Ties Between Time and Space

✦09✦ - Distance Not Force

Chapter Nine
A Voice Of Experience

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The Doctor sat in front of the console thinking over the words of Boe. Maybe it was the new him or just the him in general, but the day's events didn't affect him as much as they had Emma. But he could easily understand why and he respected it by giving her some time and some space.

So while he aimlessly sat about waiting the words of the wise Face of Boe echoed his mind and consumed his thoughts.

You will find out soon enough.

I fear you do not fully know how much you mean to her.

Until that day, keep her beside you.

What did it mean? Of course, Emma meant a great deal to him so much so that he might not be able to function properly without her, but how did he mean more to her? It didn't make sense. And keep her by his side? Where exactly did that big brilliant face think she was going.

"Ugh!" the Doctor groaned, spinning around in his chair. "Why did you have to go and be so enigmatic?" he exclaimed.

But suddenly the sound of a scream startled him, he went to get up, the TARDIS already nudging him out of his chair. He walked a hallway and turned a few corners before coming to a stop in front of Emma's door.

"Emma?" he knocked. "Em, are you okay?"

He could hear the unevenness in her breaths and the slight shake in her voice as she answered. "I-I'm fine."

"Really?" he scoffed. " 'Cause, you don't sound it."

"Can you-" she started but he was already pushing the door open to find her on the floor in front of her bed.

"Emma?" he rushed over to her side and knelt down. "What is it? What happened? What's wrong?"

Her eyes glowed a cold blue before she could answer and instead, she was crying but not with tears, with helpless pleas. She was whispering something he couldn't hear. The Doctor watched as a gold barrier of energy surrounded her and he took a step back, he'd seen her do it once before and knew the impact was quite painful at least for his end, whenever he tried to touch her.

Emma gasped as the energy expanded in a rush of volition before disappearing and leaving her with a clear mind, she breathed out in relief and her eyes faded to a soft blue again. She collapsed and the Doctor immediately caught her in his arms.

"It's alright," he tried to calm. "You're alright. You are alright, aren't you?" he asked, slowly helping her to her feet.

She looked tired, her brown hair in a messy ponytail and her eyes dawning dark circles around them. She hadn't slept. They'd been back in the TARDIS for at least a regular day, just enough time for Emma to sleep, eat, and phone home while he pondered the Face of Boe's words and decided on where their next destination was.

But she hadn't done any of that. None of it.

Emma smiled at him though an exhausted smile it was still beautiful to him. "I'm fine," she nodded.

"What happened? I've seen you do that once before-" he paused as realization hit, "it's getting worse, isn't it? The voices? Emma, if they are we need to go and see your fathers now and-"

She laughed at how concerned he was and how fast he was talking. He really was a different Doctor, but as much as she found it adorable she did find it a tad too much when she was this tired.

"They're fine. I'm fine. And we're not going to see my dads we just left them like a day ago," she said gripping his shoulders with her hands to try and ease his worrying. "Look, what I just did was like a block," Emma tried to explain.

"Like?" he questioned, not liking her lack of confidence and surety. "Like a block, so it isn't a block. How does that help?"

"It does, okay," she took a step back from him to sit on her bed. "It distances the voices from my mind, at least far enough away that they can't hurt me too much if they grow louder but still close enough for me to hear them."

"But why, Em?" the Doctor asked, crouching down in front of her with his hands in her lap. "Why do you insist on hearing them and keeping them?"

"I told you," she sighed. "I want to know what the angels decide and talk about when it comes to my family."

"I know, I do," he nodded. "But isn't that why I jiggery-pockeried your phone?"

"Doctor," Emma smiled at him in amusement. "Just trust me with this, okay?"

He sighed not liking to feel this helpless, especially when it came to Emma, one bit. Nevertheless, he agreed and she kissed his cheek as a reward, not that it helped the worry that continued to plague his mind.

"I just feel like..." she started then shook her head.

"Like what?" he asked, his voice soft.

"Like the angels are planning something. I don't know why," she shrugged, "and I don't know what."

"But you feel it," he guessed.

"I do."

"Then it must be true," he suddenly grinned making her laugh. "I trust you, angel, more than you know. Now get some sleep," he reached up to kiss her forehead but when he went to walk away she caught his arm.

"Stay with me," she said, "even Time Lords need to sleep, right?"

"Debatable," he smiled.

Emma climbed into bed with the Doctor by her side, she draped an arm over his stomach, and he lent his chin against the top of her head with his hand gently stroking her arm. She fell asleep within a few minutes while he watched over her, hoping that whatever she was going through would just ease with time.

Time, space, and another adventure.