theheroheart | IC Inbox

I'm on my way. Just a stop up to the kitchens, then I'll be up to see you.

Do you need anything else while I'm down there?

Some fruit sounds nice. I don't really care what, whatever they have on hand is fine.

[ softly ]

Thank you.

Any time.

[And then he's knocking a short while later, overstuffed basket in his hand]

It's only me.

The door's open.

[ She's sitting up on the bed with her foot propped up with a couple of pillows.

There's also a bit of bandaging peeking out from under her short-sleeved shirt on one of her arms. Shhhh, she's fine. ]

You're a wonderful person, you know that?

[He takes the invitation to slip in, close the door, and start arranging his treasures on the table. Every kind of fruit imaginable---helps that they have a magic kitchen in Hel.

When all that's done, he offers her his hand. He's content to sit by and work this out with her.]

Some of us more than others lately, it seems.

Edited 2013-12-03 01:24 (UTC)

[ she takes his hand and doesn't, this time, bother to balance herself with a shadow cane, just looping her arm through the Doctor's and maneuvering herself to the table. Thankfully, it's not exactly a long walk. ]

I think it was more stupidity than not being wonderful, but I'm inclined to agree with you at the moment.

[He nods.]

We're good at stupidity. Rose tells me that every day, seems like.

[He's idly slicing bread and arranging a plate, oblivious to what truly happened. But he understands pain---and his eyes reflect clear empathy.]

But it's left you hurt.

[ Charley winces, just slightly, at the mention of Rose. She tries to cover it by leaning forward to pluck a pear out of the spread of fruit. ]

Rather. And I haven't a clue how to handle it.

Can't promise I'd have one, but...I might.

Depends on what happened.

[ She doesn't say anything for a moment, taking a knife and slicing her pear in silence. But she doesn't take a bite, rather just... poking at the slices apathetically. ]

He... was intimate with someone, while I was gone. And I had to find out about it from her.

[He was expecting something serious, some betrayal of Charley's ideals...but that, from that particular past self of his?

The Doctor drops the slice of bread he'd been holding.]

What?

Oh, Charley.

[He pushes his chair around the table and offers his arm again. They're madly in love with each other, aren't they? Sure, the Doctor knows a bit about flexibility, but that particular Doctor is the last person he expected.]

[ Charley can't help herself when he scootches over next to her - she turns and all but buries her face in his shoulder. She's not crying, but it's a near thing, and she could use the comfort. ]

I was gone, as far as he knew, I know, but how could he think that wouldn't be important to tell me? How could he do it so soon?

[He doesn't hesitate to wrap her up in a hug. Sure, he's lost Rose, but he can't imagine moving on that quickly. At least not without something severe happening---and even then, he'd regret it.]

Someone ought to shout some sense into him.

But this isn't the kind of thing that heals quickly. I wish it did.

I might have shouted a fair bit. Outside. [ she sounds a little sheepish, even as she presses against him miserably ]

[There's an odd sort of proud smile there for a flash, and then he's settling down again.]

Might sink in better with two.

What about the other woman? Were you close to her?

[ AHAHAHAH the other woman oh my. ]

Not... close. I thought maybe we could be, though. Friends, at least.

[ deep breaths. She is not going to tell him it was Rose. ...Not intentionally anyway. ]

She said he was comforting her. They both said they hadn't planned it, but I'm not sure how that's supposed to make it any better.

That's unusually far to go for comfort.

[He sighs. This...could be ugly, but he's still at a loss about who it was.]

Are the two of them in a relationship, you think?

No.

[ Even hurting, even angry and betrayed and confused, she knows that much. She believes in her Doctor that much. ]

He wouldn't... do that. Be with her and me at the same time. I can't believe that of him.

[ She sighs a bit and adds, absently ] Anyway, there was that spell in the mirror Asgard making people confess things, and Rose said it was only the once, so I'm inclined to believe her.

[ ...oh shit. ]

[He freezes when he hears that name. Pieces click into place where he wishes they wouldn't.

He pulls back slightly to stare in pitiful disbelief.]

...Rose?

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