The Monk's Altar

Chapter 13

The Doctor had been in a considerable state since finding out about Rose's disappearance. Lekan came up to the room several times to beg the Doctor to eat, but his stubbornness wouldn't allow it. He went over the footage over and over in a panic.

"I have to find her," he said, gathering up the device. "I'm going down to the lake."

Lekan furrowed his brows and worry. "To do what? And for how long, Doctor?" The Doctor didn't reply and Lekan repeated, "Doctor?"

"As long as it takes. I'll stay there as long as it takes, Lekan."

"You love her."

The words made the Doctor freeze, his hearts stuttering in his chest. "Time Lords aren't supposed to love humans," he said in a voice that he tried to make sound cold.

Lekan laid a kind hand on the Doctor's shoulder, a sort of fatherly gesture that felt unfamiliar but at the same time welcome. "I know, Doctor. And I think you also know that you are far too late to abide by rules like that."

The Doctor closed his eyes. "I need to go," he said, "I don't need to eat, I'll be fine, thank you." He disappeared around the corner and Lekan shook his head. He would lose her for certain if he continued to be such a fool about the woman.

Lekan offered up a prayer for Rose Tyler and returned to his study. There was still work that he must do, after all.

His blood rushed in his ears, his coat billowing out widely behind him as he rushed to the lake. There hadn't been any blood on the altar when he and Rose had been there last, and of course, he hadn't seen anything but the blip in time. But now that they had her (he was certain it was them) they would be returning, regardless of the danger they were putting themselves in.

Oh, and they were putting themselves in incredible danger. The Doctor was not about to stand by while Rose Tyler was killed. They had to bring her to this altar. There was nowhere else to go, the Doctor knew that. It simply met that the people, whoever they were, would be coming prepared.

But they were no match for an angry Time Lord, the Doctor knew that. Were he a different man, he would try to convince Oxuzi to bring warriors up to him. But he knew, with his extensive Time Lord knowledge, that they would not relent, and neither would the monks. They were not allowed on each other's soil.

He finally reached the lake and approached the altar, before thinking better of standing right next to it. He paced, wildly, his rubber soles of his converse tearing through the grass. A bubbling sound alerted him to the lake and he saw the glittering fish swimming towards the side of the lake, close to him.

Sighing, he sat down on the bank, reaching his hand into the lake to pet them. The swam on top of each other, vying for his attention.

"You're clever fish," he remarked, "I know all about you, we used to study you. You have an attention span. Good for you," he couldn't stop himself from smiling a little as they fought for his attention. "You remember her, I'm sure." He hesitated. "We'll see her again soon. I promise."

He drew his fingers back from the lake and watched as the fish scattered, sensing they no longer had his attention. The Doctor sighed and turned back to the altar. He was usually a patient man, could wait on a hiccup in a timeline for days on end without moving, but somehow that seemed much more difficult this time. He was fidgeting, uncomfortable, on edge.

She wasn't close. Somewhere, wherever they had her, wasn't anywhere near Jebraxa. He could sense her, though he wasn't sure he'd ever tell her that. It would probably make her remarkably uncomfortable, and that really wasn't something he wanted. Had he not been sedated, he would have been jarred from sleep the second she had been removed from his side. She was close and he could feel her, and it was a good feeling. If she wanted to leave, he would have to adjust to be without her.