doctor wasn't a platonic as they said. Fortunately, Jimmy was far more concerned with why he had just seen a 1950's police box materialise in front of his face to argue over Rose's status as the Doctor's significant other.

"How did you do that?" he asked, nodding towards the window. The words tumbled out in barely disguised terror, Jimmy seemingly unable to resist the Doctor's calm attempt to draw them out, to get him talking.

The Doctor always seemed to have the ability to do that, although she didn't know how. Whatever the situation people always ended up talking to him, even when they clearly didn't want to.

"What?" he asked, almost nonchalantly.

"With the box!" Jimmy shouted, as though he couldn't believe the Doctor would consider he could mean anything else.

Rose looked at the Doctor, wondering what he would say, how he would explain it. A trick of the light? A new whacky car design?

Apparently honesty was the best policy.

"I'm a Time Lord," the Doctor explained.

"A what?" Jimmy asked, as though he had been speaking Swahili.

"A Time Lord. An alien…"

Jimmy froze for a moment, hardly breathing. Most people would have scoffed at that but deep down Rose had the feeling that Jimmy actually believed him. That something in the Doctor's gaze spoke the truth about his heritage. Something Rose didn't see anymore because she knew him so well.

Even so, Jimmy refused to acknowledge it aloud, although his actions betrayed him. His arm moved from its grip on hers and wrapped across the upper part of her chest, gripping at her shoulder and digging firmly into her throat. Rose gasped as he crushed her windpipe slightly, her hands instinctively clawing at his arm, trying to loosen it so she could breathe without obstruction again.

She saw the Doctor tense further but he didn't move.

"Oh yeah, you really know how to pick them don't you, Rose," Jimmy said wildly, backing them away slightly, "He's out of his fucking mind is this one! Why didn't you stay with Mickey? At least he's just stupid!"

That was rich coming from this idiot.

The Doctor's hand slipped inside his pocket and he pulled out a small silver object, not unlike the sonic screwdriver, although even Rose hadn't seen this one before.

"What's that?" Jimmy asked in a blind panic, "Is that a gun?"

Of course it wasn't. The Doctor didn't use weapons. He didn't need to.

"Just watch," the Doctor said evenly, "You wanted to know what a Time Lord is Jimmy Stones, I'll show you a Time Lord…"

He pressed a button on the device and she felt Jimmy tense, gripping her tighter, almost stopping her breathing altogether. She was so concerned with trying to get air into her lungs that she barely noticed the cool white light that flew out in a grid from the device in the Doctor's hand. It criss-crossed lightly all over the walls, as if getting a feel for the place, before something amazing happened.

It was like rewinding a film. Raindrops dripping from the rafters slowed in midair and stopped. The squeaking of the rats disappeared as did the creaking noises of the battered building. Even the particles of dust, lit up by the beams of light, stopped their gentle floating to hang patiently in space.

For a moment all was entirely still.

Then gradually everything began to move backwards, raindrops flew to the ceiling, the mould on the walls began to recede and disappear. Broken beams flew off of the floor and fixed themselves to the walls and ceilings again. The machinery unrusted and jumped back into its original positions, going from dull and uncared for to painted and looking like new. Bags of grain popped into existence here and there, and the mess on the floor disappeared to be replaced by dry dust and the occasional stray piece of straw.

Rose would have had more time to be amazed but she suddenly felt Jimmy's arms go limp around her and on instinct she pushed him away. She stumbled towards the Doctor, but her mum was moving before he did, the device in his hand not having completed its process yet.

She collapsed into her mum's outstretched arms, losing all control of her legs as she finally realised she was safe. She fell heavily towards the floor, her mum falling down beside her, pulling her into a desperate hug.

"Oh God, Rose," she whispered, crying and stroking her hair, "Sweetheart, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault, I should have told you Jimmy was out. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"Mum, it's alright," she muttered soothingly, wondering why she was the one doing the comforting after her own kidnap ordeal, "It wasn't your fault yeah?"

Jackie pulled away, reaching up to grasp Rose's cheeks between her hands. She flinched slightly as she pressed on tender bones

"Oh God, look at you," she muttered heartbrokenly, shaking her head, "Look at what he did to you."

Rose had no clue what she looked like but if it was anywhere near as bad as she felt then it wouldn't be a pretty sight.

"Did he hurt you?" she asked, tears flowing freely down her cheeks, "Did he touch you?"

Rose grimaced at the suggestion.

"No. No, nothing like that," she reassured, "I'm alright, mum. Really."

"Let's get that off you, hmm," she heard a deep voice say as the Doctor came into view beside her, kneeling down and pushing Jackie aside a little. He fished around in his pockets for a brief moment, bringing out the sonic screwdriver. He set it up quickly and held it over the cable tie around her wrists which almost instantly snapped in half. He reached up and took her ice cold hands in his, rubbing them firmly, trying to get the blood flowing in them again. Meticulously avoiding the red marks on her wrists. Avoiding looking her in the face.

"I'm alright, Doctor," she whispered after a moment, unable to bare it any longer, "Really, I'm okay. Nothing a hot shower won't fix."

He looked at her and she was crushed to see the pain in his eyes. He gingerly reached out and stroked her cheek, running his thumb over the bruise she knew was there.

"Oh Rose…" he mumbled desperately.

She so wanted to kiss him. She'd lied back then. The one thing she really needed to fix her was his skin on hers, the familiar weight of his body pressing her down, his loving whispers of her name and the unmistakable sound of his two hearts beating.

The moment was broken as Jackie's angry voice cut into it.

"What about him?" she asked, jabbing a finger at Jimmy.

He was sitting some feet away, the penknife lying uselessly in his hand. He looked utterly deflated. Totally defeated. He just stared around in open-mouthed shock.

Rose saw the hard look in the Doctor's eyes. The coldness there that even scared her at times. He was so far beyond angry that she didn't even know what he was feeling. But it didn't bode well for Jimmy.

As the Doctor went to move Rose grabbed out at his arm.

"Don't hurt him," she asked, barely able to believe she was doing it, "He's just a stupid kid who's out of his depth. He's nothing, alright? We could just take him back to the police. Get him locked up again."

The Doctor stared at her intently for a moment before shaking himself gently from her grasp and advancing on a hapless Jimmy Stones.