Chapter Thirteen
"Everyone ready?" the Doctor asked as they stepped outside the house.
The three women nodded.
"Good, then let's get going." He said. "I wanna try to get back to the TARDIS by tonight at least. I'm sure the Arcadians are still nearby and I'd rather be off the planet before they've discovered I've found Rose."
He took Rose's hand and they headed off. They managed to get several feet away from the house before they heard another explosion echoing in the distance.
"Guess we're not the only ones who are awake at this hour." The Doctor said.
"You don't think we're in danger of running into them on the way back to the TARDIS?" Rose asked.
The Doctor frowned.
"I don't know, I hope they stay where they were yesterday, but you never know. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens. If we do end up in the middle of the fighting, we'll handle it like we always do." He said. "Until that time, don't worry about it."
Rose nodded. They turned to their right and headed off towards the field.
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To their immense relief, the battle was in the exact same place as yesterday so they could walk across the field without any fear of injury. It was a warm, sunny day and the four friends chatted softly as they headed towards the TARDIS.
Rose held onto the Doctor's hand enjoying the feel of it. After two years, it felt so good to hold his hands again. She had missed doing it while she in the other universe. The feel of him beside her, the sound of his voice and his laughter, his sparkling, brown eyes and handsome face, she drank it all in like an alcoholic on an all night binge. She looked up at him and silently vowed that nothing would ever separate them again.
She was also glad now that Martha and Donna were with them. At first, she had been unsure of having two other women traveling with them and even resentful, fearing that the intimacy they once enjoyed would be nonexistent now. But, the more she got to know them, the more she liked them. Both of them were sweet, funny women and it felt good to have someone to talk shop with, just like Sarah Jane. Traveling with the Doctor made her a member of a very exclusive club and it was hard to talk to people about it without getting blank stares and murmurs about needing therapy. Only the other companions knew what it was like sharing a life with the Doctor and there were times in the past when she felt isolated not being able to share her thoughts and feelings about what was happening to her on a daily basis. That was one of the reasons why she had asked the Doctor to invite Sarah Jane back just so she could have someone who had been there that she could swap stories with and get advice from. Granted, once the Doctor and her had become closer and became more intimate, then she did love that it was just the two of them, but now she was looking forward to not being the only girl in the TARDIS. She smiled thinking of the stunt Donna had pulled the night before. Perhaps, the three of them could get together and come up with another practical joke to play on the Doctor one night. Or, they could all have a movie night and play the chick flicks that the Doctor shied away from. Just the three of them eating popcorn and chatting about the movie and the hunky actor in it and crying at the sad spots. The more Rose thought about it, the more she liked the idea.
"You know, I think I'll join you in that foot soak when we get back." Donna said to Martha. "My feet are already beginning to ache again."
"Be my guest." Martha replied.
Rose looked around at them.
"You know, the Doctor has something for blisters that works better than a foot soak." She said.
"He does?" Donna asked.
"Yes, I do." The Doctor said glancing back at her. "Special Sirius mixture. Sirius has very rocky terrain so blisters are a normal occurrence for the Sirians. I used the mixture when we were recovering from the forced march and several other occasions besides that. Most of the time the blisters clear up overnight, although in the case of the forced march it took two days just because there were so many. But yes, once we get back I'll get you some to put on your feet."
"Thank you." Martha said breathing a sigh of relief.
They stopped short when a little shrew like animal ran in front of the Doctor and Rose. They watched as the furry green mammal scurried away.
"I'm surprised there's any animals left after all the fighting they've been doing." Rose said.
"So am I, that's why I stopped to look at it." The Doctor said. "If I were him, I'd seriously think about coming back to the TARDIS with us."
They resumed walking.
"It's a shame there's a war going on." Rose said. "From what I've seen of the planet, the scenery is very pretty."
"It is," the Doctor said nodding. "I have been here before the fighting started and this whole planet used to be gorgeous. Very picturesque, it was. I'm not sure where we are, but somewhere on this planet there is a mountain range that is just breathtaking. I was here in my fifth life with Nyssa and Tegan and our TARDIS was near there so one night we brought tents out and just camped out under the stars and in the morning when the suns rose, it hit the snow on the mountain peaks and Rassilon it was beautiful. The snow sparkled. I wish you guys had been there."
He thought for a moment.
"Actually, I could take you back to some point in time before the fighting and show it to you. I do have a time machine after all. Would you guys like to see that?"
"Yes." The three women said in unison.
The Doctor beamed.
"Alright, once we get rested up at the resort, we'll go back for a quick look see. Actually, maybe we will camp out too. The stars are gorgeous. Back then, the air was perfectly clear and the stars were a lot more brilliant than they are on Earth. All of you will love it. Maybe I'll even bring along my telescope and we can do a bit of star gazing as well. "
The three women smiled at the happy expression on the Doctor's face. They knew that this was what he lived for. Coming up with fabulous planets and spectacular sights to show his friends. It made him happy that he had people who were so eager to see the wonders of the universe and this in turn made the three women happy. The Doctor had so much grief in his life; it was wonderful when those rare moments of contentment and happiness came around. It made everything they went through with him worthwhile. Each of them loved the Doctor in her own way; they wanted only the best in life for him especially since he had given them so much in return.
After two hours, the ruins near the TARDIS finally appeared in the distance and Donna and Martha rejoiced knowing that it wouldn't be too much longer until they could rest and relax away from the war torn planet. Rose stared at them in confusion until the Doctor explained why they were so happy and then she rejoiced along with them.
The Doctor decided to take a short break and all of them sat down together in the grass. The wind was blowing lightly across the field and Rose put her hands behind her and leaned back, closing her eyes as the breeze caressed her face. She smiled as the warmth of the suns beat down on her face warming it. Donna and Martha looked at her and then looked at the Doctor who was watching her quietly with a loving smile on his face. Donna looked behind her and lay down in the grass and Martha did the same. Both of them put their hands behind their head and enjoyed the breeze as the Doctor lay down on his side and stretched his legs out. Rose also lay back and all of them lay there in the field enjoying the sunny day. The only thing marring the pleasant scene was the sound of explosions echoing in the distance. Rose listened to it and felt a pang thinking of Tamoc, Jallel and Shova. She wondered if they were alright. It seemed a shame for them and all the rest of the soldiers to be fighting on a lovely day like this. Instead of lying in the grass enjoying the breeze, they were all killing each other. The thought of it depressed Rose and she let out a sad sigh.
"What's wrong, Rose?" the Doctor asked.
When she told him, he gave her a sad smile and nodded.
"I agree, but that's their choice." He said to her. "You know, this planet is big enough for the both of them and they could learn to co-exist peacefully if they just set aside their dispute and worked out a truce. But, like I said, the Gargumens are stubborn and I suspect they are the reason this war has been going on for as long as it has."
"Hasn't anyone ever tried to make peace and work on a truce?" Martha asked. "I mean, in 175 years, no one from either side or even another planet has stepped in and tried to stop the insanity?"
The Doctor thought.
"If memory serves me right, there was an attempt about a hundred years into the war to bring it to a close. Not by either side, by outside parties from neighboring planets. I think they were all nervous that the war might spill over onto their planets plus the other planets were trading with Gargumenta for their minerals and the war had hurt that."
He scratched his chin.
"As I recall, seven or eight ambassadors from the various planets came down to try to get the two parties to meet and declare a truce. But, it was unsuccessful because the Gargumens shot all of them once they learned what they had come for. After that, the other planets washed their hands of them and now the only ones who can stop the fighting are either the Gargumens or the Lox. And like I said, that's highly unlikely. I'm sure they'll go on until both races are extinct. So yes, i'm sure as much as all of them would like to be out here sunning themselves, that won't happen because their greed and stubbornness is forcing them to annihilate one another."
"Namoc said that military service on Loxus was mandatory." Rose said.
The Doctor nodded.
"It's the same here. No one on either planet is given much of an education or a childhood for that matter because each side raises its offspring to be mindless cannon fodder. You saw how eager those three were to get back into the battle. That's a result of the brainwashing both sides do to get their people to fight a war neither side has any hope of winning."
"What about the women though? Namoc said women didn't go into battle."
The Doctor gave her a sad look.
"Women on either side are basically brood mares. Girls are brainwashed to want nothing more than to bear male children that they and the government can raise to be the next generation of soldiers. I imagine that's why they were so shocked you were here, Rose. To them, your place is in the bedroom churning out soldiers for the war effort."
"Heh, I wondered why they looked so shocked when I told them I'd been in battles before and I could more than hold my own as a fighter."
The Doctor raised his eyebrows.
"You told them that? Blimey, it's a wonder they didn't have a heart attack at hearing that."
He smiled when Rose laughed.
"Well, you guys about ready to trudge the last few miles to the TARDIS?" he asked.
"I am." Donna said. "I wanna get this over with so we can get out of here."
"Same here." Martha said.
"Yeah, I wanna see the TARDIS again." Rose added.
"Then, let's get to it, gang."
All of them groaned as they slowly got to their feet. They hobbled along for a few minutes until their feet were used to the pressure once more and then they continued walking towards home.
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Another hour passed and they reached the ruins. All of them whooped and cheered when they saw the TARDIS across the field. Rose felt tears come to her eyes staring at it. She couldn't remember seeing anything so wonderful in her whole life. The Doctor noticed her crying and put his arm around her. He kissed her tears and nuzzled her cheek.
"Welcome home, angel." He whispered to her.
"God, I thought I'd never see it again. I wish we could just teleport in from here. It's gonna be torture walking towards it especially since I'm too tired to run now."
The Doctor chuckled softly.
"I think the old girl will be beside herself when she sees you. She's missed you almost as much as I have."
"I missed her too. Oh God, how I've missed her. Finally, I can start living again." Rose said.
The Doctor kissed her cheek.
"Then, let's not delay the homecoming any longer." He said.
He took her hand. All of them walked down the hill, their spirits and their strength renewed upon seeing the TARDIS. With each step they got closer and closer and Rose felt herself becoming more and more excited. Finally, she would get back to the life she loved. No more desk job, no more 9 to 9 drudgery. She would be back at the Doctor's side sharing his life and his adventures. The thought of that made her squeal and the Doctor laughed, delighted at her happiness. He squeezed her hand tightly thanking Rassilon that fortune had finally smiled on him and brought back his Rose to him. Suddenly, his life didn't seem so bleak anymore. All his demons that had reared their ugly heads after she was taken away from him were receding back into the darkness as the light of her love flooded his soul. The contentment and peace he knew before Canary Wharf was back and the Doctor was now just as excited as she was to get in the TARDIS and get back in the vortex. His mind was flooded with possibilities about where he should take her. So many good choices, it was hard to pick just one. After they went back to Gargumenta's past to see the mountains, it would be hard to figure out just where to go. That's what Rose's return had done to him, it made him feel the way he first felt when he started to travel in time and space. She was his whole life and he vowed he would never lose her again even if it meant surrendering more lives to keep her by his side.
Another half hour passed and at long last they had reached the TARDIS. Rose ran up to it and kissed the front door.
"I missed you, girl!" she cried out.
The TARDIS let out a loud rumble and Rose wept as she laid her head against it. The Doctor, Donna and Martha stood behind her and smiled watching as Rose and the TARDIS were reunited.
After a minute, Rose forced herself to step aside and the Doctor reached into his pocket for the TARDIS key and stepped forward to unlock the door. He swung it open and his grin split his face as Rose let out another cry of joy at seeing the familiar interior.
"Oh God, if this is a dream, I hope I never wake up." She said weeping.
The Doctor stepped forward and took her hand.
"I'm happy to tell you, Rose, that this is most definitely NOT a dream."
He kissed her head when Rose wept harder at that.
"Come inside, my Rose." He whispered to her. "Your home is waiting."
"Oh God." Rose sobbed.
The Doctor let go of her hand. Donna and Martha entered first and then the Doctor followed them. Rose let out a sigh of relief.
"Home, at last I'm home." She said walking towards the ramp.
She had just reached the threshold when suddenly Triton came around the open door. Before Rose could react, he dropped the medallion over her head and then…
Rose Tyler moved no more.