Rose
He was about to avoid the topic again, I know he is. There's the tell tale sign of him about to talk about something other than what I asked.
"You can hear the TARDIS?" he asked, yep just as predicted.
"Stop it ok, you're not getting out of this, now tell me, why her?"
"Do we really have to do this now? Mickey is asleep a few doors away and I don't want you yelling and waking him up! It's hard enough to find excuses to get him to leave us alone…oh crap I wasn't going to say that" I couldn't help but laugh at him, "What?"
"You're finding reasons to get rid of Mickey and he's only been with us what…three days?" I kept laughing until I realised what he'd done. "Oh no you don't, I'm on to you Doctor, stop changing the subject"
"See, that just annoys me. Can't even do a simple subject change without you picking up on it anymore, I remember a time when I could talk my way out of any situation, and believe me I have! I remember this one time…"
"I remember it too, very clearly, like it was moments ago" I grinned at him, "Why can't you just tell me?"
"Because you'll leave Rose, they all do. They don't want to spend the rest of their lives couped up in a police box travelling thousands of years away from everything they know and love" the Doctor burst.
"What makes you think I'm going to do what they do?" I ask, finally he's talking to me.
"Because Rose, you're just like them, you love the travelling and the action and then you'll get tired and bored. You'll long for the luxuries of being in one place, for having something stable with someone who will grow old with you and who will die in your life time" he looks so sad and lonely. "I don't want to have to think of you leaving Rose, but I'm not stupid, I know you will leave eventually, maybe when Mickey leaves or maybe after, but you will leave and I will be alone again"
"I can't promise I'll stay" I began, knowing those five words will break his heart, "but I will promise that I'll stay until you make me leave. Whether I get too slow for you, or I get sick, even if I die" I smile at him, hoping he understands.
Doctor
She just doesn't understand, I don't want to make her leave, I don't want to tell her why Reinette and not her. I know I will though, I know to keep her I will have to tell her, and maybe forcing her to leave wouldn't be such a bad option. I've done it before.
"Then maybe I should make you leave now, before you end up hurt, damaged, sick or dead" I reply flatly, I can't show emotion, not now.
"So this is what it comes down to? I give you and out and you take it?" she laughs at me, but I can see the pain and tears swelling. "Well alright, set course for Powell Estate then Doctor, I'm going home" she turns from me, I know why; it's her ending the conversation.
"What do you want me to do Rose?"
"Tell me the truth maybe? Tell me why you're sending me home, why Reinette, why you let Mickey onboard when you obviously don't like him…take your pick Doctor time is ticking away" she's spiteful now, next will come anger.
"I'm sending you home because it'll hurt too much to see you die!" I'm letting this loose before she gets her anger in, at which point I know nothing I say will reach beyond the out layer of her ears. "I let Reinette kiss me and dance with me because it was a breath of fresh air Rose! I let Mickey onboard because I knew he would do a great job of distracting you, because then if you were distracted I might actually be able to breath!" I should stop, but I can't. "I can't breathe when you're around Rose, you fog everything up, and you make everything so bloody complicated!"
"Hey! She doesn't deserve to be spoken to like that!" Mickey broke through my words.
I spun on him faster than a speeding bullet, "And you Mickey Smith, I don't need another Smith onboard! I thought having you around would help me but you don't, you only make everything worse, because now instead of distracting Rose, you're distracting me! All I can think about it you holding her and kissing her do you realise how much I despise the fact that you can do that?"
Mickey just started at me, but then again so would I…what am I saying. No, no, no! This is not supposed to be spilling out; I'm supposed to be making her leave!
"Doctor?"
"Yes Rose" I sigh looking at her.
"Are you alright?"
"No, no I'm not" I slump against her bed, I can almost hear the objection coming from Mickey, "Go away Mickey, this doesn't involve you"
"When it involves…"
"My TARDIS now get out!" I snap, and he closes the door. Rose looks across at me; I know I've said too much. "Look I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap like that, it's just he is so stupid"
"Am I really that much of an annoyance?" her words are so hesitant.
"In some ways yes, you know what I mean all the time, you can judge my every move, and I heard you talking to the TARDIS earlier. Sorry didn't mean to. I feel restricted and I know that sounds like a bad thing but it's not. I don't want you to leave Rose, honestly, I just thought that if you left I could go back to the way I was, but then I began thinking…which was right about the time I started blurting out everything…that if I forced you to leave me I'd regret it every day until my regenerations run out. I didn't do Reinette out of spite or to be hurtful Rose, I meant what I said, she was fresh air" I tried explaining myself but I don't think I did it well enough, the pain and tears returned to her eyes.
"So what you're saying is I'm not fresh air?"
"Yes, but I never said fresh air was a good thing" I tried justifying myself, which I knew would get me in even more trouble.
"Fresh air can only mean good Doctor" there goes the first tear.
"No it can't, everything has more than one meaning! Like rose now has two meanings for me" Easy just get it over and done with…
"Yea? What are they?" she whispers
"Well of course there is the flower meaning, where the rose is delicate and beautiful. Then there is the other meaning, where the rose is still delicate and beautiful but the rose is also strong, unwavering and powerful. This rose has a pull on everything surrounding it; everything is drawn towards it as it moves across time and space"
"The second rose doesn't pull everything to it" Rose replied flatly.
"Oh yes it does, with a force so strong nothing can withstand it. Even the strongest must bow and accept defeat" I look up at her; she must know what I'm saying. This is the closest I can get without actually saying it.
"Even the oldest?" Ah she's got it!
"Even the oldest" I submit. She knows now, I can go, let her get some sleep.
Rising I feel a hand grip my arm, "No don't go, please" she pleads, "Stay, stay with me"
"How could I refuse?" I smirk climbing in beside her, "Just so you know, you can deal with Mickey tomorrow, I'm not dealing with domestics"
"So what do you call this?" she grins at me.
"This" I gesture between us, "is the only bit of domestics I will allow on my TARDIS, do you understand…the ONLY bit!" she laughs before climbing up the bed to rest on my chest.
Something feels so familiar about having Rose lying next to me, having my arms holding her, protecting her…loving her. But what?
Face of Boe
"Things are working out perfectly" a hooded man grinned.
"I would say they are developing, but are you sure she's the right one?" the Face of Boe asks.
"There's no denying it" he replies, "You could see all the signs with his ninth regeneration. She is Bad Wolf"
I hope you liked it…I honestly forgot I was going to continue this fiction, thinking it was only a one shot I left it alone. I remembered though…sorry for those expecting a new chapter faster.
Fyre-Anjel