Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related to it. I'm only borrowing the characters for my own perverse amusement.

A.N. Thanks again to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! I really appreciate it! Once again this is not the last chapter. This fic just does not want to end. Anyway, hope you all enjoy this chapter!

Chapter Five - Mind Over Matter

His two hearts thumped painfully in his chest as he forced himself to push his legs faster and faster. The Doctor dared not think about what would happen if he arrived too late to prevent whatever catastrophe was about to occur. Instead he visualised in his mind the length of the cliff face and tried to deduce where along it he was most likely to find Rose.

As he powered past the last of the marketplace stalls he refused to be overcome by the sheer vastness of the area he had to search. He couldn't afford to make a mistake. He simply didn't have time.

Rose had learnt that while she couldn't stop walking, she could control the pace of her walk. This, however, required concentration. For approximately a quarter of the distance to the cliff edge she had prioritised attempting to send a message to the psychic paper. After that she concentrated mainly on slowing her speed, thinking about the message only for brief moments at a time. If the Doctor hadn't received the message by this time, he wouldn't reach her before she hit the cliff edge anyway. She was coming up to the half way point of her fateful trek.

The most logical place for him to start his search, thought the Doctor, would be at the cliff edge parallel to the fountain. If Rose was going somewhere or meeting someone the fountain was the most distinctive place. He skidded to a halt on the grass, dust flying out behind him. He squinted in the sunlight as he looked around for his companion.

He couldn't see her. He dreaded to think that he may have been too late. Or that he was in the wrong place. He peeked over the edge of the cliff, not seeing Rose on the beach below and thankfully not seeing any bodies smashed on the cliffs below. He looked back across the grass where he had come from. Rose had been wearing one of the decorative dresses that were custom for the women here. It had been an attempt to blend in and apparently it had worked too well. Blonde hair wasn't uncommon here either. There was no one panicking or screaming in hysterics around him. That was a good sign at least.

As he glanced around something caught his eye. He raised his hand above his eyes to shield them from the sun. A young woman, Rose, as a matter of fact, was strolling calmly towards him, waving to him.

Rose may have looked calm but she was starting to panic. The cliff was getting closer and closer with every step she took. She could see the Doctor- he was easy to spot in his custom brown suit, dashing towards the cliff edge- but he obviously couldn't see her. She waved her hands above her head and she would have jumped up and down if her legs would have let her.

"Doctor!" She screamed out, not giving a damn who else heard her and how they looked at her. "Doctor! He-" Her cry was cut off by a sharp coughing fit. Right, she though. Of course. She wasn't allowed to ask for help. She was thankful that she was at least allowed to think it. Well, that didn't mean she couldn't draw the Doctor's attention to herself.

Obviously the waving had worked as he had started moving towards her. She forced herself not to quicken her pace- getting to the Doctor faster would also result in getting to the cliff faster.

When the Doctor reached her, not half as soon as she would have liked, he waved the psychic paper at her. "I'm guessing this was from you? You do have a mobile phone, you know? A very special mobile phone that I, personally, sonicked for you that you could have used. I mean, what's the point of having a mobile phone if you're not going to carry it? And, Rose, why are you still walking?"

"I can't stop," Rose finally blurted out. She had tried to tell him, but when the Doctor started talking there was no power in the universe that could make him stop. "She- Lady Ardeth, I mean- injected me with something that's making me do what she says, which, by the way, is walk off this cliff. So if you have any bright ideas," she looked at the cliff which was only a few feet away, "now would be a really good time to try them out!"

The Doctor was walking backwards, watching her as she spoke. She could see the light dawning in his eyes as he understood what she was trying to say. But for once, thankfully, he didn't feel the need to explain it before he took action.

He quickly stepped in front of her, grabbed her around the knees and lifted her up over his shoulder in a fireman's carry. Her legs involuntarily kicked at him but the Doctor didn't seem to notice as he headed back towards the TARDIS. During the return journey, which took a significantly longer amount of time than it had the previous time the Doctor had made the trip, they began to share all the information they had gathered on the chemical and its use on Cherush.

"She wants me to do what!" The Doctor struggled to hold Rose while she squirmed to break free from him as he unlocked the door of the TARDIS and carried her inside. "No, don't say it again," he said quickly before she could repeat herself. "I heard you the first time." The Doctor screwed up his face and shuddered. "Ugh, evil slavers are definitely not my type!"

Rose barely refrained from asking what was his type. Instead she replied rather coyly and with a grin, "If she got her claws into you I don't think you'd get a choice in the matter."

When they entered the small medical bay in the TARDIS the Doctor was forced to release Rose so that he could fill a syringe with the chemical he had found to be the antidote to what Ardeth had given her, and administer it. This, unfortunately, meant that Rose was forced to start walking again. The Doctor had tried ordering her to stop but had been unsuccessful. He had been quietly miffed that this was a problem he couldn't talk his way, or rather Rose's way, out of. Apparently Ardeth had assumed total control of Rose's body, for the time being at least.

She made it to the TARDIS door before the Doctor caught up with her again, syringe in hand. She concentrated on not resisting as he found a vein and injected her, even as they walked outside. When he withdrew, Rose looked down at her legs. They were still walking.

"Why's it not working? Doctor?" she swallowed thickly. She couldn't live the rest of her life walking towards a cliff with the Doctor constantly being forced to carry her away from it.

"Just give it a minute to-" Before the Doctor had finished, Rose's legs shuddered to a halt before promptly buckling beneath her. The Doctor caught her as she fell backwards. "Work," he finished. Both their faces broke into wide grins and Rose laughed with relief as he helped her to her feet.

"You know," The Doctor turned towards her, mocking a serious expression, as they made their way back into the TARDIS, "I'm sure I told you yesterday not to wander off!"

A.N. Right, now that's Rose sorted, the Doctor just has to fix everyone else on the planet! Next chapter will be the epilogue, I swear! Let me know what you think, I know this chapter was quite short!

~Sweetdeath04