Return to Memory

Chapter 2: Stone Cold Disconnect

Disclaimer: I don't own it.

They continued walking for some time, the Doctor's voice murmuring gently in the air. She couldn't remember a time she had felt so relaxed, especially with all of the dreams she was having. Maybe, now that she knew he was happy with her, those awful dreams would fade. She knew the last thing he would want would be for her to be haunted by his pain. Especially a pain that he insisted was receding.

He was happy. She was happy. Though nothing had changed between them physically, she felt a connection to him that was stronger than she had imagined. The length of their hugs seemed to increase according to the amount of time they had spent apart, their conversations were filled with laughter and they often finished each other's sentences. She had learned so much while she was with him. She even knew the names of most of the planets he spoke about nowadays, though that could be the Doctor trying to speak mostly with words she knew. He never released her hand and she didn't want him to.

She breathed in the fragrant air and opened her eyes slowly. It was almost sunset and they were nearing the beautiful temple. It glistened a beautiful amber hue in the dying light. His monologue about the mistakes Stephen Hawking made in black hole physics slowed to silence as they approached the long set of steps to the temple. She turned to shoot a withering glare at him.

"What?" he asked, defensively.

"Why have there always got to be stairs?" she grumbled.

He sputtered. "They're a normal element of architecture!" he said.

She rolled her eyes and glanced up the steep slope. "But a thousand of them?"

He shrugged. "It's just what they do. You don't expect to see an elevator up to a holy place! Haven't you heard, stairway to heaven, elevator to hell!"

She sighed and started up the steep slope of stairs. They soon had a game going of singing and stepping and three misses- you're out! When they reached the top they were breathless and laughing, all Rose's annoyance at the stairs gone. She hadn't really been annoyed to begin with, though.

A tall, ethereal woman came to meet them. She wore flowing robes of green, the holy color of Caliliana. She had long black hair that fell in waves down to the small of her back, adorned with small flowers that looked a lot like cherry blossoms. She smiled and held out a pale hand to the Doctor, who bowed and kissed it gently. The woman glanced at Rose with a welcoming expression, taking her other hand and brushing it softly against Rose's cheek. Rose was a bit startled at how cool her touch was.

The Doctor released the woman's hand and returned his arm around Rose's shoulders.

"Welcome to the Sacred Stone Palace." The woman said, her voice lifting over the gentle twittering of the evening birdsong. "I am Marania, the head priestess. For what purpose have you come?"

The Doctor answered "We're the Doctor and Rose, and we came to see the palace."

The woman smiled. "I will show you around, then. Would you like to see the temple first?"

He shook his head, fingers tracing small patterns on Rose's shoulder and completely distracting her from what was going on in the real world. "If you don't mind, we'd like to just wander a bit."

Marania nodded and left, entering a wooden door in the middle of a bush, which disappeared the moment it was closed behind her. It was a bit disconcerting how little that surprised Rose. She had been traveling with the Doctor too long (but to her, too long could never be long enough).

He began to lead her through the gardens. In the still-dying sun, the flowers all glowed with a tinge of gold. The dirt path was well-worn and a thousand unknown scents wafted through the air. His large hand on the small of her back gave her a strong sense of belonging, even on this planet millions of miles and thousands of years from her home.

"It's beautiful" she said softly, afraid to break the silence but needing to break the tension.

He looked at the gardens for the first time. He hadn't noticed the landscape. Why would he look at flowers when he could see the light shine through her hair and fall gently over the curve of her cheek? Her lips shimmered in the remainder of the lip gloss she had put on that day; constant biting at her lip had worn it off. He found himself jealous of those soft rays of light, for they fell where he wished to trace his lips.

He snapped himself out of his reverie, and to avoid cliché, looked around the gardens before agreeing with her. "Yeah, It is."

They rounded a corner and came to the end of the path. She gasped at the sight before her. The sun was in its last few moments, the light now a dark amber and the sky unveiling a precious few stars. Before them was a small pond, the water still like a sheet of glass. The flowers crowded the shore, leaving Rose with a feeling of comfortable isolation. She looked down to the water at her feet, smiling at the picture they made. The Doctor was looking at her face, his eyes half-closed and a gentle smile on his lips. Was that how he looked at her? He looked like a man in love. Her heart leapt at the thought.

She didn't think before the words fell from her lips. She cursed her blabbering mouth.

"Doctor, do you love me?" she spoke so softly he wasn't sure if he had imagined the words.

His reflection's eyebrows shot up and his shoulders straightened. She wasn't sure whether she should regret the question- she genuinely wanted to know. She didn't care in what sense he loved her. Even if he denied any romantic feelings, she knew he loved her as his best friend, in the very least. His reflection's mouth opened and closed several times before he found his voice.

His mind was racing, his hearts thundering in his chest. He hadn't expected the question. She knew the answer, it didn't need saying. But he knew humans. For them, it did need saying. So he said it.

"Yes."

His voice was strong and solid. She didn't expect him to answer her clearly- she had expected a bunch of rambling and babbling; maybe an awkward pause and a quick subject change. Her breath stopped in her chest and she turned to him, abandoning their reflection in favor of his real face.

"What?" she breathed, afraid that she had imagined his answer.

He drew his hand up to her cheek, caressing the path the light had taken. The sun was gone now, the stars coming out to bathe them in a glowing twilight. He pulled her closer with his other arm. They were so close he could feel her breaths in his chest. Her eyes were twinkling with hope, and he felt a sort of freedom in letting go of his rules. "Never fall in love with a companion" was broken the instant Rose had come on board his ship.

"I love you." He said strongly, and there was no doubt between them at what he had said. She felt the happiness build up in her chest, bubbling out of her mouth as a laugh, her eyes misting over. Her reaction was infectious, and he found himself laughing with her, hugging her body to him and resting his cheek against her hair. She pulled back after a bit, looking him in the eyes.

"I love you too, you know." He laughed again, leaning down to press a soft kiss to her forehead. She frowned at him.

"What's that for?" he asked, still laughing.

"You just told me you love me, and you can't even kiss me properly?" She didn't wait for his answer before wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down for a gentle kiss.

His lips caressed hers gently, his arms betraying the passion he felt while his kiss remained innocent and beautiful. She almost cried at the sensation- no man had ever kissed her so lovingly. His embrace made her feel wanted, but his kiss made her feel cherished. When they broke apart, a soft smile graced his lips.

"I think I'd like to see the temple now." She said, knowing that if they got too carried away, they might get arrested for indecency in a holy place.

He nodded and took her hand, a manic smile spread across his face. This certainly wasn't what he expected to happen today. He led her through the rest of the gardens, feeling content for the first time in a while. The gloom that had surrounded Rose was gone, and all he could see was her shining smile as they walked in the starlight. They came upon the temple, the stone sparkling silver in the night and a song drifted through the tall pillars. They climbed the stairs to the large wooden door, which opened as they approached it.

Rose tried to focus on her surroundings, though it was difficult with the new energy between herself and the Doctor. Her hand tingled in his, and she itched to return to the TARDIS to show him how much she really did love him, though she knew they should take it slow. He was too special to her to waste their first time together. She wanted it to be special to both of them. They had only kissed once, really (she didn't count the times with the vortex and Cassandra, since she wasn't exactly present for those events) and she was already addicted. He seemed just as eager to distract himself.

The lobby that they entered was grandiose, with vaulted ceilings that glowed with a liquid emerald color. The windows, though it was dark outside, were brightly lit with a mountain view on one side and a forest valley on the other. Rose imagined that would be the view in the daytime. The room was otherwise plain, with a set of emerald steps leading up to another wooden door. Marania stepped up behind them, though they had no idea from where she had come, and rested a hand gently on each of their shoulders.

"You cannot enter together." She said.

Startled and a bit nervous, the Doctor turned to her. "What do you mean?"

Marania gestured to the doors. "The stone room. Only one person can enter at a time."

He turned to Rose and nodded. She was reluctant to leave him, but her curiosity led her to release his hand and walk up the stairs to the doors. She turned to look at him, and with an energetic wave, entered the room.

She walked through the doors onto a terrace at sunset, with a warm breeze ruffling her hair. In the middle of the room was a large white stone. She noticed she was now barefoot, a lush carpet brushing through her toes like butter. She approached the stone.

When she reached it, it seemed to have changed color. It was now a sparkling gold and it was warm when she laid her hand upon it. She felt a presence in her mind. It wasn't intrusive, but it felt odd; she didn't much care for it and she wanted it to leave.

What is your wish, young one?

Her heartbeat quickened. Was this the goddess? She thought it was a myth.

To most I am. To you, I do not have to be.

Rose knelt on the floor next to the stone, too shocked to do much else. She had never had another being in her mind before. She just hoped this goddess was friendly.

What do you wish?

She thought of what she wanted most. That was easy, to be with the Doctor. She already had that- had just recently gained what she had always wanted with him. But there would always be a bittersweet tang to their relationship. He said she changed him, made him less lonely and took away his pain.

But she would be gone someday. His face in the early afternoon lit in her memory and she remembered his words: "As long as you're with me, I'll be ok." But she wouldn't be with him forever.

A vision of him, with a burning planet and a dead love in his arms, burned in her mind. She would die. And he wouldn't be ok.

She wanted to remove his pain, so that when she was gone, he wouldn't need her.

What would you give for this?

Everything

Would you give your mortality?

Yes

Would you give yourself?

Yes

Then the wolf shall give way to the storm.

And she knew then that she would die.

Standing outside the door, the Doctor heard a loud rumble from inside the room. The ground began to shake and the ceiling cracked above him. He ripped the door open and ran into the room. He found himself inside the TARDIS console room, with Rose on her hands and knees by the captain's chair. She looked pale and afraid, but when he looked in her eyes he saw peace.

He ran to her, confused as to why the room was now his ship and why she was flying through the vortex without a pilot. He tried to pull Rose into his arms, but his hands went directly through her. He looked into her eyes, and she smiled for him.

"I'm sorry."

He panicked.

"What did you wish for? What have you done?" he yelled, trying to find his screwdriver to scan her and find out what was wrong. He wasn't going to lose her when he had just found the freedom to love her.

"I love you." She said, still smiling. And she faded away.

He screamed her name and frantically ran about the console, trying to stop the ship's flight so that he could find out what had happened to Rose.

It was the longest flight of his lives. He couldn't get the TARDIS to stop, couldn't stop the tears from running down his face, and couldn't understand the song she was singing.

After what seemed like centuries, the ship thudded to the ground and the time rotor ground to a stop. His ship heaved a sigh around him and he glanced at the monitor.

And everything went black.

A/N: Ok, before you kill me, note ALL of my other stories. Do Rose and the Doctor ever end up apart for long? Let me know what you think of it, and I'll try to update soon! I did have it all written and discovered that I didn't like some of it, so I'm doing a bit of a rewrite.

Reviews make me smile!

With love,

doctorrosetyler