Disclaimer- Don't own it, not mine!
Authors note- Here is another Chapter! Thank you for the Reviews and Favorites everyone! Let me know your thoughts and feelings! Hope this one is good! And! We finally have a bit of Romance going on here!
Music for this chapter-Rose's Theme, This is Gallifrey, I am the Doctor.
She was still sitting there, what on earth had she done to Jack. A life forever, never dying, always living. No way to change that? She could handle killing all the Dalek's that was something she could do. She saved the Doctor from death, she could feel that. But, to condemn Jack to a forever? What had she done. Her head was still cradled between her hands as she cried, never noticing that the Doctor had slipped into the Garden now and was approaching her. The TARDIS was still giving out that comforting feeling and a push for her to finally look up.
Tears were still falling, but she didn't say anything as he took a seat beside her, offering the quiet comfort he always did as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him, leaving her to lay her head on his shoulder, glad that as always he had that leather jacket of his on. It smelled of him, of home, the fact that by his side, she felt safe. Truth be told? She'd felt safe with him since the moment they'd met, and she'd seen that manic grin of his and he'd said Run. She'd never felt more alive in her life then when she'd stepped foot into his life, the life they now shared together. It was true, it was better with two. She needed him more then she could even verbalize. It just was.
They were still quiet for the time being as she leaned against him, trying to gather her thoughts and feelings for the time before opening her mouth and saying something stupid. Finally, she spoke again, the tears dried up. Lord only knows how long they had sat there in the quiet, it could have been five minutes, it could have been five hours for all she knew. "Doctor…is Jack mad at me?"
Those cool blue eyes of his met hers and he shook his head, giving her a look. The look he was giving her, it broke her heart and made it sing at the same time. The look he had, it was one that had scared some, but for her, for her it filled her with a sense of love and warmth. It spoke of pain, loneliness, anger at the universe and underneath it all? Love, love for life, people, places, discovery and above all, love for her, in those icy blue eyes of his. . "Oh Rose, he could never be mad at you." He paused for a moment, still staring at her and she could just see, for the first time, just really see how much he cared for her, and lord knows she hoped she could show just how much she cared about him.
They stared at each other for a moment more, words going unspoken, as if they didn't truly need to communicate them at the moment, as if nothing mattered but the here and now, and a smile appeared for just a moment as a flash of the past hit her and she remembered those words said to her so very long ago it seemed. She almost wanted to lean up and kiss him, but instead he spoke again.
"Rose, what you did was brilliant, I could sit here and yell that looking at the Vortex was stupid, but it was fantastic and wonderful and you saved Jack and I both from death.." The moment was broken, but deep down it felt as if they both knew, that sooner or later they would face those feelings, the feelings they both had for one another.
Her brown eyes met his again and a brow arched lightly. "I don't know how I saved you Doctor, or how I saved him, but I cant be sorry about it…if I saved both of you, it was worth it, but I never met for Jack to pay such a heavy price for it."
He reached out, hugging her to him for a moment more and shook his head. "Rose, Jack has told me time and again that he isn't mad at you, he knows that what you did, it was done out of love, that you never meant to do something like that to him. He knows you care about him deeply enough to keep him safe." A hand reached out and rubbed her face for just a moment as she stayed where she was.
Finally she spoke again. "Did…did what I do do anything good…I mean I know I killed all the Dalek's and did that…to Jack, but I must have done more?" A deep shuddering breath, she was afraid she'd accidentally killed innocent humans or anyone really.
The Doctor pulled her closer then and she leaned on him again as he started to speak, that Northern accent of his comforting her once more. "Rose, you killed all the Dalek's, ended the Time War, managed to save the entire Earth, brought Jack back to life and saved mine. I would have never survived if you hadn't have come back. Having you come back saved many lives. You are fantastic."
And with that he pulled her back up from where she was sitting, taking her hand. "And if you don't want to listen to me, why don't we go find Jack so you can see for yourself that he isn't mad at you."
She wanted to say something before they left the room, so she tugged at his hand to stop him for a moment. "Doctor, I'm glad your alive, even if I don't remember everything I said or did. Some of it is clear, and parts of it are. I…" She sighed for a moment. "I still feel like I saw things…things that happened…" She struggled to verbalize those thoughts. "So many different things, like it was you in some of them….but not you? Different face, different…mannerisms, New New Doctor was quoted…I don't understand it…"
The Doctor stopped then as he looked at her, concern back in those blue eyes of his, the sounds of the TARDIS filling the air as Rose continued to explain. "And the Void, I don't even know what the void is, but I remember things I shouldn't…I don't get it and it…so many different things floating through my head. I remember, there is one memory that sticks. I was hanging onto something, and the void was there and I couldn't hold on…I was sucked in…I don't know where any of this is even coming from, its just…there"
"Rose….you told me when you called yourself Bad Wolf, that you could see all of time basically, perhaps you are having flashes of things that could have happened, but wont now, since things have changed.." That's what he was hoping, he would never in his life want to sentence Rose to the Void, that idea was impossible and it would kill him if she was sucked into something like that. He'd do anything to save her, he knew that already. He'd break down the walls between the worlds if need be. For his Rose? He would do it. "You'll be ok, I promise you that." He pulled her close already, deciding it was best not to mention that he'd seen her eyes flash gold a few times, he didn't want to scare her, but he had a feeling Bad Wolf wasn't quite done with them quite yet, still he needed to do some research and maybe more tests, but that would have to wait, he didn't want to frighten her yet, until he saw something more to push him into acting. It didn't mean he shouldn't at least explain regeneration to her, perhaps it was time for at least that.
"Lets sit back down Rose, I need to talk to you anyway. Since you…said about a new new face, maybe its time I explain regeneration to you…" He stopped them, thankfully they were still in the garden and took a seat on a stone bench, Rose still sitting quite close to him, all but leaning into him and he took another moment to debate on how to explain this. "If, I get injured, Time Lords have a trick. Its called regeneration, its our way of cheating death, so if I were to ever get deathly injured, that's what would happen. My face would change, my habits would change, everything that isn't a major part of me changes, but the big stuff stays the same, the way I feel about people for example…or bananas. Bananas are good, I'll always like bananas." He sent her another one of those maniac grins and she couldn't help but chuckle before she asked questions.
"So…even when you regenerate, its still you, same memories, same feelings for people, you…just new traits, new body…new pieces of you?" It blew her mind, but she didn't want to keep asking questions, she'd think of more later and ask them then. And then she laughed for a moment. " I'm Not surprised you would still like bananas no matter what. Not surprised at all." She bumped his shoulder and tangled her hand into his. "Now, lets go see Jack. I'll be ready for a new adventure once we talk to him. You know you want to run." She grinned at him with that word, tongue poking out between her lips at that and shook her head as they stood.
Soon enough, they found Jack in the kitchen, where Rose just ran over to him, wrapping her arms around him and hugged him tightly. It took Jack a moment to speak, sending the Doctor a look, before running his hands down her hair and hugging her more. "Oh Rosie, its not your fault. I told you, you are worth dying for, and for living forever for. I know that you did this because you love me, and I promise I'm not mad at you." He ran a hand down her back as she hugged him, just trying to send her a message that he really wasn't upset with her at all.
She pulled back then, sending him a watery smile and shaking her head. "Alright. So you promise your not mad at me?" She poked that tongue out once more and grinned at both of them for a moment. "In that case…why don't we go have an adventure. I'm dying for one of those." She moved to stand between them, grabbing both their arms "We need to have some fun around here, its about time for that."
Jack and the Doctor both smiled at her exuberant attitude, though underneath it all, she honestly still was worried about what she had done to Jack, she was going to try and do her best to handle it. The Doctor said something about setting coordinates and Jack mentioned getting a shower before they got somewhere, leaving her alone for a moment in the kitchen.
She took in a deep breathe, thinking about what she learned and hearing a voice echoing in the background.
"Just remember little one, the events will come back as before, do not interfere too much and things will change for the better, use your knowledge wisely…"
She shook her head for a moment, trying to figure out exactly what she knew and deciding once again to keep some of this to herself. She shrugged, going off to change, smiling as she felt the TARDIS in her mind, giving her silent encouragement as always as she changed into a new outfit and then went to meet the Doctor, while Jack was still getting ready it seemed.
"So where are we going Doctor?" She asked happily, taking a seat for the time being.
He grinned at her, blue eyes twinkling happily. "Further then we've ever gone before Rose!"
She let out a laugh hearing that, and sat back and awaited the arrival to wherever they were going next, just content in knowing everything felt like it should at the moment. She had the Doctor, and she had Jack! What could go wrong, really!
Next time- New Earth! Jack will be there of course and I believe that is when Chapters will start to pick up! See you next time and hope you loved the story!
Edited-2/22/2013