A/N – I don't own Doctor Who. Sorry for the delay, Enjoy!

Chapter Five: A Memory Revisited

Rose opened her eyes. Blurry shapes met confused eyes, blinking the colors solidified into shapes. A blank white ceiling stared bath at her, the colors at the corners of her vision resolved into the tops of curtains. A faint snore resonated from her right. Rose turned to face it and she was startled to see the sight of Jimmy Stone's dirty blonde hair.

The last thing Rose could remember was standing in the TARDIS's kitchen, talking with the Doctor. The lights had gone out and the TARDIS had rocked, throwing her and the Doctor against the counter. He had then departed to fix the lights. She had sat in the dark for a few seconds until she heard the kitchen door open with a soft creak.

She had turned in the general direction of the door and had desperately tried to pierce the shroud of darkness, but to no avail. Footsteps approached and she had called out, "Doctor, is that you?" Silence had met her question. "This isn't funny," she said to the room at large.

The footsteps approached her position and she realized she would have to slap that doctor hard for playing this oh-so-not funny joke on her. They stopped in front of her and she backed away, feeling behind her for the counter. Pain exploded behind her eyes and her world dissolved into stars.

The next thing she knew she was lying here, next to Jimmy. She felt the back of her head, searching for the bump that she knew had to be there. To her surprise the back of her head was completely fine. Pulling back the sheets she looked down at her clothing, her horror grew as she saw that she was wearing one of Jimmy's favorite shirts and a pair of boxer shorts. No help there.

The sudden draft wafted down into the warm cave of their bed, causing Jimmy to stir, groaning. He sat up, wiping dried drool from his face with the back of his hand. His blood shot eyes found Rose, "Hey babe, go make me some tea, wontcha?" Not pausing for her reply he fell back onto his pillow, eyes closed before he hit the bed.

Rose froze, trapped by her own fear. After she had met Mickey she had sworn that to never think of Jimmy Stone again. He was a closed chapter of her life, finished and thrown in the rubbish bin long ago. She had left school for Jimmy and after a few months with him all she saw in her future were hordes of blond haired children clinging to her, a dirty flat, and a dead end job. Now she was back in that dirty flat with the dripping faucet, stuck in her worst nightmare.

She desperately wanted to return to the TARDIS, somehow for this just to be a horrible dream and that the Doctor would be there for her holding out his arms in comfort. Unfortunately that creature in the dark had taken her and was forcing her to relive her some of her worst times. Turning to Jimmy's lifeless snoring body she responded, "Make your own cup of tea you lazy piece of rubbish." Fortified by her uncharacteristic bravery in the face of the man that made her a simpering air-headed child she climbed out of their rumpled bed.

She turned and stalked out of the bedroom, grabbing her coat off the rack on the way down the hall. She headed towards the door, she didn't know where she would head in her boxers but she hoped her mum would take her back in. After she had announced that she had dropped out of school, she and Jackie had a huge row, culminating in her moving in with Jimmy. She had reconciled with her mum a few weeks later. Hopefully, that held true in this twisty reality as well. Decided on her destination she reached out for the door and went to yank it open.

Her hand came down on the handle and to her dismay it refused to budge. Looking out the window all she saw was darkness.

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A/N – Thanks for reading. If the fancy tickles you press the purplish button…or is it grey. I can't tell. Chiblis for all.