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Run. Part Two.

Run, Rose.

Run, Doctor.

Don't look back. Forget the past. Ignore everything. The burning will cease with time. Everything dies. Forget these, for now.

Just Run.

oOoOoO

So much pain.

It was consuming her. It was tearing her, ripping through her, destroying her. She was spiralling through an endless night, horrors from her own past swirling past her, sneering at her, tearing into her.

Mickey's face, sorrow and regret for his Rose, jealousy for the Doctor, shame at his own cowardice. She had never noticed that before. She tried to jam her eyes shut, but the incessant flow of images leaked through her eyelids, burning into her. Tearing her.

Jack. Their Jack. Dying alone, brave, strong, changed beyond all recognition from the con-man Jack they had met in 1941. One beam of green, and it was all over. No more Jack Harkness. And still she tried to close herself away, falling faster and faster through a sea of black. Manic laughter rang through her ears, as millions of pairs of eyes watched her descent through nothingness. Was there a bottom? She supposed there was only one way to find out.

Naturally. Nothing was ever simple.

Screams. Shouts. Cries. Pain. Burning.

Rose gasped as flames erupted in front of her face, tendrils of orange and red twisting themselves around her, scarring her, burning her. She screamed, but her scream was drowned by a sudden roaring wind, whirling around her, knocking her, shoving her, killing her.

Everything stopped.

Rose opened her swollen, tear-filled eyes and stared at the planet in front of her. Still falling through blackness, she was suddenly blinded by fire. One beautiful, screaming planet burning before her horrified gaze.

Everywhere, screaming. Everywhere crying and shouting. Everywhere dying.

Running. Burning. Dying.

Why did you not heed him, Rose?

Rose gasped, the strange, poignant voices echoing within her own head. She tried turning to glance behind her, ignoring the pain as best she could. There was nothing there, no-one around. She was as alone now as she had ever been.

So much pain. So much suffering.

Rose could feel nothing, now. Nothing but intense pain could break her. And still she fell. Darkness and burning, bleeding, screaming, death and destruction. Suffering. Dying. Running...

You could have been spared this.

"Who's there?" she almost sobbed. "What's going on?"

He tried to warn you, Rose. Why did you not believe him? Has he not always done what was best for you? Why could you not run from him, just this once?

The voices sounded indisputably sympathetic. Rose couldn't reply. She knew nothing anymore.

Face after face loomed up towards her through the darkness. Wide eyes staring at her, identical looks of wonder on their faces. Males, females, children, creatures, aliens, things…

A simple young woman, a handmaiden, young face, dark hair, staring eyes, her face frozen in a look of sheer determination. She was wearing strange clothes, almost Egyptian in style.

Katarina.

"Who?"

The woman faded, leaving Rose spiralling ever further into an empty void, face after face flying past her, staring, burning, screaming, running.

Rose gasped.

A young boy, with brown hair and bright, staring eyes floated towards her, lingering at eye level. He couldn't have been older than sixteen. A face etched with pain, horror, shock, disappointment, suffering. Endless. She felt for him. He had died to save the world. She could tell. Such a sacrifice.

Adric.

"Please, what's happening?"

You failed to leave the Doctor. Now you will suffer. Katarina and Adric both died for the Doctor. There were many more. Such loss he has had to face. And now you will join them. Join them all, burn with them.

"What?" Rose muttered, tears streaming from her eyes as the pain doubled.

The Doctor has been in danger for weeks. His nights, haunted by horrors from his own past, and everyday growing in strength. They have overpowered him. But they need life. They know they cannot take the Doctor. They need him. Without him, there would be nobody to relive them. The memories need life. They need you. And now they have you.

"Why couldn't he say anything?"

Rose felt herself slow unexpectedly. She stared at the ground beneath her.

Where had the floor come from?

We must hurry. There is little time. The Doctor needs you. He has told us. These memories are destroying him, but not nearly as much as you are. The thought of you here is killing him more than his own tragic past ever could. We must hurry, Rose.

Rose felt her feet slam into solid ground, causing her to lose her balance. Companions were still flying past her, still staring, still silently screaming, as she hit the floor hard. She blinked, rubbing at her burning arms and legs, tears leaking from her eyes despite her efforts to suppress them.

He needs you, Rose Tyler. Run. Run to him. We can contain them for mere seconds. Run.

"But if you're not against him, then who are you?"

There was a silence, almost normal in Rose's eyes. Nothing funny or strange or uncomfortable. Almost companionable. She gasped suddenly, the pieces falling into place.

"You were companions, weren't you? All of you!"

Yes. But there is little time to explain. They already know you are fighting them. Please, Rose. Run. Save him. He tried to save you, but you would not allow it. Please, run, Rose. He cannot last long alone. He has seen too much. Too many horrors, too many deaths, too much destruction and devastation. Run, Rose. Run now. Run fast. Run to him.

The voices faded away, leaving Rose staring into darkness, lost.

"Where am I supposed to go?" she called feebly, knowing there was no-one to reply.

Sighing, she staggered clumsily to her feet, fearing the sudden intense rush of heat that swept across her face. They were coming for her.

Rose gazed blearily around her, the edges of her vision made blurry by the onslaught of tears that she had failed to quell. Blackness, all around. Flames giving way to an endless sea of emptiness. Despair, hopelessness, suffering.

Except it wasn't. A tiny spot, one small, golden orb hanging in mid-air mere inches from her face, was enough to have a smile envelope her briefly. She reached forwards cautiously with one scorched hand, trying to touch it. The orb merely quivered slightly and lurched forwards, away from her. Rose nodded once, settling her resolve, and began to walk towards it, following.

The flames were following Rose, hunting her down, chasing her through sparkling mists of memories and nightmares, through darkness. Nothing to interrupt her painful musings save a tiny golden speck.

Her will was stronger than they had anticipated. And suddenly they knew. They would have to work a lot harder to break Rose now than they had ever worked before.

oOoOoO

She is coming, Doctor.

The gentle voices were almost indistinguishable from the roaring flames that had engulfed him. Indeed, wrapped within his own misery, he missed them. Nothing but his self-induced screams of regret could penetrate him.

Burning. Everything in flames. Nothing left untouched as memory after memory flashed across his mind, chasing him, caging him.

He thrashed violently, pushing at everything, kicking, screaming, ripping, tearing. Nothing could stem the flow. He was left exhausted, no change made to the flash of snapshots rocking him. His efforts were rendered useless, as he drowned within himself, despair eating away at him, bit by bit.

Too many faces. Too many memories. Too much destruction. He was bound to his own memories, legs of intense flame tying him to an empty black background, gagging him. He tried inhaling, but received nothing but burning ash, choking him.

Susan. The Daleks. Gallifrey. Romana. The Cybermen.

Katarina. A gentle sob racked his throat as her death replayed itself before his eyes.

Axos. Jo. Liz. The Brigadier. His home, burning, screaming, dying.

"No!" he moaned. "Stop it!"

He could hear laughter, ringing, scarring, barbaric laughter. His own voice overthrown by the sudden outburst of screaming. Cackles, sneers, cries of mirth.

Tegan. Sarah Jane. Time Lords begging, pleading, fading. Ace. Flames engulfing everyone, eating life, tearing him, burning deep. Peri. Adric…

"Please! Stop it! Go away!"

You know you deserve this, Time Lord.

The Doctor shook his head violently, tearing himself in ways he could never have justified doing in other circumstances.

"Rose doesn't," he pleaded, quietly. They laughed.

You knew the consequences when you failed to send her away. It has been a while since we last talked, Doctor. We've been waiting. That most pleasing feast after the Time War has left us content until now. But you know the score, Doctor. You harm, we store. The memories you do so detest are your own. We simply combine them for you. Easier to relive, that way, aren't they?

His eyes tightly scrunched up against the torturous images and howling voices, he never noticed the tiny, lovingly bright golden light making its way slowly towards him.

Burning. Everything in flames. Scorched, dying, roaring. Blackness, despair, agony, suffering. Death, destruction. The onslaught was never-ending. Down and down he fell, nothing to catch him, no-one to help. He was alone. There was no way Rose could have survived his nightmares. He felt his hearts tear at the thought. He had killed her.

There is nowhere to run now, Doctor. It's over. You will suffer until all else is beyond you. Your Rose will be long gone. And you will run. Never turning back, just as you have done for the last nine hundred years. Destroying and moving on, forgetting and hiding away. Locking horrors into the back of your mind, safe enough for us to reach them, to take them, to guard them.

The Doctor shook his head violently, and blinked. Companions were fading, the burning heat reducing to a more tolerable temperature. He turned and noticed the floating, golden orb.

The one, beautiful memory from so long ago.

His Rose.

He gazed at it, wide-eyed, unable to blink in fear of it vanishing the second they broke eye-contact. It made its way forwards, pushing away the winding wisps of fire that had ensnared him. He felt the connection snap, felt freedom spurt within his soul temptingly, before it was snatched back.

No, Doctor! You have consequences to face! Running will get you nowhere!

Binding, choking, tightened grasps ripped him backwards, drawing him ever deeper into his eternal night. And still the orb lingered. He could feel it, pulling its own path along with him, tied to him.

Burning. Screaming. Dying. Begging.

His planet, his family, his life.

Companions, enemies, allies.

Everything burned.

The orb was fading. It couldn't sustain the strength to fight away his daemons again. There were too many. The Doctor felt his faith ebbing slowly from him, leaving him drained. There was nothing else he could do. He would burn. Relive, burn, and run. Just as they had said. Nothing would ever change.

His nightmares would always win. Running was no good anymore. They would always find him. Forever more, he would sink into depths of deepest despair, wallowing in depression, face rebirth and a few, golden weeks of silence before the charade commenced again. It was the end.

oOoOoO

She could see him. Flames soaking him, covering and torturous. Scarring and scorching every bit of him. His tear-stained face shining, a beacon of light against the darkness. His despair was almost too much for her.

She knew that look. The orb faded away in front of her, and she had a clear view of him. His eyes closed tightly, his head tilted back, silent screams tearing themselves from his burning throat. That was a look of no hope. He could see no way out. Faithless, hopeless, resigned.

Rose would change that.

How she would change it, she had no idea.

There was a familiar pounding in her head. They had found her. She had precious seconds before they claimed her once again. Whispers, laughing, cackling mutterings broke out inside her mind, sneering evilly at her, pointing and laughing. She turned away, trying with everything she possessed to block them out. They slowed, but she could not hold them away for long. This was them. They would find a way in somehow.

You're here, Rose. Do it now, quickly. We can hold them for you. Run to him.

"And do what? How can I help him? I don't know what to do! I don't know how to get out of here!"

Use your instincts, Rose. The Doctor would. Do what you think is best, and you can't be disappointed. Hurry! Run!

Rose ran.

She threw herself at him, tearing at the burning vine-like chords binding him. They snapped clean in half, one by one. As the final thread split, the Doctor slumped forwards onto the ground, unmoving.

Hurry, Rose!

There was a loud, echoing indignant screech. Burning legs of orange fire launched themselves towards her, tugging at her hair, her arms, scorching and marking her. She screamed at the contact, but pulled them away before they could maintain a firm grip.

Vehement squeals of rage beckoned her backwards, but she ignored them. Instead, she threw herself onto the ground beside the Doctor, turning him over onto his back, staring at the look of unimaginable pain upon his youthful-looking features.

How could anyone possibly suffer so much? It was horrific, but she now knew just what her Doctor had been keeping from her. She knew of companions, of his planet. She knew of his past, and his family. She knew of the Time War.

She knew the Doctor.

Now, Rose. Run! Run for him.

Rose could hold off no longer. Forgetting, ignoring everything around her, she leant slowly forwards, and gently pressed her lips against his.

Sparks, crack-like whips, intense beams of golden light, whiteness. Bliss. Rose felt human for the first time in what felt like years. And suddenly, she couldn't think any more. Her world simply tipped itself upside down, leaving her hanging above herself, staring down upon everything, witnessing them through alien eyes, smiling.

Screams, burning, destruction, tearing, ripping, running.

This time, she was causing it.

She watched in wonder as memory after memory launched themselves into the black sea, vanishing into oblivion with little more than a terrified scream. The flames were engulfed, choked, destroyed, chased away by streaks of golden light. Nightmares became little more than nagging doubts at the back of her mind, her own memories fading from thought until she could see nothing. Only the Doctor. Her Doctor.

Change, or no change, he was still her Doctor. And she had risked her life for him. Now she understood. There was no need to run any more. They had been running from each other for too long. And still she kissed him. Everything fading away around them, nothing more than background noise.

Until one tiny voice managed to grab her attention.

Thank you, Rose.

Rose pulled away softly, staring above her at the floating mass of glittering faces hovering in the lilac skies above them. Adric was standing at the front of the group, beaming. Birds were twittering overhead, singing together happily. The soft rustle of enormous leaves from exotic plants wafted enticing scents across the dew-drenched grass towards her, leaving her smiling wider than she could ever remember smiling before.

Companions from years before. Companions from years to come. They smiled warmly upon her, nodding gently. Each turned to the Doctor with an identical gleam within their eyes, that gentle, youthful smirk she could associate with him gracing their faces as they watched him stir.

"Thank you," she called to them.

Running is to be a pointless act, now. You will run only when you have to. And you will run together. Good luck, Rose Tyler. Run with him. Run to him. But do not Run from him. He needs you, a lot more now than he ever has before.

And they faded away, vanishing into the swirling clouds above them, brightly twinkling stars the only evidence of a new addition to the ceiling. Rose paused, watching them, before dropping her gaze to a groggy Doctor, who was watching her with confusion, his eyes still half closed against the glaring turquoise sun.

Silence.

"Do I even want to know what's been going on, or what?" he asked finally, staring at the wide grin on her face and rubbing the back of his head.

"Well that depends," she started, pondering her approach.

"Depends on what?" he asked with suspicion.

"It depends on what you can remember."

"Nothing," he frowned after a moment's pause. "I can't remember anything. What have you done?" he murmured suddenly dangerously. She snorted and made to stand up, her arms protesting from holding her in the same position for what had to have been hours at least. She was quickly halted when he reached forwards and stroked her cheek.

"You've saved me again, haven't you?" he smiled, suddenly. Rose beamed at him.

"Do you want the details? I'm sure I could be persuaded to talk... under the right circumstances."

The Doctor studied her briefly, his gaze lingering for a second upon her parted lips, before he grinned and pushed himself upwards, preparing to clamber to his feet. Rose stood first, offering her hand to pull him up.

"Oh, and one more thing," she called, suddenly dropping his hand and causing him to fall backwards again. He glared at her, before grinning in spite of himself.

"What?"

She remained silent, and pushed herself forwards, kissing him softly. Gentle and encouraging, loving and understanding, forgiving and promising. It was all that and more. Encouraged by millions of smiling faces, watching them from the heavens. She pulled away, smiling at the look of untarnished amazement on his face.

"We're not running, any more," she smiled.

oOoOoO

Run.

Don't look back. You must never look back. Looking back means pain. Looking back means suffering and neglect. The past is to be nothing but a memory, always to linger behind closed doors, but never to intrude upon the here and now.

You know this. You have seen this. You have done this.

And you now understand what it means, what it shows and teaches. You have learnt, and will continue to learn, from your mistakes without looking back.

Run. Don't look back.

Remember fire, death and destruction. Burning. Everything Burns. Remember life. Remember smiles of joy, laughter, and understanding. Remember companions gone and imagine companions still to come.

But still you must run. She has found you. She will stay with you. Forever you will have her protection, as much as you can offer her your own. Horrors will continue, they will always plague you. Memories will build in strength again. They will escape eventually, they will find you. But for now, don't look back.

Run.

Run with her. Run for her.

Don't look back.

Run.

There you go. I think that's it. I hope I didn't disappoint you! And I'd love to hear what you thought! Thanks for reading! xXx MissHaunted MoonLight xXx