Right, Chapter 2 is here. I just realised I forgot to mention a few important things, so:
1. This story is 3 chapters long. There, I've said it.
2. There's no fantastical plot, because this was intended as a breather from my main series, although it's unconnected.
I think that's it. Oh, and all reviewers will be thanked in the next and final chapter. Enjoy!
The Doctor clung to her, and she just held him there, running her fingers through his short hair and murmuring gentle nothings into his ear. And the Doctor knew that she would never realise just how important she was. How could he ever save the universe if he didn't have Rose to help him through the bad times? The problem was... he shouldn't. He shouldn't need her!
Everyone has a weakness...
He knew his too well as he looked at her.
"I'm sorry..."
Rose stared. "Sorry? What on earth for?"
"For... for... oh, for being so human!"
It still ate at him, the feeling that he should be there for Rose, not the other way round. So he jumped up from her arms suddenely, turned and ran from the engine room.
He hurtled down the corridoor, frantically putting up his mental barriers, re-freezing the ice around him that made him unreachable to anyone else. Rose - just by touching him - had begun to thaw it. And he couldn't let that happen.
He shouldn't depend on her! She was... human. And he let her see himself when he wasn't in control. His real self.
In the control room, he gazed out of the window, into the vortex outside. And his own conscience and reasoning turned traitor and argued against him. He shouldn't have shouted at Rose... He should never shout at Rose... Why not, for goodness' sake? She was only human... only a companion. Another in a long line, he thought drearily.
The truth hurt.
But it wasn't really the truth and he knew it. Rose was - dare he say it - special. Different. And he cared about her... but only as a friend... right? Right?
Rose crept into the room then, and stood there staring at him for a long moment.
He saw her reflection in the window, and turned abruptly. "Well?"
"What happened?" She spoke softly, enticingly. And the sound of her voice left him intoxicated him as he felt the desire for comfort again... but only for a moment. Control! He told himself firmly.
He turned away. "Nothing happened."
"Doctor..." She whispered almost inaudibly. She moved over to him and reached her hand forward.
"I know you too well..." Her fingers brushed the back of his hand slowly, moving over his knuckles, creating a soothing sensation...
"Don't!" He backed away, eyes wide. Rose was now staring at him concerned, and he realised she thought he was slightly mad. Great.
He sighed. "Rose... I... it's hard, okay? I mean, I'm a Time Lord, you're human - we're different."
"You were scared!" She told him, ignoring his last comment. "I couldn't've left you like that!"
He saw the emotion overflowing from those eyes... beautiful eyes, he thought before he could stop himself. And he struggled against the knowledge that if she hadn't been there he would have found it unimaginably worse.
"You should have." He muttered. "You should have left me there."
"Doctor, that's the most ridiculous thing you've ever said, and you know it."
She moved closer. "Y'know, you were always a bad liar..."
Oh, Rose was right - she knew him too well. And she was going to undo him with her kindness. Time Lords... did not cry. They didn't allow themselves to be comforted by anyone, least of all... humans.
He pushed her away almost roughly, instantly regretting his actions - but there was nothing he could do. He was approaching a point of no return.
So he opened his mouth and said the words he never, ever thought he would hear himself say.
"You're going home."
It was for her own good, the Doctor told himself, controlling the Tardis with an unusual harshness, ignoring its whines of protest and the sparks that shot from the control panel, burning his hand in retaliation.
She understood him like no-one else before. And there it was - the reason he was sending Rose away. She was different - he was becoming too attatched to her to let her go. And she was going to go one day - of that he was certain. When that happened, he needed to make sure he could pick himself up and carry on without her.
And the only way he could do that was to take her home.
She'd be safer there, after all, with Jackie and Mickey, fish and chips, working in the shop like she used to do. She'd be safe from the dangerous mind of a lonely Time Lord. That was his life. His bloody useless, miserable life!
He banged the control panel in his anger. This was how he was rewarded for saving the universe... well, whoop de do.
The little voice inside him begging him to stop was ruthlessly ignored as the ice around the Doctor hardened and he became almost machine-like. He wasn't thinking straight - he was no longer prepared to listen to reason, least of all from Rose.
Upon hearing the Doctor's last words, Rose had heard enough and her mood had changed like lightening. Within seconds she had thrown herself into a rage. She ran into the control room after the Doctor.
"What?"
"You're going home." He repeated icily.
"NO I'M NOT!"
On hearing this, the Doctor completed the co-ordinates for Earth and turned around in suprise. His blue eyes were so cold Rose shivered. When he saw he had hurt her, the Doctor outstretched his hand automatically but retracted it quickly before Rose could take it.
"Yes you are!"
"Are you deaf? NO I'M NOT!"
Rose roared at him, really in a state by this time. The Doctor stared at her in astonishment. He hadn't expected this... he's expected her to be sad, dejected, depressed even. Obviously, he'd underestimated her.
Rose stormed around the control room, face bright red, positively fuming.
"If you think I'm gonna sit there watchin' you crying... You listen to me now - I'm not about to leave you 'cos your ego's taken a battering. Get over yourself! God, sometimes I wonder how you ever got smart enough to save the universe..."
She ranted on and on, with the Doctor listening in such a state of shock at her outburst that at first he didn't take in anything of what she said. Suddenely, the Tardis jolted as they landed on Earth. The Doctor grabbed Rose by the scruff of her top with a grip that was only just firm enough to be threatening, and marched her outside the Tardis.
In his piloting, the Doctor had done an admirable job - they were bang in the centre of the Powell estate. It was a grey, rather chilly day, and storm clouds were brewing. When Rose tried to run for it, the Doctor picked her up and carried her down an alleyway, with Rose kicking and screaming all the way.
He ran down a final street with Rose in his arms and soon they were at the door to her flat. Well, all he had to do now was ring the bell and... tell Jackie he had to give Rose back, he supposed. He knew Jackie wasn't going to give in that easily. If Rose wanted to stay with him, Jackie would be behind her all the way...
I don't care! I'm going to do it...
And as he was about to ring the doorbell, the Doctor looked at Rose and actually heard what she was yelling about.
"Get it into that thick skull of yours! You can't take me back because... I love you!"
Please review even if you didn't like it. Please! My chainsaw is actually very friendly once you get to know him... -chainsaw bares teeth at all readers-
See?