The Hobbits and Harry, Ron and Hermione just stood around until the Doctor sighed in frustration when the TARDIS refused rather stubbornly to let him in. In fact the TARDIS reminded him forcibly of a certain companion. But then the TARDIS was a female alien.
"Women," he muttered turning to look at the others. "You might as well find somewhere else to sleep. The TARDIS isn't going to let us back in in a hurry."
The Hobbits wandered over to a clump of trees just to the left of the TARDIS and Harry, Ron and Hermione went and sat with their backs against another set of trees to the right.
The Doctor wandered over to Rose who was stood in her teddy bear pyjama's looking down the hill they were stood on. He moved as if to put his hand on her shoulder, but Rose sensed him and moved. The Doctor sighed again.
"I'm sorry, Rose. I just don't do domestic." The Doctor stared at the amazing view, which seemed totally un-amazing in their current situation.
"The same way I didn't do aliens before I met you?" Rose asked turning to look at him. It was almost too much for either of them. The look of pain in Rose's eyes, the deep mysterious look in the Doctor's.
"It's a two way street Doctor. You showed me how to accept the unthinkable. Now I'm showing you how to accept how you feel." Rose said holding his gaze.
The Hobbits huddled around each other. They weren't tired and they could all sense that the others were arguing, even if they were doing it quietly.
"Maybe we should start a fire," shivered Merry pulling his Lorien cloak tighter around him.
"Good idea." Said Frodo. "You and Pippin go that way and me and Sam'll go this way. Whatever you do," Frodo leaned in closer to Merry. "Don't let Pippin interrupt their conversations. He'll only get himself into trouble."
Merry nodded and the four split into pairs to search for firewood.
Frodo and Sam wandered a little way into the trees where the Hobbit's had originally been sat, picking up twigs here and there. They used the light of the vial to pick their way carefully through the bushes.
"We missed you, you know." Sam muttered after a while picking up some more twigs off the ground. Frodo turned to look at him.
"I know." he whispered back. "But you managed alright without me didn't you?"
"Well, yeah. Except I hardly talk to..." Sam trailed off deciding not to finish his sentence.
"Rosie Cotton?" Frodo suggested. As much as Frodo loved his best friend he couldn't help smiling at how slightly pathetic he was.
Sam didn't reply. He knew exactly what Frodo was thinking.
"Pathetic aren't I?" He said as they found a patch of ground covered in sticks. The two of them bent to pick them up.
"After travelling across half of middle earth to get to Mordor to destroy a ring only to have me be captured by it's spell? You Samwise Gamgee, are not pathetic. You're the bravest hobbit I know." Frodo said truthfully.
Merry and Pippin crept across the hill, catching snippets of the others conversations.
"I'm sorry, Rose. I just don't do domestic." They heard the Doctor saying and "What's this sudden fascination you've got with each other?" they heard Harry saying.
"C'mon," Merry said to Pippin hurrying him into the trees opposite before Pippin had time to butt in.
It was dark, but by staying near the edge of the trees they could just about make out any twigs scattered on the floor. Across the hill they could see Frodo and Sam were using the vial.
It wasn't long before they had collected quite a bit of firewood and decided to make a start on the fire while they waited for Sam and Frodo.
"Why do you think the Doctor's ship has locked us out?" Asked Pippin as they piled up the twigs.
"Can't you sense it Pip?" Merry replied darkly, glancing over at the Doctor and Rose then Harry, Ron and Hermione. Even though there was only the slightest gap between the companions as they sat the tension between them was evident.
Pippin nodded. "I suppose. You mean the ship has locked us out because of all the bad feeling?"
Merry nodded. Frodo and Sam returned from their twig gathering and helped build and enormous fire. Well, it was enormous compared to the Hobbit's. They lit it and it wasn't long before Harry, Ron and Hermione wandered over.
"Mind if we join you?" Harry asked.
"Not at all," replied The Hobbits in unison.
The trio sat down warming themselves up next to the fire.
"What do you suppose those two are talking about?" Hermione asked no one in particular nodding slightly at the Doctor and Rose.
"They're not talking." Merry replied in a small voice. "I don't know how exactly they're communicating, but they're no talking. Me and my friend's would be able to hear."
The trio looked at the Hobbit's in wonderment then at the Doctor and Rose sat a little way down the hill. If they weren't talking then what were they doing?
The Doctor stared at Rose in disbelief.
"Rose, I'm nine hundred years old. Do you really think I have a problem with accepting how I feel?" The Doctor asked incredulously. Now it was Rose's turn to stare.
"You're impossible sometimes. You know that. No wonder your previous companions left you." Rose sat down on the hill hugging her knees and staring out at the view.
"Now, that's not fair Rose. Like you said, this is a two way street, it's not entirely my fault." The Doctor sat down beside her.
"I know," Rose whispered in a flat voice. "I'm sorry. I just can't deal with this ok? I'm not nine hundred years old, I'm not an alien, I'm not used to your ship and her mood swings, even though I live with my Mum. It's just..."
Rose trailed off, her words floating away on the wind. She shivered slightly and the Doctor edged nearer.
"Rose. I'm not human. I'm sorry if I seem like I'm closing myself off. It's just something I do." The Doctor muttered.
Rose looked at him and smiled wryly.
"It's not an alien thing." She said sleepily. "I used to do the same thing when I thought about my dad. But I learnt the hard way that it's a bad way to grieve. I know just how much you miss them. But you'll always have me." Rose leaned her head against the Doctor. The Doctor perched his chin on her head.
"I love you, you know." Rose muttered before she fell asleep.
"I know," the Doctor smiled to himself.
It was funny, even though the Doctor was still awake, he could wander freely through Rose's dreams. It must have been the TARDIS inside their heads. Rose didn't mind she thought it better that only she and the Doctor could see what they were doing and the others sat around the fire would have no idea…
Harry sat with his back to a tree a little way from Ron and Hermione. He was watching them and frowning slightly. They hadn't spoken to him since he'd asked them about their friendship. Harry guessed that they probably weren't sure themselves what was going on. He stood up and wandered over to the pair, pulling up a patch of grass (not literally) and looked at them intently.
"Are you two...?"He struggled to find words that wouldn't offend them. In the end he decided a on a different tactic. "Are you guys mad with me?"
Ron glanced at Hermione and mumbled "no".
"Of course not!" Hermione said, but her eyes told Harry everything he needed to know.
"You are. You're both feeling uncomfortable because I pointed out that you love each other." Harry blurted before he could stop himself.
The other two didn't reply for a moment.
"We're not in love Harry." Ron replied quietly, though Harry could see both of them blushing deeply.
"What's the sudden fascination you've got with each other?" Harry asked.
Again they didn't reply.
"Harry, we're not acting any different to normal. I think it's you that's acting weird. Ever since the Doctor came and you saw how he was with Rose, you've had the fascination with me and Ron." Hermione replied quietly.
"So the hand-holding, blushing and near kissing aren't proof you love each other?" Harry asked.
None of them spoke for a long time until Harry shivered. Glancing over he saw the Hobbits constructing a fire.
"I'm going to sit with them." He muttered.
"Oh, Harry, wait." Hermione came after him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Look, we're all having a difficult time ok? Let's just forget about everything and concentrate on not getting killed." She whispered.
Harry nodded. Ron joined them and they walked over to the Hobbits.
That night all nine companions slept round the fire. Though it was not obvious to any but the Hobbits and the TARDIS all of them had depend and strengthen the bond they had.