AN - M really not a fast writer and I don't want to keep you waiting so I'll keep my chapters short. This chapter: Telepathy! Yay! Hope you enjoy my beliefs on the workings of our universe ;)

The moment Rose opened the closet door they were greeted by blinding, sparkling light. It felt huge and tiny all at once; familiar and scary and dizzying but so wonderful. Rose was awed and wondered how, after five years of travelling across the universe, she could still get so amazed and curious and exhilarated. The Doctor's been at it for so much longer, did he still felt the same way?

"Midnight!" the Doctor whispered, his lips brushing the edge of her right ear. She shivered as his arms encircled her from behind, inviting her whole body to rest against his. They both stared at the glorious view that was presented to them; through the wide glass laid a boundless world of mountains and pikes and pillars of shimmering diamonds.

This planet's sun shone its rays, dark blue across the land, giving it an eerie feeling, casting shadows that contrasted against a light so bright it made them blink when staring for too long. Rose shivered again, thrilled by the sight of this new and unknown planet for them to discover.

She could feel the Doctor beaming at her, seeing this outstanding planet for the first time all over again through her eyes. He always did that. Since 'It also travels in time' and 'Welcome to the end of the world'; even after all these years of travelling with her, he still never let an ounce of her amazement wander off without his noticing. He drank it in like fresh water to his battered soul. And, right now, she was feeling it first hand through their bond; how much he needed this, how much he prided himself into filling her life with wonders.

"Excuse me," Both the Doctor and Rose were startled out of their moment by a short man in a tux. Rose courteously smiled at him, not sure how to act. She just stood there, facing someone else than the Doctor for the first time since her empathic senses kicked in. The attendant's vivid blue eyes made her feel a bit awkward and bare. Of course, there was no way the man knew about her new found skills but she still felt as though she had something to hide. "May I offer you assistance with anything?"

The gentleman was holding himself up straight to appear taller and more confident than he deemed, looking between the couple and the closet door they just came out of with a frown.

Rose could clearly feel the unease seeping through his semblance of professional confidence. It was a strange feeling; so different from what she usually received from the Doctor. A raw self consciousness that transcended the cold blue ocean in his eyes. This man was so much more than a simple attendant. He was a lover, an artist, a bohemian free spirit; stuck in this role to pay the high price of a beans on toast life: Everyone lives their life in the confines of fear.

Rose felt for him, for the brilliant soul filled with dreams, and brimming with possibilities, hidden from its owner's knowledge. She was just like him, once upon a time, stuck in a dead end job, bills to pay and expectations to fulfill. (Did the Doctor see all this potential in her when they first met in the basement of Henricks?)

Worlds and centuries apart and here she was, facing her own mirror, seeing a part of her in someone else. This first on hand experience with her new skill made her understand how profound empathy really was: connecting with each other at the highest level, touching the soul, the fundamental energy that linked us all together to create the web of the universe.

Rose could almost see him again, the Doctor, telling her one of the first lesson he taught her about telepathy:

"Telepathy…" He was trying to find the right words to explain the fundamentals of it. His index finger tapped a rhythm on his chin and his eyes wandered around pensively. When they connected with hers again, they were filled with a contemplative wonder that struck her to the core: "Everything is linked and related, Rose. The galaxies and the stars, plants and rocks, Time Lords and humans, even Daleks; all made of the same cloth of life, the same basic energy. It dances inside of us. It comes to life and dies inside of us. Not only are we born from it, we also carry its treasures, its atoms, its molecules, and its infinite wisdom and eternal memories. We are matter and just as everything made of matter, we receive and give light and knowledge. Feel it, this web connecting you with everything, play with its matrix, experience its full spectrum. That's what it's all about."

And Rose felt it for the first time, right there, on this deserted planet made of diamond, her whole being soaked in the substance of life, her heart bursting from the beauty and perfection of its design. She could almost see the intricate web of golden energy flowing around her, and inside her, connecting her with everything around, meeting far away galaxies and coming back to her core faster than the speed of thought.

The atmosphere around her felt warmer and thick enough to float in; particles of matter weaving a secure and comfortable feeling all over her skin. Heavy and light, she didn't know if she wanted to laugh or cry or fly or fall. She was everything. She finally saw it; she was part of everything… meant to be.

She wondered why she never felt it before? What was so different, so special about this moment that made her finally understand what the Doctor has been trying to teach her for years?

The Doctor moved beside her and took her hand, still beaming proudly in Rose's direction. Could he feel the blow this new revelation had on her? He answered the gentleman: "I'm the Doctor, and this is my Rose. We will be spending a few days here. We are already registered in room 224."

Rose smiled, and just like that the charm was broken, as fast as it came. She was back in her normal perception of reality where air was just air and this man in front of her was just a young attendant looking at them suspiciously.

This was amazing. She was after all, just an ordinary human. A few years back she thought telepathy was a thing of science fiction. But after seeing the Doctor use it a few times during their adventures, and mostly when she heard that Madame De Pompadour did actually read some of the Doctor's childhood memories during a telepathic exchange, Rose wanted to learn more about it.

And here she was, after years of practice, feeling the attendant's careful suspicion as he reached for a flat device hidden beneath the lapel of his suit and started tapping on the large screen. "The Doctor and Rose from room 224. I see. You are both awaited in the west wing, area D, door 17" he pointed them to his left. "Your alcove is ready and the evening lights should begin in less than twenty minutes."

The Doctor's smile couldn't be larger as he bounce on his heals. "Ah yes! Thank you. This will be brilliant!" He extended an arm towards Rose in invitation. "Dame Rose."

"Sir Doctor." She wrapped her arm around his and they both started walking toward the same direction the gentleman was pointing.