Dimensional Doctors 2 of 3: Addicted to Each Other

by Malin-Pedersen

Second in Dimensional Doctor series. The Doctor has taken care of Emma since she was 11. He loves her like a daughter, but could that change into something else? Features the 8th Doctor DoctorOC

2. Is Love On Both Sides?

This is the second chapter to my 8th Doctor story and I so promise that there will be a lot more dialogue in this one, I know that I have the tendency to jabber on with description and not much speech. Please, please review my story because I so want to know what you think of it. Whether it be a review of praise or not I want to know

Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with Doctor Who or the TARDIS and I am merely writing this story for my own enjoyment and that of others.

These series of stories are dedicated to my mate Ben otherwise known as Drwho42. He's going to appear in all three of The Dimensional Doctors series :D

Hobgoblin: you are the best reviewer ever! I love you lol. Hope that this chappy meets your standards :D

The Dimensional Doctors 2 of 3: Addicted to Each Other

Chapter 2: Is Love on Both Sides?

It was round about 9 am when Fitz began to make his way back to the TARDIS again. He staggered this way and that as the fog that clouded his brain prevented him from using his legs properly. He must have had a brilliant time because he could only remember half of it. Fitz could defiantly remember arriving with Emma at the bar and dancing with her for a little bit before he met this lad who he could of sworn he knew as a baby. He remembered chatting to this guy for a long time and always looking at the bottom of an empty shot glass. Fritz vaguely remembered talking to the Doctor about ears for some reason and also he couldn't get the song Lady Mamalade out of his head.

The last thing that he could remember was seeing the Doctor and Emma arm in arm on their way out. He remembered thinking to himself just how good they looked together. To normal human bystanders they would probably be two star crossed lovers going off home after a lovely evening in each others company. They always looked like that when they where arm in arm or holding hands. Fitz knew that there was nothing behind it on the Doctor's part but he couldn't help but remember that Emma had always carried a torch for the Doctor.

It was a shame that the Doctor didn't really notice her because she was absolutely gorgeous and if Fitz had been a few years younger then he would quite happily asked Emma out.

It took Fitz a little while to locate the TARDIS key within his pocket and an even longer while for him to actually open the door without snapping the key in the lock. As Fitz almost fell through the doorway of the TARDIS he was met with complete and utter darkness. For a second or two he was very confused and checked his watch. Yes it was about 10 in the morning now and it everything was off and dark. This was very unlike the Doctor and Emma as they where both usually up (if the Doctor ever actually slept) by round about 7 or 8 and when Fitz emerged at 11 they would have had breakfast already and be moving on to having lunch.

Fitz stood at the entrance of the TARDIS for a second as he listened for any noises echoing through the large ship. Mostly all he could hear was the sound of his heart beat and his breathing but far off in the distance he could hear voices and music coming from what Emma called the Rec Room. As Fitz drew closer to the room he could clearly hear the sounds so some sort of film being played on the wide screen TV that they had.

Fitz slowly opened to door to reveal the film as The Life and Death of Peter Sellers and the Doctor had Emma's head resting on his lap as she slept and as he stroked her hair, his eyes never leaving the screen as they sat in total darkness apart from the light coming from the TV. "Hey." said Fitz softly, not wanting to wake Emma up. She looked so cute and peaceful when she was asleep.

"Oh!" jumped the Doctor, making Emma move about in her sleep. "Why if it isn't the walking dead." chuckled the Doctor softly, his voice dropping low so that it was only as loud at the TV. It was true that Fritz did look rather dishevelled and frankly quiet minging, to use a word Emma would use, due to the fact that he was covered in various alcohol stains, his hair was all over the place and there where dark circles under his eyes. Fitz's smiled sheepishly as he ran a hand through his hair, trying to tame it a bit.

"Why are you two here and not buzzing about like you usually do?" Fitz yawned looking from the Doctor to Emma, "And why is Emma still wearing the same clothes that she had on last night?" Emma turned in her sleep so that her head was now lying on the Doctor's stomach and she sighed contently. The Doctor's coat was draped over her but Fitz could still see that she was still wearing her strapless turquoise silk dress with all the oriental flowers stitched into it with golden thread and that her sea green high healed shoes, which she had gotten in the 1930's, were lying on the floor by the Doctor's feet. The dress had come to just below her knees when she had been standing up but was now well above them which was why the Doctor had put her shawl over her legs so that she wouldn't get cold.

"Well Emma and I got back here at about 1 this morning after leaving you at the bar and we decided to watch some films. You know, those ones Emma was always harping on about saying that I just had to see them." said the Doctor sarcastically as he pointed out the massive pile of DVD boxes ranging from titles like The Pink Panther to Bram Stoker's Dracula.

"You watched all of these and didn't get bored?."

"We didn't really watch they more like talked through them. Emma fell asleep about an hour or so ago so I thought I'd just sit here and wait for her to wake up." The Doctor stroked her cheek affectionately before he gently lifted her head up and slid out from under her. He put a pillow under her head as he gently placed back down. "I'm parched, fancy a cup of tea?"

Fitz just looked at him, "Ah well a cup of tea for me and a strong black coffee and lots of it for you Fitz I think." The Doctor quietly turned off the TV and closed the door behind them, leaving the Rec Room in darkness.

It took them a while to find the kitchen as the TADRIS had moved most of the rooms around again meaning that they had to climb almost 4 flights of stairs to get to it. Fitz plonked himself down in a chair at the table as the Doctor moved this way and that, humming to himself while he made the tea and coffee.

They stayed in a comfortable silence for a while as Fitz pondered something. Did Emma want to know how the Doctor felt about her? Did she really mean it when she said that she would personally burn all his records until there was nothing left if he so much as hinted to the Doctor about her. He watched the Doctor as he set both of the cups onto the table and sat down, blowing slightly into his cup before taking a drink.

"What?" said the Doctor as he noticed Fitz staring at him, "Have I got something hanging from my nose or have I got a gigantic pimple in the middle of my forehead?" Fitz rolled his eyes as he took a sip from his coffee, Whoa this is strong, thought Fitz, I'll be awake for days after this.

Fitz coughed slightly to clear his throat before he spoke, deciding just to come out with it, "What do you think of Emma?" The Doctor's head shot up from his cup to look straight at Fitz.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean like…what do you think of her? Like do you think of her as a friend or a daughter or possibly…a girlfriend?" For some reason Fitz felt extremely strange and nervous about asking the Doctor this and had began fiddling with his lighter. Clicking it's metal shutter open and shut again inside his pocket.

The Doctor looked at Fitz, confused , "What on Earth has brought this on?" he chuckled and shook his head as he got up to put his already empty tea cup into the sink, "If it's your want to ask Emma out then it is of no business of mine but to be fair Fitz she is very out of your league." The Doctor smiled cheekily at Fitz while sticking his hand into the biscuit tin an pulling out a chocolate covered Hobnob.

"I know that without having to look at her." laughed Fitz, "It's just that can you honestly say that you've never thought about her in any other way besides a friend? Can you really tell me you've never seen the way her whole face lights up whenever she sees you or that she didn't dye her hair pink like she wanted to because you thought it wouldn't suit her or that she wears that shimmery turquoise green eyeshodow every day because you thought it brought out her eyes?"

There was a very confused silence coming from the Doctor and he continued to remain silent, as if waiting for Fitz to say more.

"For God's sake Doctor the girls crazy about you!" he finally blurted out. Fitz was kicking himself inside the second that he had stopped talking. He had defiantly dropped Emma right in it. It was now time to say buh-bye to his Beatles records.

Fitz stared at his feet for a moment or two before he dared to look towards the Time Lord standing beside the sink. The Doctor's mouth hung open slightly, showing off the half eaten biscuit in his mouth but after a few seconds it closed and a small smile tugged at his lips, "I just thought that she valued what I said and that she just agreed with me that she suited her hair the way it was." There was a seconds silence before the Doctor spoke again, "How long have you known she's felt like this?"

It was almost impossible to read him now. The Doctors arms were crossed and he was leaning back against the counter as he looked at Fitz. The other man had to look away and began playing with his silver lighter again. He could feel the Doctor's eyes burning into the side of his head as he waited for an answer. Fitz didn't know what to say by this point and wished that he could take back what he had said. He sighed and decided that it was out now so it was best to give the Doctor the full story.

"She's been feeling this way for a couple of years I think. Anji was the first to notice and she talked to her about it." Fitz dared to look up at the Doctor and was relieved to find that he was now staring at the floor. "After that it was clear that she just adored you but she said she'd never say because she didn't want to leave. Didn't want there with be tension between the two of you which would make her leave here because this, to her, is the only place left that she has to call home.

To tell the truth if it had been me who had feelings for someone who'd rescued me and who I'd known most of my life I don't think I could have coped. I'd probably wouldn't be able to last 5 minutes without grabbing that person and snogging them for dear life." The Doctor smiled, "But Emma did, she kept it together for your sake as well as her own. She said that the other reason that she didn't want to leave was because she didn't want you to be on your own again, she didn't want you to be lonely. Frankly if you ask me I think that this has gone way past a simple crush. I really think that she loves you and would do anything for you to make you feel better or to help you."

A stunned silence was coming from the Time Lord and his voice sounded a mixture of confusion and amusement when he spoke, "I can't believe that I never noticed. I guess it just shows you how alien I am if I can't even tell what one of my dearest friend is feeling. And I thought Gallfiryian women were hard to understand." The Doctor let out a sigh that had matched Fitz's as he ran a hand through his hair. A flicker of realisation came over the Doctor's face as something dawned on him, "Is that why you said it?"

Now it was Fitz's turn to be confused, "Said what?"

"What you said to me last night?"

Fitz chuckled and turned in his seat, "Doctor I can't even remember where I slept last night so what makes you think I'd remember something like that." The faintest, warm smile flitted across the Doctor's lips .

"Last night when I came to you at the bar you said 'The Great and Wonderful Doctor. Who for all his wisdom can't see things passed the end of his ears.'" The Doctor laughed quietly to himself, "You said it because you were so drunk you hadn't a clue that it still mattered to keep it secret."

Fitz couldn't help himself but laugh, "I have a tendency to do that don't I." There was a small pause, "So what you going to do about Emma?"

The Doctor opened his mouth to answer but he quickly shut it again as the kitchen door opened and a rather dishevelled and disorderly looking Emma appeared in the doorway. She was still wearing her dress which was now covered in creases but she hid that by wearing the Doctor's coat. Emma smiled sleepily at them both as she made her way towards the kettle to put it back on the boil.

"Sleep well?" asked the Doctor. There was no indication in the Doctor's manner that showed that what he had just heard had bothered him and he seemed completely normal. But when was he ever completely normal?

Emma yawned and stretched out, "Sorta. That's the first time I've slept on that couch and I'll tell you something, it'll be the last time to." She took her own special tea cup out of the cupboard and plopped a peppermint tea bag into it.

Fitz's eyes darted from Emma back to the Doctor, trying to see if anything was going to happen. After the first few darts his eyes caught with the Doctor's who raised his eyebrows at him expectantly. That's my cue to leave, he thought as he got up. "Ah look at that time. I better go get a shower or something. Might just toddle off to bed for a few hours just to recover. Leave you two to chat."

Emma inclined her head in Fitz's direction, not seeming to notice the tad tone of embarrassment in his voice, "Ok hope you feel better Fitz." she said as she continued to make her tea and Fitz made his way back to his room.

Before she had any idea of what was happening the Doctor had pulled her hands away from what they where doing and had wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling her into a hug. She smiled as he buried his head into her hair. Emma laughed softly to herself as she was reminded that she had done the same to him when Sabbath had taken one of his hearts.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Emma walked into the kitchen to find the Doctor there. By all means he should be in bed, resting like she had ordered him to do. The Doctor was still only half dressed as she had left him. His coat, waistcoat and cravat missing and his shirt loose and un-tucked. His hair was tussled and there were bits of it sticking out in every which direction. At other times this would seem so irresistibly cute to Emma but at this moment it disturbed her slightly.

He had been through so much recently that it was dangerous almost for him to stand up let along be making a cup of tea at this hour of the night. He was taking longer to heal due to only now having one heart and his body having gone through such a traumatic event. Emma had to re-stitch the large wound on his chest three times because he kept pulling at them in his sleep. Many times Emma had burst into his room to the sounds of him screaming and shouting out. Many times she had comforted him, telling him that his nightmares weren't real. The first time she thought had been a one off but as he woke up screaming every night Emma knew that this would go on for as long as it took for the Doctor's body to get over it just like it had taken time with her.

Emma swore at if she ever saw that skulking, snide dung beetle called Sabbath again she would use the sonic screw driver to burn out his brain.

Even from looking at the Doctor's back she could see that it was taking all his strength to even stand. His shoulders were tight and bunched together as he grasped onto the unit to keep himself standing. The Doctor coughed and gasped at the pain that stabbed at his chest when he moved.

Emma walked quietly over to him, taking the kettle out of his hands then taking his hands in her own. One at a time she wrapped them around herself and then slipped her own around his waist. Emma did this as a means of comfort for him but also to let him rest, leaning on her so that he wouldn't have to struggle so hard to remain upright. The Doctor relaxed into her and nuzzled his face into her hair, sighing slightly.

For a minute or two they both stood there as the Doctor leaned gently onto Emma and she gave him support, both enjoying the simple embrace and the moment of calm in what had been turbulent times.

Emma could feel him leaning against her more and more now as his strength faded, his knees beginning to buckle from under him. Emma had to move quickly as she untangled herself, reluctantly, from the hug and led him out the door into the corridor. "I think it's about time you were back in your bed." she said softly as she put his arm over her shoulders.

She concentrated hard as she walked along the halls and supported the Doctor so that he could walk. Emma had always found that if you thought about the room that you wanted to find hard enough then the TARDIS would rearrange the halls and rooms for you so that you could find it quicker.

The TARDIS moved the Doctor's room closer to them and shortened the halls so that in no time at all Emma had arrived. It had also removed the hallway and the living room so that when they entered through the door they where already in the bedroom meaning that Emma wouldn't have to hold the Doctor up for much longer.

Emma almost laughed out loud when she saw the steaming cup of Earl Grey tea sitting on the bed-side table. The TARDIS truly loved her Captain and hated to disappoint him. Unfortunately the Doctor was too near being unconscious to drink or eat anything so Emma decided to place a towel or something over it in a bit to keep it warm so that he could have it once he'd had some rest. "She really is a sentimental old fool." she whispered affectionately.

The young girl lowered the Doctor gently onto the bed, taking his arm away from her shoulders as she lowered him down further so that his head was on the crumpled up pillow. It was obvious that it had been bad dreams that had woken him because the bed covers where askew with the large patchwork quilt tossed onto the floor, pillows everywhere.

Emma lifted up the Doctor's legs which where now dangling over the side of the large four-poster bed and she tucked them underneath the covers. She pulled and billowed the sheets until they resembled being neat as she brought them up around him enough so that he wouldn't get cold. From the moment that the Doctor's head hit the pillow he was asleep, locks of his hair covering his eyes.

On any other day he would look beautifully peaceful when he slept but now all the sadness and hurt he was feeling seeped through and showed on his face in sallow skin and tired eyes. His face was contorted and pale as if he were in great pain or as if he had just come across one of the most disturbing and harrowing secrets that one could only imagine.

In the stillness of the room a silver tear rippled down her cheek from her hazel eyes as she brushed a few locks of hair from his face. In that moment she would have given anything just to ease his pain and see him smile again. The Doctor didn't deserve to suffer and endure such agony as this. There was simple silence all around and Emma almost fell off the bed when he called out in his sleep and her heart skipped a beat with fright. He called out a few incoherent words before he seemed to calm down again, mumbling as his breathing became more and more rapid.

Emma took the Doctor's hand in hers and rubbed his palm gently with her thumbs and this seemed to calm him down but his breathing was still very rapid so Emma began to sing to him. She sang him a song that he hadn't heard since his mother had died.

"River of dreams take me with you tonight
Lying in your arms we'll drift to
Islands of wonder that gleam and glow under the stars
As we glide through the dark
To the heart of the night

River of dreams gently hold me again
I remember all you told me
All of the secrets you whispered as we crept away
From the daylight and melted back into the night

Was I awake
Or did I dream
The kiss of the waves
The silver slipstream

That tumbles as it turns again towards the sea

River of dreams softly flowing away
Let me follow where you are going
And make me part of you
Deep in the heart of you
Let my reflection be clear
In the water of life
That tumbles as it turns again towards the night

That tumbles as it turns again towards the night."

That night the Doctor dreamed of being a child again and playing in the gardens of him home, the House of Lungburrow, with a little blonde haired girl. The sound of his mother's voice drifting through the air as she sang to herself. It was one of the best nights sleep he had ever had.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Emma smiled into the Doctor's shoulder at the memory and held him tighter, him holding her tighter in return. Emma had never felt as relieved as she had when the Doctor had finally recovered and he had grown another heart to replace the one that had died with Sabbath. Although she had felt sad when the man himself had died to save others. Jumping into the Vortex.

The young woman put the thought from her mind as the Doctor pulled away slightly, still keeping his arms around her waist. For a minute Emma was very confused because of the hug and also because the Doctor was just smiling at her and saying nothing.

"Now don't get me wrong here. I love a cuddle as much as the next person but I still like to get to know what I'm getting hugged for." Emma was famous for her witty and sarcastic nature on many planets and in many different times and it was one of things about her that made the Doctor laugh.

The Doctor's smile was warm as he gazed down at her and he shrugged, "Not sure. You just looked like you needed a cuddle." his smile widened as his gaze fixed on hers.

Emma was now extremely aware of the Doctors' hands, splayed over her shoulder blades and as they had slowly made their way up from the small of her back. Her own were still on his waist and she just hoped to God that they weren't sweating. What a buzz kill to pull away from a man such as this only to find that you had left sweaty hand prints all over his lovely waistcoat.

She knew that he was slightly telepathic and she just hoped right now that another one of his other talents didn't evolve super sensitive hearing because her heart was jumping about all over the place inside of her and she so hoped that he didn't know.

Her heart started to race even more as the Doctor began to lean in towards her. That almost knowing smile on his face and his eyes twinkling. Could this be it, the moment she had envisioned and gone over so many times before in her head? Could he finally have noticed something about her? Was he actually going to kiss her?

All these thoughts flew around inside Emma's head, bouncing off the insides of her skull as the Doctor drew closer…and closer…until finally he planted a gentle kiss on her…cheek. Emma almost cried out in frustration and disappointment. She should have known that he was going kiss her cheek as that was just him. Kindly and gentleman like to the last. Sometimes Emma wished he'd cut out the chivalry and bloody well kiss her.

Emma sighed softly to herself as the Doctor gave her one last small hug before heading off out of the kitchen doorway. Leaving her standing in the middle of the kitchen as the kettle began to sing.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

The Doctor's hearts were beating so hard that he thought they would burst out of his chest if his heart rate didn't slow down. As a Time Lord the Doctor could think hundreds of thoughts almost all at the same time and right now his brain was buzzing so much that he felt like he couldn't concentrate. His head was spinning as he almost ran his way to the butterfly room.

He sighed as he closed the door behind him and sat on a patch of grass no far from it. The Doctor sighed again as he lay back and looked up at the sky.

He couldn't believe it. The Doctor really couldn't believe that if he hadn't of tilted his head of to the side at the last minute then it wouldn't have been Emma's cheek that he had kissed.

What was wrong with him? Why suddenly was the thought of kissing Emma one of the most appealing things in the world? The Doctor closed his eyes and breathed deeply, trying to put some rational thoughts back into his head and after a while his hearts slowed down and he could finally think in a straight line again.

When Fitz had told him about Emma the Doctor was more than surprised. Startled would be a good word to describe it frankly. He had stayed silent while Fitz had continued to talk, running over almost ever second that he had spent with Emma over the years for any indication that Emma had feelings for him. He found no such clues.

The Doctor had always wondered why a beautiful young woman like Emma didn't have suitors chasing her on every planet that they went to. There had been a few times but Emma had been quiet young at the time. Eventually Emma just didn't seem interested and the Doctor put it down to not wanting or missing something that you've never had. It was clear now that he had been completely wrong.

Fitz was actually right. For all the Doctors years and knowledge he couldn't even see things that were obvious to the rest of the world. Only a few minutes ago life had been so simple for the Doctor. He travelled round the universe and through time and space in his little piece of home with his companion and friend Fitz and his bestest friend in the world, Emma. They went everywhere, travelling, discovering the universe throughout time and found themselves in more than their fair share of dangerous situations.

How many times had they been in dangerous situations and the Doctor clasping onto Emma's hand as she turned to him. Her mouth open as if to say something and then only to be cut off completely as the Doctor finally figured out a way to escape and save them from certain death. The Doctor had never noticed that before. That Emma seemed to always be just beginning a sentence to tell him something very important and never getting to finish it.

It was only now as he lay in the still and quiet of the butterfly room that the Doctor realised that this was always the point where Emma was about to tell him how she felt before it was too late but she had always been cut off by him realising how to escape. What the Doctor couldn't understand was why she always waited until the last minute to try and tell him. The Doctor just guessed that she did this because he probably wouldn't have the time to answer back and so she would never have to fear of being rejected.

In a way he supposed that Emma was grateful for this. Grateful that he had stopped her before she said anything that she might of regretted doing later. But would she? Would he? The true question was what did the Doctor feel for Emma now that he knew her feelings.

What did he feel when he had looked at her in the bar the other night? He had felt a great pride knowing that he could be associated with such a girl…woman who could easily prove herself his equal in many different things. The Doctor also felt a deep caring for her like anyone who knew her would have but no…it was deeper than that.

It seemed evident to the Doctor that this problem, was just too complicated for him to solve.