So, work has been insane this summer. I also got myself a puppy, and he is definitely a handful. However, I'm now back in school for my last semester, but work is slowed down and I literally have nothing to do during the day…

I actually had the first half of this chapter written quite a while ago, but then work gave me a new computer, and I'm not entirely sure what happened to the chapter in the transfer of files. So instead of Rose's point of view to begin with, we're going to start with the doctor.

Chapter 5
Universal Whispers

"Doctor, she's everywhere!" Amy whispered harshly in disbelief as they walked through the jungle.

"The Deva Lokans seem to worship her," Rory commented in agreement. "They have shrines, Doctor. Shrines!"

The Doctor stopped walking and looked back at his two companions. "Look, here I am trying to do a favor for you two by bringing you to this wonderful paradise so you can relax after all the stress of Demon's Run, and all you can do is talk about her. Just move on, alright?"

As they continued in a somewhat awkward silence, with Rory and Amy exchanging worried glances, the Doctor seemed to be lost in thought. He guided them to a beautiful beach where the humanoid natives were spread out in the sun like it was Miami.

"It's so quiet," Rory whispered to the Doctor, looking at him questioningly.

"Deva Lokans are a telepathic race," he explained. "Not much need for speaking. That's not to say they don't know how, but among each other, they have no real reason to. Even better for you two – some nice peace and quiet."

As he watched his two companions swim through the waves on the warm beach, he wondered if Rose was doing this all intentionally to get his attention. This was the fifth planet he had taken Rory and Amy that had signs of the Bad Wolf's presence. It didn't really seem to be her way of doing things though. If anything, it seemed as though she were avoiding him, and he was destined to follow. Each planet was either wildly obsessed with Bad Wolf, like Deva Loka, or had just days before been saved by Bad Wolf, such as the planet Demos, where the locals told him of a blonde goddess and her companions saving them all from "the Devil".

Of course, he knew it wasn't the devil. They had actually already defeated the devil, but nonetheless, he knew Demos was one planet where the native culture believed in such a thing. What was it that Rose had actually saved them from?

And what exactly did she think she was doing, off gallivanting across the universe? How was she even doing it? And who were these companions? Was Jack with her?

"Doctor, are you ready to leave?"

"Doctor?"

"Oi, raggedy man, what is wrong with you!?"

The Doctor was startled out of his thoughts by shouting coming from, well, directly in front of him actually. He looked up, and his first thought was that Amy and Rory looked considerably darker than they had when he shooed them away just moments before. His second thought was that the planet in general looked darker than it had moments ago.

"What, ready to go already then?" he asked them, surprised. "You're always buggering me about taking you somewhere nice, and you're already ready to leave."

"Doctor, we've been here for hours!" Rory replied, shocked.

"Yeah, I'm a redhead. Do you have any idea how harsh this sun has been on my skin?" Amy complained, wincing as she poked herself in the arm. "I'm going to be a lobster for the next week."

"You will be absolutely fine, Amelia," the Doctor scolded. "There's no need to be overdramatic."

After Deva Loka, the Doctor took them home. Not permanently, he promised them. But he had some things to do, and it would be good for them to catch up on their Earth lives for a while.

"You're going to go look for Rose," Rory said knowingly, lingering just outside after his wife had gone into their home. The Doctor said nothing. "She didn't seem too thrilled with you when she left last time." He tilted his head in agreement. "You were kind of an idiot."

"I'm well aware," the Doctor acknowledged. "In my defense, however, I had accepted a long time ago that I would never see her again. I lashed out a bit when I saw her. You know I'm terrible at dealing with emotions."

Rory laughed. "You're terrible at dealing with many things." He paused, unsure if he should continue with the question that had been plaguing him and his wife for the last few weeks. "But Doctor… who is she? You never did tell us."

There was a long period of silence, and for a moment, as he watched the Doctor open the door to the Tardis, he assumed the Doctor was just going to ignore him and go on his way. But as he stepped inside the Tardis, he looked back at Rory.

"She's my everything," he said quietly. "At least she was at one time."

Rory opened his mouth to question him, but the telltale sound of the Tardis went off before he could, and it faded from view in front of him. As it disappeared, a woman came running down the street, screaming for the Doctor.

"Dammit!" she exclaimed. "I missed him again."

"Excuse me, can I help you?" Rory asked. The woman looked quite distressed.

She paused, looking exhausted. Her breath was heaving after the run, and she had keeled over and was glaring at the street as she caught her breath. "No, probably not. I'm probably not even in the right time yet anyway. It's just, I locked on to the Tardis, but I never know when I am. When am I?" she finally asked, looking up at him for the first time.

Rory gasped as she made eye contact. "Rose!" Her eyes widened. Her hair was lighter now, almost a bleach blonde as opposed to the honey blonde that he had seen a few weeks ago, and she looked younger. She was wearing a tight, fitted uniform, almost like a military standard.

"Do I know you?" she questioned, tilting her head at him in wonder.

"Yes, of course you do!" he replied, genuinely confused. "We met a few weeks ago – you helped save my daughter. You did that crazy glowing thing and – ."

"Stop, you have to stop!" Rory and Rose spun around to find out where the voice had come from.

An older man with greying hair stood a few feet away, rolling his eyes at Rory. "I mean honestly," the old man continued as though they should know who he was, "all this time travelling and you still don't understand how it works, Rory Pond."

"Williams," he corrected without thinking. And then it clicked. "Doctor!?"

"Yes, of course. Who else would I be? Here I am, in the future, when I'm reminded of a time that I showed up to stop you from telling Rose entirely too much information. Think of me and River." He paused, allowing it to sink in. "Think of how often we meet out of order. It never dawned on you that it could be happening right now as well, considering she clearly looks very different."

"I'm too late," Rose spoke up softly, staring at the Doctor with sadness. "And you've regenerated. You're Scottish now."

"Oh Rose." The irritated look he had been glaring at Rory with melted away, and he smiled softly at Rose and he walked towards her. "Twice now, since this you has seen me. But don't worry, you'll find your Doctor. It will all work out."

"So I'll find you?" She was so hopeful. "He's met me before. Does that mean I'll find you and I'll make it back to my universe? Everything will work out!"

The Doctor smiled at her with pity. "You know I can't tell you, dear girl. I will do some very stupid things. But eventually, it should all work out. But you need to get back. You can't stay for too long."

She nodded once at him, but then held her arms out. "Can I?"

Without a word, the Doctor opened his arms in response. Rose ran into them and he hugged her to him tightly, lifting her off the ground and swinging her around for a moment.

"Your Doctor misses you so much, Rose," he whispered in her ear. "And I promise you, you'll find him when the time is right."

She only nodded against his shoulder, not wanting to let him go. After a deep breath, she released him and stepped back. No more words were exchanged as she pressed the bottom on some kind of device, and then disappeared.

"You'll never meet this me," the Doctor informed Rory quietly. "I only came back now because I was told that I did, so I had to prevent the paradox."

"I know, Doctor. You live much longer than us. I know we can't spend forever with you."

He nodded towards the house. "Best not tell your wife about this then. I've got to be off. I don't know if you run into her again, but if you do, make sure she knows you before you start talking."

This chapter is actually a bit shorter than I intended it to be, but I wanted to get it uploaded. I'm expecting next chapter to be a tad longer, and hopefully uploaded within the next week.

Pepperfishh