Bits in Between

Chapter Fifteen: Worry from White

By Lumendea

AN: Takes place after the Wedding of Rose Tyler. Dedicated to Juvia-Chan, who loves seeing the Guardians.

…..

Rose tried not to pace. She didn't like the nervous energy building through her body. The Doctor was due to pick her up any moment, and she wanted to be able to enjoy whatever he had planned.

"Then again, nervous energy does help me run faster," Rose muttered. She paced across the centre of her Cambridge flat's living room.

"Are you alright, Miss Tyler?" a familiar voice asked behind her.

Rose tried not to groan as she turned around. The White Guardian was sitting on her sofa in his usual white suit though his tie had been switched to one with darker blue stripes. In his hand was a cup of tea, and he was looking at her with concern. Rose wanted to say something about him just showing up, but there wasn't much to be said.

"What are you doing here?"

"Checking on you," the White Guardian replied. "You've been agitated since that ugly event with the Silver Lord." Rose hissed at the mention of the name. "Are you alright?"

"No, I'm not just alright," Rose muttered. "He crawled into my head and put himself there. I know it could have been worse, but he changed my memories of the Doctor and me. He tried to steal that from me. Hell, he tried to steal me from myself!"

"But it is over now." The White Guardian was still just sitting calmly on the sofa.

"Doesn't mean there aren't consequences." Rose licked her dry lips and resumed pacing. "Sometimes, I feel like my memories are still skewed."

"They aren't," White promised. "Blue is very good at what she does."

"Intellectually, I know that," Rose said. "But emotionally, it still gets to me. I remember thinking, honestly believing that I loved him, and he loved me."

"You have your Doctor."

"Yeah, and trust me, that's pretty much the only reason I've made it through this mentally and emotionally intact." Rose shook her head and tried to think of how to explain something like this. "Have you ever been in love, White Guardian?" Rose asked. She turned to look at him. He honestly looked surprised at the question.

"No," he said. The White Guardian smiled gently at her. "Black and I aren't like the Blue or Violet Guardians. They ascend from Ephemerals species: they have histories and, in some cases, families. Just as I have my disciple, whom you know as the Shopkeeper, Blue keeps a spark of her power in her mate."

"But you've never been in love?"

"Not in love, no, I care about all life in the universe and wish the greatest good for it. I have been led to understand that is a form of love."

"Yeah," Rose said. She smiled a little at him. "It is." Sitting down next to him, Rose sighed and pushed her hair out of her face. "It is, but how would you feel if someone took that from you."

"I suppose it must be very distressing," the White Guardian said slowly. "But I assure you, Miss Tyler, that it is over."

A slight chuckle escaped Rose. "Yeah, and in time I'll really believe that." Rose looked over at the White Guardian and smiled. "You know that at this point, you really can just call me Rose."

"Then I assure you, Rose, as a being that has been part of this universe for billions of years that this too shall pass." To her surprise, he reached over with his free hand and patted her own hand gently. It was actually a little comforting. "And I am sorry that you had to suffer through that."

"Yeah, well… uh, thanks for coming in there at the end. I'm grateful that we didn't have to try and deal with the Silver Lord with all of our friends around and at risk," Rose said. She meant it but couldn't help but feel a little nervous. Conversations with the Guardians were normally full of vague hints to the future. "I don't think I could have handled that on top of everything else."

"Understandable," the White Guardian said. He caught Rose glancing towards the clock. "I suspect that you are waiting for the Doctor?"

"Got it in one." Rose chuckled a little. "Just came up to Cambridge to do some cleaning, so it doesn't collect dust all summer, but seemed like a good time to see him."

As if summoned by the words, a familiar groaning sound filled her flat. Rose straightened up, smiling as she looked to the right of the sofa where the TARDIS usually landed. The blue box began to fade into view, and her smile widened even further. Jumping up, Rose shifted impatiently in front of the blue box until the door was flung open.

Her brown-eyed Doctor stepped out, sweeping her up into pinstripe-clad arms. Giggling, Rose hugged him right back and tilted her head. Without a word, the Doctor caught her lips in a chaste kiss that quickly morphed into something more. Her feet touched the ground, and Rose groaned happily, running a hand through the Doctor's wonderful brown hair.

A throat was cleared behind them, and Rose's eyes widened in alarm. She'd forgotten that the White Guardian was there. The Doctor's grip on her waist tightened, but Rose looked over her shoulder at the White Guardian who was standing up.

"White Guardian," the Doctor said. He sounded surprised and a bit annoyed.

"Hello, Doctor," the White Guardian said. He straightened his white coat and gave Rose a small smile. "I was just checking in on Rose." Then he eyed the TARDIS behind them and hummed slightly. "Do be careful, Doctor. I believe Mrs. Tyler is expecting her daughter back in London by tomorrow evening."

"Please tell me you aren't going to make a habit of this," the Doctor muttered.

The look the White Guardian gave them was a mixture of amusement, knowing, and exasperation all at once. Rose was a bit impressed, really. Her mum would love to learn that one. There was a moment of silent communication between the Doctor and the White Guardian. The Doctor's arm tightened around her a little more, but then he nodded a touch.

Then the White Guardian vanished, and Rose looked up at the Doctor. "You going to tell me what that was about?"

"Oh, just telling me to look after you," the Doctor answered. His voice was light and affectionate now. "Have you home by midnight, the usual."

"Funny, I don't think I believe that."

"You are a brilliant woman Rose," the Doctor replied. Leaning down, he kissed her. Then he nodded back towards the TARDIS. "Allons-y."