*Rose*

She had been in flight - actual, proper flight through space. Sometimes Rose just liked to let the TARDIS drift on her own as she snuggled up on the sofa and stared out at space wafting by. It was definitely her favourite part of this TARDIS's layout – a depression off to the right of the entrance with an enormous window that could also service as a digital screen. Rose had seen countless planets, nebulas and galaxies pass by from that window. Sometimes she asked the TARDIS what they were and as ever, was greeted by a soft humming in her head – and somehow she would understand. John had theorized that simple, prolonged exposure to this TARDIS, most importantly during its accelerated growth period, which would normally take centuries, had developed this telepathic bond usually reserved only for timelords. Since this TARDIS was also grown from the Doctor's original TARDIS the residue connection had also helped to develop a link strong enough to communicate through.

She must have dosed off too because she woke with a start as a wail flitted through her mind. Her TARDIS, someone had hold of her TARDIS, and the whole ship shook as she was hurtled to the nearest planet and landed with a thwump! Getting shakily to her feet to assess the damage and just what exactly had happened when she received another shock as the double doors (hang on, double doors?) crashed open and a young, pretty brunette burst into the room and slammed the doors shut. What!? She thought to herself, and at the TARDIS as well, who simply answered with a flustered, (wait, flustered?) Work it out! As to why the TARDIS felt… flustered… Rose had no idea, but she had realised that the double doors were because the TARDIS had changed form back into the old police box. Speaking of weird, her mind was brought back to the intruder of her home, looking just about as freaked out as Rose was. Okay… so she wasn't the only one with no idea what was going on…

"Who the hell are you?!"

Rose demanded, climbing up the stairs to the main console desk. The brunette looked around, saw Rose and appeared even more shocked then before.

"Um… I… what?… ah… Clara?"

She finally offered. Before Rose could reply though she continued,

"Ah… what happened? To the TARDIS? And ah… who are you?"

TARDIS. She said TARDIS. Oh. She knows the Doctor. Rose replied as calmly as she could, determined to get to the bottom of this as quick as possible.

"Doesn't matter. My name doesn't matter. What does matter, is where we are. What's out there? Why did you run in like that? Where's… Where's The Doctor?"

"He's… we were prisoners and this woman did something… she teleported the TARDIS to her or something. The Doctor made me get in and escape but… this is the wrong TARDIS isn't it?"

So Clara was his companion these days. And The Doctor was a prisoner. Shit. It would have been easier to run. It's always easier to run than face your fears. Now she couldn't run. Rose had hoped she could leave as soon as she had gotten rid of Clara in an attempt to avoid seeing the Doctor, but there was no way she could do that now she knew he was a prisoner.

"She's not the Doctor's TARDIS at all. She's my TARDIS… or at least my late husbands…"

Rose answered, dropping to a softer tone as she clarified. Clara was very confused now,

"But… the police box… that's not like a standard or anything… why does your TARDIS look like The Doctor's?"

This was something Rose still hadn't figured out yet, but decided to ask her TARDIS now that the initial shock was over. The answer was confusing, being more detailed than a few words, but Rose eventually worked out that it was to do with the proximity to the original TARDIS. The ships had telepathically linked on arrival of the planet and the outer shells, if not the insides, had stabilized into the same image.

"I'm sure there's probably a complicated reason,"

She said instead, not bothering to explain the whole story in light of the Doctor's plight. Rose had worked out a way to rescue The Doctor without facing him, and wanted to get started as soon as possible – both so she could get past this conflicting pit of emotions from knowing The Doctor was so close, and because his life may very well be in danger. Just then the ship shuddered and she saw Clara try and grab on to something that wasn't there. A railing from the old TARDIS, Rose guessed.

"Are we safe here? Can they get in?"

Clara asked.

"I dunno, is there a Dalek empire outside?"

"Uhh… No…"

"We're fine then. Now, listen to me, you said the Doctor is still a prisoner out there, whose prisoner? What are they planning to do with him?"

Clara explained the situation to Rose in detail and, realising that Rose meant to help her asked,

"What are we going to do?"

Rose smiled, she liked Clara. Good on him, she thought, thinking about the Doctor. It's good he's not travelling alone… She stopped that train of thought but not before a voice in her head countered that now she was travelling alone. Ignoring it she explained her plan to Clara.

"I'm going to give you a microchip that will act like a two-way radio through a telepathic link. I can hack into the temple's computer systems from here, create a couple distractions and lead you through to free The Doctor and get both of you out safely. The chip will absorb into your body on its own after a couple of hours, and the telepathic link will only share thoughts you direct towards it, so I won't see or hear anything you don't want me to."

"You'll stay in here the whole time yeah?"

Clara asked, and Rose made certain her next words were crystal clear.

"You can't let the Doctor know I was ever here, do you understand me?"

Taken aback a bit, Clara answered tentatively.

"Yes… but…"

"Do you understand?"

Rose repeated, more firmly.

"Yes. Got it, you were never here… but how on Earth am I meant to convince the Doctor that?"

"Do you have any knowledge of how to fly the TARDIS?"

"Um… no."

"Okay then… you're just going to have to go with the TARDIS helped you by sending telepathic… suggestions. Not words but feelings, like instinct but from the TARDIS, you get me?

"I think so… What did the TARDIS help me do then?"

"Telepathic circuit interface – squishy thing on the console that you never noticed before, you stuck your hand on and thought to the exact place you wanted to be and landed the TARDIS where it was originally parked. You have no idea what happened to cause your distraction but you made the most of it and helped the Doctor get out. Soon as you're with him, try not to make it obvious you've got someone in you're ear leading you, and I'll try to help."

"Right… Squishy thing that flies the TARDIS… Yeah, I think I got it all… you sure it'll work?"

"Got any better ideas?"

"No… but one question… Are you a Time Lady or something?"

Rose replied with a look she hoped would be taken as – I'm not telling you anything else about myself so button it. Judging by Clara's reaction, she nailed it.

"Right, hold out you arm."

Rose said, having found the injector for the microchip.

"Ow!"

Clara complained as Rose shot the chip into her upper arm. She then lifted up her sleeves and shot a chip into her own arm, wincing a bit as she did.

"Sorry, give it a try though."

"How?"

"Think of the me in the TARDIS, this TARDIS and direct specific thoughts toward it. Once the link is fully established you'll be able to feel it as a presence and focusing or avoiding it will get easier."

Clara scrunched up her face and after a few seconds Rose was aware of her in her mind.

Can you hear me?

Yes Clara, I can hear you.

Clara opened her eyes and smiled at Rose.

"Now that's cool!"

Rose smiled back.

Now try sending me images.

After a few more tests Clara said she was confident in using it and she was ready to go. Rose looked out the window and fiddled with the controls until they had a rotating 360 view of the room around them. There were heaps more people now, all in varying amounts of gold running tests, trying machinery and attempting to get in. Rose wasn't scared, though she suspected Clara might be.

"Let's clear the room then shall we?"

And with that every one in the room around them looked up and started panicking. In no time they were alone.

"What did you do?"

Asked Clara.

"I told you I could hack into their systems didn't I? Set off the evacuation alarm in all the underground passageways. Now you'd best be off before someone works out it's safe."

Smiling, Clara thanked her and headed to the door. Just before she let herself out though she turned back and said,

"I wish you'd tell me who you are."

In reply, Rose simply said,

"Doesn't matter, because I was never here."

Clara's smile faded and she nodded her head, then she left. A moment later Rose heard a voice in her head ask,

Right, which way first?

After a quick detour through a lab-like room where Clara was able to retrieve The Doctor's sonic screwdriver, Rose led Clara by the fastest route to The Doctor. Despite the telepathic link allowing for all 5 senses to be conveyed the pair worked fine using only words. Rose registered Clara's excitement when she reached The Doctor, and had another mental war with herself. It wasn't too late. She could still see him again, at least let him know she was here, so close… No… She couldn't… Tied up with her own thoughts it took Clara's prompting to bring her back to what needed to be done.

Rose, I've freed The Doctor with the sonic, where do we go now?

Directing Clara through the tunnels to the nearest exit focused her mind, and made it easier to ignore the arguments that wanted to sprout. As to whether or not Clara noticed the tension in her mental voice as soon as she entered the presence of The Doctor, Rose didn't know. She didn't care. She almost wanted Clara to figure it out, as much as she had tried to ensure it wouldn't happen.

It must have been an exhausting run, Rose decided, and pitied Clara and The Doctor for having parked so far away. They made it back to their TARDIS though, and in Clara's last message she thanked Rose again and said goodbye. Rose cut off the link from her end, something she hadn't told Clara about and clenched her fists along the edge of the console. Had she done enough to avoid being identified? Would Clara keep her promise? Had Clara done enough to keep her secret? Or would The Doctor find out she'd been here? Rose didn't know what she wanted more. The adventure of the last hour had accumulated into a final decision – reveal herself or not. Now she didn't know if she made the right decision. Regret washed over her and supressed emotions tumbled free, driving her half into madness. For the first time, because even with Donna she had managed to rein it a bit, she let out all the pain that plagued her. She screamed out loud at the chaos of her feelings - grief for her husband, fear and hope clashing for the same man, anguish and regret at her hesitance, guilt for selfishly wanting to find The Doctor when her husband was dead. Rose was crying now, sobbing out loud and screaming when she caught enough breath to do so. She slammed her fists on the console repeatedly until a soothing presence entered her mind. The TARDIS helped a bit, taking away the anguish but leaving the rest. She paced across the floor and came to rest against one of the walls, sliding down against it until she was crouched with her arms around her knees. The ship shuddered as the inhabitants of the temple returned to their posts and once again tried to get in.

"GO AWAY!"

She screamed at them. When, heedless to her words, another shudder passed over the TARDIS, she pulled her sonic pen out of her back pocket and aimed it at the console. Sparks flew and then they were de-materialising, to reappear somewhere in deep space. In the quiet of solitude, Rose rode out the rest of her sobs, wishing that someone would just take the pain away.