Chapter Seven

After breakfast, Rose was feeling well enough to go to the mall with Jackie. The Doctor had declined to come along figuring Rose and her mother needed some alone time. Besides, he needed to think over everything that had happened since last night.

So, after they left he went into Rose's room, took off his trainers and settled down on her bed. Putting his hands behind his head, he stared up at the ceiling while he went over everything that had happened.

The first thing that bothered him was Rose falling asleep on the bench. When she had left to go on the walk, she had been wide awake, and he knew that even if the walk had made her sleepy it wouldn't have knocked her out to the point where she didn't remember even sitting down on the bench. The dazed expression she had on her face didn't look like someone who had just woken up. It looked more like the expression he had seen on someone who had been hypnotized. In addition, being hypnotized would explain the baffling loss of memory.

The Doctor rose from the bed and paced around the room while he continued to think.

"If she was hypnotized, who did it and for what purpose?" he said.

He picked up a stuffed Paddington Bear sitting in the corner and fingered its coat while he continued to think.

"The dream is also bothering me," he said. "Rose has had bad dreams before. But, this one is different. I can't shake the feeling that the dream has something to do with the events of last night."

He sat the bear back down and walked over to the nightstand by Rose's bed. He fingered the lampshade on her lamp and ran his finger up and down it.

"I wish Rose would let me go into her memories and take a look," he said. "I wouldn't go into any memories she didn't want me to see. I just want to see the dream."

He sighed and sat back down on the bed.

"'Course I tried that with Reinette, and she ended up finding out more about me than I wanted her to know." He said.

He shook his head and lay down on the bed.

"Rose is different though. It wouldn't matter if she saw my memories."

He paused for a moment.

"Of course, there are some memories that not even Rose can see but now that I know it is possible to read my mind I would be better prepared to shield those thoughts from Rose."

He sighed. He hated keeping anything from Rose especially since she loved him and trusted him completely. But, he was terrified if she saw some of the things he had done in the past and some of the dark thoughts he harbored in the deep recesses of his mind, she would run away screaming, and never come back. He knew she was curious to know about his past and he longed to share it with her. But, he wasn't ready to be that open, at least not yet.

Still, the chance to see the dream was worth the risk of exposing his innermost thoughts to Rose, and he decided that he would ask her again when she got home.

He sat up on the side of the bed. The other thing that was bothering him was Rose's behavior. She had never refused a kiss from him before and her turning away from him had taken him completely by surprise. Thoughts of Cassandra flashed through his mind while he pondered her odd behavior. After the incident with Cassandra on New Earth, he had become more diligent about spotting odd little quirks in Rose's behavior in case someone else got the bright idea of possessing her body. Her yelling at him, he could chalk up to being upset about the dream, but not the kiss since Rose craved his affection and closeness whenever she did have a nightmare. He knew being in his arms and feeling his kisses comforted her whenever she got that way and her pulling away from him set off several red flags in his mind.

"Whatever happened to Rose happened when she took her walk because she was herself up until then."

He let out a frustrated sigh. He hated being in the dark about something especially when it was something that concerned Rose. He hoped he would be able to figure out what was happening before Rose got hurt.

He lay back down. He was anxious for Rose to get home now so he could ask to read her mind. He regretted letting her go, but he knew Rose valued her time with her mother and he couldn't deny her that no matter how desperate he was to be near her. He put his hands on his chest. He would just have to wait until she got home. He only hoped that she would be understanding and not bite his head off when he asked. He lay there staring up at the ceiling, felt his eyelids growing heavy and a few minutes later he drifted off to sleep.

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"Doctor, we're home," Jackie said.

She looked around, as she and Rose entered the flat. She dropped her bags on the floor.

"Where is he?" she said.

Rose went past her and walked over to her bedroom. She glanced in and looked back at her mother.

"He's in here asleep, mum," she said.

"Good, at least he behaved himself while we were gone," Jackie said. "And the flat is in order, so I guess that means we haven't had any alien invasion today."

She picked up the bags and took them back to her bedroom while Rose entered her bedroom and looked down at the Doctor who was snoring softly. She stared at him and reached out her hand tentatively to give his hair an affectionate ruffle when she suddenly heard that voice in the back of her head.

Look at him. Lying there like he owns the place. Why doesn't he go away and leave you alone?

Rose shook the thoughts from her head and reached out her hand again to ruffle his hair. This time she succeeded, and she smiled when the Doctor slowly opened his eyes and stared at her.

"Messing up my hair again?" he said.

Rose shrugged.

"I can't help it. I love when your hair goes in a thousand different directions. It's cute."

She giggled when the Doctor rolled his eyes and smiled at her. He reached out and took her hand in his.

"Have fun at the mall?" he said.

"It was alright. I mainly just went for mum's benefit. I think the trip to the mall was just an excuse to spend more time with me."

The Doctor sat up and smoothed his hair back down.

"Rose, I need to ask you something," he said.

He patted the bed beside him, and Rose sat down.

"Rose…I know you told me no earlier but…I really want to take a look at that dream you had so could you please let me scan your mind for it? I promise I won't intrude on anything else," he said.

"Doctor, I really don't want to," Rose said.

"I know, Rose. But, I think it's important that I see it."

"Why? It's just a stupid dream. It isn't the first nightmare I've had."

"I know that, but I've had a bad feeling about things since I found you on that bench last night and I think the dream might hold a clue to that."

He took her hands in his.

"Please, Rose, let me look," he said. "I wouldn't be asking if I didn't think it was important."

Rose sighed.

See. He doesn't care about what you. It's all about him and what he wants.

Rose stared into the Doctor's eyes and saw only concern and love reflected in them.

He's not being selfish, she thought. He's just worried about me.

How do you know that? What if this is a trap? What if he's trying to get control of your mind?

"Get control of my mind?" Rose said.

The Doctor stared at her.

"Is that what you think I'm planning to do?" he said.

"I…no…it's just a crazy thought that popped in my head just now."

She looked away as the Doctor studied her.

"I think there is something going on, Rose. I think something happened last night when you went out for the walk, and I'm going to get to the bottom of it," he said. "You've been behaving strangely and after what Cassandra did to you, I'm not taking any chances. Now, I can assure you that I'm not trying to take control of your mind, and I think you know me better than that, anyway. All I want to do is see the dream, Rose. I know it'll be painful bringing it up again but I promise I'll back off if it gets too intense for you."

He cupped her face in his hands.

"Please, Rose. If nothing else, just let me put my fears to rest," he said.

Rose sighed. She could tell there would be no living with him until he peeked at the dream. She nodded.

"Thank you, Rose," the Doctor said.

He put his fingertips to her temple.

"Now close your eyes. And open your mind to me so I can search. And if there's anything you don't want me to see, just imagine a door and close it. I promise I won't go beyond it."

Rose nodded.

"You still trust me?" he said.

Rose hesitated a moment and then nodded.

"Because I promise I won't alter your mind in any way or try to control you. I just want to see the dream and then I'm gone, okay?"

"Okay."

She closed her eyes while the Doctor put his fingers to her temple.

"Relax, Rose. I won't hurt you," he said.

Rose took a deep breath and relaxed her body while the Doctor closed his eyes and concentrated.

She frowned when various memories started to flash one right after the other.

"Remember, you have the power to block anything you don't want me to see," the Doctor said.

Rose watched her memories flicker through her mind while the Doctor searched for the dream.

"Come on, come on. Where is it?"

"How do you know what to look for?" Rose said.

"I've done this before. I had a lot of practice."

Suddenly there was a flash, and an unfamiliar scene popped up in her mind.

"Aha! Found it!"