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A Recognised Gain

Part 11

The Doctor fell down onto his knees in the sand – he felt like he had been walking for hours and hours. He'd been following the tracks of displaced sand and blood droplets – every now and then he would stumble upon a body. So far he had found two – Sinred and Snadria, both bodies had been callously abandoned in the sand – left to rot for all eternity. On finding these bodies the doctor became more fuelled and more determined to save Venetia…if only he knew how.

He lay face down in the sand gasping for breath – he couldn't breath – he was panicking, the last body had tipped him over the edge – they were killing off the women. There was nothing he could do but fear for Venetias' safety and curse himself as the silence in his mind drove him to madness. He grabbed fistfuls of the sand that burned at his skin – he relished in the pain before he closed his eyes to the fear that was threatening to overwhelm him.

'Doctor' a serenely soft voice called out to him, the Doctors eyelids fluttered as he recognised the voice. He shook his head to himself before mumbling

'Stop it – you know she's not real – just stop hurting yourself like this' he warned himself as his already broken heart shattered further.

'Doctor' the voice called out again – this time joined by a hand that gently brushed the hair of his forehead. Just the feeling of her hand sent goosebumps down his body and a chill began to hug his spine. He was afraid to open his eyes – afraid that it would be her and he would have to see her face then remember the pain of losing her again and afraid that if he opened his eyes he would find that she wasn't really there and he had just been hallucinating her again. Which ever happened they would both tear at the Doctors' soul searing his depression further along – the Doctor squeezed his eyes shut and tried to block the feelings that were soaring through him.

Rose gently wiped the Doctors brow – cold tears staining her face as she watched the love of her life break down in front of her – she longed to hold him in her arms once again. Rose watched as the Doctors' hand fumbled forwards awkwardly reaching for hers – she gently grasped his hand

'Rose!' he exclaimed in disbelief truly expecting to find nothing but sand on the other side of the darkness.

'Hey' she whispered as he slowly opened his eyes – everything was cloaked in darkness, the blackness threatened to over take him then he saw the single light shinning. He saw his Rose crouched in front of him smiling her smile as she watched him – her eyes worried.

'You're…it's…Rose!' he finally managed to exclaim before attempting to sit up – the movement caused him to fall back down so he was lying on his back. Rose slowly walked up beside him, she sat so his head rested in her lap as she looked down at him – her soft tears gently cascading down her face and mixing with his. She softly wiped away his tears that had began to fall the moment he realised it was her

'I've been so worried about you' she whispered as she watched his haunted brown eyes study her – they were world weary. He tried to smile but his face didn't have the energy – so instead he just gazed up at her. She gently stroked his jaw line with one of her fingers savouring the texture and roughness of the stubble that was beginning to grow. The Doctor let out a soft groan at the feeling of Roses' fingers on his faces – fingers that felt so foreign and lost to him. He grabbed her hand remembering the softness of her skin, how perfectly her fingers fitted with his, savouring the warmth that radiated out of her warming his chilled soul. Rose smiled at him before pulling away, she moved so that her face was inches above his and her blonde curls caressed his face and rested on his shoulders, she framed his face with her hands

'Get her back' she quietly pleaded. The Doctors' eyes turned hard as images of Venetia flashed through his mind

'What if I can't?' he asked – his voice cracking 'What if it's too late? What if I've failed her again?' he asked silently begging her

She stroked his cheeks with her thumbs

'You doing great' she reassured him 'Brilliantly in fact. I'm so proud of the both of you' she told him smiling – he looked up at her unbelieving

'I've been a terrible father' he admitted – she shook her head adamant that he wasn't

'Just remember to believe in yourself' she whispered as her light began to fade. The Doctor grasped at Roses' hand

'Rose, don't leave me' he begged – she smiled sadly at him before gently pressing a kiss to his lips

'I love you' she whispered 'forever and always' and with that she was gone.

The Doctor opened his eyes and found he was still in the golden sand that was stained with blood – he could feel his heart cracking and the softness of Roses' lips on his own

'Just remember to believe'

Roses' words hung in the Doctors mind as he jumped up more determined and ready to save his daughter than ever before.

The Doctor didn't know if it had taken him minutes or hours to reach the caverns – all he knew was that the pools of blood that acted as a welcome mat to the cavern was a definite sign that he was in the right place. He slowly and cautiously entered one of the darkened hallways, hugging the wall trying not to attract attention to himself. He manoeuvred his way through various corridors and doorways – ducking to ensure he didn't hit his head through the cloak of the darkness. So far he hadn't seen any Deckrax, but he wasn't going to take his chances. The first door he saw reminded him immediately of a jail cell – the thick cast iron door stood out from the darkness of the rocks and walls that surrounded it – dark crimson stains marked the door and the floor around it. The Doctor swallowed heavily as he pulled out the Sonic Screwdriver.

Venetia lent her head back against the rocky wall of her prison – she gently rocked backwards and forwards singing to herself as she tried to block out the darkness and the stench of death.

'Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you, Sweet dreams that leave all worries far behind you' she sang out – her hollow frightened voice sinking into the walls. The darkness was threatening to overcome her so she sang louder hoping for the words of the song to become a reality

'But in your dreams, whatever they be, Dream a little dream of me' she longed to sleep and find her mother again – whether it was really her or whether it was just a dream, she didn't care. She would give anything to snuggle up to her mother and lie in her arms, just the feeling of Rose at her side would calm her – her voice would send all her fears away. Venetia began to shake as tears rolled down her face as she knew she could never see Rose again – that she could never find these comforts that she needed so badly.

Venetia almost didn't hear the door open as her choked sobs filled the room, she managed to glance upwards and through the blurs of her tears she could see her father standing in the doorway. He wore a look of total despair on his face – his eyes were haunted and lost but his face still lit up when he saw her

'Daddy!' she cried as she threw herself into his arms, he caught her and held her close both of them burying their heads in the others' shoulders. The Doctor held Venetias' trembling body to his and tried not to cry into her shoulder – he knew he had to be strong for her

'Are you okay? Sweet heart did they hurt you?' he asked frantically as he felt her blood drying into his clothes, she nodded against his chest

'I'm fine Daddy I'm fine' she whispered weakly 'It's the others…they…Sinred…' she began but trailed off as her sobs over took her again

'I know Vennie – I know – I found her' he told her softly

Venetia looked up at him – her brown eyes wide and hopeful

'I'm sorry Ven – she was dead' he told the heartbroken girl quietly. Venetia bit her lips trying to stop herself from crying again.

The Doctor picked up Venetia and began to slowly walk out of the door and down the corridor – he put Venetia down behind him and held her hand as he began to slowly unlock the next door. The stench of death blasted out of the room and the blood that pooled out of the door began to flow towards them – the Doctor looked up and saw three bodies hanging from the wall. Each had been maimed and tortured before welcomingly accepting death. Venetia saw the scene in front of her and her hearts stopped – her mouth faltered not knowing what to say. The Doctor picked her up and held her to his chest protecting her gaze from the bodies

'I'm sorry' he whispered to the Herbad family – every single member was now reunited in death 'I'm so sorry' was his haunted whisper.

Clutching Venetia the Doctor began to run – quietly yet quickly to the doors which would lead him out of this hell and away from the bodies that rotted within it... those of the Herbad family and those of the Deckrax.

Once he had run out into the fresh air Venetia looked up at him – her eyes wide and accusing

'Aren't you going to do anything?' she asked shocked, the Doctors' eyes were grim as he shook his head

'There's nothing I can do' he told her gravely 'All is done - they are gone. There's none left...I can't bring them back Vennie

'But…!' Venetia began – the Doctor shook his head cutting her off. His heart ached from his decision and her arguing the matter would surly kill him.

'Let's go back to the Tardis' he told her. She watched him and walked silently along beside him as the blood slowly yet delicately dripped from her wrist leaving a path – her own journey from hell. Only she didn't know of the vengence the Doctor had acted out upon the Deckrax - she didn't know why they were all dead... nor did she know why blood stained her fathers shirt as a look of grim despair settled in his eyes.

Back inside the Tardis the Doctor and Venetia had changed and Venetia was now bandaged up. The Tardis wasn't in flight yet and Venetia just stood watching him

'Do you know what day it is?' she asked quietly – her voice hoarse from all the crying and screaming she had participated in earlier. The Doctor studied her carefully before thinking long and hard

'Can't say that I do' he told her – her lip trembled as she turned to look at the photos on the wall.

'It's my birthday' she finally whispered. The Doctors' heart sunk and his face fell as he realised he'd forgotten it.

'Oh Venetia' he said softly – silently heartbroken

She shook her head sadly

'It doesn't matter' she told him softly was she looked at the wall – her eyes overflowing with unshed tears.

'It does' the Doctor told her determinedly

'You can have anything – anything in the world!' he told her. She paused for thought, her hand resting on a photograph of Rose

'Anything?' she asked

'Of course' he told her smiling

Venetia looked at the photo again

'Take me to mummy' she pleaded.