In Your Arms

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The moment they landed, Rose was at the doors. It’d been so long since she’d had a simple adventure with the Doctor, right out of the TARDIS. All that time in a different universe, the craving for explorations had eaten at her. Now, so quickly after she’d gotten back to him, she was about to fulfill that yearning.

Her hand reached out for the handle, but she hesitated. She looked back at the Doctor and he was instantly reminded of her first trip in the TARDIS.

She’d done the same thing then as she’d done now.

Her eyes had been so bright as she’d asked what were outside those doors. She’d been so excited and carefree and so young—well, she was still young, considering the fact that she was no older than twenty-four and he was nine-hundred-and-six.

But now that previous brightness to her eyes was gone, washed away from heartache. They still carried their kindness and love, but were dull in a way which reflected her grief. He could see the forced attempt to make him believe she was alright.

He nodded at her, signaling it was all right for her to go out. “What’re you waiting for?” he asked. She shook head and shrugged. “Just thinkin’.” She pulled open the doors and stepped outside, the Doctor right behind her. She took in a sharp breath and exhaled as she said, “It’s beautiful.”

Tall green grass went on for what seemed like forever, purple and blue flowers sprouting up through it. Trees with multicolored leaves stood in the distance, bright neon-like colors annoying her eyes. She couldn’t exactly tell from where she was standing, but it looked like there was fruit hanging on the trees. And it—the planet—smelt wonderful. There was no way to describe it.

It was simply breathtaking.

The Doctor stepped beside her, shoulders centimeters apart. He nudged her a little and waggled his eyebrows, nodding his head in the direction of small buildings. “What do you say we explore a bit? See if there’s any damsels in distress?”

She nudged him back. “Certainly.”

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Up close, Rose noticed there were only a few buildings here and none of which were very big. Slight amusement bubbled in her. She’d asked to run for her life, but she had known the Doctor wouldn’t give her that. Not yet. He was too protective.

Except…there was the fact that he was the Doctor. What were the chances that they were actually on a completely peaceful planet. He drew trouble wherever he went.

She looked at him as they walked, hands entwined. When she had been stuck in the other universe, she had had nothing. No pictures of him, no souvenirs from previous adventures, nothing but her memories of him. She’d kept his face in her mind, but over the years it had faded. Little things had slipped her mind. And that scared her.