Red Roses: Part One: Rooms
“Hey, Doc, you wouldn’t happen to know where we’re all gonna sleep tonight, would ya?” Captain Jack Harkness called across the control room of the TARDIS.
After the day’s events of everyone reuniting, nobody was wanting to leave the safety of the TARDIS. And, of course, The Doctor had to have plenty of rooms for everyone to stay in. Some wanted to double up, not wanting to be alone. And even though nobody really wanted to leave the control room, they all needed some rest, especially those who’d traveled far and wide to see their beloved Doctor.
“Well, there’s plenty of rooms. You’ll have to go down different corridors, of course, but just follow the railings or the paint strips. Either way, you’ll get there.”
Jack nodded, offering Sarah Jane his elbow. She knew the TARDIS better than anyone, and Captain Jack appointed her as leader. He’d seen the side glances The Doctor and Rose Tyler had been giving each other for the past hour while everyone met and exchanged the news, filling in holes and blanks where needed.
“Hey Doctor,” Mickey shouted over the roar of the others. “You goin’ to take off? Take us somewhere?”
“Oh, not tonight, Mickey Smith. I think,” he fiddled with his Sonic Screwdriver, not meeting the gaze of the others who’d stopped at the mention of a travel in the TARDIS. “I think we need some rest in our own timeline, don’t you?”
Mickey nodded, meeting the eyes of one Martha Jones. She’d grinned every time, especially when they’d been introduced by Captain Jack Harkness, Matchmaker Extraordinaire.
Jack and Sarah Jane led the group down the corridor, down another, and yet another, making lefts and rights. Sarah Jane could imagine the maps these people would need in the morning.
The Doctor stood at the control, putting the TARDIS in a sleep-mode. Something new she’d updated herself, where the lights dimmed that one could still see but it was dark enough to sleep and get some much-needed rest. She’d even helped his dreams since saying goodbye to his Rose. His beautiful, brilliant, wonderful Rose. Rose who was standing opposite him, leaning against the railing. His Rose.
“You could get some rest too,” he spoke softly, meeting her eyes. He couldn’t bear to look away. Not when she was standing in front of him, her blonde hair giving her a halo.
She smiled softly. “Maybe later, yeah?”
He nodded, just barely, still getting lost in her eyes. “What have you done? Since last, last--”
“What you’ve taught me.” She answered, noticing the catch in his voice. “I’ve been working with members of Torchwood to stop the Daleks, as well as keep an eye on Raxicoricofallipatorius.”
He grinned his toothy grin, remembering all the years ago when she’d had trouble pronouncing it, but had been so proud when she’d gotten it. He’d been a different man then. No, same man, but different face. But then again, maybe a different man. He hadn’t known that light could be a person. That, dare he think it, love could be a person. And now? Love was standing in front of him, showing him so much light.
She matched his smile, moving around the console to stand beside him. “We could go.”
He cocked his head sideways. “Told them we’d stay. She’s in sleep herself.”
Rose’s eyes lit up. “No silly, out there. It’s safe now, isn’t it?”
He shook his head. “Can’t risk it. You know. And you . . .” he paused. “I can’t take you from this timeline.” He cast his eyes down, running his long fingers over the different buttons that even he wasn’t sure what some of them were for.
She moved closer, her perfume and sweat from fighting what had, by any definition, been a mini war, intoxicating him. She placed a hand on his. “Doctor, it really is me.”
He moved, wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her into him, burying his face into her neck, her hair. A small whisper she could feel rather than hear. “Rose.”
“I’m here,” she whispered. The TARDIS’ humming enchanting the both.
He pulled away, arms still around her, looking at every inch of her face, taking in the brilliance of her eyes, the smell of her perfume, the curve of her face, cheekbones, the fullness of her lips, the way her cheeks brightened when she smiles. The flush of red in them.
“I thought I’d lost you. I thought my good-bye was . . . good-bye.”
She leaned into him, tugging on his tie, loosening it. “You never finished your thought. The connection was lost.”
His warm hands went to her hips, his hearts pounding. He could hear her heart as well. She loosened the tie more, untying it and letting it hang, her hand went to his face as his vision blurred with tears. She wiped them with her thumb, shaking her head. “Doctor, don’t.”
“I thought, I thought,” his throat constricted. This must be what the humans feel, he thought. “I saw the list of dead from Canary Wharf. I knew you were fine, but I . . . I thought you’d gone. Forever. I wanted to – I tried so hard – I willed her to crash – I couldn’t--”
“You wanted the TARDIS to crash?” Rose asked, trying to meet the chocolate eyes she’d grown to love so well.
He wouldn’t look at her, his face hot, his breath catching in his throat through sobs. “I couldn’t take more pain.” His voice was barely a whisper, but Rose could hear him crystal clear. Her own heart hurt, ached, and all she wanted to do was touch him.
“Doctor, I’m not going anywhere.” She placed her hands on his cheeks, moving his head up from the position it was in. He looked at her, his tears streaming down, his sobs becoming uncontrollable. She kissed each tear, eventually moving to his lips. He sighed, shakily, and held her close as finally, at long last, the one dream he’d had every night for the last four years, since he’d met her in the basement of the store, when the mannequins came to life, was coming true. Finally . . . finally . . . finally.
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