A wholock story

Chapter 21

"Umm... Actually. That was exactly what I was expecting.." John admitted, raising his hand awkwardly and muttering his confession.
This however, seemed to fall of deaf ears as the doctor, mouth still agape, began slowly walking up to the still rippling air.
Rose turned on the spot and followed him, coming to a stop shoulder to shoulder with the time lord and watching the ripples that seemed to be strangely calming.

The blonde was transfixed. Her eyes wide and bright as she looked up and around at the smooth movements of the air. It took her breath away. Subconsciously she raised a hand, stretching out to touch it. It looked warm, inviting, soothing. She was just millimeters away from feeling the cool air dip and pool around her fingers when the doctor suddenly grabbed her wrist and yanked her away. In her shocked and dazed state, she stumbled. As quick as the hand on her wrist had appeared, it disappeared again and was shortly accompanied by the other as they came to rest on her waist, stabilizing her and preventing her fall.

Her gaze was glassy and dazed, and it felt as though there was a warm tingle in her brain. She blinked her eyes afew times and it was gone.

"Rose? Rose look at me... You back?" The doctor said, looking down at her from where he still stood, holding onto her waist. His face chased her fleeting gaze until he could look her straight in the eyes.

"Yeah. Yeah. W-what was that?" Rose asked. She would have been embarrassed about how breathy her voice sounded had her head not felt like it was currently full of cotten candy.

She turned slowly in the doctors grasp, back to facing the dying ripples exposing the hole.
"Can, can  I touch it?" She asked softly, stretching out her hand again only to get pulled backwards by the hands still on her waist.

"No, no, no. No touching for you miss Tyler." The doctor scalded playfully, dragging her backwards a few feet.
Rose turned back around just in time to see the doctor give a small nod to Sherlock and the next thing she knew, a bottle of ice cold water was being thrust in her face.
She looked at it accusingly for a few seconds before taking it from the detectives grasp and gulping it down.

"Better?" The alien asked.

"Better."
The fogginess from her brain had gone and all of a sudden, she was very aware of the doctor's warm hands still resting on her hips. She was back to her normal self then!

"Am I the only one who has no idea what just happened here?" John said suddenly.

The doctor chuckled and released his grip on the blonde.

"I realise now, my friend, that that is not just a perception filter." He began, pointing towards the now seemingly normal looking air where they knew the hole was hidden, "That, is a filter outlawed in almost every galaxy in the universe. To certain- lesser- species ((he glanced apologetically towards Rose)) it induces an impulsive feeling to touch whatever it conceals. It makes you want to climb in and cuddle it like a picture of a warm cosy bed or a big teddy bear."

"What's so bad about that?" Rose asked, still sipping at the water to try and clear her head from whatever alien technology had just been planted in there. Really, she thought, she must stop just accepting things into her head, it was an unhealthy habit.

"Well Rose Tyler, as beautifly demonstrated by yourself, it can be used to conceal all manner of nasty things and thus, lead the victim to what quite possibly could be quite a brutal ending. If I hadn't had stopped you from touching it there, you would have been sucked in, transported to the angel's planet and gobbled up for breakfast."

"Oh." Was all she said in reply.

"So, le'me get this straight. There's a sort of- film, over the hole that both hides it from view and messes with your brain until it makes you want to touch it and you get sucked in." John clarified.

"Yup." The doctor replied, popping the 'p'

"Charming." John muttered.

"Is it going to stop us getting rid of it?" Rose asked meekly.

"No- but that will..."
Upon closer inspection, the doctor had begun to stare intently just over Rose's shoulder and was pointing off into the distance.

"Oh for god's sake.." John muttered, coming to stand in front the doctor and taking over keeping an eye on the angel so the time lord could get to work.

"Ok. Phase 2" he began, looking over at he detective, ".. ooh, phase. Good word that, phhhazze... Phazzzze... Phha-"

"Doctor!" Rose felt like she was scalding a toddler with the tone she used, but she knew it was the only one he'd listen to.

"Oh yes, right sorry. Where was I?..."

"Phase 2."

The doctor grinned cheekily at his victory of getting Rose to say his new favourite word, which was followed by a roll of her eyes.

"Right Rose, you go stand over there." He instructed, pointing to a spot not even visible in the distance because of the suffocating darkness of the night, "Sherock, take these and place them around the perimeter of the hole." He said, pulling a hand out his pocket and emptying the contents into the detectives cupped palms.

"Doctor?!" Rose span round after looking at where he had just pointed, "you can't just send me away, I wanna help!"

"Make sure they're close together Sherlock, don't want any of them escaping.."

"DOCTOR!"

The time lord spun round at Rose's annoyed tone and he knew by the glint in her eye, if he so much as put a toe over the line he'd be on the recieving end of a Tyler slap. Again.

"You are not sending me away, im going to help." The feisty blonde insisted.

The doctor raised his hands in mock surrender, "Was just trying to keep you safe. But if you wanna stand out here with man eating statues that will snap your neck or send you to live out your days in the past, then be my guest."

Rose hesitated for a fraction of a second, allowing a small victory smirk to grow on the aliens lips before she replied, "What do you need me to do?"