The Assassin of Madness

Chapter 18

Jack was trying to figure out how to fold the physical map when Rose came in, dressed to run, tying her hair up in a ponytail.  She watched how the two men were not talking to each other, the Doctor tinkering with his tablet.  Furrowing her brows, she stuffed her hands until her hoodie pockets.  "You boys have a lover's tiff?" She asked, her voice light.

"No, of course not," The Doctor sputtered, and gestured for her to come over to him. She did so willingly, staring up into his serious face.  "I know that you want to come with us, Rose, but-"

"Shut up," Rose said, "I'm coming with you.  I can help.  I have helped."

"You were beaten."

"That's past, you can't change that.  What we can change is the future, yeah?  So let's get to it."

The Doctor nodded and pushed his tablet back into his pocket and adjusted his coat on his shoulders.  "Ready?" He asked Jack over his shoulder.

Jack had managed to stuff the map into his own, decidedly smaller, pocket, and so he looked up and nodded.  "Yeah, just about.  What's the plan?"

"We don't have one," The Doctor said.  Rose bit her lip, saying nothing. 

The exit from the TARDIS was the most careful it had been.  It was late in the afternoon, now, and they were being searched for.  Guards, dressed in their stark white uniforms with blood red sashes, were walking about with what were clearly ray guns.  Rose swallowed hard and touched her hip.  The Doctor threw her a worried look which she waved off.  Nodding, the Doctor took her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze but not letting it go. 

"What now?" Jack asked, closing the TARDIS doors again, keeping them hidden as they were before.  "There's tons of guards."

"It's almost nightfall, the guards won't search through the night," the Doctor replied.  He looked at Rose, who looked flustered.  "Are you alright?"

"I'm trying to get out of here, I just want to get things done, yeah?"  She wouldn't meet his eyes.  

He found that what he most wanted to do was to kiss her until she felt safe, but instead he just cleared his throat and squeezed her hand again.  "Well, we could just fast-forward to nightfall," he suggested. 

"No!" Rose and Jack shouted at him at once. Rose smiled sheepishly and patted his arm.  "Sorry, Doctor, but sometimes you... Well, you miss."

"Well, alright then," the Doctor sniffed.  "We've only got about an hour anyway, seeing with the time of year."

They waited by the door, with Jack peeking out whenever he got bored, which happened to be about six times every ten minutes.  The Doctor hissed at him to stop at least three out of six times, but he never stopped. 

When the hour mark was up, Jack was the first one to shoot out the door, the Doctor and Rose coming along behind him.  The Doctor refused to remove his hand from Rose's, which worried her slightly.  Usually, in situations where they were putting themselves in danger, he released her hand so that if they had to run she could go and if he caught up he'd snag her hand.  

Now, though, his knuckles were white with the force with which he was gripping her hand.  She ran her thumb over his, trying to comfort him.  He was afraid she'd be beaten again, she thought, but he had to know that she could protect herself now, when she wasn't bound up.  They'd be just fine. 

They made their way to the entrance of the castle they were going to go in.  Jack flirted with the guard at the door, who was easily enamored by him and let them in easily.  The Doctor made a mental note to actually thank Jack.