Rose wiped her tears away. Now was not the time to panic, the Doctor and Jack would save her as they always did. She pulled the hood of her blue waterproof up and listened to the patter of raindrops. It was raining hard and she was stuck in a cage in an arena. Apparently the aliens that inhabited this planet were going to let her out to face a large dog like creature that was likely to tear her apart.
Her breath came in short, ragged sobs. The aliens sat in the stands were chanting something that she couldn't quite make out above the sound of the rain. They stood, tall and looked like birds, they even made squawking noises. Occasionally a fight would break out in the crowd and two of the aliens would spread their wings and peck at each other.
Just then, through the rain a horn blew and three of the bird like aliens walked into the stadium, clutching rope in their beaks which was attached to the large dog like creature they were going to set loose on her.
Rose cowered back in the cage, sobbing more and more hysterically. The Doctor was making her suffer for what she'd done to him, she knew it.
"Doctor!" She screamed, though she was sure the crowd chanting and the rain must have drowned out her cries. "Jack!"
The birds opened her cage and pulled her roughly out. They had to drag her kicking and screaming into the centre of the arena where they threw her to the floor. She had scratches across her cheek where the birds had tried to restrain her.
She stood up and looked over at the aliens holding onto the dog with all their strength as it tried to charge at her. The rain fell down her face, mingled with tears and blood and Rose knew this was the end. The Doctor wasn't coming for her and neither was Jack. They'd abandoned her. They'd done the one thing they'd promised never to do.
One of the bird aliens stood in the middle of the stadium and started to speak to the crowd.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" He squawked. The crowd fell silent. A rumble of thunder from some way off sounded and the rain grew heavier. "It is time for the main event! This human girl who we found trespassing is now to go head to head in combat with the Polastic beast of Lend!"
The crowd cheered and Rose looked around desperately for somewhere to run, somewhere to hide. Then she saw him. Through the rain, the Doctor in his leather jacket and Jack in his tight white t-shirt, were walking across the arena towards the bird that had just spoken.
The Doctor stood in front of the alien, while Rose ran and hugged Jack tightly.
"Hi," the Doctor smiled manically, despite the rain. "Sorry, but it's my fault Rose was trespassing. We'll just be going now, no need to punish her, I'll have a word when we get home."
"You will not be going anywhere!" The bird said indignantly. Rose let go of Jack and stood by his side, still sobbing and covered in blood. "You are all prisoners now and therefore you shall all face the Polastic beast."
The Doctor's smiled slipped away.
"I hope you don't treat all your guests like this." He said darkly, his intense blue eyes burning. "We are leaving and if you try to stop us, I'll do this."
The Doctor pointed the sonic screwdriver at the ground and a small crater appeared. The birds stood back and let his pass. He took Rose's hand and began to lead her away from them, Jack following.
"We'll let you go this time, but if you ever return we will kill you." The birds hissed in a most un-bird like.
"Don't worry," the Doctor said without looking back. "We won't be coming back."
Twenty minutes later when they were sat in the TARDIS in dry clothes and Jack was cleaning Rose's cuts, they finally spoke.
"One day, just one day, maybe I'll finally pick a companion who gets the whole, 'don't wander off' thing." The Doctor muttered.
"Sorry, but you'd been gone so long, I was worried." Rose replied, hissing with pain as Jack applied some butterfly stitches to her cheek.
"Rose, do you not get it? Do you realise how dangerous it was to end up in that situation?" The Doctor asked huffily flicking switches on the console and setting the TARDIS into flight. "If me and Jack hadn't been walking past…"
"Fine, I'll just stay in the TARDIS and cook and clean and do everything a good house wife is supposed to do shall I?" Rose spat as Jack finished stitching her up.
"What-?"
"That's what you want isn't it?" Rose stood up and started towards the Doctor. "You want me to stay here and never have any adventures. You only want me on the TARDIS to keep you company."
"Rose, that's not fair-" The Doctor began.
"It never is!" Rose shouted cutting him off. "You treat me like a naughty kid Doctor. For gods sake it was your idea for me to come with you in the first place!"
"I know, I-"
"You treat me like I'm stupid and you never talk to me anymore. Not since the day I told you. I just want things to go back to normal!" Rose said desperately tears falling down her face again.
Jack bit his lip, deciding not to say anything.
"Look, Rose. I told you before-"
"Oh just shut up." Rose spat, sitting back down on the chair in the console room. "Forget it, you're the master, I won't wander off again, I'll live my life in your shadow, never having fun."
"Rose. Stop it." The Doctor said firmly. "I do not think you're stupid and you can always come on adventures, I'm not stopping you. This is all in your head."
"All in my head?" Rose stared unable to believe what the Doctor had just said. "I'm not crazy; I'm not making this up. I'm telling you what you're doing to me."
"Rose. I'm not doing anything." The Doctor replied not meeting her gaze.
Rose stared for several seconds. That was it. She could take abuse from the Doctor, she could deal with him calling her stupid and insulting the human race in the heat of the moment, but lying to her? That was the one thing she couldn't stand.
"I hate you." Rose whispered.
Jack looked up sharply from the console at the fighting pair. The Doctor glanced at Rose as well.
"What?" He asked, sure he hadn't heard her properly.
"I hate you!" She shouted. "What the hell is wrong with you, you stupid, bloody… arrggghhh."
Rose stormed off into the depths of the TARDIS.
The Doctor glanced at Jack.
"Hormones?" Jack suggested.
"No. She doesn't hate me and it's not hormones." The Doctor replied matter-of-factly.
"Well, hadn't you better go and make it up?" Jack frowned slightly as he connected another spare part to the TARDIS.
"I'll give it a minute." The Doctor said pacing round the console.
"You know if you just told her the truth you could go back to normal." Jack said not looking up from what he was doing.
"Truth?" The Doctor stopped pacing and stood next to Jack.
"It's obvious you feel the same way about her as she does about you." Jack flicked a few switches, checking they worked.
"Yeah, well, the last person I got close to died horribly. I'm not going to go through that again. Telling her the truth would put Rose in danger." The Doctor replied darkly.
Jack watched the Doctor carefully now.
"What did you do?" He asked his frown deepening.
"I went back in time and tried to stop the Dalek's from being created. That's what started the Time-War. It's all my fault. I murdered my family, my friends, Time-Lords I didn't even know!" The Doctor said quietly.
Jack stared. He understood now why the Doctor never opened up. Why he was reluctant to get close to anyone.
"What if you were putting Rose in more danger by not admitting your feelings?" Jack asked quietly.
"I'm not, trust me." The Doctor sighed. "I'm going to go find her. Back in a bit. Don't touch anything."
Jack rolled his eyes.
"Ok, sir."
The Doctor wandered through the depths of the TARDIS looking for Rose. He found her sat on the bed in what was now her bedroom. She was staring into space and even when he sat next to her she refused to look at him.
"Rose, I'm sorry, but it's hard to adjust to, you know…" the Doctor trailed off, not knowing what to say.
"Just forget it." Rose said bitterly. "It doesn't matter. I know you don't think I'm stupid, I know I was spouting rubbish. It's just taking me a while to get over… get over stuff."
The Doctor nodded. He knew deep down that she was suffering immense pain, but he didn't know what to do. It was too domestic, too human. He reached out and took her hand in his own, giving it a fleeting squeeze. She didn't respond. Her hand felt lifeless in his own and it broke his two hearts. Tears rolled slowly down Rose's face.