Better Together (Ten X Rose)

Scarring

TRIGGER WARNING - THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SCARRING AND MEMORIES OF ABUSE

~

            Standing in front of the mirror in her room in the TARDIS, Rose Tyler ran her fingers over the long scars that were slashed down her side. Memories flooded through her mind, causing her to wince. It was as if she could feel every hit, every cut, and every drop of blood that left her body all over again. She hated it – she’d already lived through the abuse once, so why should she have to feel it over and over again? It made no sense to her. Jimmy Stone was behind bars, so there was no reason for her to feel the lingering worry. The cruel sting of pain the memories sent through her, the fear. She was safe with the Doctor now. Well, as safe as anyone could be with their life constantly being threatened by aliens from another world. The Doctor was an alien, but Rose trusted him.

            Trust. It took Rose a long time to trust anyone after she had gotten away from Jimmy. Her mum, she of course never stopped trusting. Mickey, however, was a hard one to trust again. It wasn’t that he was a bad person. The reason was Jimmy. He had hurt her in more than one way. She would never be able to forget the things he had put her through. All the abuse burned into her memory, pain flooding her system. She didn’t realize she was crying until she felt the tears dripping from her cheeks. The physical, emotional, and even sexual abuse had been too much for her. Like a turtle, she had retreated into her shell of distrust when Jimmy had finally gotten himself caught. She refused to come out for anyone besides her mum. It was Jackie Tyler that helped Rose return to being herself.

            Time heals all wounds. Rose knew the saying to only be partly true. Jackie had managed to get her daughter to relax a bit, and over time she returned to mostly normal. The thing was, anyone who knew her before the situation with Jimmy could see that she was different. It wasn’t just the lingering bruises, or the scarring, but everything about her. She was quieter, more reserved. At first, she had shied away from anyone’s touch. Fear could be seen in her eyes if anyone besides her mum came within spitting distance of her. After a long while, she became more laid back. She became more trusting. She was no longer terrified of human contact.

            Years later, when she began travelling with the Doctor, Rose even became more courageous. She could stand up to aliens, no problem. She wasn’t afraid to die if it meant someone else could live; especially if that someone was the Doctor. She would gladly sacrifice herself for that man. Even though she wouldn’t admit it to his face, she had fallen in love with the last Time Lord.

            Rose returned to reality, pushing away her thoughts. She wiped away her tears, and grabbed her shirt. She had been in the middle of getting dressed when she had been consumed by her memories. She pulled the pink tee over her head, pausing a moment as she once again glanced at the scars in the mirror. She shuddered once more. Just as she was about to pull her shirt down over the marks from Jimmy Stone, she was interrupted by the sound of her door opening, and the Doctor’s enthusiastic voice. She froze when she turned to see him there, eyes on her.

            “Rose! I just had a brilliant idea! We can go-“ He stopped, freezing in the doorway for two reasons; one, Rose had just barely put on her shirt. Two, the long, dark scars that twisted down her side. His chocolate colored eyes darkened slightly as he looked at the scars. Both anger and surprise coursed through him. Surely she wouldn’t do that to herself? No, it didn’t look self-inflicted. Somebody else had hurt Rose, and right about now, the Doctor wanted nothing else than to hunt down and destroy whoever had done this to his companion. “…What’s that?”

            Rose swallowed, her heart pounding in her ears. She shoved back the panic that threatened to take over, and quickly pulled down her shirt. The scars were hidden by the soft fabric. “N-nothing. It’s nothing.” She stuttered. She watched as her obvious lie caused his eyes to harden in anger. The Doctor strode over to her, a frown on his face. She shrunk back, looking up at him with wide and frightened eyes. “D-Doctor…?” he looked terrifying when he was angry.

            The Doctor grabbed hold of the hem of her shirt, yanking it up and revealing the scars. “What happened?” he asked, teeth gnashed together. She shrunk back even further, now trembling.

          “I-it’s nothing. Really. M’fine.” She practically squeaked. He studied her for a moment, flinching away from him and trembling. Then, it hit him. The reason she was acting terrified of him, why she was scarred. From what he could tell, she was a victim of abuse. His eyes softened with the realization, and he gently pulled her shirt back down.

            “Rose….” He murmured, suddenly engulfing her in a tight hug. She stiffened, surprised. After a brief moment, she relaxed, and her arms slid around him. She clung to his jacket, burying her face in his shoulder. "...I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry." he didn't ask any questions, not wanting to make her feel worse.

          Wordlessly, Rose clung to the Doctor, her shoulders shaking with sobs. He held her, lightly rubbing her back to comfort her. They stayed like that for a while, until the Doctor gently pulled Rose with him to the bed, her curled up in his lap as he sat on the edge. He rocked her as she cried, kissing her head and murmuring that everything would be okay.

          The Doctor didn't know how long they stayed there, though he was aware of the fact that it was a long time before either of them moved. It was eventually Rose that made the first move. She pulled back, looking up at him with her red and teary eyes. "Thank you." she whispered.

          "What for?" he murmured, brushing her hair back with what she secretly hoped was a loving touch.

          "Not asking questions. Being here. ...saving me." she replied quietly, lightly gripping his sleeve. He gave her a small smile, stroking her cheek.

          "It's the least I could do." his voice was as soft and caring as his touch, and it made Rose's heart skip a beat. "I won't make you talk about it, but... I'm here if you need to." at his words, she felt a warm feeling spread through her. Without giving it a thought, she leaned up, pressing a kiss to his cheek; dangerously close to the corner of his lips. She watched as his eyes widened, and his cheeks turned red. 

          Rose smiled. "You're wonderful. I'm glad you brought me with you."

          Looking quite comical with dark red cheeks, the Doctor grinned at her. "As are you, Rose Tyler. I'm ecstatic you came along." Rose beamed.

          "My Doctor."

          "My Rose Tyler."

~

A/N: Hello! Hope you enjoyed this one! I was going to make it longer, with a flashback, but I have homework I have to get finished. Thanks so much for all the nice comments on No Regrets! You guys don't know how happy it makes me to have people enjoy my stories. :)

Any suggestions for one shots, or any requests? Send me a message or leave a comment! 

Any requests or suggestions I use, the one who suggested it will have that part dedicated to them.

KTHXBAI  -SkyWolfTM (Lauren)