Andromeda

Remember

(A/N I have this same story uploaded to Teaspoon/Whofic but I felt like it should be here too... I'll probably sort of revise each chapter a little bit and post a new one every day or so.)

"How was that for you?" the Doctor asked, pushing levers on the TARDIS console, "Ancient Greece. Philosophers, yogurt, olives. Togas." He quirked an eyebrow.

"It was great, there was, uh, Greeks..." Rose trailed off as she leaned on the console across from him.

"Yeah, but--" he spoke as his excitement visibly wore off, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" she said and forced a smile.

"You've seemed kind of off the past few days; you're not sick, are you? I know your human--" the Doctor started.

"My human immune system is fine, thanks." She typically would've humored him.

"What's wrong then?"

"Nothing's wrong," Rose's spoken words were gruff. He had almost never seen her like this, just a few times, but each time she scared him. The girl who showed mercy to a Dalek could make herself seem cold and serious.

"What's going on then?"

"Nothing."

"Rose..."

"Doctor, I, uh," she couldn't find the right word, but he knew what was going to happen, exactly what always came next, "I want to go home."

The words tore him open from the inside, his hearts stopped and felt as though they were nearly ripped out of his chest. He didn't know what to say; he always knew what to say before, but this time it was different. He loved her so much and there was nothing that he could do to stop it.

"Just for a little while, like, a few weeks or a month."

"Oh." He barely got the one syllable out. "Can I ask why?"

"Just that I-" she hesitated, her words barely formed a coherent sentence, "I want a little break from the running and everything. Some quiet for a little bit. Not forever, if you'll come back for me."

He would have asked if he could come with her, but he didn't want to hear the obvious 'no'. Instead, he simply said, "I'll always come back for you."

"You don't-"

"I do, I swear, I'll be back for you when you want me back. Take as much time as you need and if you don't feel that you'd like to come back, just say the word."

"I'll want to come back, believe me." She softly smiled.

"Just think hard and I'll know when to come back, the telepathic link will do the work." The Doctor returned the small gesture as the TARDIS made the familiar screeching noise and landed with a thud.

"Okay." Rose walked to the door and he followed her. Both of them stopped, Rose outside of the TARDIS and the Doctor inside.

"Just remember, please, remember, how much I love you." He wrapped his lanky arms around her.

"I love you too." She buried her face in his shoulder.

The Doctor closed his eyes as they kissed and like he always did, he listened for her heartbeat. It's just that this time, he could have sworn that he heard two instead of one. He dismissed this and watched as Rose walked away from him, hoping that she still wanted him as much as he needed her.