Time Can Be Rewritten
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
OoOoOoOo
Dalek
Rose smiled happily as she lay next to her Doctor on the couch in the library. Her eyes were closed as she listened to him read to her, she wasn't entirely sure what it was, she just enjoyed listening to his voice more than anything else.
Ever since they had kissed at Downing Street, they had gotten closer, casual touches here and there, the Doctor had taken to pressing a kiss to her head when she hugged him, not to mention the actual kisses. He completely and utterly dominated when he took control, it made her toes curl every time.
Though, Rose was a little surprised he hadn't put up much of a fight, which she had expected, considering the reluctance of her pinstriped Doctor. Her musings were cut short as the Doctor nudged her, pinching her side playfully.
"Oi," she squeaked, slapping his chest with a grin.
He snorted, "I said your name three times, you weren't paying attention."
Rose pouted up at him, heart racing as he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, a smile curving her lips upwards at the chaste but loving kiss.
The Doctor sighed as he rested his forehead against hers, "We really shouldn't do this."
"You don't sound all that convinced," Rose teased back, trying to hide the insecurity shooting through her.
"I could lose you, Rose…" He smiled bitterly, "Whilst you could spend your life with me… eventually, I'll lose you."
She wrapped herself closer to him, firmly pressed against his body, "That's true of any relationship, Doctor," she leaned back to look in his eyes, "I could die tomorrow or in 20 years' time, what matters is what we do today. Do you wanna make the most of the time we DO have together, or do you wanna regret what could've been?"
He grimaced at the thought of her dying, it wasn't pleasant, but she was right, his small golden-haired human, he sighed again though some of the bitterness had faded, "You're right, but," he looked at her seriously, "If we do this, once I have you… I won't be able to let you go."
Rose grinned back at him, "You already have me, and I won't let you go either."
OoOoOoOo
The Doctor was playing with Rose's hair as she sat, head against his chest, listening to his hearts beat as they drifted through the time vortex when suddenly the Doctor jumped up.
She quickly followed, "What is it? What's wrong?"
"Dunno, some kind of signal drawing the Tardis off course…" The Doctor trailed off as he landed the Tardis. She wrapped her arm around his as they stepped out and looked around, Rose shuddered as she remembered the Dalek, she didn't know what to do. From what she had learned from Adam, and the way the Doctor had been slightly subdued once they'd returned to the Tardis, she realised now he had likely been tortured by Van Statten as soon as the bastard had learned her Doctor wasn't human.
The Tardis hummed in confirmation and Rose closed her eyes, tightening her grip on her Doctor. He looked down at her and brought his other hand up to gently cup her face, her eyes shot open, "Rose, are you alright?"
She gave him a weak smile, "Something just feels wrong about this place, Doctor."
"Well, that's not good," He grinned at her, but it didn't reach his eyes, concern clouding them, "Last time you felt something was wrong was with the Gelth."
"Hopefully, no zombies this time."
The Doctor chuckled, pulling his arm free and wrapping it around her shoulders as he tucked her firmly against him.
"So, where are we?"
"Earth, Utah, North America. About half a mile underground."
She rolled her eyes, tilting her head back to look at him, "And, when are we?"
"2012."
"Huh, I'll be 26." Ideally, she would also remain in this universe. The Doctor flicked a switch and light flooded the building. "Blimey!" They both looked around them, "It's a great big museum!"
"An alien museum." The Doctor stated, wandering around to look at the exhibits, "Someone's got a hobby, they must've spent a fortune on this." He named each exhibit as they passed, "Chunks of meteorite, moon dust… that's the milometer from the Roswell Spaceship."
"That's a bit of Slitheen!" Rose poked him in the side, "That's a Slitheen's arm, it's been stuffed."
He nodded and led her over to another exhibit, "Ah! Look at you!"
Rose shivered at the memories of the Cybermen, Canary Warf flashing through her mind, "An old friend of yours?"
"An old enemy." The Doctor corrected, "The stuff of nightmares reduced to an exhibit. I'm getting old."
"As my mum says, you're only as old as you feel." He snorted, "Is that where the signal's coming from?"
"Nah, it's stone dead. The signal's alive. Something's reaching out. Calling for help."
"You mean they've imprisoned live aliens?" Rose asked aghast as the Doctor squeezed her shoulder comfortingly.
He touched the tip of his finger to the glass then, and immediately an alarm went off as they were surrounded by soldiers.
"You just had to touch," She muttered dryly, leaning in as she whispered, "If someone's collecting aliens, that makes you Exhibit A." The Doctor just smiled at the soldiers.
OoOoOoOo
Rose had her arms wrapped around the Doctor's as they were led into Van Statten's office. She watched as Adam handed him an instrument, "What does it do?"
"Well, you see the tubes on the side must be to channel something, I think maybe fuel…" Adam replied.
The Doctor interjected with a smile, "I really wouldn't hold it like that."
"Shut it!" The woman who'd guided them into the office glared at him.
"Really though," He ignored her, continuing happily, "That's wrong."
Adam looked afraid, "Is it dangerous?"
Rose snorted, nuzzling into the Doctor's arm as he answered, "No. Just looks silly."
Rose leaned forwards for the instrument, security readying their guns behind them as she moves, Van Statten waving them off and handing the object to her. She looked up at the Doctor who smiled fondly at her, "You just need to be delicate." She grinned back at him and ran her fingers gently over the artefact, which sounded similar to a harmonica. The Doctor beamed at her as she continued to play.
Van Statten gasped, "It's a musical instrument."
"And it's a long way from home." The Doctor nodded.
"Here, let me." Van Statten stood and snatched the instrument off Rose, who arched an eyebrow at him.
"He said 'delicately'."
Van Statten ignored her and tried to play it, just making a series of bleeping noises.
"It needs precision." The Doctor added. Van Statten touched it more gently and finally played a few notes, the Doctor smiled, "Very good. Quite the expert."
"As are you." Van Statten raised an eyebrow and tossed the instrument aside. The Doctor and Rose followed it with their eyes, completely unimpressed, "Who exactly are you?"
The Doctor looked at him disdainfully, "I'm the Doctor, this is Rose. And who are you?"
"Like you don't know." Van Statten scoffed, "We're hidden away with the most valuable collection of extra-terrestrial artefacts in the world, and you just stumbled in by mistake."
"Pretty much sums us up, yeah."
"The question is, how did you get in?" He moved around the table to stand in front of them both, "53 floors down. With you little cat burglar accomplice." Van Statten leered at Rose, "Quite a collector yourself, she's rather pretty."
Rose snapped, "She's gonna smack ya, if you keep calling her 'she'."
Van Statten turned back to the Doctor, announcing gleefully, "She's English too!" He glanced at Adam, "Hey, little Lord Fauntleroy – got you a girlfriend."
"I'm taken, thanks." Rose sneered back, firmly gripping her Doctor's arm as he chuckled.
Adam finally answered the Doctor's question, "This is Mr Henry Van Statten."
"Are we supposed to know, or care who he is?" Rose snarked back as the Doctor grinned down at her and Van Statten glared.
"Mr Van Statten owns the internet." Adam explained warily.
"Right." Rose scoffed.
Van Statten snapped, "You should probably be a little nicer to the man who holds your lives in his hands!"
"You should probably stop overcompensating," Rose arched an eyebrow as she looked at him distastefully, "It just makes you look desperate."
The Doctor finally cut in, "So, you're an expert on just about everything, except the things in your museum. Anything you don't understand you lock up."
Her face twisted in disgust as she tried to hold back her anger at how Van Statten tortured the Dalek, she was absolutely terrified of them, but she didn't believe any sentient being should be tortured. Even when she took the time vortex into her head, she turned them to ash, no torture, no pain involved.
"And you claim greater knowledge."
Rose beamed up at the Doctor, "He doesn't need to make claims, he knows how good he is."
Van Statten scowled as Rose and the Doctor grinned at each other, and stated smugly, "And yet, I captured you, right next to the cage. What were you doing down there?"
"You tell us." The Doctor shot back.
"The cage contains my one living specimen."
"And what's that?"
"Like you don't know."
"Show me."
"You wanna see it?"
"That man is cruelly depriving some village of an idiot," Rose muttered scornfully making the Doctor chuckle at her blatant dislike of Van Statten.
Van Statten ordered, "Goddard – inform the cage. We're heading down." He turned to Adam, "You – English. Look after blondie. And you – Doctor with no name…" he smirked, "Come and see my pet."
"Doctor," Rose pulled him to her, "Be careful, I don't trust 'im."
"I think we could all see that." He agreed, a smirk playing over his lips before he pressed a light kiss to her forehead.
Rose watched him walk away for a moment before following Adam into his workshop. "Sorry about the mess." Adam said shyly, "Mr Van Statten sort of lets me do my own thing. So long as I deliver the goods," Adam handed her something, "What do you think – that is?"
Rose arched an eyebrow, placing it down, "A lump of metal."
"Yeah. Yeah, but I think – well, I'm almost certain – it's from the hull of a spacecraft," He said confidently, "The thing is, it's all true. Everything the United Nations tries to keep quiet – spacecrafts – aliens – visitors to Earth – they really exist."
She rolled her eyes, unable to believe she had let him charm her last time, she commented sarcastically, "That's amazing."
Adam just grinned at her, not catching her tone, "I know it sounds incredible, but I honestly believe the whole universe is teeming with life."
"I'm gobsmacked," Rose said dryly, "And you what? Just sit here and catalogue it?"
"Best job in the world!" Adam boasted.
Rose considered him, maybe she should give him a chance, after all she had screwed up multiple times and the Doctor always gave her chance after chance. She tried not to think of what happened with her father, her heart had shattered when he compared her to every other stupid ape, but she had broken when he had died for her, unable to watch her lose her father even after everything. She shook herself out of it.
"Imagine if you could get out there." Rose said absently, "Travel among the stars and see it for real."
A look of pure longing entered Adam's face, "Yeah, I'd give anything. But I don't think it's ever gonna happen – not in our lifetimes."
"So, how'd you end up here?" She was still undecided, and the Tardis was being entirely unhelpful and amused hum echoing in the back of her mind. If she kept her phone with her and kept her key close to her heart, she could just give him that one chance to see the stars. Just one trip without any temptation of stealing future technology.
Adam smiled proudly, "Van Statten has agents all over the world looking for geniuses to recruit."
"Ah right," Rose said, "You're a genius."
He shrugged arrogantly, "Sorry, but yeah, can't help it, I was born clever." Rose just hummed as Adam continued, "When I was eight, I logged onto the US Defence System – nearly caused World War Three." He chuckled, clearly thinking he was impressive.
Rose arched an eyebrow, "And that's funny?"
He looked taken aback and replied quickly, "Well, you should've been there! Just to see them running about! Fantastic!"
"You sound like the Doctor."
"Are you and him…?" Adam trailed off, looking at her hesitantly.
"Yup." She cut off that train of thought quickly, there was only the Doctor for her.
Adam looked disappointed, "Oh."
"So," Rose broke the awkward silence, "Wouldn't you rather be downstairs? I mean, you've got these bits of metal, and stuff but Van Statten has a living creature down there."
"Yeah… yeah, well I did ask but he keeps it to himself. Although," He glanced at her playfully, "If you're a genius – it doesn't take long to patch in on the comms system."
Rose laughed, her tongue poking out between her teeth, "Let's have a look then."
Adam tapped some keys on his computer as Rose observed over his shoulder, "It doesn't do much – the alien. It's weird, it's kind of… useless, it's just like this… great big pepper pot."
The screen turned on and they watched the Dalek scream as it was tortured. Rose couldn't tear her eyes away, pity filling her for the creature, even after everything, "It's being tortured! Where's the Doctor?" She half shouted, realisation dawning on her, as soon as the Doctor had seen the Dalek, he wouldn't have been able to help himself, he would have taunted it and outed himself to Van Statten as an alien.
She turned to Adam, unable to bear the sight of what they did to their 'living specimen', her eyes filling with tears as she tried not to think about it happening to her Doctor, grabbing his shoulder desperately, "Where's the Doctor?"
"I don't know!" Adam defended, pulling himself out of her grip.
"Take me down there. Now." She commanded firmly, her voice icy cold. She had no idea where Van Statten would be keeping him. Rose strode out of the workshop, Adam running after her to lead her to the cage.
A guard stopped them, "Hold it right there!"
Adam flashed his ID, "Level 3 access. Special clearance from Mr Van Statten."
They walked past and entered the cage. Rose hesitated, she hated and feared the Daleks and if she freed this one, it would kill every soldier in this base. But if she didn't both the Dalek and her Doctor would be tortured by a monster worse than any Dalek.
"Don't get too close…" Adam warned quietly as she approached the Dalek.
Rose let out a breath, the Tardis hummed reassuringly in her mind, unable to advise what to do. She gathered up all her courage, "Hello?" The Dalek's eye turned to her, "Are you in pain? My name's Rose Tyler," she swallowed thickly, before adding, knowing it was the mention of the Doctor which made it speak to her, "I've got a friend, he can help. He's called the Doctor. What's your name?"
"Yes."
Rose stepped closer, "What?"
"I am in pain," The Dalek raised its eyepiece to look at her face as it said wearily, "They tortured me. But still, they fear me. Do you fear me?"
Her heart ached for it, even knowing it was manipulating her, she answered honestly, "No."
It lowered its eyepiece, "I am dying."
"No!" Rose exclaimed, "We can help!"
"I welcome death," Rose couldn't help the sadness and pity, there was truth in the blatant manipulation, "But I am glad… that before I die… I met a human who was not afraid."
"Isn't there anything I can do?"
"My race is dead. I shall die alone."
"If I help you," Rose had tears in her eyes, guilt threatening to consume her as she decided, the only reason her Doctor was freed was because of the Dalek, "If I help you, promise you wont kill anyone."
The Dalek said nothing and merely stared back at her. She let out a breath, and raised her hand, placing it gently on the Dalek.
"Rose, no!" Adam shouted.
She snatched her hand away as the Dalek came to life again, all former weakness gone, "Genetic material extrapolated – initiate cellular reconstruction!"
It freed itself from the chains as the torturer entered the room, he yelled at Rose, "What the hell have you done?!"
"Don't approach it!"
He sneered back at her, "Haven't you done enough damage?" He approached the Dalek and taunted it, "Whatcha gonna do? Sucker me to death?" As the Dalek proceeded to do exactly that, Adam dragged Rose from the cage.
"Condition red! Repeat, condition red! This is not a drill!" A soldier shouted.
A communication link opened, the Doctor shouted, "You've got to keep it in that cell!"
"I'm sorry," Rose looked at him, "Doctor, it's my fault."
"I've sealed the compartment. It can't get out-"
Rose cut him off desperately, "That man in there died, 'cos he underestimated it! Don't do the same thing!"
"Rose is right," The Doctor added, "The Dalek's a genius, it can calculate a thousand billion combinations in one second flat."
She looked to the Doctor before turning to the soldier, "We have to get out of here!"
The door opened and the Dalek emerged, unconcerned as all the soldier pointed their weapons at it, "Open fire!"
"Rose, get out of there!" The Doctor's voice was desperate.
"De Maggio," A soldier said, "Take the civilians and get them out alive. That is your job, got that?"
De Maggio turned to Rose and Adam, "You – with me!" She turned and led them from the room, as they ran through the corridors they saw a line of soldiers, De Maggio shouted, "Civilians! Let them through!"
Rose looked at them all, "You can't stop it!"
None of them even glanced at her as Adam dragged her after De Maggio, she looked back and locked eyes with the Dalek for a moment before being pulled through to the stairway.
"Stairs!" Adam declared gleefully, "That's more like it! It hasn't got legs, it's stuck!"
De Maggio joined them, "It's coming! Get up!"
Rose's heart ached, knowing all the soldiers were dead as the Dalek stopped at the foot of the stairs.
Rose glared at Adam as he taunted it, "Great big alien death machine. Defeated by a flight of stairs!"
De Maggio pulled him back, aiming her gun at the Dalek, "Now, listen to me. I demand that you return to your cage. If you want to negotiate, then I guarantee that Mr Van Statten will be willing to talk. I accept that we imprisoned you and maybe that was wrong. But people have died, and that stops. Right now. The killing stops, have you got that?" The Dalek just watched them, "I demand that you surrender, is that clear?"
The Dalek paused before it said, "El-ev-ate."
It levitated and floated up the stairs. Adam stared at it, gobsmacked, "Oh, my God!"
"Adam, get her out of here!"
Rose shrugged off Adam's hand, "No." De Maggio looked back at her, "I'm not leaving you here to die, you can't stop it."
"Someone's got to try!"
"Fine." Rose agreed, "But I'm staying with you." De Maggio attempted to push them both away as the Dalek floated closer, "Your job was to get us to safety, you can't do that if you die here."
De Maggio groaned, looking between the stubborn girl and the alien as she gave in, "Fine! Come on!" She led Adam and Rose through the corridor, running quickly as the Dalek made it to the top of the stairs.
They entered the weapons testing area, another line of soldiers ready and waiting for death. The commander shouted, "Hold your fire!" and commanded De Maggio, "Get them the hell out of here!"
Rose helplessly yelled at them, "You can't stop it!"
De Maggio grabbed Rose's arm and pulled her out of the room, they stopped in the doorway and watched as the Dalek entered, it turned to the three of them, focusing on Rose. De Maggio pulled her back again as she made to move towards the Dalek, "It's looking at me!"
Adam snarled back, "Yeah! It wants to slaughter us!"
"No, I can stop it!" Rose tried but the soldier just pulled her along with them as they ran through the corridor.
Her phone rang, "Doctor!"
"Where are you?" His voice was urgent.
"Level 49."
"You've got to keep moving – the vaults being sealed off, bulkhead level 46."
Rose shouted to Adam and De Maggio, "We've got to get to bulkhead level 46!"
"I'm sorry, Rose," She could hear the pain in his voice, "I can't wait, and I can't help you, so for God's sake run!" He shouted the last words desperately.
Finally, they rounded a corner on level 46, "We're nearly there, give us two seconds!"
Rose could hear the grief in his voice as he whispered, "I'm sorry."
Adam sped up as they saw the bulkhead closing ahead of them, "Come on!"
He rolled underneath it as De Maggio hesitated and waited for Rose. "Keep going!" She shouted desperately, "Don't worry about me!" The bulkhead shut just as Rose reached it, De Maggio placed a hand on her shoulder as she braced herself.
"You didn't abandon me, ma'am," De Maggio responded breathlessly, "And as you said, it's my job to get you to safety."
She readied her gun as Rose lifted the phone back to her ear, she could hear the Doctor shout, "Rose! Where are you? Rose, did you make it?"
"Sorry," Her voice trembled, "I was a bit slow." She turned and stood next to De Maggio, "See ya then, Doctor." The Dalek rounded the corner, "It wasn't your fault. Remember that, okay? It wasn't your fault. And do you know what?" She let out a laugh, "I wouldn't have missed it for the world." Rose stepped in front of De Maggio as the Dalek got closer and she confessed quietly, "I love you."
"Exterminate!" The Dalek screamed, the phone knocked from her hand as it fired to the side of Rose and De Maggio. The soldier opened her eyes and gasped as she realised Rose was still alive in front of her.
"Go on then," Rose shouted angry at both herself and the Dalek, "Kill me."
"Ma'am-" De Maggio tried.
The Dalek cut her off, "I am armed. I will kill, it is my purpose."
"They are all dead because of you!"
"They are dead because of us."
Rose closed her eyes, failing to hold back tears as this time she couldn't exactly plead ignorance, she had known exactly what would happen, but she had panicked and had been unable to bear the thought of her Doctor being tortured, she had chosen the easy way out and sacrificed all those soldiers. The Tardis hummed sorrowfully in her mind.
"Yeah." She admitted locking her gaze with the Dalek's, Rose could feel the De Maggio's eyes boring into her, "And now what? What're you waiting for?"
"I feel your fear." The Dalek stated.
"Well, what do you expect?!"
"Dalek's do not feel fear. Must not fear." It hysterically shot around Rose and De Maggio, "You gave me life. What else have you given me? I am contaminated!"
Rose reached back and grabbed the older woman's hand, the soldier grasped it gratefully, her gun held limply in her other. The Dalek opened a communication link, "Open the bulkhead, or Rose Tyler dies."
The Doctor gaped at Rose, his voice full of pure joy and relief, "You're alive!"
"Can't get rid of me!" She joked weakly.
"I thought you were dead!" Rose felt sick as she heard the anguish in his voice.
The Dalek demanded, "Open the bulkhead!"
"Don't do it!" Rose and De Maggio shouted in unison, sharing a weak smile.
"What use are emotions if you will not save the woman you love?"
Rose heard him mutter quietly, "I killed her once, I can't do it again."
The bulkhead opened, Rose picked up her phone as she positioned herself between the Dalek and De Maggio.
They were in the lift, silently watching as the Dalek's death ray arm twitched every so often. Rose stepped in front of it, "You don't have to kill them," The Dalek focused on her, "You didn't kill us."
"But why not?" The Dalek demanded, "Why are you alive? My function is to kill. What am I? What am I?"
The lift opened then, and they saw Van Statten and Goddard nervously stood in the office.
"Don't move!" De Maggio ordered moving over to where Goddard was, "Don't do anything, it's questioning itself!"
The Dalek ignored the women as it focused entirely on Van Statten, Rose followed it, "Van Statten. You tortured me. Why?"
Van Statten backed away terrified, "I wanted to help you, I just – I don't know, I – I was just trying to help. I thought if we could get through to you, if we could mend you – I wanted you better, I'm sorry." He flinched, cowering back against the wall as the Dalek advanced, his voice rose shrilly, "I'm so sorry! I swear! I just wanted you to talk!"
"Then hear me talk now." Van Statten winced as the Dalek screeched, "Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!"
"Don't!" Rose rushed forward, the Dalek turned to face her, "Don't kill him, there must be something else – not just killing! What d'you want?"
The Dalek considered her for a moment, looking between Rose and Van Statten before it admitted, "I want freedom."
Rose smiled hesitantly at the Dalek, "Then you can 'ave it."
Van Statten opened his mouth to object causing Rose, Goddard and De Maggio to glare at him, making his mouth snap shut.
Rose led the Dalek down the same corridor as last time, watching quietly as the Dalek fired a hole in the ceiling, causing sunlight to flood through. She smiled softly, "You're out. You made it." She looked up at the sunlight, "Never thought I'd feel the sunlight again."
"How… does… it… feel?"
"Find out." Rose offered, the Dalek looked at her, turning back to the sunlight as it opened its casing, revealing the creature inside, "How does it feel?" She questioned gently as it stretched out, reaching for the sunlight.
"Get out of the way!" She heard the Doctor's sharp voice behind her, she turned and saw him holding the massive gun, pointing it at the Dalek as Rose remained between them, "Rose, get out of the way, now!"
His voice was desperate, but Rose shook her head, shouting back, "No! Cos I won't let you do this!"
"That thing killed hundreds of people."
"It was tortured, Doctor," Rose reasoned with him, "Alone and afraid, kept in the dark," she moved to the side, gesturing to the Dalek, "Look at it, all it wants is the sunlight."
The Doctor stared at her, shocked at the extent of her compassion, his eyes moved down to look at the Dalek and his face twisted in confusion, "What's it doing?"
"It's the sunlight! That's all it wants!"
His voice trembled, "But it can't-"
Rose stepped towards him, "It couldn't kill Van Statten – it couldn't kill me or De Maggio, it's changing!"
He lowered his gun, looking completely lost and close to tears, "I couldn't-" he cut himself off, "I wasn't-" The Doctor looked between the Dalek and Rose, "Oh, Rose. They're all dead."
"Why do we survive?" The Dalek asked suddenly.
"I don't know."
"I am the last of the Daleks."
"You're not even that." The Doctor said softly, "Rose did more than regenerate you. You absorbed her DNA. You're mutating."
"Into what?"
"Something new. I'm sorry." He let the gun drop to the floor.
"I can feel so many ideas." The Dalek admitted, "So much darkness… Rose… give me orders! Order me to die."
Rose felt tears trailing down her cheeks as she asked, "Is that what you want?"
"This is not life. This is sickness. I shall not be like you. Order my destruction! Obey! Obey! Obey!"
Rose stared at it for a moment, "Do it."
"Are you frightened, Rose Tyler?"
Her voice shook, "Yeah."
"So am I," The Dalek replied feebly, "Exterminate."
Rose stumbled back towards the Doctor, who reached out an arm to steady her, she buried her face into his shoulder, inhaling the comforting scent of her Doctor and his leather jacket as she watched the Dalek replace its armour before it levitated into the air, the golden knobs detached themselves and surrounded the Dalek in a perfect sphere, it glowed briefly before it exploded inside the sphere.
She closed her eyes and buried her face deeper into his shoulder. The Doctor stared in shock at the place where the Dalek disappeared, absently bringing his arm around Rose's shoulders as he felt her tears burning into his neck. Rose wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly as he glanced down at her.
"What happened?" Rose asked quietly, her voice muffled against his neck, "With Van Statten, you weren't in the cage, did he-" Her voice broke, "Did he torture you?"
His body tensed.
"Don't lie, Doctor." She looked up at him, her eyes shining, "You don't have to say, but don't deflect or lie."
Rose could feel as he forced himself to relax, he cleared his throat, his voice was quiet, "He did."
She snarled, tightening her grip protectively, "Knew I shoulda punched that bastard when I had the chance!"
The Doctor let out a laugh, always surprised at the extent of her feelings for him, "I'm alright now. Superior Time Lord biology." Rose scoffed, poking him in the side as he guided them back to where the Tardis was parked.
He rested his hand on his ship, looking at it pensively as he said sadly, "Little piece of home…" He turned back to her, "The Daleks destroyed my home, my people, there's nothing left…" He gave a sad smile as he added, his hand sliding down the Tardis door, "Well, almost nothing."
"Is that the end of it?" Rose questioned, "The Time War?"
"I'm the only one left. I win." She could hear the bitterness in his voice, "How about that."
Rose rested her head on his shoulder, "The Dalek survived… maybe some of your people did too?"
"I'd know." He tapped his head, "In here, feels like there's no one."
"Well, I'm not going anywhere." She told him firmly.
He grinned down at her, his eyes lightening, "Yeah."
They were interrupted as Adam walked towards them, the Tardis hummed in her mind as she considered him, reluctantly she decided and whispered in the Doctor's ear, "Maybe we could give Adam a little trip, as thanks."
The Doctor looked a little dejected as he said, "Rose, he's a bit pretty."
"Trust me, Doctor," She stared into his eyes, "I really hadn't noticed, but without 'im, you might be Van Statten's second living exhibit."
"On your own head." He disappeared into the Tardis.
"Yeah," Rose cut off whatever Adam had been blabbering about, "Why don't you come in 'ere?"
Adam looked bewildered as she entered the Tardis leaving the door open as he protested before quickly following her.
The Tardis dematerialised as Adam looked around in shock, "It's bigger on the inside…"
The Doctor rolled his eyes, glaring at him, Rose felt the Tardis hum in her mind amusement practically radiating from her at her Thief's blatant jealousy.
Rose bit back a grin as the Doctor firmly said, "Rule one in the Tardis, hands off the blonde."
OoOoOoOo
The Doctor was lying on his bed, flicking through a book as Rose entered his room.
"I thought you might want to spend more time with pretty boy."
Rose snorted at his unconcerned tone, "Yep, cos that's what I want more time with someone who thinks the best job in the world is cataloguing things."
His lips quirked upwards, "Careful, Rose, you'll sound like a snob at this rate."
She jumped onto the bed next to him, grabbing his arm and pulling it around her as she cuddled into his side, poking him with a laugh, "Yeah and whose fault is that? Mr 'did I mention she also travels in time,' smugly leaving the door open with a knowing smirk."
"Oi!" He outright grinned then, "You came running!"
"Insufferable you are!"
"Then why'd you stay?"
Rose leaned up on her elbow, looking down at him beside her, she whispered, her heart racing, "I thought I already told you?"
"I thought you were dead, you thought you were going to die." He raised his eyebrows as he stared back at her, "You might not have meant it."
"Well," Rose said, leaning forward to brush her lips against his ear, "I love you, Doctor."
She let out a squeak as she was suddenly flipped onto her back, the Doctor laced his fingers with hers and guided her arms above her head as he loomed over her, his eyes blazing with a fierce, possessive desire as he demanded, "Say it again."
She grinned up at him breathless as she leaned forward, pressing a chaste kiss to his lips as she muttered, "I love you, Doctor."
Heat pooled in her belly as he kissed her forcefully, his hands locking hers firmly in place as she attempted to shift, her legs trapped between his, she whimpered as his tongue danced with hers, helpless to do anything other than submit as he playfully nipped her bottom lip. She felt consumed as all she could comprehend was her want and desire for the hard body firmly pressed against hers.
Finally, he pulled away, leaving her breathless and trembling with pleasure. He rested his head against hers as they breathed together.
"Rose Tyler," The Doctor's voice was husky as he spoke, he smirked as he felt her heart race as his thumb brushed over her wrist, her breath hitching, "I love you."