They left the planet not long after their return. Rose paced in the laundry room to wait for her clothes in the drier. Couple. What was Jayne playing at, calling them a couple? Please. Ridiculous. River was a friend, a dear friend, the only person in the Verse that could understand her. Besides, she was brilliant. A genius, really. Abstract. Quirky, definitely quirky. Sweet. Funny. Strong. Like the Doctor.
No. Not the Doctor. She wasn't the Doctor. She was open. She said what she thought and what she felt. Didn't hide from it. Or make things complicated. Wasn't oblivious to human emotion. She was human emotion. Felt everything. Took it to heart. Fought for her to stay.
The Doctor, he tried to send her off to some other world on her own. Yes, he was trying to spare her life, which was wonderful and amazing and thoughtful and a million other fantastic things. Yet, he should have realized that he was her life before she vanished.
River was already fighting for her after a matter of days. Fought her own captain. Took hits. That was something. So, yes, River Tam was extraordinary. She'd give the girl that. After all, she had all of the Doctor's good qualities and the ones that he never mastered. Of course she'd be best friends with River. But, couple?
Oh no. No. Rose loved the Doctor. She wanted to get back to the Doctor. The Doctor was her entire life. So, naturally, there was no plausible way that Rose Tyler would be a couple with River Tam. Jayne Cobb had it all wrong and he was just trying to get into her head.
It was working. It was working well.
"Hey."
Rose jumped at the sound of River's voice. "Oh. Hi. Just waiting on this clothing thing."
"How bloody boring."
She grinned at the expression. "Yep. Can't say that I fancy it."
"You'd be a nutter if you did. Dinner is ready."
"Is it? Well. I'll be up in a bit."
"See you soon. Ta-ta."
River floated away and Rose sank against the drier with relief. Her heart was still pounding, but she wasn't sure if it were from being startled. She could hardly focus on putting her clothes away, yet she managed to get to the dinner table with everyone else.
Mal and Zoe talked about the job while Simon and Kaylee talked about a possible second honeymoon. Jayne leered at Rose, but she ignored him. She was feeling fine at first. Then, she reached for the bread at the same time as River. Their hands overlapped, and the contact lingered until Rose quickly withdrew.
"Here," River gave her a piece with a petite smile.
Rose had to look away. "Thanks, Rivy."
"Rivy?" Jayne laughed. "You still callin' her that?"
"I like the name," River stuck out her tongue and threw bread in his direction.
Mal rolled his eyes. "River, stop throwing food at people."
"All right," she handed Rose a hunk of bread and Rose couldn't help herself. She threw it at Jayne and they both laughed. "Exceptional aim, Rose Tyler."
"Not as exceptional as you, of course."
"Get a room," Mal grunted.
Rose wanted to shrink into the floor, but nobody noticed her or the comment…other than River. As soon as the table was cleared, Rose made an excuse to go to bed early. So, she got into bed and tried to rest as best as she could.
Instead, she was plagued with more nightmares about the people and reality that she had lost. It was so easy to run from the pain in the daylight, but demons always come out after dark.
She sat up in a panic and heard a tap on her door. It was, indeed, River Tam in her little nightgown. Rose was still sweating and had tears from the dream. She was too tired to say anything, and she didn't since she knew that River could feel it.
River sat beside her on the bed and wrapped her in a comforting embrace. Rose held on for dear life and didn't care that she was a mess. There were tears and shakes with every face in her mind. Mum, Dad, her baby brother, Mickey, her friends, and of course the Doctor—their images cut deep.
She then realized that she didn't want to be alone. It was too hard to be alone. And, she was. Nobody from her world could ever be in this universe, and she could never go back. The more she thought about it, the stronger she held onto River.
"Don't have to ask," River murmured with careful strokes of Rose's hair. "Don't have to."
Stay. That was in Rose's mind. And, she didn't even think about what Mal or Jayne had said. She just got under the blankets and River Tam's grasp. River held onto her as snugly as she could manage, and soon they both fell into sleep freed from nightmares for the first time in a long while.