𝑖𝑓 𝑤𝑒 𝑏𝑢𝑟𝑛 𝑤𝑒 𝑏𝑢𝑟𝑛

"Rose?" the Doctor heard his own fear in his voice. She sat there. An eerily calm smile about her lips and she didn’t get up. “Rose, come on.” He shook her. Pleaded with her. Begged her to fight even though he feared the fight was already lost. “Please.” The Doctor didn’t even know who he was praying to. Rose was the last thing in this universe he truly believed in. His faith, if you could call it that stood and ended with her.

The Doctor’s fingers trembled as he toucher her cold cheek. “Rose, I need you to hear me. I need you to get up.” She didn’t move. The eerie smile stayed. “Rose, if I lose you to this you know what I’ll do. I’ll burn it all down. I swear I will. Do you hear me? If you’re not here I won’t know how to stop. The pain will drive me mad. I…” he stuttered, his voice failing him. He wrapped his arms around her, holding on to her like he could ever be stronger than the thing that held her trapped. “I can’t live in this universe if you’re not in it. I can’t bear it. Please.”

He drew back. In terror he stared at the girl he loved as her eyes turned white. She was losing her sight. He watched as it went, like age was claiming it. Powerlessly he sat there as her brilliant blonde hair lost its shine, becoming matted and tangled like a spider’s web.

"No, no, no." His hands moved to her face, his fingers running over skin that felt like paper. Dry and brittle. "Rose, talk to me," he pleaded. "Please, no not like this. Not like this."

Time had her, consuming all her years he was supposed to have. The years he'd told himself would be enough when he knew ten lifetimes with her wouldn't be enough. With dread he stared into the horror of it. The horror of having her taken from him. The horror of knowing what his broken soul would do without her. Twist and ruin.

The bond held him tethered. Those beautiful golden strings between every inch of his mind and every inch of hers. They were wound into every facet of their existence. Every choice they’d ever made. He was tethered and yet he was losing her. If he didn’t think of something fast he was going to lose her. The Doctor watched Rose, pain squeezing his chest so tight he was surprised his hearts kept beating. One heartbeat. Another. He leaned in and kissed her forehead, his fingers caught in the spidery web of her hair, feeling frost coating the fine strands.

“I will be back in a minute,” he vowed, not sure if she was still capable of hearing him but needing to make that promise out loud anyway. “Just hold on, Rose.”