Ashes ~ (a TenRose Fanfiction)

Old Wives Tale

-Chapter 18
~The Doctor's POV

(Just a little drabble really, the big stuff will be in the next few chapters)

***

I watch the three of them build a raft as I sit in the shade of a palm tree of the beach. The sun makes the leaves above me cast interesting patterns onto the sand and I find myself drifting off as I lie there. I hate not helping, so much of me wants to get up and run. Explore the island, cook some food, then find some miraculous way of escaping and getting the TARDIS back. But I can't, I'm just stuck here, unable to walk without help, and with a vine digging into my neck, holding my wrist up in a sling made from leaves. With our time on the island, Rose's hair is now even more golden than before, and her skin considerably darker, but slightly peeling shoulders. Justin is also just as brown, and more noticeably seems to have lost his shirt somewhere along the line of raft building. I watch as Albany hands them another branch for the base of the raft, and Rose smiles at her and then turns round to help Justin. It's surprising how much you can learn about people just from watching them when they're around others. Justin leans in to every word Rose says, flashing her a winning smile, causing her to blush or look away a little bashfully. Something wells up inside me, making me want to get up and run at Justin, but my situation stops any sort of physical activity.

They work quickly, and within no time the base of the raft is built. Albany smiles as Rose and Justin stand back in in exhaustion, and she runs over to me.
"Do you like our raft?" She asks with a smile. I nod.
"Best raft I've ever seen"
"When I get home I'm going to tell all my friends about this" she says proudly.
"I'm sure they'd love to hear" I smile back at her but my gaze drafts over to Rise and Justin. They're sharing a hug and laughing, her in her tiptoes so she can reach round his neck. I'd say it was a hug to say "well done" for building the raft if it hadn't of lasted so long. Albany stops talking about whatever it was she was saying, and turns her head round, following my gaze. I don't take my eyes off the two of them, Rose pills back and Justin smiles at her, and she just grins widely. Something tells me they're just fine together, they're happy, and....maybe they don't even need me here.
"He really likes her" Albany says, turning back to me and picking at something in the sand.
"Yes. Yes, I think he does" I say quietly.
"I wonder if they'll get married" Albany looks up at me "I could be a bridesmaid, and maybe you'd be the best man!"
I scoff "Yeah, I don't think you'd catch me as Justin's best man." Albany seems a little confused so carries on her conversation.
"And there'd me music, and dancing....and cake!" She smiles. I fight hard to smile back, but can't help but notice how perfectly Albany's little fantasy could actually happen. After the ordeal with the island maybe Rose won't want to travel anymore, maybe she'll want to settle down and just stay close to home. I wouldn't blame her, as that's a perfectly mundane response to the situation, but the feeling of loosing her again hurts too much. Especially loosing her to another man.
But then I think back to last night, the way she pressed her lips to my forehead, the way her fingers scraped through my hair sending shivers right through me. But that could just be Rose being Rose. Nothing different.
"I've never been to a wedding" continues Albany "Have you?"
"Um..." I trail off, bringing myself back to reality to conjure up an answer to her question "Yeah, I have"
"Who's?" She asks, tucking a strand of brunette hair behind her ear.
"Mine, actually" I swallow and look back at Rose and Justin laughing a little down the shore.
"You're married?" She says with a smile.
"No. I was. A very...long time ago" Albany nods.
"You divorced?"
"No, no. Where I'm from...The people of our pl- country, put you with someone they think is suited. So I was put with my wife...and then there was a big war, and I lost her" I say.
"Sorry" Albany says quietly.
"Nah, it was ages ago. No worries" I say with a small smile. She nods, then looks back over at Rose.
"Rose is so lovely, isn't she?" Albany's voice is soft.
"Yes, she is"

***

"You okay?" Rose asks, walking up the shore toward me. Albany is sat beside me in the sand, and Justin is tweaking a bit of the raft base.
"Fine, yeah" I plaster a fake smile to my face and she sits down the other side of me.
"Painful?" She asks.
"Not so bad"
"Me and the Doctor were just talking a both marriage" Albany says with a smile. I glance over at her and then back at Rose who has her eyebrows raised.
"Oh yeah?"
"Yes. The Doctor was telling me about his-"
"I'm feeling a bit tired, mind if you help me back to the cave?" I say quickly, avoiding another awkward conversation with Rose.
"Okay, sure" Rose says, but gives Albany a questioning look as she moves to help me up.

***
-Rose's POV

"What did he say to you Ali?" I ask her in a hushed voice, sitting on the edge of the cave whilst the Doctor "sleeps" at the far end.
"He said he had a wife once" she says quietly. I let myself process this for a minute. Of course he did. I don't know why I'd never thought of it before. Maybe I was just so caught up in my feelings for him I never even thought....
"Oh" is all I say.
"Don't tell him I told you, just in case" she says, cautiously eyeing the sleeping Doctor. I turn back to look at him and sigh. So many secrets.
Justin appears at the edge of the cave holding what appears to be a giant fish.
"Look what I caught!" He exclaims.
"Shh!" Me and Albany both turn to find the Doctor is still asleep.
"Oh, sorry" Justin shrugs "Since when has he actually wanted to sleep?"
"I don't know, maybe somewhere at the dawn of time...or now"
Justin places the dead fish on the rock beside the fire, ready for cooking later. Albany eyes it with a questioning expression, as if considering whether or not she will eat it. It's beady eyes and scales fins aren't something I'd exactly call appetizing, but they'll have to do.

The Doctor joins us for food, but remains pretty silent throughout, until he doesn't go back to sleep after and instead says he wants to watch the sunset. I agree it's a nice idea so all four of us sit down on the edge. Justin sits in between me and the Doctor, and Albany the other side of me. Justin talks about the raft, and Albany pipes up every now and then, the Doctor just nodding in response. After a while I begin to feel a little drowsy and rest my head on Justin's shoulder, my eyes closing. I feel a steady arm round me, and I feel myself fall into someone's chest, but it's not long before I'm asleep.