Pandora's Box

Rose watched as the doctor slept soundly on her bed. She had immediately checked him and found that the blood wasn't his; he had a few gashes here and there but nothing to serious. Fortunately for her, he hadn't completely lost consciousness which had allowed her to slowly drag him back to her flat.

Sitting next to him she began to slowly wash the blood of his chest, arms and face. The jumper and leather jacket were completely ruined and she had to do away with them as fast as she could – blood soaked clothes were something no one should leave carelessly around.

Putting the covers over his naked torso she began to pace her small flat, feeling as if she would explode if he didn't wake up fully and giver her a damn good explanation. What had happened? It was the only question that ran through her head. From what she could make out there had been some sort of struggle and from the look of the blood the Doctor had come out wining but not by much.

Stepping out into her balcony she needed to get some fresh air, for some reason, being out there made her feel closer to the sky, to the stars and ultimately to him. But tonight things were different, the object of her affection now lay on her bed and being out here just left her feeling so helpless. Things were quickly beginning to fall apart before her very eyes all over again. As much as she loved him she couldn't help but reflect upon how complicated things were always when it came to him and her.

The Doctor's eyes began to slowly flutter open. Gaining consciousness he looked around his surroundings. Where was he?

He seemed to be in a bedroom a very comfortable bed that smelled of her, his Rose. He could never forget that scent that was uniquely hers – a splendid mix between the first snow fall of winter and the last day of summer. Perhaps that was an odd way of putting it, but that's how he remembered her.

Slowly getting up he began to move towards the door, taking his blanket along he wrapped it around his shoulders, his body slightly shaking from the lost of energy. Reaching the living room he could make out a form out on the balcony and his heart began to swell up with hope. Could it be Rose? He had originally intended to land in her courtyard but due to his wounds he wasn't sure what he had marked exactly all he knew that it was London.

As if reading his mind, the figure turned around and brown met blue. He felt as if he had seen the most beautiful star in the universe. It was her! His lovely Rose was looking straight at him, her own face reflecting the joy, surprise and the tiniest trace of sorrow that he too felt within him. They both stood still until Rose snapped out of it and made her way to him, wrapping her arms around his naked top half.

The sheets dropped to the floor and all that could be heard in the early hours of the morning was her soft crying and his comforting words, softly being murmured into her golden hair.

"Oh God I thought I never see you again and when you arrived like that, with all that blood I was so afraid" she rattled on as if finally unloading all the grief that had been held at bay during the last ten years.

"Rose, Rose, Rose" he repeated over and over again, as if some sort of mantra. "My darling Rose I'm here, I'm alive, please don't cry".

Slowly her tears began to subside and after that had passed another emotion began to set in. Pulling away from him softly she looked straight into his steely eyes.

"When you left you broke my heart" she admitted honestly, she just couldn't keep that inside anymore.

Giving her a soft sad smile and placed her hands on his chest, one over each of his hearts. "I haven't been able to feel mine since I left you behind, but now I'm here Rose and for good. It was so lonely up there without you, I felt as if I had left my other half on this planet."

For the first time Rose noticed that he was naked from the waist up and that she was holding her palms flat to his chest. Beginning to pull away she didn't completely withdraw from him but she did put some distance between them, she couldn't think straight with him so close.

Although she was happy to see him recuperating she couldn't deny that the anger that had been there all along hadn't disappeared.

"You have to believe me Rose, I wouldn't lie about this. Every day that went by was pure hell for me".

"I don't doubt you Doctor, I felt the same way, as if you had taken a vital part of me with you when you left", she could see that he comprehended her and it just began to make thing the tiniest bit better. He didn't deny what he had done, he wasn't like that, he never dished out excuses – if it was his fault he always admitted it.

"Do you hate me Rose?" his voice became very small again and he could feel a cold chill working its way up his spine. He had to know if there was still a chance for him, if he would be allowed to correct the grave selfish error he had made ten years ago.

At first he had been convinced that what he had done had been for the best, but as time went on and the pain and loneliness of having his other half far away from him began to sink in. That moment he had realized what a fool he had been. By keeping her away he had done them both harm. He had shutter to think of how much Rose hated him for leaving her behind.

That fear alone kept him away all these years; he didn't want to hurt her anymore even if meant him hurting for the rest of his very long life. He tried to make peace with it all, the fact that she could of have moved on – marry Ricky the idiot or perhaps some other bloke. It killed him but he wouldn't interfere, wouldn't make a mess of her life once more, he loved her far too much to do that to her again.

But when he had been hurt and all he could do was function on instinct, his defenses had been thrown to the wind and he had dial back home, back to his Rose.

"I don't hate you, I still love you but I can't deny that I hurt, very much. It was as if you betrayed me, it had always been us against them and that night you had left me out – shut me out for good and left me here. That's how I felt, perhaps it's a bit mellow-dramatic for your taste, but that's how it felt to me."

They both looked at each other and once more the same question ran through Rose's mind, although this time a bit different…what was to become of them now?

To Be Continued

More to come...I'm working hard on getting this done this week. It's Holy Week here in Puerto Rico and no classes, after this week who knows when I can take some time off to write.