Ficlet: In the Middle - Claim: Nine, Prompt: Middles
Title: In the Middle
Author: Jinni
Rated: PG13
Disclaimer: All things Doctor Who belong to the BBC, et al.
Prompt 2: Middles
Claim: Ninth Doctor
Summary: They were right smack in the middle of their adventure together, and he’d keep them there as long as possible.
He thought he lost her in the middle of running for their lives.
So caught up in the moment - in the running and the sensation of just feeling something, even if it was apprehension that they might get caught - he didn’t notice the moment her hand slipped from his.
Didn’t notice when her footsteps no longer were right there with him.
The Doctor skid to a halt, looking around in confusion. His hand was still warm where he had held onto hers; she couldn’t have been away from him for more than a moment or two. Not enough time to have gotten into trouble - well, no more trouble than they were already in.
He rubbed his thumb over his palm, glancing up and down the dark street they’d ducked into. No Rose.
That wasn’t good.
Jackie would kill him if he lost her.
And that was what made him worry, he told himself. That was what made both his hearts speed up in his chest and anxiety lodge in his throat. It was the fact that there would be a very irate human woman that would do her best to kill him when she found out he’d misplaced her daughter.
It had nothing to do with caring about Rose himself.
Not a thing.
The pounding steps of their chasers were getting closer and closer still, a steady jog. As if they knew they would catch up to their quarry in the end and didn’t feel any particular need to hurry it up.
The Doctor whirled, looking about the darkness. Fear had gripped him and he couldn’t let it go. She’d been right there, in the middle of running. Mid-step. And then - gone.
At least, he assumed as much. Had taken him long enough to notice her missing. Not used to her not yammering along, but she’d been quiet for once, letting him just lead her to safety without question.
Blind, unblinking trust.
Silly ape. Trusting him, of all people. Destroyer of his own race, that’s what he was. Why did she trust him so unthinkingly?
Why did he let her?
The Doctor began to trace his steps up the street, keeping to the shadows as best he could, eyes looking for any sign of Rose.
He let her because she could trust him, of course, his mind taunted and teased at him. A mockery of everything that he’d done, saying that he was trustworthy. He’d end a life to save more. End thousands to save millions.
Kill a planet to save a universe.
The Doctor swallowed.
So why did the thought that he’d lost Rose in this dark street somewhere upset him so much?
She was just one woman. One silly little human, out of billions.
Nothing special
Wrong. Oh, so wrong.
She was more special than he could ever admit to her, to himself, to anyone.
Wait - what was that?
The Doctor knelt to retrieve a slinky silver bracelet, complete with charms, that he knew for a fact Rose had been wearing when they left the TARDIS earlier. He frowned, looking around. Now where was the wrist that should be inside of it?
A crack of light where there shouldn’t have been one, set into the almost pure darkness of the shadows, provided a hint. The Doctor stepped forward, putting his ear to the door. Too thick - couldn’t hear a thing. He turned the knob, only to find it locked. Well, that had never stopped him before.
Fumbling in his pocket for the sonic screwdriver, the Doctor was taken completely off-guard when the door opened quickly and he was yanked inside.
He blinked, adjusting to the bright light.
People. All around him. Not the ruling class with their blue skin and white facial designs, but the more Earth-y people.
“Doctor!”
“Rose!” he responded automatically, grinning when he saw her push through the crowd in his direction. He held up the bracelet. “You dropped somethin’.”
She grinned, tongue in the corner of her mouth. “Thanks. Sorry ‘bout disappearing like that. They just sort of reached out and grabbed me when we were runnin’ by. Didn’t trust you to get us out of there safe-like, I guess.” She frowned. “I was tryin’ to convince them to let me out when you came poking around.”
That was his Rose, ready to put herself right back in the middle of trouble if needed.
And then there were introductions all around and conversation about the little band of rebels they had unwittingly stumbled upon. Rebels that would overthrow the ruling class in, oh, about another five decades or so. Just a blip in time, really. Through it all, he kept watching her. Watching Rose.
She was okay.
Crisis averted. For today, anyway. One day he would lose her. To time or injury or… things he didn’t want to think about.
He reached out, squeezing her hand and gesturing to the door when the night had long since passed and she was starting to yawn. “Best get going. Patrols will have stopped looking now.”
She nodded and bid their new friends farewell, promising to visit with a grin on her face; even though she couldn’t guarantee she would ever come back.
And when she took his hand and grinned up at him, eyes sparkling with that tireless human enthusiasm that he loved so very much, the Doctor grinned right back and let thoughts of what could be, could have been, and maybe would be fade from his mind.
They were right smack in the middle of their adventure together, and he’d keep them there as long as possible.
END
Author: Jinni
Rated: PG13
Disclaimer: All things Doctor Who belong to the BBC, et al.
Prompt 2: Middles
Claim: Ninth Doctor
Summary: They were right smack in the middle of their adventure together, and he’d keep them there as long as possible.
He thought he lost her in the middle of running for their lives.
So caught up in the moment - in the running and the sensation of just feeling something, even if it was apprehension that they might get caught - he didn’t notice the moment her hand slipped from his.
Didn’t notice when her footsteps no longer were right there with him.
The Doctor skid to a halt, looking around in confusion. His hand was still warm where he had held onto hers; she couldn’t have been away from him for more than a moment or two. Not enough time to have gotten into trouble - well, no more trouble than they were already in.
He rubbed his thumb over his palm, glancing up and down the dark street they’d ducked into. No Rose.
That wasn’t good.
Jackie would kill him if he lost her.
And that was what made him worry, he told himself. That was what made both his hearts speed up in his chest and anxiety lodge in his throat. It was the fact that there would be a very irate human woman that would do her best to kill him when she found out he’d misplaced her daughter.
It had nothing to do with caring about Rose himself.
Not a thing.
The pounding steps of their chasers were getting closer and closer still, a steady jog. As if they knew they would catch up to their quarry in the end and didn’t feel any particular need to hurry it up.
The Doctor whirled, looking about the darkness. Fear had gripped him and he couldn’t let it go. She’d been right there, in the middle of running. Mid-step. And then - gone.
At least, he assumed as much. Had taken him long enough to notice her missing. Not used to her not yammering along, but she’d been quiet for once, letting him just lead her to safety without question.
Blind, unblinking trust.
Silly ape. Trusting him, of all people. Destroyer of his own race, that’s what he was. Why did she trust him so unthinkingly?
Why did he let her?
The Doctor began to trace his steps up the street, keeping to the shadows as best he could, eyes looking for any sign of Rose.
He let her because she could trust him, of course, his mind taunted and teased at him. A mockery of everything that he’d done, saying that he was trustworthy. He’d end a life to save more. End thousands to save millions.
Kill a planet to save a universe.
The Doctor swallowed.
So why did the thought that he’d lost Rose in this dark street somewhere upset him so much?
She was just one woman. One silly little human, out of billions.
Nothing special
Wrong. Oh, so wrong.
She was more special than he could ever admit to her, to himself, to anyone.
Wait - what was that?
The Doctor knelt to retrieve a slinky silver bracelet, complete with charms, that he knew for a fact Rose had been wearing when they left the TARDIS earlier. He frowned, looking around. Now where was the wrist that should be inside of it?
A crack of light where there shouldn’t have been one, set into the almost pure darkness of the shadows, provided a hint. The Doctor stepped forward, putting his ear to the door. Too thick - couldn’t hear a thing. He turned the knob, only to find it locked. Well, that had never stopped him before.
Fumbling in his pocket for the sonic screwdriver, the Doctor was taken completely off-guard when the door opened quickly and he was yanked inside.
He blinked, adjusting to the bright light.
People. All around him. Not the ruling class with their blue skin and white facial designs, but the more Earth-y people.
“Doctor!”
“Rose!” he responded automatically, grinning when he saw her push through the crowd in his direction. He held up the bracelet. “You dropped somethin’.”
She grinned, tongue in the corner of her mouth. “Thanks. Sorry ‘bout disappearing like that. They just sort of reached out and grabbed me when we were runnin’ by. Didn’t trust you to get us out of there safe-like, I guess.” She frowned. “I was tryin’ to convince them to let me out when you came poking around.”
That was his Rose, ready to put herself right back in the middle of trouble if needed.
And then there were introductions all around and conversation about the little band of rebels they had unwittingly stumbled upon. Rebels that would overthrow the ruling class in, oh, about another five decades or so. Just a blip in time, really. Through it all, he kept watching her. Watching Rose.
She was okay.
Crisis averted. For today, anyway. One day he would lose her. To time or injury or… things he didn’t want to think about.
He reached out, squeezing her hand and gesturing to the door when the night had long since passed and she was starting to yawn. “Best get going. Patrols will have stopped looking now.”
She nodded and bid their new friends farewell, promising to visit with a grin on her face; even though she couldn’t guarantee she would ever come back.
And when she took his hand and grinned up at him, eyes sparkling with that tireless human enthusiasm that he loved so very much, the Doctor grinned right back and let thoughts of what could be, could have been, and maybe would be fade from his mind.
They were right smack in the middle of their adventure together, and he’d keep them there as long as possible.
END