A Rare Rose

By: SilverLunarStar

Disclaimer: I do not own one inch of Doctor Who.

Author's Note: This is dedicated to my LJ friend ohfortuneslost on her birthday! I will be randomly posting interwoven one-shots/drabbles that take place in my Deeply Rooted one-shot verse. It will be called The Garden 'Verse and this is the first story in order.

The Doctor watched the building go up in flames from a somewhat safe distance. He slowly made his way to the TARDIS. Why hadn't he stayed there? It would have been so much easier to just give in. Closing the door, he made his way up the ramp. He could just leave. Let these stupid apes work it out on their own. There was always UNIT; they'd dealt with the living plastic before. He went down the corridor just off the console room, heading towards the library when he saw it.

A door with a rose engraved in it.

"I'm the Doctor by the way. What's your name?"

"Rose."

He grinned. "Nice to meet you Rose. Run for your life!"

He shook his head. Now why did he go on and do that for? He knew though. He knew if he hadn't made it out of the building on time he could have died and not regenerated. He could have…but he didn't. He didn't want to. During his small conversation in the lift with the pink and yellow girl, he'd seen everything he admired in the human race. She was quick-witted and she cared. That gave him the encouragement he needed and he made his way back to the console room, ready to track down the Nestene Consciousness once again.

The back of his head thumped against the closed door. It'd been so long since he'd had any type of contact. Oh, he'd been kissed before (this regeneration even! Though with the way he looked now, he wondered what they were thinking), been beaten, and such, but the simple action of holding Rose Tyler's hand was something else entirely. He scanned the plastic hand and, while the TARDIS went through calculations, he dumped his leather jacket on the jump seat, heading out the room. In the hall, he once again came face-to-face with the door with the engraved rose. Sighing, he rolled his eye at his ship. She was such a sentimental old girl… Finally giving in, he entered.

He gapped. It'd been quite some time since he'd entered here, but he never thought he'd see it again. During the war, the TARDIS had had to eject quite a few rooms, only keeping the basics (the galley, some of the old console rooms as back up, his room, the library with the swimming pool, the wardrobe, a few rooms from previous companions, a few empty rooms, and his own even if he never used it. He'd thought the garden room long gone as he'd never found it even after he came back to relative sanity. The colours were gorgeous, he supposed, but he couldn't see it, not with his new, cynical eyes. In the distance, he saw a long patch of red and knew what was there. He whirled around and exited the room.

How could he be so stupid? Genius him and he still got it wrong. Of course she wouldn't want to come with him. His life was dangerous. How could he expect her to give up her life of beans on toast, telly, her mum, and the 'stupid lump'? Aggravated, he stormed out into the corridor. At least, he tried to. Instead of the usual hallway, there was now only the familiar wooden door. It was the only place to go. Either go forward or backward. He chose the coward's way, not ready to face what else was in that room.

For once, he chose what he actually wanted. After all, back in his planet, it wasn't everyday one encountered a Rose and something told him (his time sense, the TARDIS herself) he'd regret not giving her a second chance.

"Did I mention it also travels in time?"

Hope you all enjoyed! Please review if you get the chance. :)

Cheers,

~*Eli