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Despairs Darkest Destiny

Chapter Twelve

The Doctor jumped away from the window when he heard the scream – the handprint against the window was now burning into the glass. The Doctor turned around and ran over to Roses' bed, her eyes had flung open and darted wildly around the room, and the Doctor could hear her wheezing for breath as her hands pressed into her stomach

'Rose, what is it? What's happened?' the Doctor frantically asked her. Rose looked up to him – her eyes holding the stark truth, she moved her hands away from her stomach and showed the Doctor the tick red blood that covered her hands

'Oh God, Oh Rose' the Doctor murmured as he saw the mark in her stomach, the dark stain was rapidly spreading over her top. She smiled weakly at the Doctor whose face had fallen into horror; she ran a finger along his cheek

'Smile' she whispered, he watched her then allowed a small smile to pass over his lips

'Rose.. I'

'Shh' she murmured cutting in

'Can I…is there…' he mumbled as he took his jacket off and pressed it to her stomach. She held her hand on top of his – her cold skin sending shivers through the Doctor

'Can you do something for me?' she asked as she tried to take steady breaths

'Anything' he softly told her.

'Take me downstairs – to the bottom of the main staircase' he looked down at her confused

'Why?'

'Just – please?' she asked. The Doctor blinked rapidly

'Of course' he told her. The Doctor gently bundled Rose into his arms and carried her towards the hallway, Rose shivered and closed her eyes as she felt Lewis's lingering presence hanging over her

'Rose I need you to keep your eyes open' the Doctor told her, she could hear the painc on his words. Rose opened her eyes and looked into his losing herself in their swirling brow beauty

'Sorry' she murmured

'Don't be sorry – this isn't your fault, none of it' he told her firmly. Rose smiled

'You're gunna be fine – you know that right?' he asked her. She just smiled and pressed her hands against her wound. The Doctor slowly carried her down the stairs into the large hallway; the dark maple was coated in dust

'Just put me down here' Rose murmured. The Doctor set her down on the step; Rose lent back against the wall and shuddered as she saw the spot where she had died – the spot where she would die. The Doctor saw her shiver

'Are you okay?' he asked. Rose winced and slowly nodded, she squeezed his hand

'Rose, I think we should go' the Doctor told her as he tugged on her hand but Rose wasn't looking at him, she was looking over his shoulder, her mouth apart and her eyes wide.

'Rose?' the Doctor asked. When she didn't reply he turned around to see what she was staring at. Before them stood a girl, she drowned in a white night gown that floated down to her feet, curls settled on her shoulders – so golden it was almost white, a silver locket hung around her neck, her grey eyes staring at Rose from her sunken face. Rose shivered under the intensity of the girls gaze, her face was deathly pale and her rosy lips clashed against her face, Rose realised she couldn't be more than twelve or thirteen years old.

'You saw it all' the girl whispered, her voice was hoarse, like it hadn't spoken in years

'You saw everything'

Rose could barely breathe as she watched this girl before her. The Doctor saw all the blood drain from Roses' face as a look of terror took ever. He turned towards the child

'You're behind all this' he realised; she looked at him, her eyes filled with all the knowledge of the world. When she slowly nodded the Doctor felt a cold unease settle through him.

'Who are you?' he asked watching her carefully.

'I am Madeline. Madeline Cannon' she murmured. Rose gasped and clutched her head; the Doctor stared at her in disbelief as he remembered the name on the gravestone

'But you're dead' the Doctor reasoned

'I do know that'

'You're Maddy?' Rose asked quietly. The girl watched her react as she nodded

'You were in all of my nightmares' Rose whispered in disbelief.

'Are you her? Are you that same girl? Rose asked. Madeline nodded again, her grey eyes were empty.

'So you know about Roses nightmares?' the Doctor asked trying to make sense of it all.

'I know her nightmares – because they are my memories' Madeline slowly explained. Rose gasped and the Doctor frowned as they waited for her to explain

'Everything you saw – that's my life, you saw how I lived and why I died'. Cold tears streamed down Roses' face as she realised every nightmare had actually existed – only it was Madeline in her place, everything that happened to Rose had happened to Madeline

'But you died' Rose finally spoke, her soft voice cutting through the air. Madeline nodded and smiled sadly

'Just as you will soon – but I needed them to know – I needed the world to know what happened to me' Madeline explained willing them to understand.

'Don't worry' Madeline told Rose sympathetically 'It will all be over soon'. The Doctor moved to Roses' side as he saw her gulp

'And I'm sorry – I'm so sorry it had to be like this, but it was the only way'. The Doctor glared at Madeline, he couldn't understand how she could make it sound so simple – make Roses' death a matter of fact.

'What do you want?' the Doctor demanded, his voice cracking. Madeline looked at him as though it was the simplest thing in the worlds, her eyes boar into him

'I want the world to know…and…and I want peace' she whispered as a single cold tear fell down her cheek.

'I can help you do that' the Doctor told her. Rose was panting for breath now as her stomach throbbed, she pushed the jacket closer to her stomach but she knew it was no use

'Why?' Rose asked harshly, Madeline turned to looked at her, her brow furrowing.

'Why me?' Rose asked weakly as a tear fell down her face. Madeline smiled at her

'Because I can feel it. You are as lost as I am, you are alone like me. I could feel the pain that follows you around as easily as you feel the sunlight on your face. I know the life you lead Rose, and I know the peace you need to find – and you can find it through helping me'

The Doctors face fell in disbelief and Rose just stared at him in shock

'What?' she exclaimed

'I can feel the death and the pain and the loss, I can feel the shadow that hangs over you I can see the fears you long to hide. You and I Rose, we are so similar – don't you see that?' Madeline asked. Rose shook her head

'No – I really don't'. Rose shivered as Madeline's big grey eyes searched her

'It's true, don't deny it' Madeline told her watching her react. Rose struggled for breath; she could feel the Doctors' eyes on her

'Stop it' she whispered.

'Why are you trying to hide it?' Madeline asked. Rose dug her fingers into her wound as she tried to breath

'Stop it!' she shouted. The house fell silent and only the sound of Roses' short breaths filled the house, the Doctor was kneeling before her, his palms framing her face

'Rose – I need you to look at me'. Rose slowly opened her eyes; she could see the concern that filled his gaze

'This is all gunna be over soon'

'I know' Rose whispered – her words having a different meaning to the Doctors.

'Rose' he chided. She smiled weakly

'We're running out of time' she murmured. The Doctor ran his thumb down her cheek never breaking eye contact with her. He nodded slowly before turning round to face Maddy, she opened her mouth

'Don't' the Doctor cut her off as he shook his head 'just don't'. Madeline fell silent as she just watched him

'What do you want?' he eventually asked sounding world weary. She blinked looking like the frightened girl she really was

'I just want to go home' she whispered honestly. The Doctor nodded

'I can help you with that' he told her

'Please, will you take me to heaven to be with my mama? My mama and my brother?' she asked as her voice cracked. Her eyes were now watering. Rose bit her lip and forgot all the pain she had been suffering; she knew that it must have been much worse for Madeline

'I need you to close your eyes' the Doctor softly asked her. Madeline took one last look around the room, her grey eyes locking with Roses for a moment. Rose looked away unable to handle the little girls' pain. Madeline closed her pale fingers around her locket as she closed her eyes. The Doctor gently pressed his fingertips to her temples

'It won't hurt a bit, I promise'

'What's a little more pain to me?' she asked. The Doctor smiled sadly as he focused on her mind. The Doctor winced as he saw every memory that filled Madeline's mind; he felt every pain that had happened to her and his heart ached for her. As his mind began to fill with every story Madeline needed to tell he could feel her slowly relax, he could feel her tension slowly draining from her. The Doctor fought the urge to pull away from her, the urge to break the connection and relieve his soul from all the pain – but he knew he couldn't leave it all with her, so he held on. As he felt the vividness of the memories drain away from Madeline the Doctor knew it was working

'Madeline' the Doctor murmured

'I need you to let go – to let go of everything you're holding onto' Rose watched as Madeline slowly paled, she could see the girl shaking

'How? I've been holding on for so long – how do I let go?'. The Doctor ran his thumb along her cheek

'If you let go you can move on – you can be with them forever. It's your determination that's stopping you' he murmured

'But it's all I've know for so long' she whimpered.

'Go to a place deep within your mind, go to a place you feel safe' he began slowly 'now picture you're mother, and your brother. Imagine you're lying in the grass, its tickling your skin, above you is only sky – a thousand stars looking down. Can you see them?'

'I see them' Madeline whispered

'Good, now feel your mothers hand in yours, feel her love taking hold of you again, feel the freedom that comes with the stars, the endless beauty – it's yours. I need you to believe'

Madeline's breathing became scarce and the Doctor felt her go cold under his hands

'I see them' she whispered in disbelief 'they're waiting for me'

'Go to them' the Doctor gently urged her.

'Mama' Madeline called out as the Doctor felt her fade beneath her hands

'Mama, I'm coming home' she whispered. As she slowly faded away her eyes met the Doctors

'Thank you' she whispered before breaking into a grin as she could finally reach her peace in heaven – as she found her family. The Doctor smiled to the place where she had stood only moments before, where the house had been so cold a new warmness filled it. The Doctor turned to see Rose, to celebrate the end of their nightmare when he saw her sprawled out over the stairs. Her hands had fallen from her wound and blood was everywhere

'Rose!' he frantically called as he ran to her

'I did as you said' she weakly murmured

'What?' he desperately asked as his eyes searched her face.

'I believe' she whispered

'Oh Rose'

'I'm with you, in that field under those stars, your hand is in mine – I can feel it'. The Doctor felt his hearts slowly break as he slipped his hand into Roses' trembling one

'We'll lie there forever, just you, me and the stars, I can hear your laughter and feel your hearts. You're so warm' she mumbled as her eyes flickered.

'We'll stay there forever won't we Doctor? Promise me we will'. The Doctor fought back tears as he traced her smile with his finger

'I promise' he whispered, his voice cracking. Rose almost smiled as she locked his fingers with hers

'Don't look so frightened. It's a happy place – it's the best place in the universe and we'll stay there forever my Doctor. Through the end of the world, after the sun goes out – we'll stay there until there's no more stars to shine on us, only then we'll go to sleep' Rose whispered as she closed her eyes.

'Isn't that so?' she weakly breathed before her fingers went limp in his hand.

'No' he murmured 'not yet, I'm not giving up on you yet Rose' he promised as he lifted her lifeless body off the stairs

'I'm not ready to let go' he whispered as he walked away from the house, no one else was going to die in that house and the Doctor was sure of it.