Rose and Martha roughly reentered their own universe. Martha had warned Rose of the dangers of using the vortex manipulator, all of which Rose had been more than willing to take upon herself. Martha had also warned Rose that the passage was a painful one. As Rose picked herself off of the ground where she had landed she found Martha had been completely right about that. Rose also realized that Martha must be one strong woman to have said it was just 'painful' and not call it what it really was: excruciating.

It took Martha a little longer to rise. She found the passage got worse which each time and not better. Jack hadn't been exaggerating when he'd told her this device was not safe. She could only imagine what kind of effect using it was having on her body. She wrapped an arm around her middle as she struggled to get up and she was glad for the hand Rose reached out to help her rise.

They had not ended up exactly where they meant to. Accuracy was also not a strong feature of Jack's invention. But they weren't that far from the TARDIS and both Rose and Martha were glad they didn't have long to walk. Martha led the way, trying to speed up as she attempted to shake off the painful effects of the reentry and Rose followed eagerly behind. Her excitement and anticipation dulled all the pain she felt and she was practically bursting to get back to the Doctor. She was finally back in her proper universe again but it wouldn't seem real to her until she had seen him again.

When she finally saw the TARDIS for the first time it was almost surreal to her. They had already been walking at a brisk pace to get back as soon as they could but once it was in her sight Rose couldn't help but start running towards it. It was a sight she had longed to see for so long and she couldn't believe that it was real and right in front of her. It embodied so many things to her and it housed the Doctor. She couldn't get there fast enough and she soon outran Martha and practically jumped through the doors in her eager haste.

The console room was a sight for sore eyes. The glow of the room was warm and inviting and if she wasn't mistaken the rotor even seemed to hum out a greeting for her. It felt the same; just right and just like home. The air around her and the smell of it was all familiar. But there wasn't any time to stop and pause to take all of this in. She had to get to the Doctor as soon as she could. They still didn't know how he was faring; there was no guarantee he was still holding on.

But Rose had only taken a few steps inside of the TARDIS when she was stopped dead in her tracks. She felt it; she felt him. She had desired for so long to feel his presence and here he was again. She could feel the essence of who he was, the very touch of his life brushing up against her again. It was like water on the desert that had become her neglected mind and she smiled feeling it again. This was something she'd feared she'd never know again. She knew without a doubt now they had made it in time and he was still alive.

At the feel of his presence so close to her after such a long absence her mind did something it had never done before. She closed her eyes and reached out to grab the nearest handrail, steadying herself as her mind lept from her. She gasped out in surprise as it reached out across the distance. For the very first time, she touched his mind without the need for physical contact. She had never been able to do that and had always found herself straining when she attempted it. But this time she hadn't even been trying. The long time apart must have been enough to overcome her limitations in this area. Everything within her had wanted to reach out to him and now that she was this close to him, nothing stood in her way. Her mind now connected with his effortlessly.

Doctor, she called excitedly, marveling that she was able to speak to him already and in this new way. But he didn't respond nor did he stir at her touch. At first it felt like he was just asleep because she could feel the weight of fatigue upon him. But after a few more seconds she realized that this was more than just sleep. She knew what it was to feel his sleeping mind but this was something else. She could feel now how unnatural it felt. This wasn't just sleep upon his mind; his mind felt dull and completely devoid of thought. He was trapped and though he couldn't feel it yet he was in pain. He was weak and struggling but he was still holding on.

"Rose, what's wrong?" Martha asked. Rose felt Martha's hands on her shoulders as she crouched down to where Rose had crumpled.

"Nothing," Rose said, breathing quickly to catch her breath after the surprise of it all. She forced her eyes open. "Nothing is wrong. The Doctor is alive."

"Really? How do you know?"

"I can feel him," Rose said. Before Martha could ask Rose what she meant she was getting to her feet and walking again. Martha followed Rose and they both quickly made their way to the Doctor's bedroom.

When Rose reached his room she stopped in the doorway. She paused and let herself take a moment to stare at him and fully appreciate the sight of him again. It was one of those rare moments when she felt like time was actually slowing down around her. The moment felt so significant, this first glimpse of him after so long, it felt like time itself stopped to allow her to savor it. She took full advantage of it, glad she could linger in this moment without wasting precious seconds. She felt as this event placed itself with importance on their timeline. Again, for the first time since they'd parted, she felt their life paths intertwining again and becoming one. They had been apart for a time but that time was over now and she could see it.

The Doctor was there; he was actually right in front of her. Soon, he would even be close enough to touch. Her Doctor, the one who belonged to her, who she was bonded to, was finally with her again. How many times had she wished for this exactly, wished for him to be right in front of her? She felt as eight months of longing pooled together in her heart; all the heartache and missing she'd felt for him since he'd been gone seemed to come back to her all at once as one last reminder of how much the distance had hurt.

Not only could she see him but she could sense his presence once again. This wasn't just the ghosts of his mental touch that she'd felt when she'd dwelt on memories of their time together; this was actually real. She couldn't believe that she could even touch his mind from here. With several feet between them she could actually reach out and touch him from where she was standing.

But even though this moment was a happy one, it was far from being perfect. She had dreamed of their being reunited in dozens of different ways but none of them had been like this. Never once had she imagined him sick, in pain, his very life in danger when they met again. He almost looked like he was just sleeping there in his bed dressed in a t-shirt and flannel pants. He almost looked peaceful. But the pale color of his skin and the sweat glistening on his forehead told her that he wasn't just sleeping and he was not at all well. If she focused she could even feel the dull reminder of pain in her head that she knew came from his unconscious mind.

All of this happened so quickly on the outside that the others hadn't even realized she'd stopped to pause. Time had not halted for them and she was moving again before they noticed anything had happened.

Jack was sitting in a chair next to the Doctor's bed, some books and notebooks all around him. It was clear that he had been studying, surely searching for something that might help the Doctor. But at this moment he was looking at the Doctor with worry. It looked like he probably hadn't found anything useful and it was clear that he was exhausted and hadn't slept in a while.

When he heard Rose and Martha approaching, he turned. He appeared startled like he had been so caught up in thought he hadn't heard them coming until they were beside him. Despite the grim situation, his face lit up when he saw Rose. He was glad to see her again and, in light of this troubling circumstance, she knew that it must have been a relief. "Hey, kid. Long time no see," he said smiling wide and standing up from his chair.

She walked over to him and gave him a tight hug which he gladly returned. She'd had so many things to think about ever since Martha showed up to bring her back she hadn't had a whole lot of time to dwell on thoughts of her friend, a friend she had been convinced she would never see again. She was looking forward to having some time later to think about it and let herself feel the joy she wanted to feel about it. "Right back at you," she said as she pulled back and looked at him. "I have a few questions for you."

He gave her a tired smile. "I have a few for you too. And your Doctor has a lot of explaining to do when he wakes up."

Rose sat on the bed beside the Doctor and she vaguely heard Jack greeting Martha and congratulating her on success. Rose reached out a hand to his face, finding it hot and clammy under her touch. Despite all the sadness, having him so close again she ached with desire for him to a degree she hadn't known it was possible. She wasn't sure how she had the strength to keep herself from gathering him tight in her arms when she was so intoxicated by the very presence of him. After a moment, she felt Jack and Martha come closer and focus their attention on the Doctor as well.

"Have you learned anything else while I've been gone?" Martha asked Jack and Rose turned her attention to him to hear the answer as well.

"No, I'm afraid not. Before the Doctor fell asleep he had narrowed suspects down to three species," he explained for Rose. "Based on the evidence he gathered there were only three known species he felt would have been capable of doing this. But that doesn't really help us. While those species would have been telepathically able to manage this, none of them have ever been known to attack people in this way. Studying each species hasn't helped because we're likely dealing with someone who has gone rouge and is acting out of their cultural norms. That could be true for any of them."

"Have you heard of anything like this?" Martha asked, this question directed to Rose.

"No, I haven't. I mean, I'm new to this but I didn't know a person could be so violent in this way."

She turned her attention back to the Doctor. As she sat next to his sleeping form she could feel his fear and his pain brushing against the very edges of her mind. Her anger grew when she thought about this unknown alien thief. They had just torn into the Doctor's mind, ripping and tearing and stealing. They didn't care if they destroyed him as long as they got what they wanted.

"He's in pain," she said quietly as she looked at him, not talking to anyone particular as tears filled her eyes. "He can't feel it right now...but they've just torn him up."

"So, it is true?" Jack asked. "You can communicate with him telepathically?"

It felt strange to admit it again, for the second time in one day, when before she had never admitted that to anyone. But these were their good friends and they had done so much for her and the Doctor. She knew that their secret was safe with these two.

"Yes, I can," she said, pride almost in her voice. She found she liked being able to acknowledge it.

Jack smiled knowingly. "I knew you two were going to have something amazing between you."

Rose smiled. Indeed they did.

"If there is anyone who can reach him now then it's you," Jack added a little more seriously now.

This was the very reason she was here and she eagerly set out to complete her task. She reached out both her hands to the Doctor's head but Jack spoke again, stopping her. "Rose, I should warn you. We don't know what we're dealing with here or how to fight it. When you try to communicate with him you might get pulled in yourself."

"It doesn't matter," she said quickly. "I have to do this."

He smiled at her. It was the look of both his pride and affection. "I know you do."

Rose reached out and placed her hands on either side of the Doctor's head and her fingers tingled with the excitement of being there again. She spread her fingers wide so that she could touch as much of his head as she could. She paused for a second only because it felt strange to try this while others were watching. It was such a private thing between her and the Doctor and it was always done when they were alone. But she knew it was best that Martha and Jack were there, in case something went wrong. She also knew she couldn't very well ask them to leave after all they had done for her and the Doctor.

She pushed her embarrassment away and focused her complete attention on connecting with him. The Doctor needed her now more than ever. She closed her eyes and leaned her head down to his, using as much contact as she could to help her make the connection strong. She focused all her attention on reaching for his mind and though his light was faint she could see it and she soaked it up.

"Doctor," she called again inside of his mind. "It's me, Rose. Can you hear me?" She waited for his voice or for his mind to respond in any way. He hadn't stirred when she had called before but she had hoped that the added physical touch would help. But his mind still didn't move. It was empty and still against hers.

She concentrated even more, pouring her energy and everything she could into speaking. "Doctor, I'm really here right now. Please, wake up," she nearly shouted the words. She was certainly speaking louder than she normally would but unfortunately the added volume didn't seem to make any impact.

Frustration brought tears to her eyes. She was trying her best but it wasn't making a difference. She could reach the Doctor in a way that no one else could but she feared it still wouldn't be enough. She leaned down her mouth close to his ear and whispered words that he had never been able to ignore. "Doctor, I need you," she cried as she pressed her fear and love and pain against him.

It was so unnatural to feel him this way. The Doctor never stopped. He was always moving, always full of energy. Inside his head she had always found him to be even busier than he was on the outside. He was constantly full of ideas. It was disturbing to feel his mind void of activity. It was meant to be there for her when she needed him not completely unresponsive to hers.

She pulled back and opened her eyes to look at him. She tried hard to think of what she could do, of any way she could go deeper.

"What's going on, Rose?" Martha asked quietly.

"I tried to talk to him but he's not responding," she explained. "I can't even seem to get in."

Rose reviewed their shared history in her mind. She tried to think of anything she could do to reach out to him but almost everything they'd had between them had been a joint effort; it had required them both to participate. She'd never thought to try anything without his input and even though she was doing it to save him, she still felt strange even thinking about it. It wasn't meant to ever be that way. Still, she tried her hardest to think of anything either one of them had done without the other's input. But their bonding had always been the two of them together participating and she was left feeling lost attempting anything on just her own.

But then it came to her. There had been one time that he had reached out to her without her knowledge or her help. That time was now completely relevant to their present situation and she knew exactly what she had to do. She couldn't call him out, so she would have to go in.

"I have to go into the dream," she said turning towards Jack and Martha.

"You can do that?" Martha asked.

"I can try," Rose said honestly. "There was this one time while me and the Doctor were apart that he came to me in a dream. Somehow, we were actually able to talk to each other while we were both sleeping. I don't know exactly how he did it but I think it's the only way I will be able to reach him."

"But the Doctor isn't really asleep," Jack reminded her. "He appears asleep and he's been put into a dreamlike state but he's actually trapped in there."

"I know," she said gravely. "I know this isn't the same thing but it might work. He's not coming to me right now, so I have to try and go to him."

"Please," Jack said, "just be careful."

"I will," she promised.

She shifted on the bed and lay down beside the Doctor. She was scared. She knew this was a risky move and that there was every chance that she might get pulled into that same dark place where the Doctor was imprisoned. She may not be able to reach him and might only be signing up for death as well. But she knew she had to face that fear. The Doctor was already there, captive, and she had to bring him back to her.

"Good luck," Martha said kindly just as Rose was about to close her eyes.

Rose smiled over at her. "Thank you."

She took a deep breath and took the Doctor's hand in her own. She scooted until her side was touching him and closed her eyes. She took deep breaths and tried to calm her body and mind and will herself towards sleep. At first it seemed like it would be difficult; she was so geared up and anxious she was sure she couldn't fall asleep.

But after a few moments of lying next to the Doctor and drawing on her connection to him she felt his drowsiness creeping over her. It may have been an artificial sleep the Doctor found himself in but it was having a lulling effect on her. She could feel the fatigue coming but she reminded herself strongly of what she knew. She needed to remember this was a dream and she was asleep so she could manipulate it as the Doctor had said he'd done when he'd visited her at Christmas. But most of all she needed to remember it wasn't real so she wouldn't get drawn in and taken over by whatever enemy already had the Doctor.

Rose felt herself being pulled into sleep, reminding herself of these things whole way. She could only hope she'd awake to find herself in the same place as the Doctor.

A/N: Dear patient readers, the reunion you've been waiting for is just around the corner! And I promise that the Doctor and Rose will be thoroughly making up for all the time they've been separated from each other's minds ;)