On A Wolf And A Whim
Part 4 Expectations and Farewells
By Literary Litany
The Doctor picked himself off the floor with evident purpose, throwing switches on the TARDIS before he had even completely found his feet again. The time ship thundered ominously, which he took to mean she'd figured out his plan(probably cheated and read his mind), and thought, like he was almost positive of, that it was insane.
He didn't listen though, locking in the co-ordinates so even he wouldn't be able to deviate from the set course once they took off again. Once this started, there couldn't be any turning back. More than Rose's life hung in the balance here, and he had to be right about what Bad Wolf was. There was no option about being wrong at this juncture.
The TARDIS hummed in agreement. She thought he was right, but this was still very, very dangers. Tricking two beings with the knowledge of millennia at their fingertips wasn't a task even this Time Lord was willing to take lightly.
A surge of power from outside the ship reverberated through the control room, and the Doctor managed a grim smile. "I think that's my cue."
He felt his ship give a final whir, which he took to mean something along the lines of 'break a leg' and he pelted through the two double-doors.
What he found didn't totally surprise him. Rose lay unconscious in the dust, no faint golden glow or super-human strength evident in her suddenly very frail frame. She was near the pit, which he noted with some uncertainty was closed as tight as it had been when he and Ida had first stumbled upon it.
That was another thing. No Ida in sight.
"I'm sorry…" He whispered, pausing a moment before moving forward again and kneeling by Rose. She was deathly pale, but he found her pulse quickly enough, its beat erratic but strong. He swept her into his arms then, giving the large cavern and pit a final sweeping glance before turning back to his ship and pushing them both inside.
He laid Rose carefully on the couch seats by the console, hesitating a moment before turning back to the controls. "I'm so sorry, Rose." He muttered bitterly, throwing the first few switches with a great deal of reluctance. "You shouldn't have to risk yourself like that. You shouldn't have to risk losing who you are." His breath hitched, and he paused over the button that would take them away from that impossible world. "Well, you won't have to again. I'm taking you where you'll be safe. Where you belong." He took a deep, preparatory breath, about to bring his hand down when there was a sudden gasp behind him.
Rose sputtered and coughed her way to a sitting position, only to be impeded by the Doctor encasing her in a big bear hug. He babbled in a long string of words she barely understood as thankfulness for her being alive. "And don't ever do that again!" He said fervently and much more intelligibly.
"Do what? What happened?" She asked, reluctantly pushing him away a bit so she could look him in the eye.
"You don't remember anything?" He asked carefully, waiting for her answer with bated breath.
"Not really…" She brought a hand to her head and tried to concentrate. "Just this… howling. Sort of like a… Wind?" She frowned and looked up at him expectantly, trusting him to fill in the blanks.
He eyed her intently for a moment, as if he were inspecting her very soul for damage. It made a shiver dance down her spine, and she was glad when his expression shifted to that goofy grin once more. "You did it!"
She blinked a moment, wondering what exactly she did before hazarding a guess. "No more Beast?"
He snapped his fingers in a gesture of finality. "Pit closed. Universe saved." A flicker of the seriousness crossed his face. "All thanks to you."
She blushed a bit, and was about to ask exactly how she'd had anything to do with that when he turned away from her and jammed a button on the TARDIS console.
"You might want to hold on." He said in a tone that was surprisingly cool. "That black hole is going to give us one hell of a fight." And she obeyed instantly, hooking her arms around the seat-backs as she watched him stay miraculously on his feet, the time ship shaking dangerously. He swayed unsteadily on his feet as the room rocked and creaked, operating the controls of his time ship with a single-minded determination.
He threw one last switch, and was in turn thrown forcefully into the wall. Rose's hold on the chairs broke, and she hit the console with a thud before landing slightly less violently on the floor.
Deadly silence reigned then, the TARDIS lights dimmed a bit from usual, and only the very faint thrum of the engines. The quiet was broken by the simultaneous groans of Rose and the Doctor. He struggled to his feet, wincing and rubbing the back of his neck as he moved to check on Rose. "Sorry about that. I think the ol' girl's still a bit sore about falling through a chasm." He offered her his hand, helping the human up as she favored her stomach. "Nothing broken I hope?" He asked with genuine worry.
"Nope, just a bit bruised I think." She said, batting at his hand when he tried to inspect the wound. Straightening and looking about the room she scowled. "Where are we?"
The Doctor's expression froze for a second before becoming determinedly blank. "I'm taking you back." He intoned hollowly, flinching away from her shocked gaze. Immediately her eyes searched his, trying to understand if he was saying what she thought he was.
"Y-You're what?" She exclaimed, voice laced with the first hints of panic.
"I want Rose safe…" He muttered almost as if to himself, eyes unnecessarily checking the console before meeting hers again. "I'm taking you back to where you belong." There was no compromise as he gave her that soul-searing look. Only solid determination in his dark brown orbs.
"But I'm safe here, with you! This is where I belong…" She said brokenly, hysteria coloring her tone. She shook her head in denial of the situation, stepping away from him and slowly backing toward the hallway leading deeper into the TARDIS.
Before she could bolt the Doctor darted forward and caught her arm, dragging her firmly but not too roughly to the time ship's doors. "What you did back there was terribly dangerous. You could have ripped apart your mind. You could have destroyed that planet. You should have, if my gauge on the power back there was right." He pinned her with a piercing stare, and something like suspicion crossed her face before vanishing once more in the pain and rejection.
They were in front of the door, and she gave him a pleading look. "No, please, no… It's not supposed to end like this…"
"It won't." He assured quietly, pulling open one of the doors to show an expansive view of black nothingness with darts of light speeding past the TARDIS before vanishing. "Go home, Bad Wolf. Where you belong."
A/N: A whole chapter! Hoorah! This is the second to last chapter I think, though I may do an epilogue. The ending here may not make much sense, but I'll give you a hint. Rose isn't exactly as fine as she seems… Muahahahaha! I feel evil all of a sudden ending it there, but I hope you guys enjoyed this installment regardless. I'm taking a trip to Chicago for the next couple weeks, so updates will be erratic… Sorry I've never been very stable with them, but my schedule's been all over the place.
Reviews are much-loved! Even if it's just to say you actually read it and thought it wasn't a total and complete waste of time.