REWRITE THE STARS ― doctor who

dean

Chapter Twelve: Dean

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DAYS PASSED FOR CLAUDIA BEFORE SHE WAS ABLE TO LEAVE HER ROOM. Or, at least, it felt like days. Time blurred in the TARDIS, and she couldn't tell how long a day even was. She didn't want to think about the science behind it all — it only made her head hurt.

Her dreams were haunted by Castiel's voice, his eyes, his warm, gentle, calloused hands. She dreamt he never left her. They were happy — like in the parallel world.

The only world they ever would be.

When her eyes opened and she blinked away sleep, she saw Sam. He tormented her waking thoughts. Seeing a parallel version happy, alive, in awe of the Doctor and relishing in him — the guilt was eating her alive.

Because her Sam, her brother was still trapped in hell. Tied to Lucifer, a plaything for both he and Michael to use for eternity.

And she couldn't forgive herself for that.

Both the Doctor and Rose has taken time to check up on her, both comforting her in different ways.

Both seemed to understand that she needed time. That it was too many things piled on top of her already broken mind and she couldn't take another. They gave her time. Patience. Empathy. Something she'd never really had before.

Rose preferred to talk. Claudia noticed she didn't take well to long silences and instead, recapped the adventures she'd been on with the Doctor prior to Claudia's arrival, and the few they'd taken without her present.

She was thoughtful, though.

Rose brought Claudia cookies late in the night because she thought it would cheer her up. (It did.)

Rose fell asleep in Claudia's bed and hugged her when she broke down in tears randomly.

Claudia really liked Rose.

The Doctor was very different.

When he comforted Claudia, he didn't speak much, if at all. He held her as she cried, or read quietly next to her as she did the same.

He tucked his coat away and leaned his head on her shoulder, and she placed her head on his.

Rose drowned out her noise, distracted Claudia from her thoughts; her mind. The Doctor was quiet and she found herself not thinking them at all.

And so, when Claudia cleaned herself up and left the room for the first time since the parallel universe, they both looked at her in surprise from the console room.

"Hey."

The Doctor blinked at her before a soft smile took over his face. Rose beat him to words.

"Hey, Claudia!" She beamed, walking over and pulling her into a tight hug. "How're you doing? We were thinking of this planet the Doctor was saying has purple oceans, can you believe that? Purple oceans!"

Claudia smiled at her excitement, nodding at the younger woman. "That sounds cool. I don't do the beach though."

"It's not really for swimming," the Doctor spoke up. "They have thousands of kilometer aquariums underwater to watch the ocean. I think you'd like it."