Chapter 8: The End of the World
The main Observation hall erupted with cries and questions all at once.
"What do you mean the Steward is dead?" Someone cried out. The Doctor was pretty sure it was it was one of the Hop Pyleen brothers.
"What does this mean for us?" Another cried, Rose turned to look over at Mrs. Pakoo who spoke.
"Who would kill the Steward?"
"Why do this?"
"Sabotage?" someone asked.
The Doctor noted that the only people who didn't immediately react where Rose Tyler, the Face of Boe, the Curator, the Adherent of the Repeated Meme who he was sure hadn't spoken more than their greeting and gift, and curiously, Cassandra.
"Who killed him?" Moxx was demanding of Jabe and the Doctor. They did appear to have all the answers to him.
"This whole event was sponsored by the Face of Boe!" Cassandra finally spoke, hissing out in accusation. "He invited us. Talk to the Face, talk to the Face."
The Doctor heard under the commotion a soft feral growl he was coming to know. Glancing over at Rose, she was a vision of barely controlled rage. And all the anger was directed at the Last Human. For reasons the Doctor could not fathom, the sight of her so enraged sent blood surging through him again and a shiver up his spine.
"Easy way to find out," the Doctor smoothly broke through the chaos of the room. His Northern accent cutting the chatter as easy as a blade. Taking the spider from Jabe, he ran his sonic over it a few times, reactivating it. "Someone brought their little pet on board. Let's send him back to his master."
The spider looked around the room with its single red eye, looking at the Doctor a moment. He nudged it with his foot and it started scurrying off, looking left and right. It came before Cassandra a moment, who looked away quickly before the spider began moving away from her towards Rose and the black robed figures of the Adherents of the Repeated Meme. It came to a stop, scanning a surprised Rose for a moment, and then shifted to stop before the leader of the hooded group.
"The Adherent of the Repeated Meme!" Cassandra explained first. "J'accuse!"
Both the Doctor and Rose rolled their eyes.
"That's all very well, and really kind of obvious," the Doctor said with a shrug. He walked towards the group as he spoke. "But if you stop to think about it."
The Doctor trailed off with a little grin that never reached his eyes approaching the group. To his surprise, the leader moved swiftly. A shocked cry rose up from the group as its large clawed hand gripped around Rose's throat and lifted up so she was on her toes. The grin faded instantly from the Time Lord's face.
"Let. Her. Go," he warned in a low growl.
"You will step back," the Leader called to him in that same hallow voice. "Or she will snap."
"The Hell she will," Rose choked out, gripping the metal hand with both of hers.
Jabe and Lute moved to stand on either side of the Doctor as the rest of the room backed off. The Curator moved behind the crowds, surprisingly silent for a man as heavy as he was that walked with a cane. His wide smile was gone, those blue eyes of his like ice now.
Holding his hands up, the Doctor took another step forward then froze as the claw tightened and Rose let out a grunt. The spider at their feet shifted with the robed men. Eyes like a brewing ice storm centered on wide golden brown ones. Someone was talking now, he was sure it was Lute trying to convince the hostage taker to release Rose before the situation got worse.
Too late, mate. The Doctor was tensed and ready now. They had threatened Rose.
They weren't getting away from him.
Rose struggled to draw a full breath. The claw was lifting her higher, her toes were barely touching the marble floor now as they moved backwards with her as a shield. Her eyes never left the Doctor's. She knew that look in his eyes, the stance he was in. He was ready to unleash the Oncoming Storm but holding back by a sliver. Carefully, Rose lowered one of her hands, sacrificing the air to trail her hands at a slow pace, eyes still on the Doctor. His reflected a question, noting her movement, but no one else seemed to. Her hand drifted to where she would have a pocket and mimed reaching in. His eyes narrowed, watching her. She lifted her hand again, her fingers curled as if holding something. The she lifted her thumb like it was on a button.
The Doctor reached down to his own pocket, feeling a touch of against his mind now. But from three different sources. He was too focused to think much other than there were other telepaths in the room. One source was trying to offer him peace, calmness. Another was offering support, flashes of a plan. The last source made his breath hitch, it was struggling, asking for help now.
His fingers grasped his screwdriver in his pocket, drawing it out with that same smooth motion that Rose had displayed. Lute was still talking beside him as the group was backing towards the door. It was like the room was holding its collective breathes. Rose looked like she was started to pass out from the lack of air. That made the rage boil in him and his instinct and darkness surge forward. With not wasted movement, he swung his sonic up at the leader of the Repeated Memes at the same time the Curator did something similar.
The group stopped as the claw sparked, opening and dropping a limp, coughing Rose Tyler to the hard floor. Coffa darted forward, vines lashing out from his hands and wrapping around Rose, dragging her to safety. The Doctor stomped forward now that Rose was safe, the sheer energy coming off him in waves making the people in the room pull back more. The leader of the Repeated Memes swung at the Doctor with his useless arm. The Doctor caught is easily and ripped it free of the cloak. He said not a word as he reached in and savagely ripped out the cords inside. The whole of the Repeated Meme host collapsed in on itself, lifeless.
Tossing the arm down on the pile of useless fabrics, he turned to the group.
"A Repeated Meme is just an idea," he growled, stepping towards Rose to pull her to her feet, and safely at his side with a nod of thanks to Coffa. "That's all they are, an idea. And perfect to made a remote controlled droid from. Nice little cover for the real trouble maker," his tone became like ice as he nudged the little spider that was staring up at him. "Go on, Jimbo. Go home."
Like he expected, the spider returned to Cassandra who bared her teeth at him. It might have been intimidating if she had been anything over than a piece of skin on a rack.
"I bet you were the school swot you never got kissed," she hissed, before turning on Rose, "And you the slag who parted her legs for anyone wanting. At arms!"
"Listen here, you bitchy trampoline!" Rose started, taking a step forward before the Doctor pulled her back. He didn't trust the Last Human to not have other tricks in the waiting.
"What're you going to do," he mocked as the two surgeons at Cassandra's sides took up defensive stances, "moisturize me?"
"With acid," Cassandra told him casually. "Oh but you are too late, anyway. My spiders have control of the mainframe. And all you carried them as gifts," now she was cooing at the terrified patrons, "tax free, past every code all. I'm not just a pretty face, you know."
"Sabotaging a ship while you're inside it?" the Doctor scoffed. "How stupid's that?"
"Well," Cassandra sighed, "I had hoped to manufacture a hostage situation with myself as one of the victims. The compensation would have been enormous."
"Five billion years," Rose spat in disgust. "It still comes down to money."
"Do you think looking like this is cheap?" Cassandra snarled at Rose. "Flatness costs a fortune, fatty. How was I to know that the Lord Commander and his slut would show up?"
The Doctor nearly saw red at the second insult to Rose. He was ignoring everything else but that. He felt Rose grip his arm and press against his side closer, helping him relax, but his fury was not going to cool any time soon.
Not while the bitch was breathing.
"Arrest her," Moxx called out. To who, no one knows. "The infidel."
"Oh shut it, pixie," Cassandra laughed. "I still have my final option."
"Earth death in five minutes," the Computer's voice cut in.
"And there it is," Cassandra grinned at the room, making Rose think about her friend back in Pete's World again. "You're all just as useful dead. I have shares in your rival companies and they'll triple in price as soon as you're dead. My spiders are primed and ready to destroy the safety systems. How did that old Earth song go? Oh yes. 'Burn, baby, burn.'"
"Then you'll burn with us," snarled Lute, moving to draw Jabe into a protective embrace.
"Oh, I'm so sorry," Cassandra fluttered her lashes at the group. "I know the use of teleportation is strictly forbidden, but I'm such a nasty girl."
Instinct had the Doctor pulling Rose into his arms now, turning away from Cassandra to use his body to cover his. Rose wrapped her arms around him in return, refusing to let him move her any more. She would protect hers.
"Spiders, activate," Cassandra commanded as a series of explosions rock Platform One. Surprised cries and shouts filled the room as the Last Human smiled, "Force fields are gone with the planet about to explode. At least it will be quick. Just like my fifth husband. Oh shame on me."
The Last Human gave a twittering laugh as the computer announced that the safety systems were failing.
"Bye bye, darlings," Cassandra cooed at the room, as she and her surgeons vanished in a blue light. "Bye, bye, my darlings."
"Heat levels rising," the computer announced seconds after Cassandra was safely away. Chaos broke out in the Observation Hall.
"Reset the computer," Moxx cried out frantically.
"What do we do now?" Mrs. Pakoo asked her husband, nearly hysterical.
"Only the Steward would know how to do that, Moxx," the Curator told the small fat pixie calmly.
"No," the Doctor called out, looking down at Rose. "But we can do it by hand. There must be a system restore. Jabe! Lute! You two stay here, help as you can. Rose, come with me."
Taking Rose by the hand, refusing to let her out of his sight when it would be all too easy to lose her to the heat or the sun, he took her from the room. It was safer with him, he told himself.
"Curator!" Rose called out as she was pulled out the door, "Get as many out of the room or away from the windows. The shields will fail first!"
Nodding, the Curator looked at Lute and Jabe with a wide, toothy smile then looked to the room. He was entirely too calm. "Okay you lot. Just chill. Jelly Baby?"
"We're all going to die," whined the Moxx of Ballhoon.
… … … … …
The Doctor and Rose ran along the corridors back to where he and Jabe had been earlier. Never letting go of each other's hands, the Doctor led Rose through the pipes, keeping a keen eye out for any lingering spiders that might try to stop them. Above and around them, the computerize voice called out the system warnings. The shields were failing all over the platform. The heat levels were rising to critical levels. They had moments left until the death of the Earth at the hands of an unforgiving red star.
Again the Doctor felt something brush against his mind. A little fear and warmth. On instinct, he lowered his own mental shielding to allow the caress in. The golden warmth nudged against his instantly. He responded by letting his own reach out, caressing back. Behind him, he heard Rose's breath hitch and her heart rise pick up. Glancing back, he noted her cheeks were a soft pink, and the feeling in his mind was tinged with pink as well.
Rose didn't mean to reach out. She wasn't really scared, only a little concerned. It was a low level of fear. So many things were different and yet Jack told her they would survive this effectively when he gave her his words of advice. So she had reached out on instinct to him for the comfort of his mind. She and her John never bonded their minds, but they had always been there in the back of each other's minds, offering comfort and support the way two best mates would. When the Doctor touched back, she was surprised by the sudden surge of arousal that shot through her at his touch. She found herself craving more.
Not the time! The TARDIS scolded her loudly, possibly him as well. They both winced as they drew into the main chamber.
"Of course," Rose groaned, pointing beyond the massive spinning fans.
Following her directions the Doctor groaned as well. "Of course, it's there."
He looked around quickly, spotting a lever, he dashed to it. Rose was hot on his heels as he grunted, pulling the level down. They watched as the three massive fans slowed down making passage possible. Letting go, the Doctor moved forward to pass only to be stopped as they sped back up.
"Heat levels rising," the computer reminded him. "External temperature five thousand degrees and rising."
His temper got the best of him then as he roared at the ceiling, "I KNOW!"
Rose moved to the level, pulling down with all her strength. At that moment she was forever grateful for the binding around her nearly health wrist otherwise this would be agony, she reasoned. The Doctor turned to look at Rose with wide, frightened eyes.
"Rose, you can't" he tried to warn her. "The heat's going to vent through this place. A human won't survive." His tone told her he regretted now taking her with him here.
"Then get moving and stop wasting time," Rose sent him her tongue in teeth grin, "Time Lord."
Grinning at her sassy and confidence in him, which he could easily feel washing over him. Pushing his curiosity over that to the back of his mind, he felt his TARDIS also joining in the cheer squad that seem to be pulsing in his mind. Two others, the ones from before, joined in. For a brief moment, the Doctor allowed himself to bask in the noise in his normally silent mind as he passed the first spinning fan.
"Heat levels hazardous," the Computer announced now.
Rose felt the other three joining her in her mind, giving her strength. She would know the touch of the TARDIS anywhere. She recognized Jack from her brief conversation with the Face of Boe. The last she assumed was the Curator. It felt like him from when he had greeted her earlier. Then her heart froze as she felt a wave of panic and terror wash over her.
"Shields malfunction," the computer called out on repeat. "Shields malfunction."
The Doctor glanced back at Rose to make sure she was still okay when he felt a spike of pain color her thoughts.
"Go!" Rose shouted at him, annoyed that he was delaying himself. He just grinned at her again that daft grin as he passed the second fan with ease. He could feel her annoyance and it just amused him.
Watching him move to the last fan, Rose struggled to hold back her cries of pain as the lever continued to heat up. She could feel the heat moving over her skin, like a flame licking at her body. The dress she was wearing was starting to smoke a little and discolor here and there with the oxidation of the air. It would not be long before it would ignite. Rose willed the Doctor to hurry as the computer did the same vocally.
"Planet explosion in ten, nine," the countdown began.
The Doctor really didn't need the reminder as he ran passed the last fan and jerked the main system reset lever down.
"Raise shields, damnit!" The Doctor shouted at the ceiling, like the computer here was his TARDIS.
"Exoglass repaired," the computer announced across the Platform. "Exoglass repaired. Shields restored. System online."
Rose let out a sigh of relief as she let the level slip from her hands. The cool air was already venting through the chamber. It was wonderful against her skin. As she looked down at her hands, she felt the Curator and the Face of Boe slip out of her mind, leaving her with the brush of the Doctor's worry and concern for her and the TARDIS' affection and praise.
The skin on her hands looked almost like they had melted off. She had this sick feeling if she looked, she would fine her palms still stuck to the level. The heat had sealed the wounds, so at least she wasn't bleeding. The nerve endings had mercifully been burned as well, so she really felt nothing but a hot throbbing where the skin of her palms should have been.
The Doctor moved to Rose, taking in her appearance. A little smudge in her cheek that looks suspicious like smoke, a pale face with wide brown eyes. Her bottom lip was trembling as she looked at the mess that was her hands. He let his gaze dart to the lever which, sure enough, was covered with Rose's blood. The bandage for her wrist that he had wrapped over her palm was burned away as well.
"Oh, Rose," he murmured, taking her hands in his studying them. Looking at her again, he gently cupped her cheek and brushed his thumb against the skin there. Precious girl.
Rose looked into his eyes, hearing that term of affection from him. She offered him a smile, before withdrawing herself from his mind carefully. For a second, she could feel his struggle to not surge forward, to draw her back, to keep her there. She shook her head at him with a soft smile.
"Not yet," she whispered to him. Laying his forehead against hers, the Doctor nodded. This was not the time for that conversation yet.
Together, they made their way back to the main Observation hall. Both afraid of what they would find. As they drew up to the doors, Jabe dashed to them and threw her arms around their necks.
"You are both okay!" she cried happily. "When I heard about the heat levels, I feared the worst."
The Doctor noted that Lute was out in the hall with the Curator, Mr. and Mrs. Pakoo, a group of the staff, and one of the Hop Pyleen brothers. The doors were opening and the smell of burning flesh wafed out into the hall making the Doctor's eyes turn to shards of ice. Rose looked up at him when she heard him growling. Even with her mind separated from him, she could feel that rage and darkness rising within him.
The Curator's eyes snapped to the Doctor now, wide round blue eyes watched as he stormed into the main room to take in the damage. He looked at Rose, worried. She didn't look at him as she started to hurry past him. The Curator gently grabbed her shoulder and turned her to him. The golden girl started to protest behind stopped when the Curator, his face serious and sad, shook his head. Reaching into a pocket of his brown coat, he withdrew two handkerchiefs and began wrapping her palms. The sadness in his gaze leaked into her mind, making her knees almost buckle.
"How many?" she had to ask, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Too many," the Curator told her as he cupped her cheek, offering her a tiny sad smile. "Go to him."
Rose nodded and headed into the room and froze. There were piles here and there of ash. Coffa came to her, touching her shoulder.
"Are you unharmed, my Lady?" his voice lower than Lutes, washed over her. She nodded numbly as she watched the Hop Pyleen brother she saw in the hall stagger into the room and collapse next to one of the ash piles.
There were staff members gathered around smaller piles of their breathren who had stayed to protect the guests. She found the Doctor standing before the platform that the Moxx of Balhoon has been sitting on. Now there was only ash. Swallowing her tears, she nodded at Coffa who moved to see if anyone needed his help, Rose moved to the Doctor's side.
The Doctor was tense and nearly shaking with his rage as she drew close to him. Carefully, she ran the back of her hand over his cheek, drawing his attention. "Are you okay?" She asked softly, her worry and grief making her beautiful eyes darker.
"I'm fine," he told her in a tightly controlled voice. Reaching up, he carefully cupped her hand, mindful of her injury. Remembering that only seemed to enrage him farther as he spun from her, stalking around the room. "I'm full of ideas, me. Bristling with them," he was growling. "Idea number one, teleportation through five thousand degrees needs some kind of feed."
Prowling about the room, his eyes taking in everything in the room. The others in the hall came back in, hearing him talking, "Idea number two, the feed must be hidden nearly by."
Coffa let his eyes travel over the room before landing on the egg Cassandra had brought. Striding over, he picked it up, glaring at it. Anything that reminded him of that… creature filled the tree man with suffocating hatred. "Doctor," Coffa called out in his deep baritone voice. Once the Doctor was looking at him, he tossed the egg over. It made a very strange sound, like it was hallow and something was rattling around inside.
Eggs did not make that sound.
Catching it one handed, the Doctor nodded his thanks before slamming the egg down with more force than necessary. A small device fell out. "Idea number three, if you're as clever as me, then the teleportation feed can be reversed."
Holding the device up, he hit a button and Cassandra's voice filled the room, "Oh, you should have seen their little alien faces."
As she appeared in the blue light, the group gave her space. No one wanted to be near her. Rose shifted to the Doctor's side, rage radiating off her as she watched the Last Human look around the room in surprise. The Doctor slipped his hand around Rose and drew her in close, his cool fingers drifting over the skin of her back. It was almost like touching her was calming him.
"Oh."
"The Last Human," Rose growled out, addressing Cassandra.
"So," Cassandra started talking quickly, "you passed my little test. Bravo, bravo. This makes you eligible to join the, um. The Human Club. Well done!"
"People died, Cassandra," the Curator broke in. His voice was low, serious and hiding an underlining darkness of his own. It was almost terrifying.
"That frankly depends on your definition of people," Cassandra laughed. "That alone is enough of a technically to keep your lawyers dizzy for centuries."
Round the room, the survivors all grumbled and growled at how little the Last Human cared about life. The Doctor tightened his grip on Rose's back in that moment.
"Fine, take me to court then," Cassandra fluttered her eyes, that smug smile of hers never fading. "Watch me smile and cry and flutter and-"
"Creak," the Doctor finally spoke.
"What?" Cassandra looked at him, confused.
"Creak," he told her again in a tone that was nearly bored. If the pressure of his fingers on her back wasn't there, Rose would have thought he was. "You're creaking, Cassandra."
"What?" Cassandra repeated, frantic now. "Oh. Oh no! I'm drying out! Oh, sweet heavens! Moisturize me! Moisturize me! Where are my surgeons? My lovely boys! Ah! It's too hot!"
"You raised the temperature," Mr. Pakoo rasped out, almost like a growl one would hear from an alligator. He was of some kind of feathered lizard race after all.
"Have pity!" Cassandra cried out, looking around the room as her skin was pulled tighter and tighter. No one made a move to help her. Only cold glares and unfeeling stares greeted her. "Moisturize me! Oh, oh Doctor! Please! I'm sorry! I'll do anything!"
Rose watched like everyone else. But unlike the others, her rage would not be sated with this. No, something instinctual in her demanded that Cassandra be made to suffer more. This wasn't enough. Not for her crimes. While Rose knew what would later become of Cassandra, right now, she didn't care. She wanted justice.
"Help her." The Doctor could not believe the soft plead that came from his side. Looking down at Rose, he wanted to understand why she would plead for the life of a being that cared so little for others. There was compassion in those whiskey depths as she was staring at Cassandra as the Last Human was being pulled apart by her own drying skin. But he also saw a rage as dangerous of his own under that compassion.
"Everything had its time," he told her, not unkindly. "Everything dies."
Rose almost smiled at the sheer familiarity of those words.
"I'm… too… young!" Cassandra called out as the stress of the dry skin made speech hard for her. Then she was gone. The skin pulled apart, throwing pieces of Cassandra about the room. Because of the space the others gave her, no one was touched by the fleshy bits.
Turning away, the Doctor spent a second to press his forehead to Rose's once again. "I'm going to help sort this lot, and then we're going to leave. Okay?"
Rose nodded, closing her eyes before he was gone. She watched him move from the room, the surviving staff following after him, all talking at once. Once more she was brought short at the sight of him. Board shoulders with the weight of the universe on them, standing tall, in command. The leather jacket making him all that more imposing. How was it he could steal her heart so easily still, she wondered. Turning from the others in the room, she walked slowly to the massive windows. Beyond them, pieces of the Earth drifted by. The Sun was beautiful in its terrifying power. And sadness swept over her. She wasn't sure how long she stood there before the three trees came to her.
"My lady," the three greeted her. Jabe stepped forward and wrapped Rose in a friendly hug, comforting the woman.
Lute and Coffa watched as the two women embraced each other. Drawing back from Rose, Jabe smiled softly, "If you ever have need of us, or the Forest, we are here for you."
"We are forever in your and the Doctor's debt," Lute stepped forward to wrap Rose in a friendly hug. "Without you two here, I hate to think what might have happened."
Rose closed her eyes, remembering what had originally occurred and hugged Lute back.
Coffa said nothing, but gave Rose a bow of respect making her smile. He really was a tree of few words, she thought.
"Take care of him," Jabe smiled, taking hold of Rose's wrists so to not hurt her hands. "And of my Grandfather's clipping."
That made Rose smile at them, with a laugh and a nod. "I will. Nothing less for my friend's family. And, one for the road." Rose gave them that playful grin, the tip of her tongue curling over a tooth as she gave them the gift of the air from her lungs one last time. "I will see you all again. Promise."
Lute grinned like a maniac at the gift. Coffa looked like he was blushing. Jabe breathed in the air, her eyes closed, enjoying it. The three bowed to Rose one last time before they stepped away. Turning back to the windows, she waited for the Doctor to come collect her.
The computer announced as the surviving guests left, one by one. Rose tried to get a grip on her grief at being unable to save more lives this time. Yes, less died this time. But it was still a blow to her heart that she couldn't save more.
"You can't save them all, my Lady," the voice of the Curator surprised her. He stepped up beside her, looking out the window with sadness in his eyes. "We never can. The burden of being what we are."
"What are we?" Rose asked. She turned to watch him.
Offering her a smile, he carefully took one of her wrists in his hand. "The stuff of legends, my Lady. The stuff of legends."
Rose's eyes narrowed at him. He just grinned that wide grin at her. "And all legends are worthy of presents. Here," he carefully pressed a long, thin box to her to hold.
"Seriously, Curator," Rose asked confused. "Who are you?"
That made him smile brighter as he reached up and ran the tip of his finger across the tip of his beak like nose and winked at her, "Who knows."
And with that, he was gone. Leaving her with a box wrapped with a pink ribbon around it and her thoughts. Turning back to the window, she felt the Face of Boe reach out to wish her farewell for now as he left as well. It was better that way, she thought. She would have been too tempted to ask questions. Holding her present with her wrist to her chest, she waited, letting herself mourn the passing of her planet. This time she understood the Doctor better. Last time she had been so mad at him for taking her to this place on her first time out with him. Now she knew better. He was trying to show her, help her understand him. How funny it was that she didn't need this display. She already did. But, this just brought it all back home to her. His grief and guilt.
The computer announced that the last of the shuttles had departed and was now shutting down for maintenance. Rose did not move from her spot, even as she left the Doctor come to her side.
"The end of the Earth," she muttered softly. "It's gone. We were so busy trying to save who we could, no one saw it go. All those years, all that history. And no one was able to look. And now, it's just gone."
Reaching out for her wrist, the Doctor drew her to stand facing him. She looked at him with understanding in her eyes that made him pull her and her little box to him, holding her gently, his chin resting on the top of her head. The two breathed out a sigh of relief now, releasing all the tension they both were holding while they were parted.
"Come with me," he told her softly. It was a question more than a command. Her heart melted at his broken undertone.
"Always," she whispered back.
They returned to the TARDIS in silence. Passing the doors, they both felt the old girl welcoming them both back home. They felt the warmth and safety that was the TARDIS wrap around them as she directed the pair to the med bay for the second time in a few hours.
"I hope this isn't going to be a habit with you," the Doctor grinned down at his little golden human.
"Stop taking me to rough parties and it might not be," she teased lightly back making him laugh lightly.
Once more within the med bay, Rose hopped back up on the table she had started the adventure out on. The irony was not lost on her this time. The Doctor turned from her to find the dermal regenerator. His mind was like a storm, his thoughts all over. So many questions, so many feelings, and he couldn't focus on a single one. The one that kept coming to him was that she would leave now, despite her 'always'. She had been hurt now twice while with him. She had bled twice while under his care. Hell, he took her to watch her planet burn! What had he been thinking!? Turning back to her, she smiled that soft smile up at him and obediently held up her hands for him.
Like last time, they sat in silence as the Doctor ran the dermal regenerator over her palms, back and forth, slowly and ever so carefully. Rose watched with the same fascination as always at the level of tech the Doctor and the TARDIS had. As she watched, the ugly burnt red lessened, gradually fading to a angry red. It wasn't long after that the angry red and welts from the indentation of the level turned to a dark pink of healing tissue.
Rose raised her eyes to watch the Doctor now, studying his face. Her palms were turning to a healthy pink of skin under his care. But Rose didn't rightly care. She was watching him. With what she had shown him, and his natural curiosity, couple with the fact they had fought over the fact she was hiding things from him, she knew it was only a matter of time before he confronted her about it again. This time, she would be ready. And she already had an answer for him, thanks to the Face of Boe's warnings.
Turning from her once he was done, the Doctor set the dermal regenerator on the counter, the TARDIS would put it away later. Coming back to her side, he gently unwrapped her wrist from the fried bandage he was put there before the disaster that was Platform One happened. Tossing the wrapping on the exam bed behind her, he ran his fingers over the skin there. Not a mark was on her wrist, no discolorations. The Doctor felt her shiver and her pulse quicken under his touch. He had so many questions for her. So many feelings were raging through his mind. He didn't know where to begin. Taking out his sonic, he ran the device over her wrist then looked at it for the report.
For the first time in nearly thirty minutes, eighteen seconds, he gave her a bright, daft smile. "All healed! Lollipop?"
He held up a yellow lollipop that she guessed came from his pockets and had to laugh. "What flavor?"
"Banana," he beamed. "For my good little patient." Again he offered it to her. The way he was offering reminded her very much of the Curator and his 'Jelly baby?'.
With another laugh, Rose took the offered sweet and hopped off the table, grinning up at him.
"Go get changed," he told her with that happy smile that took her breath away. "I'll meet you in the console room."
With that, he walked from the room. She waited, listening to the sound of his heavy boots falling against the metal grating of the hallways fade before she headed out herself to the Wardrobe room.
The Doctor circled the center console absently. The last couple hours for him whirling in his head. Flashes of Rose doing the impossible, standing before the Nestene, calling out Cassandra. How she showed no fear or fright of the room of aliens he put her in. The calmness that belied her fright when the Adherent of the Repeated Meme grabbed her. How she so willing went into danger again, for him.
She had called him Time Lord.
While he waited for her, he set the coordinate of their next stop. He wanted answered, but some were so much more important to him. The TARDIS shook and wheezed as she came to life once more, taking them from where they had been drifting safely wrapped in the Vortex. She shuddered in a way that made the Doctor cock his head to the side, listening to the sounds of the ancient engine. A vibration that shouldn't be there ran up his feet and hands, braced as he was against the floor and console. Something was giving out. He would need to take a look soon. But first…
Rose re-entered the main room, looking refreshed and clean of the smudges and dried blood that had dotted her appearance. And she smiled at him, it was like the sun rose in his soul. That instinct and darkness in him preened at the sight, nearly rumbling in pleasure. This was as it should be, he thought. Holding out his hand, without a word, Rose came to him. She was dressed in the clothes she came on board in once again. Not a big surprise, he thought, she didn't have any other clothes really. Entwining her smaller, warm fingers between his larger, cool ones, they walked out the doors of the TARDIS together.
There were people everywhere. Rose step ahead of him, still refusing to let go of his hand. She could hear a baby crying and someone was shouting. So many voices all around her it was a bit distracting after the silence that was the TARDIS. Well, for the most part.
"You think it'll last forever, people and cars and concrete," the low tenor with a sweet Northern accent said, cutting through the noise of the crowds, "but it won't. One day it's all gone. Even the sky." The Doctor watched the blue sky of the Earth, sighing softly. "My planet's gone. It's dead. Burned like the Earth. Nothing but rocks and dust long before its time."
Rose watched with, her heart in her eyes. He could feel her compassion coming off her in waves. He greedily accepted all she offered right then.
"Was it because of the war you mentioned before?" Clever girl, he thought with pride at her question.
"Yeah," his eyes closed, letting his memories war with his compassion and light. "And we lost."
"What happened to your people?" Rose came closer to him, squeezing his hand lightly. She nearly sighed in reflect when he squeezed back. "You never said. Only that you lost everyone. Everything."
"I'm a Time Lord, Rose," now he opened those brilliant ice blue eyes to look down at her. "The last Time Lord. I'm the only survivor. They're all gone. You called me Time Lord before. How?"
"The Consciousness called you that," Rose admitted, it was a half truth.
He nodded, accepted that she was clever enough to put two and two together. "I'm left traveling on my own 'cos there's no one else."
"There's me," Rose whispered, willing him to hear her and feel her sincerity.
He did. Looking down at her, the Doctor leaned his forehead against hers in what was steadily becoming a common thing between them and smiled sadly. "You've seen how dangerous it is. Do you want to go home?"
"No," she answered quickly, tightening her grip on his hand. "But… I want. I mean…"
Rose trailed off as the tantalizing scent of her most favorite food filled the air. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and nearly moaned. "Can you smell chips?" Rose asked breathily.
"Yeah," the smile blossomed over the Doctor's face as he pulled back. "Yeah"
"Mm, I want chips," Rose grinned up at him, her eyes wide and innocent.
"Me too," he laughed at her. When she was like this, so innocent and young, it made him forget about the war, about everything.
"Right then," Rose laughed, her tone full of authority. "Before you get me back in that box of yours, chips it is. And you're paying. That is, if you have money."
With a laugh that was rich and true, the Doctor just shook his head.
"What sort of date are you?" she teased him, her tongue curling over a tooth again. "Alright then, tightwad, chips on me. You get next time. After all, we've only got five billion years till the shops close."