Discordant -- Story 1 of the Blind and Bound series (8/13)

Feb 16, 2009 15:45

Title: Discordant -- Story 1 of the Blind and Bound series (8/13)
Author: sinecure - My master fic list
Character/Pairing: Rose, Pete, Mickey, Jackie
Rating: Adult
Genre: AU, Action/adventure, mystery, drama, angst, romance
Summary: Rose Tyler traveled through universes to get back to the Doctor. What did she see in those universes, and how did they affect her?
Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who.
Thanks: to momdaegmorgan for the beta, and the prompt, and the constant inspiration to finish this thing.

- Prologue - Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3
- Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6


She really hated this beach.

When a warm hand settled on her cheek, and a body moved close to hers, blocking the cold wind from biting at her, slowing the whipping of her hair, all she wanted to do was burrow into him.

"You're close." The words were whispered on the wind.

She opened her eyes to a handsome face. The only face she wanted to see. His lips turned up, and the hand on her cheek slid further into her hair, his thumb stroking her skin. She drew in a deep, shuddering breath and the tears gathering in her eyes spilt down her cheeks, past his fingers.

"Rose," he whispered, watching her with a soft smile, lips unmoving. The sound of his voice was gentle, echoing through her head like a caress. "You're so close."

Blinking back her tears, she lifted her hand to his face, feeling his cool skin beneath her fingers, feeling the roughness of his unshaven cheek. "You're here."

He shook his head and lifted his other hand to cup her face. "Not yet." Grip tightening, he drew her to him as he lowered his head, lips pressing roughly to hers, stinging the wind-bitten skin, burning her with his warmth. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders, hands around his neck, as his went around her waist, closing the distance between them with a strength she'd seen hints of time after time, but never actually felt, at least not in this manner.

His lips dove to hers, then pulled back again and again, sucking her tongue out, teasing it, and then drawing it into his mouth, battling with it, before releasing it to start all over again.

"Rose." Her name whispered around them, echoing against the distant rocks and sweeping in with the ocean.

As they kissed, and touched, and explored one another, the wind died down, and the air around them began to warm until she was blisteringly hot. The sun came out, chasing away the clouds, leaving behind nothing but blue skies and warm sand.

Slipping her hands under the collar of his shirt, she tore her mouth from his, baring her neck to him. "I've missed you, Doctor." Pulling his tie loose, she yanked on the buttons of his shirt. "I want you... I've always wanted you. So much. You have no idea." She kissed his neck, licking the rough skin before sucking the flesh into her mouth, feeling an answering tug between her legs.

Chuckling, breathing heavily, he leaned into her. "Oh, I think I have an inkling." Grabbing her hand, he slid it down, past his stomach, to the hard bulge between his legs. "I need you to come," he told her, giving her a heated look when she pulled back with a surprised gasp.

Instead of answering, she grabbed his arms and pulled him with her to the sand. She'd half-expected it to be cold, but it burned through her jacket and blouse as he settled over her, letting her feel his hard flesh pressed into her. They made quick work of their clothes, stripping one another, teasingly touching and interrupting the process with long, drawn-out kisses.

When they were both bare, she laid back on her bed, staring up at the doctor, seeing the sun shining behind him. He was almost completely in shadow as he braced himself over her, poised at her entrance.

"Rose." He traced her lips with his thumb, moving forward to tease her folds just the slightest bit when she darted her tongue out and tasted his flesh.

She bucked her hips up, wanting, needing, more from him. Trying to-- ah. Ah!

His fingers worked her clit, rubbing and teasing her into a frenzy before finally sliding into her.

And then he was there, inside of her, buried to the hilt, watching her face, watching as she reveled in the pleasure taking over her body. Soared with it. A bird cried overheard as he brought her to the edge and left her hanging there.

"Come."

She fought it. Because once it was gone, she knew she wouldn't have him anymore. He would leave and she'd be alone again. "Don't leave," she breathed, arching into his touch, lifting her hips as he stroked inside her.

"Never," he panted. "Never gonna leave you. I need you, Rose. I need you to find me."

She stared up at him, understanding pouring through her as her body strove for more of him, as her skin tingled and her heart began to thaw. She was awash in gratification, in bliss, in pure pleasure.

"Come for me, Rose."

Awareness flowed through her and she opened her eyes to her bedroom ceiling, feeling her body throbbing with need.

A sob worked its way through her chest. He'd been there, actually been there with her and... blinking rapidly to clear the tears, she curled in on herself. It was just a dream. There'd been no Bad Wolf Bay, no bed spread out on the sand, no Doctor making love to her.

Her body continued to throb, crying out for him, not caring that he wasn't here, that he was gone for... now. Just now. She didn't allow herself to think that he was gone for good.

And even if she did find him, she thought derisively, it wasn't like he wanted her that way. He'd never shown any interest in a relationship that contained more than hugs and handholding... except that one time when she'd thought maybe, possibly, he... but no.

Her body, throbbing in time with her pulse, aching for friction, for something to fill it, didn't care about rationality and logic. All it cared for was release. Sliding her hand under the duvet, then under the elastic of her knickers, she closed her eyes and tried to continue the dream, to imagine he was still there with her, moving inside of her.

It didn't take much. She'd always wanted him, always wanted more from him than mere friendship. Her fantasies had included the Doctor almost from the moment she met him, but her mind rebelled against the setting and she moved the fantasy to her room. Imagined him here, on her bed, naked above her, breathing heavily, helping her touch herself. Their fingers, pressed together, sliding slickly into her wet folds as he watched.

She knew he'd want to watch. He was always so attentive, so fascinated with everything.

Slipping two fingers inside herself, she used her thumb to quickly rub her clit. Already halfway to coming, it wasn't long before she felt it washing over her. Planting her feet flat on the bed, she raised her hips and arched up, rapidly pumping her fingers in and out. Eyes clenched tight, she just felt; felt her muscles tighten around her fingers, felt her orgasm wash over her in wave after wave, felt her chest rise up and down as she gasped for breath.

Felt the loss of the Doctor.

Lowering her hips to the bed, she un-clenched her eyes and stared up at the ceiling again. Afternoon sunshine danced across it, shadows passing along the smooth surface as a zeppelin soared past her building. The distant sound of traffic reached her ears, and for a moment, she felt well rested.

Her mind was clear, head on straight, and she was able to see things a little more clearly than she had in a long time.

The Doctor was trying to contact her.

Pete was right. Santiago too, she supposed. She was stressed and acting a bit mental because of that. Pushing herself this hard wasn't accomplishing anything except more stress and more grief.

Lack of sleep had driven her close to the breaking point, but now, she understood. She was close to finding the Doctor and she had to continue jumping, no matter what.

She needed to apologize. At least to Pete. Right now, he was the center of her world because he was the person in charge of the Torchwood project, and he was the only person who could tell her yea or nay for jumping in the future. She'd go in, apologize, and hope he didn't fire her or take her off the project.

The thought of them doing jumps without her, without looking for the Doctor made her nauseous. She had to find him. It was dire that she did. This life, in this universe, was slowly killing her. Once she found him, she'd be able to slow down and just enjoy the sights with him.

What was he doing right now? she wondered. Soaring through the vortex? Chatting up an alien princess? Maybe running for his life with a companion who adored him.

Professor River Song.

Her heart clenched tight and she had to force herself to remember to breathe.

She didn't want the Doctor to be alone, but thinking of him happy and in love with another woman... a woman she knew was destined to love him, was incredibly painful.

It wasn't like she even knew how he felt about her. That sentence had never got finished. Sometimes she pretended it didn't matter. Other times, it was the only thing she could do to make herself stop obsessing over it. And today, after--she glanced at the clock--eight hours of uninterrupted sleep, she now understood that she was on the right track.

Sitting up, she stared out the window, not seeing the cityscape or the zeppelins moving past, only seeing the Doctor, standing on that beach, calling to her. Heard his voice as clear as day. She'd dreamt of him. And just like before, just like the first few months she'd got trapped here, he'd been calling her name.

Calling her to him.

Like that time, this felt real.

This was it; she was on the right track. Today was the day that she was going to find him.

Adrenaline shot through her and she jumped up, going to shower, wanting to start the day fresh and new, even if it was already half over.

After brushing her teeth and dressing, she headed into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of juice. As she turned back to the sink, she pushed aside the tea tray, still filled with biscuits and tea from Mickey's visit the day before. Taking one of the uneaten biscuits, she munched on it and sat down in the lounge to watch telly.

Tomorrow was her jump day, but tonight... tonight she planned on doing her usual nightly jump. She'd almost caught up with Liam and Jake, so, soon she'd be doing new ones.

After flipping through the channels for a mindless five minutes, she came to the conclusion that this universe's telly sucked worse than her own. There was nothing interesting on, except a children's show about a big green badger. Odd.

But it reminded her of Tony. She should go visit him and her mum. It'd been weeks since she'd last seen them.

She'd go tomorrow. For now, she'd call them. Grabbing her mobile, she flipped it open and scrolled down to her mum's number, pressing the call button. As it rang, she grabbed a folder from the pile on the table in front of her, catching up on some work files that Torchwood had sent to her last weekend. Identifying aliens and alien tech was still a bit exciting, though not as much as seeing the real thing. She sipped her juice and flipped through the files.

"Tyler residence."

Shoving the phone into the cradle of her shoulder, she quickly wrote down the name of the alien that was sketched on the sheet in front of her. "Hi, Lucy. It's Rose, is my mum around?"

"Yes, Ms. Tyler. One moment please." Her polite, childish voice had Rose gritting her teeth.

Rose waited, ignoring the slight jealousy that went through her every time she spoke to or looked at Lucy, and when Jackie came on the phone, and later, Tony, she managed not to think on it too much.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Six hours later, Rose walked into Torchwood Estates breathing a sigh of pleasure as her cold hands and cheeks were blasted by warm air. She headed straight to Tia-- only Tia wasn't there. Ryan was. She licked her lips and walked to where he was busy tapping away on a computer, determined that she wouldn't let this opportunity pass her by, no matter who got in her way.

None of her things were set out, no weapons, no flak jacket, no cup of coffee waiting beside the pot.

"Where's Tia?" she immediately asked, not bothering with pleasantries. She had a sinking feeling that Pete had fired Tia for helping Rose with her nightly jumps.

Guilt swam around in her, but not enough to keep her from jumping tonight.

Ryan spun around in his chair, dragging his eyes slowly from the monitor, still reading whatever was on his screen. Then he smiled and stood up. "Oh, hey, Rose." He shuffled closer and reached up to scratch his head, but then lowered his hand, eyes bouncing everywhere, but on her. "Uh, Pete took her off night duty."

"Right," Rose sighed, feeling relief sweep through her, "of course he did." It didn't matter, she was going to jump tonight. Moving past him, she went to the armory and unlocked it, pulling the metal door open with a screech. "You're not going to try to stop me, are you?"

He drew in a deep breath and let it out shakily. "I-- I'm sorry. I have to." Sighing, he joined her by the weapons--brave man--standing nearby while he told her she could no longer search for the man she loved. "Pete said you couldn't... that you were having some problems sleeping and--"

She raised an eyebrow at him, shoving a stun gun into her pocket. "And?"

"And, just that you..." he hung his head a little and looked up at her from under his brows, looking boyish and cute and sweet and apologetic, but also a bit stubborn. "You can't jump anymore."

"So you and the others, you all know about my night jumps?" She sniffed sharply, turning from the locker to face Ryan more fully.

He shook his head, raising it up to look her fully in the eye. "No, just me. I-- I found the information for him, and..."

"That's strange," she mused, striding past him to the designated spot. "Why'd he put you on duty and not... Duane." Duane was a stubborn arse, and, even though he wasn't a by-the-rules kind of guy, she knew he'd stop her as ordered.

That, and she got the feeling that he resented her for some reason.

"Ah... I don't know," Ryan admitted, sitting on the table housing the computers they used to calculate and catalogue. "Wondered about that myself."

Rose chuckled darkly, absently clicking and un-clicking the straps of her flak Jacket. "Does he think you have influence over me?" She peered at him through her lashes, hooking the zip of her jacket and pulling it tight. "Mickey's been telling tales out of school again." Tilting her head, she considered her words, then tossed them aside. "Well, false tales, but apparently Pete believes them." Off of Ryan's confused expression, she straightened her shoulders and raised her head. "They think we're dating. That we're lovers. It's silly really. Mum got wind of it from Mickey and she must've said something to Dad-- Pete, and he assumed you'd stop me, being the... big, strong man you are."

Ryan gaped at her, and she couldn't help but grin back. With the excitement pouring through her at the prospect of seeing the Doctor again--soon--being able to hear his voice again, to touch him, she was in a bit of a good mood.

Laughing, she closed the distance between them and grabbed him by the shoulders. "Relax, Ryan." Planting a quick kiss on his lips, she stepped back and looked at him, still chuckling. "You can tell 'em I threatened to withhold sex." Smirking at his wide-eyed, expression, she pulled out her jumper. "Set me up."

"Rose, I can't," he insisted, pushing away from the table to circle around it. Sitting at one of the monitors, he began tapping out a long string of something or other.

She waited. Her patience was high, but it wasn't infinite. Still, she was sure he'd break first. Sure that she could talk him into doing this for her. So, she merely stared at him, waiting.

His typing slowed down and she could see him darting looks up at her, under his fringe. His resemblance to the Doctor in that moment was so strong that it hurt her chest. She couldn't breathe for a few seconds, but then her breath slammed back into her and she sucked in air, fighting back tears. "Please," she whispered. "I'm so close to finding him, Ryan. I know I am. He to--" shaking her head, cutting off those words, words he wouldn't understand and would make him think her mental, she blinked rapidly. "Please."

Ryan stared at her, studying her face for a few moments before heaving his whole body in a sigh. "Okay."

A watery smile flirted with her lips. "Thank you." Wiping her nose with the back of her hand, she stood waiting, hand hovering over the round, red button.

That should never, ever be pushed.

Smiling softly as the familiar words rang in her head, she closed her eyes and waited for the go ahead from Ryan. A few minutes later, she was standing on a new Earth, just outside the Powell Estates, looking around at the familiar setting through a late afternoon sun. Everything looked like her universe, and she had to tamp down on her excitement. Was it possible that this was it?

Was she home? Really home?

Turning to the building behind her, she saw the crack in the sidewalk, spider-webbing its way to the edge. Saw the grass worn down to dirt by the crack. There, just by the door, was a rubbish bin, dented on the side from when Mickey fell on it after one of his pub-crawls.

Hope ignited in her.

Kids played down on the basketball court, cars went by in the distance. Inhaling deeply, she drew in the scents of rubbish, something burning, and rain. The sweet scent of rain was in the air. Up above, the metal-gray sky was free of bloated zeppelins soaring about.

The flame flickered and grew a little brighter, warming her from the inside out.

Spinning around, she ran toward her building, but then stopped when she saw something that made her heart thump like a boulder rolling down hill, gaining momentum as it went. There. On the wall by the courtyard.

Bad Wolf.

Flaring and crackling to life, the burning warmth, spread in her, lightening her heart.

Instead of going inside, she slid her mobile from her pocket and flipped it open. But then, her eyes lit on something else, something moving.

Fog.

A dark, swirling fog of inky blackness. It rolled and roiled along the ground, slithering around buildings, slipping into windows and doors. Great, big billowing clouds of it spun and rotated forward. It was still two streets away, but was quickly encompassing the empty playground.

She'd never seen anything like it, not something that moved like this. Smoke didn't slither over the ground, and hug buildings like a lover. This was... like a snake. It completely swallowed the playground, and she was startled to see that there was nothing there anymore. Just blackness. The fog swirled and swirled, roiling and turning, but light wasn't penetrating it. There were just slightly lighter areas of black giving it depth.

Turning to glance at the kids playing basketball, she saw that they had noticed it as well.

It was heading toward them. Toward all of them. Something about it, something in the swirling mass of black and grey fog, Rose felt that light of hope being extinguished, and a frisson of fear taking its place. It was menacing. Cold and evil feeling. She didn't like it in the slightest. The sun was shining, and yet, no light penetrated the mass.

Spinning around, she ran to her old home and yanked open the door, taking the stairs two at a time, heading for the roof. Panting on the metal steps, she grabbed the railing and swung herself up the last flight, barging through the door. It slammed back against the brick face and swung shut again, but she was already running across the roof toward the edge.

She'd sat with the Doctor here once, while the Slitheen's ship flew overhead, crashing into Big Ben.

But now she was alone and she wanted, needed, to figure this out. There was just something wrong about that fog.

Climbing up the brick wall covered in graffiti, she gasped, then stood up straight, staring out over the city. The northern half was engulfed in a swirling blackness that extended as far as the eye could see. Whole buildings and streets were gone, cars partially eaten by the ravenous cloud.

No, not a cloud, she realized. That was a wall.

The sky above was calm and grey, but so was the city, she realized. The only noises she could hear up here were the kids on the court below and a few nearby cars. The basketball echoed repeatedly along the bricks, the acoustic pounding reverberating off her skull.

It was moving this way, swallowing up everything in its path. There was nothing but fog as far as the eye could see to the north.

And it was nearing the Powell Estates, nearing the kids, and yet, they weren't leaving. Cupping her hands over her mouth, she realized she still had her phone. Snapping it shut, she yelled to the children. "Get out of there! It's coming, can't you see it?"

Their game stopped and they turned to her, pointing and arguing, though she was too far away to hear them. Then one of them yelled something she couldn't understand and they all turned and ran, leaving the basketball bouncing until it rolled away, settling near the Bad Wolf graffiti. Her eyes settled on the painted words for a moment.

This couldn't be her home, it couldn't be. To get home after all this time only to lose it to that... thing.

Remembering her mobile, she started to open it when suddenly it began to ring.

She nearly dropped it. Her fingers loosened and it began to slip from her palm, but then she snapped back to attention and tightened her hand on it, staring at the lit up number on the screen.

Drawing in a shuddering breath, she saw

TARDIS calling

and nearly fainted. Joy and relief and excitement battled for superiority as she flipped the phone open and pressed it to her ear with a grin and an enthusiastic jump. "Oh, my god, Doctor. It's you. It's really you." The reception crackled and popped, filled with static loud enough to drown out his voice. But it was him. It was definitely him! "Doctor! I'm here. It's me... I'm-- I'm here."

"Rose--" more static poured through, and she had to strain to even hear that much. "--fog... don't go... danger--"

"Doctor," she yelled, hoping he could hear her, hoping he was hearing at least part of what she was saying. Why wasn't he here? Why couldn't he get to her?

Her eyes were drawn to the fog, mere meters away now, drawing closer and rising high into the sky as if it were aware of where she was, or how tall the building was. He'd mentioned fog, she was sure of that.

She was right, there was something wrong and evil about this fog. Something unnatural.

Pressing the mobile tight to her ear, she listened intently through the crackling and white noise. She could hear his voice, fading in and out, broken up by static. "You've got--" more static. "--out of there. Danger... universes... go back."

Keeping an eye on the fog, she moved back from the edge, dropping to the roof and heading back toward the door. She had to get out of there, but the Doctor... she couldn't leave him. This was her only chance at contacting him. What if this were her world and she never got back here again because it got eaten up by this thing?

"I can't," she yelled, tears burning her eyes. "Come get me, Doctor. I wanna be with you." Her voice shook, tears flowing freely. The fog was at the edge of the roof now, closing in on her and she backed up a few more steps until her back hit the door.

"Not... universe. Rose! ...hear me? This is not... not your universe. Go-- ete's world."

Relief poured through her at his words. This wasn't her universe. As much as she'd still love to see the Doctor, still wanted nothing more than to be with him, if he could now contact her through other universes, then she knew--knew!--she'd get back to him eventually.

And her own Earth was not being eaten up by fog. She hoped. There was no guarantee of that, but she chose to believe that it wasn't.

"All right," she told him, voice still shaking as the fog closed in on her. It was a meter away now. "I'll go back. I'll find you again. I swear."

"...you, Rose." His voice was lower, not as panicked, but full of sincerity.

She felt a shiver go through her. Maybe it wasn't what he'd said, but she said the words anyway. "I love you, Doctor."

"It's coming," he said clearly for the first time. "The darkness is coming. Warn them." And then the phone cut off.

She hung up and pressed the TARDIS button, listening to the static crackle and pop and then cut out. She tried again. And again. But it wouldn't work now. He was gone.

Hands shaking, despair sweeping through her--she'd been so close to him, had finally heard his voice again for the first time in nearly 5 years--she snapped her mobile shut and stared at the fog.

It was coming.

What did he mean by that?

Warn them.

Was it spreading through all universes then? Coming to Pete's?

Her mind was whirling, her memory trying to put something together. Something important. Something about the fog... and then she remembered; she'd seen this before.

Fog. She'd seen fog before. Eyes darting over the roiling mass, mind working quickly, she realized that on all the other Earth's she'd jumped to there'd been some form of fog. Was that how it started? Inconsequential, normal, nothing out of the ordinary, but then it grew. Fed on... whatever it was eating, whatever was driving it?

Panicked, she flipped her phone open and hit the camera button, aiming it at the fog. Pete wasn't exactly taking her word for things lately. She'd need proof. Snapping a few pictures, she glanced up, then froze.

"Oh, my god."

There were faces in it! Faces in the fog. Swirling and rolling and twisting this way and that and as it approached her, as it churned toward her across the roof, she could hear muffled screams and wailing.

Pressing back against the door, standing on tiptoe, she covered her ears. Fingers fumbling on her mobile, she pressed the video capture button and held a shaking hand out. The fog was closing in on her, pressing close and she could feel it now. Feel the cold pouring off of it in waves as the faces screamed and wailed, assailing her ears.

Rounding the doorway, she slipped free and continued filming until she couldn't go any further, then quickly saved the video and snapped her phone shut.

Eyes surveying the city one last time, she was startled to realize that she could see through the fog. She could see ruins. It wasn't just choking the city and everyone in it, it was eating them up, leaving nothing behind but skeletons. This Earth was being destroyed, and soon there'd be nothing left.

Shoving her mobile into her back pocket, she grabbed her jumper and pressed the button.

Chapter 8


sinecure: dw, sinecure, sinecure: dw: b&b: discordant

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