Doctor Who Fic: In Dreams (Nine, Rose, Jack) (2/2)

[misachan]

Title: In Dreams
Rating:: PG
Characters: Nine, Rose, Jack, More would be telling:)
Spoilers: Through "The Doctor Dances"
Summary: What's supposed to a quick stop spirals out of control, and even as Jack and Rose struggle to save him the Doctor finds someone he'd thought he'd lost forever.

(A/N: Again, this story is set between "The Doctor Dances" and "Boomtown." And more special thanks to superherogrlcat for catching my mistakes.:)

Jack finally found what he'd been looking for when he heard Rose scream. Her voice seemed to be coming from everywhere; the inside of the Tardis had a way of messing with the senses. He stopped and cocked his head, listening; he heard her again, this time echoing from below. He didn't know how he'd managed to get over the console room, but he'd wonder about it later; the note of pure panic in Rose's voice sent him running.

Rose's voice followed him as he retraced his steps. He flashed back to trying to find her and the Doctor in the maze of corridors, hearing her call his name and only being able to imagine what was happening. He should have been faster. He'd been one step too slow all day, and everyone around him had been the ones to pay for it.

It was another seizure; he knew that must be it from the way Rose was screaming, but the foreknowledge didn't stop his heart from dropping into his stomach when he rounded the corner into the console room and saw it. The convulsions were bad, worse than before, more violent; Rose heard him coming and shot him a desperate, pleading look. He felt his crisis training rushing back and surrendered to it; the last thing he wanted to do now was think.

Rose scrambled back as he waved her off. He wrapped himself around the Doctor and held tight, making sure to keep the airway clear and preventing him from hurting himself. He could feel the Doctor's double heartbeat pounding as he seized. "Shh," he whispered, his lips next to the Doctor's ear. "It's all right, I have you, I'm right here." Jack didn't know if the Doctor could hear him, but it was all he could think of to do. He forced his voice to stay steady. "I've got you, I'm right here with you, Rose too, we're both here." For the next few minutes he whispered anything soothing that came to mind as the convulsions slowly eased. Finally he was confident the spell had passed, but it was a few minutes before Jack could bring himself to let the Doctor go. First, Jack had to feel him breathing for a while, the Doctor's chest rise and fall in his arms, and get his own breathing under control. He couldn't go to pieces in front of Rose.

Even so, when he finally set the Doctor down and looked him over Jack's hands shook so much he had retake the Doctor's pulse twice before he trusted the result. The pulse felt thready to Jack, but considering that his body had just been trying to shake itself apart for the past five minutes Jack would take what he could get. He still thought he was right, that the seizure's meant the Doctor's mind was trying to fight off the toxin, but he had no idea whether them getting worse meant he was winning or losing.

"What's going on in there?" Jack whispered to him, stroking his thumb along the line of the Doctor's jaw. "Whatever you're doing in there, hurry up and come back. You're scaring Rose half to death." His hands were still trembling, but he could control it, could fake calm. He just hoped Rose hadn't heard his voice break halfway through that last sentence, because then his con would be blown.

Rose was crying softly with her forehead pressed against the central control column. Jack padded over to her and didn't bother with words; he just picked her up and sat her in his lap. She clutched onto his shirt and started sobbing harder as he stroked her hair. Finally the tears subsided into sniffles and the hiccups that always followed too much crying. "I think I need a tissue," she said.

Jack fished a handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it over; she looked at it incredulously before using it. "You carry a handkerchief?" she said, her voice muffled. "What are you, eighty?"

Jack shrugged. "Everyone did in the forties. I had to blend in; guess it became a habit."

Rose noticed the monogram on the corner. "So, who's 'C.R.,' then?"

Jack quirked one eyebrow and Rose dropped her head onto his chest. "You're such a pig," she said. "Why am I friends with such a pig? I bet you have a collection."

Jack didn't confirm or deny. She snuggled closer against him; her weight filled some of the hollowness in his chest. "He's not getting better, is he?"

She sounded drained. "I don't know, Rose," he said. "Whether I'm right or not, I don't know if his body can handle another one like that. Was that the only one since I left?"

Rose shook her head. "There was another one, but it was over so quick I didn't even have time to call you. I thought it meant he was getting better, because it wasn't as bad. Then the next one came, and it was so much worse. It was like my brain shut off, I couldn't think, I couldn't do anything." Her voice turned bitter. "I'm so useless. All I do is fall apart."

"Oh, I think you're holding together all right."

She let out a snort of disbelief. "I thought con artists were supposed to be good liars." She eased off of his lap and leaned forward, stroking the Doctor's arm. "He's doesn't look right, somehow."

Jack chuckled. "He's not wearing his armor," he said, pointing his chin towards the folded-up jacket.

Her eyes turned thoughtful. "Never thought of it like that," she said. "I'm so used to seeing him wear it, he's almost a different man without it.."

Jack wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and she leaned against him. "I never," she started, then shook her head. "I never think of him as someone who can get hurt, or get sick. Like he'll always just pop back up fine. Which is stupid, because I've seen him get hurt, I've seen him---" Rose bit off the end of the sentence and turned her head away; Jack remembered the Doctor offhandedly mentioning a "time mishap" that had happened before he met them, something that went wrong when they "went to meet Rose's dad." Something in the Doctor's manner had warned Jack not to bring it up again.

"He's so good, Jack," she said. "You have no idea. It's not right, this happening. It's not fair."

Jack glad was hear some fire back in Rose's voice. What he had planned would be easier if she yelled at him.

Not just yet, though. All he was up for at that moment was Rose's head leaning against his shoulder. For a few minutes he thought she might have fallen asleep; finally, though, she shifted against him. "Didja find what you were looking for?"

"Yep," he said.

She twisted her head around to look at him. "Well, let's see, then. I wanna know what you're up to."

He hissed out a breath between his teeth. "Okay, but you're not gonna like it."

He got up and circled back around the console to where he'd dropped his prize. "You know, I must have searched through thirty rooms. I thought you two gave me the complete tour," he teased.

"Oh, there's no complete tour of the Tardis," Rose said. "I think rooms grow overnight."

He bounded back up the steps, and Rose snatched it out of his hand. "What is it?"

Jack leaned against the railing and crossed his arms. "It's a breather mask." He took it back from her and showed her the dials. "I knew there had to be at least one on board, not every planet has an oxygen atmosphere." He could feel her eyes on him, and kept talking. "It's not a human design, but a breather's a breather, and from what I can make out there's two or three hours on it. Unless he breathes nitrogen or something and never told us, in which case I'm going to have some problems."

"Jack," she said, and he could hear how hard she was trying to stay calm. "Why do you need that?"

Jack didn't answer, but Rose already knew. She backed up a few steps. "You're not going back out there."

"Rose, I have to."

"No." She shook her head. "No, you don't."

"Yeah, I do. Someone has to." He put his hands on her shoulders. "Rose, why did we land here in the first place, hm?" She shook him off and turned away, hugging her arms. He turned her back around to face him. "Rose, look at me." She shook her head no, but he massaged her shoulders until her eyes darted up to him.

"Jack, you'll die," she whispered. "You'll die. Don't go."

"Rose," he said, as tears welled back up in her eyes. Jack knew that if the Doctor was awake he would be kicked out of the Tardis for making Rose cry. "Rose, come on. Please, don't. We're here because he needs parts for the Tardis, right?" She nodded. "Well, we didn't get a chance to find them, but we still need them, or we can't leave. I know what's he's looking for, I can go and get them."

"Those things are still out there," Rose said. "They'll kill you."

"I'm being careful."

"Jack, you said that mask had two hours! What if it takes longer?"

"It won't."

"Jack, you're not making sense. The vines don't just let you walk around! Once they realize you're there, they'll grab you, and then the mask won't do any good. You'll be out there all alone, no one will be able to help you."

Jack smiled and took out his blaster. "That's why I have this."

Rose sighed in exasperation. "You said there was only five or six more shots left in it. Then what?"

"Rose, I don't want to fight."

"Well, we're fighting! I don't understand why you have to do this. Make me understand!"

"Because I have to do something!" He walked away a few steps and tried to compose himself. "Rose, we need these parts to get out of here. If someone doesn't go back out there, that's the same as saying that he's never going to wake up. That it doesn't matter. That's not what you're saying, right?"

Rose flinched back like he'd slapped her. He reached one hand out to her; she rushed forward and wrapped her arms around him. "Hey, hey, it's all right. I'll be all right. We don't what he'll be up for when he wakes up," he said, careful to use "when" instead of "if," "and he needs you to stay with him. He'll kill me if I let you go back out there, anyway."

She laughed, and he knew that if she had the energy she would have hit him. "I can do this," he said, rubbing the nape of her neck. "I'm the one who can do this. If I don't, then we're giving up. You didn't let me give up back in the corridor, and I'm not letting you give up now. Okay?"

She shook her head no, but stepped back. Her face was tear-streaked and red, and Jack needed to remember exactly the way she looked at that moment, because she was the kind of beautiful that inspired men to stupid things. "Rose, you have to promise me something."

"Oh no," she said, wiping her eyes. "I'm not going to like this either, am I?"

"Nope, probably not." He put one hand under her chin. "Like I said, I have two hours on the mask, maybe three. If I'm still gone past that time, do not come looking for me. If he wakes up and manages to get this ship working somehow and I'm past due, just leave. You have to promise not to come after me."

"I'm not going to promise that."

"Pretty please?"

"Stop trying to be charming."

"Are you implying I have to try?" He wound her hair around his fingers. "Seriously, though, you have to promise me. I'd make it an order, but I don't think that would work."

"You're right about that. As if you follow orders, anyway. The Doctor ordered you to get to the Tardis and close the doors. Didn't stop you from playing superhero."

"Hey, I did exactly as ordered. I got back here, closed the doors just like he said." Jack smiled. "Then I fixed my gun and headed back out. He didn't say a word about that." Rose laughed at him, and Jack was glad to hear it. "That's why I'm being clear with you. No heroic rescue. Promise me."

She sniffled and nodded. "Good. Now he and I," Jack said, nodding towards the Doctor, "need to have word before I go." Jack knelt next to the Doctor, watching him breathe. He bent close to his ear. "You still owe me a dance," he whispered to him. "I expect you to be up and around when I get back, so don't disappoint me." He kissed the Doctor's forehead, breathed him in as deeply as he could. Jack wished he knew exactly when he'd gotten so far in over his head. "I was right," he said, half to the Doctor and half to himself. "I never did have a chance, did I?"

He straightened back up and Rose rushed him, wrapping her arms around him so tightly he couldn't breathe for a second. "Keep talking to him," he murmured into her hair as he hugged her off the ground. "Don't stop. Remind him what he has to come back to."

"I'm glad we met you, Captain Jack Harkness," she said. He put her back on the floor, and she poked his shoulder. "If you don't come back I'll never forgive you."

"I'll keep that in mind. Do I get a kiss before I head off to battle?"

"No," she said. Jack blinked in surprise; that always worked, even when he wasn't actually heading off to battle. "My mum loves movies like that, and the hero always dies. You wait until you come back."

He kissed the top of her head instead. "I'll hold you to that. I'm warning you though, next time I won't ask first."

"Go on, then. Before my senses come back and I tie you to the railing."

"Ooh. Promise?"

She was halfway between laughing and crying as she turned away. He lingered by the Tardis doors and watched as she cradled the Doctor's head in her lap. Then he took a deep breath, pulled the mask over his face and opened the door.
***
The sky was the color of blood. All around was death, death he felt deep into his bones. Everything was rubble; everywhere he looked he saw ruins where something beautiful had been, some treasure older than most civilizations, older than most worlds, reduced to cinders. And always, always the stench of burning. The Doctor knew as long as he lived he would never escape the smell of his world burning.

"I did this," he said, seeing some fresh horror every time he turned his head. "I made this happen. It's all my fault."

"You did what you had to, Grandfather. You always do."

He spun around to look at her. They were the only living things in the blighted landscape; the desolation echoed the horrible silence in his mind. "No. I should have found another way. I'm always able to find another way. I failed. I murdered everyone."

She clutched his arm. "That's not true. This was the only way."

"It wasn't worth it. Nothing is worth this." Closing his eyes didn't help; he could feel deep into the core of his broken planet, and in a way that was worse than the blasted surface. "Why didn't I die?" he whispered. "I was supposed to die. That was the plan. I would never have been able to do it if I'd known it would be this way."

"It wasn't your time."

He rounded on her. "It wasn't yours, either!" He felt a yawning pit open inside him as that moment rushed back. "I felt it happen, you know. When you ---" He couldn't even say the word. He turned away; he couldn't look at her any more and stay in one piece. "I felt everyone. Rushing through my head, all at once. I felt all of them go. Then I felt you. I didn't even know you were on the planet until I felt you."

"Everyone was called back for the War," she said. She took his hand, and he didn't realize how much he was shaking until he tried to squeeze back. "They wouldn't let me see you. They thought it would be too big a distraction."

"I felt all of them," he said, "and it was...." The Doctor trailed off. Words hadn't been developed that could describe it. "All I could think was, well, at least it'll be my turn next. Then I felt you, and I didn't think anymore." He looked at her. "The next thing I knew, I woke up with this face, and everyone was gone. Just gone."

He stroked her cheek. "I should have been better," he said. "There are so many things I should have done."

"I missed you," she said. She leaned against his hand for a moment, her eyes closed. "She's calling you."

"...Doctor, please, wake up. I need you..."

"Rose," he said. "She sounds scared. Why does she sound so scared?"

"She's waiting for you."

"No," he said. "No. I won't go without you."

Susan's eyes were patient and terrible all at once. She held both of his hands and forced him to look at her. "Grandfather, you have to. We're running out of time again."

He shook his head. Thunder ripped apart the sky, but she didn't flinch; she was a fixed point as the world shook. Over everything he heard Rose calling him, brave and terrified the way humans could be. He remembered the poison flowers that had grown up around his Tardis; he couldn't leave Rose there. Susan nodded to him. "It's all right."

"I just got you back. I can't just leave you again."

"Of course you can." He flinched, but her words were calm, and where he expected recrimination he only saw concern. "You have to. If you stay much longer you'll never leave."

The ground shook under their feet. "I can't leave you here."

She gave him an exasperated sigh. "This isn't where I am. This is where you are."

His mind started making connections. "The city," he said, and she raised her eyebrows. "I was about to go into the city when I saw you. You led me away from there. It was a trap." The ground shook again. "You said you were here because I was here."

Tears trailed down her face. "I wanted to take care of my Grandfather," she whispered

He swept her up off the ground. "Will I see you again?"

He felt her nod. "When it's time. I'm still waiting, you know," she said, her arms around his neck and her voice breaking. "Of course you're going to come back. You promised. You always keep your promises. It'll just take a little while longer. When it's your time, I'll be waiting. I'll always wait for you."

He held her as tightly as he could. He needed to make sure he could never forget what this felt like. "Are you real, Susan?"

"I already told you. Now you have to go."

"How?"

"You have to listen."

He closed his eyes. He ignored everything his senses told him except Rose's voice, her frightened human voice guiding him in the dark. He followed it through a maze like a golden thread, and when he lost his way in the twists and turns he stopped until he felt her pulling him forward.
***
The Doctor opened his eyes. For a fleeting moment he thought he saw sky spread out above him, but then his vision cleared and he saw the familiar ceiling of his Tardis. His arms where empty; for a moment he could feel Susan's arms still hugging around his neck, then the sensation faded, leaving searing emptiness and a fresh scar to add to the collection. He remembered the other time he'd woken up alone on the floor of his ship, feeling like he'd left the best parts of himself scattered through time burning.

But he wasn't alone. He felt Rose's hand in his, warm and solid and real. She was curled up against him, her hair spread over his chest, and he could still hear the soft, wordless murmur of her voice. He couldn't make his own voice work; he tightened his grip on her hand instead.

She jumped up like she'd been shocked. He didn't know eyes could be so wide; one hand flew to her mouth and with the other she squeezed his hand so hard it hurt. "Doctor?" she whispered, the quaver in her voice making the word fragile. "Doctor, can you hear me?"

He nodded. It was so hard to keep his eyes open; his mind still felt like it was wrapped in cotton, a soft, hazy darkness that beckoned him back even though now he knew now that it caused by the Adirial pollen, by poison. It was a lie.

It was still so tempting.

But it wasn't real. Rose with him, holding his hand, that was real. "Heard you calling," he finally rasped, his voice rough to his ears. "Called me back."

She burst into tears. He managed to sit up---every muscle in his body was stiff, and he couldn't remember ever feeling so exhausted---and cradled her against his chest. "Did I scare you?"

She nodded; she was crying too hard to talk. "Sorry," he said, wrapping his arms tightly around her. "I'm clumsy. I should have warned you."

She clutched onto his jumper like she was afraid he'd melt away. "I thought you were dying," she said, in between sobs. "I thought I was gonna lose you."

He tangled one hand through her hair. "It's all right now," he said. "We're all right."

The door to the Tardis flew open; the Doctor turned his head in time to see Jack rush in with a green tentacle vine reaching in after him. He struggled to close the doors around the vine, until finally the Doctor saw him take out his blaster and pistol whip the thing. The vine drew back, and Jack slammed the door shut. Jack stood with his back to the doors with his eyes closed, sucking down oxygen like he'd never breathed before. He was a mess; the left sleeve of his shirt was hanging off, and blood ran down his arm. The Doctor felt Rose sag against him in relief, and he watched Jack for a minute before speaking. "So, where did you run off to?"

Jack's eyes flew open. He gaped at the two of them for a moment, then a smile lit up his face as he leaned against the doors and let out a long, shaky breath. The Doctor could tell Jack was fighting to keep his legs from giving out. "Well?" he said. "I'm waitin'."

Jack flashed him a triumphant grin. "Here, catch." He tossed the Doctor a small bag; the Doctor pulled out several pieces of machinery. He looked up at Jack, who rested his hands on his knees and gave him another smirking grin. "If those won't work, we're going to need to find some machetes before I'm heading out there again."

The Doctor turned the pieces over in his hands. He could work with these; not only had Jack found what he'd been looking for initially, he'd managed to dig up some parts that the Doctor thought might work even better. Rose rested her head on his shoulder, and he could tell how big her smile was without even turning to look. He caught Jack's eye again. "Not bad."
***
Three hours later the Doctor had managed to cobble together something that he was reasonably certain wouldn't make the Tardis explode. Rose had wanted to help, but after a half hour or so her head had begun to nod and soon she was asleep in his lap, his jacket spread over her like a blanket. Being careful not to wake her slowed the work down a bit, but it didn't occur to him to move her. She kept his ghosts away.

He heard Jack's boots on the metal floor; he managed to signal Jack to be quiet before he woke Rose. Jack smiled and crouched beside them; he'd changed and cleaned himself up. "How's it coming?" he whispered.

The Doctor switched off the sonic screwdriver and held up his new fluid lock. Jack let out a low whistle of admiration, and the Doctor smiled. It had been forever since he'd traveled with someone with the know-how to appreciate his technical genius. "Shouldn't be too long now until we're ready to move."

"How long has she been out?" Jack asked, inclining his head towards Rose.

"Couple of hours," he said. He turned the screwdriver back on; two of the pieces didn't quite fit together yet, and he needed to make sure everything was perfect.

"Well, she had a rough day," Jack said. "Do you want me to---"

"No," the Doctor said, too quickly. He could feel Jack watching him and tried to ignore it. The closer he came to finishing, the harder he found it to concentrate, and Jack wasn't helping. He needed his focus. If he focused just right, it stopped the burning smell that had followed him back to consciousness. "Rose told me what you did," he said. He nodded over towards the doors. "Out there. Took guts."

Jack laughed. "Rose was the one with the guts, not me. You were fighting off the Adirian, Rose had to watch. Dodging plants was the easy job."

I wasn't fighting to come back. The Doctor didn't speak the thought aloud, but he could tell by how Jack's expression shifted that he'd betrayed it somehow. Jack settled next to him to him on the floor and kept watching.

The Doctor adjusted the setting on the screwdriver and went back to ignoring Jack. All that was left was the fine detail, but his concentration kept flagging. "It felt real," he said, low enough that he wasn't sure Jack even heard. He looked at the part he was making and instead saw a pair of dark, laughing eyes, and suddenly all his could think about was everything he should have said. He knew it was a lie, a trick played on his mind by the poison, but even so he couldn't stop thinking about what he would do for just one more minute.

His hand started trembling; without speaking Jack reached over, gently took the screwdriver, switched it off and placed it on the floor. The Doctor leaned his head back against the console, closed his eyes and started talking about the Time War.

He told Jack details he knew he would never tell Rose, things someone who'd never seen war could never understand. He told Jack about the sky burning, how it was always burning. How every time he landed on a new planet he felt that momentary, illogical lurch of disappointment that it wasn't the right planet.

Then he told Jack about a clever little girl and foolish old man, and the words tumbled out. He didn't go into detail, didn't even use names, but Jack was clever himself. He said enough.

The two stories had the same ending, and it came all too soon. When he finished he let the silence stretch out between them.

"What was her name?"

The Doctor felt himself jump at Jack's voice. He opened his eyes and looked at Jack, his brows knitting up. "The girl," Jack continued. "You didn't say her name."

The Doctor smiled. "Susan. That was the name she liked best." Jack nodded, and the Doctor cocked his head. "Why do you want to know her name?"

A ghost of a smile lifted Jack's lips, but it wasn't his conman's grin; it was the damaged smile of the man with a hole in his mind that terrified him, the smile Rose had glimpsed through the mask that day during the Blitz. "Because now you don't have to be the only one who'll remember it."

The Doctor shut his eyes against the rush of emotion. When it passed he tired to figure what he'd been left with; it wasn't peace, certainly, he knew he'd never have that again, but maybe the ache in his chest had lessened by a degree or two. It was something.

He felt Jack shift from his side; at first he thought Jack was getting up, but when he opened his eyes he saw that Jack had only settled into a crouch in front of him, his dark eyes still watching. When Jack knelt forward, the Doctor didn't stop him.

The touch of Jack's lips was a soft caress. He felt Jack's hand come up to stroke his cheek and he tried to remember the last time he'd been kissed. Before this body. Before the Time War. Lifetimes ago.

The kiss was light, gentle, and the Doctor let it last longer than he'd intended. When he finally pulled back, Jack didn't push for more. "I'm not up for dancing tonight, Jack."

Jack was so close the Doctor felt his smile. "I'll collect on that debt someday." The Doctor felt Jack's breath against his lips, his thumb stroking his cheekbone. "You scared the hell out of me today," he whispered, his voice rough.

"Already apologized to Rose. I'm only good for one of those a day."

Jack didn't kiss him again so much as brush the Doctor's lips with his own, and the Doctor felt it down to his fingertips. Ah, the 51st century.

"You're not alone anymore, Doctor," Jack said. "You're not." Jack drew back like a cat and settled back beside the Doctor. It was a while before either of them spoke again.

The Doctor forced a smile. "So where do you want to go?" he asked, tossing the part from hand to hand.

Jack accepted change of subject with an easy grin. "Well," he said, letting out an exaggerated sigh, "after all this I think you owe me and Rose a nice beach. Without anything trying to kill us," he added quickly, and the Doctor could tell Jack had seen a nice beach holiday ruined that way once or twice.

"Oh, sure, make it difficult." He lifted up a panel on the console and carefully installed the new fluid lock, Jack peering intently over his shoulder.

"And you're sure it's ready?" Jack asked.

"Only one way to find out," the Doctor answered, slamming the panel shut. "Get around the other side and do exactly as I say." Jack circled around, and the Doctor moved Rose off to the side so that if something caught fire she'd be out of its range. "I know the perfect place, it'll be fantastic. The sand changes color when you walk on it, and the whole planet's under a dome so you never have to worry about rain." He looked over at Jack, whose eyes had gone wide trying to figure out what all the buttons and dials on the Tardis could possibly do. "Hold down the lever on the left," the Doctor said, "and push those three buttons on top one right after the other when I say." He entered the coordinates and flipped switches of his own, then held his breath. "Now."

For a few seconds nothing happened. The Doctor flipped more switches, pushed a few more buttons. "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon," he said. Finally he slammed his fist down on the console and the central column sprang to life. He heard Jack laughing from the other side of the console.

"Percussive maintenance?"

"Best kind," the Doctor answered. The Tardis was operating smoothly---well, some fits and starts, but mostly smoothly---and the Doctor took a step back to watch his ship work.

"I love this ship," Jack said; his face looked like a kid's in the Tardis lights.

"Me too." The Doctor crouched down to check on Rose; she was still fast asleep. He brushed her hair out of her face. "Take Rose, put her in bed," he said as Jack circled around to join them. "Get some sleep yourself. We'll all go exploring when she wakes up."

Jack picked her up; she made small murmur of protest but didn't wake up any further. The Doctor reclaimed his jacket and put it on; just before he left the room with Rose Jack turned back around. "I'm not going to be able to get much sleep," he said---which was a lie, the Doctor could tell Jack was almost out on his feet already---"so if you need me for anything...."

The Doctor had already stepped back to the console. "I'm all right, Jack."

"Didn't say you weren't."

The Doctor drummed his fingers against the console panel. "Fine," he finally said. "I need to make some repairs to the Tardis after that last landing. I could show you how to help me work on her. 'Bout time you started earning your keep." Jack's face lit up, and the Doctor knew that if Jack had a tail it would be wagging. "Tuck Rose in first. And remember, you asked for it."

Jack practically bounded away. "Captain," the Doctor said, bringing him up short. The Doctor met his eyes. "You did good today."

Jack smiled, then disappeared into the Tardis interior.
***
Rose dreamed. She was walking through the park her mother used to take her to when she was little, before it was paved over for a new parking garage. The scene shifted to the playground and she saw the slide she'd pushed Mickey off of when she was six. He'd been chasing her around all day, trying to pull her hair, and she'd finally had enough. He'd needed four stitches, though, and she'd felt so bad that she'd kissed him on the cheek to make up.

She plopped down in a swing and looked around; the park looked just as it had when she was little, if emptier. There was a girl sitting on the swing beside her, but Rose didn't see anyone else.

The girl turned to her; she was a few years younger than Rose, with a short, cute haircut. "Are you Rose?" the girl asked.

"That's me." She dug her shoes into the gravel and smiled back. Rose didn't recognize her, but she knew she was dreaming and that dreams didn't have to make sense. "Do I know you? Oh!" she said, "I bet we went to school together, didn't we."

The girl smiled. "No, I don't think so."

"Probably just as well. I skipped class so much I don't think I'd recognize half the people I went to school with." She frowned. "I must know you, though, or I wouldn't be dreaming about you."

"That's my fault, actually. It's very difficult, appearing in dreams like this. If you hadn't been exposed to the Adirial pollen I don't know that I'd be able to manage it at all." Rose's alarm must have been obvious on her face, because the girl quickly added, "Oh no, you're perfectly all right. Your mental barriers are just a bit more permeable, that's all. Even so, I'm afraid I can't keep it up for very long."

Rose tried to absorb this. "So...you're in my head, you're saying."

"In a way. We can send messages in dreams, sometimes."

Still, there was something familiar about the girl, not in looks perhaps but...Rose didn't know. Her manner? Rose knew there was something important about this she was missing.

No matter who she was, thought, she'd clearly gone through a great deal of trouble. "Why me, then?"

"I'm actually related to someone you know," she said. Her expression shifted, and there was such a look of sadness in her eyes that it brought Rose up short.

"Is there something wrong?" Rose asked. "Can I help? You're all by yourself here, there must be something I can do."

"I can see why he likes you so much." She leaned back in the swing and closed her eyes. "I'm all right. I'm waiting for someone," she said. "Someone very important to me. And I'm not really here, remember. This is still your dream." She looked at Rose, her eyes twinkling. "That poor boy. I hope you were scolded for it."

Rose snorted. "You wouldn't say that if you heard him bring it up every time we're having a row." The swing chains creaked as she swayed back and forth. "Will you be waiting a long time, do you think?"

"I certainly hope so."

Rose's brows furrowed at such an odd answer, but before she could question the girl something about the girl's eyes struck her. It wasn't her eyes that were familiar, exactly, but the look in them...it was such a very old look.

Rose realized she must have gasped aloud, because the girl turned around on the swing to face her. "Will you do something for me, Rose?"

Rose nodded, her mind still grappling with the connection it had made. Related to someone you know....

"Take care of him, for as long as he'll let you." The sadness crept back, and Rose had to fight down the impulse to hug her. "I can't anymore, and I don't want to think of him being alone. Will you do that?"

It took a moment for Rose to find her voice. "Of course," she finally said. "Of course, I will. Forever, if I can. That's not even something you have to ask."

The girl's nose crinkled when she smiled. "He was right about you." A sudden look of concentration crossed her face, and she shook her head. "And I was right about not being able to do this for very long."

"Wait," Rose said. She touched the girl's arm, and was half-surprised that her hand didn't go right through. "Who were you?" The girl tipped her head to the side, and Rose rambled on, "He mentioned his whole family...were you his daughter?"

She shook her head. "Close. Granddaughter."

It took Rose a second to adjust to that. Well, I suppose he is nine hundred. "God. I'm so sorry."

"I am too. But I'm glad he found you, Rose." And she did look glad. "You probably won't remember most of this, not consciously, but I'm so happy I got to meet you." She sighed then. "You should get back to sleep." A rueful look came into the girl's eyes. "He hasn't landed where he thinks, and I'm afraid you're in for some running tomorrow."

Rose rolled her eyes. "What else is new?"

The girl laughed. "Some things in the universe are constant. The Tardis going wherever it wants is one of them." Rose felt the edges of things start to get blurry. "He needs you, Rose. Stay with him as long as you can." Then the dream faded away.

Rose rolled over in her sleep. She didn't dream anymore the rest of the night.

(back to part one)

Comments

[crabby-lioness.livejournal.com]

Excellent work. Truly excellent. You did a lovely job on the voices, the psychology and the plot.

[misachan.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! I'm just glad everything worked.:)

[terrylj.livejournal.com]

This is awesome. Very well written, everybody in character, and I love psychological stuff/head trips, so you win all the way round.

(But Jack didn't get his kiss from Rose! I am disappointed.)

[misachan.livejournal.com]

Aw, thank you! And he does kiss her in POTW (presuming you don't think they kiss any time in between)!

[laurab1.livejournal.com]

Gorgeous :) I could see it perfectly.

[misachan.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm glad you liked it!

[wendymr.livejournal.com]

Gorgeous. Fantastic OT3 - and I loved the Doctor and Jack's private moment at the end, and the kiss.

Though, as terrylj points out, Rose never got a kiss from Jack! :( Or from the Doctor, of course...

*heads to Teaspoon to favourite this*

[misachan.livejournal.com]

Hee! I'm so giddy about having a story in someone's favorites! Thank you!

Rose never got a kiss from Jack! :( Or from the Doctor, of course...

Well, he kisses them in POTW, of course. And he didn't ask first, like he promised.:)

[meanarose.livejournal.com]

Hi,

I just read your Doctor Who story "In Dreams" and I really liked it. I was wondering if you would let me archive it at my romance archive 'Romantic Intentions' http://fiction.romantic-intentions.com)? I tried to contact you via the contact link for you on the Doctor Who fanfiction site, but an error message kept occurring.

Meana
Romantic Intentions
http://romantic-intentions.com

[misachan.livejournal.com]

Really? Of course you can archive it! I'm very flattered, thank you!

[meanarose.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much. I have put the story up now and you can find it at: http://fiction.romantic-intentions.com/viewstory.php?sid=29. If you want control of your account at Romantic Intentions, please visit http://fiction.romantic-intentions.com/user.php?action=lostpassword and enter the email from your livejournal profile (not the livejournal one) and a random password will be sent to you allowing you to login and make changes.

[misachan.livejournal.com]

I'm having trouble with the login (I keep getting a "the email failed to be sent" error). Is there something else I could try?

[meanarose.livejournal.com]

*hangs head* I'm sorry. That was my fault. I forgot to add the .com portion to the archive admin email. That's why you got that error. I have since corrected the error and have sent a password update to you via the archive. You should recieve it shortly.

[nina-ds.livejournal.com]

This was beautifully done. It was emotional without feeling overwrought, the dream sequences were lovely, and everyone felt absolutely in character.

This was the part that got me:

<"Why do you want to know her name?"

"Because now you don't have to be the only one who'll remember it.">

I also loved your Claude-Bennet story "Ghost", so I'm looking forward to more in either, or both fandoms!

[misachan.livejournal.com]

Aw, thank you so much. That scene gave me fits, so I'm so glad you liked it. (Seriously, it wasn't even in the original draft. I just couldn't keep Jack quiet:).

[(Anonymous)]

-sniffle- I very nearly cried at the end of this. Poor Susan! Poor Doctor! It is just so sweet and sad and funny at the same time, I want to hug you and thank you for such a wonderful story, but also to hit you because you nearly made me cry, and I really shouldn't. I love Susan's dialogue, so rifght and true to her character. My favourite lines were "Will you be waiting a long time, do you think?" "I certainly hope so." and "Take care of him, for as long as he'll let you." Ghost Susan should go into every companion's head from Rose on to do this.

I think I need a tissue.

[misachan.livejournal.com]

Aw, thank you! I was so worried I wouldn't get Susan right. I'd say that I'm sorry I made you cry, but I'm really not.:)

Thanks again!

[true-masquerade.livejournal.com]

That was so gorgeous. The backstory and interactions between the Dr and Jack are lovely, and sad. This reminds me how much I miss Rose and Captain Jack. I loved Jack and Rose helping each other be brave. And the last conversation between Rose and Susan made me cry.

I don't read alot of Dr Who fic, but love the series. So I'm so glad I found your work.

[misachan.livejournal.com]

Aww. Thank you so much. This really picked up my day.:)