| Date: 14 December 2007
Characters: Rose Tyler, The Apprentice Location: outside Link to IJ: thread #5936 |
 Rose contemplated using the teleport on her wrist-comp for only a moment before shaking her head, taking a different path that her younger self had, following the trace on the Apprentice's bio-signature, stepping into the lobby, looking for her companion. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding when she spotted him sitting in a chair which had a view of most of the lobby, hurying towards him. |
 The Apprentice looked up when he caught motion at the periphery of his vision, smiling at his teacher. It had to be here, with the leather band around one wrist, and shabby pack dangling from her shoulder, and worried expression on her face. He reached out, touching her mind to let her know he was all right.
"He showed me how to make walls for my mind." He shared the conversation with the Doctor, his smile fading into an anxious expression, one hand coming up to rub at his cheek. |
| Rose reached out automatically to catch his wrist, keeping his hand away from his face. She settled into the seat beside him, a wry smile crossing her face as the thought crossed her mind that she was sitting in the same chair as the Doctor had earlier.
"I see. That's good. Safer for you." She held his gaze a moment. "Are you all right? Staying unlost?" |
| "Not all the time, but I never stay unlost all the time." The Apprentice shrugged one shoulder, looking away at the people around him.
"It's quiet, but not like before. Safe quiet, and I can still hear faint echoes. Not all crowded close anymore. It's nice. Rain on the roof, and a chorus of howls, and other quiet murmurs. Who sounds like Time laughing?" He looked up at her, a confused expression on his face. "He sounds almost like home, all chorus as one, and laughter and Time singing a lullaby." |
| "I don't know." Rose stroked the back of his hand absently, smiling at his animation. He usually was quieter, drawn into himself where he felt safe, and loosing himself for hours and days on end. "Maybe we can go to find him later. Are you hungry?" |
| "Later, yes." He dragged the mental blanket closer around him, looking down at his hands, pulling the one away from his teacher to study the backs of them a moment.
"I'm not hungry, but I don't remember when I last ate, so maybe we should find food." He looked up again, reaching the hand she'd held out to touch hers again. "We're lost. Not where you wanted to go. All strange and out of time and space with people who wouldn't be all in the same place." |
| "Yeah. But we'll find a way back home, and I'll show you what I was trying to show you the first time." Rose stood, holding out her hand for him to take. "Come on." |
| "Do we have to leave here?" He took her hand after he stood up, following her. "I like it here. It's more like home than where we travel. Except the colors and the people and it doesn't look like home." He paused, frowning. "Home was out of time and space too." |