CHAPTER 3
He still felt the tiredness that had befallen him ever since she was gone. Normally he would have set the TARDIS to top speed immediately and run off to do whatever it is that he needed to with little or no sleep. But now even setting out on this journey, which would help getting closer to saving Rose, seemed too much to handle. Annie had set up shop in one of the bedrooms in the upstairs part of the TARDIS. She had gone to sleep hours ago and even though he still didn't trust her the thought of her peacefully sleeping and dreaming gave him a sense of serenity. Of course he would never ever admit to that! Shaking his head in wonderment he went up the stairs to the room he hadn't used in a long time: his bedroom. The TARDIS would keep flying even if he were to enter the world of dreams. The planets would still rotate around themselves and others. Others would save creatures and worlds. Time would not stand still. That was probably his biggest fear and he rarely admitted to it. He was afraid that when he wasn't around, bad things would happen. But even when he was there bad things happened. It was thoughts like these that kept him from resting. Reaching his bedroom he stepped up towards his bed. He lay down on the cushions and tried to relax his mind. He could hear the TARDIS's noise pump away in perfect rhythm. It was relaxing to him and he found himself falling asleep. Everything was peaceful for once.
He was wondering down what seemed to be a corridor or a bridge with a roof. Either way he was glad not to be alone. Rose was holding his hand tightly and stepping over big pipes only a second after him. She wasn't smiling but her expression was soft. It took him a while to understand where they were. It was the impossible planet that was in orbit around a black hole. His heart filled up with warmth. That had been the first time he noticed he was in love with her. And now, naturally, they were together. She loved him, too. It was meant to be and it would be. He stopped as they were standing in front of a door. It had a wheel for a handle. He turned towards her and took both of her hands into his. They just stood there for a while looking at each other. Then she said: "Doctor, whatever happens, I want you to know that I'm alright. I'm healthy and alive." He nodded. Moving in slowly to kiss her he closed his eyes and waited for the touch of her lips on his.
"Doctor. Doctor. DOCTOR!"
He spun out of the dream and back into the present sitting up straight.
"What?" he yelled. It had come out more forceful and loudly than he wanted to, but he seemed to have no control over it. He cleared his throat. "I'm sorry. What … what's wrong?" He looked straight into Annie's face, who was leaning down towards him. He shuffled away from her feeling rather uncomfortable. She took a step back and straightened up. "Nothing's wrong, Doctor. I just wanted to tell you that the TARDIS has landed. Operation Larah Jones has commenced." She smiled and put the glasses she was wearing up on her head. The Doctor didn't even had a minute to think about the dream he could hardly remember when Annie took his hand and pulled him off the bed and all the way into the control room of the TARDIS. "Now", she said pulling out the screen and something that looked like a pen. "I suggest we proceed as follows: Go outside, mingle to a certain extent and try to find out how to access the records by either posing as new employees of surveillance or data records and then we go about out business and see how far it gets us." Bewildered the Doctor walked past Annie and looked at his own control screen. It showed that they had landed on Satellite III in the year 2099. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and turned towards the door. He turned to Annie, smiled and said: "Well, allons-y." Halfway towards the door he heard a "u-hum-hum" and stopped. Turning around he saw Annie still standing where she had stood with her pen and screen. She looked directly at him and said: "We can't just go out there without a plan. I'm under strict orders and I would like to see them through!" "Have you always been this bossy or do I bring it out in you?" She put her pen away and said: "I think I got it from my father. He always had to have things his way and he told me that's the way to go. So we're doing this MY way. Understand?"
"I don't take orders from anyone but me. Did YOU understand that?"
Annie shook her head. "I didn't think you were going to be this stubborn. Fine, look at this plan here and tell me what you think." She held up the small screen for him to see. The Doctor took a few hurried steps towards her and took the screen. He then threw it to the left where it landed on a sofa. "That's what I think of any plan. I hope you're not too offended. Let's go!"
"Fine then." Annie was walking fast and reached the door before him. For the first time he started noticing what she was wearing. It was a purple-white jogging suit with running shoes. He suppressed a giggle and walked out behind her as she opened the door. The sight that presented itself to the both of them was one that neither of them had expected or ever wanted to see.