| Date: 18 December 2007
Characters: Rose Tyler, Jack Harkness Location: hotel bar Link to IJ: thread #14227 |
 Rose stepped out of the room where she'd been drowsing, checking her wrist-comp a moment to locate where the Apprentice was. Moving around, somewhere else in town, and not alone. She pressed her lips together a moment, a small frown on her face before she decided to leave him alone. He wasn't getting lost in his head if he wasn't alone, and right now, that was more important than keeping a close eye on him.
She yawned, stretching before she headed down the hall, looking for... well, not particularly looking for anything, when she thought about it. Just wanting a bit of company for a while. She poked her head into what looked like a bar, spotting a familiar coat. Approaching slowly, she stopped just out of arm's reach. "Jack?" |
 He turned at the sound of the voice more than touch, but it didn't take him long to realize that this wasn't the Rose he'd been with earlier. If not the carriage and demeanor, the hair was different. "Rose?" he said, very cautiously. |
| "Yeah." Rose worried at the tip of her tongue a moment. "It's been a long time." She didn't move, not sure if he would allow a hug, though she wanted to just touch him, hold onto him a moment, reassure herself he was real. |
| "How long?" He asked, very carefully. He was warm, he was solid, he was relatively welcoming and worried. There was just a bit of wariness there, too. |
| Rose looked down, studying her shoes a moment before looking up at Jack, chewing on her lower lip. "Over seven centuries," she said softly. "At least, the you who traveled with me and the Doctor." |
| He took a minute, and a drink of water. "That's a hell of a long time," he said, carefully. Not aggressive, not mean, and with some warmth but he couldn't help getting stuck on the scope of it. "Why don't you sit down." |
| Rose settled into the chair across from Jack, a brief chuckle escaping her. "And I don't know if it will ever end, either." She ran a hand through her hair a moment, the other resting on the table. "I'm sorry," she added suddenly, holding his gaze. "For doing the same thing to you. I didn't know what I was doing, I just... I just wanted you to live." |
| He lifted and dropped his shoulder in a shrug that said it didn't matter all that much. "And I appreciate it," he said, honestly. "I'm sorry you got stuck, though. It doesn't sound like you're having a particularly easy time with it." |
| Rose smiled, genuine amusement and warmth in it. "It's not always easy, but I'm doing better now that I can travel again. Those three centuries living day by day on Earth were the hardest."
She chuckled, her gaze searching his face again, though she wasn't sure what she was looking for. "And the hardest part isn't that I can't die, but that I know I can't get back to the Doctor, or you, not without ripping apart two universes. Not after I leave here, if there's even a way to leave." |
| He almost flinched, at some point in there. Probably the several hundred years of living day to day, but he was good at controlling his reactions and saved it. "I wish there was something I could do to help," he said, quietly. "I really and truly do." |
| Rose reached out a hand to touch his, just enjoying knowing that Jack really was still alive, still living. "Just keep living, not merely existing. If I keep a memory of this place when I leave, that'll be enough, because I'll know you're living. And it'll help." She shrugged, grinning, tongue between her teeth. "Maybe I'll even find a way to get back some day. Impossible just means we haven't found a way around it yet, right?" |
| He took her hand and squeezed it, warmly. "I'm possible just means we haven't found the way around it yet," he agreed, firmly. "And if anyone can find the way, you can." |
| Rose laughed, her expression a mix of weariness and amusement, a faintly cynical note to her voice when she spoke. "You have more confidence in my abilities than I do, Jack. But I keep looking, and have all the time in the world to look, and look after the universe I'm trapped in while I search."
She returned the squeeze a moment, and just let her hand rest, holding onto the connection. She didn't want to let go, and some part of her hoped she'd never have to leave this little pocket, and go back to being trapped far apart from the part of her past she wanted to cling to. |
| He curled his thumb over the back of her hand to give her the connection. He couldn't exactly tell her it was okay, because it wasn't, and he couldn't tell her he was thrilled because he wasn't - he wasn't even okay. But he was glad she was here, and glad she was trying and well. His presence was about all he had to offer. |