A/N:- ALL MISTAKES MINE!

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The ground rumbled and the room shook all around me as I delved deeper into the warm particles of light, never looking back. Even as the Bad Wolf tore down her own barriers that she'd created to lock me away, I stayed put.

I kept on walking, further and further, a gasp escaping my lips as memories old and new poured back into my head; it filled me with a new warmth, a new energy, a new volume to my life. Nevertheless, I knew that by doing this, I was also filling myself with a danger. For, as the real me awakened, the danger did so too. I felt it, right at the back of my mind, slowly but surely throbbing to life.

There was a soft growling behind me, and I felt a furry paw latch onto the blue material of my jeans, trying to pull me backwards. For the first time, I looked back.

"You cannot do this, child," the Bad Wolf insisted, her glowing amber orbs staring deep into mine. "You must not do this."

"The name's Rose," I replied snippily, a throbbing string of gold satiating me with another essence of my life: my personality, my characteristics, my attitude, my behaviour. It was as if I'd found a new fire within me. But this, this was me. "And yeah actually, yeah I can. I'll do what I like, thank you very much. I've been cooped up in 'ere, too long. I don't know about you, but I want my life back."

"Rose," she continued, "you do not understand. This is dangerous."

"I know."

"Then why are you doin' this?"

"Because… I want to."

"You might die. You will suffer the consequences; the world outside you is not the world you belong. Your allergy to this universe will take its toll. The human body is frail and weak, and your body will falter, wither, die. Your body will not last." a

I paused, suddenly worried, afraid - the memoirs climbed up my childhood years and a new word entered my mind - apprehensive. I tried to make absorption of the light/memories go faster, quicker, so I could reach my near past, but it was impossible. I was barely half way through the tunnel; I had to go deeper.

"What d'you mean?"

"Those memories are yet to be recovered and awakened, my child. By then, it will be too late. I am only sent to protect and help you, so I must not tell. Come with me, and I shall tell you everything, my child. Come where it is safe. Come."

For that split second in time, my mind and body betrayed me, my hand stretching out towards the Wolf with my feet slowly following. Her voice was so… trusting. I couldn't help but let the works sink into my mind. Suddenly, I had the urge to stop what I was doing and back away from it all and go back to the bubble, back to the Bad Wolf, back to a life of… enclosure. I couldn't do that. I wouldn't. I stopped dead in my tracks.

"No way!" I laughed half-heartedly. I spun around again, enclosed by the walls of white and the tendrils of light, walking deeper into the tunnel of my mind. The further I went, the newer and fresher the memories. I gritted my teeth, hesitating in my steps forward. "An' I keep tellin' you, it's Rose…"

-&-

Adrenaline, excitement, worry and fear rushed through me as I stared up at a tall blonde woman; a tall blonde woman called Jackie, Jackie Tyler. My... mother. She had her hands on hips and her head was tilted at an angle.

"Rose Marion Tyler, where d'you think you're going at this time at night?!" she asked me straightforwardly.

"Shareen said--"

"I don't care what Shareen said. It's ten o'clock at night and you're only nine years old!"

"But--"

"If Shareen told ya to jump off a bridge, would you do it?"

"No." Sadness, disappointment, frustration, realisation sizzled through me.

"What's she doin' up at this time anyways? I ought to have a word with her mother and--"

Tears pricked my eyes. Warm, loving, comforting arms wrapped themselves around me.

"Oh, I'm sorry sweet'art, I didn't mean to yell a' you. S'just, if you 'ad gone out, without me knowin', 'ho knows what might've happened to ya. It's not safe, love."

-&-

"Oi – you. Get back 'ere!"

It was a Friday, and Fridays meant a thirty minute walk home. Fridays meant Shareen was at her dad's place. Fridays meant a lonely walk home. Fridays meant Dale, Isaac and Jacob finding a new victim. They'd had their pick of most of the class already, and now it was my turn.

Worry, fear, anxiety.

"Are you deaf or somethin'?! I'm talkin' to you!"

Fretfulness and adrenaline pumping through me, a small dosage of courage boosting me up. I slowly turned around. I was not afraid. I was not afraid. I was not afraid. I could do this.

"You talkin' to me?"

As much courage and casualness that I could muster. Hope that my plan was foolproof, so they wouldn't see through my plan and see the fear, anxiety and worry rushing through me. Hope that they wouldn't hear the hammering of my heart.

Three tall boys towering over me.

The ringleader: Dale. "'Oo else would I be talkin' to, Tyler girl?"

There were sniggered.

Thump. Thump. Thump. My heart beat even faster as the words toppled out of my mouth. "It's Rose," I said quietly.

"Wha' did ya say?"

"I said Rose, my name's Rose.Rose Tyler."

I'd probably get lynched in class tomorrow, but at that exact moment in my life, now was all I was living for…

And so, I ran.

-&-

It was Year Six. The school disco. Flashing, multi-coloured lights. A boy with spiky, brown hair, russet-coloured eyes and a bit of a lisp. A boy I'd never really bothered with before; never spoken to; never looked at twice; never really knew.

"I'm Max," he said. I knew his name alright, but I thought his politeness quite sweet.

Confidence, pride, airiness. "Rose Tyler."

-&-

"…Rose Tyler. Rose Marion Tyler," I said smoothly.

Then, with confidence, familiarity and past-time experiences now running through my veins, I walked away from the Bad Wolf – her howling ringing in my ears, slowly disappearing like an echo behind me.

-&-

There were so many memories, experiences and recollections gushing like a windstorm into my head that I'd actually doubted that my head could fit so many things. But, as the memories flung themselves at me, the doubt grew smaller and smaller into a ball of nothing.

Flashbacks pelted me flat in the chest as I relived them, the most significant and niggling of the memories; the memories that I'd remember for as long as I'd live. The others – the less important and momentous of the memories, faded away into practically nothing, buried deep in the depths of my mind – the faintest outline just lingering in the corner of my mind to remember.

The knowledge of who I well and truly was became clearer, by the memory, and I felt myself grow stronger, older, better, wiser, more mature. Yet, there were memories that dampened down my self-esteem, making me feel immature and small.

Those were the memories of bullies, regretted dares, missed education, Jimmy Stones. My mum – the most amazing woman in the universe, who'd welcomed me back with open arms when I'd completely messed up my life and came back with an armful of debt to work off. My mum, the woman who'd taken me back as her daughter, forgave and still loved me, even when I was sure I didn't deserve it. Then there was Mickey; the boyfriend I'd dated, and then dumped for Jimmy Stones; the boyfriend who, like mum, forgave me for running off; the boyfriend who accepted me again and looked after me; the boyfriend who I wouldn't let go because I was selfish like that.

The string of memories weren't such a rush, after that. Things… settled down. There was a short holiday in Wales, but… nothing happened. It wasn't much after that: work, chips, mates, the telly. The same routine, over and over, every single day. For me, the universe didn't change. Not that I didn't love the life I was living, I was grateful for it, but I felt like there was so much more to the universe. There had to be more to it than living in a council estate in the middle of London, going to work, eating chips, chatting to mates. There had to.

And then the tunnel was bursting full of light and energy and power. That was the day my job went up in flames – literally; that was the day I met the most amazing man called the Doctor, the day my life changed forever. After that, the flashbacks were fast, furious and completely unavoidable. Memories, recollections, experiences, journeys sped towards me, filling me with life and hope and knowledge and change and just everything. This was what the universe had to offer, and I needn't not miss it for the world.

So many memories and events that I could barely stop to think. Love, life, happiness, past, present, future, new worlds, family, revolution, rescuing, peace, war, death, destruction, death, regret, jealousy, aliens, power, emptiness, loneliness, fire, change, epiphany, learning to love again, knowledge, running, idiots, adventures, bananas, sci-fi, friends, foes, rebounds, hugs, separation, fantasy, royalty, loyalty, truth, companions, spaceships, loss, comfort, betrayal?, hurt, hatred, learning, persuasion, hand holding, being stranded, see you again?, urgency, lost, devils, reunions, helping, adrenaline, adventure, the impossible, monsters, children, warmth, compassion, drawings, Clom, mums, anxiety, mystery, true happiness, more reunions, happy endings, flirting, laundry, ghosts, walls, determination, need, parting, heartbreak, mourning, goodbyes, grief, moving on, maturity, work, domestic, family, goals, friends, offices, symptoms, willpower, fortitude, pretence, courage, travelling, running, Earth, warning, saving, helping, finding, canons, old foes, togetherness, love, ecstasy, forever?, war, duplicates, beaches, truth, closure, abandoning, acceptance, sickness, secrets, allergies, hospitals, cures, boredom, dinner parties, pain, comas, hopelessness, ... the Bad Wolf, amnesia, darkness, discovery.

It was almost frightening how much my life changed in the past few years of my life, how much happened, how much potential and new experiences were crammed into that short space of time…

But now, there was no turning back, it was forwards and never backwards for me. Whether I wanted to or not. I'd made my decision and I hadn't a choice.

I knew who I was. There was no hiding from it.

And then, the light consumed me.

-&-

Free.

That's what I felt, when the blinding white sheathed me. That's how it felt, I was duly, finally taken out and away from the cage of my mind.

Wholeness.

That's what I saw, that's all I saw, when the Bad Wolf and I switched back to our proper rightful places – she tucked away in the deepest corner of my mind, and me back safely in my body filled with my own thoughts, feelings and memories.

Acknowledgement.

That's what suddenly hit me. The memory, clearer and bolder than every other, mostly due to the experience itself being one of the most recent to me, jumped up at me unawares.

Me bleeding through mouth and nose.

Me unable to staunch the flow of blood.

Me getting weaker.

Me hitting the floor.

Me falling unconscious.

Me thinking that my appointment with the Grim Reaper had finally arrived …

I could still feel the blood seeping through the crack of my parted lips, the metallic tang of hot blood filling my mouth, the thick liquid forcing its way down my throat … No! Stop!

But it still felt so real. Wait a minute, did that mean … no … it can't be … but … could it be … was I dead?

No, hang on, there was just the one memory left to be uncovered.

"Sorry, do I know you?"

-&-

"Rose, o' course you know me , I'm your mother!"

"Who's Rose?"

-&-

"Wha's wrong with me? I don't even know who I am!"

-&-

"How long?!"

"A year."

On the one hand, I wasn't dead – which was a plus point. But, on the other hand – even the Bad Wolf had been courteous enough to allow me this tiny piece of information – I was still supposed to be in a lifelong coma. If it weren't for Her and her puppeteer-like antics, I would've never woken up in the first place. I would've been still in a deep sleep to this very moment. I was lucky.

So … if I went back now things would revert to how they should be. What was in store for me? A lifetime of sleep, where time would pass me by and I wouldn't know a thing, that's what.

I couldn't, I wouldn't go back to a so-called "life" of safety and security – where not even a hair on my head would be harmed, but I'd stay tucked away in a everlasting slumber. If my travels with the Doctor had taught me anything, then, life was all about taking risks; jabbing at any and every opportunity that was hurled your way, making the most of what you had, living your life the way you wanted it.

So I had a choice: go back to a life of sleep and nothingness where I would never be harmed, or snatch this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, risk everything and try to avoid this coma induced future.

Well, I knew which option I was going for – and heck, it certainly wasn't the first one.

If it worked, I'd get to see mum and dad and John and Tony and all my friends again – if I had the chance to pick, the proper Doctor too, but as they say, beggars can't be choosers. But, if it didn't work … then, I guess, life just sucked and you couldn't always get what you want. Yeah, that, and I would sleep knowing that I'd, at least, tried.

Darkness …

That's what I was falling through. The darkness.

I went against the winds that whispered coma in my ears, ignoring the enticing, soft calls that beckoned me towards a life of peaceful slumber. I toppled through the great, colourful, whirlwind patterns of my mind. Soon enough, I slipped into a tunnel of darkness that told me I was nearly there, told me that I was close, told me to be patient, told me there'd not be long till I escaped this feigned reality inside my head.

Then, a loud, persistent gushing started up in my ears. The gushing noise grew louder and louder in volume. Louder and louder! LOUDER, still. It grew so loud and so noisy that I was sure that I'd go deaf from the sound itself.

I quickly clamped my hands over my ears, squeezing my eyes shut and bracing myself for some sort of impact or climax or just something. All of a sudden, there was a loud sort of popping noise. And then, just seconds later, the gushing noise stopped. The gushing noise literally just stopped, instantly evaporating into silence.

Had I made it? Had I not? Was I now back to my unconscious, comatose self? Was I just sleeping and about to wake up?

I opened my eyes to the unresponsive silence, determined to find the answer to all the questions clogging up my brain, only to find myself surrounded by, in darkness. It was the never-ending, pure, pitch black darkness; the sort of darkness that dug deep into your soul, peeling away the layers and stripping you bare, until it felt as if there was something in the darkness that was out to get you; the sort of darkness that meant your heart started beating erratically. It was all around me, wrapping me up in a velvet cloak of black.

Where was this place?

I spun my head around, feeling my hair billow out as I did so. Ah. And that was when I realised my faux pas. It wasn't because of the darkness that I couldn't see a thing - it was the other way around – it was because I couldn't see a thing that there was darkness.

How did I know?

It was like when I was a kid in the "Juniors". We'd spend break and lunch times playing childish yet highly entertaining games, like "tag" and "hide and seek" and "Blind Man's Buff". That was what it was like: Blind Man's Buff.

Whenever I was chosen to be "on it", someone would wrap their scarf around my eyes so I couldn't see a thing. So then, giggling I'd go stumbling about, thrusting my arms out wildly whenever I heard another play speak or move, in order to try and catch one of them.

Sorry; back to the point. The situation now felt like it did when blindfolded. You couldn't see a thing aside from the plain black darkness, but … whenever you moved; light seeped through your closed eyelids, so you could still technically "see" the blotches of patchy, yellow light.

I snapped my eyes open and close, but each time I was only to be greeted by the darkness and blotches of light every time I opened my eyes again. I was … blind.

Suddenly, my ears pricked up. My ears were met by the sound of buzzing. Familiar buzzing. Very familiar buzzing. … Sonic Screwdriver buzzing …

"Right, and now for you." Oh gawd, and that voice. I knew that voice. It was the Doctor's voice. The real Doctor's voice. I just knew it. And, ooh, his voice was coming from somewhere … in front of me.

I know what you're thinking, but I don't know really – the proper Doctor's voice just seems to sound so different from John's. So … alien. I just can't put my finger on it.

Scrap all that - what was the hell was the Doctor doing here in the first place?

OK, I was dreaming. Definitely. I had to be. It was confirmed. There was no way this could possibly be real – it was official – there was no other explanation for this either. If this wasn't a dream, I didn't know what it was. I'd just heard the Sonic Screwdriver and the Doctor, after all. How could anything be real after that?

So, now, the gist of it was: I was blind and dreaming. Lovely.

Now I just needed to figure out why my legs had turned to jelly.

The Doctor?

And that's the two words that ran through my mind, as exhaustion took over me and my legs buckled under my weight. I collapsed to the floor.

"Rose!" the oh-so familiar voice of the Doctor exclaimed, catching my fall. "I've got you."

My legs were folded up beneath my thighs, my trainers digging uncomfortably into my bum. The Doctor's skinny yet surprisingly strong hand was wrapped securely around my waist, holding up my upper body, whilst another hand was cupping and supporting the back of my head. Mmm … that felt nice. This was starting to feel like that time when the Doctor had been shot by that Dalek, although we'd both swapped position-wise this time.

My imagination sure knew how to run away with itself.

Oh hell, who cared whether I was in a coma or a sleep? 'Cos I was having a blimming good dream, right now. Even if he had abandoned me on a beach, some years back, with his human clone – who's made of pure win and still stuck with me despite my stubborn cold-heart, anyway. I was going to let that whole abandoning thing slide, for now – at least whilst I was dreaming.

However, if the Doctor did ever happen to pop over for a visit to this Universe in real life – though it's highly impossible anyway – then I would probably knock him into his next regeneration before he even had the chance to say "Hello". Though mum would've probably already beat me to it …

Anyhow, dream or no dream, coma or no coma, I decided to made the most of it – I'd wake up soon enough if this was a dream and I wasn't in a coma any more, but if I was still in a coma ... well, no complaints from me.

For now, at least, I was more than happy to put up with a dream where I had the Doctor with me – well, just bar the fact that I was blind.

"Hello," I whispered back finally.

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A/N:- Is Rose dreaming or this for real?! *dramatic musiquee for effect* Updates should be quicker from now on…

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