Chapter Eleven
Nol led the way as he looked around and they went down the hallway. He held onto Rose's hand as they moved by several suits of armor and Nol peeked into a room. The room was empty when they came to some stairs and he looked at her.
"This way," Nol whispered as they went up the stairs then stopped. He looked around the corner when they went up the stairs and the torches flickered on the walls.
"Where are we going?" Rose whispered as they walked up the stairs then came to a hallway and Nol looked around.
"This way!" Nol whispered as they headed for an ivory door and he touched the door. He wiggled the handle when the door opened and he looked inside. He nodded when they went inside and the torches came up.
"Oh my!" Rose said, looking around and Nol smiled. The bedroom was almost as large as Jareth's bedroom with large windows showing the dark landscape outside. The walls were stone and covered with paintings and a blood red carpet covered the floor. The furniture was posh and elegant and a fireplace was to the left of the room. Nol walked around the room then looked at the ivory bathtub and half smiled. He ran his fingers along the surface of the tub when he turned and looked at Rose.
"This is amazing."
"I need a bath," Nol said, looking at the tub and snapped his fingers. The steam rose from the foaming water as Rose's eyes went wide and she blushed.
"Um," Rose said and he looked at her. He seemed a little more sane as he smiled and folded his arms over his chest.
"Close your eyes," Nol said when Rose closed her eyes and Nol snapped his fingers then slid into the foamy water after the tattered clothes vanished in a puff of black smoke. "You can open your eyes now."
Rose opened her eyes when she walked to the small stool near the ivory tub and he arched his eyebrows up.
"Do you want me to bathe you?" Rose teased and he softly laughed.
"No. I can do that myself," he said with a smile when he reached over and picked up the washcloth and soap sitting on the stool near the ivory tub. "Do you want to join me?"
"No thanks," Rose said as he nodded and lathered the soap with the washcloth. She watched him bathe then looked out the window and wondered where the Doctor was.
The Doctor tested the chain when he started climbing up the chain and Zeeni watched him. He got to the top of the chain when he looked down and looked at the molten lava.
"Hm," the Doctor said when he tested the chain then placed his hands out. He carefully placed one foot in front of the other when he moved across the chain and headed across the chain.
"Be careful!" Zeeni shouted.
"Oh, like I didn't know that already," the Doctor whispered when Mirror appeared in front of him and the Doctor looked at him.
"Hello," Mirror said.
"Nol," the Doctor growled.
"Just what do you think you're doing?"
"I am rescuing the child YOU took!"
"I don't think so!" Mirror said when he stamped his foot and the chain moved. The Doctor waved his arms around then fell off the chain and Zeeni screamed. The Doctor grabbed the chain as he dangled over the molten lava and Mirror looked at him.
"Fall!" Mirror shouted while stamping on the chain and the Doctor held on. He looked over at the cage as the cage shook then looked at Mirror.
"Keep this up and the cage will fall!" the Doctor shouted and Mirror laughed.
"Like I care!" Mirror shouted and stamped on the chain.
"If you care anything about her, stop this!"
"You mistake caring for need, Doctor," Mirror said as the Doctor reached for Mirror's foot, but his hand sailed through it.
"Hold it, if you're not here then how are you doing this!?" the Doctor asked and Mirror smiled.
"Magic!" Mirror said then vanished and the Doctor sighed.
"I am REALLY starting to HATE magic!" the Doctor said then looked down when he swung his long legs up and wrapped his ankles around the chain. He hung his head back when he looked at the cage and headed for it.
"Hurry!" Zeeni shouted as the Doctor looked at her and arched one eyebrow up.
"What do you THINK I'm doing?" the Doctor whispered and headed for the cage. He stopped when he grabbed onto the cage and hung upside down. "Hello."
"Get me out!" Zeeni shouted and he saw the tears in her eyes.
"Now, now, there is no need for that!" the Doctor said when he took the sonic screwdriver out and placed it against the lock.
"How come that didn't fall out?"
"I have my own magic!" the Doctor said when the lock clicked and the door opened. He placed the sonic screwdriver away when he reached his hands out and she looked at him.
"I can't! I'm too scared!" Zeeni said when the Doctor swung up then inside the cage and she looked at him.
"Come on," the Doctor said when she got onto his back, wrapped her arms around his neck and wrapped her legs around him. He reached up when he grabbed the chain and tested it. He smiled when he grabbed onto the chain and looked straight ahead. "Just don't look down!"
They moved across the chain when the Doctor noticed that Zeeni was holding on a little too tight and coughed.
"Well, she is scared," the Doctor thought as he grabbed the next link in the chain and she placed her forehead against the back of his head. He heard her sobbing as he felt his hearts aching and he wanted reach back and touch her hair assuring her that everything was alright.
"It's alright. We're nearly there."
"Hurry!"
"It's just a little bit more. Hold on."
"O-okey."
"There's my brave girl!" the Doctor said as she held on tighter and he looked straight ahead. The Doctor smiled as they came to where the cage was connected to the wall and he knelt down letting her off. He sat on the ground when she slid into his lap and started crying. He held her as he gently rocked her and stroked her hair.
"Hush now. We're safe," the Doctor said, kissing the top of her head. He rocked her when the Doctor got up, picked her up and carried her out of the room, heading down the hallway.
"Alright, Rose, you can open your eyes," Nol said when she opened her eyes and blinked. He was dressed in a green silk robe and looked amazing. The wounds were gone and a light shimmered in his eyes.
"Whoa," Rose whispered. Nol walked to her when she reached up and touched his hair. It was still matted in places when he shook his head and the hair flew in all directions. She watched his hair change from ink black with gray and white stripes to ink black and it floated around his head.
"Why are you smiling?" Nol asked.
"Your hair looks like Jareth's."
"Jareth? Oh! You mean Gobby!"
"You call him "Gobby"?"
"Sure!"
"And he doesn't mind?"
"Nah!" Nol said then grunted and held onto his stomach. "Ow!"
Rose helped him to the bed when she moved the duvet back and helped him lay down. She covered him with the duvet when he closed his eyes and went to sleep. She brushed his hair back as she wiped the tears from her eyes and sighed.
"Doctor, where are you?" Rose whispered as she held Nol's hand and he softly smiled at her.