In want of a wife (A Dr. Who fanfiction)

Chapter 8

Following that last confession, it stayed silent for a long time and finally Rose faced the Doctor.

"You're an alien!" She cried.

She then corrected herself and spoke in a softer tone: "After all that you have shown me, do you know, this hardly comes as a surprise. Off course you are an alien, every sign points in that direction."

She took a step back, releasing his hands, and began to examine him, as if she saw him for the first time.

"You do not seem to be any other than human, are you-" She swallowed. "Are you different on the inside?"

The Doctor smiled and gently took both her hands. He next placed them on his chest and waited.

Rose was about to say something, confusion written all over her pretty face, until unexpectedly she felt it.

Thump-thump thump-thump.

Instead of the double beat of one human heart, she heard, or rather she felt four thumps. Succeeding each other pretty quick. At first she did not believe it and tried to reason away what her touch made apparent.

"T-" The word got stuck in her throat. "Two?"

"Binary vascular system. I also posses a respiratory bypass system, which helps me to go without air longer than a human and it is very helpful when there is a foul stench in the air."

"You really are alien." Rose took another step back and had to admit the news startled her more than she first let on.

She looked through the door to the empty Gallifreyan lands. Here she was, a young woman of nineteen, living among all the comforts of a luxurious small world, facing a sudden drastic change in point of view. Finding her cosy little world being no longer as little as it once was. Did she care for those changes? Had she not rather been left ignorant?

Rose stared at her feet, a moments bewilderment overwhelming her, making her hands tremble and knees go weak. Her hands, ripped loose from the Doctor's, came up to hide her face and she could not withhold a moan.

He was before her in an instant, wrapping her up with arms strong and tender. Rose knew that no man of her acquaintance, her circle in lifestyle, gave such a display of affection. It shocked her even more than his words had done. Yet she instantly felt secure and comforted and she knew that this was a place she irrevocably desired to dwell in as often as possible.

"Forgive me," he softly whispered near her ear. "I should have taken this more slowly. The situation allowed me to run far ahead of myself. Your beauty and openness evoked me to be thus forthcoming. Believe me when I say, I only made myself known to you out of a heartfelt wish, to be seen by you as the person that I really am."

He hesitated and then quietly added: "Do you wish me to escort you back to your home?"

Rose instantly looked up and exclaimed: "No!"

Her next tendency to laugh, made her cry again. However this time it was of short duration, as she quickly pulled herself together and insured the Doctor: "No please, I am not appalled, nor am I disappointed. It is simply the shock of your revelation, I am afraid it does do more to me than I anticipated."

The Doctor nodded, found a white handkerchief in one of his pockets and handed it to her.

"There is one thing though, that I cannot comprehend," Rose said, after finding some composure.

"Only one?" The Doctor replied in jest.

Rose gave a watery smile and continued: "Of all the worlds and I imagine species you can find and must undoubtedly know, what made you come here?"