Chapter Five

I thought about my mum and how far away she was. I never really missed her when we were on the run, but at times like this, I wished I could be with her. My mum would make me tea. She wasn't smart like the Doctor, but she always knew the right thing to say. Mums were just like that.

"I miss Mum," I admitted to the Doctor. "I left my mobile in my other room in the TARDIS." Other room. It sounded weird. I have one room at home with Mum, one room on the TARDIS, and, now, one room with the Doctor.

He tightened his grip on my hand a little; our palms pressed together.

The Doctor smirked, "I'm lucky she's not the one I'm trapped here with. Could you imagine that?"

I laughed, "I'd kind of like to see that. She would drive you nuts!"

"Good ol' Jackie Tyler," he said joyously. He propped his feet up on the coffee table. I giggled.

Today was one of the most uneventful days I have spent with the Doctor. I watched some television and the Doctor read. I decided to take another shower before dinner. I dressed in jeans and a purple t-shirt. I was starving by the time I entered the living room.

The Doctor, stretched out on the sofa with his hands behind his head, looked up when I walked in. He gave me a wide smile. I couldn't help but smile back. He jumped up from the sofa and walked over to me.

"Rose Tyler," he said while holding his hand out to me, "Our dinner awaits us." I took his hand. One glance over to the empty table made me question this situation immediately.

"But the TARDIS hasn't given us our food yet," I pointed towards the silver door that fed us. It remained shut.

"Ah ha! Follow me," the Doctor said and lightly tugged on my hand. I followed him down the hallway. He opened the door to the library, but held it open, gesturing for me to go in first.

I walked past him through the doorway and was immediately stunned. The couch and chairs in the library were gone. The magnificent fireplace was lit with a roaring fire. In the center of the room, there was a table similar to the one in the living room. However, this table was covered with an ivory table cloth. There were candles flickering in the center. A table set for two. The Doctor grabbed my hand again and led me towards the table.

"Wow," I said, "Did you do all of this?"

He grinned. "Well, the TARDIS helped." He pulled out my chair, and I took my seat. It wasn't until now that I saw what we were having for dinner.

"Fish and chips!" I exclaimed.

He nodded excitedly. I giggled at the thought of such a casual meal served in such a formal way.

"Wow," It seemed like that was all I could ever say. "This looks amazing. Thank you, Doctor."

Out of all the fish and chips that the Doctor and I have had in the past year, I'm pretty sure these have been the best. I mentally thanked the TARDIS. Throughout the meal, I kept thinking about how wonderful my life with the Doctor had been. This thought spiraled into the same persistent problem that inhabited the back of my mind.

"Sometimes," I confessed out loud, looking down at my almost-empty plate, "I think about the future, but I'm scared."

The Doctor looked at me and leaned back in his chair. "Welcome to my life," he said.

"I wish I could just live the entirety of my life from this position. Young, in the TARDIS, with my Doctor, around the stars." My body quivered a little as I felt my insides fold in upon themselves. My eyes were still glued to the plate.

"I know, Rose, but that's what makes things so unfortunate." The sound of those words in the softness with which they were spoken broke my heart. All the emotions from the past year bubbled up inside of me. My eyes immediately drowned in tears as they neared the brim. I knew this time I couldn't keep them from overflowing.

Avoiding the Doctor's eyes, I scooted my chair back, and in one swift move, I ran for the door.

"Rose!" I heard him cry with a drained-out tone.

I made a run for the bedroom, because it seemed like the most comforting of the rooms. I knew we were trapped in here, and I knew the Doctor was probably a couple seconds behind me, but I ran anyways. I flung myself mid-bed and buried my face into the top blanket.

Sobs pulsated through my body. Hot tears damped my face and the blanket. My arms were clutching my stomach.

I felt a hand on my lower back, but I didn't bother to turn around to look at him. A dip down in the bed told me the Doctor sat down beside me. The hand traveled up and down my back. After a few seconds, another hand joined in and continued to run circles around my skin.

My sobs were still shaking, and my body remained rigid. The Doctor's touch turned into a massage. About a minute later, my weeping mellowed down and only wet tears lingered. I felt like a little toddler again being soothed by my Mum.

The Doctor allowed me to feel every bit of positive emotion. Even when he made me upset, he was always there to make me feel better. As unusual as the Doctor was, everything about him in my life feels right. Above all, I wanted him. I wanted him to kiss me with all the passion I knew we were both holding back. I wanted him to give me back massages even when I'm not crying. I wanted him to love me despite this hellish condition we were in.

Eventually, I calmed down. I lay there as the Doctor's sexy hands drew happiness over my back. I noted that there was only a thin t-shirt separating his hands from my skin. There was always that one layer between us.

One hand settled on my waist while the other brushed my hair to the right side of my neck. Before I could take another breath, his soft lips were on the back of my neck. Immediately, chills ran from that spot and down my body. His lips stayed there slightly longer than the average kiss-on-the-cheek would. I felt his breath on my skin just after he pulled away. A tingle settled deep in my throat.

I turned my head, so my face appeared from the wet and dark cave. He looked a little bit embarrassed, but entirely worried about me. To top it all off, I'm sure I looked like crap.

I pulled my arm out from under me. I placed my hand on his knee because it was the only part of him I could reach. I felt my grip tighten, and I dragged my thumb over his knee. I wanted to hold on for dear life. He looked down at my hand on his knee and placed a hand over mine.

"I'm going to go take a quick shower," He said looking down at me sympathetically, "I promise I will be right back."

I nodded because I didn't trust my voice. I released his knee. The Doctor gave me one more apologetic look and left the room with pajamas in hand.

A/N: I am quite fond of this chapter. I hope you liked it too. x