Summary: Dreams and Nightmares can be one in the same.

Notes: Takes place at some point after they move in together.

Disclaimer:I do not own Criminal Minds or Doctor Who.

The stars were beautiful, constellations coming together before her eyes as the Doctor pointed them out in the sky.

"Way over that way – no, that way – wait, no, yes, definitely that way. Way that way is Women Wept, you remember?"

Their feet are dangling over the edge of the Tardis doorway, his chucks and her sneakers kicking softly at the stardust, "'Course I remember. I remember all our trips."

She's tangled her fingers with his against the floor, can feel his eyes on her while she stares at the millions of planets and stars and galaxies hovering in the sky. She feels like they're close enough to touch, her free hand reaching out to swipe lightly across the nearest collapsing star they'd stopped to watch, "It's beautiful."

"Yes, yo- it is, very beautiful."

She moves her eyes to meet his, whisky on brown. They stare for a few moments, moments where she thinks he'll finally say something. He doesn't, instead he turns back towards the stars, unlacing their fingers and simply gazing out at the sky.

She feels a deep weight in her chest, but turns away, "What d'you think happens after we die, Doctor?"

"We'll never die, Rose. Stuff of legend, you and I."

"Everything dies, Doctor, everyone. You said that once. You want to know what I think?"

He's silent and she wonders if he's upset by the question or just waiting for the answer. She hopes for the latter as she continues to speak, "I think that we all become stardust, dancing among the stars for eternity. How does that sound?"

"You and I, traveling the stars forever? Doesn't sound half-bad."

The weight in her chest grows heavier, tears welling in her eyes as she moves her hand to grab his again. She looks at him, drinks him in, wants to remember everything about him and she's not sure why.

"Rose?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. There's something – something is wrong. It's not right." Her free hand is grazing his cheek and she can feel a tear dribbling down her own, "I loved you, so much."

Slowly, and then all at once she was awake. She began to sob softly, chest shaking as she gripped the hand in hers firmly. She was still acclimating to her surroundings as she rolled over to cling to the prone body next to her, the fingers of her free hand curling around their t-shirt as she bit at her bottom lip to try and stifle her whines and whimpers.

She remembers now who she's lying next to, a deep sense of guilt pulling at her. She felt that she had unintentionally betrayed him somehow, as if dreaming about being there meant she didn't want to be here. That, however, was the opposite of true.

She heard him, then, through all of her thoughts and tears. He had tangled his hand in her hair and was quietly shushing her, trying to calm her with soothing words.

"It's alright. I'm here."

She doesn't stifle her cries anymore, openly sobbing into his shoulder, "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, Spencer."

He moves, pulling her against him tightly. Her feelings of guilt worsening as he began to speak, "You don't have to be sorry for waking me up. I was startled, yes, but that's okay."

"That's not why I'm sorry. I mean – that's a part of it but it's not the entirety of it." She's taking deep, even breaths to calm herself, the tears slowing enough for her to continue speaking, "I'm sorry because I feel guilty."

"Why would you feel guilty? Has something happened?" He's put her at a distance now so she can see his face, can read the worry on there by his furrowed brow and lightly parted lips.

"It's not like that! I just – I dreamed about the Doctor."

"Oh. OH. Like –"

"No! Not like that! We were sitting at the door of the TARDIS, watching the collapse of a star. We were holding hands and I – I told him that I thought that when we die we go back to the stars. He told me-" She takes a minute to breathe "He told me that us traveling the stars together wouldn't be half-bad. I started crying and woke myself up. It just felt so real and I feel so bad that I wanted to stay. It was so real, so –" She's crying again, uncontrollably.

He's pushing the hair back from her face and there is a small smile on his own as he does so, the furrow between his brows nowhere in sight, "Rose, you can't control what you dream about."

"I know! I know that, but I don't want to be there anymore; I want to be here, with you. It just felt wrong. I loved my time there, in the TARDIS, with the Doctor, but I love you."

""Strange, I thought, how you can be living your dreams and your nightmares at the very same time.""

She's wiping the tears from her eyes and staring at him, "What?"

"Ransom Riggs, Hollow City. It's just – at one point in time, the Doctor and the Tardis were your dreams and being anywhere but there would have been a terrible thing. Now, you find yourself at odds with that aspiration. This life would have been a nightmare to you; trapped worlds away from the Doctor and the people you love. You found a new life here, happiness with your feet planted on the ground and in the same time day in and day out. It's okay to feel that loss and to dream about that life; I would go as far to say that something would be wrong if you didn't."

She can feel her chin wobbling as she tries not to cry, her hands clenching and unclenching as she tries to control herself. She moves, peppering his face with sloppy kisses, "I love you, I love you, I love you."

"I know."

"I love you and your silly quotes and ridiculous facts. I love how you rationalize everything and make me feel less idiotic for the way that 'm feeling. You're amazing and wonderful and everything I never knew that I wanted."

It's quiet for a while as she cries into his neck, her breathe blowing back at her in warm waves as she begins to drift off again.

She hears him speak softly when she's on the precipice, half-way between wakefulness and being completely asleep, "I love you because there is no one like you and you are like nobody because I love you."

Slowly, then all at once she is asleep.