A LEAP IN TIME
Chapter Two Sam stood in the middle of Rose's room after he found it and gave it a once over. It looked like a normal woman's bedroom except for the weird roundels all over the walls. Sam noticed a full-length mirror hanging on the inside of a closet door and walked over to it. He stood there for a moment staring at the reflection in the mirror. Rose was a beautiful woman. He turned his head from side to side staring at the shoulder length blonde hair that was obviously a dye job. She paused and stared at Rose's face. Except for a couple of zits, there were no blemishes, no scars, nothing to suggest she had been fighting evil alongside an alien. Sam figured the woman was very capable of holding her own in a battle, very lucky, or both. He tore himself away from the mirror and continued his inspection of the room. His eyes settled on a dresser by the bed. On top of it was a gaudy pink teddy bear, an assortment of toiletries, some weird purple crystal, and several pictures in silver frames. He walked over and examined the pictures. One of them showed Rose standing with an older woman that resembled her, which Sam guessed was her mother, and a young black man. They had their arms around each other as they smiled for the camera. The picture beside that showed Rose and an older man with short brown hair and enormous ears. The man had an extremely serious expression on his face even though Rose was beaming from ear to ear. Sam also noticed that the man had his arms around her, holding her protectively against his chest. In the background was the TARDIS. Sam stared at it for a moment and then remembered Al telling him that the Doctor had the ability to change his entire body. Was this the Doctor in another form? He moved on to the picture beside it and smiled. Rose and the Doctor that was out in the control room were sitting on a bench. There was a Ferris wheel in the background, so Sam figured they were at a fair somewhere. The Doctor was holding an ice cream cone in his hand and Sam could tell he had just smushed it into Rose's face because she had ice cream on her nose, lips and chin. The Doctor was laughing hysterically at her while Rose had her hand up ready to slap the back of his head. Sam couldn't help but smile at it. Despite the fact that he was an alien and she was a human, they did make a cute couple. Beside the picture frame, there was a little angel statue with a folded piece of paper under its base. He lifted up the figurine, took the paper, and unfolded it. It was a note from the Doctor to Rose. Sam read it. My Rose, Exactly one year ago today, you came into my TARDIS and my life. Hard to believe that one whole year has come and gone. We have done so much, seen so many things and have been tried, tested, tortured and tormented over and over and yet, here we are, standing strong, laughing our arses off at everyone who thought they could defeat us. The arrogant fools. Don't they know that it's useless to try to match their wits against the Doctor and his plucky plus one? We are invincible, you and me! There's nothing you and I cannot do and no one you and I cannot vanquish. Yet, it seemed that for one heart wrenching moment, our dynamic duo would be torn apart because I neglected to fill you in on the tiny detail of my regeneration. Okay…so it wasn't that tiny…Okay, be honest, it was a humongously, huge, glaring, I should have told you up front detail, but you get my meaning. I know it's been a few months since the day of my "birth", but I still can see the terrified look in your eyes while you looked at the stranger in front of you. Oh Rose, I'm so sorry I did that to you. Never again do I want to see you look at me with fear and mistrust in your eyes. My hearts nearly stopped when I thought you would leave me and you can't imagine the relief I felt when you told me you wanted to come with me after the Sycorax invasion. My Rose, it's only been one single solitary year since we met, but now I can't imagine living my life without you in it. You are a true treasure. A rare and expensive gem in a bucket of rhinestones. You are my plus, plus, plus, plus one. A friend through thick and thin. I feel blessed each time I look over and see you beside me. My hearts leap with joy when you slide your hand into mine. It fits so perfectly, have you noticed that? Amazing. Anyway, I wanted to mark our first anniversary. I didn't know what to get you, so I found this little angel statue. I figured since you were like an angel watching out for me, it would fit you perfectly. Then, I looked at it and thought, nah I need more. So, I added this note just to let you know how much you mean to me. You are one in a million, Rose, never forget that. Your friend and companion forever and ever, Your Doctor. Sam smiled as he folded the note up and put it back under the angel. He took another glance at Rose and the tall, serious man and knew without a doubt that this also was the Doctor. "Wow, it must have been a shock for her to watch him change right in front of her," he murmured to himself. Yes, it was. Sam was taken aback when he suddenly heard a female's voice in his head. He looked all around for the owner, but he couldn't see anyone. "Hello?" he said, tentatively. Who are you and what do you want? Where is Rose? What have you done with her? Sam looked all around trying to find where the voice was coming from. "Who is this?" he asked. I am the TARDIS. Sam frowned. "TARDIS. You mean you're the Doctor's spaceship?" Yes, I am a living, sentient ship and I'm able to telepathically communicate with the occupants when the situation calls for it. I detected a change in Rose's brain waves the moment she walked through my door and I have been keeping tabs on you ever since, Sam Beckett. Now, where is Rose? "She's fine, honestly. She's unharmed," Sam said. Where? "In a top secret lab hidden in a mountain in New Mexico. She's in a room called the waiting room. She's unharmed, I swear." Bring her back. "I can't. Why not? Sam sighed. "Because I leapt into her body and until I can figure out what went wrong and make it right, I'm stuck here. There's no way I can voluntarily leap out. Until I fix whatever I'm here to fix, I'm stuck in Rose's body and she's stuck in the waiting room. But I promise as soon as I stop the Doctor and Rose from dying, I'll leap out and she'll be back." Then I'll tell the Doctor you are here. "No! Please…don't tell him anything," Sam said. You might as well let me do it because the Doctor will soon figure out you are not Rose and once he does, he'll be extremely angry and trust me, you don't want him angry at you. "Look, can't you just help me out. I mean, you're the Doctor's ship, you obviously care about him and Rose, right?" I love them both. "Okay, well, I'm trying to stop the people you love from dying, so can you please not tell him I'm here." Why? "Because…I don't want him to interfere. This is something I have to do on my own." If I were you, I wouldn't refuse the Doctor's help. If you are supposed to save him and Rose, I'll think you'll find he'll be a huge help to you. Now, judging from your brain scan, I have deduced you are not a threat, so I will honor your request to keep your identity a secret. But, I warn you, the Doctor is no fool. You cannot keep hidden from him forever, especially since he knows Rose so well and will suspect something the moment you do something that's out of character for her. If they are in danger, it would be better for you to tell the truth and enlist his aid rather than act like his companion and look like the fool when he finds out. "Thank you for keeping this a secret," Sam said. "If I need the Doctor's help, then I will ask for it, but at the moment, I'm not sure if I should come clean to him about this or not. I have a friend named Al who helps me out and I need to ask him if it's alright to identify myself when he comes back. Until then, I just want to remain incognito. Suit yourself. Just don't be surprised if the Doctor finds out before you are ready to tell him. Sam nodded. "Thank you, now if you'll just let me know where Rose's overnight bag and all her things are so I can pack, I'd appreciate it. After fifteen minutes, Sam was packed and ready. He paused at the door to Rose's bedroom. "Could you do me a favor, TARDIS? Could you keep talking to me telepathically and fill me on how Rose acts, so the Doctor won't suspect?" No, I will not interfere, but I will not help you either. I am loyal to the Doctor and Rose, not you. As long as you do not hurt either one of them, I will tolerate your presence here, but you are on your own from here on out. I don't want the Doctor angry at me because I helped you deceive him. "Gee, thanks," Sam said, sighing. He opened the door and stepped out. "Well, it's about time, we landed about ten minutes ago," the Doctor said when Sam entered the console room. "What'd you do? Get a bath and a complete makeover for the trip?" "I was just packing my things. I…uh…wasn't sure what to bring," Sam said. He flinched slightly when the Doctor stared at him, intensely. For a moment, he wondered if the TARDIS had already told him what had happened. But then, he grinned and put his arm around him. "Well, I suppose you have to look your best, don't you?" he said, "and now that you're all packed and ready, let's get going. I'm anxious to see those waterfalls, aren't you?" "Oh yeah, I bet they're beautiful." "Course they are. I wouldn't bring you here if they weren't," the Doctor said. He reached over, grabbed Sam's hand, and held it tightly. Sam smiled remembering what the Doctor had said about her hand fitting perfectly with his. He felt the Doctor give his hand a squeeze before the two of them headed towards the front door.
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