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ladyofleithianIn which Rose deals with the consequences of Davros and the Daleks' attack.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
There was something about so much as landing on Arcadia that was enough to make Rose feel almost lonely. It was almost as if, she mused, she could feel pretty much every individual and group suffering on the planet vibrating through her head. She sighed, rubbing her temples...only to feel Charley’s gentle hand on her shoulder.
“I’m all right, Charley,” Rose said. “I just...” She sighed. “It’s just a bit too much.”
“I know.” Charley’s voice was hard and almost bitter. Rose knew that Charley knew all too well what the Daleks were capable of. And Ace as well. It was hard, in retrospect, to find many companions who didn’t run into the Daleks in one way or another.
Maybe Grace. Rose could only pray that whereever she was, Grace was all right. She couldn’t bear the idea of something bad happening to her, if only because otherwise...where would she be, really?
Rose had already lost people such as Adric, and so many other non-companions in things such as that horrific confrontation with the Myrka. She doubted that she could lose anyone else.
Otherwise...otherwise, what would really happen to all of them, really? Otherwise, she would have failed them, and that was, in all certainty, the last thing she ever wanted.
Perhaps everything had its time and everything ended. But it didn’t necessarily mean that Rose entirely accepted it.
It was long after Rose managed to get the surviving families on each battle TARDIS, and one on her own TARDIS, that she sighed and slumped against the wall. There was something about the day that managed to take out a lot of energy.
“Professor?” Ace, this time. “You all right?”
“I am, Ace. I’m just tired.”
“I know,” Ace said, if only softly. A faint smile. “Anything I can do to help, Professor?”
“You did beautifully, Ace. I really doubt that I need you to do any more of it.”
“I kind of have to.” Ace didn’t smile, but her face softened a bit. “It’s the best I can do, really. Just for a comrade in arms, one could say.”
Rose had to smile if only slightly in spite of everything.
It was then that Ace drew her close. Rose buried her face in Ace’s shoulder, letting the exhaustion spill over her at long last.
“It’s all right, Professor,” Ace said. “I’ve got you.”
“I know,” Rose said, if only softly. “And thank you.”
Another presence. Charley had now joined the hug. The three of them stood in the TARDIS, comforting one another, if only because at the end of the day, after all of this, it was the best they could do.
There would be other things tomorrow. Somewhere, the Nestene planet was in danger. Somewhere, time was mutating and in flux and there was seemingly no stopping it. Somewhere, there would be injustice, somewhere, there would be more battles to fight, somewhere, there would be a chance to make the hard decisions that no one else would be able to make -- or should be able to make, Rose mused. She couldn’t imagine anyone willingly being in a position like the one they were facing.
And perhaps that was what made her companions exceptional. Some couldn’t take it. Some could. And in the end...in the end, that was what mattered most.
When Rose had started out, an old woman departing from Gallifrey with her granddaughter, it had taken Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright to stop her from committing murder if only out of revenge. But in the end, Rose supposed, she didn’t need someone to stop her.
She needed someone to keep her going.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
There was something about so much as landing on Arcadia that was enough to make Rose feel almost lonely. It was almost as if, she mused, she could feel pretty much every individual and group suffering on the planet vibrating through her head. She sighed, rubbing her temples...only to feel Charley’s gentle hand on her shoulder.
“I’m all right, Charley,” Rose said. “I just...” She sighed. “It’s just a bit too much.”
“I know.” Charley’s voice was hard and almost bitter. Rose knew that Charley knew all too well what the Daleks were capable of. And Ace as well. It was hard, in retrospect, to find many companions who didn’t run into the Daleks in one way or another.
Maybe Grace. Rose could only pray that whereever she was, Grace was all right. She couldn’t bear the idea of something bad happening to her, if only because otherwise...where would she be, really?
Rose had already lost people such as Adric, and so many other non-companions in things such as that horrific confrontation with the Myrka. She doubted that she could lose anyone else.
Otherwise...otherwise, what would really happen to all of them, really? Otherwise, she would have failed them, and that was, in all certainty, the last thing she ever wanted.
Perhaps everything had its time and everything ended. But it didn’t necessarily mean that Rose entirely accepted it.
It was long after Rose managed to get the surviving families on each battle TARDIS, and one on her own TARDIS, that she sighed and slumped against the wall. There was something about the day that managed to take out a lot of energy.
“Professor?” Ace, this time. “You all right?”
“I am, Ace. I’m just tired.”
“I know,” Ace said, if only softly. A faint smile. “Anything I can do to help, Professor?”
“You did beautifully, Ace. I really doubt that I need you to do any more of it.”
“I kind of have to.” Ace didn’t smile, but her face softened a bit. “It’s the best I can do, really. Just for a comrade in arms, one could say.”
Rose had to smile if only slightly in spite of everything.
It was then that Ace drew her close. Rose buried her face in Ace’s shoulder, letting the exhaustion spill over her at long last.
“It’s all right, Professor,” Ace said. “I’ve got you.”
“I know,” Rose said, if only softly. “And thank you.”
Another presence. Charley had now joined the hug. The three of them stood in the TARDIS, comforting one another, if only because at the end of the day, after all of this, it was the best they could do.
There would be other things tomorrow. Somewhere, the Nestene planet was in danger. Somewhere, time was mutating and in flux and there was seemingly no stopping it. Somewhere, there would be injustice, somewhere, there would be more battles to fight, somewhere, there would be a chance to make the hard decisions that no one else would be able to make -- or should be able to make, Rose mused. She couldn’t imagine anyone willingly being in a position like the one they were facing.
And perhaps that was what made her companions exceptional. Some couldn’t take it. Some could. And in the end...in the end, that was what mattered most.
When Rose had started out, an old woman departing from Gallifrey with her granddaughter, it had taken Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright to stop her from committing murder if only out of revenge. But in the end, Rose supposed, she didn’t need someone to stop her.
She needed someone to keep her going.
