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FANFIC: The Blood Red Rose...PG-13 Part 17-20/20

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 14:05:50 GMT

Chapter Seventeen

“Right,” the Doctor said as he landed with a thump on an office building. “I think this is a good place to make a stand. It’s early in the morning and most people are asleep now so I don’t think there’s a chance anyone will get hurt.”

“Except us.”

The Doctor looked at Rose.

“Sure you wanna do this, Rose?” he asked. “I can take you back—“

Rose held up her hand.

“I said I’m in it with ya, and I mean that.” She said.

The Doctor shrugged.

“Okay,” he said slapping his hands together. “How do we lure the little bugger to us?”

The Doctor nearly jumped out of his Converses When Rose screamed out “HEEEEEEEEEEEEEY, WE’RE OVER HEEEEEEEEEEEEEERE!” behind him.

“Um…Rose?”

“Yeah?” Rose said turning around.

“I don’t know if you know this or not; but vampires have extremely sensitive hearing and thanks to you, I have a tremendous headache now.”

“Sorry.”

“Besides, I doubt if that wor…”

He looked behind Rose and his eyes widened.

“On second though, here he comes.” He said. “Hide now!”

Rose looked around and noticed a shadowy area in the far corner of the building. She ran to it and crouched down low. The Doctor nodded satisfied that she could not be easily detected and turned his attention to his adversary who was fast approaching the building.

“Evening.” The Doctor said. “Nice night for flying. The air is unseasonably warm this time of year.”

He stuffed his hands in his pockets and casually rocked back and forth as Ian landed in front of him.

“Very cute, Doctor. You won’t think it so funny when I rip your head off your body.”

He glanced around.

“So, where’s Rose?” he asked him.

“Dunno.”

Ian raised his eyebrow.

“Don’t give me that. I heard your little lover screaming at the top of her lungs a moment ago.”

“Oh! That! That was me.” The Doctor said proudly.

“You?”

“Yeah, I’m great at mimicry. And what better way to lure you over here than to imitate your future bride. And what’d you know, your need to do the mattress mambo with my Rose led you right into my trap. Oh my! This must just be so embarrassing for you, eh? A man who’s only been a vampire for a couple of hours outwitting a 200-year-old bloodsucker. Guess it’s something to tell the boys at the office, huh?”

He scratched his ear.

“Come to think of it, do we even have an office?” the Doctor asked. “I mean, do we all get up at the crack of dusk, report to our workplace to punch in and get our schedules; and then after a hard day’s night, we all gather around the plasma cooler and swap amusing anecdotes?”

“You think you’re cute, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I do, actually. Well, at least, Rose says I am. I’m not a judge of beauty by any means, but she seems to prefer this body over the last one. Of course, the last body had these enormous ears that put elephants in Africa to shame, but on the plus side, it did provide lots of shade for Rose wherever we went and…”

“ENOUGH!”

The Doctor frowned.

“What? I’m answering your question.” He said. “I’m only trying to answer your question. I’m just being polite and I…”

The Doctor ducked out of the way as Ian leaped at him.

“Enough talking, let the battle begin!” he screamed.

Chapter Eighteen

“Oh no, that was just rude.” The Doctor said. “No one interrupts me when I’m talking. Even Rose knows that.”

He dodged as Ian made a grab for him.

“I will kill you, Doctor,” Ian said. “And then I will convert Rose and enslave and torment her for all eternity while you watch helpless from the afterlife.”

“Are you sure I’ll be helpless?” the Doctor said. “I mean did you see Ghost with Patrick Swayze? He was dead and he still managed to protect his girl. How do you know I won’t be able to do the same? You don’t, do ya? Yeah, cause you’ve never been officially dead so you don’t know what it’s like and…”

He ducked when Ian flew at him. He grabbed his leg as he went past and hurled him across the roof.

“I said don’t interrupt me! Why is it I have to keep repeating everything to stupid apes like you? Do you even listen--?”

Ian roared and flew at him. The Doctor fell onto his back and when Ian was over him, he raised his leg and kicked him in the gut. He leapt back up as Ian grunted and stopped himself in mid-air. He glared at the Doctor who was giving him a smug look.

“Something wrong, vampy poo?” he said. “Am I winning, is that it? Is that the reason for the sour face?”

Ian floated to the ground. He regarded the Doctor for a moment and then with a smirk closed his eyes.

“Oh, are we playing hide and seek then?” the Doctor asked.

“No, Doctor, I am calling your pet to me.”

“Oh, well, about that whole mind control thing. I think you’ll find that I’ve taken care of that now. I…”

The Doctor trailed off when he saw Rose rise from her corner and start slowly towards Ian.

“Oh no.” he said softly. “No, no, no.”

His hearts sank when Ian opened his eyes and saw Rose staring up at him.

“Hello, my dear. I’m glad you could join us.” He said running a finger down her cheek.

He smirked at the Doctor.

“I knew your little girlfriend was hiding in the corner, Doctor. Do you think I’m so blind that I can’t make out a human figure crouching in the shadows?”

“Let her go, Ian. This is between us.”

“Oh no, Doctor, not while I have the advantage. You see, I can send Rose after you and you won’t stop her. Not without hurting her anyway.”

“You coward!”

“Just like you, Doctor, I seize every advantage I can get.” Ian said.

He looked at Rose.

“And now my dear, I have something for you.” He said pulling a small, wooden stake out from under his coat. “You know what to do with it.”

“No, Rose, don’t!”

Rose took the stake from Ian and turned towards the Doctor. The Doctor started to rise into the air when he noticed Rose winking at him. His eyes widened in understanding and he let his shoulders droop.

“You’re right, Ian. I won’t fight Rose. You win.” He said.

He glanced at Ian and saw that he was frowning at him in confusion.

“You, Doctor, giving up so easily?” he muttered to himself. “There’s something wrong here.”

“Rose, turn around.” Ian said.

Rose stared at the Doctor and smiled at him. Raising the stake, she turned around quickly and with one swift motion plunged it into Ian’s chest.

“OH YES!” The Doctor said. “WELL DONE, ROSE!”

“See, I told ya, I could help.” She said as the Doctor laid a hand on her shoulder.

They both looked over at Ian who was laughing hysterically.

“Little fool!” he said. “It only works if you pierce the heart, and you missed it.”

He pulled the stake out of his chest and flung it out of reach. He looked down and smiled when the gaping hole in his chest closed up.

“Nice try, Rose, now it’s my turn.” He said.

The Doctor yelled as he punched Rose in the jaw. He caught her when she sailed back into him and stared down at her unconscious body.

“YOU BASTARD!” he said.

“I’m impressed, Doctor.” Ian said as the Doctor cradled Rose in his arms. “I was hoping you wouldn’t think to block her mind from me. You’re smarter than I thought.”

He smirked.

“Let’s see if your smarts will be enough to save you from me.” He said.

The Doctor flew backward when Ian took a swing at him. He quickly laid Rose on the ground and balled up his fists.

“Alright, no more mister nice Time Lord!” he said. “It ends here and now!”

Ian grinned.

“Come on, Doctor, show me what you got!” he said.

With a roar of rage, the Doctor flew towards him. Ian fell on his back and kicked him directly in the face.

“That’s for kicking me in the stomach!” he said.

The Doctor let out a grunt and hit the roof. He shook his head and quickly rolled out of the way when Ian dove for him. Jumping to his feet, he sailed up in the air. Ian gritted his teeth and followed him. The Doctor glanced over at Rose.

“Got to get him away from her.” He muttered.

He turned and headed away from the office building at full speed. As he flew over London, he looked back and saw Ian was following close behind him. Looking down, he saw he was flying over a park.

“Aha, cover.” He muttered.

He angled himself down into the trees and flew through them looking for a hiding place. He found a large limb partially hidden in the tree tops and flew up to it. Perching on the limb, he hunkered down and receded into the shadows watching Ian as he flew in and out of the trees looking for him.

“You can’t escape, Doctor.” Ian said. “I know you’re in here somewhere and sooner or later I’ll find you.”

He paused in mid-air and looked all around him. The Doctor moved back further towards the tree trunk keeping his eye on his adversary. He looked around and noticed another study limb a few meters away in another tree. He watched Ian and when his back was turned, he nimbly leapt over onto it and settled back down into the shadows.

“Show yourself, Doctor, before I decide to go back to your precious Rose and deal with her instead.” He said. “And I’m sure you don’t want me to do that!”

The Doctor looked around and noticed another limb near him. He looked back at Ian.

“Come and get me, coward!”

He quickly flew to the other limb as Ian turned his head and went towards the sound of his voice. Perching on the limb, he looked down at Ian who was busy inspecting the limb he had just left. Seizing the opportunity, he quietly left the limb and headed back the other way. As he headed towards another tree, he looked down and noticed a large limb lying on the ground. Smiling, he angled down, quietly snatched the limb up and turned back towards Ian who was busy inspecting the rest of the tree.

“You might as well surrender, Doctor!” Ian said. “You can’t keep up this hide and seek forever. Sooner or later, I will see you.”

“True, but I think it’ll be awhile before you “see” anything.”

Ian turned and grunted as the Doctor smacked him across the face with the limb as hard as he could. Ian smacked into the tree trunk and fell to the ground, dazed.

“Blast, didn’t knock him out. Ah well, at least I made the boy see double.”

He paused for a moment and then flew down to Ian. Holding him with one hand, he quickly searched through his coat and smiled when he located his sonic screwdriver in an inside pocket.

“Thanks for keeping this with you.” He said. “I can’t tell you how much of a pain it is to make these things.”

He flew out of reach when Ian made a grab for him. Pointing his sonic screwdriver at a limb directly above him, he turned it on, and smiled when the branch gave way and fell onto Ian’s head knocking him out cold.

“Oh little sonic screwdriver, I missed you so much!” he said kissing it. “I feel naked without you!”

He looked down at Ian and looked up at the sky.

“About time for the sun to rise.” He said. “Good. Because I have one last offer to make before I let the little bastard roast.”

He flew down and pulled the limb off of Ian.

“Come along, Ian.” He said gathering him in his arms. “You and I need to talk.”

Chapter Nineteen

Holding Ian in his arms, the Doctor flew back to Rose. As he neared her, he was relieved to see she was up and walking around. He smiled when Rose caught sight of him and let out a squeal of joy. He touched down on the roof beside her, quickly lowered Ian to the ground and enveloped her in his arms when she flung herself into them.

“Oh God, Doctor, am I glad to see you!” she said. “I woke up and I didn’t see you and I was so afraid Ian had done something to you!”

The Doctor kissed her cheek.

“I’m sorry I scared you, Rose, but I had to get Ian away from here before he killed you.”

She looked down at him sprawled out on the roof.

“Why did you bring him back here then?” she asked.

“Because I need to talk to him, and I want to do it before the sun comes up.”

Rose frowned.

“Talk? About what?” she said.

The Doctor started to speak when he suddenly noticed Ian beginning to stir.

“No time, just get behind me.” He said.

He glanced up at the sky as Rose moved around him and noticed it was beginning to lighten.

“Good, almost time for sunup.” He said.

He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and aimed it at him as Ian opened his eyes.

“Welcome back.” The Doctor said.

He held up his hand when Ian leapt up and started to attack him.

“Wait!” he said.

“Why should I?”

The Doctor took hold of Rose and they moved to the side. Ian’s eyes bulged out of his head when he saw the sun starting to rise. He started to lift off into the air.

“Stay where you are!” the Doctor said.

“We’ll finish this later!”

“No! We’re gonna finish this now! If you fly off, I’ll follow and I’ll make sure you stay out in the open until the sun rises and kills you!”

“But you’ll die too, Doctor.” Rose said.

The Doctor shook his head.

“Sunlight doesn’t kill a new vampire. It won’t kill me until after the next full moon when I become immortal permanently. All the sunlight can do at the moment is give me sunburn, which is more than I can say for Ian here.”

Ian glared at him. He threw his arms open.

“You win then, Doctor. I’ll just stand here until the sun takes me.” He said.

“Or…you can listen to my offer instead.”

Ian frowned.

“What offer?” he said.

“I offer you a chance to live, Ian. Unlike you, I am capable of showing compassion even towards people who don’t deserve it.”

“You’re letting me go?”

“I will, if you do as I say.”

“Yeah, and what do I have to do?”

“Relocate.”

“What to another city? Another country?”

“Another planet!”

Ian stared at him.

“What?”

“I know a planet that has no people on it, but does have plants and animals. One plant in particular is known as the Bleeding Corianthus and the reason it is called that is because it uses blood to attract insects and animals for its meals. It’s not human flesh but at least you will be sustained and you can live out your immortal life in peace.”

“But, Doctor, if you let him live you’ll be a vampire forever.” Rose said.

“Not necessarily. There’s always a solution to every problem and I’m sure as clever as I am I could find a way to reverse the vampirism.” He said. “After all, I’m practically a vampire anyway. All I would need to do is reverse the two percent genetic difference between Time Lords and vampires.”

He looked at her.

“In the meantime, I could get used to this. Flying is pretty cool.” He said.

He looked back at Ian.

“So, how about it, Ian? Do you take my offer and live out your life on another planet or do you force me to kill you?”

Ian looked over the Doctor’s shoulder and noticed the sun just beginning to peek over the top of the buildings. He looked at the Doctor.

“What about the rest of my kind? Are you going to take them to this planet as well?” he asked.

“If I run into any others, I will make the same offer to them. But I will not go actively hunt them out. The only reason I’m dealing with you is because you decided to threaten Rose.”

He glanced back over his shoulder and saw the sun was rising quickly into the sky. He looked at Ian.

“So? My offer or death.” He said. “Your choice.”

Ian hesitated for a moment and then snarled at him.

“I won’t be the one to leave this planet, Doctor. You will!” he said.

With a roar, he lunged at the Doctor and Rose. With lightning quick speed, the Doctor pushed Rose away, sidestepped Ian and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck as his momentum carried him past.

“Oh, why do they always have to do things the hard way?” he said.

Holding Ian in a death grip around his neck, he rose several meters into the sky and held him out as the sun rose higher in the sky. He stared ahead impassively while Ian kicked and flailed in an attempt to get away.

“You’ll pay for this, Doctor! You haven’t seen the last of my kind!” Ian said.

“Nope, probably not.” The Doctor said. “But I have seen the last of you.”

He watched as Ian’s body began to smoke. He tightened his grip on his neck when Ian let out a scream and desperately tried to break free.

“Hate to have to do this.” He said to Ian. “But I offered you a chance to get out of it. I can’t let you hurt Rose anymore.”

He floated down to the roof as Ian’s body burst into flames. Touching the ground, he let go and stepped back while Ian writhed and screamed in agony.

“I will be avenged, Doctor! You have not seen the last of the immortals!” he said as flames consumed his body.

With one last scream, Ian’s body broke apart and quickly disintegrated into ashes. The ashes continued to disintegrate until only a fine powder remained. Rose wrapped her arm around the Doctor as they watched the powder blow away into the morning sky.

“It’s over, Rose. We’re free.” The Doctor said.

He turned and embraced Rose as sunlight washed over their bodies.

Chapter Twenty

“Oh, Rose, you’re alright!” Jackie cried out as she and the Doctor walked through the door.

The Doctor smiled when the two of them hugged one another tightly.

Jackie looked up at him and pulled him into the embrace.

“Oh, come here you!” she said hugging him tightly.

The Doctor hesitated and then hugged her lightly around the waist. Jackie broke out of the embrace and looked at him and Rose.

“So, is Ian taken care of?” she asked.

“Yup, Ian is no more. Rose is free.”

Jackie squealed with delight and planted an enormous kiss on her cheek. The Doctor stiffened and resisted the urge to run while Rose giggled.

“I’ll make you both some breakfast.” She said heading towards the kitchen. “I bet you two are starving after all that happened last night.”

“Famished.” The Doctor said. “But I think I’ll skip the bacon and eggs and just have a nip at your neck instead.”

Jackie paused in mid-step. She turned and looked at him.

“What was that?”

“I said I wanted a go at your neck. Sorry, Jackie, but Ian bit me and I’m feeling a bit peckish for blood so can I have some of yours?”

“Oh, you had better be kidding, Doctor.” Jackie said.

“I’m not actually. Ian did convert me, didn’t he, Rose?”

“Yeah, he did, mum. He did it to save my life.”

Jackie looked at them trying to decide if they were kidding or not.

“So, you’re a vampire for real.”

“Sure am and now, sadly, Rose is in my power. See, watch this.”

He closed his eyes. He opened them slightly and stifled a laugh when Rose’s face went blank and Jackie stared at her, panicked. He opened his eyes all the way and gestured to Rose.

“See? Under my thrall.” He said casually.

“Well get her out from under your thrall then.” Jackie said.

The Doctor shrugged his shoulders.

“I don’t know how. Ian made me do it in the first place. I have no idea how to undo it.”

“I’ll undo it then when I get my big frying pan and cause you permanent brain damage!” Jackie said starting towards the kitchen.

“Slave, stop Jackie!” the Doctor said pointing at her.

“Yes, master!” Rose said. “I hear and I obey!”

Jackie gasped as Rose seized her wrist.

“Sorry, Jackie, guess you’re not getting that frying pan now.” The Doctor said walking up to her.

Jackie raised her hand to slap the Doctor’s face; she paused when she noticed Rose giggling.

“Wait a moment, you’re not hypnotized.” She said.

“Nope, just playing along with the Doctor.” Rose said.

Jackie glared at the Doctor when they both started to laugh.

“Oh ha, ha, really funny.” Jackie said as Rose let go of her wrist. “You’re a laugh a minute, you are.”

“Actually, Jackie, I was a vampire for a couple of hours. I wasn’t kidding about that. But as soon as Ian died, I returned to normal.”

“Yes, thankfully, he was gonna let Ian go and remain a vampire forever.” Rose said.

“And that was a bad thing?” The Doctor said.

“Yes, I would have been traveling with a walking corpse.” Rose said.

“Yeah, but think of the advantages of being the girlfriend of a walking corpse. I could have sped you around the mall and let you get the clothes you wanted before anyone else got to them. We could have had romantic moonlit flights and necking would have taken on a whole new meaning. The only drawbacks would have been me having to hide in the TARDIS doing the day and you cramming into a tight little coffin with me.”

He paused.

“Actually, I would put that bit over into the plus column.” He said. “The point is I would have been a better, stronger Doctor if Ian hadn’t been so obstinate. We would have had to come back here more frequently so I could feed on your mother but isn’t that worth it?”

He backed away when he saw Jackie giving him a look of death.

“Then again, maybe not.” He said.

Jackie rolled her eyes and walked into the kitchen as the Doctor nudged Rose and grinned at her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Oh, at last we can be on our way again.” Rose said as she sat on the captain’s chair and watched the Doctor punched in the coordinates.

He grinned at her.

“Why, Rose Tyler, is my aversion to the Tyler flat rubbing off on you at last?”

“No, it’s just that I wanna go somewhere where I won’t run into any vampires. At least not for awhile.”

She paused a moment.

“Doctor, do you think other vampires will get revenge for what you did to Ian?” she said.

The Doctor stared off into space.

“Who knows? I’m not sure how well connected the vampires are to one another and if they notice if one of their own go missing. I told you I was 98 percent vampire and I said that Time Lords can feel the presence of other Time Lords, so maybe the same is true for vampires.”

“So, there’s a possibility that the next time I go home, there could be other vampires lying in wait for us?” Rose asked.

“Well, if that’s the case, there’s a simple solution to that.”

“And that is?”

The Doctor grinned at her.

“Never go home again.”

Rose raised her eyebrow.

“I’m sure you’re just waiting for me to say yes to that.” She said.

The Doctor gave her a look of innocence.

“No, I enjoy my visits with your mum. I just love eating semi-burnt and inedible food while the smell of cheap perfume lingers in the air above me. I can’t imagine how I ever survived 900 years without Jackie Tyler in my life.”

He giggled when Rose slapped his back. He put his arm around her and pulled her close to her.

“Anyway, if there are vampires waiting for us when we get back, we’ll take care of em like we did Ian.”

“We?”

“Yes, Rose, we. You and I are a team even if you don’t think that sometimes and I know that whenever I get in a bind.”

He paused.

“Which isn’t often, mind you.” He said, his eyes twinkling with laughter. “I know I can rely on you to save my gorgeous butt.”

Rose looked behind him.

“Mmmm, gorgeous butt. I agree with that.” She said pinching it.

The Doctor laughed and kissed the top of her head.

“Now, my bride,” he said imitating Dracula. “You vill accompany me to another planet vere ve vill save the universe again and then I vill suck your blood aftervards!”

“Nah, not my blood. You can suck other things though.”

The Doctor’s eyebrows raised almost to the top of his head.

“Well, let’s hurry up and get to the next destination then and get that baddie dispatched.”

Rose giggled and leaned against him. She let out a contented sigh as she laid her head against the Doctor’s chest and listened to the quiet rhythmic beat of his two hearts.

THE END.

FANFIC: The Blood Red Rose...PG-13 Parts 12-16/20

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 14:01:49 GMT

Chapter Twelve

“Here we are, Doctor.”

The Doctor looked up at the crumbling, Victorian house standing before them.

“What, no castle?” he said.

“Mmmm, how amusing, my little pet.” Ian said, stroking his cheek. “I’ll enjoy that wit of yours along with this handsome body you have.”

The Doctor snorted.

“Come along, I’m dying to meet you.”

He paused and let out a little giggle.

“Dying to meet you. How droll. I’m extremely witty as well, don’t you think?”

“Oh yeah, you’re just a laugh a minute.” The Doctor said.

He took the Doctor’s hand.

“This way, Doctor.” He said.

He led him up the front steps.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor looked around while Ian led him through the house. He recognized much of it from Rose’s dream. He looked down at her and wondered if she was aware of anything that was happening. She had been strong enough to break Ian’s hold on her mind so it could be possible she was observing events and was powerless to act. Hoping that was the case, the Doctor laid a hand briefly on her shoulder hoping that Rose could feel it and gain courage and strength from knowing he was still near her. Enough he hoped that she might be able to mount another defense against him. He knew without her help in driving him from her mind, there wasn’t much he could do.

They stopped in the middle of one of the rooms and the Doctor noticed a door off to his right. Ian smiled at him and opened it. The Doctor blinked when light from the room blinded him momentarily. Ian looked back at him and pointed down the stairs.

“This way.” He said.

The Doctor sighed and stuffed his hands in his pockets while he followed Ian down the steps. They neared the bottom and he looked around and noticed they were in a large, dusty basement. He glanced around behind him and caught sight of Ian’s coffin resting just behind the stairs. There sitting on top of it was Ian. Ian smiled and rose from the coffin.

“Doctor.” He said.

“Ian! How are ya, ya bloodsucking bastard? Been a long time! How’s the wife and kiddies?” the Doctor said.

He paused.

“So, have to ask ya since we’re now that we’re face to face. Why Ian? Why not Lestat or Bloodrein or Moondroppings or some other Goth name like that?”

Ian chuckled.

“I am not pretentious, Doctor. I know vampires who have renamed themselves with silly names like that, but I prefer my own name. I happen to like it.”

The Doctor shrugged.

“Fair enough.” He said.

He glanced at Rose and noticed she was still in a trance.

“So, what happens to her then? Are you gonna release her now that we can see each other face to face?” he said.

Ian stared at Rose who was staring back at him blankly.

“Depends, Doctor.”

“On what?”

Ian looked at him.

“Depends on if you’re thinking of escape. Because if you are, I’m going to keep her under my thrall to keep you in line. However, if you and she decide to accept your fates, I will release her mind so she can see what’s going on.”

The Doctor sighed.

“We won’t try to escape.” He said.

“Is that a promise, Doctor, or are you just saying that so I’ll release my hold on Rose?” Ian said.

“No, I promise we won’t escape. You win.”

Ian studied his face for a moment before nodding. He closed his eyes and Rose let out a gasp when he withdrew from his mind. The Doctor quickly took her hand and she looked up at him.

“Doctor?”

“It’s okay, Rose.” He said. “Ian’s let go of your mind and you and I are in his…”

He looked around the basement.

“Lair, if you can call it that.” He said.

He looked at Ian.

“Seriously, why would a vampire want to live in a rotting house in the middle of London? Wouldn’t you like to live somewhere a little more exotic; say, Transylvania?”

“That’s been done to death!” Ian said. “London is much more interesting. Besides, Transylvania is full of superstitious people who still believe in the undead. Londoners, for the most part, think vampires are a load of rubbish so it’s easy to get a meal without worrying about getting a stake through the heart. Not to mention the fact that most of the undead don’t think of setting up shop here so there isn’t much competition for food.”

He smiled at them.

“Of course, after tonight, there will be two new immortals, but we will be working together, not in competition.”

“How do you know? Maybe after we become vampires, Rose and I will want to get a home of our own.” The Doctor said.

Ian chuckled.

“I doubt that. I think Rose will prefer to stay here. Won’t you my dear?”

Rose backed up closer to the Doctor, when Ian tried to stroke her cheek. The Doctor put a hand on her shoulder.

“Not a chance in Hell.” She said.

Ian smiled.

“I think you’ll change your mind about that.” He said.

He closed his eyes and the Doctor gasped when Rose got a glazed look in her eyes and began to walk towards him.

“Damn you!” he said.

The Doctor started walking towards Ian.

“Ah, ah, I warn you, Doctor. I can make Rose suffer again and I’m sure you don’t want that.” Ian said.

The Doctor stopped in his tracks and glared at him while Ian embraced Rose.

“There, she’s much more agreeable, don’t you think?”

“So, this is going to be Rose’s fate then?” the Doctor said. “Spend eternity as your puppet?”

“Oh no, once I convert her and you; you won’t ever want to leave.” Ian said.

He looked down at her and stroked her cheek.

“She’s so beautiful, Doctor. I can see why you love her so much. Of course, her beauty will be enhanced once she’s immortal, as will yours.”

The Doctor watched in disgust while Ian lowered her mouth to Rose’s and kissed her passionately. Seizing on the distraction, he reached into his pocket and slowly brought out his sonic screwdriver. Keeping his eye on Ian, he slowly raised it towards him. He aimed it at his head and gasped when suddenly with lightning quick speed; Rose broke out of the embrace, snatched the screwdriver from his hand and handed it to Ian.

“Thought you might try something with your little toy.” He said. “I see you’ll have to be secured until after your conversion.

The Doctor gasped when Ian moved swifter than thought and grabbed him around the neck. The Doctor grunted as Ian lifted him off his feet and held him aloft.

“You’ll never get away with this.” The Doctor said. “I’ll stop you somehow.”

Ian smirked at him.

“Try to stop me when you’re out cold then, Doctor.”

He flung him as hard as he could and watched as the Doctor smacked against the back wall and fell to the ground, unconscious.

“There, that’s better.” He said.

He looked over at Rose who was standing beside him. She had remained impassive through the whole thing. He stroked her cheek.

“Come, my bride, let’s get the Doctor tied up so the blood ritual can begin.”

Chapter Thirteen

The Doctor groaned and slowly opened his eyes.

“Note to self.” He said. “Next time you try to use your sonic screwdriver on a vampire throw a bag of garlic in his face first.”

He winced at his throbbing head and tried to raise his hand to rub the back of his head. He sighed when he couldn’t and looked down to see that he was tied up and sitting on the floor of the basement. He looked down at the rope tied around his legs and ankles.

“Wonderful.” He said.

He looked around and noticed Rose was sitting by herself on top of Ian’s coffin. She had a flowing white gown on and was staring at the wall impassively.

“Rose. Rose!”

He got no response from her.

“Bollocks!”

He glanced all around hoping to see his sonic screwdriver and let out a curse when he couldn’t find it. Gritting his teeth, he tried to pull his legs apart hoping that the ropes were old enough that he could snap them. He let out a frustrated sigh when they held fast.

“Okay, Doctor, time to use the old noggin.” He said. “You’re tied up in a rotting basement without your sonic screwdriver and Rose is in a trance. What do you do?”

He stared at Rose while he tried to formulate a plot. He had no idea where Ian had gone, but he was sure he wouldn’t be absent for long. He took a breath as he began to talk to himself.

“Let’s see…what are my options right now?” he said. “Rose is under his spell and so far she hasn’t been able to break free like she did earlier so I’m betting the closer in proximity she is to him, the stronger the hold. If I can get her away from him, maybe she would have the strength to fight.”

He stared down at the ropes binding his legs.

“Of course, I have to get these buggers off of me first. No sonic screwdriver to burn through them and Rose isn’t any help so what to do?”

He butted his head back against the wall gently.

“Think, think, think. Come on, Doctor. You don’t want to end up a vampire, do you?”

He paused and his eyes widened as he suddenly thought of something.

“Wait a moment.” He said. “Why didn’t I think of it before? That’s exactly what I’ll do! I’ll become a vampire and beat Ian at his own game.”

He looked at Rose.

“Rose! There’s hope for us yet!”

She made no response.

“Rose, I know some part of you can still hear and understand me. Just hold on and have faith in your Doctor. I’ll get us out of this, I promise.”

She said nothing, but deep down inside the Doctor knew she understood him and he took comfort in that.

He jerked his head up towards the top of the stairs when he heard a woman’s shrill scream echoing down to him. He gritted his teeth and stared at Ian, enraged, when he saw him coming down the stairs dragging a screaming woman with him.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. I needed to feed before we started the ritual and I brought along a meal for you.” He said. “I figure after this is all over, you’ll be hungry.”

The Doctor fought to restrain himself while he looked into the terrified woman’s eyes. It wasn’t bad enough that he and Rose were caught up in all this, now he had to pull an innocent woman into it with them.

“Let her go, Ian.” He said. “We don’t need her!”

“On the contrary, you’ll want her after your conversion. You see, Rose is going to go first and after she’s converted, I will let her drain you before I convert you and by the time you wake up, you’ll be feeling awfully peckish, Doctor, trust me.”

He sighed and rolled his eyes as the woman screamed at him and tried to wiggle out of his grasp.

“I’m not putting up with this in the meantime.” He said.

The Doctor’s eyes widened in horror. He watched Ian picked the woman up and throw her against the basement wall.

“No!”

He yelled when the woman let out a grunt and fell like a stone to the basement floor.

“There, that’s better.” Ian said. “Less noise in here now.”

The Doctor looked the woman over as she lay unconscious beside him. Satisfied that she was still alive, he turned his attention back to Ian who was slowly walking towards Rose. He stroked her cheek.

“I see my bride has been behaving herself while I was gone.” He said.“Good. I would have hated to punish her again. It’s a shame to see such a beautiful creature writhing in pain.”

He smiled at the Doctor who was staring at him, enraged. Ignoring the look of death he was giving him, Ian turned back to Rose.

“Stand.”

Rose stood up. She made no movement while Ian ran his hand through her hair.

“She’s such a lovely vision in this frock, don’t you think, Doctor?” he said. “I picked it out just for her. I knew she would look gorgeous in it.”

He glanced over at the Doctor.

“I didn’t pick out anything for you, because I actually like your choice of outfit.” He said. “You look handsome in that suit and trench coat.”

His eyes filled with lust.

“You’ll look far handsomer without it on though, I’m sure.”

Ignoring the Doctor’s loud snort, he turned his attention back to Rose. He smiled and ran his hand down her cheek.

“Almost two centuries, Doctor.” He said. “That’s how long I’ve been alone, and in all that time I’ve hungered for someone to share my lonely nights with.”

He glanced at the Doctor.

“Ah, but you, Doctor, you’ve been alone for far longer, haven’t you?”

He nodded to himself when the Doctor said nothing and turned his attention back to Rose.

“Yes, you know what it’s like to be alone. To spend all your life searching for that special someone who will make your life complete.”

He smiled and ran his finger down Rose’s jugular vein.

“And you finally found someone, didn’t you, Doctor? A beautiful, little lass that fell in love with you and brought meaning to your empty existence. Suddenly, there she was shining a bright light into the darkness of your soul and even though you knew it was foolish you fell head over heels in love with her and she became your everything.”

He glanced back at the Doctor.

“Didn’t she? She is your sweet, innocent angel. A selfless little saint who took a damaged, beaten, broken-down alien and restored him.”

He looked back at Rose.

“Shame that such a lovely creature has a very limited time on this Earth though. It must make you ache inside, Doctor, to know that one day her life will end and all the color and warmth will fade from this soft, milky white, skin. And then this little goddess, who loves you so completely, will be laid in the cold, hard ground where her beauty will be hidden and slowly rot away.”

He glanced back around and saw the anguish in the Doctor’s eyes as he stared at Rose.

“Yes, Doctor, it will be painful when that day finally does come.” Ian said. “The day when you hold Rose in your arms and she breathes her last breath will be the day your world ends, won’t it? Because that’s what she is now. Your whole world.”

He looked back at Rose and stroked her side.

“I wonder Doctor, will you be able to keep her with you until the very end or will you let her go as you did all the others to avoid the pain of seeing your true love wither and die in front of your eyes?”

He stayed silent for a moment and stared at Rose.

“I can help you, Doctor.” He said. “I can give your beloved angel immortality. I can stop death in its tracks and keep her forever young.”

He looked at him and smiled.

“That is my gift to you, Doctor. Because I sense a kindred spirit in you. A lonely wanderer who longs for someone to shares his adventures with him for all eternity. And that is what I will give to you after tonight. Your beloved will never die. She will never age and you and she can be together forever.”

“As your slaves.”

Ian sighed.

“No, Doctor, not as my slaves. If I wanted you to be my slaves, I wouldn’t convert you. I would simply hypnotize you into mindless zombies. We do not choose just anyone to become immortal, Doctor. Only the best and the beautiful are given that precious gift. That is why you are here along with Rose. Originally, I was going to have her kill you and that would be that. But once I saw you and saw into Rose’s memories, I realized how unique you are and how much of a credit you would be to the immortal race.”

“What if I don’t want your “gift”?” the Doctor said “What if I’m happy with Rose being just the way she is?”

“You want her to grow old and die?”

“Yes! I want her to grow old and die! You’re right about everything, Ian. Rose is my life, my angel and my hearts will break into the day she dies. But, I’d rather she did die than live forever as a bloodsucking monster preying off innocent people!”

Ian’s face twisted in rage as he walked over to the Doctor.

“Is that what you see when you look at me, Doctor? A monster? If I’m a monster, than what does that make you? You destroyed your own people, your own planet. That’s more than I’ve ever done.”

“Damn you for saying that.”

“Well? It’s the truth, Doctor. You’re as much a murderer as I am. More so, since you’ve killed far more people than me. I and other immortals take what we need to exist, Doctor, no more, no less. We don’t kill just for the fun of it.”

“I don’t either.”

Ian stared at him.

“No, you don’t. You’re right, Doctor. You kill only when you need to, just like I do. I’m sorry for saying what I did, but I get so tired of mortals negative perception of my kind. We are not monsters, Doctor. We are living beings and deserve our place in the universe just as much as you and Rose do.”

“Then let Rose and I exist in our place in the universe.” The Doctor said. “We don’t want to be vampires. We don’t want this so called gift of yours. Go find someone who is willing and convert them. Let us go.”

Ian ran his finger down his cheek.

“I’m sorry, Doctor, I can’t do that. Just like you, I’ve searched all my undead life for the right person or persons to share my life with and now that I’ve found them I won’t let them go. Believe me, everyone is fearful of the change, but once they become immortal and see what it’s truly like, they quickly change their minds. You and Rose will be no different.”

“Then, if there is no choice for us. I have one last request.” The Doctor said.

“Yes, Doctor.”

The Doctor looked into his eyes.

“Let me go first.”

Chapter Fourteen

Ian gave him a wary look.

“Why?”

“Because I want to go first. I want to be the one to convert Rose. I want to make sure she feels no pain during it.”

“I won’t cause her any pain.” Ian said. “No one feels any pain when I do it. I’m careful, Doctor. I’ve had almost two hundred years experience. I think I know what I’m doing.”

“Nevertheless, I want to be the one to do it. She is my lover, not yours and if she’s going to die and be reborn, I want her to be in my arms when it happens.”

He leaned forward and looked him in the eyes.

“Besides, don’t you want to taste my blood for yourself?” he said. “Alien blood, you know, aren’t you curious about the flavor?”

He smirked when he saw the look of hunger on Ian’s face.

“Come on, Ian. Take a taste of the old Time Lord and sample a time traveler.” He said. “I’m sure it’ll be an experience you won’t forget.”

Ian nodded.

“Yes, I want you, Doctor. I want your blood.” He said. “I will give you Rose in exchange for that honor.”

The Doctor smiled.

“Tuck in then.” he said.

Ian paused and stared at him suspiciously as the Doctor laid his head to the side and exposed his jugular vein.

“Well, what ya waiting for? Get to it!” the Doctor said.

“I’m just curious about this sudden change of heart, Doctor. Why are you so eager for me to convert you now? What are you planning?”

“What do you mean, what am I planning? I’m not planning anything, Ian. I’m tied up with nowhere to go and you have a grip on Rose’s mind. I’m not a patient person. I never have been. I’m tired of sitting here on this hard, cold floor listening to you go on and on. If my destiny is to become a vampire, then get on with it!”

Ian stared at him a moment more and then looked back over his shoulder.

“Rose, come here.”

The Doctor looked at Rose who was walking towards them. Panic gripped his hearts.

“What are you doing now?” he said.

“I want Rose to witness this. I want her to see what it’ll be like when you take her.” He said.

Rose stopped behind him and stood motionless.

“No! Please, let her alone.” The Doctor said. “Normally, I would ask you to release your hold on her mind, but not now. I don’t want her to see us.”

“Kneel.”

Rose obeyed without question.

He turned back at the Doctor who was staring at him with hate.

“You bastard. You’re doing this to torture us, aren’t you?”

“Not at all. The blood ritual is a beautiful thing, Doctor. Besides, Rose should be a witness to your rebirth.”

The Doctor’s hearts stopped when he saw Ian close his eyes. He felt his hearts sink when Rose blinked her eyes and stared around confused.

“Doctor?”

“Rose! Run away! Get away from here now!”

Ian chuckled.

“She can’t move, Doctor. I only withdrew from part of her mind. I’m still controlling her movements.”

“What are you doing to the Doctor?” Rose said.

“He is going to go first.”

Rose frowned at him. She mouthed “Go where?” Then, her eyes widened and the Doctor’s hearts sank as he watched realization set in.

“NO! You can’t do this!” she said. “Don’t hurt him. Take me!”

The Doctor’s eyes shone with love.

Ian chuckled.

“How noble of you, my dear, but the Doctor volunteered to go first so I’m afraid you’ll just have to wait your turn.”

Ian lowered himself to the Doctor’s neck. The Doctor kept his eyes on Rose and saw she was straining to get up off the floor and get to him.

“Doctor.”

The Doctor gave her a loving smile.

“It’s alright, Rose. I’ll be fine, trust me.” He said.

He winced when he felt Ian sink his fangs into his neck and then felt that area go numb as Ian began to feed.

“Oh God…” Rose said.

The Doctor gave her a brave smile.

“It doesn’t hurt, Rose.” He said. “Once I become a vampire, I’m going to be the one to convert you, so you have nothing to be afraid of.”

Rose felt the tears began to fall as she saw the Doctor began to weaken and his eyelids begin to droop.

“I…love…you…Rose. Soon…it’ll…all…be…over…and…we’ll…be…together.”

“Doctor, I love you too.” Rose said.

She wept quietly when she saw the Doctor’s breathing become more and more erratic. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to her, Ian finally stopped and leaned back up.

“You monster!” Rose said.

Ian looked back at her.

“I don’t understand why everyone calls me a monster.”

“Because you are! You killed him!”

“No, I didn’t. It’s true he’s barely alive at this point and if I let him alone, he would die, but I’m about to give him life, Rose. A life fuller than any he’s ever had.”

Turning from her, he ignored her and brought his wrist to his mouth. He bit down hard on his vein. Turning his bloodied wrist over, he brought it down on top of the Doctor’s mouth. He smiled as the blood dripped into his mouth.

“Drink, my Doctor. Live forever!”

“No, Doctor! Don’t swallow! Spit it out!”

Ian smiled and he watched the Doctor’s Adam’s apple bob up and down as he drank the blood.

“It’s too late, my dear. He’s already feeding on me.”

Ignoring Rose’s anguished wail, he pulled his wrist away and shifted his body so Rose could see.

“Behold, my bride. The Doctor is becoming an immortal!” he said.

Rose shook her head in disbelief while she watched the Doctor’s breathing become more and more erratic and finally stop.

“Doctor. No.”

After a moment, the Doctor opened his eyes and looked around.

“Hello.”

“Hello, my immortal lover.” Ian said. “Welcome to your new life.”

The Doctor smiled. He rose slightly and met Ian’s lips in a kiss while Rose sobbed. They stayed that way for a moment and then broke apart.

“I feel incredible. You’re right. This is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I feel like I can do anything.”

“I’m glad to hear you say that, my love.” Ian said.

He untied the Doctor and looked over at Rose.

“And now, why don’t you show Rose how wonderful being undead really is?”

The Doctor smiled and sat up.

“No, Doctor, don’t do this.”

“But Rose, there’s nothing to be afraid of.” The Doctor said. “I’ve never felt more alive in my life and now we can be together for all eternity.”

Rose wept when he laid a hand against her cheek.

“I’ll be gentle, my Rosebud, I promise.” He said. “I know instinctively what to do. You’ll be safe with me.”

He kissed her forehead.

“Trust me, Rose. You do trust me, don’t you?”

Rose bit her lip and nodded.

The Doctor laid his head against her forehead.

“Good, I’m glad you trust me because you know what?” he said.

Rose swallowed the lump in her throat.

“W…what?”

The Doctor looked into her eyes and grinned.

“I’m not under Ian’s control, and the sorry bastard is about to pay for what he’s done.”

Chapter Fifteen

Ian did a double take.

“What?” he said.

The Doctor gave him a triumphant grin.

“That’s right, Ian, I’m not your willing love slave. Sorry.”

“But I gave you my blood. You should be converted.”

“Oh, I am.” The Doctor said opening his mouth and showing him his elongated canines. “But there is one essential fact about me that you didn’t know about. You see, the whole spiel you were making about us being alike is very true. It turns out that my people’s DNA is 98 percent compatible with vampire DNA. Rassilon, who is considered the god on my planet, defeated the Great Vampire back in the beginnings of the universe, but not before he was bitten and changed into a vampire himself. He created the rest of us and wouldn’t you know it, we’re cousins! So, that combined with the fact that I have a superior mind that far surpasses any human makes me resistant to vampire control.”

“So, why did you let me do the blood ritual?”

“Oh, well see, the problem is I’m only 98 percent compatible. I’m missing the 2 percent that comprises a vampire’s powers such as super strength and speed. Your conversion supplied me with that missing 2 percent which means I can do everything you can do while keeping my identity intact.”

Ian gasped when the Doctor snatched him by the throat. He stood up and held Ian aloft in his hand.

“Congratulations, Ian, you just enhanced my natural abilities ten fold and leveled the playing field between us. So…WELCOME TO HELL, VAMP BOY! THE ASS WHOOPIN’ IS ON!”

Ian yelled when the Doctor flung him across the room. He smacked against the wall so hard he made a dent and, with a groan, fell forward on his face.

“Rassilon, that felt good!”

He reached down, picked up the unconscious woman and put her over his shoulder. He bent down to pick up Rose.

“Doctor? She said.

“Yes, Rose?”

“Is…is…it true? Are you really a vampire now?”

“Yes, I am.”

He saw the anguish in her eyes and stroked her cheek.

“But…I know a way to become mortal again.”

“You do?”

“Course I do. I wouldn’t have allowed myself to be converted if there wasn’t a way out of it.” He said. “I love food too much to spend the rest of my life living off blood.”

He looked over and saw Ian was slowly getting up.

“Now hurry, Rose, put your arms around my neck. I gotta get you and this woman to safety.”

“But I can’t move.”

“Yes, you can. When he was knocked out, his hold over you was broken.”

Rose tested her arm and saw that it moved freely. She smiled and flung her arms around the Doctor’s neck. He wrapped an arm around her back and held her tight as he stood up.

“Hang on, Rosebud,” the Doctor said. “I’m still getting the hang of my new abilities.”

He looked over at Ian who was nearly to his feet. He winked at him.

“Catch us if you can.” He said.

Rose gasped as the Doctor tightened his hold on her and jumped up the stairs. Her eyes widened when he cleared the twenty steps in one huge leap and landed nimbly on his feet.

“Wow, I could get used to this.” He said.

He grinned down at Ian who was now at the bottom of the stairs.

“What’s wrong, Ian? Don’t like the new improved me?”

“I will kill you, Doctor. I will kill all of you.” He said.

The Doctor pouted.

“Aw, lover’s tiff so soon? That doesn’t bode well for our relationship.”

He smirked when he heard Ian roar with rage and leap up the stairs toward them. He calculated his trajectory and speed quickly and waited until he was almost upon him before he raised his foot and kicked him hard in the chest, sending him back down the stairs.

“Get back down there, vampy boy!” he said.

Ian smacked into the wall at the bottom of the stairs. He looked over at Rose.

“This is brilliant. Maybe I’ll stay a vampire after all. I can just imagine myself kicking an army of Daleks out of my way.”

He paused for a moment.

“Nah, still isn’t worth it trading my mortality for an insatiable blood lust.” He said.

“Doctor!”

The Doctor looked down and saw Ian was about to leap up the stairs again.

“Hmmm, maybe it’s time to take this battle outdoors.” He said.

He tightened his grip around Rose.

“Hang on, Rose. I’m gonna go really fast.” He said.

Rose gasped when the Doctor took off running through the house and reached the front door before she could blink.

“Yup, there are definite advantages to being a vampire.” He said.

He flung open the door and ran down the stairs to the street. He turned to see Ian was at the door.

“You think you’re so clever, Doctor.” Ian said.

“I am clever, actually.” The Doctor said. “I figured out a way to beat you at your own game and I kept my individuality. Go me!”

He smirked.

“And now the one new skill I’ve been…dying to try out.”

He let out an insane giggle and began to imitate Ian.

“Oooo, I said dying to try out. How droll. I just made a witty little pun. Aren’t I fantastic?”

Ian snarled at him.

“Ah, what’s wrong? Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, you know.”

“I will pull your hearts from your chest and stuff them down your throat!” Ian said.

“Ooo, nasty and a bit messy. I’ll pass.”

He sped backwards a couple of meters as Ian made a grab for him.

“Hold on tight, Rose.” The Doctor said.

Rose looked at him.

“Why?”

He grinned at her.

“’Cause I’m gonna do THIS!”

Rose screamed when the Doctor leapt into the air and became airborne. Rose threw her arms around his neck in a death grip. The Doctor winced at the pressure on his throat.

“Boy, it’s a good thing I’m not breathing at the moment.”

Rose relaxed her hold slightly and looked down at Ian who was following close behind. She looked at the Doctor.

“Why hasn’t he done anything to me?” she said.

The Doctor glanced down while he flew horizontally, and saw Ian was closing the distance between him.

“I caught him off guard when I kicked him and I think he’s been too preoccupied with killing us to concentrate on your mind right now.” He said. “I need to keep him occupied so he won’t take that advantage.”

He looked back down and saw they were flying over an office building.

“I’m gonna set you and this woman on the top of this building, Rose, so I can have my hands free to fight. As soon as I touch ground, let go and grab the woman when I lift her off my shoulders. I think she’s okay for now, but she’ll probably need medical attention.”

Rose nodded. She hung on tightly while the Doctor lowered himself to the roof. When he landed, she quickly let go and helped the woman off the Doctor’s shoulder. When she was lying safe on the roof, the Doctor looked up at Ian who was quickly lowering himself to the roof.

“Here goes nothing.” He said.

“Be careful, Doctor.” Rose said.

The Doctor managed one quick smile at her before he jumped into the air and sped towards Ian. Rose knelt beside the woman and watched as the two men connected mid air and began to pummel each other with their fists. She winced when Ian finally got in a strong enough punch and knocked the Doctor back towards the roof.

“Doctor!” Rose said.

The Doctor stopped himself moments before he connected with the roof. He craned his neck back and looked at her.

“Yeah?”

Rose rolled her eyes.

“Never mind.” She said. “Thought you were gonna hit the roof for a moment.”

“Me? Never!” Him, on the other hand…”

He quickly righted himself and pushed off again. Ian tried to dodge, but the Doctor anticipated his movement and landed a haymaker on his jaw. The force of the blow sent Ian flying backwards and the Doctor stood in mid-air with his hands in his pockets watching him.

“Ooops, on second thought, I guess he’s gonna miss the roof.” He said. “Maybe he’ll hit Mars instead.”

Ian finally managed to stop himself, turned himself head first toward the Doctor and dive bombed him.

“Drat, didn’t make Mars. Guess I’ll have to try harder next time.”

Rose’s eyes widened. She watched the Doctor stand perfectly still while Ian came at him at top speed.

“Doctor!”

“I know, Rose, I see him!”

He waited a moment more, and then at the last minute flew upwards into the sky. He turned around and grinned when Ian’s momentum carried him into one of the office building’s windows. His grin widened when he crashed through the window and smacked head first into a desk with an enormous ‘BANG’.

“Ow, that had to have hurt even for a dead person.” He said.

As Ian groaned and tried to get up from the middle of the destroyed desk, the Doctor quickly flew down to Rose and the woman. He picked the woman up and quickly slung her over his shoulder.

“Hop on again, Rose. While he’s recovering, I’m gonna move you to safety and then I’m gonna amp things up significantly.”

A/N: I’m basing some of the vampire stuff and the Doctor’s conversion on what occurred in the Doctor Who Missing Adventure, Goth Opera, where Five and Nyssa became vampires for awhile. It’s a very good novel, if you are able to find it.

Chapter Sixteen

The Doctor touched down in front of a hospital. Rose let go and followed him as he walked into the emergency room entrance.

“This woman needs medical attention!” he said.

Two nurses wheeled a gurney up to him and he laid her on it.

“Are you relatives?” one of the nurses said.

The Doctor shook his head.

“No, we found her lying out on the street and brought her in here.” He said.

The nurse shook her head.

“Do you know what happened to her?”

The Doctor glanced at Rose.

“Um…no, I have no idea.” He said.

The nurse nodded.

“Take her to room 3.” She said to the other nurse.

The nurse took the gurney and wheeled it off to a nearby exam room.

“Thank you for bringing her in. We’ll take care of her.” The other nurse said to them.

The Doctor smiled and nodded. He waited until the nurse went back behind the desk before turning Rose towards him and putting his hands on her shoulders.

“Stay here, Rose, where you’ll be safe.”

“No way.”

The Doctor sighed.

“Rose—“

“Doctor, this is just as much my fight as it is yours. I’m going to help you.”

The Doctor folded his arms over his chest.

“How?” he said. “Ian is a powerful vampire with abilities far beyond any mortal not to mention the fact that he still has a hold on your mind. He’ll be able to take control of your mind before you get within ten meters of him. So how are you going to do it?”

“Change me.”

“Change you?”

“Yes, make me a vampire so I can fight alongside you.”

“Rose, be sensible.”

“I am being sensible. You allowed Ian to change you into a vampire so you could fight him and you told me you have a way to change yourself back to a mortal so do the same to me.”

The Doctor looked around and pulled Rose into the corner. He leaned down and lowered his voice.

“This won’t work, Rose.” He said. “I can’t turn you into a vampire.”

“Why not?”

“Because in order to become mortal you have to kill the vampire that changed you and do it before the next full moon. If I change you…”

Rose’s eyes widened in understanding.

The Doctor nodded.

“So you see, Rose. The only way you could become a vampire safely is if Ian turns you and I’m not about to do that.”

“But I want to help you.”

“Rose, you can help me by staying here and staying out of harm’s way.” The Doctor said. “I’ll be able to concentrate on defeating Ian if I know you’re safe.”

The Doctor’s eyes widened in shock when Rose suddenly turned and stomped away from him.

“Rose…” he said starting after her.

“Leave me alone.”

“Rose.”

He took a hold of her shoulder.

“Rose, please, don’t be angry at me.” He said.

Rose turned around and put her hands on her hips.

“When are you gonna stop treating me like a child and let me be a part of the team?” She said.

The Doctor let out an exasperated sigh.

“You are a part of the team, Rose.” He said. “If you weren’t, you wouldn’t be here.”

“Then let me help fight Ian.”

“Rose, it’s too dangerous!” the Doctor said through gritted teeth. “I care about you more than anything and I will not see you get hurt!”

“What about me? I care about you more than anything and I don’t wanna see you get hurt either!”

The Doctor ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

“I don’t have time for this now, I really don’t” he muttered as he headed for the front entrance. “I have a vampire to stop and I’m not going to waste valuable time arguing with you. If you feel you’re not a team player then you can stay with your mum when all this is sorted out.”

He looked back when Rose gripped his arm.

“Doctor, don’t be angry. I just want to help, okay?” she said. “I don’t understand why you don’t have faith in me. I’ve never let you down. I’ve fought the Daleks, the Slitheen, The Cybermen and a ton of other monsters and I’ve come out of it alright. I’m not weak, Doctor.”

“I never said you were, Rose.”

“Then why do you constantly try to put me on the sidelines?”

She gasped when the Doctor seized her arms and stared at her with an intense look in his eyes.

“Because, Rose, I care about you more than life itself and I’m scared half out of my mind I’m gonna lose you!” he said. “I’ve lost too many people in my life and I’m sick of going through the pain and the grief. Every time we step onto a planet I’m taking a risk that you might get hurt or killed. I play Russian Roulette with your life every time we go somewhere.”

“No, Doctor, it’s me who is risking my life.” Rose said. “I love what we do. I love being with you and I want to help you defeat bad guys and save the universe. I can’t do that if I’m stuck in a hospital. There are a lot of things I can do to help you if you’d just trust me.”

The Doctor sighed.

“Please, Doctor, please trust me.”

“And what happens if he takes control of your mind and turns you against me?” he said. “I don’t think my trust in you will do much good when I’m trying to fight both you and him at the same time.”

“Well, you’re a vampire now. Can’t you do something about that?”

The Doctor paused. His eyes widened as realization hit him.

“Of course.” He said. “I’m more powerful than he is now. I can just block your mind and prevent him from accessing it. Why didn’t I think of that be…”

He paused when he saw Rose fold her arms across her chest and raise her eyebrow.

“Okay, I admit it, you do help me out a lot.” He said.

“Oooo; that must have been really hard for you to say.” Rose said.

She giggled as the Doctor eyed her. He looked out the front entrance and back at Rose.

“Alright, you can help me, BUT, you will follow my orders. If I tell you to fall back, you will do that, is that clear?”

“Crystal.”

The Doctor nodded. He put his fingertips on her temple.

“I hope this works.” He said closing his eyes. “If I’m wrong, I’m pretty sure he won’t hesitate to send you after me.”

He opened one eye.

“Rose, if this does fail and he makes you fight me; are you prepared to accept that risk? Because if I’m forced to knock you out to get to him, I will.”

“I accept that risk.”

The Doctor nodded and closed his eye. He took a deep breath and concentrated. Rose stood quietly and waited for him to finish. After a moment, the Doctor opened his eyes.

“Okay, I think that’s done it.” He said. “I can’t be sure though. Never done anything like this.”

He put his hands on her shoulders.

“Stay back out sight.” He said. “Don’t let him see you unless it’s absolutely necessary. I’ll try to keep him busy so he won’t have time to think of you and if he sees you he might try to take over your mind. Like I said, I’m not sure if I was successful with the mind block so I’d rather not take any chances. Okay?”

Rose nodded.

The Doctor sighed. Taking her hand in his, he gave it a squeeze before walking out the door.

FANFIC: Doppleganger...PG-13 Parts 30-36/36

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 13:54:29 GMT

Chapter Thirty

The alternate Doctor snorted.

“Oncoming Storm? Yeah, right, more like Oncoming Disgrace. Like I said, you really are deluded---“

He was cut off when the Doctor’s fist slammed into his face.

“Time for talk is finished!” the Doctor replied.

The alternate Doctor rolled out of the way and leapt to his feet.

“So, you want a fight, my double? Well, I’ll be happy to oblige you!”

He lunged at the Doctor. The Doctor caught his arms and fell onto his back as the alternate Doctor snarled in his face. The Doctor brought his leg up and pushed him off of him. He rolled away as the alternate Doctor leapt to his feet. The Doctor gasped as a laser beam came from his eye and nearly hit him in the leg. The alternate Doctor smirked at the look of surprise on his double’s face.

“What? You didn’t know I had that?” he said innocently.

“I shoulda known you’d find a way to cheat!” the Doctor said angrily.

The alternate Doctor raised his eyebrow.

“I’m not cheating. You said no blasters, and as you can see, my blaster isn’t on me.”

An evil grin spread across his face.

“You didn’t say anything about cybernetic eyes though.”

The Doctor ducked as the alternate Doctor fired another blast at him. He quickly ran into the trees and knelt down.

“Is that all you got?” the alternate Doctor taunted. “Some storm. It was more like a drizzle in my opinion!”

The Doctor reached into his jacket and groaned when he remembered Martha had his sonic screwdriver. He looked all around for her, but she was nowhere in sight.

“Blast.” He muttered to himself.

“Something wrong, my double?” the alternate Doctor said. “You don’t seem to be putting up much of a fight now. Are you ready to give up?”

The Doctor remained silent as he tried to think up a plan.

“I’ll tell you what, Doctor. To show you I can also be merciful. I’ll offer you a deal. You surrender to me and come out of the trees on your knees groveling and sniveling for your pathetic life and I’ll let you have your thirteenth life and I won’t pull your little apes arms out of their sockets. How about it?”

He waited a moment and smirked when he heard nothing.

“No, then? Okay, but remember what happens next is your own doing!” he said in a snotty voice.

He watched as the Doctor walked out of the trees towards him.

“Um…I believe I told you to be on your knees when you surrendered.” The alternate Doctor said.

The Doctor stopped in front of him and stared at him quietly.

“Okay, now on your knees.” The alternate Doctor said pointing to the ground.

The Doctor said nothing. He raised his hand and beckoned to the alternate Doctor.

“What?” the alternate Doctor said confused.

The Doctor beckoned him.

“What! What do you want?” the alternate Doctor said.

The Doctor remained silent as he beckoned him.

“Oh, what is this now? Some stupid delaying tactic of yours?”

The Doctor beckoned him.

The alternate Doctor threw up his hands.

“Fine, I’ll play along.” He said.

He walked over to the Doctor until they were right in front of each other.

“What?” the alternate Doctor said.

The Doctor smiled. He brought his right hand up. The alternate Doctor tensed for a moment as he held the hand in front of his face. The Doctor’s smile widened as he made his hand into a bunny head and mimed it hopping in front of his body. When he reached his left shoulder, he brought his hand back down to his side and gave the alternate Doctor a huge grin.

“Yeah, that was worth walking over here for.” The alternate Doctor said dryly. “And now that that’s over with, are you surrendering or---“

The Doctor raised his hand again. He made a dog head and moved his pinky up and down as he made it “bark” He lowered his hand and gave the alternate Doctor another smug grin.

“Rassilon, you really have been hanging around the apes a long time, haven’t you?” the alternate Doctor said. “Anyway, as I was saying---“

The Doctor raised his hand again. He brought his left hand up, put the thumbs together and made a bird. He moved his hands back in forth flapping the wings and then lowered his hands back to his sides. He gave the alternate Doctor another smug grin.

“So what you’re trying to tell me with all this is not only are you a weak little fop, you’re also the village idiot for the whole universe? I mean, honestly---“

The alternate Doctor’s eyes widened in surprise as the Doctor brought his hand up to his mouth silencing him. He lowered his hand and grinned as he brought it up to his face and stuck up his index finger.

“What’s this, your IQ?” the alternate Doctor said pointing to the finger.

The Doctor said nothing. He slowly moved his hand from his right side to his left. Then he reversed it and gave the alternate Doctor a proud grin. The alternate Doctor rolled his eye and sighed in frustration.

“I am getting tired of this idiocy. I---“

The Doctor brought his hand up to his mouth again. When the alternate Doctor was silenced, he pulled it back and extended his index finger. The alternate Doctor sighed as he watched the Doctor lower his hand down to his navel, hold it there and bring it back up.

“Are you almost finished with this?” he asked him.

The Doctor shook his head. He smiled as he raised his hand up into the air above their heads, kept it there a moment and then brought it back down. The alternate Doctor rolled his eye at the pleased grin on the Doctor’s face.

“You are the biggest idiot I have ever seen in my lives.” He said to him.

“No, I’m not.” The Doctor finally said.

The alternate Doctor raised his eyebrow.

“Oh, you know of a bigger idiot than you?”

“Yeah, you.”

The alternate Doctor snorted.

“I’m not the one standing here making the stupid hand gestures.”

“No, but you’re the one standing here watching them and letting your guard down.” The Doctor said. “And now since you’ve been such a patient idiot, here’s the whole point of my little show.”

“Yeah, what?”

The Doctor grinned.

“THIS!”

Without warning, the Doctor took his index finger and slammed it directly into the alternate Doctor’s good eye. He howled in pain as the Doctor ran off into the woods.

“ALRIGHT, THAT’S IT!” the alternate Doctor screamed. “YOU ARE DEAD, TIME LORD, AND THIS TIME THERE WILL BE NO MERCY FOR YOU OR YOUR APES!”

Chapter Thirty-One

The alternate Doctor gnashed his teeth as he rubbed his aching eye.

“I let my guard down with you, Doctor. But it won’t happen again.” He said.

He narrowed his eyes.

“WELL, IS THAT ALL YOU HAVE?” he yelled into the woods. “I’M GIVING YOU ONE MINUTE TO GET BACK HERE OR I’M GOING AFTER YOUR PRECIOUS PETS!”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor leaned against a tree and stared back at his double through the trees.

“Blast, what I wouldn’t give for my sonic screwdriver right now.” He muttered.

“Doctor!” he turned his head and saw Martha was hiding behind a tree a few meters away from him.

“There you are.” He said hurrying to her.

He crouched down beside her.

“My sonic screwdriver, if you please.” He said holding his hand out.

Martha put it into his hand.

“Thanks.” He said. “Now stay here for the moment. He doesn’t know you’re back here and I can use that to my advantage.”

“Be careful.” Martha said.

The Doctor nodded.

“I will.” He said standing up. “Just stay back here behind this tree. You’ll be safe here.”

“Doctor, wait.” Martha said pulling on his trench coat.

He crouched down.

“What?”

“Let me help you disable that laser eye of his.”

“How?”

Martha leaned over and whispered in his ear.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The alternate Doctor sighed angrily

“I tire of this. If my prey will not come to me, I will flush him out myself.” He said.

He lowered his voice.

“Scan area for signs of life.” He said.

There was a moment’s pause and then he heard a voice inside his head.

“Scan indicates three life forms in vicinity.”

The alternate Doctor raised his eyebrow.

“Three? So the little pets are here as well then?” he muttered.

He smirked.

“Show me location of life forms.” He said.

In his mind’s eye, he saw the woods in front of him. He saw the body heat the Doctor and Martha were giving off as they crouched behind a tree several meters away.

“Okay, there’s the Doctor and…Martha, I think.” He said to himself. “Show me location of third life form.”

He stopped as he got a picture in his head of the woods behind him. He smiled when he saw a heat signature creeping towards him.

“Well, well, if the Doctor won’t come out by himself; maybe I can convince him to come.”

He turned around. Using the mental image in his head, he aimed his eye at a tree limb above Rose. He waited until she was under it and then fired. The smile widened when he heard the limb fall and saw the heat signature slump to the ground and become still.

“Bingo.” He said.

With a chuckle, he went to claim his prize.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Okay,” the Doctor whispered. “Wait for my signal and then run out and…”

“Yoo-hoo, Doctor!”

The Doctor rolled his eyes.

“Ugh, I better get out there before he comes in here and---“

“Doctor!” Martha hissed.

She pointed towards the alternate Doctor. The Doctor turned his head and his hearts stopped beating when he saw Rose unconscious in his enemy’s arms.

“Look what I found, my double! Apparently she was coming to help her master out!”

“Damn, Rose, why can’t you listen when I tell you to do something?” the Doctor muttered as he got to his feet.

“Doctor, what do I do?”

“Just stay here. We can still ambush him.”

“If I were you, I’d get out here before Rose met with an unfortunate accident…Oh! And bring your other little pet as well since she’s right beside you.”

“So much for the ambush then.” The Doctor muttered.

He helped Martha to her feet and gave her hand a squeeze.

“Just keep calm. We’ll get out of this.” He said.

Martha nodded.

The Doctor smiled at her.

“Ready.”

“Always.”

The Doctor nodded. They slowly walked towards the alternate Doctor who was wearing a smug grin on his face.

“So, there you are.” He said as they emerged from the trees. “I figured this would get your attention.”

“Let Rose and Martha go.” The Doctor replied.

“Well, gee, seems to me I did let them go once and they came back. Apparently, your little pets want to die just as badly as you do.”

“It’s me you want, not them.” The Doctor said.

“On the contrary, I want you all.” The alternate Doctor replied.

He noticed the Doctor glancing nervously at Rose. He looked down at her.

“What? Are you afraid I might do something to your little lover while she’s in my arms?” he asked innocently.

“Let me have her.”

The alternate Doctor snorted.

“And lose my advantage over you? Fat chance. I’m the one calling the shots here and you will do as I say or I will use my eye to pierce a hole through your beloved’s heart. So, my first demand is…surrender your screwdriver.”

The Doctor glared at him as he put it in his open hand.

“Thank you.” The Doctor said closing his hand around it. “Now, I want you both to kneel.”

The Doctor and Martha made no move.

“Kneel, or the little whelp suffers!” the alternate Doctor said through clenched teeth.

“Kneel.” The Doctor said to Martha.

The Doctor snickered as they both fell to their knees.

“Oh, this is so good! You see, Doctor, this is why you should never get attached to others. It’s so easy to use them against you.”

He grinned.

“And now that I have you in my power, I believe you will accompany me back to the TARDIS. It’s time for you to die.”

Chapter Thirty-Two

The Doctor and Martha walked in front of the alternate Doctor who was still carrying Rose in his arms. The Doctor glanced back and noticed Rose was still unconscious. He turned his head back around.

“Doctor, what do we do?” Martha muttered under her breath.

“We gotta catch him off his guard again.” The Doctor muttered back. “And we have to do it quick before he gets us back to the TARDIS. If we get back in there, he can use its defenses against us.”

“Do you have something in mind?” Martha muttered back.

“Yeah, just follow my lead and---“

“Quit talking up there before I do something nasty to Rose.” The alternate Doctor called out.

The Doctor gritted his teeth.

“Just be ready to move when I do.” He said quickly.

Martha nodded slightly.

“Ah, this is going to be a splendid afternoon.” The alternate Doctor said. “Nothing like a little fresh air and sunshine to put one in the mood to torture one’s enemies.”

“Let Martha and Rose go.” The Doctor said.

“For the last time, no. I told you if you lost, they would suffer along with you and you all agreed to that. I’m not going back on my word now that you’ve decided to be a sore loser.”

“If you were anything like me, you would show some compassion.”

“Yeah, but here’s the problem, I’m nothing like you. I’m far superior to you and these little apes so I don’t have to show compassion. This universe no longer has a Gallifrey in it, which is ideal for me. Unfortunately, you exist in it and since I know you won’t leave me alone, you will have to be eliminated.”

What about Rose and Martha?”

“What about them?”

“They aren’t a threat to you.” The Doctor said angrily. “Send them back to Earth and let them live in peace.”

The Doctor snorted.

“Not a chance.”

“Why? They can’t do anything to you. Humankind has only advanced far enough to go to the moon. They wouldn’t be able to attack you. Let them go.”

The alternate Doctor sighed.

“For the last time, no! We made a deal and I’m holding you to it. If they suffer because of you underestimated me, then that’s your fault.”

“You just want to make them and me suffer.”

The alternate Doctor smiled.

“Yup, that too. Now shut up and get moving.”

Rose listened quietly to the conversation. She had been conscious for a few minutes. After determining whose arms she was in, she kept quiet and pretended to be unconscious. She opened her eyes slightly making sure to make it look like her eyes were still closed. She moved her eyes and noticed the alternate Doctor was holding her Doctor’s screwdriver in his right hand. She glanced back up at the alternate Doctor’s face and noticed his attention was focused on the Doctor and Martha.

“Oh, by the way,” the alternate Doctor said. “I want to thank you for giving me the idea of knocking Rose out with the tree limb. Very ingenious. If it wasn’t for you, I might not have come up with it. So, thanks.”

Rose didn’t hear the Doctor reply. Her eyes went from the screwdriver in the alternate Doctor’s hand to his face and back again trying to determine the right time to strike. Suddenly, she felt the alternate Doctor stop.

“Well, get going.” He said to the Doctor and Martha.

“Through the swamp?” she heard Martha ask.

“No, turn to your left, I found some downed trees and rocks we can use to cross over.” The alternate Doctor replied.

There was a moment’s pause.

“Go! Before I dump Rose in the swamp and leave her to drown.” The alternate Doctor said angrily.

Rose watched as the alternate Doctor turned to the left. A grin spread over her face.

Now or never. She thought to herself.

Suddenly without warning, she opened her eyes and before the alternate Doctor could react threw a punch into his face. She tumbled out of his arms as he loosened his grip and fell onto her knees.

“NOW!” the Doctor yelled as he and Martha turned back.

Before the alternate Doctor could recover, Rose threw her body against his. She grabbed his right hand as he fell backwards and pried the sonic screwdriver from his grip as Martha and the Doctor flung their bodies onto his.

“Rose, the screwdriver.” The Doctor yelled as his double tried to wiggle out from under them.

He positioned himself across the alternate Doctor’s chest as Martha pinned down his legs and Rose grabbed his head.

“Hold him steady.” The Doctor said to Rose.

Rose nodded and got the alternate Doctor in a headlock. The alternate Doctor yelled in frustration as he tried to throw them off. The Doctor forced his right eye open. Holding it open with his fingers, he aimed the screwdriver at the cybernetic eye and turned it on. There was a snapping sound along with a couple of sparks and the alternate Doctor howled in anger as the eye went dead.

“You’ll pay for that!” he screamed at the Doctor. “Just because you’ve disabled my eye doesn’t mean you aren’t in any danger. I will still kill all of you with my bare hands! I will make your lives a living Hell. I---“

He grunted as Rose slammed his fist into his face and knocked him out. His body went limp under them as they breathed a collective sigh of relief.

“Nice shot!” the Doctor said proudly.

“Thanks. Believe me, I’ve been wanting to do that for awhile now.” Rose replied.

The Doctor looked at his double.

“Well, come on, we need to get him back to the TARDIS before he wakes up.” He said.

The three of them stood up. The Doctor grabbed the alternate Doctor’s arms, while Rose got his legs and Martha held up the middle. The three of them walked together looking for the downed trees and rocks that would let them cross the swamp in safety.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The alternate Doctor opened his eye and looked around. He looked around at his surroundings in confusion before he finally realized he was lying on the floor of the Doctor’s console room. He leapt to his feet and grunted when his head hit the top of a force bubble. He yelled angrily as he pounded at the impenetrable prison.

“DOCTOR! LET ME OUT OF HERE IF YOU KNOW WHAT’S GOOD FOR YOU!” he screamed.

He scanned the console room but there was no sign of the Doctor, Martha or Rose.

“TARDIS, LET ME OUT OF HERE! I COMMAND YOU!” he screamed.

His anger increased when he heard the TARDIS let out a rumbling laughter. He pounded the walls wanting nothing more than to escape and break the Doctor’s neck. As he continued to pound, he heard the front door open behind him. Whirling around, he glared at the Doctor as he entered the console room with the void crossing device in his hand. Behind him Martha and Rose smiled and waved at him.

“I hope you don’t mind, I borrowed your little toy for the journey back to Gallifrey.” The Doctor said showing it to him.

He paused.

“Well, I guess borrow isn’t the right word. More like I’m taking it so you won’t use it to cross into my universe ever again.” He added.

“How did you get into my TARDIS?” the alternate Doctor asked.

The Doctor showed him the alternate Doctor’s screwdriver.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I also borrowed this while you were out. I used it to open your door and once I got inside I quickly disabled your TARDIS so it couldn’t trap me.”

He stared at the screwdriver.

“Nice workmanship. I’m sure the High Council on Gallifrey will think so too once they’ve gotten a good look at it.” He said.

He smiled at him and walked by as the alternate Doctor gave him a look of death. His gaze shifted to Rose and Martha who were standing side by side staring at him with amused grins on their faces.

“What are you staring at, apes?” he snarled.

Rose and Martha glanced up at the ceiling when the TARDIS let out an angry rumble.

“Um…I wouldn’t use that kind of language around the TARDIS.” Rose said, pointing up to the ceiling. “She might do something nasty to you in return.”

“Yeah, I’m not scared of his stupid machine. It’s probably just as wimpy as he is and---“

He gasped as he suddenly felt the force bubble pressing down on his head. His eye widened when he realized the bubble was shrinking. He looked up at Rose and Martha who were giggling at him.

“Help me, you idiots! Tell your TARDIS to stop!” he said to them.

“Apologize.” Rose said.

“What?”

“Apologize for calling us stupid apes and then we’ll call her off.” Martha said.

The alternate Doctor lay on his belly as the bubble got smaller and smaller.

“I’d rather die!” he yelled.

Rose and Martha looked at each other and shrugged. They casually walked towards the Doctor who was trying hard to keep his composure as he attached the void crossing device to the console.

“Wait!” the alternate Doctor yelled at them.

Rose and Martha turned and stared at him calmly as he pressed his body to the floor.

“Alright, alright, I’m sorry I called you both stupid apes.”

“And apologize for insulting the Doctor.” Rose said.

The alternate Doctor gritted his teeth.

“I’m sorry I insulted the Doctor.” He said.

Rose looked at Martha.

“What’d you think? Is that enough of an apology?”

The Doctor snickered as Martha pretended to think.

“I’M SORRY! NOW CALL THE TARDIS OFF!” the alternate Doctor screamed.

Martha nodded.

“Yeah, I think that’s enough of an apology.” She said.

Rose smiled and nodded. She glanced up at the ceiling.

“Okay, TARDIS, put the force bubble back where it was.” She said.

The alternate Doctor breathed a sigh of relief when he felt the force bubble lift off of him.

Rose and Martha smirked at him and walked over to the Doctor who was shaking his head and chuckling at them.

He stood up as he finished the last connection.

“There, that’s got it. Now, let’s get him and his TARDIS off this planet and out of this universe before something else happens.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(Pete’s World…)

The Doctor opened the door of the TARDIS and looked out. He smiled as he beheld Gallifrey. A tear came to his eye as he stepped outside and took it all in.

“Is it like yours?”

The Doctor looked over at Rose who had come up beside him.

“It’s exactly like mine.” He said smiling.

Rose took his arm and leaned her head against his arm as Martha came up on his other side and looked around.

“Wow, this is beautiful. It’s even more lovely than you described.” She said.

The Doctor nodded.

“Yeah, it’s hard to believe I’m actually standing here again. I swear it was my own planet if we weren’t in this alternate universe.”

“And that,” Martha said pointing to the structure in front of them. “Is that the citadel you were talking about?”

“That’s the one.” The Doctor replied.

Rose smiled. She tugged on the Doctor’s arm and when he smiled down at her, she pointed over to their right.

“I love the trees over there. I love the leaves.” She said.

They all looked over and Martha gasped when she saw the sunlight illuminate the silver leaves and make them glow.

“A forest on fire.” She murmured.

The Doctor smiled at the remark. He held Rose closer and gave her a kiss on the top of her head.

“Well, as much as I would like to stand here and relive old memories. We have business here.” He said.

He looked back behind him at the alternate Doctor who was standing on the ramp glaring at him.

“Come on, the force bubble will move around you.” He said.

He pointed the sonic screwdriver at him.

“And you will move, or I will have the TARDIS shrink the bubble again.” He said.

The alternate Doctor glowered at him as he moved towards him. The Doctor, Martha and Rose waited until he was in front of them and then they followed him towards the citadel.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The High Council of Gallifrey listened in silence as the Doctor explained the events that had recently unfolded. Behind him, Martha and Rose stood in respectful silence while the alternate Doctor sat on the floor of his bubble prison and glared at the Doctor hatefully.

“That is an incredible story, Doctor.” Councilor Garvis said when he had finally finished. “I know that my colleagues will join me in expressing gratitude for capturing your double and bringing him back here. I am also that you and Rose and Martha escaped unharmed and no one in your universe suffered at his hands. I will tell our delegation to Earth to inform Torchwood that the Doctor has been captured and Ms. Tyler is safe.”

The Doctor nodded.

“I just want to make one request.” He said.

The councilors looked at one another.

“What is your request, Doctor?” Councilor Garvis asked.

“I ask that you show my double mercy and sentence him to life imprisonment.”

The councilors stared at him in silence.

“You do not wish us to vaporize him? After all, he has done to you and your companions?” Garvis asked.

The Doctor shook his head.

“Unlike him, I only take life as a last resort. I understand his reason for escaping execution and I feel that vaporization is unnecessary, especially if there is a chance he can be reformed.”

The councilors looked at each other.

“Doctor, I understand your reasoning, but I think everyone will agree with me when I tell you that I don’t think there is a chance he can be redeemed.”

“Still, I would like for you to give him that chance.” He replied. “I believe his thinking has been corrupted and has caused him to see himself and the universe in a warped light. Given the chance, I think he can be convinced of the true heritage of a Time Lord; to protect and watch over others in the universe instead of terrorizing and plundering them. I ask that you grant him this mercy and sentence him to prison instead.”

Garvis glanced at his colleagues.

“I admire your conviction, Doctor. You are a credit to the Time Lords. It saddens me to learn of Gallifrey’s destruction in your reality, but it gladdens my hearts knowing that you will carry on the Time Lord’s legacy.”

Rose and Martha beamed as the Doctor bowed humbly to them.

“As for your request, I will grant the prisoner a second chance. Whether or not it will lead to his reformation is up to him, but I too am willing to show some mercy even if he cannot show it in return. Request granted.”

“Thank you, Councilor Garvis.” The Doctor said as he bowed again.

“As for you and your companions, I offer you some room and board for the night. I hope you will stay and make yourself comfortable.”

“I think we can accept that.” The Doctor said glancing at Rose and Martha.

“Excellent.” Garvis replied. “I will have someone send some food to your rooms.”

“Yes!” Rose said in a loud whisper.

The Doctor hid his laughter as he bowed once more.

“Thank you.” He said.

“Thank you, Doctor. And now I will have someone show you to your rooms.”

He gestured to a nearby sentry who nodded and came forward. The Doctor took hold of Rose and Martha’s hands and with a smile, they followed the sentry out of the room.

Chapter Thirty-Three

“Oh my God, that tasted so good.”

The Doctor smiled at Rose as she let out a sigh of relief and sat her empty plate back on the tray beside their bed.

“My people do know how to cook.” He replied.

“You better believe it. Everything was delicious. Especially that chicken and beans stuff.”

The Doctor gave her an amused grin.

“That wasn’t chicken, Rose.” He said.

“It wasn’t? What was it then?” she asked.

The Doctor cleared his throat.

“Well, I would tell you, but I have a feeling it’s going to be one of those instances where someone tells you what you’ve eaten and all of a sudden it’s not so delicious anymore.”

Rose made a face.

“Oh God, do I even wanna know?” she asked.

“Well, it’s just that normally you would keep the animal as a pet on Earth.” He replied.

“A snake?” Rose asked making a face.

“No, more like a hamster.”

Rose’s mouth dropped open as she stared at her empty plate.

“I just ate a hamster?” she said in disbelief.

“Well, it’s not exactly a hamster. It’s called a Zynax. It’s a dog sized creature that resembles a hamster.”

“Oh God, I had hamsters as pets when I was a little girl.”

“Um…then I guess I shouldn’t have said anything then.” He said.

“No, it’s okay. I mean I’ve probably ate worse on our travels.” Rose replied.

“Actually, you have…there was that one time we ate with the ambassador of Throx Thirteen and he served us that Uten which is---“

“Doctor, I don’t wanna know, okay. I appreciate you telling me, but some things are just better left unsaid.”

The Doctor smiled and nodded. He stared at Rose lovingly as she lay back on the bed. When she had gotten comfortable, he lay back beside her and closed his eyes happy to have a moment’s peace for the first time in a long time.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

About an hour later, the Doctor opened his eyes. He looked over and smiled when he saw Rose was still asleep. He brushed a couple of stands of hair away from her face and slowly rose from the bed. He gave her one last loving look before he exited the room and closed the door behind him. He went across the hallway and opened the door a bit. He looked over and saw Martha sound asleep on her bed. Closing the door, he headed down the hallway. As he turned a corner, he ran into one of the councilors.

“Oh!” the councilor said putting his hand over his right heart. “I’m so glad it’s you. You look so much like the other Doctor, I was startled for a moment.”

“It’s okay, I understand completely.” The Doctor replied. “Actually, speaking of my double, I was wanting to ask someone where the cell block is at? I would like to speak to him if it’s not too much trouble.”

The councilor frowned.

“You wish to speak to him?”

“Yes, just for a moment. So, if you could please point me in the right direction, I would appreciate it.”

The councilor smiled.

“I was going to a meeting, but I’ll be happy to show you where the cell block is.”

The Doctor smiled in return.

“I would appreciate that.”

“Just follow me please. It’s this way.”

The Doctor nodded. He followed the councilor as he turned and headed back down the corridor.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The alternate Doctor looked up when he saw the Doctor walk up to his glass cell and peer in. He glared at him.

“Come to gloat?” he asked him.

“No, I wanted to make sure you were being treated well.” The Doctor replied.

The alternate Doctor snorted.

“Why do you care?” he spat out.

“Because I sincerely believe that you are basically a good person, it’s just that you need to have your thinking changed.” He replied. “I gave you this chance to reform yourself, I suggest you take full advantage of it.”

The alternate Doctor walked to the glass barrier.

“You didn’t do this for me.” He snarled. “You did this so you could give yourself a pat on the back and show everyone just how much of a saint you are.”

“I never said I was a saint. I just believe in giving people a second chance, especially a fellow Time Lord like myself. You have so much potential. You have a chance to do some good in the universe, and give back rather than just take, take, and take. If you are serious about turning a new leaf, then maybe you can win your freedom someday.”

“If I do that, I will come looking for you and your little apes and destroy you all.”

The Doctor shrugged.

“That’s your decision. Like I said, you can use this second chance and become a better person, or you can spend your remaining years rotting in prison. It won’t make any difference to me either way.”

“You are such a hypocrite, Doctor, you know that?” the alternate Doctor said. “You claim to be all merciful, yet it’s because of you that Gallifrey no longer exists in your reality. Were you merciful to your people when you blew them to bits?”

The Doctor narrowed his eyes.

“What I did was an act of mercy. Gallifrey was about to be overrun by the Daleks and all my people would have been slaughtered without any compassion. Either way my people were doomed, so they chose to die in a way that would destroy the Daleks along with them and preserve the universe. You have no idea what I went through carrying out that wish and how deeply I grieved at the loss of my people. Had it been you, you would have let the Daleks conquer Gallifrey and the universe while you were off filling your pockets with treasure. So don’t give me any guilt trips, because I know what I did was right.”

The alternate Doctor rolled his eyes.

“Fine. I’m not going to argue with you about this, Doctor. I really don’t want to hear you going on and on about how sanctimonious you are, so if you’re done saying what you wanted to say, I want you to leave.”

“Just remember my words.” The Doctor said. “You are in prison now, but whether you stay in prison for the rest of your lives is up to you.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, just go.”

The Doctor stared at his double for a moment before sticking his hands in his pockets and walking away. The alternate Doctor watched as the guard opened the cell door, let him through and closed it behind him.

“Just you wait, my double, you haven’t seen the last of me.” The alternate Doctor muttered. “I will find a way out of here and when I do, I will find you and your apes and make you all suffer.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Thanks so much for your hospitality. It was greatly appreciated.” The Doctor said as he and Rose and Martha stood outside the TARDIS.

Councilor Garvis bowed.

“The pleasure was all mine, Doctor. You and Rose and Martha are welcome to stay with us any time you like.”

“Thanks, but I think after Rose is finished saying goodbye to her parents, we’ll be going back to the other universe and staying there.”

“Very well, Doctor. It is a shame that you are choosing to return to the other universe. We will miss you greatly and we wish you and your companions all the luck in the universe.”

“Thank you.” The Doctor said bowing.

Garvis bowed back to him and then bowed to Rose and Martha who returned the bow.

“May Rassilon guide you on your journeys.” Garvis said.

“And may Omega watch over you always.” The Doctor replied.

They both bowed one more time before the Doctor turned and opened the TARDIS door. He ushered Rose and Martha inside. Garvis stepped back as the Doctor shut the door. He watched as the TARDIS dematerialized.

“Take care, Doctor.” He murmured as the TARDIS disappeared. “Make the spirits of your people proud and keep the memory of the Time Lords alive.”

Chapter Thirty-Four

The Doctor opened the door of the TARDIS and glanced outside.

“Well, we’re in London.” He said.

He glanced up at the zeppelins flying overhead.

“And this is definitely Pete’s World.” He added.

He moved aside and let Rose step outside.

“How far away are we from your house?” he asked her.

Rose looked around.

“Um…not far. Maybe a couple of blocks?” she said.

The Doctor beamed.

“Fantastic! That means we don’t have to walk far; which is good considering we did a fair share of walking yesterday.”

He looked back in and took Martha’s hand as she stepped outside.

“Well, gang, allons-y!” he said cheerfully as he started off.

He was stopped short when Rose put her hand on his chest.

“Wait, I just want to say before we get going that I should be the first one in the door.” She said. “Because my mum has been seeing news reports about the alternate Doctor and if she sees you in the house, she might freak out.”

“Fair enough.” The Doctor said.

He took Rose’s hand.

“Lead the way then, Ms. Tyler.” He said with a grin.

Rose kissed his cheek and they started walking towards home.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Mum? I’m home!” Rose said as she stuck her head in the front door.

“Rose!” Jackie said as she ran towards her. “Where have you been? You didn’t come home the other night and we’ve been worried sick!”

“Mum, just don’t freak out, I can explain!” Rose said holding up her hand.

“Rose Marion Tyler, where have you been?” Pete said as he came down the stairs.

“I was---“

“You were with that Doctor, weren’t ya?” Jackie said. “You went out and got yourself into trouble after everyone warned ya bout him!”

“Yes, but---“

“Yes? Yes! So, you did go after that Doctor yourself?” Jackie screeched. “Rose, are you insane! You’re lucky he didn’t kill ya!”

“Mum, will you just listen?”

“Of all the irresponsible reckless things to do,” Jackie said. “I can’t believe you went off by yourself and met up with that Doctor. The news reports said he was armed and dangerous.”

“But, mum---“

“I’m really disappointed in you, Rose.” Pete said. “You are supposed to be smarter than this! What were you thinking?”

Rose threw up her hands and went out the door.

“Wait a moment, where are you going young lady?” Jackie said. “I’m not through with you yet!”

She frowned when she heard a male voice right outside her door.

“Rose? Who’s that? Who’s with ya? Is it your boss?” Jackie said, as she opened the door.

She stepped outside and her eyes bulged out when she saw the Doctor standing beside Rose.

“Hey, Jackie, long time no see.” He said cheerfully.

Jackie paused for a second and then let out an Earth shattering scream.

“OH MY GOD, IT’S HIM!” she screamed as she jabbed her finger at the Doctor.

“No, mum, listen.” Rose said.

She gasped as Jackie grabbed a hold of her shirt collar.

“GET IN THE HOUSE NOW, BEFORE HE DOES SOMETHING!” she screeched.

Rose gagged as she dragged her in the house by her collar and slammed the door. Martha looked at the Doctor.

“So, that’s her mum then?” she asked.

“Yeah, she has a tendency to overreact, but you get used to it.” The Doctor replied.

“Should we go inside?” Martha asked.

“I…wouldn’t recommend it at the moment.” The Doctor replied.

Martha shrugged and folded her arms over her chest as she stared at the front door.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“HAVE YOU GONE OFF YOUR ROCKER?” Jackie screamed as she let go of Rose’s collar. “YOU BROUGHT HIM HERE?”

She looked at Pete.

“She brought that Doctor straight to our door!” she said pointing at Rose. “He’s right outside! What do we do now?”

“Mum, just listen to me---“

“Listen to you? You’ve flipped your bleeding lid so why should I listen to you?” Jackie said.

“Because that’s not the evil Doctor; that’s my Doctor from the other dimension.” Rose said. “He found a way back!”

Jackie stared at her in shock.

“What?”

“He’s here, mum. My Doctor. Didn’t you notice he had both his eyes and no scar on his face?”

“No, I was too busy screaming and pulling you inside to notice much of anything!”

“Wait,” Pete said. “You mean he really is the Doctor from the other universe?”

“Yes!” Rose said exasperated.

Jackie hesitated a moment before walking over to the door. She opened it and looked out.

“Mornin’” the Doctor said cheerfully. “Lovely weather today.”

Jackie stared at him. Slowly, she stepped down onto the steps and walked over to the Doctor. She stared at him quietly for a moment. She looked down at his arm and poked him with her finger. She looked back up at his face.

“I’m here, Jackie. It isn’t an hologram this time.” The Doctor said.

Jackie’s eyes widened.

“Oh my God, you really are here.” She said.

The Doctor smiled. He gasped when Jackie seized him and gave him a huge bear hug. The Doctor’s eyes bulged out as he tried to wriggle out of her grip.

“Thank God it’s you!” Jackie said.

“Yes, thank God it’s me, now will you please let go of me so I don’t have to resort to using my respiratory bypass system?” the Doctor grunted.

Jackie released her hold on him. She glanced over at Martha.

“Who’s this?”

“Ah, Jackie Tyler, this is Martha Jones. Martha, Jackie.”

“Hello.” Martha said smiling.

Jackie looked back at the Doctor.

“You shagging this one now?” she said gesturing to her.

The Doctor’s mouth dropped open as Rose giggled and Martha turned a bright red.

“No, Jackie, I am not shagging this one now!” the Doctor said angrily. “She is a friend.”

“Hmmph, that’s what you said about Rose, and the next thing I know you’re bangin’ her brains out!”

Martha gave the Doctor a pointed look.

“Jackie, could we not discuss this outside where your neighbors can hear?” he said as Rose and Martha giggled.

Jackie nodded.

“Yeah, come inside for a cup of tea.” She replied.

“Thank you.” The Doctor replied.

He shot Martha a look of exasperation.

“I forgot the woman had no tact.” He said to her.

“That’s okay; I get the same thing from my family.” Martha replied.

He walked up the steps into the house with Martha following close behind.

“Pete.” The Doctor said as he passed him.

“Doctor.” He replied.

He gestured toward the couch.

“You two can make yourself at home. I was upstairs getting ready for a business meeting, so if you’ll excuse me.”

The Doctor nodded. He started towards the couch when Pete put his hand on the Doctor’s chest.

“I assume Rose is going with you when you leave.” He said.

The Doctor nodded.

“Is this her choice or yours?”

“I would never force Rose to do something she didn’t want to do.” The Doctor replied.

Pete nodded.

“Are you going to take care of her?”

The Doctor frowned.

“Well, yes…”

“I just want to know that if she’s going to go with you to the other universe that you won’t end up dumping her off somewhere when you grow tired of her.”

“First off, I will never grow tired of her and secondly, I wouldn’t dump her off somewhere. I made a vow to protect her and that hasn’t changed. She will be loved and cared for; you can rest assured of that.”

Pete nodded.

“That’s what I wanted to hear. She isn’t my daughter, but I care for her and I know Jacks loves her to bits. I know it would break her heart if something happened to her. It’ll be bad enough with her leaving, but I think we all knew this day would come eventually. If she’s going to be without her family, then I’d rather she be with you than with anyone else.”

The Doctor nodded.

“Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a meeting to go to. It was nice seeing you again, Doctor.”

“You too.”

Pete turned and looked back over his shoulder.

“The other Doctor, do you know about him?”

“Yes, we caught him and took him back to Gallifrey. He’s imprisoned now.”

Pete smiled.

“Good.”

He headed back upstairs as the Doctor and Martha set down on the couch and waited for Jackie to bring the tea out.

Chapter Thirty-Five

Jackie carried a tea tray into the living room and sat it down on the coffee table in front of the Doctor and Martha.

“Rose told me to tell you that she’s going upstairs to take a quick shower.” She said. “Once she’s done, if you want to take one as well, that’s fine.”

“I do. A long, hot shower sounds good right now.” Martha said.

The Doctor nodded.

“I need one as well.” He said.

Jackie picked up one of the teacups and held it in front of her.

“So, I’m guessing you’re not here to drop off my daughter.” She said. “I s’pose she’s going with you now.”

“I believe she is.”

Jackie sighed. She took a sip of tea as she stared off into space for a moment.

“I should have known this day would come.” She finally said. “I s’pose it really isn’t a shock. As clever as you are, I figure you’d find a way to get back to her.”

“Actually, I had a little help from my double. He took Rose to Gallifrey and got a book there that enabled him to build a void crossing device that allowed him to cross the void safely.”

“And this void crossing thing is how you got back?” Jackie asked.

“Yes.”

“You still have it?”

“It’s hooked up to my TARDIS at the moment.”

“So, you can use it to go back and forth between universes so I can still see Rose?” Jackie asked.

The Doctor hesitated.

“Well…I really wasn’t considering that.” He admitted.

“And why not?”

The Doctor sighed.

“Because Jackie, even though this device allows you to cross the void safely, it still isn’t a good idea to make multiple crossings. Crossing the void tears open a hole that affects both universes. Granted, the void crossing device we have can close the rip behind it, but repeatedly opening and closing holes put unnecessary stress on both realities.”

“So, you’re just going to take my daughter back to the other universe and that’ll be that? No more visits?”

“Jackie, it’s not safe to go back and forth all the time. This isn’t like landing in your flat.” The Doctor said. “I just can’t afford to make multiple trips.”

“Well, how about just for holidays then? Just for Christmas or maybe her birthday?”

The Doctor let out a sigh as he ran his fingers through his hair.

“I don’t know, Jackie. I would feel more comfortable just destroying the thing once I got over there so it wouldn’t fall into the wrong hands.” He said. “If this double of mine got the idea to cross the void and wreck havoc, then others could conceive of it too. I know how much you want to see Rose and how much you’ll miss her, but I don’t think you’d want to put the universe in danger just to see her.”

Jackie sighed.

“I understand, but she’s still my daughter.” She said. “You don’t know what it’s like to have children, you’re on your own and---“

“Excuse me, Jackie, but I know exactly what it’s like. I had a son and a granddaughter that I loved very much and I lost them both when Gallifrey burned.”

“Oh, I didn’t know.” Jackie said quietly. “I’m very sorry.”

The Doctor nodded.

“In addition to them, I also had a wife, uncles, brothers, cousins, parents. I wasn’t born in a vacuum Jackie. I understand completely how much Rose means to you and how much it’ll hurt when she leaves. But, I believe Rose wants to go with me and I won’t deny her the right to make that decision and neither should you.

“He’s right, mum.”

They looked over as Rose came down the stairs.

“That day when I left you with the others in this universe to go back to be with him, I knew it was a huge sacrifice, but I was willing to make it and I would have stayed with him if I hadn’t lost my grip on the lever and Pete hadn’t brought me back to this universe. I’ve never felt like I’ve belonged in this universe. There was a version of you here, but there was never a version of me. This isn’t my world. My world is with the Doctor…and Martha. And the Doctor’s right about crossing the void, mum. We can’t keep crossing over every two seconds just so you can see me. It’s not just because it would damage the universes; we will be busy doing what we’ve always done. Traveling through time and space and having adventures. I’m sorry, mum. I love you, but I don’t want to come back here that much. I don’t like this world. It holds too many bad memories for me. I love you and Pete and my little sis, but I’m ready to do what I was destined to do. I’m not meant to work at a desk or work as a shop girl. Traveling with the Doctor I realize now that I’m just like him. I don’t do domestic.”

She grinned at the Doctor and he returned it with a wink.

“I’m so much more than a secretary or a shop girl or an employee at Torchwood. I’m Rose Tyler, defender of the Earth, and I’m gonna start living up to that reputation and making a difference wherever I go.”

She embraced Jackie.

“I’ll be alright, mum. I’m a lot stronger than I look. The Doctor could see that. That’s why he let me come along with him. And now I see it too.”

Jackie smiled at her.

“You’re right, Rose. You are a very special girl. I’ve always known it. I know that if you go with the Doctor and Martha you’ll be safe.”

She hesitated a moment and looked at the Doctor.

“But, you still couldn’t bring her back here for Christmas at least?” she pleaded. “Just one day a year? Is that going to damage the universe?”

Rose looked at the Doctor.

“Do you want to come back here for Christmas?” the Doctor asked her.

“Could we do that?” she asked.

“If we only did it once a year. I don’t think one time a year would affect anything. But, no more than that. I have to put the universe’s safety above everything else, Jackie. I’m sorry.”

“I understand and I’d be willing to settle for Christmas just as long as I can see my baby girl and know she’s alright.”

The Doctor nodded.

“Then, I think we can manage it.” He said.

“Then, that’s all I want.” Jackie replied.

The Doctor nodded. He picked up one of the teacups and scooted over to let Rose sit down with him.

“So, what exactly happened?” Jackie asked. “How did ya find each other again?”

The Doctor took a deep breath and for the second time in two days explained what had happened.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“So, this other Doctor is in jail again?” Jackie asked when he finished.

“Yes, and this time they will be keeping a close eye on him.” The Doctor replied.

“Thank God for that. After he kidnapped that poor man and held him and his wife hostage, the telly’s been filled with news reports talking about how dangerous he is. I was terrified Rose was gonna meet up with him and do something stupid.”

Rose coughed nervously when she gave her a pointed look.

“Sorry, mum.” She said sheepishly.

Jackie waved her hand.

“S’pose it’s too late to do anything ‘bout it now.” She said. “It’s not like I can ground ya or anything.”

She looked at the Doctor.

“Unless you want to ground her for me.” She said to him.

The Doctor frowned.

“Ground?” he asked.

“You know,” Rose said. “You punish someone for their misbehavior and they can’t go out and get sent to their room.”

The Doctor grinned when Rose waggled her eyebrows.

“Get sent to their room, eh?” the Doctor said leering at her.

“Oh Hell no, never mind! I shoulda known you two would twist it into something perverted.” Jackie said as Rose and the Doctor giggled.

Martha stared at them.

“Um…suddenly I’m kinda unsure about traveling with the two of you.” She said.

“Ah, no need to be afraid of us, Rose and I are great fun to travel with. Aren’t we, Rose?”

“Yup!” Rose said smiling at him.

“Well, please keep all the details to yourself. I’d rather not picture some of the things you do.” Jackie said.

The Doctor and Rose gave each other knowing looks as Jackie rose from her seat.

“Well, I’m gonna get supper on so you can eat before you go. Get your showers finished.”

She looked at the Doctor.

“And you will be showering by yourself. Don’t bring Rose in there with ya!”

“Moi?” the Doctor said innocently.

Jackie shot him a look as Rose and Martha giggled. She shook her head and went into the kitchen as the laughter increased.

Chapter Thirty-Six

After supper, the three of them helped to clean the supper dishes and put them in the dishwasher. While they were doing that, Mickey and Jake came over briefly and talked to them for about an hour. As they were preparing to leave, Mickey pulled Rose aside.

“So, you really are leaving?” he asked her.

Rose nodded.

“Yeah, I belong with the Doctor.” She said. “Torchwood will just have to get along without me.”

“They won’t. You’re the best employee they ever had.” Mickey said with a grin.

Rose smiled and nodded.

“Yup, I was.” She said.

She hugged him tightly.

“Take care, Mickey. Look after mum and Ariel while I’m gone.”

“I will and you take care too.” He said hugging her tight.

He let go and turned to look at the Doctor as he walked up behind him.

“Nice to see you too.” Mickey said to him.

The Doctor nodded.

“You’re not coming?” he asked.

“Nah, me and Jake gotta look after things here especially now that Rose is goin what ya.” He said.

The Doctor hugged him.

“Well, you and Jake take care of yourselves and try not to blow things up too often.” He said with a grin.

Mickey smiled at him.

“Nah, we only do that once every two or three months.” He replied.

The Doctor chuckled.

He looked back at Martha and Rose.

“Are we ready?” he asked.

“I am.” Martha said.

Rose turned and hugged Jackie and Ariel and gave them both kisses.

“I’ll see ya around.” She said.

“You just take care of yourself. I want you comin’ back in one piece young lady, d’ya hear?” Jackie said.

“I will, mum.”

Jackie hugged her tight.

“I’m so proud of ya, Rose and I know Pete is too.”

Rose smiled and nodded. She turned back to the Doctor.

“I’m ready now.” She said.

The Doctor slapped his hands together.

“Well then, gang; let’s get this show on the road.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rose smiled as she smoothed out the covers on the bed she and the Doctor shared. It felt so good to be back in the TARDIS and in her universe. She vowed she would make sure that she wouldn’t do anything to separate herself from the Doctor ever again.

She looked up as Martha stood in the doorway.

“Good morning.” Martha said.

“Morning, Martha. Have you seen the Doctor? He was already up and gone before I woke up.”

“Yeah, he’s in the console room. He told me to come find you. There’s something going on that he wants us to see.”

Rose nodded.

“Okay, give me a moment to get dressed.” She said.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Morning, Doctor.” Rose said as she and Martha entered the console room.

“Morning, Rose.” The Doctor said as he stared at the monitor.

“What’s up?” Rose asked, as they walked up to him.

“Trouble.”

Rose and Martha glanced at each other.

“And that’s unusual because…” Martha said.

The Doctor looked at them.

“We’re being followed.”

Rose and Martha glanced at each other.

“Followed? What’d you mean, followed?” Rose asked.

“I mean someone is tracking the TARDIS and following us around wherever we go.” The Doctor replied. “I’ve tried to shake them, but everywhere I’ve gone, they’ve been right behind us.”

Rose and Martha looked at each other.

“How are they following the TARDIS?” Martha asked.

“Stolen technology. They’re using it to track us through time and space.” The Doctor replied.

“What do we do?” Rose asked.

“Land somewhere, get a good look at them. I have a sneaking suspicion I know who they are. But I want to be sure.” The Doctor replied. “I’ll set the coordinates and set us down.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The TARDIS door flew open the Doctor, Rose and Martha flung their bodies inside it.

“Did they see you?” he asked Rose and Martha.

Rose and Martha looked at each other in stunned silence.

“DID THEY SEE YOU?” the Doctor yelled.

Rose and Martha shook their heads. The Doctor leapt to his feet and ran to the console.

“They won’t stop.” He muttered. “They’ll keep on following us until they catch me…”

Rose and Martha walked up beside him. They saw him glance up towards the ceiling. They looked up with him and noticed an odd shaped device hanging above them.

“I may have to do it.” He muttered.

“Do what?” Rose asked.

The Doctor looked at them.

“Rose, Martha, you trust me, right?” he asked.

Rose and Martha looked at each other.

“Of course.” Rose said. “Why?”

“Because,” the Doctor said grimly. “What I’m about to do is going to require a lot of teamwork from you both and I need to know I can depend on you. Can you do that?”

Rose and Martha nodded.

“Good.” The Doctor said taking their hands in his. “Now here’s what I want you to do…”

THE END

A/N: This ends with them going back into the events of Human Nature/Family of Blood. I might do a sequel to this in the future. At the moment, I’m trying to get other fics done though.  Hope you liked it!

FANFIC: Doppleganger...PG-13 Part 24-29/36

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 13:48:41 GMT

Chapter Twenty-Four

“I am going to kill you…again.” Martha said to the Doctor as they sloshed through the swamp.

She grimaced as she felt the mud squishing between her toes.

“Oh God, and I thought the sewer was bad.” She moaned.

“Not far now.” The Doctor said trying to keep his patience.

He glanced over at Rose and saw that the strain of walking through the swamp was taking its toll on her. He tightened his arm around her to prevent her from going under.

“Not far now.” He repeated gently to her.

Rose nodded.

“I’m tired.” She said softly.

“I know you are, Rose. Just hold on, we’re about there.”

He was so preoccupied with Rose; he failed to notice the ripple in the water behind them.

“There.” He said pointing to the opposite side. “We’ve made it.”

And not a Gilgoth in sight. He thought to himself.

“Doctor?”

The Doctor looked over at Rose.

“Yes?”

“Did…Did your foot just touch my leg?”

“No.”

Rose frowned in confusion.

“Something just touched my leg.” She said.

The Doctor’s eyes widened as he felt his hearts stop.

“Rose, Martha, move now!” he ordered.

“Doctor, what is it?” Martha asked.

“No time to explain, just go!”

He grabbed them both and hurried towards land. He jerked his head around when he heard Rose gasp.

“Doctor!” she yelled. “There’s something around my leg! I can feel---“

She screamed as her leg was suddenly jerked backward and she was dragged underwater.

“ROSE!” the Doctor screamed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The alternate Doctor jerked his head around when he heard the Doctor scream.

“So there you are, my dimwitted double.” He said. “Thanks for the scream, that was ever so helpful.”

Turning, he quickly changed direction and headed towards his prey.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor thrust his hands into the water frantically searching for Rose. He gritted his teeth when he couldn’t find her.

“Martha! Get to shore!” he said to her. “I’m going under to look for Rose!”

“Doctor---“

“Don’t argue! Just go!” the Doctor said angrily.

Martha nodded. She made her way towards land while the Doctor quickly submerged.

The Doctor looked around him trying to make out Rose’s body in the murky water. He slowly swam under the water praying that he wasn’t too late. Just then, he spotted her. His hearts sank when he saw she was wrapped in the tentacle of the squid-like Gilgoth. He swam faster and when he reached Rose, he grabbed hold of the tentacle and tried to pull Rose free. He felt the Gilgoth pull the tentacle towards itself and looking ahead he could just make out the beak-like mouth that opened and shut hungrily as Rose slowly went feet first towards it. Grabbing onto the tentacle, he quickly thrust his foot out and kicked the beak. He heard the beast give out a faint roar and his eyes widened when he saw another tentacle wrap around his foot. He glanced over at Rose, saw she was unconscious and knew he only had seconds left to act. Reaching into his jacket, he found his sonic screwdriver. Aiming it at the Gilgoth, he turned it on and was relieved when the Gilgoth let out a pained roar and loosened his hold on Rose. Keeping the screwdriver trained on it, he pulled Rose away with his other hand and gave the Gilgoth another swift kick as it swam away from the screwdriver. Grasping Rose tightly he planted his feet on the bottom and burst up towards the surface.

“Doctor!”

The Doctor turned his head. Through the water dripping in his eyes, he could make out Martha crouching on the bank. He made his way towards her making sure to keep Rose’s head above the water. Martha waded out to meet him and grabbed Rose from his arms. She dragged her onto the shore and checked for a pulse as the Doctor came up beside her. Finding none, she opened Rose’s mouth and began doing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

“Come on, Rose. Come on.” The Doctor said softly. “Don’t die on me now.”

He breathed a sigh of relief when he heard Rose gurgle and saw her spitting water out of her mouth.

“Thank Rassilon.” He murmured.

He squeezed Martha’s shoulder and smiled his thanks to her. She scooted back as the Doctor leaned over, gathered Rose in his arms and held her close to him.

“Doc…tor?” Rose said weakly.

“It’s me, Rose.” He whispered. “You’re safe now.”

He brushed away strands of wet hair and smiled down at her when she slowly opened her eyes and looked up at him.

“Hey.” She said.

“Hey.” The Doctor replied.

Rose drew in a breath. The Doctor drew her towards him and closed his eyes as he pressed his cheek to hers.

“My Rosebud.” He whispered.

He kissed and nuzzled her cheek as she hugged him tightly. Putting his cheek back against hers, he opened his eyes and frowned when he noticed Martha was turned away from them again. He sighed angrily.

“Right, this has got to stop and it will stop now.” He muttered to himself.

He gathered Rose into his arms and stood up.

“Come on, Martha. We need to get going.” He said.

Martha turned her head and he saw the unshed tears in her eyes. She quickly composed herself and stood up.

“Ready when you are.” She said with a smile.

The Doctor stared at her for a moment. Without a word, he walked past her into the woods. Martha let out a sigh and followed behind them.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Aha!”

Martha stopped behind the Doctor when he stopped short.

“Aha, what?” she asked.

The Doctor gestured to some boulders in front of them.

“These’ll do. We need to sit and rest and dry ourselves off. This huge boulder here has enough room for all of us to sit on.” He said.

He walked over to some small boulders and carefully climbed on them up to the largest boulder. Martha started to follow him.

“Not yet, Martha. I need to talk to you for a moment in private. Stay down there.” He said.

Martha shrugged. She watched as the Doctor reached the huge boulder and laid Rose gently on top of it. He knelt down beside her and stroked her hair when he heard her groan.

“Doctor?” she said opening her eyes.

“Shhhh, it’s alright, Rose. I’m just laying you here so you can rest.” He said tenderly. “Try to sleep for a bit.”

Rose reached up and laid her hand against his cheek.

“Lay here with me.” She said.

The Doctor smiled.

“In a minute. I need to talk to Martha first.”

He leaned over and kissed her on the lips.

“I’m not going far, I promise.” He said. “Just close your eyes and rest.”

“I love you, Doctor.”

“I love you too, my Rose.”

He gave her one more kiss before standing up. While Rose closed her eyes, he walked back down the boulders.

“Right, come with me. I don’t want Rose to hear.” He said taking hold of Martha’s arm.

“Doctor? What’s wrong?”

“It’s time you and I had a little talk, Martha Jones.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

The Doctor led Martha several meters away from the boulder and stopped. He glanced back once over his shoulder to check on Rose. Satisfied, she was resting comfortably, he turned his attention back to Martha.

“Now, I need to talk to you one on one, Martha, because I did make you my companion and I want a few things straightened out before we go any further.”

“What things?” Martha asked.

“I want the jealousy stopped.” The Doctor said. “And I want it stopped right now.”

“Doctor, I…I’m not jealous.”

The Doctor sighed.

“Don’t give me that, Martha. I told you before I’m not blind. I can see the way you turn away from Rose and me. I’ve caught the rolled eyes and the snide tone whenever you mention her. You’re still jealous of her.”

He folded his arms over his chest.

“So, now I want absolute honesty from you. Whatever you have to say, say it, because I want this pettiness ended before it spins out of control. Because I’m pretty certain that when we get out of this mess, Rose will want to travel with me and if you are going to have a problem with that, then I will drop you off at your flat. I will not tolerate disharmony in my TARDIS, Martha. I will not allow backstabbing or catfights or any other childish behavior. I deal with enough crap on a day-to-day basis without it being brought inside my home. So, here’s your chance to vent, Martha. I’m listening. And don’t hold anything back. Trust me; I can handle whatever you have to say.”

He leaned his head forward and stared at her waiting for her to respond.

“Well…” he said when Martha remained silent.

Martha sighed.

“Alright, yes, I am jealous of Rose, okay?” she finally said.

“Why?”

Martha was taken aback.

“Why?”

“Yes, why? Why does my relationship with Rose bother you so much?”

Martha bit her lip. She averted her eyes and stared at the ground as the Doctor’s eyes bored into her.

“Well, out with it!”

“I just…I just…”

“You just wish Rose was still in the other universe so you can have me free and clear, is that it? You wish I would never have found her because all these fantasies you’ve had about you and me as a couple have been shattered, is that what you’re trying to say?”

Martha squared her shoulders.

“Alright, yes, I…do wish she had stayed in the other universe, if you want the truth.” She said.

The Doctor sighed and leaned back against a tree.

“When did it start?” he asked.

Martha frowned.

“When did what start?”

“This crush, when did it start? “ he said

“I…I guess when we shared the bed that night.” Martha said hesitantly.

“Rassilon, I knew I should have slept on the floor.” The Doctor muttered as he ran his hand along the back of his head. “Look, there was only one bed and after what you had told me in the TARDIS about not being interested in me, I figured it was okay if I shared it because I really didn’t feel like sleeping on the hard floor.”

He sighed.

“And I suppose my mentioning Rose pissed you off.” He added.

“Yes, it did.”

“Why?”

Martha was silent.

“Why? I wanna know. You didn’t even know her then, so I don’t understand how you could have been so jealous of her.”

He leaned in.

“I know this might come as a shock, but I did have a life before I met you.” He said. “I have had many companions before you and most likely I will have many companions after you. Now, I have had many female companions and contrary to what you might think, I did not fall in love with all of them. I have cared for them just like I care for you and I considered them close friends as I consider you a close friend. But, I do not fall head over heels in love with every woman that walks into my TARDIS.”

“Then what makes Rose so different?” Martha said. “Why did you fall in love with her?”

The Doctor leaned back up. He looked up at Rose and smiled when he noticed her sleeping peacefully. He looked back at Martha.

“Truthfully, I really couldn’t tell you why I fell in love with her. I know that when I first met her, I wasn’t looking to fall in love with her. I just did.”

He stared at Rose as he thought.

“I think it was because after the Time War, I was devastated. My planet and people had been destroyed and I figured there wasn’t much point in going on. My friends and family were dead and I was by myself and I really didn’t care if I lived or died.”

He smiled.

“Then, Rose came into my life and I saw that there were some things in the universe still worth fighting for. She pulled me out of the darkness and helped me become the man I had once been and I was grateful for that; still grateful in fact, and I slowly fell in love with her and then she fell in love with me and suddenly I came to realize that she was my whole universe and I couldn’t bear the thought of being without her.”

He looked at Martha.

“Now, if things had been different and it had been you I had met instead of Rose, would I have fallen in love with you? I don’t know. If the Time War never happened, would I have still fallen in love with Rose? I don’t know that either. The fact is it happened and whether or not you are happy she is back, I am ecstatic and I don’t want to lose her again. Which leaves you in a very sticky situation, can you be an adult and travel with me as a friend and let me have my relationship with Rose? Or will you continue to act childishly and hate Rose because she’s guilty of the crime of getting to me first and make me force you to drop you off? Because, like I said, I will not hesitate to do that if this is going to become a problem. So, what is your decision?”

“I want to travel with you.”

“So, can you let go of these fantasies? Because I can tell you now, that’s all they ever will be. I will never love you or anyone else the way I love Rose and nothing or no one will ever change that. So, can you do that?”

Martha nodded.

The Doctor smiled.

“Good. I just want to get that out of the way, okay? Because I want us all to be friends.”

Martha nodded.

“Me too.”

“Good.”

He sighed.

“I’m sorry I had to do that, but I wanted things taken care of this instant. Rose has done nothing to you, Martha. She is a very sweet woman and the two of you have a lot in common. If you would just stop thinking of her as the other woman and get to know her you could see it.”

“I…I have gotten to know her and I do like her. It’s just that I still have feelings for you and it’ll take some time for me to let go of them.”

The Doctor nodded.

“I understand, Martha, believe me. I’m glad you are willing to see Rose as a friend and not competition and if you are willing to let our relationship be platonic, then I will be happy to have you as a companion. Deal?”

“Deal.”

The Doctor smiled.

“Good.” He said. “Now, that that’s out of the way, I’m wanting to rest and you should too. We have to get our strength back before my evil twin rears his ugly head.”

The alternate Doctor watched quietly through the trees and smiled when he saw the Doctor and Martha walk back towards the boulders.

“Too late, Doctor. I’m already here.” He whispered as he watched them climb the boulders. “So, rest while you can because soon I will destroy you.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

The Doctor smiled at Rose as he lay beside her on the boulder. She had stirred only once when he scooted up beside her. He calmed her fears and Rose went back to sleep. The Doctor laid his arm behind his head and lay on his back. He glanced over at Martha who was lying on the other side of him.

“You okay?” he asked her.

“Yeah, it’s not too comfortable up here though.” Martha replied.

“We’ll be back in the TARDIS soon.”

Martha looked at him.

“Yeah?”

The Doctor looked at her.

“Yes.” He said confidently.

“How do you know for sure?” Martha asked.

“Because…I’m the better man. He’s nothing like me. He relies on his laser blaster, while I use my mind as my weapon.”

“He can shoot you, but you’ll still have the moral high ground?”

The Doctor glanced over at Rose who was giggling softly.

“That’s right.” He said grinning at her. “I will.”

“Another private joke you two have?” Martha asked.

“Yup.” The Doctor replied.

He leaned over to kiss her, hesitated a moment and then pressed his lips to hers. Leaning up, he glanced at Martha and noticed she was staring at the sky. He looked at her face and couldn’t detect any jealously He mentally shrugged.

I love Rose and I have the right to kiss her if I want. He thought.

He looked back at Rose and smiled when he saw the sparkle in her eyes.

Oh my Rose, thank Rassilon, you found a way back to me. He thought. Even if the circumstances are a bit unusual.

He stroked Rose’s side as he watched her fall back to sleep. He waited until she was snoring softly before he carefully rose to his feet.

“Where are you going?” Martha said softly.

He looked at her.

“I’m going to do a bit of reconnaissance and make sure we’re still alone.” He whispered.

“Doctor.” Martha said nervously.

“It’ll be alright, Martha. I won’t go far. I need to do this in case my double is nearby.” He said.

He glanced back at Rose and looked at her.

“I need you to take care of Rose and look after her. If she wakes up, tell her where I am. Can you do that?”

Martha nodded.

The Doctor smiled and put his hand on her shoulder as he reached inside his jacket and brought out his sonic screwdriver.

“Here.” He said handing it to her. “Just in case something happens while I’m gone.”

“What about you? What if you run into your other self? Won’t you need this?”

The Doctor shook his head.

“I’ll be alright; I have other ways to defend myself. You need it more than me, especially since Rose is still weak. Remember, it won’t kill him, but you can use it to bring down tree limbs, rocks, anything that will delay him from getting to the two of you until I can get back.”

Martha nodded. She took the sonic screwdriver from him and put it in her pocket. The Doctor gave Rose one last look before he rose and walked down the boulders. Martha sat back and watched him walk across the clearing into the trees.

“I hope you know what you’re doing, Doctor.” She muttered.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Martha sighed. It had been almost fifteen minutes and still no sign of the Doctor. She considered calling to him, but decided against it. She didn’t want to draw any attention to herself and Rose with the Doctor’s double looking for them.

As she stared at the trees, she noticed Rose moving. She looked down and saw she was waking up.

“Doctor?” she said sleepily.

“It’s alright, Rose. The Doctor’s gone to check out the area and make sure we’re safe. He’ll be back soon.” She said.

Rose looked at her.

“How long has he been gone?” she asked.

“Um…’bout ten, fifteen minutes I think.”

Rose looked over at the trees for a moment. She groaned as she slowly sat up.

“Rose, you don’t have to get up now. I’m sure the Doctor will be back any moment.” Martha said.

“No, I need to sit up. My back hurts from laying on this bleeding rock.” ‘

Rose rubbed her back as she stared out at the trees.

“I wish the two of you would just move on. I’m slowing you down.” She said.

She sighed.

“Maybe it would have been better if I had stayed in the other dimension, then you guys wouldn’t have gotten into this mess.” She whispered.

Martha felt a twinge of guilt knowing that she had thought the same thing at one point.

“Don’t say that, Rose.” She said.

“Why not? It’s true. I’m the reason you’re in this mess.” Rose said looking at her. “I’m sure you and the Doctor were doing fine until I showed up.”

Martha bit her lip.

“No, that’s not true.” She said choosing her words carefully. “The Doctor…he missed you, Rose. He was so depressed and lonely and it was because you weren’t here. He’s so glad you’re here now and I know everything that has happened is worth it. You aren’t a burden, Rose. To him…or to me. Please quit thinking of yourself that way.”

Rose stared at her.

“I heard what you and the Doctor said awhile ago.” She said. “The Doctor thought I was asleep, but I wasn’t.”

Martha averted her eyes.

“The Doctor shouldn’t have done that to you.”

Martha looked at her.

“What?”

“The Doctor shouldn’t have done that.” Rose repeated.

“But…he’s right. I am jealous of you. I mean, I was…I mean, I’m trying not to be…”

“Why didn’t you tell him what I said about understanding all of it?” Rose asked. “Because I do. I told you that.”

“I don’t know. It just came out of the blue, so I guess I didn’t think of that.” Martha admitted.

“I’ll tell him then. When he gets back.”

“No, its okay, Rose. I’m not interested in the Doctor anymore, okay? The Doctor’s right. It’s a crush and that’s all it ever will be. I’m not gonna spend the rest of my life pining for a man I can’t have. He loves you and I accept that. Just let the matter drop. I want to be friends with you and travel with the Doctor. That’s all I wanna do.”

Rose nodded.

“I’d love for you to travel with us.” She said. “And I’d love to have you as a friend.”

Martha smiled.

“Me too. And hopefully someday I’ll find someone who loves me just as much as the Doctor loves you.”

“I hope so.” Rose said.

They looked over when they saw the Doctor emerge from the woods.

“Well, someone’s awake.” He said walking over to the boulders.

Rose smiled at him as she watched him climb up to them.

“Yeah, I feel a lot better.” She said.

“Good, because it’s time to move.” The Doctor said, reaching for her hand.

“You found something?” Martha asked.

“Yeah, I found him. My double was nearby. He was hiding in the trees watching us. I saw him, and made a noise to distract him. He followed me for awhile and then I gave him the slip and came back here. We have to get going before he realizes what’s happened.”

Martha jumped to her feet while the Doctor helped Rose up. They hurried down the boulders.

“Follow me. I’ll see if I can find us a safer place to hide.” The Doctor said.

He gathered Rose up in his arms and hurried off into the woods with Martha following behind him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(Ten minutes later…)

The Doctor emerged from the woods and walked towards the boulders.

“Martha, Rose, everything seems to be okay. I have some more pulava berries for you. I know you don’t like the taste, but you need to eat and…”

He paused and his eyes widened when he noticed there was no one on the boulder.

“Martha? Rose?” he cried out. “Martha! Rose! Where are you?”

He looked all around him

“No, no, no, don’t tell me they went running off without telling me or…”

He paused and his eyes widened as a horrible thought occurred to him.

“No! They can’t have gone off with…”

His hearts beating out of his chest, he ran off into the woods praying to Rassilon that he wasn’t too late.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

“So, Doctor,” Martha said as he followed him and Rose. “Are we just going to walk until we get lucky and find a hiding place or are you going to think of a proper plan eventually?”

“Patience, Martha, just follow me and everything will be alright.”

“Yeah.” Martha muttered.

She walked along behind the Doctor staring at Rose who was lying in his arms with her head on his right shoulder. She didn’t know about Rose, but she had this nagging feeling that something wasn’t right. She speeded up slightly and stared at the Doctor’s face.

He doesn’t have the scar. She thought And he has both his eyes.

She stared at his right eye.

Although…something about his right eye…it looks odd. She thought. It couldn’t be him…or could it?

She thought back over the Doctor’s words.

“Doctor.” She said.

“Hmm?”

“You said that in order to lure your double away, you had to make a noise to get his attention, yeah?”

“Yup.”

“What did you do then, because I didn’t hear your voice in the woods.”

Rose stared at Martha for a moment, and then leaned her head up.

“Yeah, I didn’t hear you either.” She said.

The Doctor looked at them.

“Well, I didn’t make a loud noise.” He said. “Just loud enough to get his attention.”

Martha slowly stuck her hand in her pocket and wrapped it around the end of the sonic screwdriver.

“You also didn’t seem to be that panicked when you walked back towards us. That seems kinda strange if you were in a big hurry to get us out of there.” Martha added.

The Doctor looked at Martha and Rose who were now giving him suspicious looks. He stopped.

“What are you saying? That I’m not your Doctor?” he asked.

“That’s exactly what I’m saying.” Martha said.

The Doctor scoffed.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Martha. If I were the other Doctor, I would have a scar and a missing eye. Do I have a scar and a missing eye?”

“I don’t see any scar, but there is something off about your right eye.” Martha said. “It looks unnatural.”

“Martha, you’re imagining things. I am the Doctor. THE Doctor from this reality. I am not…Rose, what are you doing?”

“Let me down.” Rose said squirming out of his grasp.

“Rose, you’re still weak. Let me carry you, my love.” The Doctor said soothingly.

“Let me down!” Rose said forcefully.

“Rose…”

“Now!”

The Doctor sighed as he sat her feet on the ground.

“Happy now?” he said angrily.

He threw his hands up.

“You two are being ridiculous.” He said. “I am not an imposter. Rassilon, you’re being irrational. My double has you so spooked, that you don’t even trust your own eyes anymore.”

“Oh, I trust my eyes alright.” Martha muttered.

The Doctor sighed.

“Rose, you know me. I love you, Rose. More than anything. If I wanted to kill you, I would have done it by now. I would never hurt you. Never! Please, tell her I’m the real Doctor!”

He grasped her hands.

“Please, Rose, talk sense to her! Tell her I’m the real deal!”

Rose stared at the Doctor. She wanted to believe him. Wanted to believe it was their Doctor and not the double. As she stared at him though, her eyes drifted up to his forehead and she suddenly noticed an odd crease above his right eye. It was a tiny crease that would be hard to see from far away, but up close Rose noticed that it stood out on his forehead. She kept calm and forced a smile onto her face.

“Of course you’re our Doctor.” She said softly.

Martha’s mouth dropped open as the Doctor grinned from ear to ear.

“Rose---” she said.

“No, Martha, he is our real Doctor. I’ve traveled with him longer than you and I think I can tell the real one from the fake.”

Martha gritted her teeth. She tightened her grip on the screwdriver as Rose wrapped her arms around the Doctor.

“I’m sorry I doubted you, my Doctor. Please forgive me.” Rose cooed as she ran her hands down the back of his head.

“That’s okay, my beloved, I understand.” The Doctor replied. “After all that’s happened, I can hardly blame you two for thinking I’m an imposter.”

“No, you’re not. You’re the real deal.” Rose said running her hands around to his cheeks.

Martha glared angrily at Rose. She slowly brought the screwdriver out of her pocket and held it at her side waiting for the right opportunity to use it.

“I love you so much, Doctor.” Rose said softly. “I always will.”

“And I will always love you too, Rose.” He replied.

Rose smiled as her hands moved up to his temples. She began to massage them as she stared into his eyes.

“Can I ask you a question though, my love?” she said.

“Anything, Rose. You can ask me anything.” He replied.

“Good. What’s the Band-Aid for?”

The Doctor frowned.

“I’m sorry?”

The Band-Aid.”

“What Band-Aid?”

“The one on your forehead!”

The Doctor gasped as Rose grabbed the edge of the flesh colored strip just visible below the makeup. She jerked down hard revealing the scar beneath it.

“Oh! So that’s what the Band-Aid’s for!” Rose crowed.

The alternate Doctor gritted his teeth.

“You little fool! I’ll make you both suffer for that!” he said.

Rose gasped and ducked when a laser beam shot out of the alternate Doctor’s cybernetic eye hitting a nearby tree.

“Rose! Get out of the way!” Martha screamed.

Rose rolled out of the way as Martha brought the sonic screwdriver up and aimed it at a limb above the alternate Doctor’s head. She turned it on and grinned when she heard a loud crack. She dove out of the way as the limb fell on the alternate Doctor’s head, stunning him.”

“RUN, ROSE!” Martha screamed.

Rose turned left and ran into the trees. Martha started to follow. She let out a gasp when she felt the alternate Doctor grab her ankle.

“Oh, no you don’t!” he said between gritted teeth. “You won’t get away that easily!”

“Wanna bet?”

Martha kicked the alternate Doctor hard in the face. He let out a grunt and loosened her grip on her ankle. Martha ran to the right as the Doctor tried to push the limb off of him.

“Run, little ape, I’ll find you! I’ll kill you both!”

He scrambled to his feet and looked off to the left.

“Starting with the weaker one.” He said with a smirk.

He took off after Rose while Martha ran blindly in the other direction. She looked back behind her hoping the alternate Doctor wasn’t following and gasped when she slammed into something. She turned and her eyes widened for a moment in terror when she saw the Doctor standing in front of her. Blindly, she fought him.

“Martha, Martha, it’s me, honestly!” he said trying to restrain her.

Through her panic, she noticed that there was no scar on his forehead. She calmed herself and took air into her lungs.

“What happened? Where’s Rose?” the Doctor asked.

“She…ran the other way….We….thought it was you at first, but it was the other Doctor. He had this…flesh colored Band-Aid or something like it covering his scar and he did something to his eye to make it look normal and he looked just like you.”

“That’s what I was afraid of. Where is he now?”

“I thought he was behind me, but I think he went the other way…after Rose.”

The Doctor narrowed his eyes and balled up his fist.

“Lead the way, Martha. It’s time me and my double had it out!”

Martha nodded. Taking the Doctor’s hand, they ran back the other way.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Rose ran as fast as she could through the forest. Her legs ached and her lungs felt like they were on fire, but she pressed on knowing that if she was caught, she would die a painful death. With every step she felt more and more of her strength ebbing away and she fought the urge to lay down and go to sleep. She ran on praying that her Doctor wasn’t far behind.

“ROOOOOOOOSE!”

Rose looked back when she heard the alternate Doctor calling to her in a sickly sweet voice.

“ROSE, WHY ARE YOU RUNNING FROM ME? I THOUGHT YOU LOVED ME! DON’T GO, MY LOVE!”

“Aw, bite me!” Rose muttered as she forced herself to run faster.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“ROOOOOOOOOOOOOSE, COME BACK!”

The Doctor and Martha put on a burst of speed when they heard the alternate Doctor call out.

“ROSE, I LOVE YOU!”

“Blimey, my double has a big mouth.” The Doctor muttered.

He paused a moment and glanced over at Martha who was giving him a pointed look.

“Don’t even say it.” He said to her.

Martha shrugged. They put on another burst of speed as they tore through the woods.

“Do you have a plan?” Martha asked.

“In the works.”

“That’s what I figured.”

The Doctor pointed off to his right.

“Go that way and try to head him off if you can. Thanks to his need to scare the shit outta Rose, you should be able to determine his location.”

Martha nodded. The Doctor threw her the sonic screwdriver.

“Good luck!” he said.

“You too.”

The Doctor nodded. He sped up as Martha changed direction and ran out of view.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rose couldn’t take it anymore; she dropped to her knees and gasped in air as her heart pounded out of her chest.

“I’m sorry, Doctor. I can’t go on.” She said to herself.

She lowered her head for a moment and then raised it.

“No, I have to go on. The Doctor wouldn’t want me to give up.” She said.

Panting, she looked around her and quickly crawled behind some trees. Lying on her stomach, she calmed herself as she peered around the trunk. She watched the alternate Doctor run past her and breathed a sigh of relief.

“Thank God.” She said.

Her eyes widened when she saw her Doctor running past her.

“Doctor!” she said in a loud whisper.

The Doctor stopped short and looked in her direction. A relieved look came over his face as he walked over to her.

“Rose. There you are. Been looking for ya.” He teased.

Rose rolled her eyes and smiled at him. He knelt down beside her and laid his hand on her back.

“Are you okay? Did he hurt you?” he asked as he looked her over.

“No, I’m okay. He doesn’t know I’m here. He ran past me after I hid. I just couldn’t run anymore.”

The Doctor nodded.

“Hang on, I’ll get you to safety before he comes back.” He said.

“Afraid you’re too late for that.”

The Doctor looked over his shoulder as his double stepped through the trees. The Doctor stood up and positioned himself in front of Rose.

“I have a request before this goes any further.” The Doctor said.

The alternate Doctor raised his eyebrow.

“Really? What?”

“I’ll fight you, but I don’t want Rose in the middle of it. Let me move her to safety and then we can have it out.”

“You really think I’m gonna buy that?”

“I’m a man of my word. Rose has nothing to do with this and---“

“On the contrary, Rose is just as guilty as you and your other pet. All of you have been more trouble than your worth. I want to see all of you suffer.”

The Doctor balled up his fists.

“You’ll never get past me. I won’t let you hurt them.” He said.

The alternate Doctor snickered.

“Rassilon, you get more and more pathetic every minute. Why do you care for them so much? They’re just a couple of lowly apes.”

“They’re far more than that.”

“So, you would risk your life for them?”

“Willingly.”

“Rassilon, I’m beginning to think getting rid of you will be a mercy killing since you seem to be completely deluded. But if you want to waste your remaining lives on a couple of flea-bitten mongrels, who am I to refuse?”

The alternate Doctor smirked as he readied himself to fight.

“Well, let’s get this over with.”

“Not till Rose is safe.”

The alternate Doctor sighed and threw up his hands.

“Fine, do what you need to do! I’m sick of hearing that ape’s name. I’m sure she won’t want to watch you die before her anyway.”

He narrowed his eye.

“But I’m warning you, if this is a trick and you’re planning to run back to your TARDIS, I will come after you and your pets and I won’t stop until you’re all lying dead at my feet.”

“Oh trust me; I have no intention of letting you run rampant in this universe or any other. I’ll be back!” the Doctor replied.

The alternate Doctor leaned back against a tree. He rolled his eye when the Doctor leaned down and gathered Rose in his arms.

“Come on, Rose, you don’t need to see this.” He said tenderly.

He glared at the alternate Doctor as he stood up. The alternate Doctor smirked back.

“Go on, take Fluffy someplace and get back here before I change my mind.”

The Doctor narrowed his eyes.

“I’ll be back.” He said.

Holding Rose close to him, he carried her away as the alternate Doctor let out a wolf whistle.

“Don’t get too distracted, my double, and shag her brains out on the way to her safe place. I know how hard it’ll probably be to keep it in your pants holding her in your arms like that!” he called out to him.

The Doctor gritted his teeth trying to keep his temper as the alternate Doctor called out “Whoooooooooo” and “Kissy kissy!” behind him.

“Keep talking, you stupid git. I’ll shut your gob soon enough.” He muttered.

“Doctor?”

The Doctor looked over at Rose and his face softened.

“Yes, Rose?”

Rose smiled.

“Kick the sod’s arse.” She said.

The Doctor grinned.

“With pleasure.” He replied.

He kissed her lips and carried her through the woods. He walked until he reached the boulders. Climbing them, he laid her back down on the big boulder and stroked her hair.

“Doctor, please be careful.” Rose said.

“I will. I have two people depending on me, you know.”

He leaned down and kissed her on the lips. Leaning back up, he smiled lovingly at her.

“And, Doctor, one other thing.”

“Hmmmm?”

“Don’t come back in a different body either!”

The Doctor raised his eyebrow.

“What if the next life is even cuter than this one?” he teased.

“I don’t see how that would be possible.”

The Doctor grinned and gave her one last kiss.

“Stay here, no running off to save me, okay?” he said to her.

“I’m so tired, I can barely get up, let alone save you.” She said.

“Good, because I’m gonna need all my wits for this battle without worrying about you on top of it. Just rest and I’ll be back in…oh…five minutes.”

“Okay, five minutes. If you aren’t back, I’m crawling after you.” Rose replied.

The Doctor chuckled. He stroked her cheek and then stood up. Rose smiled at him as he walked down the boulder.

“I love you, Doctor.” She said to him.

“I love you too, my little ape.”

He glanced back and saw that Rose was giving him a look of death.

“Kidding, just kidding.” He said.

Rose giggled softly and blew him a kiss. He smiled and hopped off the last boulder.

“Right! Time to get this show on the road!” he said as he headed back into the woods.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

The alternate Doctor smirked when he saw the Doctor emerging from the trees.

“So, the Time Lord does have some brains left in his skull, after all.” He said.

“I told you I’d be back.” The Doctor replied. “I want this finished here and now.”

“And is little Fluffy safe and sound?”

The Doctor gritted his teeth.

“Yes.” He said trying to keep calm.

“Well, what about Spot then? I can’t help noticing that your other pet has disappeared into thin air. Is she with Rose…or are you using your little ape in an ambush against me? Because if that’s what you’re doing, I wouldn’t recommend it.”

“Martha is with Rose.” The Doctor replied.

“Good, it’ll make it that much easier to find them after I get through with you. Of course, it might take some time to get through all of your lives before you finally die. But, I have nothing better to do at the moment.”

“I want to make you an offer.”

The alternate Doctor threw up his hands.

“Now what? You want to take your pets off the planet before you’ll fight me?”

“I don’t want to fight you.”

The alternate Doctor paused.

“What?” he said not sure if he heard him right.

“I want to make you an offer.”

The Doctor gave him a skeptical look.

“And the offer is?”

“Surrender---“

The Doctor snorted.

“Yeah, some offer. I think I’ll pass, thanks.”

“I wasn’t finished!”

The alternate Doctor leaned back against the tree, folded his arms over his chest and stared at him.

“I’m waiting…” he said after a moment of silence.

“Unlike you, I don’t enjoy killing people.”

“I figured that. Unfortunately for you, I do, so if I were you I’d stop talking and start fighting.”

“No, you’ll listen to me first!”

The alternate Doctor sighed.

“Out with it!” he said angrily. “I’ve already given you more time than I usually do, so you could protect your little apes.”

“If you surrender to me, end this plan of yours, and let me take you back to Gallifrey in your reality; I will go before the High Council and plead for your life so you won’t be executed.”

“And that’s it?” the alternate Doctor said.

The Doctor narrowed his eyes.

“It’ll be a far better fate than the one you’ll have after I get through with you.”

The alternate Doctor snorted.

“Oh yeah, I’m so scared. You are so pathetic, you know that? We are Time Lords, the greatest species in the universe. We are higher than any other life form. All others should be falling to their knees and worshiping us, but not only do you spend your time among these lower life forms, you choose to associate with the stupidest, most brain dead creatures the universe has ever known. And even worse, you fell in love with one of them. You are a disgrace to our kind! You’re nothing more than a weak, sentimental, wishy-washy caricature of me. I’ll be doing this reality a service by killing you.”

“So, your answer to my offer is no?”

“Yeah, my answer to your little offer is no.”

The Doctor shrugged.

“I gave you a chance to end this and walk away, what happens next is your own doing.” He said.

“Oh? And is that how you justify killing others, then? You make these weak little offers you know no one is going to accept and then when they refuse, you can soothe your troubled conscience knowing that you made some kind of offer of mercy to them?”

The Doctor was silent.

“That’s it, isn’t it? That’s what you tell yourself after you’ve taken a life. Well, I warned them and they wouldn’t listen, so I was forced to kill them and it’s all their fault. How many times have you made this offer, Doctor? Ten times, a hundred times, a thousand times? How many people have you killed exactly? Because I’m betting when you get right down to it, you and I are the same.”

“I am nothing like you.”

“Oh really, Doctor?”

“Yes, really! Unlike you, I can show some compassion to other forms of life. The universe is something to be explored and protected, not exploited and ravaged. And as for our kind being feared and worshipped as gods, that way of thinking was why I ran away from Gallifrey in the first place. I got so sick and tired of Time Lords like you thinking they were better than everyone else and passing judgment on other species when they barely got up enough energy to get out of their TARDISes and look at the planets they were supposed to be observing. You keep going on and on about Rose and Martha’s stupidity, but you haven’t seen them in action. They are a credit to their species, and time and again I’ve been amazed by their courage, their intelligence and their ability to bounce back from even the most horrendous situations. I would take their company over yours any day.”

He folded his arms over his chest.

“And as for your question, I have killed many people in my lifetimes and each time I ached knowing that I took a life unnecessarily. The ridiculous offer, as you call it, is my attempt to show some mercy, which is something I rarely get in return. You are a threat to the universe, both mine and your own. There is no way I will let you just walk away and leave you to your own devices. I can understand your wanting to escape execution, so I offered you a chance to avoid vaporization. I’m sorry if you think the offer is lame, but as I said, I will not offer a murderer and a pirate freedom he does not deserve. You refused my proposal, and in doing so you are the one who is responsible for what comes next.”

He balled up his fist.

“As for my being a wishy-washy wimp, I have only this to say.”

He narrowed my eyes.

“They don’t call me the Oncoming Storm for nothing.”

FANFIC: Doppleganger...PG-13 Parts 19-23/36

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 13:43:31 GMT

Chapter Nineteen

There was a moment’s pause while Rose and the Doctor stared at each other. Martha looked from one to the other waiting for someone to make a move.

“Doctor.” Rose whispered.

It was her voice that brought the Doctor back to his senses. He ran towards her wanting nothing more than to embrace her. He grunted when he slammed into the invisible barrier. Martha saw the disbelief in his eyes before his face contorted into an enraged look.

“No!” he bellowed as he slammed his hand on the invisible barrier.

The sight of Rose so near to him and yet so inaccessible brought back all the rage and pain he had felt that day at Canary Wharf and he screamed as he completely lost his mind. Both Martha and Rose shrank back at the insane look in his eyes as he pounded mindlessly on the top of the force bubble.

“NO!” he screamed. “No! This can’t be happening! Not when I’m so close to her!”

“Doctor!” Rose cried out.

As she crawled towards him, Martha glanced over at the alternate Doctor and she felt her blood boil when he saw the smirk on his face. She knew he was getting a sadistic pleasure from all this and for the first time in her life, she felt the urge to kill with her bare hands.

“Doctor, please, stop!” Rose begged her Doctor as he continued to pound on the force bubble.

“It can’t happen again! It can’t!” the Doctor said. “There can’t be another barrier between us! Not when I can see her!”

Martha’s breath caught in her throat as she took in what was happening. She glanced back over and saw the alternate Doctor was giggling insanely.

“That’s enough!” Martha said to him. “You’ve had your fun, now let him through!”

The alternate Doctor grinned at her.

“Why? I’m enjoying this.” He said gleefully. “I love seeing my double acting like a spineless wimp over a mere human!”

His words somehow got through to the Doctor’s brain. He stopped pounding, spun around and stared at his double with such hate that Martha was terrified. She had never seen the Doctor so angry. His brown eyes were now jet black and he looked like he was about to rip the other Doctor into pieces with his bare hands.

“I swear to Rassilon, if you don’t set Rose and Martha free, I will rip you to shreds with my bare hands and then I will rip the shreds to shreds and I won’t give a moment’s thought to the fact that you’re me!”

The alternate Doctor raised his eyebrows.

“Wow, the little whelp does have a backbone in him after all.” He said.

The Doctor narrowed his eyes and balled up his fists.

“One chance; that’s all you get.” He said in a deadly tone of voice.

The alternate Doctor aimed his blaster at his heart.

“You seem to forget who’s holding the weapon here.” He said.

Now it was the Doctor’s turn to smirk.

“I don’t need a weapon. I AM a weapon.” He said. “And if you don’t want to find out the hard way what I mean by that, you will turn off the force bubble and set Rose and Martha free!”

Martha looked at the two Doctors. She gulped wondering if any second there was going to be a bloody free-for-all. She narrowed her eyes along with her Doctor when the other Doctor began to giggle. The alternate Doctor paused for a moment staring into his twin’s black eyes. He shrugged.

“Why not? I did promise Rose you would get to hold her before you died.” He said.

He stepped back out the door.

“You get five minutes alone with your pets. You better make each second count.” He said.

He put his finger on the door panel.

“TARDIS, deactivate force bubble.” He said.

Rose gasped as she fell forward and her hands hit the floor. As the Doctor turned around, the alternate Doctor pushed the button and the door slid shut and locked leaving the three of them alone in the room.

The Doctor fell to his knees. He grabbed Rose and pulled her into a tight embrace.

“Oh Rose, at long last I can finally touch you again.” He said.

Martha felt tears come to her eyes as she quietly watched the two lovers embrace and kiss one another.

“Oh Doctor, I’m so sorry.” Rose said as she ran her fingers through his hair.

The Doctor leaned back and took hold of her face.

“What do you have to be sorry for?” he asked confused.

“It’s my fault the other Doctor is here. I got too close to him. Everyone tried to warn me that he was evil, but I couldn’t believe it because I couldn’t imagine your double being that way and then when I finally figured it out, I went with him to Gallifrey thinking I could lead him into a trap and he turned the tables on me. If I had gone and gotten help in the first place, he never would have caught me and we wouldn’t have ended up here.”

“Rose, you’ve done nothing wrong.” The Doctor said soothingly. “You did what you thought was best, that’s all anyone can ask of you.”

He hugged her tightly.

“You’re here with me. That’s the most important thing. Together, we can defeat him, trust in that.”

“I do.” Rose murmured.

The Doctor kissed her cheek. He glanced over and smiled at Martha.

“Of course, when I say together, I mean you as well.” He said.

He opened his right arm and pulled Martha to him.

“Are you alright?” he asked hugging her.

“Yeah, I just had to listen to that git’s insults until you showed up.” Martha replied.

“You’re not hurt?” He pulled his head back.

“Both of you are alright?” he asked staring at them.

Martha nodded.

“I’m hungry, but other than that I’m okay.” Rose said.

The Doctor leaned his forehead against hers.

“When we get back to the TARDIS and get away from here, I’ll make you a seven course meal with all the trimmings.” He whispered. “I promise.”

“But, how? How are we going to escape? If this Doctor’s TARDIS is like yours, he can control it and use it against us, can’t he?” Rose replied.

The Doctor nodded.

“Yes, that’s why we have to lure him out in the open where he won’t be able to use it.” He said.

“How do we do that?” Martha asked.

“Um, not sure yet, but you know me, I’m brilliant at improvisation.”

His eyes twinkled when Rose giggled softly.

“Was that a smile?” he asked.

Rose smiled and shook her head.

“That was a smile.”

“No, it wasn’t.”

“You smiled.”

Rose paused and a smile spread over her face as she nodded. The Doctor chuckled and pulled her closer to him. He gave her a kiss on the cheek and glanced at Martha.

“Sorry, little inside joke of ours.” He said.

“Yeah, I kinda figured that.” Martha replied.

The Doctor smiled. He laid his head on Rose’s shoulder and rubbed her back. He continued to rub her back while he stared off into space. Martha remained quiet knowing that the Doctor was thinking up a way to escape. He sighed contentedly when Rose ran her hand down the back of his head and gave him a kiss.

“Rose.” He murmured as he continued to stare off into space. “I won’t lose you again. I swear that to you.”

“My Doctor.” Rose murmured back.

The Doctor glanced over at Martha and caught her stealing a nervous glance at the door.

“He won’t take me away from here.” He assured her. “Not without a fight. I’m not about to die and leave you two to his mercy.”

“How do we defeat him though?” Martha said. “If he’s your double, then he’ll be just as strong and as clever as you, plus he has that blaster.”

The Doctor snorted.

“Sod the blaster. I can disarm him without breaking a sweat.” He said.

He leaned up and stared at the door. Rose laid her head on his chest and stared up at him while he thought.

“We’re on the planet Noxis.” He mused. “Most of the planet is made up of swamps and jungles.”

“Yeah?” Martha said. “So, you thinking we can use that to our advantage?”

“Yes.” He replied. “We know we need to get him outside the TARDIS, so he can’t use its defenses against us.”

“How?” Rose asked. “He told me that he would let us be reunited and then he would get into the vortex and hurl you out into it.”

“And then kill you afterwards, I suspect.” The Doctor mused.

He became lost in his thoughts again as he stared at the door. Suddenly, a smile spread across his face.

“Of course, if he is exactly like me, then he’ll like a bit of a challenge.” He said.

“What do you mean?” Rose asked.

He turned his face to hers and stroked her hair.

“Just watch. I believe I can lure him out onto the planet with a little manipulation and ego stroking.” He said.

“What about us?” Martha asked.

“Oh, you’re coming with.” The Doctor said. “I’m not about to leave you in here.”

“Will he let us leave?” Rose asked.

The Doctor smiled at her.

“He will, once he hears my proposal. After all, what I have in mind will be intriguing to him. And if he thinks so low of you then he’ll consider you both handicaps.”

Rose and Martha looked at each other.

“Handicaps?” Martha said. “What are you planning?”

“Weeeeell…”

The three of them looked over as the door slid open and the alternate Doctor walked in.

“I hope you said goodbye to your precious Doctor because he’s about to die.” He said.

“Wait!”

The alternate Doctor paused and stared at his twin.

“Wait for what?”

“I have a better idea. I know a way to make my death more enjoyable for you.”

The alternate Doctor eyed him warily.

“Yeah, and what is this idea?”

The Doctor smiled widely.

“A hunt.” He said.

Chapter Twenty

Rose and Martha glanced at each other and looked up at the alternate Doctor who was eyeing the other Doctor warily.

“Explain.” He said.

“Weeeell, I figure since we’re the same, it might be more fun to see who the better Doctor is.” The Doctor replied.

He stood up making sure to keep himself between his double and Rose and Martha.

“After all, wouldn’t it be better to make sport of my demise rather than just hurtling me out into the vortex?” he said. “Sounds kinda boring to me personally.”

“There is no contest, I’m the better version.” The alternate Doctor replied.

“Care to put that to the test?”

The alternate Doctor smirked.

“I don’t need to put anything to the test. You are weaker than I am. You just proved that with your little display of histrionics a moment ago. All you’re doing is stalling for time and trying to escape. You should know since you are me that escape is impossible. I will kill you, kill your pets and then the universe is mine to do with as I please.”

“Well, if you are me then you know that I won’t let that happen.” The Doctor replied.

The alternate Doctor snorted.

“You will never defeat me.” He said.

The Doctor came closer.

“Then, if I have no chance of winning, what’s the danger in letting me and Rose and Martha making an escape attempt. If you really are the superior version of the Doctor, you should be able to dispatch us with no trouble, right?”

The alternate Doctor frowned.

“Wait, nothing was said about your pets being included in this idiotic hunt of yours.” He said.

“But that’s the beauty of it. Rose and Martha are weaker than I am and if I’m forced to wait for them to keep up with me, it’ll give you even more of an advantage. Won’t it?”

The alternate Doctor glanced down at Rose and Martha. He looked back at the Doctor.

“You realize you are only prolonging the inevitable.” He said. “Plus, you are willing to sacrifice your pet’s lives right along with yours.”

“I would rather die with my Doctor than be your prisoner.” Rose said.

“Same here.” Martha added.

“See, you have three idiots willing to try their luck at escaping and dying for your amusement. What could be better than that?”

The alternate Doctor looked at each of them.

“What’s the catch?” he asked the Doctor.

The Doctor rubbed his ear.

“Weeeell, first off, we get a half hour’s head start just to make it fair.” He said. “Secondly, you leave your blaster behind. I figure if you are the superior Doctor, you won’t need it to finish us off.”

The alternate Doctor considered this for a moment.

“Done.” He said. “Anything else?”

“Yes, TARDIS’s are off limits. Yours and mine. No fair disappearing and reappearing right in front of us; that would be very bad form.”

“You would forgo the safety of your TARDIS?” the alternate Doctor asked.

The Doctor shrugged.

“I don’t need my TARDIS to take my foes down.”

He leaned in and gave his double a pointed look.

“Unlike some Time Lords.” He said.

The alternate Doctor snorted.

“TARDIS or no TARDIS, it makes no difference. You will all die just the same.” He replied.

“And lastly, if we win, you will go back to your reality and turn yourself in to the Gallifreyan high council.”

The alternate Doctor raised his eyebrow.

“You really think I will?”

“Oh, I know you will. Because I will take your little toy, put it in my TARDIS and tow you and your TARDIS back to Gallifrey personally.” The Doctor said.

“Okay,” the alternate Doctor said. “And if I win, I will of course kill you and claim this universe as my own.”

He smirked.

“And to add to your misery, you will have the honor of watching your precious Rose have the mind raper machine strapped to her head and slowly go insane as it goes through her thoughts and memories and tears her mind apart, and as for Martha, I will slowly take her apart molecule by molecule starting with her feet and working my way up until she is nothing but atoms on the breeze and then and only then will I be merciful and let you leave this existence.”

He smirked when the Doctor glared at him.

“What? You are so willing to enlist your pets for this little hunt, but you can’t accept the consequences if you lose? If you feel you can’t handle the challenge…”

“I accept.” The Doctor replied.

He glanced down and smiled at Rose and Martha who were staring up at him with wide eyes.

“We…accept.” He corrected himself.

The alternate Doctor looked down at them.

“Well, speak; you seem to have a lot of confidence in the Doctor to let him bargain with your lives like this. Are you willing to accept the terms as well?”

“I trust you completely, Doctor.” Rose said without hesitation.

“As do I.” Martha added.

The alternate Doctor shrugged.

“Well, since you and your devoted little apes are in agreement, it would be impolite of me to deny you the chance to save yourselves.” He said. “I agree to this idiotic contest out of sheer morbid curiosity. Plus, you’re right; it wouldn’t be much of a challenge for me to hurl you into the vortex.”

“Splendid.” The Doctor said slapping his hands together. “Let’s get started, shall we?”

“After you, my double.” The alternate Doctor said, stepping aside.

Rose and Martha stood up and the Doctor smiled at them as they stared at him with complete trust. He knew whatever happened, they would succeed together. Taking Rose’s hand in his, the three of them walked past the Doctor towards the console room.

Chapter Twenty One

The Doctor, Rose and Martha stopped when they reached the TARDIS’s front door. They waited patiently while the alternate Doctor stepped around them and opened it.

“You really want to go through with this?” he asked the Doctor.

“Yup!” the Doctor replied.

The alternate Doctor shook his head.

“Your funeral.” He said stepping aside.

He watched and snorted as the Doctor took Rose’s hand.

“Pathetic.” He muttered.

The Doctor paused for a moment and then looked around.

“You know. I just had a thought.” He said to the alternate Doctor.

“Oh yeah, what?” he spat back.

The Doctor rubbed the back of his head.

“Well, I just noticed that you only have one eye and a huge scar running down your face.”

“Yeah, so?”

The Doctor smirked at him.

“I have both my eyes and no scar. So who’s the pathetic one then?” he asked.

The alternate Doctor glared at Rose when he heard her snicker. He looked back at the Doctor who was wearing a smug grin, and his eye narrowed.

“I lost my eye and gained this scar in battle. I’m sure you know nothing about fighting battles since you seem to spend all your time snogging apes.”

“Oh, I’ve seen plenty of battles. Hundreds, in fact, and I’ve fought them all bravely.”

He leaned in.

“And the only thing I ever lost was my right hand and I managed to grow that back. Other than that, I’ve got nary a scratch on my gorgeous body. You see, when you fight a battle, the object is to come out of it intact.”

He made the L sign on his forehead.

“Duh! They should have taught you that at the academy. In fact, I learned that little factoid in the nursery. So, once again, who’s the pathetic one? Hmmm?”

He grinned at Martha and Rose as they giggled.

“See that, I just dissed myself. Damn, I’m good!” he said.

The alternate Doctor rolled his eyes.

“I suppose you think you’re funny.” He said.

The Doctor grinned.

“Oh I know I’m funny. Along with witty, cute, sexy, brainy, brave, cheeky, funny, crazy, caring and concerned. My hobbies are fixing my TARDIS, reading books and going for long walks in the rain. I’m a man who’s not afraid to cry and show my tender side. My turn-ons are Rose Tyler, Banana Daiquiris and Kittens. I’m seeking a mate who will love me for me---”

“That’s enough!” the alternate Doctor yelled as Rose and Martha giggled. “Now, get out that door and get started before I change my mind and kill you all right here!”

The Doctor shrugged.

Well, come along, you two, before I get pissed off and kill myself.” He said to them.

The alternate Doctor glared at him as he turned to leave. The Doctor hesitated a moment and then looked back at him.

“Oh by the way, this is for imprisoning Rose and neglecting to feed her.”

Without warning, the Doctor’s fist shot up. He hit the alternate Doctor in the face and grabbed Rose and Martha’s arms as the alternate Doctor fell back to the floor.

“Okay, on that note, let’s get going.” He said as he rushed them out the door and into the woods.

“Wait, what about me? You didn’t mention me!” Martha said.

The Doctor looked at her.

“Oh yeah, right, sorry.”

He let go of their arms, ran back and kicked the alternate Doctor in the face as he was getting to his feet.

“And that’s for Martha.”

He spun around and ran back to her and Rose.

“Happy?” he asked Martha.

“Yup.”

“Good, then let’s go. We only have a half hour and I’m sure he’ll be Hell bent on killing us now!” the Doctor said.

They ran into the woods while the alternate Doctor got to his feet.

“I’ll make you pay for that, Doctor. Just you wait.” He muttered.

A smirk spread over his face.

“And I have just the thing to beat you at your own game. You mentioned some things were off limits, my double, but you didn’t say we couldn’t disguise ourselves.”

With a snicker, he closed the door and headed out of the console room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“There. “

The alternate Doctor smiled as he stared at himself in his bathroom mirror. He had glued a flesh colored strip of rubber over his scar and blended it in with flesh colored makeup and he had put a special contact over his cybernetic eye. It was painted to look like his other eye and when he wore it, no one was able to tell it was a fake. He looked at his appearance and his smile widened. With the makeup and contact, he looked just like the Doctor.

“Now, after I give you your little head start, Doctor; let’s see how long it takes before your pets become confused and walk straight into my open arms.”

Smirking, he checked his appearance one last time.

“Now, I’ll just go up to my dressing room and find something that fits what the Doctor is wearing and the resemblance will be complete.”

He chuckled.

“I’m so glad my dimwitted double thought up this hunt, it’s going to be so much fun!”

Shutting off the light, he walked out and closed the door behind him.

Chapter Twenty Two

The Doctor paused a moment and surveyed his surroundings.

“This way.” He said pointing off to the left.

“Why?” Martha asked.

The Doctor shrugged.

“No reason.” He said.

“I just hope you can get us back to the TARDIS after this.” Martha said.

The Doctor widened his eyes.

“Martha Jones, I have an impeccable sense of direction. How dare you question that?”

“What about that time you took a wrong turn on the planet Dangia on our way back to the TARDIS and we almost got eaten by cannibals?” Rose asked.

Martha looked at her.

“You almost got eaten by cannibals?” she asked Rose.

“Yeah, brainy boy here swore we were going in the right direction and the next thing I know I had a dart in my neck, and when I woke up, I was tied to a spit over a fire being roasted alive and---“

“Ahem, I think break time is over.” The Doctor said. “It’s time to get moving.”

Rose and Martha exchanged a glance and smiled knowingly at each other as the Doctor gestured for them to follow him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor scratched his chin thoughtfully as they walked through the thick forest.

“Now, where would be an excellent place to hide so we can plan our strategy?” he muttered.

“Doctor!”

The Doctor looked behind him at Martha.

“Yeah?”

“We need to rest. Rose is exhausted.” She said pointing to her.

The Doctor hurried to Rose who was slumped against a nearby tree.

“Rose? You alright?” he asked worriedly.

“I’m tired.” She said softly. “I haven’t had anything to eat in awhile and…I’m so hungry.”

“Here, lean on me.” The Doctor offered reaching for her back.

“No, you go on. You guys need to hide. I’m only gonna slow you down. I’ll…catch up…with you.”

The Doctor shook his head.

“No, we’re all in this together. I’m not leaving anyone behind. Now lean on me and I’ll keep an eye out for something that you can eat. We need to keep going.”

Rose nodded. She put her arm around the Doctor’s neck and leaned on him as he wrapped his arm around her side. Mustering the strength she had left, she forced herself to walk as the Doctor led her and Martha deeper into the woods.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After about ten minutes, Rose felt like she was going to drop. She glanced up at the Doctor and watched as he scanned the surroundings taking in everything around them. She considered asking him to leave her behind again, but she knew it would only be a waste of breath. She felt sick to her stomach. She had seen what the Doctor’s double was capable of and she knew she was slowing down both the Doctor and Martha. She wanted so much to just break away from him and run, but she knew she wouldn’t get far in the condition she was in. She sighed softly feeling like a third wheel in all of this.

“There.”

Rose looked up at the Doctor and saw him pointing straight ahead. She followed his arm and saw a bush laden with purple berries. She looked back up at the Doctor who was smiling down at her.

“Found you some grub.” He said to her. “I know it’s not filet mignon, but it’ll do for the mom---“

“No!” Rose cried out.

The Doctor frowned.

“Rose?”

“I…we don’t have time to eat, Doctor. He’s coming for us.” Rose said. “You have to leave me behind before he catches up to you and Mart---“

The Doctor put his hand over his mouth.

“No, out of the question.” He said to her. “In the first place, I told you no one gets left behind. Secondly, you are weak and I’d rather risk losing our head start so you can rest and eat and get your strength back. These are pulava berries and they are highly nutritious. So, I want both you and Martha to take a rest and eat while I keep a look-out and no arguing.”

He looked at Martha.

“From either of you.” He said to her.

Martha and Rose glanced at each other. They both nodded.

“Excellent.” The Doctor said.

He led Rose over to the bushes and helped her onto the ground as Martha settled down beside her.

“Don’t eat the green berries, they’re not ripe yet.” He said. “Just the purple ones.”

Rose and Martha nodded. They began to pick the berries off the bush while the Doctor paced around them protectively keeping watch for danger.

Rose grimaced when she bit into one of the berries and the sour taste of it flooded her mouth. She glanced over at Martha and saw her making the same face.

“Is the Doctor absolutely sure these berries are safe to eat?” Martha whispered to Rose. “They taste horrible.”

“I know.”

“Has he ever been wrong about something like this and accidentally got you poisoned?”

“No, when it comes to berries, he’s been right…so far.”

Martha widened her eyes.

“Dear God,” Martha prayed softly. “Please don’t let me die on a strange planet from poisoned berries that an alien recommended I eat.”

She picked another berry off the bush and, with a look of disgust, popped it in her mouth.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The alternate Doctor swung open the door of his TARDIS.

“THIRTY MINUTES ARE UP!” he yelled into the woods. “READY OR NOT, HERE I COME!”

Stepping outside, he closed the door behind him. He walked over to the Doctor’s TARDIS and stared at it for a moment. He ran his hand along the side of it as he rolled his eyes.

“Why the stupid git won’t get his chameleon circuit repaired is beyond me.” He muttered. “His TARDIS stands out like a sore thumb.”

He stared at it for a moment. Reaching into his jacket, he brought out his sonic screwdriver and aimed it at the lock. He frowned when he tried the door and it remained locked.

“Eh, had to try.” He muttered. “No matter, when I catch him and bring him back here, I’ll make him open it before I kill him. A spare TARDIS might come in handy sometime.”

He sighed as he put his sonic screwdriver back in his jacket.

“Anyway, I can get into it later. I have a hunt ahead of me.”

He smirked.

“I hope you and your apes have found a good hiding spot, Doctor. Because when I catch up to you, all bets are off!”

Chapter Twenty-Three

After about fifteen minutes, the Doctor walked back over to Martha and Rose.

“All done?” he asked.

“Yeah, I was done about ten minutes ago, these berries are disgusting.” Martha replied.

The Doctor shrugged.

“I know, but it’s the best I could do right now.” He said.

Martha stood up followed by Rose. The Doctor grabbed Rose’s arm when she started to walk off and gently pulled her close.

“You feel better?” he said softly.

“Yeah, I still feel weak, but I’m better than I was.”

“Good.”

“Doctor, you have to leave me behind. I’m slowing you down.”

The Doctor shook his head.

“No, Rose, I won’t abandon you. If we have to move slower, then we’ll make do, but I’m not letting you sacrifice yourself to save my own skin.”

He leaned in closer.

“I just got you back, Rose.” He whispered. “And I’ll be damned if I lose you again.”

Rose smiled at him and leaned in for a kiss. The Doctor met her lips and pulled her close as he eagerly returned her love.

Martha quickly turned her head away and fought back her tears. Even though she considered Rose a friend now, she still couldn’t help but be jealous over her relationship with the Doctor. She pushed away thoughts of her and the Doctor and concentrated on the task at hand. Steeling herself, she turned and saw that the Doctor was looking at her.

“Martha? Everything alright?” he asked.

“Yeah, everything’s fine. I’m just letting you and Rose have some private time, that’s all.”

She could see in the Doctor’s eyes that he wasn’t buying it, but to her relief, he only nodded and took Rose’s hand.

“Well, come on, we gotta get going.” He said.

Martha nodded. She waited until they had passed her and then with a sigh followed along behind them.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Martha gasped and ducked as a branch almost smacked into her head. She and Rose were walking behind the Doctor as he tried to lead them through a dense part of the forest. When the Doctor grabbed another branch and pushed it aside, she ducked again as it quickly snapped back.

“Are you sure this is the right thing to do?” Martha asked.

“Yes,” the Doctor replied. “We need to hide and in order to do that, we have to go into the thickest part of the woods so we won’t be seen.”

“Yeah, but I’m tired of being smacked in the face with branches.” Martha said.

“You’re better off dealing with the branches than you are with the Verbolas.” The Doctor replied.

Martha and Rose looked at each other.

“The what?” Martha said.

“Verbolas. They’re native to this planet. Um…kinda like Vampire Bats. Very big with huge sharp fangs. They live off of the blood of other animals.”

Martha and Rose’s eyes grew wide.

“They do?” Rose asked.

“Oh yeah, they fly through the woods looking for prey and when they find them they swoop down, land on them, and sink their fangs into em. Vicious animals. Now…which way should we go?”

The Doctor calmly walked on unaware that Rose and Martha were now frantically searching the skies behind him.

“’Course…there are other dangerous things in these woods.” The Doctor added. “There are Traksas which are enormous spider like creatures that live in the underbrush. Very poisonous. And Shaltaks which are venomous dragonflies. Very big, they are. ‘Bout 3 meters in length. Oh! And also---“

“Doctor.” Martha said.

“Hmmm?”

“Shut…up!”

He glanced around and saw that Martha and Rose’s eyes were as big as the moon. He coughed nervously.

“Yes, sorry about that.” He said sheepishly.

They walked for another ten minutes. Suddenly the Doctor raised his hand. Martha and Rose stopped behind him.

“What is it?” Rose asked.

The Doctor looked around and grinned at them.

“Got an idea how about how to throw my double off the scent.” He said.

Martha and Rose looked at each other.

“Yeah? What?” Martha asked.

The Doctor said nothing; he turned to his right and started walking. Martha and Rose followed him. A few minutes later, they came through a dense patch of trees and saw an enormous swamp in front of them.

Martha and Rose looked at it and looked at the Doctor.

“You made a wrong turn.” Martha said. “Now we’ll have to turn back.”

“On the contrary, I know exactly what I’m doing and where I’m going.” The Doctor said confidently.

Martha gestured to the swamp.

“But, this is huge. If we go around it, it’ll take awhile.” She said.

“Who says we’re going around it?”

Martha and Rose’s eyes grew wide.

“Oh, bloody Hell no.” Martha said.

They looked at the Doctor who was nodding vigorously.

“You can’t be serious.” Martha said.

“I am perfectly serious.”

He pointed to the ground behind him.

“You see those broken twigs on the ground? They snapped when we stepped on them and if this double is anything like me, he’ll be looking for telltale signs like that. So, in order to throw him off the scent, we’ll have to go somewhere where we can’t leave tracks.”

Martha and Rose’s hearts sank as they stared at the murky swamp in front of them. Martha groaned.

“Oh God, something tells me I shoulda stayed in that bubble.” Martha said.

“Me too.” Rose added.

“Come on.” The Doctor said cheerfully. “Sooner we get in, the sooner we can get it over with.”

They made a face as they watched the Doctor wade into the green, algae infested water. Martha looked at Rose.

“You first?” she asked.

“No, you can go.” Rose replied.

“No, that’s okay. I insist.”

“No, you can go first.”

The Doctor sighed as he turned to them and held out his arms.

“Here, each of you take my hand and you’ll go in together.” He said.

Martha and Rose looked at each other. Each of them took the Doctor’s hand and stepped into the water as he pulled his arms back.

“Ugh!” Martha said as her tennis shoe sank into the mud.

She made a face as she lifted her shoe and felt the mud around her foot.

“Come on. I don’t like this either, but it has to be done.” The Doctor said.

He pulled both of them to him and put his arms around them. The three of them slowly walked through the waist deep water towards the far side of the swamp. As they walked, the Doctor kept an eye on them both making sure they stayed upright. He glanced over at Rose and he frowned when he noticed she was still showing signs of weakness. He knew he had to get her somewhere where she could rest before she fainted. He also knew they had to move quickly because another dangerous creature lurked in the swamps. He didn’t want to say anything to Rose or Martha because he didn’t want to alarm them, so he kept his eyes peeled for any sign of danger praying that they would reach the far bank before a Gilgoth appeared.

FANFIC: Doppleganger...PG-13 Parts 15-18/36

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 13:37:47 GMT

Chapter Fifteen

(The Alternate Universe…)

Rose brought her knees up to her chest as she looked around her invisible prison. It had been hours since the Doctor had left her and she had no way of knowing what he was doing or where they were at. She swallowed hard while she stared at the closed door in front of her. Any minute her Doctor could walk through it. She both anticipated and dreaded that moment. Sighing, she lay down on the floor and closed her eyes while she waited for the Doctor, either Doctor to come in.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor smiled as he walked back into the TARDIS and shut the door behind him. Now that he had the book with him, it had been easy to locate the various components he would need to assemble it. He was almost finished now. Only one part left and the device would be complete.

He laid his latest finds on the console and looked at the door leading to the back of the TARDIS. It had been several hours since he had left Rose.

“My little ape must be hungry by now.” He said. “Silly things, always having to eat.”

He glanced down at the components.

“Well, she can wait a bit longer. All I have to do is go to Marduk to get the last piece and assemble the void crossing device and then she can be with her beloved Doctor again. I’m sure she’d rather see him than eat.”

He chuckled as he walked around the console and imput the coordinates for Marduk.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(The Doctor’s Universe…)

I swear to Rassilon, I will never let Martha choose the coordinates ever again!

The Doctor couldn’t believe their luck. Stuck on a spaceship that was heading straight into a sun and only 30 minutes left to turn around before they were incinerated.

I need to learn to shut my huge gob and not let my companions determine our destination. He thought.

And now to add to the fun, apparently one of the crew had become infected with a virus and was now vaporizing the others.

It’s too bad no one awards Time Lords employee of the month because I think I’m way overdue. He thought as he tried to help the frantic crew.

“Come on,” he told them. “Think! Resources, what have we got?”

“Doctor?”

The Doctor looked up when he heard Martha’s voice coming through on the intercom.

“What is it now?” he said.

“Who had the most number ones? Elvis or The Beatles? That’s Pre-downloads.”

“Elvis! No, The Beatles! No, wait…um…um…”

Bollocks, what a time to ask me something like this. He thought

“Ooooh, what was that remix?” he said as he slapped the back of his head. “I don’t know, I am a bit busy.”

“Fine, I’ll ask someone else.”

Yes, you do that. He thought, relieved.

“Now, where was I…” he said to the crew.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(The Alternate Universe…)

The Doctor smirked as he reached his TARDIS door and fired his blaster at his pursuers. The heart of the void crossing device had to be stolen from a laboratory on Marduk. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to get in and out without being seen and was being pursued by a couple of dimwitted security guards. Correction…had been pursued until he shot a laser bolt through their hearts. He stared down at the reptilian guards lying on the ground in front of him. One of them was still alive. Casually, he sat the component down on the ground, walked over to him and stared down at him impassively.

“I know you lot believe in reincarnation.” The Doctor said to the guard as he struggled to breathe. “So I have a tip for you when you are in your next life. Don’t interfere in a Time Lord’s affairs; you’ll live longer.”

He raised the blaster and fired at his head. He smirked at the dead body and gathering up the part went into the TARDIS and shut the door behind him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor stepped back and stared at the device. After several hours of following the schematic in the book, it was finally finished.

“At last, I can finally leave this reality and make a new life for myself.” He said.

He glanced at the back door.

“Hmmm, it’s been a long time since Rose has been fed. I bet she needs to relieve herself too and…I think she’ll be overjoyed to see this little device. Now she can get back to her Doctor.”

Chuckling, He picked up the void crossing device and walked out of the console room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rose looked up when she saw the door open. She tensed as she wondered which Doctor it would be. She was relieved when she saw it wasn’t hers. She looked behind him hoping against hope that he wasn’t a prisoner.

“The other Doctor isn’t with me, if that’s what you’re looking for.” The Doctor said. “In fact, we haven’t crossed the void yet.”

Rose breathed a sigh of relief. The Doctor smirked.

“What’s wrong? Don’t you want to see your true love again?”

Rose glared at him. Her eyes went from his face to the device in his hands. The Doctor followed her gaze and the smirk widened.

“Ah, yes, I’ve finally assembled the void crossing device in the book. That’s why I came back here. To show it to you and let you know that once I hook it up to the console, we’ll be going over to your reality. Aren’t you excited?”

Rose glared at him.

“Is that a yes or a no? Because you know I’m not very good at reading ape body language.”

“The Doctor will stop you.” Rose said.

The Doctor chortled. He came closer to Rose’s prison and leaned over.

“Luv, I AM the Doctor.” He said. “Your Doctor is just a pale copy of me. I’m the true Time Lord here and the faster you get that through your thick skull, the quicker we can get to the sex.”

He snickered as Rose gave him a look of death.

“What? Don’t you want to shag me? I am the Doctor, after all.”

“I want my Doctor.”

“Why? I’m a million times better than that weak sod.”

“The Doctor isn’t weak. He’s more of a man than you’ll ever be.”

“How do you know? You’ve been in bed with him?”

He giggled when Rose looked away.

“Wow! Sex with an ape. Now I know my double is crackers. I’ve done many things, but bestiality isn’t one of them.”

He frowned when he noticed a tear run down Rose’s cheek.

“What? That’s what it is for a Time Lord. You are an animal, are you not? A mammal? So, that makes you a beast. Hence, when my copy shagged you, he was engaging in bestiality.”

“Shut up.”

“What, I’m just trying to show you the logic of the situation since logic seems to be in short supply when it comes to you and the Doctor.”

He smirked.

“You don’t really think you’re an equal to him, do you? You’re nothing more than a pet, dearie. An amusing little doggie that provides him companionship and love and the occasional warm body in his bed. That’s all you are and that’s all you’ll ever be to a Time Lord. Your species is brain dead compared to us. Get used to it.”

“I hate you!”

The Doctor raised his eyebrow.

“Really? So you hate the Doctor now?”

“I said I hate you. I love my Doctor.”

“But, I am the Doctor. I’m everything the Doctor wishes he could be. I’m the new and improved version.” He sneered. “Granted, it’ll be strange destroying myself, but hey, survival of the fittest. The strong devour the weak.”

“The Doctor isn’t weak.” Rose said. “And when you meet him face to face I hope he kicks your sorry arse back to this universe.”

The Doctor snorted.

“We shall see, I guess. At any rate, I’m looking forward to it. It might be fun tormenting the little wimp. And…”

He smirked.

“I might even let him have one last go at you. I’m kinda curious about this whole BEASTIALITY fetish he has.”

He chuckled when he saw another tear fall down Rose’s cheek.

“Aw, don’t cry, Rose. I promise I’ll let you say goodbye to the Doctor before I eject him into the vortex. I wouldn’t deprive you giving a farewell lick to your master. It wouldn’t be proper.”

“FUCK YOU!”

Rose knew the moment the curse word left her mouth that it had been the wrong thing to say. She saw the sneer spread over his face and steeled herself for the snide remark that was about to come out of his mouth.

“Hmmm, as intriguing as that offer sounds, I really must decline for now. You see, I have the void crossing device assembled and I’m just dying to use it. But hold that thought, Rose. You’ll be reunited with your Doctor and then you can shag his brains out all you want before he dies.”

He waved goodbye and snickered as he walked out the door.

Rose’s head fell into her hands and she sobbed wishing more than ever that the Doctor was beside her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Ah, that’s got it.” The Doctor said as he used his sonic screwdriver to fuse the last connection to his console. “All ready.”

He turned it on and smiled when the small metal ball began to glow with a soft blue light.

“Now, all I need do is enter the coordinates the book gave me to cross the void and I’m home free.”

An evil grin spread over his face as he entered the coordinates in the computer.

“Get ready, Doctor because you’re about to have one Hell of a shock to your system.”

He pressed a red button and grabbed the console as his TARDIS accelerated.

“At last, I’ll have a universe all to myself and no one will be able to stop me!” he crowed.

A/N: Halfway through, this story switches into an AU version of events…

Chapter Sixteen

(The Doctor’s universe…)

The alternate Doctor grinned when the TARDIS stopped vibrating. He looked on his computer screen and his grin widened when he read…

VOID CROSSING SUCCESSFUL

“At last, I’m free of those nobs on Gallifrey.” He said. “I can do whatever I want now.”

He smirked.

“And now that I’m here, I think I’ll send myself a little distress signal.” He said.

He could barely contain his excitement as he pushed the button that activated the signal.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(Meanwhile in the other TARDIS…)

The Doctor stood by his console and waited patiently for Riley to say goodbye to Martha. After being infected with the living sun, he was eager to get as far away from the ship as he possibly could. But Riley and Martha had grown close while they were trapped in the escape pod. He could wait a few minutes while they said goodbye.

As he stood there, he suddenly realized that the strange sensation he had experienced earlier was back. Rose was calling to him again and this time…it was strong…very strong. So strong he couldn’t explain it away. He knew his Rose’s mind almost as well as he knew his own. But, the fact that he could feel her so clearly confused him. It shouldn’t be this strong. Not with Rose in another dimension and certainly not with the gap between the universes sealed. But, he couldn’t deny it. Rose was calling to him. Staring ahead, he concentrated on the sensation trying to see if he could communicate back.

Rose

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rose

Rose’s head jerked up when she heard the Doctor’s voice echoing in her mind. The last time that had happened was when he was calling her through the gap in the void.

“Doctor.” She whispered as she got onto her knees. “My Doctor. Oh God, we’re back, aren’t we?”

She closed her eyes and concentrated.

Doctor

The Doctor’s eyes widened when he heard Rose’s voice in his mind. She had responded. Somehow, she had done the impossible. He could hear her.

Rose, where are you? He thought.

“So,” Martha said bounding up the ramp. “Didn’t really need you in the end, did we?”

Shit! The Doctor thought when Martha’s voice broke his concentration. She would have to show up just when I’m trying to contract Rose.

Martha stopped short when he noticed the Doctor. He was staring straight ahead with a pissed off look on his face.

Oh God, what have I done now? She thought.

“Sorry.” She said. “How you doing?”

The Doctor glanced over at her debating whether or not to say something. He quickly decided to ignore it. After all, she hadn’t known about Rose trying to contact him and he had given her enough grief already. Rose had contacted him once, she could do it again. Quickly, he changed his facial expression along with the subject.

“Now what do you say, ice skating on the mineral lakes of Corhann, fancy it?” he asked her.

“Whatever you like.” Martha replied.

There he goes again, hiding things. I’m getting so tired of this secrecy between us. She thought.

The Doctor stared at her for a moment.

“By the way,” he said, reaching into his pocket. “You’ll be needing this.”

Martha stared at the TARDIS key as he held it up in front of her. She was flabbergasted.

“Really?”

He really is going to make me a full partner? She thought.

“Frequent flyer privileges.” The Doctor replied.

She cupped her hands and watched as the Doctor lowered the key into them. She didn’t know what to say.

“Thank you.” He said simply.

Martha looked up at him.

“Don’t mention it.” Was the only thing she could think of to say.

The Doctor smiled at her.

“Oh no, my mum.” Martha said suddenly remembering she had cut her off earlier when they were in the escape pod.

She took out the cell phone that the Doctor had modified earlier while he went around to his computer screen. She stared to dial the number and then she noticed the Doctor staring at the monitor with shock and disbelief.

“Doctor?” she said.

“It can’t be.” He muttered.

Martha walked around behind him and stared over his shoulder. All she could see were a bunch of concentric circles flashing on the screen. She looked up at the Doctor and saw his whole body had stiffened as he stared silently at the monitor.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” she asked.

The Doctor looked at her and for the second time that day she saw he was afraid.

“I’ve just picked up a distress signal.” He said softly.

“Where from?” she asked.

The Doctor’s eyes widened.

“From another TARDIS.”

Martha paused. She stared at the Doctor with wide eyes.

“Another TARDIS?” she said not sure if she had heard him right. “But, you…you said…”

“I’m the last. Yes, I did. But if you remember, the Face of Boe said…”

He trailed off and his eyes went back to the monitor.

“He said you’re not alone.” Martha finished softly.

She glanced up at the Doctor and saw that his eyes were fixed on the flashing circles on the screen. She swallowed not really knowing what to say.

“This…this is a good thing, yeah?” she said hesitantly. “You aren’t alone. There’s another Time Lord alive in the universe.”

“Yes…but there are some Time Lords I’d rather not see again.” He murmured.

Martha stared at him again at a loss for words.

“So, what do we do?” she finally said.

The Doctor stared at the monitor.

“I…I don’t know.” He murmured.

“Why don’t we check it out?” Martha offered.

She saw the Doctor swallow hard as he kept his eyes on the flashing circles. She still wasn’t sure what she should say. She had no idea if it was a good idea to answer the distress signal, but she was curious to meet another Time Lord. She watched the Doctor and knew he was mulling her words over in his mind.

“The Master can’t be alive. He died when he fell in the Eye of Harmony.” He murmured. “But…the Rani…”

He trailed off again. Martha had no idea what all of that meant but Master and Rani didn’t sound like the names of friendly people. She shook her head. The Doctor had told her so little about himself. She hoped one day he would open up and let her know more. Especially since she now was his companion.

The Doctor looked at her.

“What do you want to do?” he asked her.

Martha was taken aback.

“Me?”

“Well, yes, I just gave you the TARDIS key. That makes you an equal partner. What do you think we should do?” he asked her.

Martha stared at him dumbly. She hadn’t expected him to ask her.

“I…I think we should answer it.” She said hesitantly.

“Why?”

Martha shrugged.

“Someone might be in trouble.” She said. “I think we should help them.”

“What if it’s a trap?” the Doctor replied.

Martha paused and thought.

“We…get ourselves out of the trap like we’ve been doing?” she said.

The Doctor stared at her while he considered that. His eyes went back to the monitor for a moment and then he looked at her again.

“If…we do this. We must be prepared for anything.” He said. “There are some Time Lords who aren’t as friendly as I am.”

“This Master and Rani you mentioned.”

The Doctor nodded.

“And a few others as well.” He said. “The thing is, if we are walking into a trap, we must be alert. More alert than we have been up to now. If it is the Master or the Rani or even…”

He shivered and swallowed hard.

“The Valeyard,” He finished. “They will show us no mercy. They will torture and torment us and use any sadistic method at their disposal. Are you willing to take that risk?”

“I…I guess so.”

“Yes or no, there must be no hesitation.”

Martha steeled herself.

“Yes.” She said. “I’m willing to accept the consequences.”

The Doctor smiled and nodded.

“Then, we go.” He said.

Martha nodded. She watched as the Doctor silently input the coordinates into the computer and hoped and prayed that whoever was sending the distress signal had friendly intentions.

Chapter Seventeen

Rose brought her knees up to her chest while she watched the door. After she had heard the Doctor asking her where she was, she had mentally pulled away from him. She knew what would be in store for him if he found her and she wanted to make sure she did everything in her power to prevent him from finding her.

Rose.

Rose concentrated trying to put a mental block up around her mind.

Rose.

“No, Doctor, please stop. Don’t try to contact me.” Rose said softly. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Rose.

Rose shook her head as she fought the urge to reach out to him. She kept hearing him saying her name over and over again in her mind and tears fell down her face as she remembered the last time that had happened. The last time she had followed his voice to Bad Wolf Bay and their last meeting together. The thought of seeing him again filled her with joy, but she knew for the Doctor’s sake, she couldn’t answer back. She didn’t know what his double was capable of, but she was sure he wouldn’t hesitate to make him suffer before he killed him.

Rose.

She couldn’t take it anymore. She knew now if she didn’t say something, he would keep on going and would continue to search for her. The only way to stop the Doctor from falling into a trap was to warn him.

“I hope I’m not making a huge mistake doing this.” She muttered as she closed her eyes.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rose.

The Doctor let out a frustrated sigh as he sat in the captain’s chair and waited for the TARDIS to land. After he had punched in the coordinates, he had tried to reestablish contact with Rose. So far he wasn’t successful and it irritated him to no end.

Where the bloody Hell is she? He thought. Why won’t she answer my call?

Sighing, he concentrated once more.

Rose.

Doctor.

His eyes widened in surprise when he heard Rose’s voice. Not only were the words clear, but it was louder too. Much louder. He marveled at how strong her concentration was to be able to project her thoughts that clearly through the void.

Oh Rassilon, Rose, you don’t know how good it is to hear your voice.

It’s good to hear your voice too. I’ve missed you so much

I’ve missed you too, my Rosebud. I wish you were here with me now. Someday, I will find a way to get back to you.

No.

The Doctor’s eyes widened. Did he hear her right?

Did you say no?

Yes, Doctor, I did. You mustn’t come looking for me. You must forget about me.

The Doctor’s eyes bugged out of his head.

Why? He demanded. Rose, what’s wrong? I know I can’t get to you right now, but I still want to know why you don’t want to see me anymore. I love you, Rose. I really do. I know I didn’t get a chance to say it before the void closed, but I love you so much. Don’t you love me?

Yes, I love you and that’s why you must stop looking for me.

Why? What’s going on, Rose? Tell me!

Doctor, I…

“Doctor?”

The Doctor was jolted from his thoughts and looked at Martha who was standing in front of him.

“Yeah?”

“We’re here, wherever here is.” She replied.

The Doctor looked around. He had been so busy concentrating on Rose that he hadn’t noticed that the TARDIS had stopped. He looked back up at Martha, who was staring at him, confused.

“Doctor, are you alright? You look like you’ve been crying.”

The Doctor touched his cheek and felt the wetness there.

“You okay, Doctor?” Martha asked.

The Doctor nodded.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Let’s go find out who this other Time Lord is, shall we?”

Martha nodded. She wanted to know why the Doctor had been crying, but she knew it would be pointless to ask at the moment. She made a mental note to ask later. She stepped back when the Doctor stood up.

He looked at her.

“You still wanna go through with this?” he asked. “Because I can still punch in new coordinates and leave.”

“I wanna go through with it.” Martha said confidently.

The Doctor nodded.

“Follow me then and keep your eyes peeled. If it is the Master or the Rani or the Valeyard, there might be booby traps set up for us so be aware of everything.”

Martha nodded and followed the Doctor towards the front door.

The Doctor glanced behind him at Martha and turning his head, he concentrated on Rose as he walked to the door.

Rose.

Doctor? What happened? Where’d you go?

I’m sorry. I was cut off for a moment. The Doctor thought as he opened the door and stepped outside. The TARDIS landed and I’m heading out onto this planet in search of a distress signal.

Distress signal? From who?

Don’t know. But, believe it or not, it’s coming from another TARDIS and…

NO!

The Doctor gasped when he felt Rose scream inside his head. He stopped short and heard Martha let out an “oof!” when she collided with his back.

“Doctor, what are you doing?” Martha asked. “Why’d you stop?”

Ignoring her, the Doctor concentrated on Rose.

Rose, what’s wrong?

Doctor, get away from there! Get back in the TARDIS and get far away from there!

Why?

You’re in danger!

I am? How do you know?

Because, I’m inside the other TAR…

The Doctor’s mind was cut off from Rose’s when he suddenly felt something hit his back and stabbing pain coursed through his body. The last thing he heard before losing consciousness was Martha’s terrified scream.

Martha turned around and saw a figure shrouded in a black outfit that covered him from head to toe. She had just enough time to see the blaster in his hand before he fired it at her and everything went black.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rose looked up when the door opened and the Doctor stepped into the room. He smirked at her and went back outside. Rose watched while he dragged an unconscious black woman into the room. Laying her on the floor, he looked at Rose.

“Meet your new cellmate.” He said. “I know it’s not your beloved, but you’ll get to see him soon enough. In the meantime, you can have some company.”

Rose’s heart sank. She knew now her Doctor was his prisoner and it was all her fault. Her head lowered to her chest as guilt and shame flooded her mind. She barely noticed when the Doctor turned off the force bubble, dragged the woman inside it and turned it back on. Her head raised and she stared at the newcomer as the Doctor left the room and closed the door.

“Oh God, what have I done?” Rose murmured to herself.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor leaned back against his console and took a look at his double. He was lying unconscious on the floor of the TARDIS inside a force bubble. He leaned back up and walked slowly around the bubble getting a good look at his twin.

“Interesting.” The Doctor muttered. “He looks exactly like me except he doesn’t have the scar and the cybernetic eye. Fascinating.

Folding his arms over his chest, he stared down at him. He stared at the Doctor’s face with its softer features and smoother skin and scoffed.

“Pretty boy.” He said contemptuously. “No wonder he was so easy to take down. He’s soft just like his pretty little baby face.”

He smirked.

“Well, I promised Rose, I would let her be with him one last time and I’m an honorable man. Besides, I wanna see the reunion for myself. I have a feeling it’ll be hilarious.”

He sighed and stretched.

“But, all that can wait. I want to talk to my double before that happens and I guess I’ll go rest up while I’m waiting for the stupid sod to wake up.”

He gave the Doctor one last glance, and with a snort walked out of the room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Martha groaned as she opened her eyes and raised her head.

“Oh, bloody Hell, my head is throbbing like crazy. “She muttered.

She slowly rose up on her elbows.

“Where am I?” she murmured.

“You’re a prisoner.”

Martha looked over and saw a woman sitting nearby. She stared at her for a moment thinking how she looked so familiar and trying to remember where she had seen her. Then it hit her. She had passed the Doctor’s bedroom a couple of times and had seen the picture on his bedside table. The picture of the Doctor and…

“Rose.” She said to her. “You’re Rose, aren’t you?”

“Do I know you?” Rose asked.

Martha shook her head.

“No, but I know who you are. I’m Martha Jones and I’ve been travelling with the Doctor and I’ve seen your picture and…”

“You travel with the Doctor?”

Martha nodded.

Rose closed her eyes. Martha frowned when she saw a tear fall down her cheek. Getting up onto her knees, she moved closer to her.

“Rose, what’s wrong?”

“I’m just one of many.” Rose murmured.

“I’m sorry? One of many?”

Rose sighed.

“The Doctor’s had many companions over the years and I…I thought I was special. I thought I was different. I mean, the Doctor tells me he loves me, but I guess he does have to move on and find other people to travel with.”

“Rose…”

“I mean its okay. I understand. I mean, I was stuck in another dimension.” Rose babbled. “I can’t expect the Doctor to travel by himself the rest of his life. I wouldn’t wish that for him anyway.”

“Rose!”

“I guess I’m just upset that he moved on so quickly---“

“Rose!”

“What?”

Martha sighed.

“The Doctor hasn’t gotten over you, Rose, trust me.” She said.

Rose stared at her.

“He still talks about me?”

“God, yes, incessantly. It’s hard to get him to shut up sometimes. I…”

She paused when she realized that she was saying all of that in a snotty tone of voice.

“I mean, yeah, he does talk about you.”

She met Rose’s eyes.

“You love him, don’t you?” Rose finally said.

“Well, I…”

“I mean, I’m not being jealous. I can understand completely. I mean, I would have never guessed in a million years that I would ever fall in love with an alien. And I mean I ended up breaking up with my boyfriend, Mickey, to be with him. But…there’s just something about him that you can’t help but fall in love with. I mean, there was another companion, Sarah Jane, who told me that a relationship with the Doctor can be intense.”

“Tell me about it.” Martha said.

“But…like I said, I understand if you have feelings for him.” Rose said. “He’s the bravest, most loyal and selfless man I’ve ever known. When I was travelling with him, I felt so safe with him; so protected, even in the middle of life threatening situations.”

Martha nodded.

“When I was separated from him, it nearly killed me. I didn’t think at first I would be able to go on, but somehow I managed to pick up the pieces and go on with my life. The Doctor wanted me to have a fantastic life so I tried to do that so he would be proud of me. Then…then the other Doctor came into my life and---“

“Wait, other Doctor? What other Doctor?”

Rose looked at her.

“The other Doctor who brought you in here. Didn’t you see him?”

“No, I saw someone dressed in black wearing a black mask firing some kind of laser weapon at the Doctor. He knocked him out and then he shot me. I guess…it was one of those stun weapons like on Star Trek or something because I’m still alive.”

Martha frowned.

“But when you say other Doctor, you mean like a double?”

“Yes, only he isn’t exactly like the Doctor. He’s got a scar and one eye and he’s evil.”

Martha raised her eyebrows.

“Evil? This other Doctor is evil?” she said in disbelief.

Rose nodded.

“Yes, I know it’s hard to believe, but yeah, this other Doctor is cruel and heartless and he wants to kill our Doctor so he can do what he wants without his people bothering him.”

“His people? You mean Gallifrey? Where he comes from?”

Rose nodded.

“I went there with the Doctor when he wanted to find a book on how to make this device that crosses voids. It’s such a beautiful planet. I don’t know if it’s the same as our Doctor’s Gallifrey, but I fell in love with it.”

She reached into her pocket and pulled out the silver leaves.

“I got these from the trees on Gallifrey.” She said. “The sun was shining on them and the leaves just glowed. It was so gorgeous.”

Martha took the leaves and gently turned them over in her hands while she remembered what the Doctor had said that day on New Earth.

“He said the leaves were silver.” Martha murmured. “And when the sun shone on them, it looked like the trees were on fire.”

“Yes, it did. That’s a good way to describe it.” Rose replied.

She smiled.

“I’m glad the other Gallifrey is the same. When I see the Doctor, I’ll give him one of the leaves as a memento.”

She paused and bit her lip.

“Oh God, Martha, I’m dreading seeing the Doctor again because the other Doctor said that our reunion would be the last time we’d see each other before he killed him.”

Martha took her hand.

“Don’t worry, Rose. Our Doctor is clever. He’ll find a way out of this for him and for us. Once he wakes up, he’ll think up a plan and then he’ll show this double of his who’s the better Time Lord.”

Rose smiled. She leaned forward and hugged Martha tight grateful for the company of a new friend.

Chapter Eighteen

Martha felt like a fool. All this time she had been so jealous of Rose, but the more she talked to her, the more she liked her. In a lot of ways they were exactly alike. She could understand why the Doctor had fallen in love with her. She was a sweet, intelligent girl and she wanted to kick herself for vilifying her before she even knew her.

Martha listened to Rose as she described her life and some of the adventures she and the Doctor had. She also told Rose of her adventures, but her list was very short compared to Rose’s. She also marveled at the whole regeneration thing. She didn’t know he did that, although she suspected that was what he was trying to tell her on the spaceship before she started to freeze his body. As she found out more and more about the Doctor, she became more and more awed at him. She could tell Rose was the same way from the way she described his heroics.

While they were talking, they were suddenly interrupted when they saw the door open. Martha saw Rose tense up and she grabbed her hand. She frowned when it wasn’t their Doctor that entered the room, but the alternate one instead. He stood and stared at Rose with a smirk on his face before his eyes settled on Martha.

“And you are?” he said to her.

Martha was too stunned to speak as she stared at this double of her Doctor. The resemblance was uncanny and the voice was the same as well. She finally found her voice after a moment.

“I’m Martha Jones.” She said giving him a defiant look.

The Doctor raised his eyebrow and gave Rose an amused look.

“Your master found another doggie apparently.” He said to her.

Martha raised her eyebrow.

“I’m sorry, what did you just call me?” she spat out.

The Doctor came over to the force bubble and leaned over until his face was just touching the invisible barrier.

“I called you a doggie.” He said giving her a pointed look. “That’s what you are and that’s all you are to me. I, unlike my idiotic double, consider you and Rose inferior apes. To a true Time Lord, you are nothing more than a little pet. A doggie who follows along behind her master wagging her little tail while he throws her a bone and makes her feel she’s something other than semi-intelligent pond scum.”

Martha gritted her teeth and balled up her fist.

“I dare you to deactivate this force bubble thing and then say that.” She said.

The Doctor snorted.

“Yeah, right, you wouldn’t last two seconds. You weren’t intelligent enough to look behind you until I shot your Doctor. Rule number one, watch your back or your partner’s back especially if you are standing in a hostile environment. If I didn’t have my blaster set on stun, you would have been dead by now.”

He smirked as he glanced at Rose.

“So, you see, your Doctor isn’t as devoted as you thought. He’s already found another human to love.” He said to her.

“It isn’t like that.” Rose replied.

“It isn’t?”

“No…it isn’t.” Martha said. “The Doctor and I are just friends, nothing more than that. He still loves Rose.”

The Doctor snickered.

“Rassilon, this is getting more amusing by the minute.” He said. “This Doctor must have a soft spot for your kind or something if he keeps taking you in and falling in love with you.”

He leaned back up.

“Speaking of which, I was just about to go visit him. You see, I have him inside a force bubble in my console room and I was just waiting until he recovered from the stun blast. Of course, if his doggie is awake, then that must mean he is too.”

“If you don’t quit calling me that,” Martha said between gritted teeth. “I’ll---“

“You’ll what?” the Doctor spat out as he leaned back over the bubble. “Huh? You can’t do anything to me and neither can Rose. You are my prisoners and seeing as how I’m the only one who can turn the force bubble on and off, I think it would be wise to hold your tongue. Otherwise, I might have to teach you a little lesson about manners. Do you understand me?”

Martha glared at him and nodded.

“Good, and now that that’s taken care of. I believe I will introduce myself to my twin and bring him in here to see his beloved Rose one last time.”

He smirked at them.

“Don’t go anywhere.” He said mockingly.

Chuckling, he turned, went out of the room and shut the door behind him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor groaned as he slowly got to his feet.

“Bollocks, I should have known this other TARDIS would have a working chameleon circuit.”

“Yes, it does. Unlike yours.”

The Doctor heard someone speak behind him. He quickly jumped to his feet and grunted when his head smacked into the top of the force bubble.

“Ooops, careful, we don’t want to damage our pretty little head.”

The Doctor fell to his knees and looked in the direction of the voice. The interior of the TARDIS was dark and the only thing he could see was someone hidden in the shadows nearby.

“Who are you?” he demanded. “Why have you lured us here?”

“So many questions. I thought Time Lords knew everything.” The voice said mockingly.

The Doctor frowned. Whoever was speaking was using his voice. But he knew his people were expert mimics and he along with his fellow Time Lords could duplicate any voice pattern. So, he couldn’t rule out anyone at this point, not even the Rani. Squinting, he tried to make out the person’s features.

“Show yourself!” he demanded.

“In due time, Time Lord. First, I want to ask you a question.”

“Not until you answer mine.”

“Oooooh, so authoritative. It’s nice to know you have some spine in you.”

The Doctor gritted his teeth.

“I’m not going to play games with you. I want out and I want out now and I want you to bring Martha to me, unharmed and alive, and so help me Rassilon, if there’s so much as one bruise on her body…”

“Why are you so concerned about Martha? Are you in love with her?”

“That’s none of your affair!”

“Are you?”

“Let me out!”

“Just answer the question! Are you in love with Martha Jones?”

“No!”

“Then why are you so concerned about me putting bruises on her body if you don’t love her?”

“Martha is a friend and I care for her and I don’t want to see her hurt! Now let me out!”

“Answer my first question and I’ll think about it.”

The Doctor gritted his teeth.

“What question?” he spat out.

“Do you love Rose Tyler?”

The Doctor was taken aback. He sat for a moment in stunned silence.

“How…how do you know about her?” he demanded.

The man chuckled softly.

“ANSWER ME, DAMMIT! WHO ARE YOU?”

The man stepped into the light. He smirked at the Doctor’s shocked expression.

“I’m you, Doctor.” He said smiling at him.

“No, it can’t be. That’s impossible.” The Doctor sputtered. “You can’t exist. There can’t be two Doctors in the same universe. It…It would create a paradox.”

“Ah, but I’m not originally from this universe, Doctor. I’m from an alternate reality.”

He stepped closer.

“In fact, I’m from the same reality as Rose.”

The Doctor stared at him for a moment and then reality hit him as he suddenly realized why it had been so easy for Rose to communicate with him.

“Rose, where is she? What have you done to her?” he said panicked.

“Oh, she’s safe for the moment.” The alternate Doctor replied. “She’s in another force bubble with Martha.”

“Please, take me to her.” The Doctor said. “I want to see her. Take me now.”

The alternate Doctor grinned when he saw the desperate look in his double’s eyes.

“Why are you so desperate to see her? You’re not really in love with a human, are you?” he purred. “I mean, I could see Rose’s simple ape brain concocting some romantic fantasy about the two of you, but you really do love her?”

The Doctor gritted his teeth. It was bad enough his double was taunting him, but to call his Rosebud an ape nearly put him over the edge. His former self had called her that and looking back, he realized how insensitive he had been. He had refrained from using it in this life and hearing it from his double was enough to make his blood boil.

“Answer me, Doctor, are you really in love with the little ape?”

“DON’T YOU CALL HER THAT AGAIN!” the Doctor screamed.

The alternate Doctor raised his eyebrows.

“Why? That’s what she is. That’s what she’s descended from.” He said.

“She is more than that.” The Doctor said through gritted teeth.

“Oh yeah, how?” the alternate Doctor said coming closer to the bubble. “She’s not a Time Lady. She’s a human. What makes her better than other…APES?”

He grinned when he saw the rage in the Doctor’s eyes.

“Well, answer me, Doctor, what makes her so special? I want to know.”

“You wouldn’t understand.”

“Then make me understand, Doctor. Because, personally, I wouldn’t entertain the thought of shagging a primitive backwards life form. What do you get out of it besides fulfilling an apparent bestiality fetish?”

He grinned when the Doctor let out a howl and hit the wall of his prison.

“Temper, temper, Doctor. If you don’t behave, I won’t let you see Rose.” He said.

“Take me to her now!” the Doctor snarled.

“First, answer my questions---“

“NO! I WILL NOT ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS! I’M SICK OF YOUR STUPID GAMES. TAKE ME TO SEE ROSE NOW OR SO HELP ME RASSILON, I’LL MAKE YOU REGRET EVERY NASTY THING YOU’VE SAID ABOUT HER!”

The alternate Doctor stared at the Doctor in an amused silence.

“I just can’t get over how angry you’re getting over a mere human.” He said.

“I said…take me to her! NOW!”

The alternate Doctor grinned.

“Fine, I’d rather watch the reunion anyway.” He said. “It’ll be much more interesting than this little Q and A we’re having.”

He withdrew his blaster. His face became deadly serious as he aimed it at the Doctor.

“You will behave and you will not resist or I will kill you and I will kill Rose and Martha. Is that clear?”

The Doctor narrowed his eyes as he nodded.

The alternate Doctor aimed the blaster at his head.

“TARDIS, deactivate the Doctor’s force bubble.” He said.

The Doctor hesitated a moment and then reached his hand out tentatively. When he didn’t feel the barrier, he leapt to his feet.

“Ah, ah, ah, slowly.” The alternate Doctor said keeping the blaster on his head. “It would be a pity for Rose to die because you acted too rashly, now wouldn’t it?”

The Doctor glared at him and he put his hands down to his sides.

“That’s better,” the alternate Doctor said. “Now, you go first and I’ll lead you to Rose.”

The Doctor glared at him and walked around to the front.

“Straight ahead.” The alternate Doctor said pointing to the back door.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rose and Martha looked up when they saw the door opening.

“Oh boy, here we go again.” Martha muttered.

Rose stiffened waiting for the next round of hateful comments when she suddenly saw who was standing in front of the alternate Doctor. Tears came to her eyes as the moment she had been waiting for finally was coming to pass.

“My Doctor…It’s you.” she whispered.

DW Fanfic: Doppleganger...PG-13 Parts 9-14/?

Fri, 08 Jun 2007 18:09:22 GMT

TITLE: Doppleganger

RATING: PG-13

FANDOM: Doctor Who

PAIRING: 10/Rose

WARNING: Alternate Universe

SUMMARY: Set after Doomsday...Rose is stuck in the parallel universe and discovers a Doctor in her reality but is he like her own?

DISCLAIMER: DW doesn't belong to me. Making no money off this.

Chapter Nine

(Pete’s World…)

The Doctor’s soul floated down onto the ground of Bad Wolf Bay and he looked out at the ocean while he hoped that Rose would appear. The Doctor and Rose had often talked to each other in dreams even before they were separated from each other. They had chosen Bad Wolf Bay because it was a convenient meeting spot for them and it was a picturesque place despite everything that had occurred there.

He put his hands in his pockets rocking back and forth gently on his heels as he watched the surf pound against the shore. As he watched the rhythmic motion of the waves, he smiled as he suddenly sensed she was near. He turned his head and his smile widened when he saw her walking towards him.

“Rose.” He said.

He opened his arms and wrapped them tightly around Rose when she fell into them. He lowered his face to her head and closed his eyes, and they stayed that way for a moment as they took advantage of something that they couldn’t do in physical form any longer.

The Doctor raised his head and smiled at her.

“How’s my girl?” he asked her.

“I’m fine. You?”

“The same.”

“That bad, huh?”

The Doctor rolled his eyes when she giggled.

“So, what’s been going on?” Rose asked while the Doctor stroked her cheek. “What did you and Martha do this time?”

Her eyes widened.

“Oooo, did you find out what the Face of Boe meant when he said you weren’t alone?”

The Doctor shook his head.

“No, not yet.”

“Nuts. So what did happen? Tell me everything!”

The Doctor smiled.

“Well, we went to Manhattan during the depression and…”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rose stared at the Doctor in disbelief as he finished talking.

“A Dalek/human hybrid?” she said.

The Doctor nodded.

“Yes.”

“And Sec and the rest of the Cult of Skaro didn’t get sucked into the void?”

“No.”

The Doctor sighed angrily.

“After all that, after everything we went through and lost, the damned Cult of Skaro gets away.” He said.

He stared out at the ocean while Rose stroked his cheek.

“And now only Dalek Khan is left?” she asked.

“Yes, and I let him get away.”

“Why?”

He shook his head.

“I couldn’t do it, Rose. I couldn’t destroy him and cause another genocide. Eradicating the Rachnoss was bad enough. I didn’t want to add to the guilt I already have over that.”

Rose nodded.

The Doctor sighed and turned away from her.

“But now because I didn’t destroy him when I had the chance, he’s out there somewhere just waiting for me to catch up with him. Rassilon, I’m such an idiot sometimes.”

“No, you’re not, Doctor.” Rose said putting a hand on his back. “You were right to offer him compassion. That’s what makes you different from them. That’s why I love you. You have it in your hearts to offer even your deadliest enemies some mercy. I’m constantly in awe of that, Doctor. I have trouble being civil towards the people who teased me in school never mind offering help to someone that destroyed my entire planet. You are an amazing man, Doctor. You do more than most people would even dream and you make a difference every day. Don’t ever second guess yourself and your actions, please.”

The Doctor smiled. He pulled Rose into his embrace and held her close while they listened to the roaring of the waves. They remained silent for a few minutes and then finally, the Doctor spoke.

“I’m taking Martha back home.” He said.

“What? Why?”

“I can’t take it anymore, Rose. I can’t take having another companion right now. Not after losing you.”

“Doctor, give her a chance.”

“I did. I took your advice and let her stay on after we went to 1599, but I can’t take it anymore, Rose. She’s irritating me.”

“Well, gee, I seem to recall I irritated you when I first came aboard the TARDIS and you didn’t throw me out the door after three or four trips.”

“You were…ARE different.”

“How so?”

“You stopped being irritating after three or four trips, she hasn’t.”

“Oh, really, that’s not what I remember. I remember you being irritated far beyond the fourth trip.”

She grinned and imitated her old Doctor’s northern accent.

“Rose Tyler, you stupid ape, get your head out of your arse and pay attention!”

She went back to her normal voice.

“I remember that being said a lot when you were the old you and it was a long time before you stopped it.”

“Because I fell in love with you.”

He looked at her.

“And that is another reason why you were different. I have no intention of falling in love with Martha or anyone else. Not after what I shared with you.”

He caught himself.

“Share…share…” he said.

Rose kissed him on the cheek.

“Then let her be a friend and a traveling companion.” She said.

The Doctor rolled his eyes.

“I tried, Rose. She won’t let it stay at that. She keeps flirting with me.”

“Well, duh, of course she flirts with you. Who wouldn’t?” Rose said winking.

The Doctor chuckled as Rose poked him in the side.

“Rassilon, I miss you so much. I wish every day you were still standing beside me at the console.”

“Well, you might just get your wish.”

The Doctor stared at her.

“What do you mean?” he said.

Rose smiled.

“I found someone who knows a way to cross the void and he’s going to do that and take me back to you.”

The Doctor’s eyes widened.

“You did? Who is this person?” he said.

“You.”

The Doctor frowned.

“Come again?”

“You. There’s a Doctor in this reality and I found him and he’s offered to help take me back over the void so we can be together.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, and Gallifrey still exists over here. He’s going to take me in his TARDIS back there and steal a book from this library. It has some plans or something that tells how to make a machine that can cross the void safely and once he assembles the machine, then—“

“I’m sorry, wait a minute, did you say you’re going to steal the book?” the Doctor said.

“Yeah.”

The Doctor stared at her, confused.

“Why does he have to steal it? I mean, I don’t know what it’s like over here, but I was still allowed to borrow books from libraries on Gallifrey even after I had a falling out with my people. What’s going on that he has to resort to stealing?”

“Well, his people are after him because they think he’s a criminal. They tried to execute him and he managed to escape and came to Earth to hide from them. I found him and offered to help hide him from his people and in return he’s taking me back to you.”

“Rose, are you sure that’s wise?”

“Yeah, I mean your people always thought of you as a renegade, didn’t they?”

“Yeah, but I never got as far as the execution chamber. Just what are they accusing him of?”

“Um…Piracy, genocide, 1st degree murder.”

The Doctor’s eyes widened.

“And you’re helping him hide?” he said in disbelief. “Rose, are you insane?”

“I…Doctor, he can’t be as bad as they say he is.”

“Why not, Rose? This reality isn’t the same as the other one, you know that.”

“But, he can’t be evil. He’s you!”

The Doctor sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

“Oh Rassilon, Rose, what have you gotten yourself into?” he muttered.

He grabbed her arms.

“Rose, get away from him! I don’t like this!” he said.

“Doctor—“

“Rose, you have traveled with me long enough to know that things aren’t always as they seem. Looks can be deceiving, Rose and you can’t let your love for me and your need to get back home blind you to possible danger. You have to be aware of everything around you, Rose. Every clue, every little sign that things aren’t right. I have been many things, Rose, but a pirate isn’t one of them. Now granted I have committed genocide and I have killed in the past, but it was always as a last resort and in self defense. I was considered a renegade by my people because I interfered in history. This is different, Rose. Far different. Now, tell me truthfully, Rose; is this Doctor exactly the same as me?”

“Well, no…”

“What’s different?”

“Well, he has his right eye missing and there’s this cybernetic eye in its place and he has a scar running down the right side of his face.”

“Okay, anything else?”

“He carries a blaster.”

The Doctor raised his eyebrows.”

“Why?” he demanded.

“He said it was to protect himself.”

The Doctor gave her a skeptical look.

“I need to protect myself too, Rose, do you see me carrying around a blaster?”

“No.”

“So, is it possible he’s using the blaster for something other than protection?”

“Yes, I guess so. But he sounded so sincere when I asked him about it.”

“Well, Rose, as you know I happened to be an expert bullshit artist and if this guy is me, I’m betting he’s just as good.”

“What do I do then?”

“I don’t know, Rose. I can’t be there physically to help you so you’re going to have to make the call on your own. If you do decide to help this Doctor, then I want you to be careful and don’t do anything stupid just to get back to me. I love you and I’d rather have you safe and alive and apart from me then see you dead in my reality. So will you take my advice and keep your eyes open?”

Rose nodded.

The Doctor sighed and pulled her close.

“Oh God, Rose, I hate being apart from you. It just kills me.”

He kissed the top of her head.

“Please, please, please be careful.”

“I will, Doctor. I won’t do anything stupid.”

The Doctor nodded. He put his hand under her chin and raised her head to his.

“I love you, Rose. I will say that every chance I see you now since I missed the chance to say it when I was awake.”

Rose smiled. She leaned up and the Doctor leaned down so they could kiss. Their lips brushed against each other and—

“DOCTOR!”

The Doctor’s eyes snapped open as Martha called his name. He tried desperately to recall the dream. What he and Rose had said to one another but the dream quickly faded into his subconscious. He glared at Martha who was standing in the doorway of his bedroom.

“What?” he snapped.

Martha gulped when she saw the enraged look in his eyes.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you up. But…we’ve landed.” She said hesitantly.

The Doctor raised his eyebrows.

“We have, eh? Good, then let’s get this over with.”

Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he hopped up and stormed past Martha.

Chapter Ten

(Pete’s World…)

Rose opened her eyes. She lay for a moment trying to remember the dream. All she could recall was her and the Doctor standing on the beach at Bad Wolf Bay and his warning to her to keep an eye on the other Doctor. No matter how hard she tried she couldn’t recall anything other than the ending of the dream. She sighed and looked over and noticed the Doctor lying beside her on the blanket fast asleep. She stared at him.

Things aren’t always what they seem.

She stared at the Doctor and her eyes drifted down to the blaster in his holster.

I need to protect myself too, Rose, do you see me carrying around a blaster?

She stared at the blaster and looked back up at the Doctor’s face. She stared at the eye patch and the scar. She didn’t know if her conversation with the Doctor had been real or a dream, but for the first time she was beginning to see that maybe everyone had been right about this Doctor. Maybe he really was a criminal.

As she stared at him, the Doctor opened his eyes and looked over at him.

“Evening.” He said.

Rose forced a smile onto her face. If he was dangerous, she couldn’t let on that she suspected.

“Evening.” She replied as calmly as she could.

The Doctor groaned and Sat up.

“Ugh, hard floor.” He said rubbing his back.

Rose nodded.

The Doctor looked down at her.

“Well, it looks like it’s gotten dark now. Do you wanna go ahead and start walking towards the TARDIS?” he asked.

“Um…now?” Rose said.

“Well, yes, it’s dark enough now that most people have gone home so I don’t think we’ll be bothered.”

He narrowed his eye.

“Why? I thought you were so eager to get back to your reality and see your doctor? Are you backing out now?” he said.

Rose swallowed hard.

“No, Doctor, I just thought you wanted to wait until after midnight.” She said.

He shrugged.

“Well, there’s no reason to get started right now.” He said. “The TARDIS is some distance away so by the time we get there it’ll be late.”

He looked at her.

“You are up to this, aren’t you? Walking that far, I mean?”

Rose hesitated. Ever since the Doctor woke up she had been trying to decide whether to trust him. She kept remembering the conversation with her Doctor in her dream and even though her mother and Pete had warned her against him; it took her Doctor to make her realize that maybe everyone had been right about him.

If I go with him, I might end up dead. She thought On the other hand, if I have his trust, maybe I can follow him to Gallifrey and alert his people somehow while we’re there. Then they can catch him without endangering anyone. I know my Doctor wouldn’t want me to risk my life like this, but if I can use him the way he’s been using me then I can keep him from suspecting anything until it’s too late.

“Rose?”

Rose looked over at the Doctor.

“Well, can you handle the walk or not?” he asked.

“Uh, yeah, no sweat; there’s been times my Doctor and I had to walk a lot. I can handle it.”

“Good. Then, shall we?” the Doctor said, gesturing to the door.

“After you, Doctor.” Rose replied cheerfully.

She watched as the Doctor headed towards the door.

Two can play at this game, Doctor. You may think I’m stupid, but by the time you figure out what’s going on, it’ll be too late for you.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(The Other Universe…)

Martha’s heart sank as she opened the TARDIS door and stepped into her bedroom. All this time she had been hoping the Doctor wouldn’t take her back home. She hoped he would forgive her and change his mind. She had overlooked his comments about “End of the line” and “No place like it.” Hoping it meant something else. But now she saw he meant exactly what he said. Her heart was on the floor as the Doctor casually walked out and looked around at her things.

“But all the things we’ve done.” She protested. “Shakespeare, New New York, Old New York.”

“Yup, all in one night. Relatively Speaking.” He said flippantly.

Martha felt anger boil up inside of her. He was being so nonchalant about it all. Even handling her knickers with one finger. Martha wondered as she snatched them off his finger if he was taunting her with them; implying with them that was the closest he would ever get to touching her panties.

“This is it.” Martha said.

“Yeah.” The Doctor said. “I should probably, um…”

Just then her phone rang.

“I’m sorry.” Martha said sheepishly as she heard her answering machine message.

She sighed inwardly when she heard her mum. Just what she needed more family crisis and the Doctor standing right there to hear it all. She looked at his amused grin and felt like sinking right through the carpet. He was making light of all of this. She figured once he got back inside the TARDIS, he would rejoice and dance around. After all, she wouldn’t be around to whine about his absent lover, would she?

“I was only calling to say your sister’s on TV. On the news of all things. Just thought you might be interested.”

Thank God, a distraction. Martha thought.

She picked up the remote and switched on the TV. The Doctor moved closer to her while they watched her sister, Tish, standing beside an elderly man at a press conference.

“I will change what it means to be human.”

Martha turned off the TV and turned to the Doctor.

“I’m sorry, you were saying, you should…”

She paused and waited for him to pull his attention away from the TV.

“Yes, yes,” he finally said turning towards the TARDIS. “I should…”

He put his hand on the door and Martha felt her heart sink even lower. She was going to miss him so much. If only he would give her another chance.

“I suppose things just sort of…escalated.” She said.

“Mmmmm, seems to happen to me a lot.” He replied.

Martha forced a smile onto her face. If this was it, then she was going to be an adult about it. She wasn’t going to cry or beg. She would just let him go and remember the 4 trips they had taken together.

“Thank you for everything.”

He smiled.

“It was my pleasure.”

She averted her eyes as he opened the door and stepped inside. She felt her eyes tear up as the TARDIS began to wheeze and fade from view.

Now what do I do? she thought.

Suddenly, she heard the wheezing again and her heart lifted back up from the floor. She could barely contain her joy when the Doctor opened the door and looked at her.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “Did he just say he was going to change what it means to be human?”

Chapter Eleven

(Pete’s World…)

“Here we are.”

Rose let out a sigh of relief. They’d been walking for hours and she felt like her legs were going to give out. She looked around her. Even though it was dark, she still hoped to see the familiar blue box sticking out like a sore thumb. She frowned when she didn’t see anything except grass, shrubs and trees.

“Where’s your TARDIS?” she asked.

“Right here.”

Rose’s eyes widened when the Doctor walked up to one of the larger trees, pulled on the trunk and it swung open to reveal the TARDIS inside.

“The Chameleon Circuit works.” Rose murmured.

The Doctor looked at her.

“I’m sorry?”

“Um…My Doctor’s Chameleon circuit is broke and his TARDIS is stuck in the shape of a blue police call box.” She said.

The Doctor frowned.

“If it’s broke, why doesn’t he fix it?”

“Um…I don’t think he can. I think it’s jammed or something. Besides, I think he’s used to it being in the shape of a police box now.”

“Then…how does he disguise it when he lands somewhere?”

“He doesn’t.”

“So, there’s this blue police box just sitting there and no one thinks it’s odd?” the Doctor said

“Not really. Mind you, most of the time when we land we get in the middle of danger and usually there’s no time for anyone to question why the TARDIS is just sitting there.

“Well, if your Doctor is a Time Lord then he should know how to repair a faulty chameleon circuit with no trouble. That’s one of the basics we learned at the academy. But if he’s happy with it being stuck, then who am I to say anything. I personally don’t like to draw attention to myself when I travel, but to each his own, I guess. Anyway, enough chit chat, get inside and let’s get going.”

He stepped aside. Rose walked up and took a peek inside. Her eyes widened when she saw the interior. This Doctor’s TARDIS was completely different. Everything was jet black in color. The support columns were made of steel and were straight unlike her Doctor’s pretzel shaped ones. All of it gave the interior a cold, sinister feel to it and even the light coming from the roundels in the walls did little to brighten it up. The console was also black and the controls were laid out neatly on the surface. Rose shivered as she stared at it.

“Is this TARDIS like your Doctor’s?” she heard him ask.

Rose shook her head.

“No, nothing like it. It’s so dark in here.” She said.

The Doctor shrugged.

“I don’t mind it.” He said. “You get used to the interior so I guess I don’t notice it being that dark. Why? What color scheme does your Doctor use?”

“Kind of a tan color.”

The Doctor shrugged.

“Doesn’t sound too bad. As long as its not something like pink or purple. I don’t think I could travel around like that for long. Anyway, in ya go!”

Rose hesitated a moment. She knew once she was over the threshold and the Doctor closed the door she would be at his mercy until they reached Gallifrey. And if he did decide to do something to her, there would be no one to hear her cries for help. Gathering up her courage, she calmly walked inside.

The Doctor watched her as she passed by.

Rose is beginning to suspect me. He thought. I can see it in her eyes. Well, I’ll just have to keep a closer eye on the little ape then and act like I don’t know what’s going on.

He stepped inside and closed the door. Breezing past Rose, he walked up to the console and looked at her.

“Ready?” he asked.

“Ready when you are.”

He smiled at her and flipped a switch. Rose watched as the central column came to life. She shivered when she noticed the ice blue glow it gave off made the interior look even more alien and sinister. She wrapped her arms around her body as she watched the Doctor walk around the console pushing buttons and flipping switches. She wished more than anything that her Doctor was standing beside her. She knew by turning this Doctor in to his people, she was giving up the chance of being with him, but if he really was as bad as everyone claimed, it would be worth it. She inched closer, careful to keep her distance just in case the Doctor did decide to do something to her. She watched quietly while he pushed the last button and stepped back.

“Gallifrey, here we come.” He said cheerfully.

Rose forced a smile onto her face and nodded. She hoped the trip wouldn’t take that long. She was beginning to feel very uncomfortable and the fact that the Doctor was staring at her so intently wasn’t helping to put her at ease. She was sure he could look inside and see what she was really planning. That thought chilled her to the bone and she began to doubt her brilliant plan. If he did find out and kill her, there would be no Doctor to save her.

Thankfully, the trip took only ten minutes. She thanked God for that as the Doctor walked past her and opened the door.

“Welcome to Gallifrey.” He said.

Rose’s curiosity at seeing the Doctor’s home planet temporarily replaced her fear at being caught and she walked past the Doctor and stepped onto the planet’s surface.

Her mouth dropped open and she stared at her surroundings. She looked up at the burnt orange sky above her.

“It’s beautiful.” She whispered.

She glanced to her right and noticed several trees nearby. Her mouth opened even more when she noticed the silver leaves adorning the limbs.

“Oh God, Doctor, silver leaves.” She said in a hushed voice. “The sunlight is making them glow.”

“Yeah, it is pretty magnificent.”

Rose was jolted from her thoughts. She was talking to her Doctor when she had said that, but she turned and looked at the Doctor beside her who was staring at her with an amused grin.

“The…my Doctor never told me much about Gallifrey.” She said. “It was too painful for him to talk about so I never knew about any of this. The scenery is just incredible.”

She looked over at the citadel dominating the landscape in front of them and instantly fell in love with it. Gallifrey was fast becoming one of her favorite planets.

“Well, let’s get going.” The Doctor said. “We don’t really have time to gawk.”

Rose nodded. She bent down and picked up two of the silver leafs.

If I see my Doctor again, I can give him one as a memento of his planet. She thought.

Sticking them in her pocket, she followed the Doctor towards the citadel.

Chapter Twelve

(Gallifrey…)

“Okay, we need to be quiet now.”

Rose looked up at the Doctor. They were both crouched behind a rock near the front entrance of the citadel. She watched as the Doctor removed his eye patch and stared at the white “eye” that was under it.

“Scan for life forms.” The Doctor commanded in a hushed voice.

Rose watched as he moved his head around and guessed he was busy scanning. When his head turned to her, she flinched when she saw the eye again and wished the Doctor would hurry up and put the eye patch back on. Having no iris or pupil in the eye made him look creepy and it made Rose feel even more apprehensive than she already was.

“Okay,” the Doctor whispered after a few minutes. “Everything is clear out here, but be careful. We may run into someone inside.”

Rose nodded.

“I assume the Doctor has instructed you on how to subdue and kill opponents?” he asked.

Rose hesitated. She averted her eyes to avoid staring directly at the cybernetic eye.

“He…uh…taught me how to disarm someone and how to defend myself.” She said.

“Did he teach you how to kill someone?”

Rose swallowed hard suddenly regretting her decision to come with the Doctor. This Doctor was dangerous and she knew now that he wouldn’t hesitate to kill her if she got in his way. But, she couldn’t back out on her plan now. She was stuck here on Gallifrey and the only way back to Earth was the TARDIS. She wished now she had paid more attention when the Doctor did try to teach her the controls, but with the hodgepodge of items on his control panel, she hadn’t been able to figure out what was what half the time let alone what it did. Her only hope was to alert the Gallifreyans to the Doctor’s presence and hope that they would take her back to Earth when the Doctor was out of the way.

“Rose?”

Rose was jerked from her thoughts and saw the Doctor was still staring at her.

“Um, no, he never taught me to kill anyone.” She said. “He never killed anyone unless he absolutely had to.”

The Doctor turned his head, but not before Rose caught him mouthing “Wimp” to himself. Her blood boiled at the insult.

My Doctor is a Hell of a lot better than you are, you murderer. She thought.

The Doctor sighed.

“Okay, so, I guess you’ll just have to knock out anyone you see, but you better make sure you do it properly because I don’t want to have to deal with them again on the way back out. Got it?”

“Got it.” Rose said trying to keep her temper in check.

The last thing she wanted to do was mouth off to the Doctor and end up dead. She knew she was by no means indispensable and if she ever hoped to get out of this alive and in one piece, she had to be level headed and keep her cool.

The Doctor nodded.

“Follow me then and make sure to keep your eyes open.”

Rose nodded. She waited until the Doctor moved before she followed him towards the citadel.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rose looked around her open-mouthed as she followed the Doctor towards the library. The interior of the citadel was vast. She glanced down and marveled at the marble covered floors as she walked. It always amazed her how most of the civilizations they had visited used a lot of the same building materials Earth used and how much the architecture resembled Earth structures. She figured all these advanced civilizations would come up with better materials and techniques, but apart from a handful of planets, most of the buildings she had seen would have worked on Earth at one time or another. It amused her remembering all the times she had heard aliens refer to her planet as backwards and then see buildings similar to the ones on her backwater planet.

She stopped when the Doctor held up a hand. They had stopped at the end of one corridor and the Doctor was glancing around the corner to his right.

“There’s someone coming.” He said softly. “Wait here.”

Rose nodded and watched as the Doctor hurried around the corner.

“Hey, watch it.” She heard the man say. “You almost ran into…”

There was a pause.

“Oh my Rassilon, you’re the Doctor!” the man said. “Guards…”

Rose flinched when she heard a sharp crack. She knew that the Doctor had snapped the man’s neck and she gulped knowing she was in terrible danger. The wrong move. The wrong word. If the Doctor suspected her plan…

She stepped back and stared down, wide-eyed, as the Doctor dragged the dead man around the corner. She gulped again when she saw his lifeless eyes staring up at her.

God, what have I gotten myself into? She thought.

The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver, unlocked a nearby door, dumped the body inside and locked it back. He turned and stared at Rose and she grew uneasy as his eye bored into her. She knew he was daring her to say something about his actions and she averted her gaze. She heard him snort softly and the anger rose in her as the Doctor let out a soft chuckle and breezed past her.

“Monster.” Rose whispered to herself.

The Doctor turned and looked back and Rose knew he was making sure she was behind him. Keeping her calm, she nodded at him.

“After you.” She said.

The Doctor nodded and turned his head back. Rose breathed a sigh of relief and followed him down the corridor. Her mind raced as she tried to figure out a way to get away from him and alert someone. She looked overhead wondering if they had a security system somewhere, but couldn’t see any. She wondered if maybe it was hidden, but judging from the confident swagger the Doctor had going down the hall, she guessed not. She remembered the Doctor telling her what Mister Finch had said about his people being peaceful to the point of insolence. She also remembered the Doctor reminding her over and over how superior he and his people were compared to the rest of the universe. She guessed those two things could explain the lack of security throughout the building. She gritted her teeth cursing the Gallifreyans for making her job that much harder.

The Doctor stopped and gestured to his right.

“Here we are, the library.” He said.

Rose looked through the glass doors and saw rows of bookcases and some tables scattered throughout the room. She waited while the Doctor scanned for life signs and when he was satisfied they were alone, he opened the door and ushered her in.

Rose looked around for another exit, but couldn’t detect one off the bat.

I’ll just have to sneak out when he’s not looking. She thought.

As she started to plan how she was going to do that, she suddenly became aware of a familiar sound behind her. She turned and saw the Doctor was locking the door with his sonic screwdriver. She stared at the doors dumbfounded as the Doctor put the screwdriver back inside his jacket.

“Doctor, why did you do that?” she asked.

The Doctor smirked.

“Don’t play dumb with me, ape, I know what you’re up to.”

Rose gasped as the Doctor seized her arm and jerked her towards him.

“You brought me here to turn me in, didn’t you?” he hissed.

“N…no!”

“Don’t lie, Rose. You aren’t good at it. Now you be a good little ape and help me look for this book or suffer the fate of that man out there. Got that?”

Rose nodded meekly.

The Doctor smirked.

“That’s a good little monkey. Now come on, Rose, we mustn’t keep your beloved Doctor waiting. I know I’ve been dying to meet him and show him how a true Time Lord behaves.”

Rose gasped as the Doctor almost jerked her arm from her socket. She followed him towards the bookcases praying that she would get out of this alive.

Chapter Thirteen

Rose grunted as the Doctor shoved his blaster in her back and pushed her towards the bookcases.

“How long have you known?” she said.

He smirked.

“Oh, just shortly after we woke up from our nap. You must have realized something about me while you were dreaming because I could see you were wary of me after that.”

Rose cursed silently. It wasn’t the first time her Doctor had been right about something. Even in dream form, he was still warning and counseling her on what to do. She always told herself that she needed to stop being so headstrong and overconfident and take other people’s advice, but when the time came to use the advice she always ignored it thinking that she knew better. And now here she was again, a prisoner because she thought she knew better than everyone else. Only this time, in a twisted bit of irony, the man she loved was the one holding her at blaster point.

“So, you’re still going to get the book then?” Rose said as they walked past the bookcases.

“Oh yes, you see, I’m going to go to your old reality, Rose.” The Doctor said. “You see, I’m too well known now and it’s getting harder to do what I want without undesirables breathing down my neck all the time. So, since your Doctor is the last of his kind in the other universe, I’m going to kill him and take his place.”

Rose’s heart stopped. Now not only had her arrogance put her in danger, it was going to endanger her Doctor as well. She prayed her Doctor would be able to forgive her for this if she ever did get back to him.

She gasped as the Doctor jerked on her arm.

“Here it is.” He said.

Rose looked to her left and watched as the Doctor grabbed a large book off the shelf. Keeping his blaster trained on her, he turned her around.

“Take the book and open it up, I want to make sure it’s the right one.” He said.

Rose took the dusty book in her hands. While the Doctor kept his blaster pointed at her stomach, she opened it up and showed him the pages inside. She glanced down with the Doctor and saw the pages were filled with the concentric circles that she knew was the language of Gallifrey. She had no idea what it said, but whatever was written there seemed to satisfy the Doctor.

“Close it.” He commanded.

Rose closed the book up and gasped when the Doctor snatched it from her hands.

“Don’t want a stupid little ape messing up my book and ruining my chances of going to the other reality.” He said.

He turned to go back. He looked at Rose.

“You first, my beloved.” He said in a sickly sweet voice.

“Aren’t you gonna kill me?” Rose asked.

“Why? Do you want to die?” the Doctor replied.

“No, but I know that’s what you’re going to do with me.”

“Perhaps, perhaps not. But, for the meantime, I want you alive.” The Doctor said.

Rose frowned.

“Why? I’m not any use to you now.”

The Doctor smirked.

“Oh but you are, my dear. You see, from what you’ve told me, the Doctor loves you more than life itself and that can be used against him. Because I’m sure he won’t be too thrilled when I show up at his doorstep and even less thrilled when I tell him I’m going to kill him. He’ll be less likely to hurt me if I’m using you as a human shield.”

The smirk grew wider.

“Besides, it’ll be great fun to use you to torment him. The little wimp needs to learn not to fall in love. It’s so very easy for his enemies to use it against him.”

He snatched Rose’s arm when she tried to dart away.

“Now, now, Rose. Don’t be difficult.” He purred. “After all, we have to get you back to your beloved Time Lord in one piece.”

She gasped as the Doctor nearly jerked Rose’s arm from her socket.

“Move, ape. Time is short and I want to get out of here before anyone suspects I’m here.”

He raised the blaster and held it under her chin.

“And I’m giving you only one warning, so listen up. You will not try to resist or scream or I will blow your head off and not only that I’ll make sure your Doctor dies in agony when I catch up with him. So if you don’t want your beloved to leave his reality screaming, you’ll do as I say. Got that?”

Rose had no choice. She glared at him and nodded.

“Good, now come along. There’s so much to do and so little time.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rose grunted as the Doctor pulled her roughly through the TARDIS.

“Where are you taking me?” she said.

The Doctor smirked at her.

“Somewhere where I can keep an eye on you. After all, now that we’ve dropped all pretenses between us, I can’t have you foiling my plans.” He said.

He stopped and opened a door beside him. Rose screamed as the Doctor threw her inside.

“TARDIS, activate force bubble around Rose.” He commanded.

Rose tried to scramble to her feet. She gasped when her head smacked into an invisible barrier. She fell back to her knees as the Doctor entered.

“What is this?” she said.

The Doctor chuckled.

“This, my curious little ape, is a force bubble. All around you now is an impenetrable force field.”

He reached out and knocked on the invisible barrier.

“Oxygen can penetrate it, but that’s it. I’m afraid you’re trapped, my dear until I turn it off.”

He smirked.

“If…I turn it off. I might just keep you here until you die.”

“My Doctor won’t let you. He’ll rescue me.” She said.

“He won’t do anything because I’m the only one who can turn off the force bubble. This is my TARDIS and he’ll respond only to me. He’ll be able to tell the difference between me and my copy so if he entertains any ideas of hijacking my ship, I’m afraid he’s in for a shock. And if anything happens to me, he won’t be able to free you and he’ll end up watching you slowly starve to death so it would be in his best interest to cooperate with me. Now, if you are a good girl, I might let you out to use the loo or eat but that’s only if you behave so I think it would be in your best interest to cooperate with me as well.”

He turned to the door.

“But, right now, I have to get this ship in motion so I’ll bid you adieu. But, don’t worry Rose; I’ll be sure to let you know when the Doctor is near. I wouldn’t want to deprive you of the sweet little reunion the two of you will have.”

Chuckling, he left the room and closed the door behind him.

“Oh God, Doctor, what have I done.” She said softly. “I’ve put you in danger and it’s all my fault.”

Chapter Fourteen

(The Doctor’s Universe…)

The Doctor settled onto his bed with a sigh and put his head in his hands. They had just gotten back from defeating the Lazarus creature and he was exhausted. Not to mention the fact that Martha and her sister Tish put themselves in danger in order to lure Lazarus away from him. He appreciated her help and he was thankful she was alright but it shocked him when she did it. He had allowed her to stay. After all, she was a great help and pulled more than her fair share of the load which had allowed him to give her more responsibility. Not that Rose hadn’t helped him and did her part but well…the Doctor had always been more protective of her. Not just because of his promise to her mother, but also because he loved her and wanted to make sure she didn’t get hurt. Martha…well, she was a good friend but it wasn’t the same as it was with Rose. He got the impression she knew that too because lately she had been a bit more reckless. He wondered if she was trying to prove that she could be just as good as Rose.

He lay down on the bed and put his hands behind his head as he stared at the ceiling. Once again, he had gone back on the promise he made to himself to drop Martha off and now not only was he letting her travel with him again, he was making her a full partner. He guessed that was going to happen, it had just been a matter of time. After all, she impressed him with her courage and leadership skills when they had been on the moon. He had just been hesitant to take her on. Especially after what had happened to…

The Doctor sighed. And once again, his thoughts led right back to Rose. No matter what he did, what he said or what he thought; Rose was always there. He wondered if he was keeping Martha around as a distraction because he remembered when he was alone in the TARDIS with thoughts of Rose invading his mind day and night. He closed his eyes and let out a shuddering sigh. His Rose. He wondered what she was doing right…

His eyes flew open when he suddenly felt something he hadn’t felt since that day at Canary Wharf. It was faint, almost imperceptible. Anyone else wouldn’t be able to pick up on it. But he could because she and him had been that close.

He could sense Rose.

Shooting up in the bed, he felt tears come to his eyes as he strained his mind trying to make contact. When Rose had been with him, they had shared a mental bond and had been able to sense one another. He could feel her now and a knot formed in his throat.

She was afraid and reaching out to him.

It was so faint, he almost thought it was his imagination, but he couldn’t deny it. Rose was in trouble. He could feel it.

“Rose.” He murmured. “Oh Rose, what’s wrong? Where are you and how can I get to you?”

“Doctor?”

He looked over at Martha who was standing in his doorway staring at him with a concerned look on her face.

“Yes?”

“You okay?”

The Doctor paused. He wondered if he should tell her what had just happened. After a moment’s thought, he quickly decided against it. He had heard enough jealously coming from Martha without him adding to it.

“I’m alright. I’m just tired. It’s been a long day and I want to get out of this tux.” He said.

Martha nodded.

“I’ll…go lay down then. I’m tired too.”

The Doctor nodded.

“Let me take a nap for about an hour or so and then when I wake up we’ll decide where to go next.”

“We?”

The Doctor frowned.

“Yeah…I told you I was making you a full partner, didn’t I? I can’t have all the fun picking the coordinates.”

“Doctor, I…I just wanted to say thank you for giving me another chance and letting me be your companion. I really appreciate it and I promise I won’t let you down and---“

The Doctor held up his hand.

“You don’t have to thank me, Martha. I told you; you were never really a passenger and as for letting me down. From what I’ve seen so far, I don’t think that’s gonna be a concern.”

Martha smiled.

“Thank you, Doctor.”

I told you, Martha. You don’t need to thank---“

“I know, but I want to thank you for believing in me as well. I mean, my family never really thought I could do much on my own and when I started going to college, they still told me I wouldn’t make it as a doctor. You are the only one who has ever really believed in me and my abilities and I’m so grateful for that.”

The Doctor smiled. He opened his mouth and even before he could think the words were out of his mouth.

“Rose told me that too.”

He stiffened up expecting Martha to be angry. Instead, he was surprised to see the sad smile on her face.

“I bet she did.” She said. “You just have that effect on people, you know. You bring the best out of them and I’m sure Rose was no different.”

The Doctor said nothing.

“She’s a lucky girl, your Rose. To have someone so devoted to her, I’d give anything for that.” Martha added. “I really do hope that someday you find her again.”

The Doctor smiled and nodded.

“I just hope that we can become good friends.”

The Doctor frowned.

“We are good friends,” he said. “At least I was under the impression we were.”

“Yeah, but I mean the whole jealously thing with Rose…”

She sighed.

“I’m sorry. I just…you’re right, that was immature of me to do that especially since she’s not around to defend herself. It’s just that…”

“Just what, Martha?”

Just that I love you too. She thought to herself.

“Nothing,” she said aloud. “It’s not important.”

She could tell the Doctor wasn’t buying it and wanted to say something. But to his credit, he kept his mouth shut and merely nodded.

“Well, you get some rest, Martha. Who knows what we’re going up against next.” He said.

Martha nodded.

“I’ll see you later then, Doctor. Have a nice nap.”

“You too.”

She smiled, turned and walked out of the room. The Doctor watched her go and then with a sigh, lay back down on the bed. He closed his eyes again and concentrated trying to sense Rose. He let out another sigh when he felt nothing.

“Maybe it was my imagination after all.” He muttered to himself. “Rose is in another universe. The bond couldn’t reach that far. It’s impossible.”

But he knew deep in his heart that he wasn’t imagining it. Rose had reached out to him. It had only been for a moment, but it had been long enough for him to notice. A silent tear ran down his cheek. Rose, his Rose, might be in trouble at this very moment and he was powerless to help her. He prayed to Rassilon, to God, to any supreme being that might be listening to him to protect her and keep her safe.

“I love you, my darling Rose,” he murmured as he fell asleep. “I hope somewhere, somehow you can hear that.”

DW FANFIC: Doppleganger...PG-13 Parts 5-8/?

Fri, 08 Jun 2007 18:02:02 GMT

Chapter Five

Rose lay on her bed and wept wishing more than anything that the Doctor was beside her comforting her and telling her everything would be alright.

“They don’t know the Doctor like I do.” She said to herself. “They don’t understand him. No one understands him except me.”

She hugged her pillow tight and stared out her window as the light began to fade outside. She wondered what the Doctor was doing and if he was nearby. She debated whether she should just go in search of him herself.

“I can’t lead his people to him.” She muttered. “The way they were talking, they’d probably shoot first and ask questions later.”

“Rose?”

Rose lifted her head up when she heard her mother’s voice coming through the door.

“Yeah?” she said after a moment’s hesitation.

“You want to come down and eat, hon?”

“No thanks. I’m not hungry.”

“You sure? I’m making burgers and chips.”

“No thanks.”

“Rose…”

“I SAID NO, MUM!” Rose said a little louder than she intended.

She sighed when she heard her mother let out a string of curses and stomp away from the door.

“That’s it; I need to get outta here for awhile.” Rose muttered as she rose from her bed.

Grabbing her jacket from the closet, she opened the door and headed out.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(Meanwhile in the other universe…)

“So, where are we off to now, Doctor?” Martha asked as they stood by the console.

“Oh, I don’t know. How ‘bout you pick something for a change?” the Doctor replied.

Martha raised her eyebrow.

“Me? Um…Well…”

She tapped her fingertips on the console while she thought.

“Hey, how ‘bout you take me to where those Dogons live? I’d love to see the people you were reading about.” She said.

The Doctor flinched.

“I’d rather not.” He said.

“Why not?”

The Doctor shifted his feet.

“Doctor, why not?” she said.

The Doctor sighed. Martha was starting to become pushy and it was getting on his nerves.

“Because…” he said hoping that would satisfy her.

No such luck.

“Because why?” Martha pressed.

She jumped when the Doctor slammed his fist down on the console.

“BECAUSE THE DOGONS ARE EXTINCT! THEY WERE WIPED OUT IN THE TIME WAR AND I HAVE NO DESIRE TO RELIVE ANY PART OF THAT AGAIN!” he bellowed. “THERE! DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, MARTHA?”

He flinched when he saw the fear on Martha’s face as she quickly nodded.

“I…Oh Rassilon, I’m so sorry.” He quickly said. “I…I…didn’t mean to yell, Martha. It’s just that sometimes I don’t feel like answering certain questions, okay?”

“No, I’m sorry, Doctor.” Martha replied. “I shouldn’t have kept on ya about it. I didn’t realize they were wiped out in the Time War. Please forgive me.”

The Doctor shook his head.

“You don’t have to ask for forgiveness, Martha.” He said gently. “You’ve done nothing wrong. I…I…”

He sighed.

“I’m sorry, but this is hard on me having a companion again. I never should have offered a trip in the first place. It’s not fair for you to travel with me when I’m like this.”

“Doctor, I’m glad you offered to take me with you. I love being here.”

The Doctor smiled weakly at her.

“Thanks.” He said.

“Look, I understand what you had with Rose, I really do.” She said gently. “From what I’ve heard, you two had a really close relationship and…”

She paused as she looked into the Doctor’s eyes and saw he was doing it again. He was looking straight at her, but she could tell he was a million miles away. She sighed guessing who he was seeing instead of her.

“Doctor.” She said gently.

The Doctor didn’t respond.

“Doctor!” she said more forcefully.

The Doctor snapped out of his reverie.

“Hmmm?” he said looking at her with wide eyes. “I’m sorry, were you saying something?”

“It wasn’t anything important.” Martha muttered.

“Oh well, in that case, back to deciding where to go, eh?” the Doctor said cheerfully.

Martha stared at the Doctor. She recognized the cheerfulness for what it really was. A mask to hide his feelings and his pain. She hadn’t traveled with him long, but she already knew he used this face as a barrier against the world. The fact that she had finally managed to get the Doctor to lift it long enough to tell her about himself and his planet still amazed her. She didn’t think the Doctor would open up like that to her.

I’m sure with Rose, it was a different story. She thought bitterly I’m sure he poured out his hearts and soul to her.

She sighed. She had told him she wasn’t interested in him and she thought she wasn’t, but the more she got to know him the more infatuated she was becoming. She could understand Rose falling head over heels in love with him. He was charming, sweet, knowledgeable, and cute as a button. What’s not to like?

Unfortunately, at the moment, I have about as much chance with him as a plasmavore does becoming a vegetarian. She thought.

She smiled at him as he stood in front of his computer screen, thinking.

Still, I’ve never been one to give up. She thought. So I’ll just keep on throwing my line out and hopefully one day I’ll land him hook, line and sinker.

She raised her eyebrow as the Doctor’s eyes widened and a goofy grin spread across his face.

“I GOT IT!” he yelled triumphantly. “OH YES! I KNOW THE PERFECT PLACE TO GO!”

He grinned like a little boy at Christmas as he punched in the coordinates.

“Hold on, Martha Jones, you are gonna like where we’re going next!” He said conspiratorially.

Martha grinned. Yup, she could definitely settle down with a man like him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(Back in Pete’s world…)

John looked over at the strange man as they sat side by side in the front seat of his car. After eating the supper they had cooked for him, the man had insisted on being driven into town for supplies. After tying up Mary in the basement, he had forced him out the door and into his car.

“What are you going to do to us?” John asked hesitantly as he glanced down at the strange looking gun resting in his lap.

“Nothing as long as you cooperate.” He said.

He looked directly at him and John gulped as the man’s brown eye bored into him.

“You will cooperate…won’t you?” he said pointedly.

John nodded.

“Good. All I want to do is lay low for awhile and when the danger to me is passed, I’ll be on my way. As long as you do what I say, no harm will come to you or your wife, is that understood?”

“Yes, sir.” John said meekly.

“Excellent. And now, we’re going to exit the car and go in here for supplies. Just a quick run and we’re outta here. Got that?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Then, get out and no tricks. I have no qualms about killing you right here and now so remember that before you try anything.”

John gulped and nodded.

Keeping the gun out of sight below the dashboard, he kept it trained on John as he opened the door and stepped out. He waited until he was standing on the sidewalk before he put the blaster beneath his coat, opened the door and got out.

“Inside.” He said gruffly as he pointed to the nearby shop.

John nodded and went inside as the man followed close behind him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rose shoved her hands in her pockets as she walked down the sidewalk.

“Should I just go ahead and start searching for him?” she muttered to herself. “Or should I wait?”

She wanted so much to run off and find him. She had visions of falling into his open arms and filling the familiar warmth as he closed them around her body. But, her mum’s and Pete’s words kept coming back to her.

“I can’t be rash.” She muttered. “I gotta think things through. After all, he’s not my Doctor. He’s a different Doctor and I can’t keep thinking he’ll treat me the same way my Doctor treated me.”

She shook her head.

“I refuse to believe he’s a criminal though.” She said. “The Doctor isn’t evil so why would this version of him be evil. It’s impossible.”

As she turned a corner, something inside told her to look over. When she did, she stopped short.

“Oh my God, it can’t be.” She said when she spotted a familiar looking man coming out of a nearby shop carrying a bag in his hands.

Tears came to her eyes as she watched him and another man walking to a car parked in front of the shop. As he sat the bag on the roof and opened the driver’s side door, she suddenly couldn’t contain her joy any longer. Throwing all caution to the wind, she hurried across the street as she screamed out…

“DOCTOR!”

Chapter Six

The Doctor jumped and stared at the strange woman hurrying across the street towards him.

“Rassilon, they found me already?” he muttered

He paused. The woman didn’t look like a Gallifreyan; she looked human. But, he had never been to this planet before, how could the woman know who he was? His hand went down to his side and his fingers flexed as he readied himself to fire his blaster if need be.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know you. I think you made a mistake.” He said to her as she stopped in front of him.

He cast a warning glance at John when he noticed he was trying to sneak away and smirked when he froze in his tracks. He turned his attention back to the woman.

“I know you don’t know who I am,” She said. “But I know you. My name is Rose Tyler and you are the Doctor.”

The Doctor placed his hand on his blaster inside his coat.

“Please, before you go, just hear me out.” Rose pleaded. “I know it sounds crazy, but what I’m about to say to you is the God honest truth.”

The Doctor took his hand off the blaster for the moment, but kept it nearby.

“Like I said, you don’t me but I know you and the reason I know you is…because originally I came from an alternate universe.”

The Doctor raised his eyebrow, but remained quiet.

“And in that universe, I met an alternate version of you and you invited me on board your TARDIS and eventually…I…uh…we fell in love.”

The Doctor stared at her. John looked at him and began to inch away when he saw this woman had his full attention.

“I’m sorry. We did what?” the Doctor asked her.

Rose smiled. He had the same voice too.

“We fell in love.” She repeated gently.

The Doctor stared at her. He figured the humans were off their rockers, but this was a bit much. Still, the woman seemed to trust him and he knew that trust was a thing that could be readily exploited. So, he restrained himself from killing her outright and listened to what she had to say.

“So…why are you here?” he asked. “Why aren’t you with this other Doctor now?”

He frowned when he noticed tears coming to her eyes.

“We got separated. I got pulled into this dimension after I helped him save my Earth from a Dalek and Cybermen invasion and the gap closed so we have no way to get back to each other.”

“Yeah…”

“So, now I’m stuck here working at this place called Torchwood and yesterday this delegation from your planet came to visit us and told us they were looking for you because you were a criminal and they asked my boss and me to help them find you.”

The Doctor’s hand went back on the blaster.

“But…you don’t have to worry. I’m not gonna tell anyone you’re here.” Rose said quickly.

The Doctor frowned.

“Really? And why is that?” he asked.

“Because I don’t believe you’re a criminal. My other Doctor wasn’t a criminal, but his people thought he was and I know your people think the same way. So I want to help you hide from them.”

His hand went off the blaster.

“Why are you doing this?” he asked warily. “Why do you want to help me so badly?”

“Because I love…well, I love the other version of you and I don’t want to see you get caught and executed for some misunderstanding and…”

She shuffled her feet.

“I want you to take me with you.”

“Take you with me?” the Doctor said confused.

“Yeah, you know, take me in your TARDIS after this whole thing has been sorted out. I want to travel with you again…or well, I guess it would be a new thing for you. Unless…you had a Rose too?”

The Doctor shook his head.

“No, I’ve never met you before in my lives.” He said.

“Oh, well, can I still come with ya then?” she asked hopefully.

The Doctor stared at her wondering if this was some sort of trap devised by his people. She had said she worked at this Torchwood so maybe she was sent to stall him and give them enough time to apprehend him. Yet, she looked and sounded sincere. Maybe she was telling the truth. And if she was willing to help him, then that could be useful as well. Very useful. He decided to play along; at least for the time being.

“Um…yes…if you help me escape from here, then I’ll take you along in my TARDIS.” He said.

He gasped when Rose threw his arms around him and sobbed with a mixture of joy and relief. Unsure what to do, he gave her back two quick pats.

“Oh thank you, you won’t regret this!” Rose said, stepping back.

“Um…no, I probably won’t.” the Doctor replied.

“And I hope in time you can learn to love me the way my other Doctor did.” She said.

Rassilon, My other self was in love with a human? He thought. How wimpy can you get?

Still, he was never one to look a gift horse in the mouth especially when the horse was this eager to help him escape.

“Maybe I will.” He said shrugging. “Why don’t we get to know one another first though before we share a bed or something?”

“Oh, oh, yeah, I mean, we’ve only just met here so I don’t expect us to be a couple. It took awhile for the other Doctor and me to fall in love too. But…”

She beamed.

“I’m just so glad I found you again, Doctor.” She said.

“I’m glad I found you too.”

My naive little helper. He finished in his head.

Rose looked around him as she finally noticed that John was missing.

“That man that was with you, he’s gone now.” She said.

The Doctor spun around and cursed in Gallifreyan when he saw she was right.

“Was he a friend of yours?”

The Doctor turned back to her.

“Um, no, I don’t know the guy.” He said quickly.

Rose frowned. She pointed to the bag on top of the car.

“But you were carrying his bags out, weren’t you?” she asked.

“Um…well…I was just being…helpful.” The Doctor replied. “He had a full load and…I thought I would just help him so he wouldn’t have to make two trips.”

Rose smiled.

“Aw, that’s so sweet of you.” She said laying her hand against his cheek.

The Doctor resisted the urge to pull away and forced a smile onto his face.

“I know. I’m a very sweet guy.” He said hating the words as they came out of his mouth.

“Yes, you are.”

The Doctor grinned. This Rose was more gullible than he thought. He no longer cared if John got away. Let him go to the police. The little fool in front of him would hide him and protect him, and all he had to do was act like her other Doctor and lead her on.

Who knows? He thought Maybe I can get this lovesick human to do other things for me as well; like steal and kill. And if she ends up getting killed…well, it’s her fault for being too trusting, I guess.

In order to keep up the ruse though, he had to have more information about this other Doctor.

“So…” he said as casually as he could. “Your other Doctor was on the run from his people, as well?”

“Oh no, by the time I met him, his people were completely wiped out.”

The Doctor did a double take.

“What?” he said not sure if he heard right.

“There was this Time War between the Gallifreyans and the Daleks and Gallifrey ended up being destroyed. The Doctor was the only survivor.”

“So…he’s all by himself in this other reality?”

Rose nodded.

“And…there’s no way for us to get over to this other universe?” the Doctor asked.

“I don’t think so.”

“Are you sure of that?”

“I don’t think so. Why?”

“Oh, just curious.” The Doctor said quickly. “I just thought it was fascinating that the Doctor was the last Time Lord in your dimension.”

And if he is the last Time Lord maybe I can figure out a way to get over there and kill him. He thought. And then with nobody around to pester me, I can do what I want when I want and no one will stop me.

“Um…Rose…” he said as casually as he could. “I don’t want to sound insensitive, but…wouldn’t you rather be with your old Doctor instead of me? I mean, with me, you’ll have to start from scratch relationship wise and I mean who knows if it’ll be the same with me as it was with him. Wouldn’t it be better to try to find a way over into your old dimension instead?”

“But, how? My Doctor told me if he came through with his TARDIS, both universes would collapse and be destroyed. That’s why he hasn’t come back to get me.”

The Doctor grinned. He knew just the thing.

“Weeeeell, actually I know a way we can go between universes and do it safely.” He said.

Rose’s eyes were as wide as dinner plates.

“You do?” she asked barely containing her joy.

“Oh yes, but it’ll be risky.” He said. “But I’m sure seeing your Doctor again is worth it?”

“Oh God, yes.”

The Doctor smiled. This was way too easy.

“Well, see, on Gallifrey there is this library I know of that has a book that contains a schematic for making a machine to cross dimensions.” He said.

He was telling the truth. He had considered getting the book after escaping from his cell so he could cross into another dimension and escape, but the alarm had been sounded and there had been no time.

I’ll have loads of time now though. He thought. I’m sure those idiots would never think of me going back to Gallifrey especially if they are looking for me here on Earth, and besides, I have a gullible little human standing in front of me who is desperate to get back to her Doctor. She’ll do just about anything to be with him, sounds like.

And judging from the overjoyed expression on her face, he was absolutely right.

“Oh God, you mean there might be a chance I could see my Doctor again.” She said in disbelief.

“Yes, but you have to help me, Rose. And some things we might do may not be on the level. We’ll have to steal the book, for one. Are you okay with that?”

“For a chance at seeing my Doctor again, I’ll do anything.” Rose replied.

The Doctor smirked.

Who knows? If I worm my way into her heart enough she might not mind if I kill her Doctor. She’ll probably stay with me willingly. He thought. But if she doesn’t, then she can die as well. It makes no difference to me.

“Then, Rose, if you are willing to help me get this book and the materials we’ll need to construct. I’ll be willing to construct it and take you back across the void to your reality so you can be with your Doctor again. Okay?”

“Yes!”

Rose let out a squeal and threw her arms around the Doctor.

“Oh God, Doctor, thank you.” She gushed as she hugged him tight. “Thank you so much.”

The Doctor smirked as he held her.

“You’re welcome, Rose.” He replied.

The smirk widened when she pulled back and looked at him happily.

At last I’ll finally be able to escape from this dimension. He thought and a stupid little ape is going to help me do it.

Chapter Seven

The Doctor yawned and stretched as the morning sun came through the slats in the boarded up window beside him. After they had finished their conversation, Rose had helped him find an abandoned building to hide in. After making sure he was okay, she had went home for the night.

The Doctor peered through a gap in the boards and watched the morning commuters walking in front of the building. He had time to relax now unlike the last couple of days. Rose had told him that she would lead her boss and the delegation away from his hiding place and return later in the evening with some bedding and supplies. The Doctor had pretended to be grateful and had even forced himself to kiss her cheek knowing that It would endear herself to him and cement her trust. If he was going to use her, he had to be sure she wasn’t going to betray him at some point. He needed her help to get over to the other dimension and kill the other Doctor.

He snorted to himself. Before leaving, Rose had told him more of her Doctor and from what he had heard, he figured that his alter ego was nothing more than a wimpy goody two shoes. Instead of using his TARDIS to plunder and rule the universe, he was going around helping people and fighting monsters.

“How pathetic can you get?” he muttered.

For a brief moment, he imagined himself convincing the other Doctor to become like him and join forces.

“Nah, from what Rose told me, I doubt the little Boy Scout would go for it.” He said. “Better to just put the stupid prig out of his misery and take control of his universe.”

The Doctor settled back and reached into the bag beside him. He pulled out some crisps, opened the bag and munched on them while he thought out how they were going to get the book from the library.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(The Other Universe…)

Martha flopped down onto the bed in the spare room the Doctor had given her. She let out an angry sigh and shook her head.

“Guess that just proves there’s someone for everyone.” She said. “God, that sounded so idiotic, and what’s worse, I got him to think of her again.”

She lay back on the bed and put her hands behind her head.

“As if he doesn’t think of her enough without me helping him.” She said. “God, I get so tired of hearing him talk about Rose nonstop. The woman is gone and from what I understand, she’s not coming back. He needs to learn to let go of the past and move on.”

She rolled over onto her side.

“Even if he doesn’t move on with me.” She added. “I just wish he could get past her.”

“But I don’t want to get past her, Martha.”

Martha rolled over onto her back and stared at the Doctor who was standing in the doorway.

“Doctor, I…”

“You don’t know Rose. You don’t know what it was like being with her, so you have no right to criticize me for not moving on with my life.” He said angrily.

“Doctor, I’m sorry. It’s just that she’s in the past now and—“

“Oh no,” the Doctor interrupted. “She is very much a part of my present. Whenever I go to sleep, she’s right there, talking to me and telling me how much she loves me. Whenever I step outside those TARDIS doors, she is right beside me in spirit. When the carrionite caused you to pass out, she tried to guess my real name and when she didn’t, she taunted me with Rose’s name instead, and as I told her, it was a big mistake because that name keeps me fighting and you know what, Martha, it does. Knowing that she is alive and well and living her life gives me the strength to go on. If she had died that day, I don’t know what I would have done or where I would be right now. She meant more to me than any companion I’ve ever had and losing her shook me to the core of my very being.”

He walked over to the side of the bed and glared down at her.

“And you being jealous of a woman you’ve never even met strikes me as both childish and petty. I warned you when you first entered this TARDIS that you would not be replacing Rose and you agreed to that. You also told me that you weren’t interested in dating aliens, so I don’t understand why you are so upset that I talk about her. Talking about her and keeping her memory alive makes me happy and brings me comfort. Now I don’t know what your intentions are regarding me, but I can assure you I have not missed the flirting you’ve been doing. I may be grieving and in pain, but I’m not blind, Martha. I don’t want another romantic relationship right now and I doubt if I will want one ever again. So you are just wasting your time and effort trying to pursue something that will never happen.”

“Doctor, I’m sorry, I really am. I just…I hate seeing you grieving over Rose like this. I’m sorry if I do seem jealous, and I know what I said, but these past few trips have been amazing, and you’re an amazing man and I don’t know, I feel myself falling in love with you.”

“Then I think it’s time for you to leave, Martha Jones.”

Martha stared at him in disbelief.

“What?”

“You heard me. I gave you four trips when I offered you only one. I gave you a generous reward in return for saving my life, and now it’s time for you to leave and pursue your medical career.”

“Doctor, wait, please—“

“I will take you home now, Martha Jones, so you can return to your life, and that will be that.”

Without another word, the Doctor turned and walked out of the room leaving Martha staring after him in stunned silence.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(Pete’s World…)

Rose opened the door and peeked inside making sure her mother and Pete were nowhere in sight. Seeing no one was around, she closed the door behind her and hurried towards the stairs. She wanted to stay long enough to get some bedding for the Doctor and a few other things he might need and she didn’t want her mother and Pete asking her any questions. She reached the stairs and started up.

“Rose, there you are.”

Rose stopped short and turned to look at her mother who was walking out of the kitchen.

“You’re home early.” Jackie said.

“Yeah, just for a moment though mum, I have to go back and catch up on my paperwork.”

She paused.

“And…um…Jill from work is working late as well so she asked me to spend the night with her so I’m going to get a blanket and some pillows and head over there after I’m done, okay? So, don’t wait up for me.”

She started up the stairs.

“Did you find him?”

Rose paused.

“Find who?”

“The Doctor.”

Rose put on a neutral expression.

“No, didn’t find him, mum.” She said as calmly as she could.

“Oh, well, I’m glad, frankly.”

Rose sighed.

“Mum…”

“He’s dangerous, Rose.”

“No, he’s not!”

“Rose, I was watching the telly and they had a man on the news saying that him and his wife had been held hostage in their home by a man, and he managed to escape from him and alert the authorities.

“Yeah, so?”

“When they showed the police sketch of the man, it looked exactly like the Doctor.”

Rose frowned.

“What? That can’t be right.” She said.

Jackie sighed.

“Rose, I’ve seen the Doctor enough times to know what he looks like and that was him. The only thing different about him from our Doctor was the eye patch and the scar on his face. Other than that, he looked exactly the same. Rose, they’re saying that he took these people hostage and threatened to kill them. Now, please listen to me and don’t go looking for him by yourself. You’re gonna get killed!”

“Mum, it’s got to be a misunderstanding. The Doctor is on the run from his people. They want to execute him for crimes he didn’t commit.”

“How do you know he didn’t commit them?”

“I just…know, alright?”

“No, it’s not alright! This Doctor is a criminal, Rose! The man told the police that the Doctor threatened to kill him and his wife with some kind of gun. Has your Doctor ever used a gun?”

“A couple of times.”

“Did he threaten to kill anyone?”

“Yeah.”

Jackie folded her arms over her chest.

“Were the people he threatened to kill innocent bystanders who were just minding their own business when the Doctor burst into their house?”

“Um…no…”

“Yeah? Well, these people were, Rose. He is not your Doctor! Not everything here is the same as it was on our Earth and that includes the Doctor. Now, if you are being ordered to look for him then do it, but for God’s sake, Rose, take people with you! Don’t be foolish, Rose! I don’t want to turn on the telly and find the Doctor holding you hostage somewhere. Think!”

Rose sighed. She didn’t know what to think. She knew her mother was right, but still something inside her was telling her the Doctor was innocent. Still, she decided to play along if only to get out of the house.

“Alright, mum, you’re right. I won’t look for the Doctor on my own.” She said.

“Oh thank God, you’re finally listening to reason.” Jackie said.

She went up the stairs and embraced her daughter.

I am going to ask the Doctor about all this. Rose thought. Just to ease my mind and put my fears to rest once and for all.

Chapter Eight

(Pete’s World…)

The Doctor looked out the window while he drank a bottle of Coke. Swallowing, he grimaced at the taste.

“Ugh, humans actually drink this stuff?” he said.

He took another swallow.

“Still, it’s better than nothing, I suppose.”

He looked over as Rose entered the room.

“Oh, you’re back. Good. I--”

“Tell me the truth, Doctor.”

The Doctor frowned.

“About what?” he said.

“Why are your people after you?”

“I…I don’t know. They seem to think I’m a criminal and—“

“Are you?”

“Well…no, I’m not a criminal, Rose.”

“Then why did you hold a man and his wife hostage in their house?”

The Doctor cursed under his breath. He knew he should have killed John when he had the chance.

“It didn’t happen like that, Rose.” The Doctor said trying to keep calm. “It’s all a big misunderstanding. I needed shelter and so I asked that man and his wife if I could spend the night. I carry a blaster with me for protection and I guess the man thought I was holding them hostage with it.”

“The man…he was the one with you when I first saw you?”

“No, that was someone else. I’m not a criminal, Rose, honestly.”

“Your people think you are.”

“Well, my people are wrong.”

He leaned forward.

“Didn’t you mention that your Doctor had also been falsely accused several times and put on trial?”

“Yes.”

“So, in his reality, he was also branded a criminal, yes?”

“Well, they called him a renegade.”

“Well, that’s what they also call me. I’m a renegade.” The Doctor said.

Forcing down the revulsion he felt inside, he stood and took Rose’s hands in his. He stared into her eyes trying to look as emotional as he could.

“Rose,” he said. “I’m on the run because my people don’t understand me. They see me as a threat to the universe when all I want to do is help.”

He forced himself to put his hand against her cheek.

“But you know differently, don’t you?” he said in a soft voice. “You know I would never do the things they accused me of, right?”

Rose stared into his good eye and saw that the Doctor was being sincere. She nodded.

“I believe you, Doctor.” She said. “I know you’re not evil. You couldn’t be.”

The Doctor beamed and Rose felt her heart skip a beat. If it weren’t for the scar and eye patch she would swear it were her Doctor standing in front of her. She felt her eyes tear up when the Doctor began to stroke her cheek lovingly.

“I’m so glad you trust me, Rose.” The Doctor said. “I can see why my double fancies you so much, I think I’m beginning to see what he sees.”

He leaned forward and gave her a peck on the cheek.

“Now,” he whispered in her ear. “What about your boss and the delegation, did you give them the slip so we can make our escape?”

“I didn’t go in to work today.” Rose replied. “I left so my mum wouldn’t suspect and I went to a pay phone and called in sick. Then, I waited a few hours and went back for some bedding for you. That’s when my mum saw me and told me that the police were looking for you.”

“And what did you say to your mum about you being home?”

“I told her I was going to work late and spend the night with a friend and I was home to pick up some bedding to take over to her house.”

The Doctor looked at her hands.

“And the bedding?”

“It’s in the hallway by the door.”

“Okay.”

“I got a torch and a couple of books too. I figured you could pass the time while we wait to go.”

“Actually, I want to leave late tonight.” The Doctor replied.

“Oh, I didn’t know you wanted to leave so soon. I wouldn’t have brought the bedding otherwise.”

“No, no, it’s okay. I need some sleep before we go. I appreciate everything you did.”

He kissed her cheek and smirked when he heard Rose let out a contented sigh.

“What time do you want to leave?” Rose asked.

“Around midnight. That way, there won’t be many people out and we won’t be detected.”

Rose nodded.

“What about you, where will you go?” the Doctor asked.

“Um…well, if you don’t mind, I’d like to stay here and get a nap as well.” She said.

The Doctor shrugged.

“Fine with me. Just go ahead and I’ll go to sleep in about an hour or two.”

Rose nodded. She gave the Doctor a friendly peck on the cheek.

“I’ll see you later then.” She said.

The Doctor nodded. He watched as Rose headed into the other room to get the bedding.

“Sucker.” He said.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(The Other Universe…)

The Doctor lay on his bed staring up at the ceiling. He hated what he had said to Martha. He didn’t want to be harsh towards her especially since she was a nice person and a great help to him, but he was tired of her jealous looks and her long exasperated sighs whenever he mentioned Rose. He knew it was irritating for her to constantly hear about how great she was and how much he missed her, but he loved her more than anything and talking about her made her come alive again in his mind. He knew it hadn’t been fair to ask Martha to accompany him. He hadn’t been ready to take on another companion. He still had a lot of grief and pain to work through, but Martha had saved his life and he was grateful for that and the obvious reward was a trip in the TARDIS. He had gone through one adventure with Donna and she had left right after that so, he reasoned, why should Martha be any different? Except Martha was different. Unlike Donna, she didn’t shriek and thrust Rose’s shirt in his face and ride his back demanding he get her to the church on time. She was sweet and smart and in a lot of ways exactly like Rose. He sometimes caught himself envisioning Rose after Martha had said or done something that she would have said or done and he had to bring himself back to reality, embarrassed that he had let himself drift off to his own little dream world again. He hated that he had gotten angry with Martha and told her that he was taking her home, but Martha deserved better than this. She needed to get on with her life and he needed to continue to piece together his.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

DW Fanfic: Daleks: Great for Practical Jokes PG-13 Parts 1-2/?

Tue, 01 May 2007 18:54:27 GMT

TITLE: Daleks: Great for Practical Jokes

FANDOM: Doctor Who

RATING: PG-13

PAIRING: 10/Rose

SUMMARY: Bored Doctor and Daleks equal loads of fun!

DISCLAIMER: DW doesn't belong to me. I'm making no money off of this.

Chapter One

“Shhhhh….”

The Doctor looked back at Rose as they stood outside the walled city of the Daleks on New Skaro.

“Doctor, are you sure you wanna do this?” Rose whispered.

He peeked around the corner of the wall and saw a lone Dalek guarding the entrance to the city. He listened a moment and grinned when he heard soft, metallic snoring coming from the Dalek.

“I didn’t know Daleks sleep.” The Doctor muttered to himself. “Heh, learn something new every day.”

“Doctor.”

He looked back at her.

“I’ll be alright. Don’t worry about me. I just wanna play this one little prank and then we’ll be off.”

Rose sighed and peeked around the wall as the Doctor crept towards the sleeping Dalek. He paused a moment and stifled his laughter as he affixed a piece of paper to the back of it. Standing up, he waited a moment more listening to the soft snoring and then with a grin, he raised his hand and slammed it down hard on the top of the Dalek.

“TAG, YOU’RE IT!” he screamed.

He giggled as he watched the confused Dalek wake and began to swivel his eyestalk around. He waved as the eyestalk finally focused on him.

“IT IS THE DOC-TOR!” the Dalek screamed.

“CORRECT-O-MUNDO!”

He grimaced.

“Oh blast, I used that word again!” he muttered.

He patted the Dalek on the head and ran into the city.

“IT IS THE DOC-TOR!” the Dalek said giving chase. “HE MUST BE EX-TER-MIN-A-TED. STOP HIM! ALERT! ALERT! THE DOC-TOR IS NEAR-BY. HE…OW!”

The Dalek stopped short as he felt a laser blast hit him in the back. He swiveled around and saw a Dalek hurrying away from him.

“WHAT ARE YOU DO-ING?” He said to the Dalek. ”YOU JUST SHOT ME! PAY AT-TEN-TION. THE DOC-TOR IS NEAR. HE…OW!!”

He swiveled back around when he felt another laser blast hit his back and saw another Dalek hurrying off.

“WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?” he demanded. “WHY ARE YOU SHOOTING AT ME! SHOOT THE DOC-TOR. HE…OW!!!”

He swiveled around when he felt another laser blast and was about to chase the offending Dalek when he was shot in the back again.

“WHAT IS GO-ING ON?” He said swiveling back around. “WHY ARE YOU SHOOT-ING AT ME? I AM NOT THE DOC-TOR, ID-I-OTS! THE DOC-TOR IS GET-TING AWAY! SHOOT HIM! OW!!!!”

The Dalek let out a stream of Dalek curse words when he felt another laser blast on his back. By now, the Daleks were giggling as they hurried away from him.

“I WILL RE-PORT YOU ALL! THIS IS NOT FUN-NY! I AM ONE OF YOU! QUIT SHOOTING AT ME! I…”

He swiveled around and noticed a piece of paper floating to the ground beside him. Curious, he glided over and focused his eyestalk on it. It said in big, bold letters…

SHOOT ME

The Dalek stared at it for a moment in confusion and then it suddenly dawned on him.

“DAMN YOU DOC-TOR!” He screamed. “I WILL GET YOU FOR THAT.”

He looked around at his fellow Daleks who by now were all laughing hysterically.

“I WILL RE-PORT YOU ALL! THAT IS NOT FUN-NY! YOU LET THE DOC-TOR GET AWAY! I WILL NOT BE MADE FUN OF!”

Mumbling curses, he glided away as the Daleks jeered and taunted him.

Meanwhile…

“Oh man, that was great!” the Doctor said as he got into the TARDIS and shut the door. “The Daleks are great for practical jokes!”

“You’re just a big kid, you know that.” Rose said.

“Yup, I am.” He replied.

He kissed her on the top of the head.

“Now, let’s get out of here before the Daleks find us.”

He paused.

“Let’s go find Jack, in fact. He’s always good for a laugh.”

The TARDIS dematerialized into thin air as loud Dalek cursing filled the air of New Skaro.

Chapter Two

The Doctor winced as the TARDIS landed with a thump on New Skaro.

“Shhhh…not so loud, girl. I don’t want Rose to wake up.” He said.

The TARDIS burbled an apology. The Doctor patted her console in reply and she gave another happy burble.

“Keep an eye on my Rosebud, I’ll be right back.” He said to the TARDIS.

He headed to the doors and peeked out. He was once again outside the walls of the city. Peeking around the corner, he saw the usual sentry guarding the entrance. Whistling, he strolled up to him.

“IT IS THE DOC-TOR! EX-TER-MIN-ATE!” the sentry yelled.

He shot at the Doctor. The Doctor casually sidestepped the blast and walked up to the Dalek.

“YOU WILL NOT ESCAPE DOC-TOR!” the sentry said angrily. “I WILL DESTROY…”

The Dalek was silenced as the Doctor pushed a tiny button on the side of its head and the metal casing slid apart to reveal the true Dalek inside.

“WAIT! WHAT IS THE MEAN-ING OF THIS? HOW DID YOU OPEN MY AR-MOR?”

The Doctor said nothing. Casually he reached inside and plucked the slimy, squid-like creature from its resting place.

Tucking the Dalek under his arm, he strolled back to his TARDIS.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rose walked down the hallway towards the TV room. She paused outside the door when she noticed the Doctor was already sitting on the couch.

“Oh great, now I have to argue with the Doctor over the remote.” She muttered as she entered the room.

She paused when she noticed there was a purple, slimy mass resting on a newspaper beside him. As she neared the couch, her eyes widened as she suddenly realized what the purple mass was.

“Oh my God, is that a Dalek?” she said pointing to it.

“Shhhh, my new pet is trying to watch the telly with me.” The Doctor said.

He looked down at the Dalek.

“Isn’t that right, Spot?” he asked him.

“I WILL GET YOU FOR THIS, DOC-TOR!” the Dalek said telepathically to him and Rose.

The Doctor grabbed a rolled up newspaper sitting on the coffee table in front of him and thwacked the Dalek’s head.

“Bad Spot! You don’t threaten your master like that!” he said thwacking him repeatedly. “Bad, bad Dalek!”

“Doctor, have you gone insane?” Rose said sitting down on the other side of him. “That’s a Dalek!”

She gasped as the Doctor thwacked her on the head with the paper.

“Bad Rose! You don’t question your master’s sanity like that!” he said thwacking her repeatedly. “Bad, bad, companion!”

Rose grabbed the paper from his hand and flung it across the room.

“You see that, Spot.” The Doctor said to the Dalek. “She grabbed that paper out of my hand. I’m gonna have to send her to obedience school now.”

“YOU WILL NOT GET AWAY WITH THIS, DOC-TOR! I AM NOT A PET! I AM A DALEK! MY PURPOSE IS TO KILL YOU AND DE-STROY! I WILL NOT BE HU-MIL-I-ATED! I…”

“SHHHHH! Daddy’s trying to watch a program on the telly!” he said to it.

He looked at Rose.

“I guess I’ll be sending Spot to obedience school too.” He said to her.

“I s’pose you think you’re clever.”

The Doctor raised his eyebrows.

“Yes, I am clever. Extremely clever. Why, was that in debate at some point in time?” he asked shocked.

“Doctor, we are not keeping a Dalek as a pet.” She said pointing to it.

“Why, I let you keep Mickey in here.”

“Mickey is not an ugly, purple piece of snot.”

She quickly jabbed her finger in the Doctor’s face.

“Don’t you dare say it.” She said when she saw the Doctor’s smirk. “I know a smart arsed remark is about to come out of ya and believe me I will give you the mother of all slaps if you say it!”

The smirk fell off the Doctor’s face and he neatly folded his hands in his lap.

“Thank you.” Rose said lowering her hand to her lap.

“HE ISN’T AN UGLY, PURPLE PIECE OF SNOT? I HADN’T NOTICED!”

Before Rose could react, the Doctor leapt up and over the coffee table and ran out the door.

Rose sat and listened to the Doctor yelling back “NAH, NAH, CAN’T CATCH MEEEEEEEEEEE!” She looked at the Dalek.

“I can understand why you want to kill the Doctor so badly. Sometimes I feel like doing that myself.” She said to it.

“THEN JOIN US, ROSE TYLER. BECOME A DALEK AND WE CAN EX-TER-MIN-ATE THE DOC-TOR TO-GE-THER!”

Rose stared at the Dalek for a moment as she considered that.

“Nah, on second though, I don’t wanna become an ugly, purple piece of snot.” She said as she grabbed the remote and changed the channel.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, back on New Skaro…

A group of Daleks clustered around the abandoned armor and examined it.

“WHAT HAP-PENED TO LOUIS?” One Dalek asked. “HE WAS SUP-POSED TO BE ON GUARD DU-TY AND NOW HE’S GONE.”

“MAYBE HE STEPPED OUT TO GO TAKE A PEE.” One Dalek offered.

“WE DON’T HAVE TO PEE, MORON. WE’RE BLOODY DALEKS!” another said hitting him on the dome with his eyestalk.

“DON’T HIT ZEKE. HE CAN’T HELP BEING SLOW. THEY RAN OUT OF HU-MAN DNA, SO THE EM-PO-ROR DALEK COMBINED HIS DNA WITH THE DNA OF A BA-NA-NA.”

“WHY A BA-NA-NA?” the Dalek asked.

“THE DOC-TOR LEFT IT BEHIND ONCE, SO THE EM-PO-ROR DALEK USED IT AND NOW ZEKE IS AN ID-I-OT.”

“MAY-BE HE WENT OUT FOR A JOG!” Zeke offered.

All eyestalks turned to Zeke.

“OR THE DOC-TOR TOOK HIM BACK TO THE TAR-DIS AND MADE HIM INTO A PET?” he said.

“DON’T BE RI-DI-CU-LOUS, ZEKE! THE DOC-TOR WOULDN’T DO THAT!” another Dalek said.

“WHY NOT? WE MAKE GREAT PETS, DON’T WE?” Zeke said swiveling his eyestalk around to look at his fellow Daleks.

The other Daleks looked at each other and groaned.

COME ON; LET’S GO SOME-WHERE WHERE ZEKE’S STU-PID-ITY WON’T RUB OFF ON US!” One of the Daleks said.

Muttering in agreement, the other Daleks glided off and left Zeke alone.

“WHAT?” Zeke said, confused.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Spot’s eye looked around in terror. A few hours ago, the Doctor and Rose had landed, dropped him off and took off again. He stared fearfully at the television cameras pointed at him and looked up at Kevin Brauch who was standing near him.

“Welcome back to Iron Chef America.” He was saying to the camera. “I’m Kevin Brauch, your floor reporter and if you remember, we told you before the break that today’s ingredient was squid, and now Masaharu Morimorto is about to slice up this hefty specimen and fry him in oil. And here he comes now.”

Spot’s eye widened in terror when he saw a huge Japanese guy standing over him with an enormous butcher knife.

“OH SHIT!” he said as the knife came towards him.

DW Fanfic: Doppleganger...PG-13 Parts 1-4/?

Tue, 01 May 2007 18:46:26 GMT

Chapter One

Rose’s eyes snapped open. She sighed as she reached over and shut off the alarm. Day had dawned and with it another mind-numbing workday at Torchwood. She hated her job with a passion. After traveling through time and space with the Doctor it was hard for her to settle into the normal routine of going to work, coming home, eating and sleeping that other working adults did on a daily basis. After being stranded in the alternate universe and having to live her life like everyone else; she finally understood the Doctor’s aversion to domesticity. She would trade anything now for one more journey with the Doctor. One more chance to travel in time. One more planet to visit and one more monster to run from. But, sadly, she knew that would never happen. The Doctor was gone forever and she was left to pick up the pieces of her shattered life as best she could and move on like the Doctor wanted her to.

But that doesn’t mean I can’t make a fuss about my situation. She thought to herself as she headed downstairs to the kitchen.

“Mornin’ love.” Jackie said as she entered the kitchen.

Rose smiled at her and her “dad”. Pete looked up from his newspaper and gave her a polite smile. Rose returned it. Even though Pete looked like her father, she knew he would never truly accept her as his daughter. She was a stranger to him and that’s all she ever would be. No matter how loving she was towards him, he would never fully accept her as his own and the thought of that made Rose’s heart ache. She didn’t belong here. She had no place here with her mother and Mickey and this man who had reluctantly took her in. The only place she belonged was with the Doctor in his TARDIS. That was her true home and knowing that he might never come back made her even more depressed. Her life had gone from being an adventure to something she had to trudge through until the day she closed her eyes and mercifully left this plane of existence. Sighing, she sat down and accepted the plate of food from her mother. She ate quietly; painfully aware that all eyes were on her now; studying her, evaluating her, making sure she was all right. It irritated her to no end. She knew they were wondering if she was thinking of committing suicide and to be honest she had entertained the thought many times. But she knew that the Doctor wouldn’t want her to do that. He would want her to be strong and face life head on and find some happiness out of it. Although, right now that seemed like a pretty tall order.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Have a good day, love.” Jackie said, kissing her cheek as Rose tried to slip past her out the door. “Don’t work too late. I don’t get to see you that often anymore, you know.”

“I know.” Rose replied. “But since I’m the so-called alien expert I get stuck with a lot of the work.”

“Well, that ain’t right.” Jackie said angrily. “I don’t care how much of an expert they think you are. They need to give you a break. You ain’t gonna be good to anyone when you drop dead of exhaustion.”

Rose sighed.

“I’ll talk to Ianto and see if I can get my work load eased a bit.” She said. “I don’t know how much good it’ll do though since Ianto depends on me and my knowledge of aliens. We have a delegation coming from Phraxia 10 and he wants me to go with him and welcome them to Earth. Plus, there’s a few other alien sightings we have to catalog and also a lady supposedly saw this demon hound somewhere near Nottingham and I have to travel there to check it out and…”

“No! You do not have to travel anywhere!” Jackie said angrily. “You tell Ianto or whoever is in charge that they need to lay off ya and give you a break! I don’t see you enough as it is and I don’t want you droppin’ dead of a heart attack from overwork! You tell them enough’s enough. You hear me, young lady?”

Rose nodded wanting to get the conversation over with. She was tired of hearing her mother going on about the amount of work they gave her. In truth, she always had the option of declining any assignment she was given; but the more she worked, the less time she had to think about the Doctor. She knew her mother worried about her being a workaholic and what it was doing to her health, but she really didn’t care anymore. This was her life and she was old enough to live it the way she wanted to.

“I gotta go, mum. I’ll be late.” Rose said.

Jackie nodded. She embraced her daughter and held her tight.

“Just remember what I said.” She said in her ear.

“I will, mum.” She replied.

Jackie released her from her embraced and smiled at her. She sighed and leaned against the doorframe as Rose silently turned and walked down the sidewalk towards the car.

“Oh Rose. I hope someday you do get over the Doctor.” She said softly. “Otherwise I’m afraid you’re gonna end up dying of heartbreak.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rose stood up, stretched her back and headed towards the cafeteria to eat her lunch. She smiled at her coworkers as they waved and called out to her. She paused a moment and waited when she saw her friend Randy hurry towards her.

“Hey, it’s the alien expert.” He said.

He laughed as Rose rolled her eyes.

“So, you help ET phone home today?” he asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

“Nah, I just beamed up Scotty and went through the Stargate. The usual stuff, you know.”

They nudged each other and giggled as they headed towards the cafeteria.

“Wonder what they’re having for lunch today?” She asked Randy.

“Eh, probably dog food.”

He laughed as Rose made a face.

“Nah, probably not dog food. That’d be too good for us.” Randy said with a mischievous grin. “Probably chopped up a diseased horse and made it into meatloaf or something.”

“You are disgusting, you know that?” Rose said as Randy snorted out laughter. “Honestly, I don’t know why I put up with you.”

“Because I make you smile?” Randy said.

Rose thought for a moment and then nodded.

“Yeah, you do.” She said.

“Good, especially since there isn’t much to smile about around here. Especially with Dictator Ianto running the show.”

“I heard that.”

Rose and Randy stopped short. They slowly turned and saw Ianto standing behind them.

“Oh, hi boss!” Randy said nervously. “I didn’t realize you were back there!”

“No, obviously not, Henderson judging from that last comment you made.” Ianto said eyeing him.

Randy swallowed hard. He glance over at Rose.

“Meet you in the cafeteria.” He said.

Rose’s mouth dropped open as she watched him quickly run away. She looked back and saw Ianto was staring at her intently.

“Hi…Mister Jones, sir.” She said hesitantly.

“Ms. Tyler.” Ianto said nodding at her. “I’m so glad I happened to catch you. I have another assignment for you.”

Rose groaned.

“Look, Mister Jones, I really can’t, okay. My mum isn’t too happy with my workload as it is and I…”

“I understand your mother’s concerns, Ms. Tyler. However, you have proven yourself time and again and there is no one else I can trust to handle this.”

Rose sighed. Her mum was not going to like this.

“What is it, sir?” she asked resigned to her fate.

Ianto smiled.

“I need you to welcome another delegation this afternoon and to sit in on a meeting with them.”

“It’s not the Phraxians?” she asked.

“No, this delegation has come to Earth on the spur of the moment.” Ianto replied. “They are looking for a criminal that has fled here and need our help to catch him.”

“Oh yeah? Where are they from and who is this criminal they’re after?” Rose asked.

Rose’s heart almost stopped beating as she heard Ianto say...

“The delegation is from Gallifrey and they said the criminal was someone called the Doctor.”

Chapter Two

Rose glanced up again at the clock for the hundredth time. The meeting with the delegation from Gallifrey was going to start at 1 and ever since Rose had gotten back from lunch she had been checking the time constantly eager to get in there and find out what they had to say about the Doctor.

The Doctor. He was here in this universe. She could hardly contain her joy.

Would he look the same?

Would he know her?

What had he done to make his people call him a criminal?

So many questions spinning around in her head; it was all she could do to keep her mind on the paperwork in front of her.

For the first time in a long time she felt hopeful. If she couldn’t be with her Doctor, then maybe this Doctor would take her in. The thought of traveling with the Doctor again and escaping the dullness of the 9 to 5 workday made her so ecstatic she couldn’t help but let out a girlish squeal.

“Oi!” Randy said peeking over the cubicle at her. “If you’re gonna sit and squeal over the latest pop star instead of doing your work, would you mind keeping it down for the rest of us?”

“For your information, I’m not squealing over a pop star.” Rose said looking up at him.

“Oh, what are you squealing over then?”

Rose’s smile was as wide as her face.

“I think I’m going on holiday.” She said. “A very long holiday.”

Randy raised his eyebrow.

“What? The workaholic is actually going to take time off?”

He leaned his head into her cubicle and narrowed his eyes.

“You are Rose Tyler, right? You aren’t an alien replicant or a robot of any kind?”

Rose giggled.

“No, I’m still the same old Rose Tyler.”

“Damn, and here I though we were getting an upgrade.”

Rose flinched at the word upgrade.

“Well have fun.” Randy added. “I envy you. I wish I could get away from dictator Ianto for awhile.”

“Ahem.”

Randy looked over and saw Ianto standing by his cubicle.

“Oh, hello sir.” Randy said sheepishly.

“I heard you talking about your desire for a holiday, Mister Henderson. Keep making snide comments and you’ll be taking a permanent one. Is that understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good.”

Rose bit her lip as she heard Randy sit down. Ianto gave him a stern look and then moved on to Rose’s cubicle.

“Ms. Tyler, we are ready for the meeting.” He said.

“Yes, sir.”

Rose quickly gathered up her things and walked with Ianto towards the conference room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rose could barely contain her laughter.

She and Ianto stood in front of the Gallifreyan delegates and she couldn’t believe the outfits they were wearing. All of them wore long, red robes that almost touched the floor and jet black skullcaps on their heads. They looked completely goofy and it took all the control Rose had not to laugh right in their faces. Was this what people wore on the other Gallifrey as well? If it was, she was glad the Doctor never wore it.

“Councilor Thanis, welcome.” Ianto said to the leader.

“Thank you, Mister Jones. It is an honor to be here.” Thanis replied.

He gestured to the other two members of the delegation.

“These are my associates; Councilor Bartok and Councilor Mantua.

“We are happy to have you here.” Ianto replied.

He looked at Rose.

“This is Rose Tyler. She is an expert on aliens and alien civilizations.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you.” Thanis said nodding at her.

“It is a pleasure to meet you as well.” Rose replied.

Ianto gestured to their seats. He and Rose waited until they were all seated before sitting down.

“Would you like some tea?” Ianto asked. “I can call for Owen. He’s our tea boy.”

“No thank you, refreshment is not necessary.” Thanis said. “We wish to get down to business. Earth may be in danger at this very moment, so there is no time for pleasantries.

“Very well.” Ianto replied. “Then please tell us about this…Doctor.”

Thanis pulled a small black disc out of his robe. He sat it on the table in front of Rose and Ianto and pushed a button. Rose’s eyes widened with delight as a 3D holographic image of the Doctor hovered above it.

It was the Doctor.

Her Doctor; trench coat and all.

She could barely keep her composure. Even though it was only a hologram she couldn’t stop the tear that fell down her cheek. It had been several months since that day on the beach and every day since had been Hell on her. She had longed to see his face again, hear his voice, feel his arms around her and now here he was. A duplicate of her Doctor that she could touch and kiss and caress.

And better yet, he was here on Earth.

She prayed to God he was near.

As she stared at the holographic image, she suddenly realized there was something not quite right about his face. She couldn’t put her finger on it though. She stared at the tiny hologram for a moment, and then she finally noticed.

His right eye was completely white.

“Um…Councilor Thanis?” she said hesitantly.

Thanis looked at her.

“Yes, Ms. Tyler?”

“Is…there any way you can zoom in on the face?” she asked.

Thanis nodded. He pushed a button on the disc and the image changed from a full body view to the Doctor’s face.

Rose stared at the white eye and the scar that ran from the middle of his forehead down to his right cheek. Other than that, he looked exactly the same as her Doctor.

“Um…what happened to his eye?” she asked pointing to the hologram.

“He lost it during a battle on Arcadia.”

Rose’s ears perked up at the mention of the name.

“He was battling someone who had a sword and he managed to wound him and damage his eye before the Doctor killed him. The eye was replaced with a cybernetic version that can gather information about his surroundings and feed it directly into his brain. He also has limited laser capabilities with it in addition to the laser blaster he carries.”

Rose raised her eyebrow. That was another difference. Her Doctor never used a blaster unless he was forced to.

She stared at the hologram and noticed the hardened expression on his face; so different from the warm, loving look she was used to.

“Um…does…he travel with anyone?” she asked.

“No. We are not aware of any others that travel with him.”

Would he let others travel with him? Rose wondered.

“What exactly has this Doctor done?” Ianto asked.

“He is accused of several counts of genocide, murder in the first degree, piracy, and violating several of the Time Laws. The man is extremely violent and will resort to anything to get what he wants including murdering innocent civilians. He had been imprisoned on Gallifrey along with his TARDIS…”

“I’m sorry.” Ianto interrupted. “His what?”

Thanis opened his mouth to speak when Rose cut in.

“TARDIS,” she explained. “It stands for Time And Relative Dimension In Space. It’s the Doctor time machine.”

She glanced over at the delegation and instantly regretted speaking up, because now they were all looking straight at her.

“And how exactly do you know this, Ms. Tyler?” Thanis asked. “We have never been here before and we know of no other Gallifreyan who has visited in the past; so how exactly do you know about the TARDIS? He escaped his cell on the day of his execution and managed to get back to his TARDIS and escape. Are you one of the ones aiding the Doctor and hiding him on Earth?”

He narrowed his eyes at her.

“Speak!” he commanded. “What exactly do you know about the Doctor?”

A/N: Spoilers for Season 3 in this chapter!!!

Chapter Three

Rose groaned inwardly as four pairs of eyes bored into her. She should have known by now to keep her mouth shut.

“Well?” Councilor Thanis said. “How do you know about the TARDIS?”

Rose debated on whether she should tell them the truth. Would they even believe it?

“Out with it?” Thanis said when Rose didn’t respond. “Are you working for the Doctor?”

“N…No, I’m not.” Rose sputtered out.

“Then how do you know about the TARDIS?”

Rose shifted uneasily as she tried to think up a plausible answer.

“Rose Tyler is an expert on alien civilizations. I believe it is her job to know about things like this TARDIS.” Ianto said.

Rose stared at him thanking God that he had spoken up. She felt like throwing her arms around him and kissing him for that.

“Um…yeah,” Rose added. “I’ve studied all kinds of alien cultures and I’ve come across mentions of the TARDIS before. I remembered that it was an acronym that stood for Time And Relative Dimension In Space.”

The Councilors looked at each other.

“So you know nothing about this Doctor?” Thanis asked.

“Nothing about him personally. I know some basic facts about the Time Lords and that’s it.” Rose replied.

She paused praying that her answer was convincing enough. She let out a sigh of relief when Thanis nodded and continued on.

“Anyway,” he continued. “That is precisely what it means. It is a way for our people to travel through time and space and normally we use it to observe history, but the Doctor uses it for his own evil ends. We have had to send several Time Lords back into history to fix the damage that he has caused. We thought we were finally rid of him but as I said, someone helped him escape from Gallifrey and we are sure he is hiding here on Earth. We would like permission to search for him and we also would like your assistance. The Doctor is dangerous and we need all the help we can get.”

“Torchwood would be glad to assist you. I will put several of my men at your disposal and of course Rose will be happy to help as well.”

He gave her a pointed look. For once, though, Rose didn’t mind being given the extra work.

“I will help in any way I can.” She said.

The Councilors nodded.

“Thank you. And now we must bid you farewell. We need to go back and report to our superiors so we can begin the search. Time is of the essence and every moment we waste means the Doctor has more of a head start. He must be found before he causes irreparable harm.”

The Councilors rose and shook Ianto and Rose’s hand.

“We shall meet back here in the morning. In the meantime, if you see the Doctor, do not approach him alone. He will not hesitate to kill anyone who gets in his way.”

Ianto nodded. They stepped aside as the delegation went past them.

“If you have any plans, cancel them.” He said to Rose. “This search takes priority over all your other work or social functions.”

Rose nodded. She watched as Ianto followed the delegation out the door.

“Oh Doctor, I hope to God this is all just a misunderstanding.” She murmured. “I’d hate to find you again after all this time and find out you’re nothing but a psychopathic monster.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(Meanwhile…in another universe….)

“There, that oughta hold me for awhile.” The Doctor muttered as he dropped a heavy book on one of the tables in the TARDIS library.

Reaching into his jacket, he pulled out his glasses and put them on. Settling down in the chair, he opened up the book and coughed softly as dust flew into the air. Putting his elbow on the table, he rested his chin in the palm of his head as he began to read. He had gotten a few pages in when he suddenly heard someone clearing their throat. He looked up and saw Martha standing in front of him.

“Um…sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb ya.” She said sheepishly.” Um…I was just wondering where the kitchen was again?”

“Go down the hall, turn right and it’s the third door on the left.” He said gesturing to the door.

Martha nodded. She hesitated a moment and then inched around the table. The Doctor stiffened as he felt her come up behind him and rest a hand on his shoulder.

“Whatcha reading?” he heard her ask.

“It’s a history of the Dogon race.” He replied.

“Dogons? What are they like?” Martha asked.

The Doctor sighed. Martha meant well, but sometimes he wished to be alone with his books and his thoughts.

Rose would know. He thought to himself. She knew when I was in here that I was not to be disturbed.

He chided himself. Martha was only asking where the kitchen was. Still, he wished he had kept to his promise to take her on one trip and one trip only. He was beginning to resent her presence and her not so subtle attempts to flirt with him. He glanced over at the hand on his shoulder and resisted the urge to fling it away.

And now because of her and her stubborn insistence on knowing everything about me I’ve ended up telling her more about me than I wanted her to know. I should have just left her sitting there on New Earth. It was only one trip. Just one trip. Why didn’t I drop her off after we went to 1599? Why did I have to take her into the future? Why can’t I just resist the urge to take people along with me everywhere I go?

Because you’re afraid of being alone.

But I am not alone. Boe said so.

That wasn’t what he meant. He wasn’t talking about another Time Lord. If any Time Lords were alive, you would know it; wouldn’t you?

“Doctor?”

The Doctor was jolted from his thoughts. He looked up at Martha who was staring down at him with a concerned look on her face.

“You okay?” she asked worriedly.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just…there’s a lot I have on my mind, Martha, and I’d really appreciate it if you’d just leave me alone for awhile.”

He smiled at her.

“I’ll tell you about the Dogons later, I promise. But, right now, I need some alone time.” He said gently.

“Okay.” Martha said nodding. “I’ll go get myself a snack, then.”

The Doctor nodded.

“You want something?” she asked.

“No, I’m fine. Just go ahead and help yourself.” He said politely.

He stiffened again as Martha squeezed his shoulder and put her hand back down at her side. He sighed as he watched Martha go back around the table and out the door.

“Dammit, I can’t keep this up. One more trip and then that’s it. She’s going back to her time.” He muttered.

Oh, who are you kidding? You need her. You need someone with you to keep you company and keep you from going off the deep end just like Donna said. You aren’t about to drop her off.

The Doctor shook the thoughts out of his head and went back to reading. As he read, he suddenly found that he was reading the same sentences over and over about ten times before he would go on to the next one. Finally, he gave up and slammed the book shut.

“Bollocks! I can’t keep this up! I have to stop thinking of her!” he muttered to himself. “She’s gone! It’s over! She’s probably moved on now! Probably found a boyfriend or she’s back with Mickey now. She’s happy! She didn’t need you just like Sarah Jane didn’t need you. Sarah Jane moved on. She probably moved on. Now it’s time for you to move on as well.”

He shook his head.

“Except…I don’t want to move on.” He murmured to himself. “I want her here with me. I wanted her with me on the moon and when we met Shakespeare and when we went back to New Earth. I keep bringing her up around Martha and I know how rude and thoughtless it sounds but I don’t care. I love Rose and I want her here instead of Martha.”

A tear fell down his cheek.

“Oh God,” he moaned. “Why didn’t I follow my first instinct and let go when Rose did? Why didn’t I just follow her into the void? Then, Pete would have caught us and we both would have ended up on the same side. I would have been without my TARDIS but I would give it up in an instant just to be able to hold her in my arms again.”

He let out a sob.

“Oh, Rose. Please don’t forget about me. I’ll try to find a way back to you, somehow. If it takes me a thousand years I will figure out how to cross the void and get you back. Just have faith in me, please.”

Lowering his face into his hands, he wept softly as Martha watched, anguished, from the doorway.

Chapter Four

(Back in Pete’s World…)

The Doctor slowly opened the door of his TARDIS and peeked out. He waited while his cybernetic eye scanned the surroundings.

He relaxed when he heard a robotic voice saying no life forms detected in his mind. Opening the door, he stepped outside.

“I made it.” He muttered to himself.

He snorted as he looked around.

“Stupid backwater planet. They’ll never find me here.”

He smirked.

“All I gotta do is lay low until those idiots stop searching for me and then I can move on to another secure location.”

He closed the door of the TARDIS and looked at it. Thanks to his chameleon circuit, it now looked like an ordinary tree. Satisfied that it was undetectable, he turned and headed off in search of shelter.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Well, well, what do we have here?”

The Doctor reached the top of a hill and looked down at a quaint little cottage. He grinned as he noticed a light burning in one of the front windows.

“Good a place as any to hide out.” He muttered to himself.

He brought his hand up to reach into his jacket pocket and paused as he noticed the tattoo on the inside of his wrist. It was a red seal of Rassilon that was given to those facing execution. He scoffed at it and pulled his shirt cuff up over it before he reached into his jacket and brought out a small eye patch. Putting the eye patch over his cybernetic eye, he headed down the hill towards the house.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“I’ll get it Mary!” John said, rising from his easy chair when he heard someone knocking.

He strolled through the kitchen and paused at the front door.

“Who is it?” he yelled.

“Um, I hate to bother you, sir. But I’m traveling on foot, and I’m looking for lodgings for the night.”

“Try the inn. There’s one in town about a mile from here.” John yelled back.

“That’s too far. I’m tired. I’ve been walking all day. Can’t I just spend the night with you?”

“I’m sorry, sir. There’s no room. You’re just gonna have to keep on walking until you reach the inn. Now good night.”

John turned away from the door and headed back to the living room. Suddenly, there was a loud bang behind him and he turned to see the man coming through the open door. He stared at him in shock as he put a long, silver device back in his coat.

“I tried to be nice.” He said.

John gasped as he withdrew his blaster from a side holster and pointed it at him.

“I require lodgings and food.” He said. “You will provide them for me or you will die. Is that clear?”

John nodded.

“John, who’s at the…”

Mary paused in the kitchen doorway and stared at the man.

“Don’t scream or both you and your husband will die!” he said pointing the blaster at her.

He kept the blaster trained on them while he calmly closed the door.

“Now, that that’s sorted out. I believe I will have some dinner.” The Doctor said with a smirk.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jackie and Pete looked up as Rose entered the kitchen.

“Hello, honey, you’re home early for a change.” Jackie said, delighted.

Rose nodded and sat down beside them. She smiled at her sister, Ariel, as Jackie spooned some mashed peas into her mouth. She looked over at Pete and nodded a hello to him. Pete smiled at her and went back to eating his dinner.

“So, I’m assuming you told them that you need to take a break since you’re home early.” Jackie said.

Rose hesitated wondering if she should tell her the truth.

Couldn’t hurt, I guess. She thought. After all, if it does turn out to be a big misunderstanding and the Doctor is like the other one and if he asks me to go with him…

“Actually, I just got another assignment today.” She said.

Jackie and Pete exchanged glances. Jackie sighed.

“Rose, you’re gonna work yourself to death.”

“No, I want this assignment.”

“Yeah, that’s just it. You want every assignment you can get so you don’t have to think about the Doctor.”

“Mum, the Doctor is here.”

Jackie paused.

“What?” she said.

“There’s a Doctor in this reality. He just came to Earth today and my boss wants me to help track him down.”

Jackie and Pete looked at each other.

“Why do they want you to track him down?” Pete asked.

Rose sighed.

“They think he’s a criminal.” She said. “They said he’s committed murder and genocide and piracy and God knows what else.”

Jackie and Pete looked at each other.

“And has he?” Jackie asked.

“No, I don’t think he has. It’s just his people getting things wrong. The Doctor has killed before but it was always bad guys that deserved to die. That’s all it is and his people are twisting things around. He told me once that they thought of him as a renegade and that’s why he left Gallifrey.”

“But what if they are telling the truth, Rose?” Jackie said. “This Earth isn’t the same as the other one. What if the Doctor is different from your Doctor? What if he really is evil?”

“NO! I don’t believe that, not for a moment. I’ve been thinking about it all day and I just can’t see him doing the things they’ve accused him of doing. He isn’t like that, mum. He could never be like that!”

“Rose, luv, you really need to think about this logically.” Jackie said, laying a hand on her arm. “Until you know for sure he isn’t a criminal, you need to stay away from him. He might hurt you.”

“He’d never hurt me.” Rose said emphatically.

“Are you sure about that?” Pete said. “You don’t know this reality. Your mum is right. Things aren’t exactly the same here as it was on your Earth. Even if this Doctor isn’t a criminal, what makes you think he’ll want you to travel with him?”

“He…He has to say yes to that.” Rose said weakly. “I…He has to know who I am. Maybe there was a Rose and he lost her the same way my Doctor lost me.”

“There is no other Rose.” Pete replied. “The Rose in this reality was my other Jackie’s yorkie.”

“But what if my double was born to another family? What if I did exist and the Doctor did find me and we did travel together and I ended up missing or killed.”

“Rose, be sensible and quit grasping at straws!” Pete shouted. “You need to start thinking with your head instead of your heart; especially if this Doctor is the opposite of yours. You’re letting your love for the Doctor blind you to the fact that he might hurt you or at the very least not want you with him. Things aren’t the same here, Rose! Accept that!”

“NO!” Rose cried out as she leapt up from her chair. “The Doctor isn’t evil! I’ll never believe that! You’re just afraid that he might want me back and take me away! I’m going to help search for the Doctor in the morning and I pray to God I find him because I’d rather be with him than sitting here with you!”

Jackie and Pete watched as Rose ran out of the room.

“Stop her!” Jackie said when she heard the front door slam. “She’s making a mistake!”

“What am I supposed to do, Jacks; chain her to her bed? She’s an adult!”

“She’s your…”

“No, for the hundredth time, Jackie, she is not my daughter! She is yours! If you want to stop her, be my guest. But I’m not gonna get involved! If she wants to go running after the Doctor. That’s her business!”

Jackie leapt up from her chair. Glaring at Pete, she pushed it in and stomped out of the room. Pete sighed and shook his head as he heard the bedroom door slam.

“Jesus, and I thought life with my other Jackie was Hell.” He muttered

DW Fanfic: Life Imitating Art...PG

Tue, 01 May 2007 18:36:40 GMT

TITLE: Life Imitating Art

FANDOM: Doctor Who

RATING: PG

PAIRING: 10/Rose

SUMMARY: Rose watches a movie and sees the parallels between the movie and her own relationship with the Doctor.

DISCLAIMER: DW doesn't belong to me. I'm making no money off of this.

Rose sighed as she slowly walked into her bedroom aboard the TARDIS and sank down exhausted onto her bed. It had been one, long day defeating Mister Finch and his Krillatain buddies. Not to mention meeting Sarah Jane and K9. Rose sighed. She wished that Sarah Jane had decided to come with them. Even though she had been jealous of her at first, she did turn out to be a good friend and even better, she was someone who had been with the doctor before. She was someone she could confide in. She knew what it was like to be a human traveling with the Doctor. To see things that not many people on earth would believe existed. To know…

“I know how intense a relationship with the Doctor can be.”

Rose sighed as Sarah Jane’s words floated through her mind. The previous night came back to her. Her conversation with the Doctor in the parking lot and what he had said to her.

“You can spend the rest of your life with me, but I can't spend the rest of mine with you. I have to live on. Alone. That's the curse of the Time Lords.”

Rose bit her lip as she remembered the look of despair on the Doctor’s face as he said those words to her. Tears came to her eyes as she remembered what else the Doctor had said.

“I don't age. I regenerate. But humans decay. You wither and you die. Imagine watching that happen to someone who you—“

He had stopped himself there. But Rose knew. She knew what he was going to say and knowing that he had been unwilling to say it hurt her even more. After all, look at all they had been through. All the times they had hugged after being reunited. All the times they held hands to comfort each other and give each other support. All the looks that had passed between them and jokes they had shared. After all that, he couldn’t bring himself to admit his love for her? Rose did understand his reasoning. She knew he was right about him outliving her and how painful it would be to see her grow old and die but dammit, she didn’t care. Sarah Jane was right about the intensity. Never in her life had she felt a deeper love for anyone. Not even Mickey. She had been shocked at how angry she had felt when he had decided to come with them. She never would have felt that way before the Doctor came along. She used to love Mickey’s company, but more and more it seemed as though he was becoming an annoyance to her. Whenever he was around, he was always on her about the Doctor and her being so close. She was getting sick of it. And now that he was on board the TARDIS with them, she felt like now she would have to constantly watch herself around the Doctor so he wouldn’t fly off into a jealous rage.

Rose shook her head. She had to get these thoughts out of her head. She had to find something to distract her before she made herself crazy. Getting up from her bed, she walked over to the TV and DVD/VCR player the Doctor had provided for her. Glancing through her collection of DVD’s, she finally decided on Spider-Man 2. She put it in the player, went back to her bed and settled in as she tried to relax and forget about the Doctor for the next couple of hours.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Mickey looked around at the TARDIS control room as the Doctor finished putting coordinates into the computer.

“This is brilliant.” He said, grinning. “I’m finally going to have adventures just like you and Rose. No more being the tin dog. I’m gonna be Mickey Smith, Time Traveler.”

Mickey glanced over at the Doctor. He frowned as he noticed him staring absentmindedly at the front door.

“What’s up with you?” he asked him.

“I’m a little upset right now, Mickey, if it’s all the same to you.” The Doctor replied angrily as he continued to stare at the door.

“Why, cause we left that Sarah Jane behind?”

The Doctor sighed and glared at him.

“Yes, Mickey, cause we left THAT Sarah Jane behind!”

Mickey held up his hands.

“Whoa, don’t go off on me. She’s the one who decided to stay behind.”

“Yes, Mickey, and that’s why I’m upset; and you standing there and asking me dumb questions isn’t helping my mood! Now could you possibly find something to do and let me be by myself for awhile?”

Mickey shrugged.

“Fine with me, I’d rather go exploring anyway.”

“Yes, you do that.”

Mickey rolled his eyes, shoved his hands in his pockets and stomped off as the Doctor turned his eyes back toward the front door.

“Oh God, Sarah Jane,” he sighed. “Why did you have to turn up again? Saying goodbye to you again is even worse than saying goodbye to you the first time.”

Clasping his hands, he rested them on the TARDIS console, and lowered his head onto them.

“God,” he moaned. “Why do I keep allowing people to travel with me? Why do I torture myself like this? Rose was right. Eventually I’ll have to dump her somewhere too. I just can’t bear the thought of her growing sick and infirm in front of my eyes. That beautiful face slowly becoming lined and wrinkly; her beautiful blonde hair turning grey, seeing her walk become slower and slower; all the time knowing that one day she’ll take her last breath and I’ll have to stare into her empty eyes and hold her lifeless body. No, I just can’t risk it. I know it’s selfish of me to do that. I know it’ll be cold and cruel to just ditch Rose the way I ditched Sarah Jane and all the others, but in the end it’ll be good for her just like it was good for Sarah Jane. I let her go and look at her. She’s a reporter. She has a bright future ahead of her and Rose will have that too.”

He let out a derisive snort as he raised his head.

“Oh who are you kidding, Doctor?” He said to himself. “Rose is irreplaceable. She’s nothing like the others and you know it. Not even Sarah Jane got as close to you as she has. She’s one in a million.”

He sighed.

“And it’s because I love her so much that I have to let her go like all the others. She deserves someone who won’t be putting her in danger every minute. She deserves someone who can provide for her and give her a nice house, car, kids, and a future that doesn’t involve running from nightmarish monsters and wondering whether her next breath will be her last. She doesn’t deserve to be pulled into my private Hell like this. God, I’m sorry I even invited her in here in the first place. It would be so much easier if I did travel alone. It’s what I deserve after destroying my people. I deserve to float through time and space alone and miserable for the rest of my life for that.”

He looked up as the TARDIS rumbled angrily.

“And I don’t need your two cents, thanks.” He said to her. “I know how fond you are of her. I can hear you purr whenever she’s around me. So you don’t need to remind me about your feelings. Just concentrate on flying this ship, and let me have my little pity party in peace, okay?”

The TARDIS gave out one more irritated rumble before falling silent once more. The Doctor shook his head. Stuffing his hands in his pockets he decided to take a walk around the TARDIS to clear his head.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rose took a sip from the Coke can on the table beside her as she watched the movie. It was one of her favorites. The only problem was that as she watched the struggle Peter had with being Spider-Man and trying to decide whether or not to let Mary Jane into his life or to keep her at a distance and keep her safe; her thoughts kept coming back to the Doctor and what he had said to her. She had debated several times whether to get up and change the movie but something just kept compelling her to watch. She wondered if subconsciously she had chosen the movie because Peter and Mary Jane’s relationship seemed to mirror a lot of what she was going through with the Doctor. In the end she figured it wasn’t worth the effort to get up when she was nice and comfortable so she left it alone. She took another sip as she watched Spider-Man rescue Mary Jane from the collapsing warehouse and swing her away into the night. She allowed herself a grin as she imagined the Doctor wearing Spider-Man’s tights. She wondered if she could convince him to wear the costume for Halloween for a giggle.

Her smile faded as she listened to the next scene.

“I think I always knew...all this time...who you really were.”

“Then you know why we can't be together. Spider-Man will always have enemies. I can't let you take that risk. I will...always be Spider-Man.”

“You and I can never be.”

Tears ran down Rose’s cheeks. Feeling foolish, she rubbed them away as she watched Peter lower his true love down to a man she didn’t love anymore.

“Oh bollocks!” she muttered, as she wiped her eyes. “Rose, you git, quit crying. It’s just a stupid movie, for Christ’s sake!”

Reaching into the nightstand drawer, she found her box of Kleenex. Pulling out a few tissues, she wiped her tears away and blew her nose as she kept her eyes on the movie.

As she watched Mary Jane in her wedding dress staring at her own reflection with complete despair in her eyes, she felt the tears start up again and she wiped them away as fast as they fell thanking God that she was alone in the room.

As she watched Mary Jane running away from the church and towards Peter, a smile lit up her face. Her smile grew even wider as she listened to the next scene.

“Had to do what I had to do.”

“Mary Jane.”

“Peter…I can't survive without you.”

“You shouldn't be here.”

“I know you think we can't be together. But can't you respect me enough

to let me make my own decision? I know there'll be risks. But I want to face them with you. It's wrong that we should only be half-alive...half of ourselves. I love you. So here I am, standing in your door. I've always been standing in your doorway.”

“Isn't it about time somebody saved your life?”

“Oh God, Doctor. How I wish I could say those words to you without you getting freaked out. She just said exactly what I’m feeling in my heart.” She murmured to herself.

As the movie ended, she breathed a sigh of relief as she got up to turn the player off.

“Love that movie so much.” She murmured to herself as she hit the power button.

“I do too.”

Rose gasped and spun around to see the Doctor standing in her bedroom doorway staring at her.

“The Spider-Man movies are great.” He said.

He smiled at her.

“Not as good as The Muppet Movie though.” He said winking.

“How…how long have you been standing there?” Rose asked nervously.

“I’ve been here awhile. I decided to take a walk and I passed by your room and noticed Spider-Man 2 was playing so I decided to watch too. I was going to come further into the room, but you were so engrossed in the movie I didn’t want to disturb you.”

He came into the room and cupped Rose’s face. Rose gulped as the Doctor’s fingers rubbed away the tear stains from her cheeks.

“Rose, I heard what you said.” He said softly.

Rose sniffed. She tried to lower her gaze but the Doctor gently forced her to look at him.

“Rose…I know how you feel about me. I know you love me.” He said softly. “You don’t even have to say it. I can tell just by the way you look at me.”

Rose gulped and nodded.

“What about you, Doctor? Do you love me back?”

It was the Doctor’s turn to try to avert his gaze. He grunted when Rose pulled her face back to his roughly.

“I asked you a question, Doctor.” She said between sobs. “I want to know if you love me.”

The Doctor gulped.

“You know the answer.” He said softly.

“I want to hear it. I want to hear you say it, Doctor!”

“Why?” he asked, angrily. “Why do you need to hear it?”

“Because I want to hear it from your lips!” she yelled. “I need to hear it, Doctor! I need confirmation! I know I mean a lot to you; even more than Sarah Jane and all the others!”

“Rose!”

“I do. You never mentioned Sarah Jane before I met her. You never mentioned anyone else. I was shocked to find out there had been more, Doctor. I thought I was the only one. I thought the only reason you wanted me along was because you wanted me to be with you.”

“I do want you to be with me!”

“And you plan to ditch me whenever I get too old for you, is that it?”

She glared at the Doctor as he averted his gaze from her.

“Sarah Jane was right. Your assistants ARE getting younger.” Rose spat out. “You want them young so you can delay throwing out the door for as long as you can!”

Rose gasped as the Doctor seized her shoulders and jerked her roughly.

“I am not Peter Parker, dammit! And you are not Mary Jane! This is not some bleeding movie! This is real life! And in real life, the boy and girl do not always end up together at the end! I can’t be with you, okay? No matter how much you want me and how much I want you, the fact is, I am a 900 year old alien who travels around in a little blue box and you are a 19 year old shop girl from London! I’m glad that you decided to come with me and I’m grateful for every moment that we spend together but eventually you will have to go back to normal life and to your mother and Mickey and settle down because traveling in the TARDIS will not suit you when you are 80 years old!”

“No, Doctor, it won’t suit you, is what you mean!” Rose screamed back. “And I never said you were Peter Parker and I was Mary Jane. But what they went through in that movie is exactly what we’re going through now! I am trying to be a part of your life and you keep pushing me away because you’re terrified of losing me! But just like Mary Jane said, I am old enough to make my own decisions and believe me, I’m well aware of the risks being with you brings, but just the same I love you. I love you more than anyone in my whole life and I know you feel the same way. And you know what I think? I think the TARDIS brought you to London that day because fate wanted us to be together. I think the exact reason I’m here is because you were lonely and you needed someone. God or the TARDIS or whoever it was that brought us together knew what they were doing. We are so right for each other, Doctor. We’re even to the point where we’re finishing each other’s sentences and know exactly what the other is thinking. I don’t care that you’re an alien. I don’t care that you fly around in a blue box. I don’t care that you don’t have a regular house to go home to. Sod the stupid house. I’d rather go to 5 billion years in the future and see the earth explode in a ball of flame than live at home in a tiny, little house with a white picket fence and have you mow the lawn while I vacuum the floor and raise a pack of bratty kids. I love the adventures we have, Doctor. I have never in my whole life have never felt more alive than I have the past couple of years. I don’t care if I do grow old while you remain young or regenerate or whatever. I accept that as the price to pay for being with the man I love. Now what about you, Doctor? Aren’t you tired of being alone? Wouldn’t you rather have me for as long as I live, and delight in those few short years and the intimacy and love it would bring, than to push me away and dump me somewhere and then spend the rest of this life and the other lives to come being miserable and bitter and regretful?”

Rose stroked the Doctor’s cheek as tears fell down his face.

“Rose. I do want you. I do. I just don’t know if I can bear it if you got hurt or killed. I’ve nearly lost you several times now and each time it’s been like a dagger in my hearts. I dread the day I make a mistake or I don’t get to you in time and you…”

He closed his eyes and bit his lip as the tears flowed down his cheeks.

“I…”

He shuddered.

“I love you, Rose Tyler.” He moaned. “Oh God, I love you so much! I don’t want anything to happen to you! I don’t want to lose you!”

He threw his arms around her and drew her close.

“When Mister Finch was offering me the power to rule over time and space and to save everyone I love and make them immortal, I listened to him because I was thinking of you. I thought about how I could make you immortal and keep you young and we would be together forever. I would never have to see the day when I would have to mourn your loss. I almost gave god-like power to the Krillatane’s just so I could be selfish and keep you alive. If Sarah Jane hadn’t snapped me back to my senses, I would have done it too.”

He smiled and kissed the top of her head.

“So if the fact that I almost willingly gave control of the universe over to a bunch of bat people just so I could keep you with me for all time doesn’t convince you of my love, I expect nothing will, eh?”

Rose chuckled.

“Yeah, you had to have been hopelessly in love to listen to that lot. I don’t think I’d want to live in a universe ruled by their butt ugly selves.”

The Doctor laughed.

“Yup, me neither.”

“So does this mean you’re willing to give the relationship a try?”

The Doctor paused and thought. A smile spread across his face.

“Yeah, I think I do.” He said, stroking her hair. “I think you’re worth the risk of my hearts being broken somewhere down the line.”

He lifted her face.

“I’ll just be sure to savor every moment until then.” He said softly.

Rose smiled and their lips met in a long, passionate kiss.

“Oh no…no,no,no…”

The Doctor and Rose jerked apart and looked over at Mickey standing in the doorway.

“Mickey, old chap? Enjoy your little tour of the TARDIS?” The Doctor asked, smiling at him.

“I did…until I walked in on this.” He said angrily, gesturing to them. “I shoulda known this would happen!”

“What? Oh you mean the kiss?” the Doctor said innocently, as he glanced at Rose. “That wasn’t a romantic kiss.”

“Really? Look like it to me.”

“Oh no, honestly, I was…um…well, Rose here absorbed the energy of the TARDIS again and I had to draw it out of her. She’s…always doing that. Frankly it’s getting a bit annoying. But you know kids these days. You can’t keep them out of things.”

The Doctor looked at Rose who was trying to stifle her laughter and back at Mickey who was glaring at the Doctor.

“Well…now that I’ve…absorbed the energy of the TARDIS. I better go and put it back before I regenerate again. Don’t want that happening. So if you’ll excuse me, Mickey. I’ll be in the control room.”

He went to the door and turned to Rose.

“And you, young lady,” he said sternly, as he wagged his finger at her. “If I catch you prying open the control panel and sucking out all the energy again, I will turn this TARDIS around and go straight home to your mother. Is that clear?”

“Yes, Doctor.” Rose said, giving him a little pout.

“Good. I’m glad that’s settled.”

He looked at Mickey.

“Nice to have you aboard, Smith.” He said clapping a hand on his shoulder. “You’re first duty is to keep this little kleptomaniac away from the control panel. I’m tired of having to kiss her over and over to get the energy out. It’s wearing out my beautiful lips.”

He grinned at him and quickly hurried out the door as Rose burst out laughing. Rose followed after him pausing long enough to give Mickey a little peck on the check before she moved past.

“Dear God, What I’ve gotten myself into?” Mickey muttered. “Suddenly being the tin dog sounds pretty good.”

THE END

X-Files Fanfic: Mulder, the FBI Agent (Crossover with Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer)

Tue, 01 May 2007 18:33:49 GMT

This is one I just recently found again. It's a crossover between X-Files and the old Rudolph the Reindeer christmas special...

Mulder breathed a sigh of relief as Scully took a breath. His heart was in his throat. He thought for sure he had lost her. He leaned down, as Scully seemed about to speak

“Had ya big time.” She whispered in his ear.

Mulder grinned at Scully as she grinned back. This was the partner he knew and loved.

He looked over as suddenly the bodies around them in their ice prisons began to shake as the aliens within started to claw their way out. Mulder picked up Scully and helped her to run as they tried to escape what Mulder knew was going to be Hell on earth in a few moments.

He found an opening in the wall and saw a tunnel leading upwards in it. He boosted Scully up and followed her as soon as she was all the way in. He let out a gasp as he felt an alien grab at his ankle and he fought to kick it off. Suddenly a blast of cold air rushed down the vent and blinded the alien causing him to let go. Mulder scrambled into the tunnel and caught up to Scully. As they went up the tunnel, Mulder noticed a glowing light up ahead. He wondered what it was for a moment and then figured it was just the sunlight glinting off the ice and snow above. He grabbed his hand around Scully’s waist and helped her up to the surface of Antarctica.

Mulder blinked. Or at least he thought it was Antarctica. He didn’t remember a pine tree forest near where he had first gone underground. He frowned as he looked around.

“Looks like Antarctica to me.” He mused. “I mean there’s snow everywhere, its cold, there’s a castle in the distance.”

Mulder’s eyes widened.

“Castle?” he sputtered out.

He looked down at Scully who had the same look of confusion on her face as she stared at it too.

“Um, Mulder.” She whispered hoarsely. “I didn’t know the researchers here lived like that.”

“I didn’t either.” Mulder said. “But, where there’s shelter, there are people. And we need to get home right now, so I’m not gonna worry about it until later.”

Mulder and Scully began to walk towards the castle.

“Why, hello there.”

Mulder and Scully froze as they heard a voice behind them. They turned and both stared in shock as a tiny snowman wearing a bowler hat and a green vest, and carrying a banjo slid up to them.

“Welcome.” He said, “I am Sam the Snowman. Welcome to Christmas town.”

Mulder looked at Scully.

“Scully, that snowman is alive.” He said, pointing at him.

“And, you’re amazed, Mulder? After all you’ve seen?” Scully rasped out.

Mulder thought for a moment and then nodded. He looked down at the snowman and cleared his throat.

“Um, hi.” He said, hesitantly. “Um, please don’t hurt us, mister snowman with the banjo.”

Sam chuckled.

“Oh, I’m not gonna hurt you. In fact, it’s nice to see new faces up here. It gets pretty boring seeing the same old people all the time here at the North Pole.”

Mulder blinked.

“Huh? North Pole? We’re at the South Pole.” He said.

Sam laughed.

“Oh no, my friend, this is the North Pole. Over there is Santa’s workshop.” He said, pointing to the castle.

Mulder’s eyes bugged.

“Santa Claus? He exists?” he said, as he and Scully looked at each other and back at the castle.

“Why, of course, he exists, dear boy. Who do you think brings you presents on Christmas Morn?”

“Um…. My mom and dad.” Mulder said.

Sam chuckled.

“Well, they bring you some. But not all of them, Santa brings the majority of your presents on Christmas.”

“Uh…huh.” Mulder said, slowly. “Listen…um…Sam, we really gotta go now. Scully and I have just been through a lot. We’re just gonna go visit Santa and see if old Saint Nick has a working phone we could use.”

“Oh, I see.” Sam said, grinning at him. “Well, I’ll walk with you to the Castle then.”

“Okay, if you feel you have to.” Mulder muttered.

He tightened his grip around Scully as they trudged through the snow towards the castle. He looked down as he heard Sam begin to play his banjo and sing.

Silver and Gold

Silver and Gold

Everyone wishes for silver and gold

How do you measure its worth?

Just by the pleasure it brings here on earth…

Mulder and Scully looked at each other as they quickened their pace. Mulder looked down and groaned when he saw that Sam was keeping up with them as he strummed his banjo and sang. Mulder sighed and looked down at Sam who smiled up at them as he kept strumming.

“Who the Hell are you, Frosty the Snowman’s evil twin?” he cried out.

Sam’s eyes widened.

“Oh you want to hear Frosty the Snowman? Okay… Frosty the Snowman was a jolly happy soul…”

Mulder gritted his teeth and pulled Scully along as Sam continued to follow. They finally reached the castle doors and Mulder pounded on it furiously as Sam stood singing Frosty the Snowman to them. Finally, he gave out a sigh of relief as the door opened. His mouth dropped as he stared up at a huge white furry monster with a blue face.

“Jesus Christ!” Mulder yelled out as Scully let out a scream.

Suddenly a fat little man with a red mustache and beard appeared in front of him.

“Oh, don’t let this bumble scare ya. He’s a reformed bumble. He just puts the stars on top of the Christmas trees now.”

Mulder and Scully looked at each other and looked up at the monster who nodded and showed them a star. Mulder sighed as the monster put the star on top of Mulder’s head and pointed to it.

“See, that’s what he does.” The man said.

“Yeah, yeah.” Mulder said, taking the star off of his head and throwing it back at Sam. “Listen, we need to use a phone, mister…”

“Oh! Name’s Yukon Cornelius. I’m a prospector. I search for silver and gold. GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLD!”

Mulder and Scully swayed and held onto each other as a major earthquake suddenly erupted. As soon as he stopped talking, the earthquake stopped. They watched as Yukon suddenly threw his pickaxe into the air. It landed beside the door and Mulder made a face as he watched him pick it up and lick the pick.

“What the Hell are you doing?” Mulder said.

“I’m testing to see if there’s silver or gold on my pickaxe.” Yukon said. He sighed as he stared at the pickaxe disdainfully. “Nothin’” he muttered.

Suddenly Sam spoke up.

“Aw, isn’t that always the way. Well, what do you think of our friend Yukon. He’s always searching for gold and silver, silver and gold…. Silver and gold, silver and gold…everyone wishes for silver and gold…”

“THAT’S IT! MOVE ASIDE! I WANT IN THE FUCKING PLACE!” Mulder said, ramming into Yukon and head butting the monster out of the way. As Yukon and the monster fell on their Asses. Mulder pulled Scully inside and grabbed the door. He yelled at Sam who waved at them cheerfully.

“Go take that banjo and ram it up your…”

“Oh, visitors!”

Mulder slammed the door on Sam and turned around to see a little blonde haired elf with a blue suit and hat staring up at them. He ignored the monster and Yukon who were picking themselves up off the floor as he spoke to the elf.

“Listen, we really need a phone. Is there one available?”

“Sure!”

Mulder grinned. Then, his grin faded into a puzzled look as the elf stared at his teeth, intently.

“Oh, wow. You need a checkup.” The elf said, shocked.

Mulder stared over at Scully and back at the elf.

“I need what?”

“A checkup and fast. It looks like you haven’t brushed in awhile.”

Mulder sighed.

“Well, of course I haven’t been brushing. I’ve been in the fucking Antarctic trying to save my partner! I had no time for brushing.”

The elf’s eyes widened in shock.

“No time! Oh my, my, my! We need to get you looked at as soon as possible! You might have cavities by now!”

Mulder’s mouth fell open.

“I don’t have cavities, you demented little elf! I don’t have a phone either, which is why I just asked if you had one a few moments ago!”

The elf smiled.

“I said we do…”

Mulder sighed, feeling his blood pressure dropping.

“We have all kinds of phones. We have phones that ring and some you can pull along on a string and we’ve even been making some of those cell phones.”

Mulder’s eyes widened as he felt his blood pressure rise again.

“NO! I mean a real phone! A real fucking phone! Not a toy! I need to call my boss in Washington so we can get the fuck out of here! Now do you have an actual phone or not?”

“Um…no.”

Mulder’s shoulders slumped.

“Wonderful, just wonderful. Well, come on, Scully. Let’s go find a nice psych ward or something. Maybe they have a phone…or a couple of beds.”

“We do have a sleigh though.” The elf said.

Mulder stared down at him.

“Sleigh?”

“Yeah, you said you need to go back to Washington? Well, it’s Christmas Eve. Santa can take you in the sleigh and drop you off when he delivers toys there.”

Mulder blinked. He and Scully looked at each other. Mulder shrugged.

“Um, okay. If that’s our only option…” he said. “I need time to figure out how come we ended up on the opposite pole anyway.” He muttered as the elf beckoned them to follow him.

As they walked, Mulder and Scully began to hear sounds of merriment and sounds of hammering and sawing as they went further and further into the castle. The elf looked up at them.

“Oh, I’m Hermie, by the way.”

Mulder and Scully nodded hello.

“I’m Mulder and this is Scully.”

“I know.”

Mulder stared at him.

“How do you…” then he thought. “Oh right, you would know since you work for Santa…”

Hermie nodded. He stared at Mulder’s face.

“Sure you don’t want a checkup?”

“No, thank you, I don’t want a checkup. My teeth are fine!” Mulder snapped.

He stared at Hermie as he suddenly looked down at the ground and sniffed.

“Um, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for that to come across so harsh.” He said.

“No, I’m used to that. It’s just that I can’t get anyone to let me check their teeth.”

“Well, maybe they go to other dentists.” Mulder pointed out.

“Oh no, I’m the first dentist here. Well, not officially, because I’m not practicing yet. But I’ve been studying it. Oh, it’s fascinating! You have no idea! All those molars and bicuspids, and incisors.”

“Yeah, really intriguing.” Mulder muttered.

“But anyway, I’m used to people snapping at me. I’m just a misfit, I don’t fit in anywhere.”

Scully giggled.

“Gee, Mulder here is a misfit too. Aren’t ya?” she said with a wink.

“Ha ha.” Mulder said, dryly.

He looked over at Hermie and frowned when he saw Hermie’s face light up with joy.

“YOU’RE A MISFIT TOO?” he screamed.

“Um, well she just meant that as a joke, really…” Mulder said.

“I CAN’T BELIEVE IT!” Hermie said, jumping for joy. “Now Rudolph and I have someone we can share our stories with and our hopes and dreams and sing…”

“Oh God, no! No singing!” Mulder said, holding up his hand. “We had enough of it from that snowman outside.”

“Oh Sam. He’s nice. He loves to sing all day long.”

Mulder rolled his eyes.

“Yes, I guessed that.” He muttered.

He looked over as he saw a little reindeer with a red nose enter the room.

“Hey, Hermie. What’s up?”

“Rudolph, you won’t believe it! I found another misfit!”

Rudolph’s eyes got wide.

“You did? Oh, wow! Where is this misfit?”

Hermie pointed at Mulder as Scully snickered.

“Right here!” he said, grinning.

Mulder shot Scully a glare as Hermie and Rudolph began to dance around.

“We’re a couple of misfits, we’re a couple of misfits, what’s the matter with misfits, that’s where we fit in!” they sang.

Mulder groaned.

“Oh Jesus, I’m beginning to hate Christmas more and more with every minute.” He said to himself. “Um, could you please stop singing and dancing for a moment? I don’t like it.”

Rudolph and Hermie stopped singing and dancing. They looked at each other and shrugged.

“Oh, um…okay...” Rudolph said. “That’s the first time anyone’s ever asked us to stop though.”

Mulder snorted. He stared at Rudolph’s nose.

“Why do you have a light bulb on the end of your nose?” he asked.

Rudolph frowned.

“Light bulb? That’s my red nose…see?”

His nose suddenly started to glow as a weird high-pitched oooooooooo echoed in the room. Mulder looked at Scully and pointed to the nose.

“It’s a light bulb. You just turned on a red light bulb.” He said.

Rudolph’s jaw dropped.

“IT IS NOT! IT IS MY NOSE AND IT IS A VERY HANDSOME NOSE TOO!” he said, indignant.

Mulder and Scully both let out a sigh.

“Whatever, whatever.” Mulder said. “It’s a light bulb to me, but you’re the one wearing it and calling it your nose, so I’m not gonna argue.” He stared down at them. “Look is the sleigh going to leave soon, like in the next ten seconds?”

Hermie and Rudolph looked at each other.

“Um, it should be loading up now, shouldn’t it Rudolph?”

“Yup, it should be almost ready to go.”

Mulder breathed a sigh of relief.

“Thank God!” he said.

He and Scully followed Rudolph and Hermie further into the castle. They came to a large room and saw the sleigh and the other eight reindeer being harnessed to it. Rudolph ran up to the front and an elf with shades on took care of his harness as Rudolph’s nose glowed.

“Still say that’s a little light bulb.” Mulder whispered to Scully.

“I know it and you know it, but apparently no one else knows it.” Scully whispered back.

Mulder shrugged.

“As long as we get back to Washington, I don’t care.” He said.

Finally, the harnessing was done and they saw Santa come into the room.

“I understand, you need a ride.” He said to them.

Mulder cleared his throat.

“Um, yeah. Scully and I do need a ride back to Washington.” He said.

Santa nodded and pointed to the sleigh.

“Go ahead and get in then. I have another elf coming along with me as well. We have to make a quick stop at the Island of Misfit Toys and then we’ll head towards Washington.”

Mulder grinned.

“Thanks Santa, appreciate it.”

As he and Scully walked to the sleigh, he whispered to her.

“Island of Misfit Toys? What the Hell?”

Scully shrugged. They reached the sleigh and Mulder helped her inside before settling in himself. He watched as a short elf with dark hair jumped in the back where the sack was and then Santa climbed in. He nodded to two elves who opened a door in front of him and he grinned as Mulder and Scully saw a raging snowstorm outside.

“Looks like a real nasty storm! Good thing we have Rudolph to light the way.” He said.

Mulder leaned over to Scully and whispered in her ear.

“Yeah, I’m sure that 10 watt bulb he calls a nose will just illuminate the night sky once we get out there.”

Scully giggled.

They watched as Santa leaned forward.

“Ready, Rudolph?”

Rudolph looked back.

“Ready, Santa!”

Santa slapped the reins.

“Then it’s up, up and away….”

Mulder and Scully gasped as they felt the sleigh lift up under them. They sailed out the door and both of them cried out as the snow pelted their faces like tiny little daggers. Mulder blinked and looked over at Santa who had a huge grin on his face and singing to himself. He looked at Scully and gasped as he felt more snow hit his face.

“I think Santa ought to get a nice, heated, airplane or something…” He muttered as he hunched down inside his parka.

Through the blinding snow, all Mulder could see was a faint red glow coming from up front. He wondered how the Hell Santa was able to navigate by it. He figured Santa had eagle eyes or bat sonar or something.

After a few moments, Mulder and Scully opened their eyes as they felt a bump as the sleigh hit the ground. They looked over and their eyes widened as they saw little toys crying out for joy and running towards the sleigh. As they reached the sleigh, they hopped up and went into the sack behind them. Mulder looked back as Santa called out for Rudolph to start up again. As the sleigh lifted off, Mulder nodded at the toys who were peeking out of the sack.

“So you are the misfit toys?” he yelled out.

“Yes!” a little doll said. “We are finally getting off this island and finding new homes where a little boy and girl will love us again.”

“Why wouldn’t they love you before?” Scully yelled out.

“Because we’re all misfits.” The doll said.

“You are? Well, what’s wrong with you?” Mulder said, staring at the doll. “You look like an ordinary doll to me.” He pointed to a cowboy riding an ostrich who was nearby. “Him, I get. But I don’t see anything wrong with you.”

“Um, well, um…I’m not sure about me. But, I’m a misfit.” The doll said, emphatically.

Mulder rolled his eyes and turned back around. He turned around again as he heard the elf digging in the sack. He watched as he took a choo choo train with square wheels and attached an umbrella to it. Mulder and Scully gasped as he threw it overboard.

“Hey! That things alive! What did you do that for?” Mulder screamed out.

“We’re going to a new home.” A little bird with fish fins said.

“You’re odd looking.” Mulder said, staring at him.

“I know. I’m a bird that can’t fly. I swim.” He said, indicating the fish fins.

“I see…” Mulder said.

He watched as the elf took him in his hands.

“Merry Christmas.” The birdfish said, cheerfully. “I’m going to new home.”

The elf opened an umbrella and then studied the birdfish. He looked from the umbrella to the birdfish and then shrugging, tossed him over the side without the umbrella.

Mulder’s eyes bugged out.

“Hey! You didn’t give him an umbrella!” he said.

“He doesn’t need one. He can fly.” The elf said shrugging.

“NO HE CAN’T! HE JUST GOT DONE TELLING US HE’S A MISFIT BECAUSE HE SWIMS INSTEAD OF FLIES.”

The elf ignored him and dug again into the bag.

Mulder looked over the edge and looked back at Scully as she shook her head.

“Maybe toys can’t die?…” she said, hopefully.

Mulder sighed. Suddenly, he and Scully looked over at Santa as he spoke to them.

“We’re over Washington now.” He said.

Mulder breathed a sigh of relief until he felt the elf tie an umbrella around his neck and then Scully’s neck. His eyes bugged out as he screamed.

“No!! Set us down!! Set us doooooooooooooooown!

He and Scully screamed as Santa and the elf both pushed them overboard. They held onto each other in mid air as they could hear Santa above them saying…

“Merry Christmas!”

“Basssssstaaaaaard!” Mulder said, as he and Scully plummeted toward earth.

They gave out an “Oof” as their butts hit a huge snowdrift and they slid down it. They landed side by side and Mulder glared at the sky.

“I am going to ask Skinner to give me an assignment in the North Pole, just so I can go back and beat the shit out of Santa!” he yelled out.

“At least we’re home now, Mulder. Back in Washington where we belong.”

“Thank God for small miracles.” Mulder said, dusting himself off as he got up.

He looked over at Scully and frowned as Scully stared ahead with a wide-eyed look. He looked in the direction she was looking and his mouth dropped open as he saw that the Seattle Space Needle was looming above them.

“AW, SHIT!!!” Mulder screamed.

“Well, Mulder. You didn’t say D.C. You just said Washington.” Scully pointed out.

Mulder screamed out.

“DAMN YOU SANTA CLAUS!” as music suddenly started.

The camera panned out on Mulder’s enraged face as a song started.

Mulder the FBI agent

Had a very shiny gun

And whenever he used it

The bad guys would turn and run

All of the other agents

Used to laugh and call him spooky

They never let poor Mulder

Have an ounce of dignity

Then one foggy Christmas Eve

Mulder came to say

Santa with your suit so red

If I ever see you again, you’re gonna be dead.

Oh well, Scully still loves him

Even when he’s angry

Mulder the FBI agent

He’s as pissed as he caaaaaan beeeeeeeeeee.

(close up on Mulder)

“I’LL KILL ALL OF YOU, YOU FREAKS!”

(Music ends and fade to black)

THE END

DW Fanfic: The Blood Red Rose...PG-13 Parts 10-11/?

Tue, 01 May 2007 18:29:56 GMT

Chapter Ten

After getting both Rose and Jackie into their respective beds and checking to make sure they were all right, the Doctor walked back to the kitchen, slumped into his chair and put his head in his hands.

“Damn you.” He muttered to himself. “I’ll make you pay for doing that to Rose.”

He hoped she wasn’t aware of anything that had happened. He knew Rose would never forgive herself for hitting her own mother not to mention the fact that she would be horrified at the things she had said to him.

“I know you, Rose.” He murmured. “I know those weren’t your words coming out of your mouth. You don’t think that way.”

At least he hoped she didn’t.

He heard a sound and raised his head. His eyes narrowed with suspicion when he saw Rose standing across from the table looking at him.

“Doctor?”

He relaxed as he recognized it was Rose who was speaking and not Ian. His brow furrowed as he suddenly became concerned for her.

“Rose.” He said rising from the chair. “You need to lie down.”

“Doctor, what’s happening to me?”

The Doctor’s hearts ached as he heard the fear in her voice and he took her into his arms.

“It’s all right, Rose. I won’t let anything happen to you, I promise.” He assured her.

“But, what’s happening to me? The last thing I remember was you telling me you wanted to check out my dream and I just woke up and two hours have passed since then. I don’t remember anything, Doctor. What’s going on?”

The Doctor stared at her as he debated on whether or not he should tell her everything.

“Please, Doctor, I want to know. I can handle it.” Rose urged.

The Doctor nodded. He didn’t want to say anything but it was better for Rose to know what they were up against. Holding her against him, he cleared his throat and began to speak.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rose looked up at him as he finished speaking. He had told her everything except for what Ian had said to him when Rose was under his influence. Ian’s words to him had been too painful to think about let alone repeat.

“So, if we don’t come to him by midnight; he’s going to torture me.” Rose said

The Doctor nodded.

“Yes, if I don’t obey him and bring you to him; he’ll torment your mind.” He replied.

He stroked her hair watching silently as Rose processed everything in her mind.

“What are we going to do?” she asked.

“I am going to free you from his control and send him back to Hell. You are going to help me do that. That’s what we are going to do.” He said.

“Do you know how to go about that?”

“Not yet, but you know me, I’ll think of something.”

“Doctor, I’m scared. I don’t wanna become a vampire.”

The Doctor pressed her against him and kissed the top of her hand.

“You won’t become a vampire, my love.” He said softly. “I’ll die before that happens.”

Rose sighed as she listened to the beating of his hearts. She closed her eyes while the Doctor rubbed her back and planted feathery kisses on her face.

Rose threw her arms tighter around the Doctor thanking God that he had come into her life. The Doctor tightened his arms in response and began to rock back and forth as he laid his head on top of hers.

“So reel me in, my precious girl. Come on take me home. Cause my body’s tired of traveling and my heart don’t wish to roam.”

Rose was still for a moment and then she looked up at him.

“That’s beautiful.” She said. “Where is that from?”

“From me. I made it up.”

Rose’s eyes widened.

“You? You write poetry?” she asked in disbelief.

“Only when there’s something to inspire me.”

He looked down at Rose lovingly and grinned as he watched her face turn a deep red.

“What? You didn’t know you had a second job as a muse for me?” he said winking at her.

“No, I had no idea.” Rose replied, leaning her head back against his chest. “How does the rest of it go?”

The Doctor smiled and he recited the rest of the poem to her.

“That’s beautiful.” Rose said wiping the tears away when he finished.

“Told you I had a little muse inspiring me to write.”

“Have I inspired a lot of poems then?”

“Yeah, but that one is actually the cleanest one I’ve thought up.”

“What do you mean, cleanest?” Rose said as the Doctor giggled. “What have you been writing?”

The Doctor gave her a look of innocence.

“Nothing, nothing at all really.” He said.

“Really? Then recite one for me, then.”

“Well…I guess I could although they are really meant to be private.”

He thought a moment.

“You do know what a haiku is, right?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

“Well, this is one of many haikus I have thought up about you.”

He cleared his throat.

Angel is near me
Rose and I lay in the bed
Shagging out our brains
He giggled as Rose’s mouth fell open.

“What? I said they weren’t clean.”

He grinned and recited another.

Rose in the TARDIS
Standing beside her Doctor
While he feels her up

“Ha ha. Real funny.” She said as the Doctor snorted out laughter.

He gave her an impish grin.

There once was a girl name Rose…

“Alright, that’s quite enough. I think I get the idea.” Rose said, putting her hand over his mouth.

The Doctor shrugged and laid his head on hers.

“Doctor?”

“Mmmm?”

“Why do you think Ian hasn’t possessed me this time?”

The Doctor thought for a moment.

“Probably this is supposed to be our final moment alone before we become his immortal slaves or something.” He said.

He looked at her.

“You know, kind of a last goodbye between lovers before we turn into undead blood sucking drones.”

He rubbed her cheek.

“Because that’s what delusional bad guys do, you know. They are so confident they are going to succeed that they don’t mind their victims enjoying one last romantic moment together. I suppose it’s also a form of sick torment as well. We’re supposed to suffer, you know, knowing that it’s our last hurrah.”

He kissed her.

“But you just wait and see, Rose.” He said. “When it’s all said and done, we’ll be the ones having the last laugh.”

Chapter Eleven

Despite her protests, the Doctor finally urged Rose to go back to bed for awhile. As much as he wanted her beside him, he knew she would need her rest for what lay ahead.

While she slept, he sat on the couch and stared into space going through every scenario he could think of to free her from Ian’s control. He was so engrossed in his thoughts he didn’t realize that Jackie was behind him until she put a hand on his shoulder. He let out a startled yell and spun around.

“I’m…I’m sorry.” She said. “I didn’t realize you were that deep in thought.”

“No, it’s alright.” The Doctor said breathing a sigh of relief.

He looked up at Jackie’s face. Her left eye was swollen shut.

“How you feeling?” he asked.

“Aside from the fact that my possessed daughter knocked me out, I’m feeling just peachy.” She said sitting down in a chair beside him.

“Don’t worry, Jackie, we’ll get her back.” The Doctor assured her.

“Did you figure out a way to rescue her?” Jackie asked hopefully.

The Doctor sighed.

“The only thing I can think of is to offer myself in exchange for her life, but I don’t think he’ll go for it since he wants us both. It’s hard to do anything with her mind in his possession. It’s not like I can rip Rose’s brain from her skull and keep it from him. The mind is a tricky battlefield and I have to be very careful because he can torment or kill her at any time. That’s why I’m stuck.”

Jackie watched as he ran his hand through his hair in frustration. She smiled and reached up to pat his hand.

“You can do it, Doctor. You’ve saved Rose before and I know you’ll save her again.” She said.

The Doctor smiled his thanks and stared off into space once more. Jackie watched him for a moment and then got up to make some tea for them. As she went into the kitchen, she glanced at the wall clock and noticed that it was now nearing 9:30. Sighing, she opened the cupboard and reached for the tea.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jackie glanced up at the wall clock and saw it was now 11:20. Both she and the Doctor had gone through 3 cups of tea and they were no closer to figuring out how to free Rose. The Doctor sighed as he turned his head and glanced at the clock.

“I guess I better go wake Rose and prepare her.” He said grimly.

“There’s no need, Doctor. Rose is already awake.”

The Doctor and Jackie looked over as Ian walked into the room. The Doctor stood and walked over to him.

“And how am I supposed to bring Rose to you?” he asked trying to keep his anger under control.

“I will guide her and you will follow.” Ian replied. “And you WILL follow, Doctor. I can see through Rose’s eyes and you will stay with her every step of the way and behave yourself. Because if I see you missing from her side or if you try something…”

He gave him an evil grin.

“Well, something nasty just might happen to your little Rosie, eh?” he said.

The Doctor gritted his teeth as he muttered Gallifreyan curses under his breath. Ian took note of this and his smile widened.

“Come, my little Doctor. It’s time for us to meet at last.” He said.

Without another word, he turned and walked towards the door. The Doctor glanced over at Jackie.

“Take care of her.” She mouthed to him.

The Doctor nodded and gave her a reassuring smile before he turned his attention to Rose and followed her out the door.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor sighed angrily. He had been following Ian for the past half hour and every few minutes or so he kept looking back to see if he was still there; and now he was doing it again.

“Yes, I’m still with ya. You can stop checking up on me now.” He said annoyed.

“On the contrary, Doctor. I know how clever you are and any moment you could slip away and cause trouble so I have to keep checking up on you.” He said.

“I won’t do anything while Rose is under your control. Now quit staring at me and let’s get this over with, shall we?”

“Oooo, so eager to see your new master face to face? Well, then, how can I refuse?” Ian purred.

The Doctor rolled his eyes as he turned back around and resumed walking.

Think, think, think! The Doctor thought to himself Come on, Doctor, you gotta figure out a way to free Rose before it’s too late.

He sighed as Ian stopped ahead of him. He stopped behind him and stared at Rose’s back waiting for him to go on.

Oh, crap, he’s gonna start taunting me again. He thought to himself.

He folded his arms waiting for Ian to turn around and begin to taunt him. He frowned when nothing happened.

“What are you waiting for? I thought he were supposed to be at your place by midnight!” the Doctor said.

“Doc-tor?”

The Doctor’s eyes widened.

“Rose?” he said as hope swelled in his hearts. “Rose! Fight him! You can do it! Fight his control!”

“Doc-tor…I’m…try-ing.”

The Doctor quickly hurried around to the front of her body and grabbed her upper arms.

“Rose! Look at me!” he said urgently. “Look into my eyes! I’m here, Rose! Fight him! Fight him for both our sakes. You can do it! You are the Bad Wolf! You destroyed the Dalek Emperor; a vampire is nothing to you! Fight, Rose, fight!”

He grinned when he noticed that Rose was winning. His hearts swelled with pride and love.

“That’s it, Rose. I knew you could do it!” he said proudly.

His eyes widened in terror as Rose suddenly let out a scream of pain, grabbed her head, and fell to her knees.

“NO! DAMN YOU!” The Doctor screamed as he fell to his knees beside her.

He watched helplessly while Rose screamed and writhed in pain.

“NO! STOP IT!” he said desperately. “YOU’VE WON! DON’T HURT HER! WE WON’T RESIST! WE’RE YOURS! PLEASE STOP!”

The Doctor gritted his teeth as the scream of pain turned into gales of laughter.

“Damn you.” He muttered.

“You see, Doctor. Not even your pride and joy can resist me.” Ian gloated. “I am stronger than even the power within her. And after all that, all you got was the sight of your beloved in agony. There is nothing you can do to stop me apart from killing her.”

He rose to his feet and smirked as the Doctor did the same.

“Come along, Doctor. Time’s a’wastin’” he said gleefully.

The Doctor glared at him as he kissed him on the lips. Letting out a little chuckle, he beckoned to him as he moved past him.

“It isn’t over yet, Ian.” The Doctor muttered as he turned and followed him. “Just you wait.”

DW Fanfic: The Blood Red Rose...PG-13 Parts 7-9/?

Tue, 01 May 2007 18:28:31 GMT

Chapter Seven

After breakfast, Rose was feeling well enough to go to the mall with Jackie. The Doctor had declined to come along figuring Rose and her mother needed some alone time. Besides, he needed to think over everything that had happened since last night.

So after they left he went into Rose’s room, took off his trainers and settled down on her bed. Putting his hands behind his head, he stared up at the ceiling while he went over everything that had happened.

The first thing that bothered him was Rose falling asleep on a bench. When she had left to go on the walk, she had been wide awake, and he knew that even if the walk had made her sleepy it wouldn’t have knocked her out to the point where she didn’t remember even sitting down on the bench. The dazed expression she had on her face didn’t look like someone who had just woken up. It looked more like the expression he had seen on someone who had been hypnotized. Being hypnotized would also explain the baffling loss of memory.

The Doctor rose from the bed and paced around the room as he continued to think.

“If she was hypnotized, who did it and for what purpose?” He muttered to himself.

He picked up a stuffed Paddington Bear sitting in the corner and fingered its coat as he continued to think.

“The dream is also bothering me.” He said aloud. “Rose has had bad dreams before. But this one…I can’t shake the feeling that the dream has something to do with the events of last night.”

He sat the bear back down and walked over to the nightstand by Rose’s bed. He fingered the lampshade on her lamp.

“I wish Rose would let me go into her memories and take a look.” He mused as he ran his finger up and down the lampshade. “I wouldn’t go into any memories she didn’t want me to see. I just want to see the dream.”

He sighed as he sat back down on the bed.

“’Course I tried that with Reinette and she ended up finding out more about me than I wanted her to know.” He said lying back down on the bed.

He shook his head.

“Rose is different though. It wouldn’t matter if she saw my memories.” He mused.

He paused for a moment.

“Of course, there are some memories that not even Rose can see, but now that I know it is possible to read my mind I would be better prepared to shield those thoughts from Rose.”

He sighed. He hated keeping anything from Rose especially since she loved him and trusted him completely. But he was terrified if she saw some of the things he had done in the past and some of the dark thoughts he harbored in the deep recesses of his mind, she would run away screaming, and never come back. He knew she was curious to know about his past and he longed to share it with her. But he wasn’t ready to be that open. At least not yet.

Still, the chance to see the dream was worth the risk of exposing his innermost thoughts to Rose and he decided that he would ask her again when she got home.

He sat up on the side of the bed. The other thing that was bothering him was Rose’s behavior. She had never refused a kiss from him before and her turning away from him had taken him completely by surprise. Thoughts of Cassandra flashed through his mind as he pondered her odd behavior. After the incident with Cassandra on New Earth he had become more diligent about spotting odd little quirks in Rose’s behavior in case someone else got the bright idea of possessing her body. Her yelling at him he could chalk up to being upset about the dream, but not the kiss since Rose craved his affection and closeness whenever she did have a nightmare. He knew being in his arms and feeling his kisses comforted her whenever she got that way and her pulling away from him set off several red flags in his mind.

“Whatever happened to Rose happened when she took her walk.” He muttered to himself. “Because she was herself up until then.”

He let out a frustrated sigh. He hated being in the dark about something especially when it was something that concerned Rose. He hoped he would be able to figure out what was happening before Rose got hurt.

He lay back down. He was anxious for Rose to get home now so he could ask to read her mind. He regretted letting her go but he knew Rose valued her time with her mother and he couldn’t deny her that no matter how desperate he was to be near her. He put his hands on his chest. He would just have to wait till she got home. He only hoped that she would be understanding and not bite his head off when he asked. As he lay there staring up at the ceiling, he felt his eyelids growing heavy and a few minutes later he had drifted off to sleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Doctor, we’re home.” Jackie said as she opened the door and entered her flat.

She looked around as Rose came in behind her.

“Where is he?” she said dropping her bags on the floor.

Rose went past her and walked over to her bedroom. She glanced in and looked back at her mother.

“He’s in here asleep, mum.” She said.

“Good, at least he behaved himself while we were gone.” Jackie said, picking up her bags. “And the flat is in order, so I guess that means we haven’t had any alien invasion today.”

As she took the bags back to her bedroom, Rose entered her bedroom and looked down at the Doctor who was snoring softly. As she stared at him, she reached out her hand tentatively to give his hair an affectionate ruffle when she suddenly heard that voice in the back of her head.

Look at him. The voice said. Lying there like he owns the place. Why doesn’t he go away and leave you alone?

Rose shook the thoughts from her head and reached out her hand again to ruffle his hair. This time she succeeded and she smiled as the Doctor slowly opened his eyes and stared at her.

“Messing up my hair again?” he said softly.

Rose shrugged.

“I can’t help it. I love when your hair goes in a thousand different directions. It’s cute.”

She giggled as the Doctor rolled his eyes and smiled at her. He reached out and took her hand in his.

“Have fun at the mall?” he asked.

“It was alright. I mainly just went for mum’s benefit. I think the trip to the mall was just an excuse to spend more time with me.”

The Doctor sat up and smoothed his hair back down.

“Rose, I need to ask you something.” He said.

He patted the bed beside him and Rose sat down.

“Rose…I know you told me no earlier but…I really want to take a look at that dream you had so could you please let me scan your mind for it? I promise I won’t intrude on anything else.” He said gently.

“Doctor, I really don’t want to.” Rose said.

“I know, Rose. But, I think it’s important that I see it.” The Doctor insisted.

“Why? It’s just a stupid dream. It isn’t the first nightmare I’ve had.”

“I know that but I’ve had a bad feeling about things since I found you on that bench last night and I think the dream might hold a clue to that.”

He took her hands in his.

“Please, Rose, let me look.” He begged. “I wouldn’t be asking if I didn’t think it was important.”

Rose sighed angrily.

See. the voice said. He doesn’t care about what you. It’s all about him and what he wants.

Rose stared into the Doctor’s eyes and saw only concern and love reflected in them.

He’s not being selfish. She thought. He’s just worried about me.

How do you know that? What if this is a trap? What if he’s trying to get control of your mind?

“Get control of my mind?” Rose said aloud.

The Doctor stared at her.

“Is that what you think I’m planning to do?” he asked.

“I…no…it’s just a crazy thought that popped in my head just now.” Rose said dismissively.

She looked away as the Doctor studied her.

“I think there is something going on, Rose. I think something happened last night when you went out for the walk and I’m going to get to the bottom of it.” He said. “You’ve been behaving strangely and after what Cassandra did to you, I’m not taking any chances. Now, I can assure you that I’m not trying to take control of your mind and I think you know me better than that, anyway. All I want to do is see the dream, Rose. I know it’ll be painful bringing it up again but I promise I’ll back off if it gets too intense for you.”

He cupped her face in his hands.

“Please, Rose. If nothing else, just let me put my fears to rest.” He begged.

Rose sighed. She could tell there would be no living with him until he took a peek at the dream. Reluctantly, she nodded.

“Thank you, Rose.” The Doctor said gratefully.

He put his fingertips to her temple.

“Now close your eyes.” He instructed. “And open your mind to me so I can search. And if there’s anything you don’t want me to see, just imagine a door and close it. I promise I won’t go beyond it.”

Rose nodded.

“You still trust me?” he asked.

Rose hesitated a moment and then nodded.

“Because I promise I won’t alter your mind in any way or try to control you. I just want to see the dream and then I’m gone, okay?”

“Okay.”

She closed her eyes as the Doctor put his fingers to her temple.

“Relax, Rose. I won’t hurt you.” He said gently.

Rose took a deep breath and relaxed her body as the Doctor closed his eyes and concentrated.

She frowned as various memories started to flash one right after the other.

“Remember, you have the power to block anything you don’t want me to see.” The Doctor reminded her.

Rose watched her memories flicker through her mind as the Doctor searched for the dream.

“Come on, come on.” She heard him mutter. “Where is it?”

“How do you know what to look for?” Rose asked.

“I’ve done this before. I had a lot of practice.” He said.

Suddenly there was a flash and an unfamiliar scene popped up in her mind.

“Aha!” the Doctor said triumphantly. “Found it!”

Chapter Eight

“Hello? Is anyone there?”

The Doctor watched as Rose looked around the empty room. After he had located the dream, he had mentally projected an image of himself into it so that he could observe and explore without being restricted by the dream’s events. He came up behind Rose and watched her closely. Since it was just a dream, he went unobserved. He glanced around trying to determine the location of the dream. It was an old house, but it was unfamiliar to him. Still, he had a feeling that this house was more than just a random location. He had a feeling that it also tied in with everything else.

“Hello? Doctor, are you in here?”

“Rose.”

The Doctor and Rose both looked over at the door.

“Doctor? Is that you?” Rose called out.

“Rose. Come to me.”

The Doctor glanced at Rose’s confused face. Even though the voice was faint he could still make out the Scottish accent but that was because he had far better hearing than his companion.

“Doctor!” Rose screamed.

“Rose, it’s me. It’s your beloved. Come to me.”

The Doctor narrowed his eyes as his suspicions about the dream became confirmed. He knew now that this was no ordinary dream.

“Go to him, Rose, so I can get a good look at him.” He said as he noticed her hesitation. “Guide me to him.”

“I’m coming, Doctor!”

“Come to me, Rose. Come.”

“At last, we can get to the bottom of this.” The Doctor muttered.

He stuffed his hands in his pockets and followed behind Rose as she followed the sound of the voice. He kept looking around trying to take in the layout of the house and commit it to memory.

They entered a room and Rose paused as she called out the Doctor’s name again. He noticed the panicked look on her face and knew that she had finally figured out it wasn’t him. He watched as she turned and stared in confusion at a spot behind him. Turning, he saw the door was missing. He glanced back at her and his hearts ached as he saw the terror on her face. He longed to put her arms around her and hold her close but he knew she wouldn’t be able to feel him. Using his keen senses, he followed close behind her as the other door and the two windows vanished from sight. There was a pause and then he heard her pounding on the wall.

“Doctor! Help me!”

The Doctor came up behind her and laid a hand on her shoulder wishing that she could feel him. As he stood behind her, he suddenly saw the wall in front of them and he turned with Rose to see a man holding a candle.

“Aha, so finally the mystery man reveals himself.” The Doctor muttered.

“Who are…”

The Doctor glanced over at Rose when he noticed she didn’t finish her sentence. She saw her frozen in place; her mouth hanging open ready to finish her question. He looked back at the man who was looking directly at him.

“I believe you’ve seen enough.” He said to the Doctor. “Don’t want you to know too much. At least not yet.”

“Who are you and what do you want with Rose?” the Doctor demanded.

“My name is Ian.” He said. “As for what I want with Rose.”

He gave him an enigmatic smile.

“That will be revealed in time.” He said.

“No, it will be revealed now.”

He stepped closer to Ian.

“Or do you want me to get your little secret out of you the hard way?” He said through gritted teeth.

Ian raised his eyebrow as he stared at the Doctor impassively.

“I don’t know who you are or how you got into Rose’s dream.” Ian said. “But you do not scare me. I have never feared anyone; no matter how powerful they claim to be and…”

He paused. The Doctor watched as he listened intently.

“Wait.” Ian murmured.

He stepped closer to the Doctor.

“Your heartbeat. So strange.” He murmured.

He laid his fingers against the Doctor’s jugular vein.

“Your pulse. It’s almost as if you have two hearts beating inside of you.” He said. “How fascinating.”

He looked the Doctor over.

“And you are able to project a complete mental projection of yourself into Rose’s mind. You must be powerful indeed.”

He smiled at him.

“Not to mention beautiful.” He said running his finger down the Doctor’s cheek. “I can see why Rose fancies you.”

The Doctor said nothing.

Ian stepped closer and stared into the Doctor’s eyes.

“Such ancient eyes.” He murmured. “You are not like us, and yet, in many ways you are exactly like us. Who are you, Doctor? Perhaps you are the one who needs to reveal the secret of your identity.”

“You will leave Rose alone.” The Doctor said. “You will depart from her mind and never come back. Do you understand me?”

“You didn’t answer my question, Doctor. Who are you? What are you? Tell me and perhaps I’ll deem you worthy enough to spend eternity at our side.”

He stepped closer until he was inches from the Doctor’s face.

“When I say “our” I mean me and Rose, of course.” He added.

“Leave her alone.” The Doctor said glaring at him.

“She is so beautiful. It would be a shame to let her grow old and die, don’t you think, Doctor?”

The Doctor shifted uncomfortably as thoughts of Mister Finch floated through his mind.

“A rare jewel like that deserves to live forever.” He added.

“As your slave?” the Doctor spat out.

“Oh no, as my consort.”

He stroked the Doctor’s hair.

“And you could join us, Doctor. I was going to let Rose destroy you, but you are also too beautiful to waste on death. Join us, Doctor. Bring Rose to me willingly and the three of us will live as equals for all eternity.”

“I’m warning you one more time and that’s it. Leave Rose alone. She belongs to me. You don’t want to make an enemy of me, trust me.”

“And you don’t want to make an enemy of me either, Doctor.”

He walked past him and stood beside the frozen image of Rose.

“Look at her, Doctor. So innocent. Do you want to see her suffer for your resistance?”

The Doctor gritted his teeth and balled up his fists as he started towards him.

“Stop right there!” Ian commanded. “Or I will make your beloved scream.”

The Doctor froze. He stared at Ian with hate as Ian walked back to him.

“At midnight tonight, I will summon Rose to me. I would love for you to come with us, Doctor but if you won’t accept my offer, then you will let Rose come to me without a fight.”

“Never.”

“Oh really? I think you will, Doctor. I think you will let her go because otherwise this will be her fate.”

He gestured to the dream image of Rose and it began to move again.

“You?” Rose finished.

Ian put his hands on either side of her head and closed his eyes. The Doctor’s hearts stopped as Rose let out an agonizing scream. The scream lasted for a full minute before Ian let go of her head. As Rose dropped to her knees, Ian gestured to it and the image froze once more.

“That is a small sample of what awaits Rose should you try to prevent her from coming to me, Doctor.” He said. “I will have her as my bride even if I have to make you carry her screaming to my door. Join her and come to me and I will spare both of you and show you wonders you’ve never dreamed of.”

“What? Live as vampires throughout eternity? Is that the “wonders” you’re gonna show us?”

He smirked at Ian’s surprised look.

“I know what you are. I’ve dealt with your kind before and won. So, if I were you, I wouldn’t register at Tiffany’s and get the personalized coffins just yet. You might be surprised at how much of a match we are.”

“You’d risk Rose’s mind to fight me?”

“I would and Rose would also want me to fight for her. She means the universe to me and I’m not about to lose her to a Lestat wannabe.”

“We shall see, Doctor. We shall see how powerful you are when I get through with you. I will see you cowering at my feet begging me to spare you while my beloved makes you her first meal.”

“Wow, what an active imagination you have. Anne Rice oughta hire you to write for her. I’d bet you’d make a fortune.”

“How droll, Doctor. We will see how witty you are after tonight.”

He smirked.

“And now, I believe your little fact finding mission must end. I have control of Rose’s mind now and I order you to depart.”

“Enjoy your “hold” on Rose’s mind because it won’t last.” The Doctor said angrily.

“Like I said, we shall see; and now my beautiful, little Doctor. It’s time to go.”

The Doctor jerked as he felt himself being forcefully pushed out of Rose’s mind. He opened his eyes and dropped his fingers from Rose’s temples.

“You will never have Rose.” He muttered angrily. “I will stop you even if I have to give up my life to do it.”

Chapter Nine

The Doctor sipped his tea quietly as he stared off into space. After he had been forced out of Rose’s mind, he had quickly tried to calm her fears only to find that she didn’t remember a thing. Ian had erased the dream from her conscious memory once again and rather than make her remember it, the Doctor had quickly put his fingers back up to her temple and put her to sleep. He figured after everything that had happen she could use a rest and it would give him a chance to collect his thoughts and come up with a strategy.

This was why he was currently sitting across from Jackie at her kitchen table.

“Well?” Jackie finally said.

The Doctor focused his attention on her.

“Well, what?”

“What happened? Did you find out what is wrong with Rose?”

The Doctor sighed.

“Yeah, I did.” He replied.

“Well, what is it? What’s wrong with her?”

The Doctor took a sip of tea.

“She’s being possessed by a vampire who wants to make her his bride and now he’s after me too.”

He glanced over at her as she stared at him in silence.

“You have got to be kidding me.” She finally said. “A vampire? You mean like Dracula?”

“No, not Dracula. This guy’s name is Ian.”

“And what’s he gonna do then? Bite my daughter on the neck and drink her blood?”

“Either that, or he’s gonna pull out a straw, stick it in her neck, and drink it that way.” The Doctor said sarcastically.

“Sorry.” He muttered when Jackie shot him a look. “Just under a lot of stress. I have to figure out how to break his hold on Rose’s mind and so far I don’t have very many options.”

“What’d you mean?”

“I mean that he has control of Rose’s mind and if I don’t do exactly what he wants and bring her to him at midnight, he’s going to torment her until I comply. Unless I can figure out a way to get Rose out from under his mind control, I really can’t fight him without endangering her.”

He jumped as Jackie slammed her mug down on the table.

“I hope you do sort this out so Rose can finally get away from you once and for all.” She said angrily. “My daughter’s life has been nothing but Hell since the day she met you.”

“The day I met your daughter, I saved her life.” The Doctor retorted. “She would have been killed by the Autons if it wasn’t for me. Since the day she walked into my TARDIS, I have done everything in my power to protect her and keep her safe. Not to mention the fact that I have shown her things she would never have seen if she had remained a bored, little shop girl.”

“Oh yeah, I’m sure when Rose was little, her dream was to go into outer space with an alien and get chased by monsters!”

“There are monsters everywhere you look, Jackie.” The Doctor said angrily. “There are monsters right here on planet Earth! They’re called murderers and rapists, and Rose could just as conceivably walk out the door of this flat and be killed or raped by one of them. Life is filled with dangers, but smart people face the danger head on instead of cowering in a corner. Your daughter is a very, special girl, Jackie. Every time that TARDIS lands, she goes right out the front door without a second thought. She can be standing in the middle of a dangerous situation and still have a giggle about it all. To be honest, I have never seen anyone as brave as her in all my lives. Yes, it would have been much easier on her to remain here at home under mummy’s watchful eye, but then she wouldn’t have grown into the strong, confident woman she is today. She takes everything in stride and not once has she blamed me for exposing her to danger. She accepts it, Jackie, because she knows it comes with the territory and because all the good experiences she has had have outweighed the bad ones and….because she loves me and knows that I love her and that I will fight tooth and nail to keep her safe and sound. She trusts me completely and I will never betray that trust. I am going to free her from this bastard’s influence or so help me, Rassilon, I will die trying.”

He leaned back in his chair and folded his arms over his chest.

“Now, if you want me to leave after all this, I will. But you will let your daughter choose whether or not to go with me. She is a grown woman and entitled to make that decision of her own free will, just as she freely chose to travel with me. Because I guarantee you, Jackie, if you force her to leave me you will end up with a bitter, brokenhearted daughter and I don’t think you want that.”

Jackie stared at him in silence. She knew he was absolutely right about everything. Rose was twenty years old and she had no right to tell her what to do anymore or where to go or who to love. She knew her daughter had plenty of opportunities to stay home, but she had always chosen to go with the Doctor and she knew she would always go with him in the future.

“I’m just worried about her.” She said softly.

The Doctor smiled.

“So am I, Jackie. That’s why I’m sitting here desperately trying to come up with a plan. Every minute that passes sees him getting more of a grip on her mind. Pretty soon she’ll be completely in his power and we’ll be helpless to stop him.”

“Wrong, my Doctor, you are already helpless to stop me.”

The Doctor and Jackie looked over at Rose who was standing a few meters away from them.

“Rose?” Jackie said worried.

“No, it’s not Rose. It’s him. He’s speaking through her.” The Doctor said getting up from his seat.

“Very good, Doctor. You are a clever little lad.” Ian said.

Smirking, he walked over to the Doctor.

“Thinking up a plan to save your Rose?” he said. “Don’t you realize how hopeless it is?”

“Nothing is ever hopeless.” The Doctor replied. “You underestimate Rose. She is a lot stronger than you think. If I can’t break your hold on her, she will.”

Ian chuckled.

“No, my Doctor, I’m afraid it’s you who have underestimated her. Your love has blinded you to her weaknesses. You look at her and think that she is infallible. But even the strong fall, Doctor.”

He smirked.

“But I understand your devotion to her. After all, she saved you, didn’t she? I’ve been reading her mind and I know all about you now, Time Lord. You were devastated after the Time War left you alone in the universe. And then Rose came into your life like an angel of mercy and shone her light of love into the dark recesses of your soul and you clung to that light like an infant clings to its mother. You sit there and lecture her mother on allowing Rose to be free and yet she is far from that. You keep her bound to you, Doctor, with chains of blind love because you can’t stand the thought of being without her. She is your salvation, and so you lie to her and guilt her into staying because you have convinced her that if she leaves, you will fall apart completely and slip into madness. Isn’t that it?”

“No!”

“But, even so, that is how Rose feels about you. Outwardly, she may claim to love you but on the inside, she feels anger and hatred for you because you’ve been manipulating her all this time so you can keep her a prisoner and fulfill your selfish needs.”

“You lie. Rose doesn’t think that.”

“Are you sure? You said yourself that Rose is an exceptional woman. How do you know she isn’t putting on an act and masking her true feelings for her whenever she’s around you?”

The Doctor folded his arms over his chest.

“I want you to leave Rose’s mind this instant.” He said.

“Why? Because I speak the truth?” he taunted. “Rose’s thoughts don’t lie.”

“No, but you do. So, I will say it again. Leave her mind now!”

Ian laughed.

“The pompous alien. So sure of everything and everyone. Convinced that an inferior human being could ever love him. But the truth is, Doctor, no one will ever love you. You manipulate people to get what you want and Rose has been brainwashed by you into thinking that she loves you and that’s why she left Mickey. Jackie’s right. Everything was going great for Rose until you stumbled into her life with 10 lives worth of baggage.”

“I SAID ENOUGH!” the Doctor bellowed. “GET OUT OF ROSE NOW!”

“Make me, Doctor.” Ian said smirking.

His smirk grew as the Doctor stood by helplessly.

“You can’t do anything.” He said gleefully. “Not without hurting your beloved.”

He inched closer to him.

“It would be a shame for you if Rose became a vegetable, wouldn’t it, Doctor? How will she comfort you and heal your emotional scars when she’s trapped in a brainless shell?”

Ian glanced down and saw the Doctor balling up his fists.

“You want to hit me, don’t you?” he said. “But you can’t because you’ll be hitting her. And I doubt Rose will ever forgive you for messing up her pretty face.”

He chuckled as the Doctor unclenched his fists and stepped back away from him.

“What’s wrong, Doctor? Why are you backing away? Afraid you’ll lose control and fly into a blind rage? After all, that’s what your famous for, isn’t it? The Oncoming Storm that devastates everything in your path? Pity you actually do care about something for a change. It must frustrate you to have to bottle all your feelings up inside and pretend to be a happy, carefree clown when all you really want to do is take your anger out on a universe that hates you.”

“SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!”

“It must be hard hearing these words coming out of your lover’s mouth too. But all I’m doing is voicing the thoughts she’s really thinking. The ones she’s afraid to say because she’s scared of hurting you.”

“Rose! Fight him! I know you can do it! Resist him!”

Ian chuckled.

“She doesn’t want to fight me, Doctor. She loves me. I’m offering her what she really wants. True freedom. With me, she can be free to say and do what she likes without being afraid of hurting the feelings of an alien basket case.”

The Doctor gritted his teeth fighting to keep his emotions under control while Ian stared at him with glee.

“I will stop you from doing this.” He said between clenched teeth. “I will free Rose and then I will stake your pathetic carcass to the ground and watch as the sunlight disintegrates you!”

“Oooo, painful. I’m afraid I have to pass though. I…”

Ian quickly ducked as Jackie tried to bring a frying pan down on his head. She gasped as he seized her wrist.

“And for the record, I knew you were going to do that. Your pathetic attempt to sneak up on me failed and now, Jackie Tyler, I bid you good night.”

Without warning, Ian hit Jackie directly in the face. The Doctor yelled at him as Jackie’s head snapped back and she fell to the floor unconscious.

“DAMN YOU!” the Doctor screamed at him.

“Mortals. They can be so thick sometimes.” Ian said shrugging. “Ah well, I guess she’ll just have to try harder next time.”

He looked at the Doctor and smirked as he saw it was taking everything he had not to rain blows down on Rose’s body.

“Well, as much as I’ve enjoyed our little chat, I’m going to go for the moment. It’s nearing sunset and I must prepare for your arrival. Remember, my Doctor, Rose must come to me by midnight…or else.”

He walked over and kissed him on the lips.

“I’ll see you later, my handsome Doctor.” He purred.

With one last chuckle, Ian receded back into Rose’s subconscious. The Doctor gasped and caught Rose as she closed her eyes and slumped to the ground, unconscious. Tears fell from the Doctor’s eyes as he gathered her into his embrace and held her tightly.

“Hold on, Rose. I won’t fail you.” He murmured in her ear.

Kissing her lips, he laid her gently on the floor and let her go as he turned his attention to Jackie.

DW Fanfic: The Blood Red Rose...PG-13 Parts 4-6/?

Tue, 01 May 2007 18:25:57 GMT

Chapter Four

Ian smiled to himself as he and Rose sat on the bench. He ran his finger down Rose’s cheek. Rose. Such a beautiful name. And it was perfect for her too. She looked like a Rose. The more he thought about this, the more he became convinced that Rose would make a good mate. He stared at her blank expression.

“Pretty soon you won’t have to be hypnotized.” He told her. “You will come with me willingly.”

He leaned in.

“Won’t you?” he whispered.

“Yes, I will.” Rose said dully.

Ian smiled at that. He reached up and slowly pulled down the zipper on her jacket. As Rose stared ahead blankly, he reached his hand up under her shirt and cupped her breast.

“Kiss me.” He commanded her.

Rose leaned in and met his lips. They shared a passionate kiss as he moved up under her bra and began to caress her breast.

“Oh yes, you are perfect.” Ian said as he moved his lips to her neck.

He began to suck gently on her skin. He moaned as he tasted the soft smooth skin and smelt the overpowering scent of the blood flowing through her jugular vein. He leaned back up and opened his mouth wide allowing his canine teeth to extend into fangs.

“And now I will make you mine.” He whispered in her ear. “Are you ready?”

“Yes.” Rose replied.

His mouth curved into a smile as he stroked the back of her hair.

“You will die, but only for a moment. When you awake, you will be immortal. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

“Excellent.”

Ian lowered his mouth and positioned it over her jugular vein. He paused a moment taking in the scent of her blood and the rhythmic beat of her heart. Taking a deep breath, he started to bite down.

“Rose!”

Ian jerked his head up as he heard a man’s voice nearby.

“Rose, where are you?”

Ian looked at Rose.

“Who is he?” he said.

“He is the Doctor.”

“Doctor? Doctor who?”

“He is the Doctor. That is his name.” Rose said dully.

“Who is he?” Ian demanded again. “What is his relation to you?”

“He is my boyfriend.”

Ian raised his eyebrows.

“Oh he is, is he? So you weren’t lying about that? Well, I’ll soon sort this out. In the meantime, I’ll let you go back with him so there will be no suspicion. You won’t remember me or what we did, but you are mine and when I summon you, you will come to me willingly. Is that understood?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Now, Rose, awake!”

He quickly retreated into the shadows just as the Doctor rounded the corner.

“Rose?” the Doctor said.

Rose blinked her eyes and stared up at the Doctor as he hurried towards her.

“Rose? What’s wrong?” the Doctor asked sitting down beside her. “Why are you sitting here?”

Rose looked around her, confused.

“I…I don’t know.” She said hesitantly. “I…must have gotten tired and sat down and then…I guess I nodded off.”

She looked at the Doctor.

“What time is it?”

“It’s nearly one in the morning.” He replied. “I waited for you and when you didn’t come back I decided to look for you.”

He frowned as he noticed her confused look.

“Are you sure you’re alright, Rose?” he asked concerned as he brushed the hair away from her face.

“I don’t know. I don’t know how I ended up on this bench.” Rose admitted. “I remember walking this way but I can’t remember sitting down.”

She shook her head.

“I must have been tired.”

The Doctor nodded.

“Well, come on then. I’ll get you back home to your nice warm bed.” He said putting his arm around her back.

He helped her to stand and held her tightly as Rose leaned against him. As they walked home, he kept a worried eye on her.

Rose looks knackered. He thought to himself I guess the walk worked.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong though.

It’s my imagination. I’ve fought so many monsters over the years that my brain automatically kicks into overdrive whenever something out of the ordinary happens. He thought.

He kissed the top of her head when Rose let out a sigh and leaned her head against her shoulder.

Even when you’re half asleep, you still look like a vision. He thought. I’m so glad you’re in my life, my precious Rose. I can’t imagine what I would do if anything happened to you.

Giving her another kiss on the head, he guided her across the parking lot and back into the apartment building.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ian hovered in the air watched as the Doctor and Rose entered the building. He had been observing his rival from a distance and from what he could see, he would be no match for him.

Scrawny little git. He thought to himself I could break him in half without even trying. What Rose ever saw in him is beyond me.

He smiled.

But now she has me and I’ll give her a better life than that wanker ever could. She will become immortal and she will spend eternity in my arms. And after I get through making her mine, she will forget this Doctor chap completely.

The smile widened.

In fact, I might even let the Doctor become her first meal. After all, I will have to drain most of her blood as part of the process. She will be hungry when she awakes from her temporary sleep. It would be fitting on her to feast on him. Out with the old and in with the new.

He blew a kiss at the building.

“Sleep well, my bride. Tomorrow shall be your last day in the sun.” he said. “And my rival’s last day on Earth.”

Chuckling to himself, he flew off into the night looking for a snack.

Chapter Five

“Hello? Is anyone there?”

Rose squinted as she looked at her surroundings. She noticed she was standing in an old, dilapidated house. The power was off. She stood still trying to figure out where she was. All she could see was a bare room with ancient, crumbling walls. There was a chill in the air and Rose held herself trying to keep warm.

Hello?” she called again. “Doctor? Are you in here?”

“Rose.”

Rose jerked her head around as she heard a faint voice calling her name.

“Doctor? Is that you?” she called out.

“Rose. Come to me.”

Rose frowned. The voice was faint. So faint that she couldn’t be sure if it was the Doctor or not.

“Doctor!” she screamed as loud as she could.

“Rose, it’s me. It’s your beloved. Come to me.”

Rose still couldn’t be sure it was the Doctor who was calling her. But she decided to trust her instincts and take a chance that it was him.

“I’m coming, Doctor!” she yelled.

“Come to me, Rose. Come.”

Rose slowly walked out of the room following the sound of the voice as it called to her. Every once in awhile she would stop and call back as she tried to pinpoint the exact location. As she walked through the house she noticed that all of the rooms so far were bare. She guessed she was in an abandoned house but how did she and the Doctor get there.

“Doctor?” she called out again.

“Rose.”

The voice was louder now and Rose froze as she realized it was not the Doctor’s familiar accent. The accent she was hearing was Scottish. Realizing her mistake, she turned to exit the way she had come and was surprised to discover that the door had disappeared. She whirled back around and saw the door at the other end had also vanished. Panicked, Rose ran to the two huge windows on the left side of the room and she gasped as they also disappeared. The room was plunged into total darkness as Rose felt around for the nearest wall.

“Doctor! Help me!” she cried out.

Her hand hit the wall. Rose put her other hand up and frantically felt for a doorknob or any kind of exit.

“Help! Doctor! Help me!”

She froze as a light illuminated the wall in front of her. Turning, she noticed a strange man standing behind her holding a candle in his hand. She stared at the man taking in his pale, white skin and long, black hair. She had never seen this man before and yet he seemed oddly familiar to her.

“Who are you?” she asked him.

“I am Ian.” He replied smiling gently at her.

“Where am I?”

“You are in my house.”

“Where is the Doctor?”

“He is near. Would you like me to take you to him?”

Rose hesitated. She sensed she was walking into a trap. But, looking at Ian, Rose suddenly felt the same kind of peace and security that she felt whenever she was around the Doctor. He looked so harmless and somehow she knew she was safe with him. Dismissing the notion of a trap, she walked towards him.

“Yes, I want to see the Doctor.” She said.

“Are you sure?” Ian asked.

Rose paused. She wanted Ian to take her to the Doctor, but suddenly she wasn’t so sure she wanted to see him.

Why wouldn’t I want to see him? She thought He’s my friend, my lover.

But when she looked at Ian; she suddenly began to doubt her feelings for the Doctor.

What’s wrong with me? I love the Doctor…don’t I?

She backed away from Ian as he drew nearer to her.

“Leave me alone. I…I want to go. Let me go.” She said backing up towards the wall.

“Rose, do not fight me. Do not fight the love that is growing between us.” Ian said gently as he followed her.

“I don’t love you. I love the Doctor.” She said trying to convince herself as much as him.

Ian smiled and reached out his hand as Rose’s back hit the wall.

“Rose.” He said in an otherworldly voice.

Rose stopped in her tracks as the voice echoed inside her brain pushing out all other thoughts. She felt her willpower slipping away as Ian put his arms around her.

“You are mine. You belong to me.” He whispered in her ear. “The Doctor is a part of your past now. You no longer care for him. Do you understand?”

Rose heard the words Ian was saying, but she lacked the will to say anything other than “Yes.” to him.

“Do you love me, Rose?” Ian whispered.

“Yes.”

“Then come, Rose and I will show you your destiny.”

Rose nodded. She took his hand and let him lead her. As they walked, the door in front of them reopened and they stepped through it into the next room. Rose paused and looked down at the Doctor who was lying bound and gagged on the floor. For a moment, she wanted to run to him and set him free but this thought was quickly pushed from her mind and she stood and stared at him impassively as he struggled to break free of his bonds.

Ian stepped between her and the Doctor and cupped her face in his hands.

“And now my love, we begin the ritual.” He said.

Rose nodded. She and Ian fell to their knees and began to undress each other as the Doctor let out muffled screams of anger.

Ian put his hands on Rose’s face and leaned in for a passionate kiss. Rose returned it without a second thought for the captive Time Lord who by now was using all his strength to try to get free and get to her. Her hands ran down his back as Ian put his lips to her neck and began to suck gently. Rose let out an ecstatic moan and kissed her lover’s temple as the Doctor watched in anguished silence. She glanced over Ian’s shoulder at her former lover for a moment and then with a disdainful snort lowered her head to Ian’s neck and began to suck and bite at his flesh.

“And now, my love, it begins.” Ian whispered to her.

There was a brief pause and then Rose let out a gasp as she felt his fangs penetrate her skin. She let out a groan and raked her fingernails down his back ignoring the Doctor who was by now in tears. As she kissed Ian’s neck and shoulder, she began to feel weak as her blood was slowly drained from her body. As her strength ebbed away, she laid her head on her lover’s shoulder and closed her eyes as her heart began to slow down. Just before she became unconscious, she felt Ian guide her around to the front of his blood.

“Drink, Rose.” He said to her.

Rose slowly opened her eyes. Through her half-closed lids she could just make out a trickle of blood coming from a gash above Ian’s left breast. Instinctively, she moved to it and began to suckle on it like a newborn baby as Ian held her head to it.

Suddenly, she began to convulse as she felt her body shutting down. Ian gently laid her on the ground as she felt herself growing weaker and weaker. She heard the Doctor’s anguished moans, but now it sounded like it was a million miles away. With a sigh, she closed her eyes and listened to her heartbeat slowly fading away. Then, with one final beat, her heart became still and Rose saw only darkness.

For a moment, her soul hovered above her body watching everything with detached interest. Then she felt something draw her towards the ceiling and looking up she noticed a tunnel with a bright light at the end of it. Feeling drawn to it, she began to float upwards and into it. She paused long enough to look back and see her corpse opening its eyes and looking around. Then, she went further into the tunnel and all thoughts of Earth vanished as she entered the blissful environs of Heaven.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“How do you feel?” Ian asked as he stared down at his immortal mate.

“I feel…great.” Rose said truthfully. “I’ve never felt better in my life.”

“Good. I’m glad to hear it.”

“I’m…hungry though.” She added.

“Well, I just the thing for that too.” Ian replied.

He helped her to sit up and Rose looked over at the Doctor who was now sobbing uncontrollably. She sat and looked at him but instead of seeing him as her friend or her lover or even as a person; she saw him only as food. Hungrily, she crawled towards him.

“That’s it, my beloved. Feed on the Doctor.” Ian urged.

The Doctor stared up at Rose offering no resistance as she bent down to his neck. He nuzzled her cold, pale cheek and watched as her teeth grew into fangs. Closing his eyes, he let out a sigh of resignation as Rose bit into his jugular vein and began to feed. As she drained the life from him, he continued to nuzzle her cheek hoping that some part of her still understood that he loved her and forgave her for what she was doing.

As Rose listened to the sound of his hearts fading away, she suddenly became aware of what she was doing.

No! She cried out in her head. What am I doing? I’m killing the Doctor. I have to stop before he dies!

But to her horror, she found that she couldn’t stop herself from killing him.

No! I can’t do this! I love you Doctor! I can’t kill you! Please, someone stop me from doing this before it’s too late!

She listened as the Doctor’s heartbeats became slower and slower and then stilled. The Doctor let out a final sigh and then he was gone.

No! What have I done? I’ve murdered the Doctor! This can’t be happening. He can’t be dead! He can’t be! No, no, noooooooooo…

The scream inside her head became an audible one as Rose suddenly woke from her nightmare. She screamed hysterically as the Doctor leaped onto the bed and shook her.

“Rose! Rose! Wake up! It’s me! It’s the Doctor!” he said frantically.

For a moment the terror Rose felt blinded her to her surroundings. Then, she slowly calmed herself and stared up at the Doctor. For a moment, her mind didn’t register that he was still alive and then with a cry of joy she flung herself into his arms and wept as the Doctor held her tightly to him.

Chapter Six

The Doctor stroked Rose’s back as he pushed her sweaty hair out of her face.

“Rose? Are you okay?” he asked worriedly.

Rose nodded.

“What happened? What were you dreaming about?” he asked her.

Rose thought.

“I…I honestly can’t remember.” She said.

The Doctor pulled her closer as he laid his chin on the top of her head. He glanced over as Jackie flung open the bedroom door and ran inside.

“What happened? I heard screaming.” She said panicked.

“It’s alright. Rose just had a nightmare.” The Doctor replied.

Jackie breathed a sigh of relief as she put her hand over her heart.

“Thank God. I thought we were under attack again.” She said.

She hurried to Rose’s side and sat down on the bed.

“Rose, baby, are you alright?” she asked, putting her hand on top of hers.

“Yeah, I’m fine, mum. I just had a bad dream.” Rose replied.

“Are you sure, love?”

“Yes, mum, I get bad dreams all the time. It’s nothing to worry about.”

Jackie shot the Doctor an angry look.

“Funny, you never used to.” She said pointedly.

“Mum, leave the Doctor alone. He’s not the cause of my nightmares.” Rose said angrily.

Jackie snorted knowing that was about as far from the truth as you could get. However, she had no desire to go into another lecture about her daughter’s decision to go off with the Doctor this early in the morning.

“Would you like some breakfast, love?” she asked. “Would that make you feel better?”

Rose thought for a moment. She did feel hungry.

“Yeah, could I have some eggs and bacon?” she asked.

“Of course, I’ll go right now and make ya some.” She said.

Giving her a kiss on the cheek, she rose and with one last worried glance at her daughter went out the door and shut it behind her.

The Doctor smiled at her.

“I guess being hungry is a good sign, then.” He said.

Rose nodded.

“Yeah, I guess all that walking last night made me hungry.”

She sighed.

“I wish I could remember what I dreamt about though.” She said.

“Well…”

Rose looked up at the Doctor.

“There is a way.” He finished.

“There is?”

“Yes, but you have to trust me.”

“I trust you completely.” Rose said without hesitation.

“Good, because I’m going to read your mind.”

“You are?”

The Doctor nodded.

“Would it be okay with you if I did that?”

Rose started to open her mouth when she suddenly heard a voice in her head.

Don’t let him do it. The dream was nothing. The voice said.

“Rose? Is it okay for me to scan your mind?” the Doctor asked.

“Um…No, on second thought, I’d rather you didn’t. The dream was nothing.” Rose replied.

“You sure, Rose? If I can see your nightmare, I might be able to help you work through it and…”

“I’M FINE!” Rose said angrily.

She bit her lip as she saw the Doctor’s stunned expression.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at ya.” She said softly.

“No, it’s alright. I didn’t mean to intrude. Your thoughts and dreams are your own. It’s none of my business.”

“I’m sorry, Doctor. I really do appreciate the offer. But I’d…rather just forget the dream if it’s all the same to ya.”

The Doctor nodded and smiled at her. He leaned in for a kiss and was shocked when Rose jerked her face away. Rose stared at the hurt expression on his face and guilt flooded her mind.

“I’m sorry. I…don’t know why I did that.” She said, completely confused.

Why did I do that? She thought to herself.

She glanced over and saw the Doctor staring at her intently.

“Rose? Are you absolutely sure you’re alright?” he asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Really I am.” She said trying to convince herself as much as the Doctor. “I’m just outta sorts this morning, I guess.”

The Doctor rubbed her back.

“Well, why don’t you go ahead and get some breakfast and maybe you’ll feel better.” He said gently.

“Yeah,” Rose said softly.

The Doctor stared at her, worried, as she rose and walked slowly out of the room.

“It’s done, love. Come and get it.” Jackie said cheerfully as Rose walked to the kitchen table.

She put the plate of eggs and bacon in front of her and went to pour her a glass of milk.

“Is the Doctor eating?” she asked looking back at the bedroom.

“No, I don’t think so. He doesn’t need to eat as often as humans do.” Rose replied. “I don’t think he’s hungry.”

Jackie shrugged. She sat the glass of milk down in front of Rose and went to get a plate for herself.

“You want some toast, hon?” she asked, looking back at her.

“No, this is fine.” Rose replied.

“How about some music then?” Jackie asked.

Rose nodded. She ate her food quietly while Jackie turned on the radio and turned up the volume. She sat her plate and glass of milk down on the table and sat down across from Rose. As she ate, she stared at the glum expression on her daughter’s face and sighed. She hated when her daughter got depressed like this. It seemed to happen more and more lately. Sometimes she wished the Doctor hadn’t stumbled into their lives. Life seemed much simpler then.

As Rose ate she thought about the Doctor trying to kiss her. She had never refused a kiss from him before. It was almost as if he suddenly became repulsive to her.

That’s absurd. She thought. He isn’t repulsive. I love him.

Still, there was that voice in the back of her mind. A little tiny voice that kept telling her to leave him. And no matter how much she tried to block the voice from her mind; it kept on insisting that she should get away from the Doctor. Rose sighed, feeling utterly depressed.

“That was Hotel California by the Eagles.” She heard the DJ say. “And now on Retro Breakfast we have a 70’s hit by Cher.”

Rose munched on her eggs as she heard ‘Half Breed’ come on the radio. She glanced over and her eyes widened as she saw the Doctor shimmy out of her bedroom door towards her.

“Doctor.” Jackie said. “What are you do…”

Her eyes widened as the Doctor began to sing loudly and off key to ‘Half Breed’.

MY MOTHER MARRIED A PURE GALLIFREE

MY FATHER’S PEOPLE WERE ASHAMED OF ME!

GALLIFREYANS SAID I WAS HUMAN BY LAW.

HUMANS TRIED TO DISSECT ME WITH A BLOWTORCH AND SAAAAAAAW!

Rose snorted out laughter as the Doctor danced wildly around the living room.

HALF BREED! THAT’S ALL I EVER HEARD!

HALF BREED! HOW I LOVED TO HATE THE WORD!

HALF BREED! HE’S NO GOOD AT ALL!

BOTH SIDES WERE AGAINST ME SINCE THE DAY I WAS BOOOOOORN!

“ALRIGHT, DOCTOR, THAT’LL DO!” Jackie yelled. “My neighbors don’t want to listen to your singing!”

The Doctor smiled at Rose as he heard her giggle. He was hoping he would be able to get a smile out of her. He looked at her with love as she dropped the fork on her plate and put her hand over her mouth to keep the giggles in.

Encouraged, the Doctor walked over and sat down beside her.

“Oooo, bacon.” He said taking a strip off her plate.

Rose tried not to look at him as he chewed the bacon and made googly eyes at her. She looked over when she felt him tapping her on the shoulder and giggled when he opened his mouth, stuck out his tongue and showed her the chewed up bacon on the tip of his tongue.

“Honestly, Doctor, you’re worse than a child.” Jackie said.

She smiled as Rose let out another giggle. The Doctor could be a pest sometimes, but she knew he cared for her daughter and was only trying to cheer her up.

“Oooo, ‘nother piece of bacon.” He said snatching another strip off her plate.

He shoved it into his mouth and chewed with his mouth opened while Rose tried and failed to give him a stern look.

He swallowed the bacon and thought for a moment as Rose picked up her glass and drank her milk. With a devilish grin, he leaned over into her ear and began to sing….

Little bunny foo foo

Hopping through the forest

Picking up the field mice

And boppin’ em on the head.

Rose tried not to gag on the milk as she felt another wave of giggles coming on.

And the fairy came down and said…

Little bunny foo foo

I don’t wanna see you

Picking up the field mice

And BOPPIN’ em on the head.

Rose spit the milk back out into the glass and tried to give him a dirty look.

He thought for a moment and then grinned as he leaned into her ear.

Little Doctor foo foo

Ridin’ in the TARDIS

Pickin’ up the Daleks

And boppin’ em on the head.

“Doctor, quit,” Rose said between giggles. “I’m tryin’ to eat.”

And Rassilon came down and said…

Little Doctor foo foo

I don’t wanna see you

Pickin’ up the Daleks

And boppin’ em on the head.

“You’re a real nutter, you know that?” Rose said.

“Just trying to cheer my girl up.” He replied.

Rose smiled.

“Well, it worked.” She said.

The Doctor grinned at that. He leaned in for a kiss and was ecstatic when Rose didn’t pull away this time.

Jackie smiled softly at them as Rose poked the Doctor in the side and laughed. Sometimes the Doctor knew just what to do to make everything right.

Rose skewered a piece of egg on her fork and fed it to the Doctor. She giggled as the Doctor smacked his lips and let out a long “Mmmmmm” as he ate the egg. She put her hand on his knee and sighed contentedly when the Doctor took it and gave it a squeeze.

All that nonsense about leaving the Doctor was just in my head. She thought to herself I’ll never leave him and nothing will ever come between us. Not if I can help it.

She leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek and went back to eating her breakfast feeling a whole lot better than she did before

DW Fanfic: The Blood Red Rose...PG-13 Parts 1-3/?

Tue, 01 May 2007 18:23:21 GMT

TITLE: The Blood Red Rose

FANDOM: Doctor Who

RATING: PG-13

PAIRING: 10/Rose

SUMMARY: During a visit with Jackie, Rose is possessed by a vampire who wants to make her his bride.

DISCLAIMER: DW isn't mine. Making no money off of it.

Chapter One

“Bloody Hell, why did I agree to work late?”

Melissa quickened her pace and glanced around her nervously as she walked down the dimly lit street towards her flat. The brisk November wind felt like ice on her skin and blew her long, strawberry blonde hair away from her face as she headed home. She grunted as she fought the wind wanting nothing more than to be home and safe. She had never liked being out after dark, but her boss has insisted she stay late to finish up some paperwork. Now, she was regretting her decision with each darkened alleyway she passed. The neighborhood she lived in wasn’t that safe to begin with and her greatest fear was that someone would jump out of the shadows and mug or rape her. Being only 20 years old with a meager job as a secretary she had only two options, live with her mum or live on her own in a bad neighborhood. Her mother had begged her to stay with her but she felt the time had come to claim her independence and carve out a life for herself away from dear old mum. She had made her decision and now she would have to live with the consequences. She only hoped that God was on her side, especially tonight.

She stopped short. Her ears perked up and her heart began to beat out of her chest as she sensed someone behind her. Gulping back her fear she looked around and saw a man leaning against the wall smiling at her. His dark eyes twinkled at her as the wind whipped his raven hair around his ghost white face. The smile widened and he nodded a hello to her.

“Lovely evening isn’t it?” he said with a heavy Scottish accent.

“Um…yes.” Melissa said politely.

She edged away from him.

“I…have to go.” She said nervously.

Her mind raced while she considered alternatives to her destination. Something about this man didn’t seem right to her and the last thing she wanted was to lead him straight to her flat. She racked her brain wondering where the police station was. She had only been in the neighborhood a couple of months so she had no idea where to go. She suddenly regretted not familiarizing herself with her surroundings.

“What’s your hurry?” the man replied.

He smiled warmly at her as he slowly inched closer to her.

“I…I have to go meet my boyfriend.” Melissa stammered.

“Oh, I should have known.” He said. “I regret that someone already snatched up a pretty lass like you. I won’t keep you from your date then.”

Melissa breathed a sigh of relief. Blessing God silently she nodded her goodbyes and turned to go determined to get home as fast as she could before anything else happened. As she started on her way, she chanced a look back and noticed that the man was nowhere in sight. She paused and held her breath. She looked around making sure he wasn’t following her. Her body relaxed as she saw no one.

“Musta went through the alley.” She muttered.

Hoping that was the case she resumed walking.

“Tomorrow morning after work I’m gonna find out where everything is around here.” she said to herself.

She gasped as a hand shot out from a nearby alleyway and pulled her into the gloom.

“I’m afraid I have other plans for you, my dear.” The man said.

Melissa’s eyes widened in horror as the man wrapped his arm around her body pressing her to him and clamped his other hand around her mouth preventing her from crying out. She struggled in his grip as she felt the man lowered his head to her neck. She shivered involuntarily when his ice cold skin met hers. She let out a muffled scream praying to God that someone, anyone would hear her as she felt his lips kissing her neck. Her prayers went unanswered, however, and Melissa swooned in the man’s arms while she watched her worst nightmares come true. She was going to be raped and then possibly killed and all because of her fervent need for independence.

“Now hold still, lassie and it won’t hurt much.” The man muttered against her neck.

Melissa let out a pained scream when she felt a sharp pain in her neck. Her struggling increased as she felt something warm streaming down her neck. Glancing down, she noticed with horror that blood was staining the white blouse she was wearing. She tried once more to break free from his grasp, but it was no use. The man was too strong. She felt her strength ebbing from her body as the man continued to feed. She suddenly realized that the man must be a vampire although she quickly dismissed that notion. Vampires weren’t real. Were they? She had no time to consider whether or not he was because she was fading fast. She heard her heart beating in her ears as the alleyway became darker. She felt her life slipping from her body and knew that this was the end.

Oh God. Why did I have to be so stupid? She thought to herself. Why didn’t I ask for a lift home? What will this do to mum? And my cat? Who will feed Rex? I…

The thoughts ebbed from her mind along with her strength as she felt her hold on life slip away. Her heart beat like a drum in her ears drowning out everything else and the blackness around her became impenetrable as she slipped through death’s door. The last thing she heard was her heart slowing and then with one last thud it ceased to beat and her soul escaped its mortal shell and departed through the tunnel to the other side.

The man smiled as he pulled his mouth away from Melissa’s neck and laid her gently on the ground.

“Fare thee well, sweet lassie. May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.” He said.

With a chuckle, he dissolved into the darkness of the alley leaving the woman’s corpse for the police.

Chapter Two

“Ugh! I can’t stand these little visits with your mum.” The Doctor muttered.

He shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned against the hallway while Rose knocked on her mother’s door.

“Just behave yourself.” Rose said glancing at him.

“Yeah, yeah, I know.” The Doctor muttered.

He glanced at the door as it opened.

“Rose!” Jackie said throwing her arms around her daughter. “Oh, it’s so good to see ya!”

Rose returned the hug and gave Jackie a peck on the cheek.

“Come inside and tell me what’s been going on.” Jackie said pulling her inside. “Oh God, I’ve missed ya so much!”

The Doctor started to go inside and grunted as the door was slammed in his face. Sighing, he banged on the door.

“What?” Jackie yelled as she flung the door open.

“Hi. I’m working my way through the flat selling magazine subscriptions to pay for my schooling. Could I interest you in a subscription to Menopause Monthly?”

Jackie glared at him.

“No? How about Harpy’s Bizarre?”

“Yeah, that’s real funny that is. What do you want?”

The Doctor raised his eyebrow.

“To come in. I was right behind Rose, you know.” He said.

“You got a TARDIS. Go back to it and leave me and Rose alone for a change.”

“Mum, let the Doctor in.”

Jackie looked at her daughter standing behind her and looked back at the Doctor who was giving her a smug grin. Sighing, she reluctantly stepped back and glared at the Doctor as he strolled over and stood beside Rose.

“I s’pose you’ll be wantin’ tea as well.” Jackie said as she shut the door.

“Mum.”

“Well, if tea’s gonna be too much trouble for you; I suppose I could just wet a washcloth and suck on that.”

“Doctor.”

Rose glared at him and her mum. Jackie threw up her hands and muttered as she stomped off towards the kitchen.

“Honestly, would it kill you guys to be nice to each other while I’m here?” Rose asked the Doctor.

“Hey, she’s the one that slammed the door in my face!” he said defensively.

“Yeah and you came right back with the smart remark as soon as she opened it.”

“Well what was I supposed to say after that?”

“Nothing!”

“Nope. Sorry Rose. Saying nothing is not my style.” The Doctor replied. “Besides, I have to keep your mum in line. If I let her off once she’ll start slamming the door in my face all the time. Give your mum an inch, you know…”

Rose sighed as she headed towards the couch.

“What?” the Doctor said as he followed her. “I can’t stand up for myself? I’m the Oncoming Storm, you know. If it gets out that I didn’t stand up to a human the Daleks and all the other baddies won’t take me seriously any more. I have to protect my rep, Rose.”

“All right, whatever, Doctor.” Rose replied.

She rolled her eyes as he sat down beside her and put his arm around her shoulder. He smiled at Jackie as she brought out a small tray and sat it down on the coffee table in front of them. The Doctor leaned up and stared at the cup of tea in front of him and tentatively put a finger in it. He quickly took it out and slurped the liquid off it.

“What are you doing?” Rose asked.

“Checking to make sure my tea is hot.” The Doctor replied as he picked it up.

Rose shook her head as she picked up the other cup and snuggled up beside the Doctor.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rose sighed as she stared up at the ceiling. Her mother had insisted they spend the night and after a fierce argument the Doctor finally gave in. She leaned over the side of the bed and saw that he was wide awake and also staring up at the ceiling as he lay on a sleeping bag on the floor. He glanced over at her.

“Can’t sleep?” he said softly.

“Nah.”

“You okay?” he asked worriedly.

“Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just that…I’m not used to this bed anymore. I’m used to being in the TARDIS now and…I’m used to you lying beside me. I wish mum would let you do it.”

“Yeah, well after that spat we had I figured it would be pushing things a bit if I went ahead with our usual cuddle.” He replied.

He gave her a soft smile as his hand reached up and stroked her hair.

“I’m right here though.” He added lovingly.

Rose nodded. He leaned up long enough to get a kiss on the cheek before settling back down.

“I love you.” Rose said.

“Mmmm, I love you too.” He replied.

Smiling, Rose rolled onto her back. She closed her eyes while she tried to relax her body. After about thirty minutes, she gave up. With a sigh of resignation, she carefully sat up.

“Where you going?” she heard the Doctor ask.

She leaned up.

“I’m gonna go for a quick walk around the block. Maybe that will tire me out.”

“You want me to come with you?”

“No, I’ll be alright.”

“You sure?” the Doctor asked leaning up and glancing up at her alarm clock. “It’s nearly midnight.”

“I’ll be alright. I know this neighborhood. It’s safe. Anyway, I won’t be a minute. I used to do this when I was younger and I couldn’t get to sleep and it usually helped.”

“Okay, well, be careful.”

“I will.”

She gave the Doctor a peck on the cheek and rose from the bed.

He watched her silently as she walked over and grabbed her jacket. Putting it on, she headed towards the door.

“Hey.”

Rose turned and looked at him.

“Yeah?”

“Since you’re going out, could you stop somewhere and pick me up some candy and some Coke and perhaps a sandwich. Oh, and some cheese and some crisps and a pizza would be fantastic…”

“No, Doctor, I’m not picking you up any of that.”

“Drat, I was hoping I could convince you to go on a snack run for me.”

He giggled as Rose rolled her eyes.

“Behave.” She said to him.

“Don’t I always?”

Rose paused and looked at him.

“I’m not gonna bother answering that because I know I’d be here all night listing all the times you didn’t behave.” She said.

She went out the door and then leaned back in.

“Oh and stay away from mum.” She said.

“You mean I can’t go dip her hand in warm water and see if she pees all over herself?”

“No!”

“Just checking.”

He laughed and winked at her as she rolled her eyes and shut the door behind her.

Chapter Three

With a soft thump Ian Mulligan landed on the roof of the apartment building. He hunkered down and wiped the spilt blood from his lips as he scanned his surroundings. He had just fed again on a pretty Irish girl with flowing red hair. She had been drunk and heading home after spending the night partying at a nightclub. She was alone and eager for company and it was all too easy for him to lure her into a nearby alleyway. She was so drunk she barely offered any resistance when he began to feed. He licked his hand and let out a moan as he tasted the remains. The salty taste lingered on his tongue and invaded his senses. It was a shame humans didn’t have that much blood in them. He loved to linger and take his time when feeding. He loved feeling their skin against his body. So soft and warm compared to his cold flesh. He loved the sound of their heartbeat in his ears. Loved listening to it fade away along with their life-force. It was a shame it was over too soon.

He had been alive now for nearly 200 years and in that time he had traveled all over Europe and had seen many changes. Unlike some Immortals he had chosen to keep up with the times and had kept up to date with all the new gadgets and technological advances that the humans had come up. He loved the concept of the internet and had even managed to find a few immortals online that he could chat with. He had an Ipod and a cell phone and a blackberry that he had stolen from a couple of the humans he had fed on. He had also stolen some money and a couple of credit cards and had managed to get himself a nice TV, a DVD player and some DVD’s. He loved to lie in his coffin and watch Interview With The Vampire. It was one of his favorite movies. He actually liked all the vampire movies. Even the cheaply made B movies that made him laugh. He loved seeing his kind viewed through the eyes of humans. Some things they got right about his kind and some things he got wrong. One thing he could say about humans though. They had a wonderful imagination. Especially the whole shape shifting thing. He often wished he could turn into a vampire bat or a wolf or mist but sadly that was one of the things the humans had gotten wrong about the immortals.

One thing they had gotten right, however, was vampire brides. Vampires did mate and often did turn humans into vampires for just such a purpose. In his 200 years of existence, Ian had never had a mate. He did long for one and had been actively searching, but no one seemed suitable. Ian wanted someone unique; someone who would be worthy of his affection. Unfortunately, most of the humans he observed were nothing more than mindless cattle that headed off to work every day and then came home, ate, watched TV and went to bed so they could get up the next day and repeat the cycle. Ian wanted someone who thought outside the box. Someone who saw life as something to be lived instead of a drudge to get through.

He shook his head. He hadn’t found anyone worthy of him yet and he doubted he ever would.

He glanced down as he noticed someone walking out of the apartment building and heading off into the night. He leaned forward slightly and his eyes widened as he saw she was a pretty, blonde woman. And, she was all by herself. Ian leaned back up. He had already fed tonight so he wouldn’t bother with…

He leaned forward again. His finely tuned senses had picked up something from this woman. Something different from other humans. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it but he sensed a kind of power within her. He observed her for a few moments. Her stride was confident, self assured. She didn’t look around fearfully as he had seen most women do. Intrigued, he lifted off from the roof and followed her silently. As he looked down upon her, he noticed something that would be invisible to most human eyes, but with his enhanced sight he could see it as plain as day. The woman had a beautiful golden aura around her body. With her blonde hair and pretty face, the golden glow gave her an almost angelic appearance and Ian lowered himself slightly to get a better look at it. He floated behind her admiring her appearance when she suddenly stopped in her tracks. Ian quickly rose up into the sky when the woman spun around and looked at her surroundings. He stared at her intently and saw that there was no fear in her eyes or in her body language. She looked around her for a moment and then with a shrug, turned and resumed her confident stride. Ian smiled to himself.

Could this be the mate I have been searching for? He thought to himself. She certainly seems like someone who is worthy to be my bride. I think I shall get to know her a little better and see if she is truly the one.

Ian rose up higher so the woman wouldn’t detect him and quickly flew on ahead.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Cor, it sure is chilly out here tonight.” Rose muttered to herself.

She wrapped her arms around her body and quickened her pace wanting nothing more than to hurry back to her warm bed and the Doctor.

“I don’t care what my mum thinks, I want the Doctor beside me tonight.” She said. “Especially since I’ll need to warm back up after being out here in the cold.”

She glanced beside her and instantly regretting not accepting the Doctor’s offer to come with her. After spending almost all her time with him it felt strange to look over and not see him beside her.

“All the more reason for me to get back.” She muttered.

She turned a corner and stopped short as she spied a man sitting on a bench a few meters away from her. Warily, she inched closer towards the grass as she neared him.

“Evening.”

Rose nodded her head at him in return and quickened her pace trying to get by him as quick as she could. She had never seen the man before but the fact that he was sitting by himself on a bench at 12:30 at night didn’t sit well with her. She wished more than ever that she had let the Doctor accompany her.

“Where ya goin’ in such a hurry, little lassie?” the man called after her.

Rose ignored him and sped up her pace. She gasped as the man suddenly seized her from behind. She balled up her fist and quickly spun around.

“You don’t wanna mess with me, buddy. So don’t even try it!” she said as menacingly as she could.

“Whoa, whoa, I wasn’t gonna do anything.” The man said holding up his hands. “I was just wondering what a pretty girl like you was doing out here in the middle of the night.”

Rose raised her chin.

“I was taking a walk and if it’s all the same to ya I’d like to keep on walking. My boyfriend is back at my flat and if I’m gone too long he’ll start worrying and come looking for me and trust me, you don’t want him on your case.”

“Well, feisty little one ain’t ya?” the man said grinning.

Rose rolled her eyes and tried to walk around him. She gasped as the man grabbed her shoulders.

“Wait, ya didn’t even tell me your name.” he said.

“Yeah, well maybe that’s because I don’t want to.” Rose shot back. “Now get your bloody hands off me before I break em off at the wrists.”

“Now, now, don’t be like that.”

Rose gasped as the man suddenly began to shove her backwards towards a nearby wall.

“Let go of me!” she said trying to break free of the man’s iron grip.

She let out a grunt as her back hit the wall. She opened her mouth to scream but the man quickly shoved his hand over hers.

“Shhhh, don’t wanna wake up the neighborhood, do we?” he said to her.

Rose let out a muffled scream as the man lowered his face to hers. She began to send out a mental plea for help to the Doctor hoping with all her heart he would pick up on it and come help her.

Please God, let me get out of this alive! She thought to herself. Please don’t let the Doctor and my mum wake up tomorrow and find me dead. Please!

“Now, now, don’t fight. I just want to talk.” The man said gently.

Rose tried to get away from the man as he came closer to her but his hold on her was too strong. Realizing it wouldn’t do any good to resist; she relaxed her body and hoped that the man would let her walk away with her life.

Determined not to show any fear, she stared directly into the man’s pale blue eyes. As she looked at them she suddenly felt her fear draining away along with any resistance. She heard the man’s voice echoing in her head.

I won’t hurt you. Tell me about yourself.

Rose felt the man take his hand away from her face. Against her will, her mouth opened and she began to speak.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor sighed as he stared up at the ceiling. Time Lords didn’t need much sleep so the only reason he had elected to stay in the room with Rose was so he could keep her company and be near her while she slept.

He raised his head and frowned as he stared at the alarm clock. It was nearing 12:45 and Rose still hadn’t returned.

“What could be keeping her?” he muttered to himself. “It doesn’t take that long to circle the block.”

He wondered for a moment if she had returned to the TARDIS.

“Nah,” he muttered. “She wouldn’t go back there without telling me first.”

He rose and walked to the window. Parting the curtains, he looked out hoping to see Rose walking back towards the apartment. He let the curtain drop when he saw no sign of her.

“Where is she?” he muttered as he flopped down on her bed.

He sat there for a few moments and then hopped up.

“That’s it, I’m gonna go look for her.” He said to himself. “I feel like taking a walk anyway. It’s too quiet in here.”

Grabbing his trench coat, he slung it over his shoulder as he hurried out the door.

DW Fanfic: New, New, New Doctor...PG-13 Parts 8-10/10

Tue, 01 May 2007 13:06:56 GMT

Chapter Eight

Dinner was extremely uncomfortable for everyone. Pete and Rose kept glaring at each other across the table and everyone else stayed silent afraid that the slightest noise would spark off a confrontation. The Doctor held Rose’s hand under the table as he tried to keep her calm and give her support. He knew this would be hard on everyone, but at the same time he knew he had made the right decision.

When dinner was done, Mickey and Martha volunteered to help Jackie clean up in the kitchen. Pete went into the living room with Ariel and the Doctor followed Rose upstairs to her bedroom.

“God, I thought supper would never end.” Rose muttered as she closed the door behind the Doctor. “Pete just gets on my nerves. I won’t miss him one bit.”

She let out an angry sigh as she felt the Doctor come up behind her and wrap his arms around her waist.

“You won’t have to worry about him for much longer.” He whispered in her ear. “We’re going to leave soon.”

Rose shook her head and leaned back into the Doctor.

“I hate being angry at him.” She said as the Doctor stroked her hair. “I mean, he’s supposed to be my dad but he won’t accept me as his daughter. I’m the daughter of a dead man, after all.”

She walked over to her bed and sat down. The Doctor followed her and sat down behind her.

“Funny.” She said. “He has no problem accepting my mum, and she’s the widow of a dead man.”

The Doctor said nothing. He began to massage Rose’s neck and back and smiled as he felt the tension draining from her body.

“That feels good.” Rose said softly.

“Plutonian body massage. I used it for years on my companions when they got stressed out.”

Rose looked back at him.

“There’s life on Pluto? I thought it was mostly ice.”

“Now it is, but several thousand years ago Pluto had a closer orbit to the sun and there was a race of aliens there called the Spryrox. Highly intelligent beings. And very friendly. I used to take trips back every once in awhile and hang out with them. During one of my visits, one of the elders taught me this message technique.”

“What happened? Why was the planet moved out of its orbit?”

“The Rachnoss did it. They were trying to force the Spryrox into submission so they could use them as food, and when the Spryrox put up a fight they moved their planet further away from the sun so it would freeze up. The Spryroxians that didn’t freeze or starve to death surrendered to the Rachnoss and they took the survivors on board their ships for food and basically exterminated the whole race. ”

“Who are these Rachnoss?”

“Huge, ugly spider-like creatures.”

“Ugh! Glad I didn’t see one of those.”

“Well, unfortunately I did. Well, Donna and I did, to be precise.”

Rose looked at him.

“Donna? You had another companion besides Martha?” she asked.

The Doctor kissed the back of her head.

“I didn’t invite Donna into the TARDIS. She got pulled into the ship right after the gap closed. Then, it turns out the Empress of the Rachnoss was using her as a kind of key to wake her children sleeping at the center of the Earth. I defeated the Empress and destroyed her children and after that Donna and I parted company.”

“So in the two years we’ve been separated, you’ve had two different people traveling with you.”

The Doctor chuckled.

Rose looked around at him.

“What’s so funny?” she asked.

“You’re automatically assuming that only two years have passed for me. I do have a time machine, you know.”

Rose frowned at him.

“Okay, well, how many years have passed for you then?” she asked.

“When I lost you, I was 901 and now I am 945.” He replied.

Rose’s eyes bulged out of her head.

“It’s been 44 years for you?” she asked in disbelief. “That long? Martha’s been with you that long?”

“No, Martha’s only been with me for a year and a half.” The Doctor reminded her.

“Well, how long was Donna with ya?”

“For about a day or so.”

Rose turned around and faced the Doctor.

“You mean you were traveling by yourself for about 42 years?” she asked looking him in the eyes.

The Doctor shrugged.

“There are times when I travel alone for long periods. After the Time War, I was by myself for nearly 70 years before I found you.”

He frowned when he noticed tears coming to Rose’s eyes.

“Rose? What’s wrong?” he asked.

“You were all alone for 42 years, that’s what’s wrong.” She sobbed.

“Rose, I’m a big boy. I can handle…”

“Oh God, why did I have to be an idiot and grab that lever?” Rose moaned. “If I had just held on to that magnet thing I would have never gone into this universe and you wouldn’t have been alone all those years.”

The Doctor grabbed her hands.

“Rose, listen to me. My being alone was not your fault!” he said. “I made the decision to be alone because I needed time to recover from what had happened. Donna suddenly appearing in the TARDIS didn’t help matters any especially since I had to go out and rescue her when what I needed was to be by myself and sort through what had happened. And that’s what I did.”

“You were trying to forget about me?”

“No! I wasn’t trying to forget you. I could never forget you, Rose! I keep telling you that you mean the world to me. I was trying to heal myself so I could actually function. I couldn’t do that for the longest time, Rose. I was an emotional basket case. You were a huge part of my life and suddenly you were ripped away from me. The shock from that almost devastated me.”

He held up his hand when Rose opened her mouth.

“And I know what you’re going to say, Rose. You’re going to blame yourself and I won’t let you. You did what you needed to do to save the world. If you hadn’t done what you did the Daleks and Cybermen wouldn’t have been sucked into the void and they would have taken over Earth and then the Galaxy and eventually the Universe. You sacrificed all we had to save billions and the pride I have for you is so strong, I feel like I’m gonna burst! What you did made the 44 years I spent separated from you worth it. If we had it all to do over again, I would hope to Rassilon you would make the same decision.”

He cupped her face in his hands.

“You, Rose Tyler, are an amazing, incredible, fantastic, wonderful human being. You are a credit to your species and words can’t describe the depth of my love for you. To put it in Earth slang; you kick ass, girlfriend!”

He paused.

“Wait, did that sound bizarre coming from me?”

Rose giggled.

“Very bizarre.”

“Okay, well, I’ll file that away in the never going to say again, ever, ever section of my brain then.”

He smiled when Rose giggled harder.

“Anyway, what I’m trying to say is please don’t blame yourself for what happened. Trust me, the Time War was more devastating on me which is why it took about 30 years longer to recover. Now turn around, Rosebud, and let me continue my massage.”

Rose smiled. She kissed the Doctor on the lips and turned around. She sighed as the Doctor began to massage her back. They were silent for several minutes and then, Rose looked back at him.

“So, in all that time you were alone. Did you ever travel to any planets or have any adventures?” she asked.

“Occasionally I did, but most of the time was spent flying through the vortex.”

He reached across her shoulder, grabbed her chin and made her look at him.

“And if I tell you this next part, will you promise not to flip out and start blaming yourself?” he asked. “Because if you are, I’m going to leave it at that.”

“No, I want to hear. I promise I won’t blame myself.” She said.

The Doctor nodded.

“I did a lot of crying and a lot of screaming.” He said resuming his massage. “That’s one of the reasons why I didn’t take a companion again right away. They wouldn’t have stayed long with an angry, bitter, yelling, screaming, crying alien. The only reason I invited Martha on board was because she saved my life and I offered her one trip in the TARDIS as a thank you. But once she was in there I realized how much I missed having a friend sharing my adventures with me and I offered her another trip after that and another and another and finally I just accepted her as my new companion. But…I made it clear to her that she was in no way replacing you and she never did. I never got over you, Rose and I never will. You have a hold on my hearts and I had to come over here to retrieve them.”

He kissed the top of her head.

“And now that I have my hearts back, I can get in my TARDIS with my Rosebud and my friends and I can get on with the business of saving the universe and looking totally devastating while doing it.”

Rose giggled.

“What? I don’t look totally devastating?” he said.

Rose looked back at him.

“Yeah, you do, I just missed your playful teasing. It’s like music to my ears.”

His grin was a mile wide.

“Well, in that case, I’ll be doing lots more of it. So much, in fact, that I’ll drive Smith and Jones out there buggy.”

He paused.

“Smith and Jones. Heh.”

Rose looked back at him.

“What?”

“Nothing, private joke.” He said.

Rose rolled her eyes and smiled as he kissed her cheek and continued his massage.

Chapter Nine

It was nearly midnight. The house was deathly quiet. Mickey had gone home and Martha was sleeping on the couch. The Doctor was sleeping with Rose in her bed. He had gone several days without sleep working on the void device and getting him and Martha over. With Rose snuggled up against him, he slipped easily into a contented sleep beside her.

As they snored softly, they were unaware when Jackie opened her bedroom door and she and Pete looked in on them.

“Are you sure you wanna let her go, Jacks?” Pete whispered to his wife. “You’ll never see her again.”

“I know that.” Jackie whispered back. “But…look at her, Pete. Look at the two of them together. They belong with each other. I mean, today was the first time that Rose has laughed or smiled in months. I can’t stand in the way of her happiness.”

She edged into the room and tip toed to the bed. As Pete came up behind her, she stood by the side of the bed staring down at Rose. She smiled as she noticed the Doctor and Rose’s fingers intertwined and the contented smile on the Doctor’s face.

“He loves her, Pete. He wouldn’t be here otherwise.” She whispered to him. “He’ll take care of my little Rose. He won’t let anything happen to her.”

“How do you know that, Jacks?” Pete whispered.

Jackie smiled.

“I just know in my heart that she’ll be alright.” She said.

She reached down and gently brushed a strand of Rose’s hair away from her face. Rose snuffled softly in her sleep and Jackie watched as the Doctor pulled her body closer to his. She smiled when Rose let out a contented sigh and went back to dreaming.

“See.” Jackie said to Pete. “Rose will be perfectly alright. ‘Sides, Mickey’s goin’ with them and that Martha will be along as well. They’ll all look after each other like a proper family.”

She took Pete’s hand.

“Come on; let’s get out of here before they wake up. They’re gonna be leavin’ after breakfast and they need their rest.” She said.

Pete nodded. He led Jackie out of the bedroom. She paused at the door.

“Sweet dreams, you two.” She whispered, closing the door.

“Sweet dreams, Jackie.” The Doctor muttered sleepily.

Smiling, he kissed Rose’s head, and with a sigh fell back to sleep beside the love of his life.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Good morning.” The Doctor said as he and Rose walked into the kitchen.

He smiled down at Martha.

“How was the couch?” he asked winking.

“Not bad, but I can’t wait to get back to my own bed in the TARDIS.” She replied.

“Ooo, that reminds me, since Rose is coming with us; she’ll want her room back now.

So I’m afraid you’ll have to move everything to another room.”

Martha’s jaw dropped. The Doctor gave her an evil grin.

“Just kidding.” He said poking her shoulder.

He giggled as Martha eyed him.

“No, Rose is moving into my room. I don’t have much in there and there’s plenty of room for both of us.” He said.

He smiled at her.

“I trust that will be okay with you.” He said.

“More than alright with me.” She replied.

She gave him a kiss on the lips and went to help Jackie with the breakfast while the Doctor sat down beside Martha.

“So is Mickey boy coming?”

“He is. He’s saying goodbye to his grandmother and his friends before he comes over.” Martha replied.

“So, is he rooming with you then?” The Doctor asked innocently.

“Nah, I think he wants his own room and frankly I would prefer it that way as well. I need my space.” She said.

The Doctor shrugged. He smiled as Rose and Jackie began to put the breakfast in front of them.

“I’ll eat later. Pete and I have to run down to the shop for somethin’ so we’ll be back shortly.” Jackie replied.

They nodded. Jackie gave Rose a quick kiss on the cheek and walked out of the kitchen.

“Oh, before I forget, Rose. I have something special for you on the TARDIS that I want you to see.” The Doctor said.

Martha frowned.

“You do?”

The Doctor nodded.

“It’s something for Rose’s eyes only though if you don’t mind.”

Martha shrugged.

“It’s okay with me. I figured there were going to be private things between the two of you.” She said.

“Well, just because I have Rose back doesn’t mean I’m leaving you out of things or leaving Mickey out for that matter. It’s just that some things will be between us so please don’t get jealous of that.”

“I won’t.” Martha replied. “I’m glad she’s back. I love how happy you are now and besides it’ll be nice to have another woman around the TARDIS that I can talk to.”

“Yeah, we can talk about the Doctor and his quirks. I did that with his other companion, Sarah Jane, when we met her at this school. The two of us argued at first and tried to outdo each other and then we realized how stupid we were being and we had a laugh and started talking about all the odd things the Doctor does.”

She giggled as she looked at him.

“That’s what we were laughing about when you came in.” she said.

The Doctor paused with a forkful of egg halfway up to his mouth.

“I see. So instead of doing what I asked, which was trying to get those processors cracked open so we could save the children, the school and the whole sodding world, you decided instead to compare notes on me.”

“We didn’t plan it that way. It just sort of happened.”

“Uh huh, and what exactly are these “odd” things I do?” He said setting his fork down on his plate.

Rose grinned at Martha.

“Well, I’m sure you noticed that he has a habit of ramblin’ on at 900 miles an hour about somethin’ and when you don’t get it, he looks at you like you’re a retard.” She said.

“Oh yeah, he does that all the time. Gets annoying, I must say.” Martha replied.

“I cannot help it if you cannot keep up with my superior intelligence.” The Doctor said incensed. “Most of the time when I’m “ramblin’ on” I’m trying to explain something vital to you. It’s your job to pay attention!”

“Did you ever walk in on him talking to the ceiling?” Martha said ignoring him.

“Yeah, he does. He talks to the TARDIS when he does that. The ship’s alive, you know.”

“Yeah, he said that. I didn’t know he actually talked to it. I thought he was talking to an invisible version of you or something.”

“No, I wasn’t talking to an invisible version of Rose.” The Doctor said rolling his eyes.

“He still strokes bits of the TARDIS with you? Cause he did that with me and Sarah Jane.”

“Yeah, that’s creepy. I have to leave the console room when he does that.”

“There is nothing creepy about my stroking the TARDIS. She likes it.”

“Who’s this Sarah Jane, by the way? He never mentioned her. When did she travel with him?”

“God only knows.”

“She traveled with me during my 3rd and 4th incarnations, does that answer your question?” the Doctor said annoyed.

“How many woman he had in that TARDIS?” Martha asked.

“Who knows? Proabably a ton of em. Probably kidnaps em all the time. For all I know, the Doctor is the pimp of the universe and he cons us into traveling with him, so we can prostitute ourselves on different planets and earn him cash.”

“I do not!”

Rose leaned in towards Martha.

“Probably got a secret harem on board that TARDIS somewhere where he keeps all the woman until he needs him. Sarah Jane probably managed to escape, and he let her go so I wouldn’t wise up. I’m sure as soon as we get onboard, we’ll be thrown in with them.”

“Yes, Rose, that’s right. I came across the void to recapture you, because your big, bouncy breasts will reap an enormous profit for me on some distant planet somewhere.”

“See, told ya! I have the boy figured out.” Rose said, gesturing to him.

They giggled hysterically while the Doctor rolled his eyes, muttered to himself and picked his fork back up.

Chapter Ten

After finishing their breakfast, Rose, Martha and The Doctor sat in the living room waiting for Mickey. He finally arrived and about twenty minutes later Pete and Jackie returned.

“So, I guess this is it, eh?” Jackie said putting her arms around Rose’s neck.

Rose returned the hug.

“I love you, mum. I’ll be careful like always.”

“I know you will, luv. You’re my special little girl and I’m so proud of ya.” She said.

“Thanks mum.”

She broke off the embrace and bent down to her sister.

“I’m gonna miss ya, Ariel.” She said giving her a big hug.

“Wose!” Ariel replied throwing her arms around her neck

Rose smiled as tears came to her eyes. She hugged her sister extra tight and gave her a huge kiss on the cheek.

“Be good and take care of mum, okay?” she said in her ear.

She gave her another tight hug before letting go. She looked over at Pete.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t much of a dad to ya.” He said.

“I understand. I know how awkward it must be to suddenly find yourself saddled with a daughter from another dimension.” Rose replied. “I’m just grateful that you thought enough of me to cross over and save my life that day.”

“As am I.” the Doctor added.

“You didn’t have to do that for me especially since I’m not your daughter…”

“No, you’re not. But from what I can see, you’re a good person and you didn’t deserve to go the way of the Daleks and Cybermen. And I know now that you’re gonna be alright. You have an inner strength that not too many people have. I figure you have too to survive traveling with him. Just like your mum said, stay safe and have fun and make the universe a better place.”

“I will Pete.”

“Call me dad.”

Rose raised her eyebrow and a smile spread over her face. She threw her arms around Pete’s neck.

“I’ll miss ya, dad.” She said.

“I’ll miss you too, Rose. Have a great life.”

“I will.”

As they hugged, Jackie walked up to the Doctor.

“You keep an eye on her for me, you hear, or I’ll be crossing the void myself to slap ya!”

The Doctor held up his hands.

“With that kind of a threat leveled against me, I’m not going to disobey.” He said with mock fear.

Jackie chuckled. She threw her arms around the Doctor.

“Ooooh, thank you so much for coming back and gettin’ her. She needs you in her life and I know you need her. Look after each other.”

“We will.” The Doctor said returning the hug.

Jackie broke off the embrace and cupped his face in her hands.

“And if you ever do decide to come back to this universe, make sure to drop in for a cup of tea.” She said. “Just don’t go changin’ on me again. Seeing all these different versions of you is makin’ my head spin.”

She smiled when the Doctor laughed and gave him a little peck on the cheek before turning to hug Mickey.

“You behave yourself as well. And keep an eye on Rose.”

“I will. Keep an eye on Gram for me. Make sure she’s okay.” Mickey replied.

“We will, hon.” Jackie replied. “Take care.”

“You too.”

They broke apart.

“Well, is that everyone?” The Doctor asked.

He looked at Martha and grinned.

“You wanna give out any gushy farewells?” he asked her.

“Nah, just nice meetin’ ya all.” Martha replied. “Sorry the visit was so short.”

Jackie smiled and hugged her.

“If the Doctor ever decides to come back, you’re always welcome at our house.” She said.

“Thank you. I’d be honored.” Martha replied.

She finished hugging her and picked up Ariel as she stepped back to stand beside Pete.

“Well, that’s it then?” the Doctor asked.

Everyone looked at each other and nodded.

“Well, what we waitin’ for then? ALLONS-Y!”

Pete and Jackie turned and watched as the four of them hurried off in the direction of the TARDIS.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(Later on that evening…)

“Finally we have the house to ourselves.” Pete said as Jackie put the plates of roast and potatoes on the kitchen table.

“Well, almost to ourselves.” He added, winking at Ariel sitting beside him.

He mashed up some of his potatoes and fed them to Ariel while Jackie sat down across from her husband. She sighed as she began to cut up her roast into bite sized pieces.

“Gonna be awfully quiet in here without Rose and Mickey around.” She said wistfully.

“Yeah, but she was gonna have to leave sometime, Jacks. She’s a grown woman.” Pete replied.

“I know, but she’ll always be my little Rose.” She said. “And I’ll miss her so much.”

She sighed as she put her head in her hand.

“Wonder what she’s doin’ right now?” she mused.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Don’t you dare, Doctor!”

She and Mickey were in the console room backing away from the Doctor and Martha who were following them. She stared at the cans of whipped cream in each of their hands.

“Don’t you dare get that stuff on me and Mickey!” she said as the Doctor and Martha grinned and began to shake the contents of the can up.

“I told ya, Rose. After we crossed the void safely, Martha and I were gonna have to re-initiate you and Mickey into our TARDIS brotherhood. Well, we just crossed the void and you and Mickey must undergo the initiation.”

Rose raised her fist.

“You feel like regeneratin’ again, then you just spray that in my face!” she said.

The Doctor paused and looked at Martha.

“Feelin’ lucky, Jones?” he asked.

“Extremely.” She replied.

The Doctor stared at Rose with a pointed look as he advanced towards her and Mickey.

“Dammit, Doctor, you and Martha are gonna pay for this, I swear!” Rose said.

“Ready, Martha?”

“Ready!”

“I mean it, Doctor!” Rose said as menacingly as she could.

“1…”

“Doctor!”

“2…”

“I will kill you, I swear!”

“3!”

Rose and Mickey let out a string of curses as the Doctor and Martha howled with laughter and chased them around the console room. They both made for the back door and gasped when it suddenly disappeared.

DAMMIT, TARDIS! QUIT HELPING THEM!” Rose yelled as she and Mickey ran the other way.

“ON THE CONTRARY GIRL, HELP US ANY WAY YOU CAN!” the Doctor yelled as Martha and he closed the distance between them.

As they neared Rose and Mickey, the Doctor and Martha glanced at each other and with a grin put on a burst of speed and leapt onto their backs. They roared with laughter as they spray the whipped cream into their head and faces. Wrestling them to the ground, they continued to spray as the TARDIS rumbled with laughter.

“DOCTOR! STOP! THIS ISN’T FUNNY!” Rose yelled at him as she tried not to laugh.

The Doctor grinned and threw the can away as he stuck his fingers in her armpits. He tickled her while Mickey tried to squirm out of Martha’s grasp.

‘Oh yeah, feels like old times!” the Doctor said gleefully as he continued to assault Rose’s armpits with his fingertips.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Rose.”

Rose stirred when she heard the Doctor’s voice. After cleaning herself up, she had retired to the Doctor’s and now her bedroom and had fallen asleep. With bleary eyes, she looked up at the Doctor standing above her.

“Huh?” she said half asleep.

“I’m sorry to wake you, Rosebud, but Mickey and Martha are asleep and I wanted to show you that one thing I promised to show you.”

“Oh…okay…”

Rose yawned and the Doctor helped her to her feet.

“Do I need to change?” she asked sleepily.

“No, it’s alright. It’s in the console room. We’re not going outside.” He replied.

Taking her hand, he led her to the console room while Rose finished waking up. When they had reached the console, he lowered her gently into captain’s chair.

“I think you’ll probably want to sit for this.” He said going to the console. “I don’t know how you’re gonna take it.”

Rose frowned, but said nothing.

The Doctor turned to her.

“Rassilon knows why I made this.” He said sheepishly. “It was long before I met Martha when I was alone in the TARDIS.”

He paused.

“And contrary to popular belief, I was alone. There’s no hidden harem in here somewhere.” He added.

He grinned when Rose let out a little giggle.

“Anyway, It was one of those nights when I was missing you and needed to get my feelings out and I guess that’s why I did it.” He said running his hand along the back of his curly hair. “I thought you might like to see it especially since…”

He sighed.

“I’m rambling again.” He muttered. “Sorry, I’ll just let you see for yourself.”

He turned to push a button on the console and looked back at her.

“If this becomes too upsetting, let me know and I’ll turn it off.” He said.

Rose nodded her head, wondering what it was he wanted to show her.

He looked at her one more time and then pushed the button and stepped back. Rose watched as a light shot out of the side of the TARDIS and formed into a 3D holographic projection. She gasped and felt tears come to her eyes when she saw the Doctor’s tenth incarnation standing before her.

“I was right about having you sit down for this, I guess.” The Doctor muttered as he sat down on the captain’s chair beside her.

Rose ignored him focusing all her intention instead on the hologram in front of her. She bit her lip when she could see that he had been crying.

“Rassilon, why am I doing this? I must be out of my mind.” The hologram Doctor muttered to himself.

He let out a sigh and shoved his hands in his pockets as he faced what Rose figured was the camera.

“Um…I’ve been about twenty four years traveling alone by my estimation.” The Doctor began.

Rose put her hand over her mouth and fought back the tears as her Doctor began to stoke her back.

The hologram Doctor let out a ragged sigh.

“Twenty four years and it still feels like only yesterday that I lost her.” He said in a shaky voice.

He ran his hand along the back of his hair and paced back and forth for a moment.

“I…I don’t know what to do anymore.” He said as he finally stopped and faced the camera. “I’ve tried everything I can think of to forget about her. But I just can’t. Every little thing reminds me of Rose. I can’t go back to the planets I visited with her because the memories are just too painful but…everywhere I go in the TARDIS, I have memories of her as well. I can’t escape no matter what I do and…”

Rose gulped when she saw fresh tears fall from the hologram Doctor’s eyes.

“I fear I might be losing my sanity.” He said.

He began to pace again and Rose felt her Doctor wrap his arms around her.

“Are you okay?” he whispered to her. “I can turn this off if you want.”

“No, please don’t stop it. I want to see it.” Rose replied.

The Doctor nodded and kissed her cheek.

The hologram Doctor ran his fingers through his hair as he let out a frustrated sigh.

“How long. How long till this torment stops?” he asked himself.

He put his head in his hands for a moment and then with a sigh faced the camera.

“It’s impossible. There’s no way to get back to her. I’ll never see her again.” He said.

“Heh, never say never, I guess.” The Doctor whispered in her ear.

Rose smiled. It quickly fell off her face when she heard a ragged sob escape the hologram Doctor’s throat.

“Oh Rassilon, Rose, I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry I took your hand that day and got you into this mess.” He moaned.

The tears fell down Rose’s cheeks as the Doctor held her tighter.

“It’s all my fault you’re stuck in another universe now.”

“No, Doctor, don’t blame yourself.” Rose blurted out.

She felt her Doctor kiss her cheek and nuzzle it with his nose.

The hologram Doctor paused for a moment with his back to the camera. Rose wiped the tears from her cheeks as she waited for him to continue.

“Rose.” He finally said as he turned back to the camera. “I don’t know if you’ll ever see this but please know that I love you with all my hearts and this is not the end, not by a long shot! I will find you again even if I have to waste the rest of my lives to do it! You are one of the best things to ever happen to me and I know even though we are not the same species, we belong together. I haven’t felt this way about anyone before, not even my first wife made me feel like this, and I loved her dearly. Rose, if you can somehow hear me, please don’t give up on me. Don’t forget about me, Rose, because I’ll never forget about you, and Rassilon willing, we will be in each other’s arms again even if I have to tear apart a gap with my bare hands. I have seen many things I thought impossible in my lives and if those impossible things can happen, this can too. I just have to believe and have faith because faith is the only thing giving me a grip on reality right now.”

He paused and let out a long breath.

“Now I’ve made myself look like a fool.” He muttered. “I’m talking to a camera instead of talking to the air. I guess that’s a step up in my recovery.”

Rose laughed in spite of herself.

The hologram Doctor let out a sigh.

“Well, I guess I’ll go to bed and try to sleep now since I haven’t slept in over three weeks.”

Rose felt the tears returning.

The hologram Doctor shook his head.

“Although…I know I won’t get to sleep because every time I close my eyes, she’s right there standing on the beach crying her eyes out.”

The Doctor kissed Rose’s cheek as she let out a sob.

“I…I did the same thing.” She said to him.

“I figured as much.” The Doctor replied softly.

He gave her a lingering kiss on the temple as Rose watched the hologram.

“Goodnight, Rose. Sleep well wherever you are.” The hologram said.

He sighed.

“Hopefully one of us is getting a decent night’s sleep.” He muttered.

He gave the camera a sad smile.

“Goodnight, my little Rosebud. Know that I’m watching over you in your dreams and I’ll be thinking of you constantly until the day we are reunited. Sweet dreams, my love.”

Rose wept as she watched the hologram hit a button out of camera range and the hologram vanished. The Doctor held her from behind.

“I love you, Rose.” He whispred to her. “Even when it looked hopeless, I never gave up hope that someday we might be reunited.”

He kissed her.

“And I also wanted you to see it since I was addressing you during that last bit. I’m sorry if it upset you. I debated whether or not to show it to you because I knew you would cry but…”

“No, I’m glad you showed it to me. Especially since it was good to see the old you again one last time.”

She smiled at him.

“I had a proper goodbye in a way and now I’m ready to move on with you in this body.” She said.

The Doctor smiled.

“Ready for more adventures then?”

“Always, but first…I’m ready for more sleep.”

The Doctor laughed.

“Well, that can be arranged. Want me to lay with you?”

“You have to ask?”

The Doctor chuckled and kissed her cheek.

“Get some sleep, little Rosebud, because tomorrow morning we start our adventures back up again.” he said.

Rising with her, he put his hand on her back and led her out of the console room and back to her bedroom.

THE END.

A/N: Hope you liked it. I’ll probably do more 11th Doctor stories in addition to my 10/ Rose. I just want to finish the ones I’m working on now before I do that.

DW Fanfic: New, New Doctor...PG

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 14:26:58 GMT

TITLE: New New Doctor

FANDOM: Doctor Who

PAIRING: 10/Rose

RATING: PG

SUMMARY: Set after TCI: The Doctor reflects on the events surrounding the Christmas Invasion

DISCLAIMER: Doctor Who doesn't belong to me. I'm making no money off of this.

I let out an exasperated sigh as I thumb through the clothes looking for a suitable outfit. As comfortable as Howard’s jim-jams and dressing gown is, I can’t wear them when I’m out defending the universe. I almost froze to death in the duel with the Sycorax leader. It is highly impractical to be walking around like that.

Besides, I want something that will show off my gorgeous, new body. Especially to Rose.

I pick through the assortment of clothes and grimace. Some of the outfits are downright horrible. I have no idea why I decided to keep them on hand. Although, reflecting back on my lives, I figure that my sixth incarnation is responsible for the majority of them. I wince as I remembered the multicolored outfit with the multicolored brolly. What had I been thinking? I’m amazed my enemies hadn’t laughed out loud when they saw me. I looked more like the Oncoming Acid Trip than the Oncoming Storm. And I don’t even want to think about the whole question marks on the clothes phase.

Thankfully, I have far better taste now in my old age.

This was why it is so difficult to find something to my liking. My 9th body had worn all black clothes to reflect the darkness that had permeated my soul and my life after the Time War, but that was before my Rose came along. Rose changed my outlook on life for the better and shown me that happiness still existed in this world. Now in this new body with Rose at my side, I no longer feel as bitter and angry as I had before I met her. So, as a result, black clothing no longer interests me.

I let out a sigh as I thumb through an assortment of gaudy clothes on one of the racks in my dressing room. I was about to give up hope when suddenly I spied something off to my left. Reaching over I pull a brown pin-striped suit and white shirt off the rack and study it. This wasn’t bad. Not bad at all. My eyes drift over and my eyes widen as I notice a long, brown leather coat hanging nearby. I pull it off the rack and stare at it. My eyes alternate between the suit and the leather coat and I smile as I hurry off to change into them.

On the way to the little changing area near the dressing room, I pause and look down as I notice a pair of Converse trainers lying on the floor beneath a pile of clothes. I stare at them for a moment, thinking. I’m getting on in years. I’m not as quick as I used to be, and if I’m going to outrun monsters I want to be sure I will have comfortable footwear to do it in. Nodding to myself, I reach down, grab the trainers and hurry to the changing room.

As I change out of the dressing robe and jim-jams, I reflect on the events over the past few days. Another new body, another new life and now…only three more lives left before I die for good. It was hard to believe that I had been through so many lives now. It seemed like only yesterday that I was on my 1st life and now I was nearly to the end. Before Rose I would have welcomed my inevitable death. Since the Time War, I had become somewhat reckless with my life. I had no longer cared if I lived or died and it was only through sheer luck that I’d managed to hang on as long as I did before I regenerated. And then, I ended up dying to save Rose’s life. I smile. It was completely worth it. Taking the time vortex into me and feeling the agony as it burned up the cells in my body was nothing compared to knowing that she was safe and out of harm’s way. I sigh as I remember the fear she felt watching me die. I never got to explain the concept of regenerations to her. We were always so busy, it just slipped my mind. Not to mention the fact that after several years being in a body I always begin to get cocky and think that I can handle any situation and take on any foe and come through it all unscathed. It’s always as much a shock to me as it is to my companions when my luck runs out and another body finally does die. Time Lords have a high opinion of themselves and their abilities and I’m certainly no exception. I just wish I had paused long enough in our adventures to tell Rose I do regenerate so I didn’t have to go through the unnecessary task of trying to convince her afterwards that I was the same man. I was so glad I got through to her. The way she was acting I was half afraid she was gonna knock me on my arse.

I pull the coat up around me and straighten it. Smoothing out the wrinkles in my suit, I pause at the collar. I need a tie. Walking out of the changing room, I walk over to a mirror on the other side of the dressing room and look at a collection of ties hanging off it. I pick out a red one, briefly take off my two coats, put it on and put my coats back on. I pause in the mirror staring at myself as I turn side to side. Bending down, I examine my face and run my tongue across my brand new teeth feeling the newness of them. Hopefully I’ll get used to them soon. Leaning back up, I nod satisfied and go to join my makeshift family for their Christmas celebration.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I lie awake in the guest bedroom staring at the ceiling. Christmas has come and gone and everyone has gone to bed and I suppose gone to sleep. Not me though. I’m not used to this bed. I’d rather be in my own on the TARDIS. Actually, I’d rather be in the TARDIS period. I was going to leave earlier tonight with Rose but her mother insisted we wait till the morning. I agreed to it. After all that had happened, I figured Jackie deserved some time with her before we left again.

I smile to myself. Rose is coming with me. I can’t believe she still want to. I was so overjoyed. I was sure after my regeneration went wrong and I ended up crash landing the TARDIS that she would be too terrified to accompany me again. Rose is so amazing and I would miss her terribly if she hadn’t come. This past year she has gone from being an irritating little ape to being my strength and my rock. She helps me so much and has helped me get over the horror of my past and let go of a lot. I don’t know what I would do without her now.

As I think about her, I glance over at the bedroom door. After a moment I get up, move out of the bedroom and down the hall to her room. I pause a moment at her door and then I slowly open it and creep inside. I smile as I see her sleeping peacefully in her bed and I silently make my way to her side. I pause and stare down with adoration at my beautiful Rose as she snores softly. I get down on my knees beside her and stare at her lovingly watching as her eyes move back and forth underneath her eyelids. She is like an angel. A beautiful, loving, innocent Christmas angel who loves me even though I don’t deserve any love from anybody or anything. Tentatively, I brush a lock of her hair out of her face and smile as I see the soft smile playing around her lips. I pause a moment and then very slowly I put my finger on her cheek and gently run it down to her neck.

“I love you, Rose.” I whisper. “I love you so much.”

I sigh contentedly as Rose’s smile widens. I don’t know if she heard me or not, but maybe deep down in her subconscious she did. I hope so. At the moment, I’m not sure whether or not I could ever tell Rose that I love her to her face. Even though I’ve gotten over a lot this past year there are still a lot of fears that I have about admitting my love to anybody. Everyone that I’ve ever loved is gone. I’ve lost so many friends and family; people that I cared about, but none of them have ever compared to Rose. I’m head over heels in love with her and the thought of losing her is unbearable. Besides, what if Rose doesn’t love me the same way I love her. I know she is fond of me and I know she harbored feelings for my 9th life. But I’m a new Doctor. Does she still want me in the same way? I’m so afraid of telling her I love her and having her reject me to my face. So, I’m going to hold off telling her until I’m absolutely sure she won’t laugh in my face and walk out of my life. She’s so precious to me. I don’t want to risk our friendship over a misunderstanding, so despite my longing to shout my love for Rose to the heavens, I’ll remain silent for now just to be on the safe side.

I tentatively move my hand up to her head and place it gently on the top of her head. I love the feel of her hair. I love the feel of her all over. She’s so soft to the touch. I love holding her to me and holding her hand. She comforts me in a way that nothing else can. I lean in close to her and breathe in her scent smiling as it invades my nostrils. She smells so good to me; more fragrant than the most beautiful flower in the universe. I could sit here and drink in her scent all night. If I could bottle her smell and sell it, I’m sure I would make a fortune.

Suddenly, I sense her stirring. I look up and my eyes widen as I see her looking at me.

“Oh…I’m…sorry.” I say, embarrassed. “I…couldn’t sleep and…I was just checking to see if you were alright.”

She smiles at me and my hearts melt.

“Are you sure that’s all you were in here for?” she teases.

She giggles as I feel myself blush.

“Rose.” I say trying to ignore the fact that my face feels red hot. “Do…do you really want to go with me in the morning?”

She frowns.

“Yeah. I do.” She says. “Why?”

“Well…I mean…I’m not the same Doctor you knew. I’m different and I don’t want you going with me if it’s going to make you feel uncomfortable.”

“You could never make me feel uncomfortable.” She replies.

I raise my eyebrow.

“You sure seemed uncomfortable right after I regenerated.” I say.

“Well, that’s because you didn’t tell me you did that.” She answers. “I thought you were someone else. It’s a little unnerving when you’ve never seen someone change their whole body before, ya know?”

I smile.

“Well, I’ll try not to regenerate again.” I say.

Rose shrugged.

“I won’t get freaked out next time since I know you do that now.”

She frowns.

“How did you get the vortex in ya, anyway?” she asks. “And how did I get back to the space station?”

I raise my eyebrow. The Bad Wolf has apparently blocked all memories of what happened to her. Maybe it’s for the best. No one should have that much power, especially not a 19 year old shop girl from London. Hopefully that thing is gone from her body now. I notice Rose looking at me expectantly and I hurriedly think up an explanation.

“The Daleks…figured out a way to call the TARDIS back to the space station.” I say carefully thinking out my explanation. “I ran inside and found you unconscious so I…tried to start up the TARDIS and one of the Daleks shot a laser and…it hit the control panel in front of me and opened it up and I accidentally looked at it and the vortex went into me.”

I smiled at her praying to Rassilion that she would accept this explanation.

“What happened to all the Daleks then?” she asks.

“I told you I sang a song and the Daleks ran away.”

I grinned at her as she shot me a look.

“No, what really happen to them?”

“I told you, they ran away.”

“Yeah, right.”

“Rose, they don’t call me the Oncoming Storm for nothing.” I say. “They’re terrified of me. I’m their worst nightmare. They’d rather flee than risk me kicking their sorry metallic hides.”

I knew Rose wasn’t buying it but she apparently decided it was pointless to keep asking because she shrugged and changed the subject.

“So…” she said reaching down for my hand. “Did you have fun tonight?”

“Yeah, I’ve never participated in Christmas celebrations before. It was fascinating.”

“Just fascinating?”

I smile.

“It was fun too.”

I lean in.

“And you know what the best part was?”

“What?”

“Watching you have fun and seeing you laugh and smile.” I say. “I don’t see you happy often so it’s a real treat when it happens.”

“Same here.” She says. “You never were very happy, Doctor.”

She pauses.

“You seem so different now. So unlike your previous self.”

She studies me.

“Are…you happy now?” she asks.

I pause and give the question deep thought.

“I…I’m happier now than I was.” I say. “I’m not as bitter this time around.”

Rose smiles.

“I’m glad, Doctor. I hated to see you sad and upset all the time.” She says stroking my cheek. “I used to lay awake at night wondering what I could do to make everything better for you so you’d be happy.”

I frown. I never knew that. I lay my hand against her cheek.

“Rose.” I say. “You do make me happy. When you came into my life you lifted up my spirits and gave me a reason to live. And when I regenerated I carried that over into my new body.”

I stroke her face as tears come to her eyes.

“Tonight was fantastic. I wish every other day could be like today. Cause today has been the best day. Everything I’ve ever dreamed.”

“Ooooh, that’s nice. You got a bit of the romantic in ya.” Rose says, grinning at me. “You oughta put that sentiment in a song.”

I consider that.

“That’s not a bad idea.” I say. “I could call it…”

I think for a moment.

“Song for Rose.” I finish, grinning.

Now it was Rose’s turn to blush. My grin widens. She looks so cute when she blushes.

I sigh as Rose lays her hand against my cheek.

“You know, when you changed I wasn’t sure if I would like your new body.” She says.

“Yes, I know.” I said, rolling my eyes.” All that stuff about can you change back.”

Rose bites her lip.

“Well, I was used to your other self.” She says guiltily. “But…”

She grabs my hand and gives it a squeeze.

“I like ya too.”

I smile as my hearts leap in my chest.

“You do?”

Rose nods.

“Yeah, you’re funny and your sweet and you’re…”

She blushes.

“Cute.” She says.

I grin.

“I am, huh?”

Rose blushes.

“Yeah, you are.”

I lean in close. I pause a moment and take in her scent again.

“Don’t forget rude and not ginger.” I say.

She chuckles.

“Yeah, rude and not ginger too.” She says.

I sigh as I lay my head on the bed next to her. I close my eyes and let out a contented sigh as Rose lays her hand on my back.

“Tomorrow, Rose. Tomorrow we start back on our adventures.” I say. “Are you ready?”

“Only if you promise not to crash land again.”

I chuckle.

“I think I’m past that now.”

I pause.

“I think I am. I’m pretty sure.” I say. “I never know. It takes me awhile to get myself sorted out when I regenerate.”

“Well, I guess I’ll have to come along and keep an eye on ya then so you don’t die and regenerate again.”

I laugh and put my hand in Rose’s.

“Merry Christmas, Rose.” I say, giving it a squeeze.

“Merry Christmas, Doctor.” She replies.

“Go back to sleep. We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow.”

Rose nods. I glance up and smile as she closes her eyes and lets out a contented sigh as she surrenders herself to sleep. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day. A few hours ago I received a message on my psychic paper summoning me to some ward 26 five billion years in the future. I had no idea who it was but I was determined to find out. I stare up at my angel as she snores softly.

“Sleep, my love.” I whisper to her. “Tomorrow we’re going further than we’ve ever gone before.”

THE END

DW Fanfic: A Happy Who Halloween...PG-13 Parts 4-5/5

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 14:10:34 GMT

Part Four

“Oh yeah, this is just terrifying.” The Doctor said rolling his eyes. “I can’t understand why you humans get so scared about walking in between slabs of granite in the dark.”

“Cause its eerie walking in the dark with a bunch of dead bodies under ya.” Rose said, shrugging.

“Why? They’re not gonna leap out and get anyone.”

Rose looked at him and smirked.

“Oh yeah; What about, “Are you my mummy?””

“That little boy wasn’t buried in the ground.” The Doctor replied. “He was lying out where those nanogenes could find him.”

“And that…” he added. “Was the reason he and everyone else around him became zombies. It wasn’t because of some demented voodoo priest going into graveyards and raising people from the dead like you see in the movies. If the nanogenes hadn’t been around, nothing would have happened.”

He gestured at the ground.

“What is below our feet is nothing but decaying organic matter. There is probably one chance in a trillion that any of them are going to come back to life, pop up and come after us. We…”

-He stopped abruptly. Rose turned to look at him and saw the familiar alert stance he adopted whenever he sensed trouble was near.

“What?”

The Doctor put his finger to his lips.

“I heard something behind us.” He mouthed to her.

Rose stood quietly and stared at the Doctor as he listened. Suddenly, she heard the soft rustle of leaves coming from the darkness behind them. Her eyes widened.

“Doctor.” She whispered.

The Doctor put his finger to his lips and shook his head. He lowered his hand and formed it into a fist.

“Back up.” He mouthed to her.

“But, Doctor…” she mouthed back.

“Do it!” he whispered.

Rose slowly back up as she watched the Doctor ready himself for whatever monster was creeping up on them. She knew why he wanted her to back up. He was going into his must protect Rose at any cost mode and although she appreciated the Doctor wanting to protect her; on the other hand, she found it infuriating that he kept thinking she couldn’t take care of herself especially after she had shown him over and over that she could. But, this was no time to argue since whatever was making the noise was coming up fast and so she quickly stepped behind the nearest gravestone readying herself to help the Doctor if need be.

The Doctor gritted his teeth as he turned towards the source of the noise.

“Alright,” he muttered to himself as he brought his fist up. “I don’t know what you are or what your plans are, but you are bloody well not going to spoil my nice evening with Rose tonight!”

He tensed as he heard the rustling stop behind the tombstone in front of him. He squeezed his fist tight and drew it back praying that he could dispatch the thing quickly before it had a chance to hurt Rose or anybody else. Drawing on senses that had been honed from centuries of battle, he waited as he allowed the creature to make the first move. He smirked as he sensed the creature rising from behind the grave and drew his fist back all the way ready to make contact with it. He hesitated a moment and then he let his fist fly

“BWAAAAAAAAA…AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”

Mickey screamed as he jumped up from behind the gravestone right into the oncoming path of the Doctor’s fist. He flinched as the fist stopped mere inches from his nose.

“MICKEY!” The Doctor bellowed angrily as his fist hung in mid air. “WHAT THE BLOODY HELL DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?”

“Um…soiling myself right about now.” Mickey said eyeing the fist.

The Doctor dropped his fist to his side and glared at him as Mickey gave him a sheepish look.

“What the Hell do you think you’re doing, Mickey Smith?” The Doctor said as Rose came up beside him. “I could have put my fist through your face!”

Mickey gulped.

“Well, you did it to me!” he said trying to steady his voice. “So I followed ya so I could get back at ya.”

“Yeah, and you nearly ended up with a broken nose!”

“Well, I just figured since you scared me, I’d scare you back.” Mickey spat out.

The Doctor let out an angry sigh

“Mickey, do you know what I do for a living?” he asked, folding his arms over his chest.

“You…time travel.”

“Uh huh, and what do I usually end up doing whenever I time travel?”

“You snog my girl?”

“I mean besides that.”

Mickey stared at him in shock.

“You admit it?” he asked.

The Doctor shrugged.

“I might as well. It’s not like it’s a big secret anymore, is it? Now…back to my question…what else do I do when I time travel?”

The Doctor sighed as he stared at Mickey’s blank look.

“I fight monsters.” He said exasperated.

“Yeah…okay…you fight monsters, then. So?”

The Doctor’s eyes bulged out of his head.

“So? Mickey, think about it. I’ve spent centuries traveling through time and most of the time when I land somewhere I invariably meet up with monsters. Most of which tend to try to hide so they can ambush me. This means that 99 percent of the time, they wait till I pass by them so they can attack me from the back.”

He leaned in to Mickey’s face and glared at him.

“And 99.9 percent of the time I have survived these ambushes. So, Mickey Smith, what does that tell you?”

Mickey gulped.

“That anyone who tries to jump up behind you and scare you, will end up getting knocked arse over teakettle?”

“Ding, ding, ding…thousand points to Mickey Smith!”

“Yeah, but you scared me so I’m just scaring you back.” Mickey protested.

The Doctor rolled his eyes and sighed.

“Mickey, how many monsters have you fought so far?”

“Um…those bat thingys in the school. That’s it for now.” He said.

“Uh huh…Well, I’ve fought thousands of monsters myself. This means that unlike me, you have the luxury of hearing noises behind you and not automatically thinking they’re some monstrous hell spawn from deep space come to destroy you and the ones you love. When I scared you I was pretty sure you weren’t going to freak out and start beating the bleeding crap out of me. Unfortunately, you can’t say the same for me. Especially since Rose is with me. That makes me doubly on edge.

He glanced at Rose.

“And before you say anything, I know you can take care of yourself; but just the same I promised your mum I would protect you and I care about you deeply on top of it so I can’t help getting overprotective at times. You mean a lot to me, you know.”

Rose grinned at him and squeezed his hand.

“I know.” She replied.

“So, just a word of advice Smith; next time you want to get back at me, don’t do it from behind. I don’t think you want the doctor bill after they finish reconstructing your nose. Got it?”

Mickey nodded.

“Good. Glad we got that settled.”

He put his arm around Rose.

“Now, if you’re done looking at decaying pieces of granite, I think we ought to head home.”

He looked at Mickey and gestured in front of him.

“You first so I can keep an eye on you. I get enough heat from Jackie as it is without you going to hospital.” He said.

Mickey let out an angry sigh and muttered as he walked in front of them. The Doctor glanced at Rose and shook his head as they followed him out of the graveyard.

Chapter Five

“There you are. I was beginning to get worried about you.” Jackie said as the three of them came in the door.

“We just went out for a quick walk, mum.” Rose replied.

Jackie snorted.

“I’ve seen what can happen on a quick walk with the Doctor.” She said.

“Jackie, I’m hurt.” The Doctor said with feigned shock. “You talk about me like I’m a jinx or something.”

Jackie rolled her eyes.

“Won’t even be dignifying that with an answer.” She muttered as she sat back down.

The Doctor winked at Rose as she shook her head.

“Well, troops, are we about ready to go?” the Doctor asked, looking at Rose and Mickey. “It’s been a relaxing Halloween, but the universe needs savin’.”

“Depends.” Mickey muttered.

“Depends on what?” The Doctor asked.

“Depends on if you are gonna play your little practical jokes on me while we’re flyin’ ‘round up there.”

“Oh for heavens sake, Mickey; don’t be a baby.” The Doctor said, rolling his eyes. “I play practical jokes on Rose all the time, don’t I, Rose?”

“He does. He’s a right holy terror when he gets in the mood.”

Mickey snorted.

“Yeah, right. He plays practical jokes on you. That’s rich.” He said

“He does. Like that time he swiped my lipstick and wrote chav on my forehead while I was asleep. Then sat there and didn’t say a word about it until I went into the bathroom and saw myself in the mirror.”

The Doctor snickered.

“That was great.” He said. “The scream when she saw herself in the mirror was priceless. Still, it couldn’t compare to the scream she let out when I put on this old Yeti costume I made a long time ago and jumped out at her while she was rummaging around in the fridge.”

“God knows why he had a Yeti costume to begin with.” Rose said.

“I made it for a costume ball they were having one year on Xanthis.” The Doctor replied. “It was a huge shindig too. People from all over the solar system came. Unfortunately, I took second place. Some tart dressed up as a Corlax took first place. Those Xanthidians wouldn’t know a prize winning costume if it bit them in the bum. But luckily, Rose came along and I found a better, funnier use for it. So, you see, Mickey. You aren’t the only one who gets teased. So quit being a wet blanket. You wanted to have some adventures, after all.”

“Yeah, I wanted to have some adventures. Not get abused by you every five minutes. If you’re gonna do that, I’ll just stay right here.”

“Um, that won’t work.” The Doctor said.

“Why not?”

“Because, I’m in a time machine. So, if you decide to stay here, I’ll just fly the TARDIS back to this exact point in time every once in awhile, open the door, kick your bum and disappear before you can retaliate.”

“Um, Doctor, if you keep flying back to this exact spot,” Rose cut in “Wouldn’t you meet your other selves, create a paradox and bring the reapers back?”

The Doctor turned and stared at her.

“I have told you before that you were too mouthy for your own good, haven’t I? Because I seem to recall having said that.” The Doctor said as Rose giggled.

He leaned in to Mickey.

“Women. Can’t keep their gums from flapping if you tried.”

“Oi!” Rose said, as the Doctor snickered.

“Anyway, Smith,” The Doctor said. “If you come with us, you might have to endure a few well-placed jibes at your expense just like Rose has to. But I think you’ll find that it is well worth it after you see all the wonders the universe has to offer.”

“Right, Rose?” he asked, looking at her.

Rose nodded.

He leaned in to Mickey.

“Besides, it gets you away from Jackie.”

“Doctor!” Jackie yelled.

The Doctor gave her a look of innocence as she glared at him.

“And on that note, I think it’s time to go.” The Doctor said, noticing that Jackie was on the verge of slapping his face again. “Jackie, it’s been a thrill seeing you again.”

Jackie snorted.

“You just sayin’ that so you don’t get a smack.”

The Doctor gave her a sheepish grin.

“I guess saying you look stunning tonight won’t help matters much, then?”

“No, it won’t.”

The Doctor coughed nervously. He paused and put a hand to his ear as Jackie advanced on him.

“Oh my God, the…flux capacitor…is malfunctioning in the TARDIS. I can hear it from here. I better go fix it before my fabulous ship explodes. BYE!”

Rose giggled as the Doctor ran into the next room.

Jackie sighed as she heard the TARDIS door slam.

“Don’t know what you see in him.” She said to Rose.

Rose smiled.

“He’s fun to be around.” She said, shrugging.

“Oh yeah, he’s a real riot, he is.” Mickey muttered as Jackie nodded in agreement.

Rose looked at him.

“Then, why do you want to come with us, then? If he irritates you that much, stay home.”

Mickey glared at her.

“Yeah, you’d like that, wouldn’t you? Then, you’d get to be alone with him.”

Rose said nothing.

Mickey narrowed his eyes.

“Yeah, you’d love it if I was out of the picture, wouldn’t ya? Well, you ain’t gonna have the opportunity to be alone with him. I’m coming just to make sure he doesn’t do something to you.”

Rose let out an exasperated sigh.

“Goodbye, mum.” She said, giving Jackie a hug and a kiss. “I’ll call when I can.”

She looked at Mickey.

“Comin’?” she said coldly.

Mickey nodded and started towards the TARDIS. When his back was to her, Rose rolled her eyes and shook her head wishing he would stay home. She had a feeling it wasn’t going to be much fun being around the Doctor with Mickey on board.

As they reached the TARDIS door, Mickey stepped aside and let her go through first. They entered and looked around for the Doctor.

“Doctor? We’re in the TARDIS.” Rose called out. “ You can leave now.”

Rose sighed when she didn’t hear an answer from him.

“Alright, Doctor.” She said, folding her arms over her chest. “My mum’s not gonna come in here and get you. It’s safe to come out.”

They paused. Still no answer from the Doctor.

Rose shook her head.

“Now where’d the little coward get to?” she muttered, as she and Mickey walked towards the back of the control room. “I swear to God, the Doctor doesn’t bat an eye at Daleks and Krillatines, but when it comes to me mum, he just turns tail and hides.”

They neared an open doorway near the back; Rose getting more and more frustrated at the Doctor as she saw no sign of him.

“Doctor!” she yelled as they walked towards the open doorway. “You need to come out right now ‘cause I’m not going all over this TARDIS looking for…”

Suddenly, Mickey and Rose let out a scream as a big furry monster leapt at them from the doorway. Rose held her hand over her heart and glared at the Doctor as he removed the head from his Yeti costume.

“Yup, I’m so glad I decided to keep this old thing.” He said. “I’m getting a lot of mileage out of it, turns out.”

He smiled at Mickey.

“Sorry about that, Smith. But if you come with us, you have to get used to monsters jumping out at you. It’s all part and parcel of traveling with a Time Lord. Just thought I’d give you a bit of practice and…”

He happened to look down at Mickey’s trousers and noticed a huge wet spot around his crotch. He coughed nervously as Mickey gave him a look of death.

“Um…well, yes…bladder control is an important part of dealing with monsters too.” He said sheepishly. “Can’t go peeing on the surface of other people’s planets. It’s incredibly rude.”

He let out a laugh that quickly died in the uneasy silence. He coughed.

“Well, on that note, I better get up back up into the vortex. We have places to see and work to do. Can’t stand around chit chatting while universes need saving, eh?”

He quickly maneuvered around Mickey and Rose, ran over to the console and began to imput a destination as Mickey glared at him.

DW Fanfic: A Happy Who Halloween...Parts 1-3/5 PG-13

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 14:08:40 GMT

Title: A Happy Who Halloween

Author: Cheri

Fandom: Doctor Who

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: “Doctor Who” does not belong to me, it belongs to BBC. No copyright infringement is intended, and no profit is being made from this story.

Summary: On Halloween night, the Doctor, Rose and Mickey relax at Jackie's house and enjoy dinner and some horror movies.

Part 1

“Aw, come on, Doctor. It’ll be fun!”

The Doctor raised his eyebrow and stared at Rose.

“Spending the night with your mum and Mickey is not my
idea of fun.” He replied.

“Yeah, but my mum wants us to spend Halloween night
with her. She’s gonna make us dinner and we’ll watch
some scary movies.”

She grabbed the Doctor’s arm and gave him her best
puppy dog look

“Please…for me?” she asked sweetly.

The Doctor stared at her.

“It’s not fair when you make that face.” He said. “You
know I can’t resist it.”

“I know. That’s why I’m using it.”

The Doctor sighed.

“Okay, as long as you are with me. That’s the only way
I’ll be able to stand it.”

“Always.”

The Doctor smiled and kissed her on the lips. Rose
stroked his cheek and ran off to get ready as he
looked on with love in his eyes.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“God, I’m so glad I love Rose so much cause her mum’s
about to drive me batty.” He muttered as he sat on
Jackie’s couch.

He rolled his eyes as Jackie leaned out of the
kitchen.

“Is pot roast okay, love?” she said.

“Yes, Jackie.” The Doctor replied, trying to keep his
temper after hearing her ask the same question for the
50th time. “Whatever you fix is fine. I’m not picky.”

“I just want to make sure I fix something you’ll eat.
I don’t know what aliens eat, you know.”

“Okay, okay, I’ll come clean. I don’t eat anything
except slugs, pond scum and moss from the planet
Calaxia 13. Got any?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Well, then I guess I’ll have to starve then.” He
said, folding his arms over his chest.

Rose appeared behind Jackie and shot him a look.

“The Doctor eats human food, mum. Just fix him the
roast and potatoes and he’ll be fine.” She said.

Jackie let out an exasperated sigh and headed back
into the kitchen.

“You’re gonna drive my mum insane, you know.”

“Not before she drives me insane, and she will, if she
asks me again what I want to eat.”

“She’s just worried. She’s still getting used to you
being an alien. I think she’s still trying to get over
you regeneratin’ too. I think she’s afraid if you eat
the wrong thing you’ll change.”

“With her cooking, I just might.”

He grinned as she slapped his shoulder and went back
into the kitchen.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“So what’s this movie again?” The Doctor said as Rose
handed him a plate of roast, potatoes and carrots.

“Friday the 13th Part 2. Seen it?” Rose asked.

“No, I really don’t fancy horror movies. I see enough
horror as it is.” He said.

Mickey put in the DVD and settled in the chair beside
him as the movie started. The Doctor smiled at Rose as
she set beside him on the couch and Jackie sat beside
her. Rose switched off the light and all of them
relaxed and ate their meals while the movie played.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Ever notice how humans are dumber than usual in these
things?”

Everyone looked at the Doctor. He shrugged.

“Well, they are. It seems like humans lose all common
sense in these movies.”

“I thought you said you’ve never seen horror movies.”
Mickey challenged.

“I said I don’t fancy horror movies. I have seen a
few. That’s why I don’t fancy them. They’re moronic,
tasteless, and completely without merit. And…the
humans run around acting dumber than usual in them.”

“What do you mean dumber than usual?” Jackie said
angrily.

“I mean humans as a whole do dumb things.” The Doctor
replied. “Don’t believe me? Look at global warning,
pollution, constant warfare, the Macarena…I rest my
case.”

Rose giggled as Jackie rolled her eyes.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Hey, Rose?”

Rose looked up at the Doctor.

“Yeah?”

“How come whenever you get chased by a psychopathic
monster, you don’t end up in your knickers?”

Rose giggled as Mickey and Jackie stared at him in
shock.

“What? That’s what all the girls do in these things.
They run around and lose all their clothes. I’ve never
seen Rose do that.”

“Why, you want me to or somethin’?” Rose asked,
raising her eyebrow.

The Doctor gave her an evil grin.

Rose grinned.

“Tell ya what? The next time we’re runnin’ for our
lives, I’ll slow down enough so you can rip my clothes
off me one by one and…”

“You will not!” Jackie said shocked. “I won’t have you
running around some strange planet in your knickers.
Do you hear me, young lady?”

“Mum, he’s kiddin’”

“Just the same. You will not be takin’ your clothes
off on another planet because if I find out you have,
they’ll be Hell to pay, young lady.”

“Yes, mum.” Rose replied, rolling her eyes.

She glanced over at the Doctor and grinned as he
nudged her side and waggled his eyebrows. Rose leaned
against his shoulder as they went back to watching the
movie.

“And another thing…” the Doctor added. “I’ve never
seen Rose run for two seconds, trip, fall, run for
another two seconds, trip, fall, run for another two
seconds…”

Rose giggled.

“Well they do.” The Doctor said, grinning. “It doesn’t
matter if the thing chasing them goes .002 miles per
hour; they always end up killing the person because
apparently when they run, there’s a line of invisible
banana peels in their path. From what I’ve seen so
far, this Jason chap is dumber than a box of rocks,
yet he’s able to kill everyone because the humans
can’t stay on their bloody feet. If you did that, you
would have been dead the first day!”

“Well, I’m good at avoiding the banana peels.”

“Yes, you are.”

Rose and the Doctor leaned in and kissed each other.

“Oi, I’m right here.” Mickey said angrily.

The Doctor broke off the kiss and looked over at him.

“And so you are! Spot on, Mickey Smith. Ten points to
you for identifying your location! You’re a lot
smarter than I thought.”

“Ha, ha, that’s real rich, that is.” Mickey said as
the Doctor and Rose giggled.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jackie got up and collected the empty plates.

“I’m gonna make some biscuits for us, you just keep
watching the movie.”

The three of them nodded and went back to the movie as
Jackie carried the plates into the kitchen.

The Doctor grinned. He nudged Rose and mouthed “Watch
this.” as she looked up at him. He put a finger to his
lips and then put his hand down to his side. He waited
a moment and then without warning, he flung his arms
out of Mickey and screamed…

BWAAAAAAAAAAA!

He and Rose giggled as Mickey jumped in his chair and
let out a high-pitched squeal.

The Doctor winked at Rose.

“Can I just say I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of
hearing his girly scream? I think it’s so cute! I
think when we leave here we should go back to the 18th
century and pass the boy off as a castrato. He’d be a
hit and we could make a fortune off of him.”

“You aren’t passin’ me off as no castrato.” Mickey
said, glaring at him

“Oh, you don’t even know what a castrato is.”

“I do too.”

“What is it then?” The Doctor challenged, looking him
in the eyes.

Mickey paused as the Doctor gave him a smug grin.

“You don’t know, do you?”

“Yes, I know.”

“Well…what is it?”

“It’s…”

“Yeah?”

“It’s a…”

Mickey mumbled something under his breath.

“What was that?” the Doctor said, putting his hand to
his ear. “I didn’t quite get the ending of that.”

“It’s a…”

Mickey mumbled.

“What? Still couldn’t get it. Speak up, man!”

“Never mind!”

“Thought so.” The Doctor said, giving him a smug grin.

“Doctor, behave yourself.” Jackie yelled from the
kitchen.

“Yes, mum!” The Doctor yelled back.

He grinned at Rose.

“You know what a castrato is, don’t you?” he asked
her.

“Course I do.” Rose replied.

“What is it?”

Rose glanced down at his crotch.

“A boy who’s had his naughty bits cut off so he can
sing like a soprano.”

“Very good.”

“Oi, you aren’t cutting anything off so you can make me
a soprano.” Mickey protested.

“We don’t have to cut anything off. You’re already
higher than Mariah Carey. If we castrated you, you’d
be a human dog whistle!” the Doctor shot back.

Mickey grumbled something under his breath as Rose and
the Doctor looked at each other and snickered.

Rose leaned in.

“Well, it’s nice to know you haven’t been castrated.”
She whispered.

“Oh no, my bits are still there and in perfect working
order. 900 years old and I still don’t need Viagra. A
fact I’m very proud of, I might add.”

Rose giggled as the Doctor kissed the top of her head.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“OH NO! DON’T GO IN THERE YOU GIT! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
TURN THE BLEEDING LIGHT ON, YOU FOOL! DO YOU WANT TO
DIE? FOR PITY’S SAKE, DON’T GO INTO THAT EMPTY ROOM IN
THE DARK!”

“Doctor?”

The Doctor looked at Rose.

“Yeah?”

“What the Hell are you doin’?”

“Talking back to the movie. Isn’t that what you’re
supposed to do with these idiots so they don’t die?”

“Yeah, I guess so.” She said, giggling.

“Well then…OI? DIDN’T YOU HEAR ME, YOU WANKER! YOU’RE
GONNA GET KIL…oh bollocks, too late. Never mind. NOW
SEE IF YOU’D LISTEN TO ME, YOU’D STILL BE BREATHING,
EH? I’M THE DOCTOR AND IF THERE’S ONE THING I KNOW
IT’S YOU DON’T GO IN A DARK ROOM WITHOUT A WEAPON AND
STAND AROUND WITH A DUMB LOOK ON YOUR FACE SAYING
“DUH” UNTIL YOU GET A KNIFE IN THE GUT! FOCUS! Oh
wait, you can’t focus ‘cause you’re DEAD! WELL, CHEERS
MATE, YOU JUST RAISED THE COLLECTIVE INTELLIGENCE OF
THE HUMAN GENE POOL BY OFFING YOURSELF. BRAVO!”

“Doctor, stop that bloody screaming.” Jackie yelled
from the kitchen.

“But you’re suppose to…”

“Doctor, I think you better do what mum wants before
you’re the one who gets the knife in the gut.” Rose
said.

The Doctor sighed.

“Oh all right, I’m just trying to fit in, is all.” He
said.

“You wanna fit in? You can shut up for a start and let
some of us watch the movie in peace.” Mickey mumbled.

“Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize this movie was so
riveting that you have to watch it in complete
silence. A thousand pardons.”

He grinned at Rose and put his finger to his lips.

“Shhhhh,” he said. “We have to be quiet so Celine Dion
over there can hear the movie.”

“Hey, I heard that!”

“Well, good, considering you’re five feet away from
me. I’m glad you heard it. Means you aren’t deaf. Now,
that you’re hearing’s been checked you can get back to
watching Masterpiece Theater…I mean Friday the 13th.
Sorry, I get the two things confused all the time
since they are soooooo much alike.”

He turned to Rose.

“I better shut up now before Tiny Tim goes off on me.”

Rose bent over laughing as Mickey gave him a look of
death.

Part 2

“Ah yes,” The Doctor said as Jackie sat the plate of chocolate chip biscuits in front of them. “Now this is what I’m talking about.”

He picked up a cookie and bit into it. Rose stared at him amused as he savored the taste.

“Chocolate.” He said, as he swallowed. “There’s nothing like it in the universe.”

“That good, eh?”

He smiled at Rose.

“Yup, it’s one of best things Earth has to offer. It’s one of the reasons I defend this planet day in and day out.”

Rose giggled.

“So you’re one of those choc-o-holics too, eh?”

“Most definitely!”

“And,” he whispered to her. “Thankfully, it’s one of the few things your mum can make that doesn’t taste like chalk.”

He winked as Rose slapped his shoulder.

The Doctor stared at the movie and rolled his eyes.

“Isn’t this bloody thing over with yet?”

“Um, no, probably about another twenty minutes.” Rose replied.

“Well, that’s twenty minutes too long for me.”

He leaned over and whispered in her ear.

“What say we go for a walk, eh? Get away from Mickey and your mum for awhile?”

“Fine with me.” Rose said, nodding.

She looked over at Jackie.

“Mum, the Doctor and I are gonna go for a walk.”

“Take your jacket, young lady. It’s freezing out.”

She glared at Rose as she noticed her starting to open her mouth.

“And don’t give me any of your cheek, young lady. Just do as I say.”

Rose sighed. She rolled her eyes and motioned to the Doctor as they walked past her towards the door.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Thank God you suggested this walk. I did want to get away from them for awhile.” Rose said as they walked side by side down the sidewalk.

The Doctor grinned.

“See, the Doctor always knows best.” He said, poking her in the side.

Rose smiled.

The Doctor stared at her as they walked. He sighed as he watched the cool autumn breeze gently moving her hair around. Reaching out, he pulled her close and smiled down at her as she laid her head against his side.

“It’s so nice to be able to have a night like this.” She said quietly.

“Yup, it’s nice to know the only monsters out tonight are little kids in costume.” The Doctor replied. “I wish it was like that on every planet.”

“Me too.”

The Doctor grinned at her.

“Don’t tell me you’re getting tired of running for your life?”

“Oh no, I love it!” Rose said, grinning back at him. “I can’t get enough of it. Running down corridors and dodging laser beams keeps me fit and trim. Forget Weight Watchers, you have the ultimate weight loss plan, you have.”

The Doctor chuckled.

“I guess I do. I oughta write a book. That’s one of the few things I haven’t done yet. I could call it ‘Trim up with the Time Lord.” I could make millions.”

“Not to mention all the exercise videos to go along with it.”

“Hey yeah, and I could go on Oprah too.”

Rose giggled.

“Oh yeah, that’d be a hoot. Seeing you jump up and down on Oprah’s couch like Tom Cruise.” She said.

“Nah, I’m better than that.” The Doctor said, shaking his head. “Forget jumping on the couch; my way of getting attention would be for you to kill me onscreen and then I’d regenerate in front of millions. People would talk about me for years!”

Rose raised her eyebrows.

“You’d waste a life for that?”

The Doctor thought.

“No, on second thought, you’re right. I don’t have that many lives left as it is; it would be wasteful to off myself on national television.”

He leered at her.

“I’ll just strip nude and dance instead.” He said, wagging his eyebrows.

Rose snorted.

“To what? Glenn Miller?” She said, rolling her eyes.

“Oi! I don’t just dance to Glenn Miller!” he said, offended. “I do dance to modern music as well.”

“Nah, I don’t think people would be interested in seein’ you dance the hustle, either.”

She giggled as the Doctor eyed her.

“I can see why Jackie has to keep telling you to keep your smart mouth to yourself.” He said. “You have a definite problem with it.”

“You love it though. It keeps things interesting for ya!”

The Doctor grinned.

“You’re right. It does.” He said kissing her.

They looked up as a group of kids in costume ran around the corner, stopped and looked at them.

“Evening, Kids.” The Doctor said smiling at them. “Have fun trick or treating?”

“Yeah,” the biggest kid said, pulling up his Dracula mask and looking at them.

He snorted as he stared at the Doctor’s pinstriped suit, leather coat and Converses.

“What are you supposed to be?” he said in a snotty voice.

The Doctor glanced at Rose.

“I’m an alien from outer space.” He said proudly.

The kids stared at him.

“You are? Where’s your alien mask then?” the big kid asked.

“I don’t have an alien mask. I’m in human form.”

He gestured to Rose.

“This is my human captive. I’m taking her back to my space ship so I can give her anal probes and mess with her brain so she’ll be my willing slave forever.”

Rose giggled as the kids looked at each other.

“Um…yeah…help me, kids. He’s got me in some kind of slave beam and I can’t get away.” She said.

“Yeah, right…sure you are.” the big kid said, rolling his eyes.

He looked at the Doctor’s hands.

“Well, where’s your weapon then, space man? What ya gonna use if your slave gets away from ya?”

The Doctor winked at Rose. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out his sonic screwdriver.

“Right here.”

The kids stared at it.

“What is that supposed to be?” the big kid asked.

“It’s a sonic screwdriver.”

“Where’s your ray gun?”

“I don’t need a ray gun. I have my sonic screwdriver.”

The big kid snorted.

“Yeah, right.”

He looked at the others.

“Come on; let’s get home before the geek shoots us with his pen.” He said.

“Screwdriver.” The Doctor corrected.

“Whatever. Come on, guys. Forget these two wankers. Let’s go home and eat our candy.”

“Oi! You’ll be sorry when a Slitheen jumps out at you and you don’t have your sonic screwdriver to protect you!” The Doctor yelled at them.

The kids looked back at them once before heading off into the darkness towards home.

“Rose.”

Rose looked at the Doctor.

“Yeah?”

“Remind me again why I can’t kill these kids for calling me a geek and a wanker?”

“Because…you’re a good alien and you don’t do that kind of thing?”

“Yeah, that’s right. Bollocks, why did I decide to be that way when I went through this last regeneration? Why can’t I decide to be a homicidal lunatic who kills smart mouthed kids for a change?”

“Well, there’s always next time.”

The Doctor grinned.

“You’re right. The next time I regenerate, I’ll be ginger and homicidal! I’m gonna finally live a little in my old age! No more smart mouthed gits saying rude things to me. It’ll be steel probes up the arse for everyone! That’ll learn em to sass with me.”

“Whatever you say, dear.” Rose said patting his arm. “Just make sure I’m far away from you before you start crammin’ steel rods up people’s bums.”

“Oh no, miss mouth, you’ll be first in line!” The Doctor said, squeezing her. “I’m gonna get back at ya for all your smart remarks.”

“What ‘bout Mickey, then? Wouldn’t you want to start with him first?”

“Nah, first I have to find a way to temporarily close my ears off so Mickey the idiot doesn’t blow my eardrums out when he starts his sonic screams.”

Rose shook her head.

“You’re bad, you are.” She said to him.

He kissed her on the head as they resumed walking and turned the corner.

Part 3

“Oooo,” Rose said, pulling her coat tight around her body. “It’s getting colder.”

The Doctor pulled her closer.

“How’s that?” he asked.

Rose smiled.

“Much better.”

She sighed contentedly as she sensed the Doctor’s beating hearts beneath his coat. The Doctor smiled and kissed her head.

“I love it when you look like that.” He said.

“Like what?” Rose asked, looking up at him.

“Peaceful. You don’t look that way very often and I always enjoy it seeing it.” He replied.

“Well, I don’t get much of a chance anymore.”

“You don’t have to go on doing this, Rose. You know you can quit at any time.”

“I know it. I don’t want to though.”

“Are you sure?” The Doctor asked, frowning. “I don’t want you to go on putting yourself in danger if you don’t want to.”

“But I do want to, Doctor.” She said, stopping him. “I love being with you. It’s a Hell of a lot better than livin’ here, that’s for sure. I’ve been through a lot of close calls and I admit that there are some things I’ve seen that I wish I hadn’t, but overall I don’t regret a thing.”

She kissed the Doctor’s cheek.

“Quit worrying about me. I’m a big girl.” She said.

“I just want to keep reminding you that there’s always an out.” He replied.

“I know. But right now, I don’t want to drop out. I’m happy where I am.”

“Good. I’m glad to hear you say that.”

Rose smiled and squeezed the Doctor’s hand as they resumed walking. As they walked, they were oblivious to everything including the fact that someone was now following them.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Oooo, look.”

The Doctor looked over at a graveyard beside them.

“Yeah, so?”

Rose grinned.

“It’s Halloween night. Care to go for a stroll in the…”

She paused and her eyes widened.

“Graveyard?” she said melodramatically.

The Doctor shrugged.

“Makes no difference to me.”

Rose’s eyes widened.

“Aren’t you…SCARED?”

The Doctor looked at her for a moment before bending over with laughter.

“What?” Rose asked, confused.

“I’m sorry, Rose. If you could just see yourself with your eyes wide like that. You look like a fish.”

Rose folded her arms over her chest and glared at him as he continued to laugh.

“It’s not that funny.” She said angrily.

The Doctor looked up at her.

“Yes, it is. I know you were trying to be all melodramatic and scary, but you had your eyes opened so wide you looked just like Marty Feldman.”

He snickered as he straightened up.

“Anyway…”he said, sobering up. “Yeah, we can go through the spoooooooky graveyard if you want.”

Rose rolled her eyes as he waggled his fingers in her face and let out a high-pitched “Oooooooooooooooooo.”

They headed inside the front gate. Suddenly, Rose let out a gasp as the Doctor grabbed her arm from behind.

“What?” she asked, looking around at him.

“Werewolf.”

Rose widened her eyes and looked around, panicked.

“What? Wh…where’s a werewolf?” she sputtered out.

“There.”

“Where?”

The Doctor grinned as he pointed off towards the right.

“There wolf.”

He pointed off to the left.

“There castle.”

He bent over laughing as Rose hit him repeatedly on the back

“Oh ha, ha, that’s real funny, that is!” she said.

“Oh come on, Marty, if anyone would appreciate that line, it’d be you.” The Doctor replied.

“You nearly scared me half to death!” Rose spat out. “Especially since, as you may recall, we did fight a werewolf recently.”

“I know, but I just couldn’t resist.” The Doctor replied, grinning. “I still have the image of your bulging eyes in my mind.”

He lightly kicked the back of his left shin with his right foot.

“And of all the times not to have a camera with me too; damn.” He sighed. “One never knows when one needs to take a funny photo of one’s assistant to post on one’s myspace.”

“Oh right; you have a myspace.”

“I do. It’s filled with naked photos of you I took while you were in the bath.”

“It better not be, buster!” Rose yelled as the Doctor snickered. “You better not be taking any bloody photos of me naked and posting them somewhere!”

“I get a lot of hits…and a lot of comments. They all fancy you.”

“That better be a joke, by God.” Rose said, shoving her finger in his face.

“Oh no. No joke. In fact, just the other day I got an email from someone called…I believe his name was Doggie Has A Bone wanting to know your phone number so he could ring you up for a bit of phone I'm a naughty swearer - wash my mouth out with soap!.”

Rose stared at him.

“You’re lying. You don’t know the first thing about myspace.”

The Doctor raised his eyebrows and grinned.

“Oh my God…you do. GET MY PHOTOS OFF YOUR BLEEDING MYSPACE THIS INSTANT!!” she screamed.

The Doctor bent over laughing.

“It’s not funny. I don’t know what kind of perverted pics you got on your…”

“Rose, I’m kidding.” He cut in “I just wanted to see if you would fall for it. I don’t have a myspace, honestly.”

He tickled her under the chin as Rose glared at him.

“I’m flattered that you think I do though; makes me feel like one of the younger generation.”

“Well, I wouldn’t put anything past you, is all.”

“Even taking pictures of you in the bath?”

“Yes, even takin’ pictures of me in the bath!” Rose spat out. “I like to relax and close my eyes when I’m in there. For all I know you could be sneakin’ a digital camera ‘round the bloody door and takin’ snapshots.”

“Oh, I don’t have to do that.” The Doctor said, nonchalantly. “All the rooms in the TARDIS are equipped with a security cam in the ceiling.”

“That better be a lie.”

She studied the Doctor’s face trying to figure out if he was telling the truth or not.

“Well?”

“Well, what?”

“That’s a lie, isn’t it?”

The Doctor shrugged.

“Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. I’ve regenerated so much I’ve probably lost a few memories here and there. I do however remember installing something in the ceilings in my fifth life. Can’t think what it is for the life of me. Coulda been some cameras or coulda been a death ray for intruders. I’m old and my memories are fuzzy.”

“You’re gonna think they’re fuzzy when I knock your block off.”

“Oooooh, you wouldn’t do that. You’d be stuck here on boring ol’ Earth and you wouldn’t want that, now would ya?”

“I’m beginning to have my doubts.” Rose muttered as the Doctor giggled and led her deeper into the graveyard.

DW Fanfic: Love Don't Roam on Valentine's Day...PG-13 Parts 4-7/7

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 14:02:14 GMT

Chapter Four

As the Doctor and Rose emerged from the Hallmark store, they saw Jackie sitting on a nearby bench waiting for them.

“Did you find anything, mum?” Rose asked.

“Yeah, I found something for Mickey. Haven’t found anything for Howard yet.”

She paused.

“And I got something for the Doctor.” She added.

The Doctor blinked.

“Me?” he said, surprised. “You got something for me? Why?”

Jackie sighed.

“Because if I didn’t, I would never hear the end of it from Rose.”

“And I figured it was out for of the goodness of your heart, silly me.” The Doctor muttered to himself.

He held out his hand.

Jackie shook her head.

“I’ll give it to you when we get in the car.” She said.

“Why? It is some embarrassing gag gift or something?” The Doctor asked.

“No, I got a few things for me as well and I don’t want to dig out your gift in the middle of the mall. Plus, I still have to find Rose a gift so she’ll get her gift when you get yours.”

The Doctor shrugged.

“Fair enough.” He said.

“Well, you two can go off on your own again since I do have to find Rose her gift. We’ll meet back here in an hour, okay?”

The Doctor and Rose nodded. He took Rose’s hand in his.

“Shall we?” he said to her.

“Have a good time shopping, mum.” Rose said.

“You too, and stay out of trouble. I don’t want to hear the Doctor doing something that gets the two of you thrown in jail.”

“Moi?” The Doctor said, pointing to himself.

“Yes, you! Behave yourself.” Jackie said.

“Yes, mummy.”

She sighed.

“Just go before I lose it and slap that smart mouth off your face.” She said angrily.

The Doctor saluted her. Turning, he and Rose walked away.

Jackie shook her head.

“I sure hope Rose doesn’t end up pregnant by him. One smart arse is enough without having a whole brood of them running around.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“See, my mum isn’t all bad. She got you a gift too, didn’t she?” Rose said, as they walked along.

The Doctor snorted.

“Probably popped into the pet store and bought a cobra or a scorpion that’ll jump out and attack me as soon as I open the box.”

“Oh come on, Doctor. Give my mum the benefit of the doubt.”

“I am. I’m thinking it’s a cobra and not a bomb or a nuclear warhead.”

Rose rolled her eyes as he gave her hand a squeeze.

“Hullo.”

Rose looked up as the Doctor stopped walking and stared over her head. She looked over and saw they had stopped in front of Victoria’s Secret. Displayed prominently in the store window was a red and black silk and lace teddy. He walked over to the window and stared at it for a moment. Then, he looked at Rose. Then at the teddy. Then at Rose. Then at the teddy. Then at Rose. Then at the teddy. Then at Rose.

“Um…aren’t you risking whiplash doing that?” Rose finally said.

“Just doing a visual check to see if this would fit you, my dear.”

“And what makes you think I would wear it?”

“Oh, I think you would. I think you would do anything for your Doctor.” He replied.

Rose raised her eyebrow.

“You think so, eh?”

“I know so. You are my willing love slave completely under my alien thrall.”

“Funny. I don’t seem to recall getting the memo about that.” Rose replied.

The Doctor studied the teddy for a moment.

“Actually this wouldn’t suit you at all. It covers too much up.”

Rose stared at the skimpy teddy.

“And what did you have in mind for me then?”

The Doctor leered at her.

“I was thinking more along the lines of you wearing anal floss and nothing else.” He said wagging his eyebrows.

Rose’s eyes bugged out.

“Oh, you have got to be kidding me.” She said.

“Not at all. I didn’t get to see anything in my last life and now that we are a couple I want the whole kit and caboodle.”

“I am not wearing anal floss.”

The Doctor pretended not to hear her as he sauntered over to the store’s front door.

“Now where do they keep the anal floss at?” he mused as he stuck his head in the door.

“Doctor, there is no way in Hell I will wear anal floss, not even for you.”

“Oh, there’s a shop girl. Excuse me miss, where is the anal floss department in your fine establish…”

He gasped as Rose quickly jerked him away from the door.

“Oh come on, Rose. Indulge the dirty, old man in me.” He begged.

“No. I will do almost anything for you, Doctor. Even die for you. But I’ll be damned if I wear anal floss. The answer is no and that’s that.”

The Doctor pouted.

“Darn and here I was looking forward to a romantic Valentines Day dinner with me fully clothed and you naked as a jaybird.”

Rose snorted.

“In your dreams.”

The Doctor let out a wistful sigh.

“I guess so. I guess until I secretly implant that slave chip in your head it will have to be in my dreams.”

He grinned as Rose gave him a dirty look.

“I guess my mum was onto something when she was warning you about your behavior.”

The Doctor kissed her cheek.

“I’ll just have to keep wearing you down until you give in.” he said.

“And I guess I’ll have to start slapping ya like my mum does.” Rose replied.

“Ah, I won’t mind though. You could rip out my hearts, fry them up and serve them to me for dinner and I would still remain a lovesick fool for you.”

He put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head.

“I love you, Doctor.”

“I love you too, my Rose. Always and forever.”

He kissed her and they resumed walking.

As they passed by a McDonalds the Doctor suddenly stopped and stared at it.

“What? Are you hungry?” Rose asked.

“Sorta. But, also…”

He grinned at her.

“My dear, if I were to play a prank in here, would you be my devoted companion and play along?”

Rose raised her eyebrow.

“And will this prank cause us to end up in jail?”

“Depends on how far we take it.”

Rose stared at the evil grin on the Doctor’s face and flinched.

“Come on, Rose. I won’t take it to the point of getting us kicked out of the mall or arrested. I just want to try something. Come on, be my partner in crime!”

“Um, okay…I guess.” She said hesitantly.

The Doctor hugged her.

“Come on, it’s nothing bad. You’ll love it. I just want to have a bit of fun with the stupid apes.”

He paused.

“Besides, what I have in mind is what I’m legally entitled to get anyway. I’ve just never asked for it before.”

Rose stared at him, confused. She had to admit her curiosity was peaked. Not to mention she was feeling kinda peckish anyway. Taking the Doctor’s hand, they walked inside.

The cashier smiled as they walked up.

“Welcome to McDonalds, can I help you?” she said to them.

The Doctor looked at Rose.

“Go ahead.” He said to her.

“Yeah, I’d like a cheeseburger, small chips, and a medium Coke.”

The cashier entered it in the cash register and looked at the Doctor.

“Yes, I’d like the Big Mac meal with a Coke, extra ice and I’d like to use the senior citizen discount with that as well.”

Rose bit her lip as the cashier gave him an odd look.

“I’m sorry, sir?” she said.

“The senior citizen discount, I’d like to use it.”

“Um…I’m sorry, sir. The discount is only for people over 60 years old.”

“Yeah, and I am over 60 so I would like the discount, please.”

Rose had to turn away to hide her laughter as the cashier stared at the Doctor.

The Doctor grinned knowing she was staring right at his youthful, boyish face.

“Sir, I’m afraid we can’t give you the discount.” She said, trying to be polite.

“Why not? I’m over 60, aren’t I, Rose?”

Rose looked at the Doctor. She looked at the cashier, quickly nodded and looked away again.

The cashier folded her arms over her chest and stared at him.

“Okay, how old are you then?” she asked.

The Doctor’s grin was a mile wide.

“I’m 900 years old.”

The cashier sighed.

“Sir, I am not in mood for this.”

“But, I am.”

“Sir, either pay for your food, or leave. I’m not putting up with this.” She said finally losing her cool.

“Oh all right. But this is age discrimination I’ll have you know.”

He gave her a stern look as the cashier snatched the money out of his hand.

“I can’t believe you actually have the guts to do this.” Rose muttered to herself..

The Doctor grinned and poked her in the side as the cashier hurried trying to get the meals together as quickly as possible so they would hurry up and leave.

“Thank you.” The Doctor said politely once she finished. “It was so nice doing business with you.”

He gave her a wink and turned followed Rose who was hurrying, red faced, to a booth at the back of the restaurant.

“Oh, you are bad.” She said, sitting down and looking up at the Doctor who was setting the tray down in front of her. “You are beyond bad. You are evil.”

“What?” the Doctor replied, sliding in beside her. “I wasn’t doing anything except telling her the truth. I am over the age of 60. It says nothing in the rules about aliens being exempted so I just tried to take what I’m entitled to. I can’t help it if this time around I got a young face and body.”

He pointed a chip at her face.

“Don’t be deceived by appearances. That’s the lesson we’ve learned here.”

“No, the lesson we’ve learned is you’re a nutter and you’ll try anything and everything no matter how crazy it is.” Rose replied.

“That also.” The Doctor said, popping the chip in his mouth.

Rose took a sip of her Coke and glanced at the Doctor as he picked up his Big Mac.

“You do realize someone probably heard you back in the back and there’s probably a ton of spit all over that burger.” She said.

The Doctor stared at the burger for a moment and then shrugged.

“Eh, I’ve eaten worse things.” He said.

Rose shook her head as the Doctor took a big bite.

She picked up a chip.

“I suppose you probably could have gotten away with your prank better if it had been your first life.” She said.

The Doctor looked at her.

“How do you know what I looked like back then? I’ve never shown you any pictures of me in my first life.”

“You haven’t, but the TARDIS has.”

The Doctor raised his eyebrow.

“She did? When was that?”

“Oh, it was awhile back. I was curious about your past lives and I asked the TARDIS about it and she showed me some holograms of the bodies I hadn’t seen.”

“And you’re opinion is?”

Rose giggled.

“Let’s just say I’m so glad I ended up with the last two versions of you.”

“Oi! What is that supposed to mean?”

“I mean, some lives you looked positively goofy. You looked cute in your fifth life and your eighth life but the other lives you looked bizarre.”

“I did not!”

“Oh no? What about your sixth life and that outfit you wore? We’re you legally blind in that life or something?”

“No, I was not legally blind. I happened to be quite fond of that outfit. It was very colorful.”

“I’ll say. What’d you do? Stand up against a wall, spin around and let people throw buckets of paint on ya and wherever the colors fell, that was okay with you?”

She giggled as the Doctor eyed her.

“Well, I’m so glad I’m not wearing that outfit now. I suppose I would never hear the end of it.”

“And the fourth life. You looked like a demented hobo. And that scarf. Where in the world did you find it? Thing had to be at least 90 feet long.”

The Doctor rolled his eyes.

“And in your second life, you looked like Moe from the Three Stooges.”

“I DID NOT!” The Doctor said as Rose snickered.

“Yes, you did. You had the exact same hairstyle as Moe and you looked almost like him. Just slightly older.”

The Doctor shook his head.

“The third life, you looked all fruity with the frills and the opera cape.”

“I’ll have you know, Sarah Jane liked that outfit. She commented more than once how nice I looked in it.”

“Oh, is that when she knew ya?”

“Yes, and she was around for awhile during my forth life as well.”

“Oh, so she got to be with you during your fop and demented hobo phases. I really feel for her.”

She giggled as the Doctor smacked the back of her head.

“And getting back to your first life…we’re you really as old as you looked because I would think it’d be a right nuisance running from a monster and having to stop every five minutes to change your Depends.”

The Doctor’s mouth fell open as Rose chortled.

“And I guess the electric wheelchair was hard to maneuver on the planets with rocky surfaces, yeah?”

“Rose Tyler, I’m about to cram my chips up your nose. You are aware of that, aren’t you?”

“But then again, the walker would have made a nice heavy weapon.”

She laughed hysterically as the Doctor shook his head and rolled his eyes.

“And you keep calling me evil.” He said as Rose pinched his cheek.

Chapter Five

“Ah, that hit the spot.” The Doctor said as he and Rose exited the McDonalds.

“Yeah, I hope you enjoyed your spit.” Rose replied.

“Oh, it was delicious. Mind you, I like my spit with just a hint of boogers and pus. it enhances the flavor.”

He chortled as Rose made a face.

“And on that note, I believe I will use the loo.” She said, pointing to the bathroom nearby. “I need to take a whiz after that Coke. Excuse me.”

She started to walk towards it when she felt the Doctor seize her from behind.

“Are you crackers?” he hissed in her ear.

“What?”

“You’re using a mall restroom? Do you know how many diseases those toilet seats have? I don’t want my private parts to turn green, Rose Tyler.”

“Well, don’t worry. I’ll be sure to squat over the seat when I go so you won’t have to go through the trauma of watching your wee wee fall off in a few months.”

The Doctor raised his eyebrow as Rose snickered.

“You are so childish sometimes, Rose.”

“I wouldn’t talk if I were you, mister boogers and pus.” She said, pointing a finger in his face.

“Hey, I’m 900 years old. I have permission to act outrageous. It’s one of the things elderly people are allowed to do. That and sit in their underwear in front of the telly while they scratch their bum and yell at the dog. But the point is, I’ve earned the right to be childish. You haven’t.”

Rose snorted.

“Yeah, right. Like you would willingly sit in front of a telly for hours on end mister anti-domestic.”

“I didn’t say I would do that. I was saying elderly people in general do that. They sit in front of the telly and scratch their bum or they fall asleep and snore loud enough to wake the dead or they scream for someone to bring them their Ensure and Metamucil while they put their teeth in.”

“And you’ve been getting all this from doing research on elderly people?”

“Nah, just watching your mum.”

He giggled as Rose slapped his back.

“God, is there anything you won’t say?” she asked.

“Gee wilikers.”

“Huh?”

“Gee wilikers. I won’t say that. Or peachy or neat-o or Bring me some of ma moonshine, Ethel, before I beat the tar outta ya! Those are things I definitely will not say.”

“Okay, I’m going to the loo now.”

“Or…how about…I’m going to snog this Dalek while I jam my sonic screwdriver up my anus. I am almost 90 percent sure I would never say that.”

“I’ll see you when I get back from the loo, Doctor.” Rose said, walking away.

“Or…I am going to hit myself on the head with a hammer whilst yodeling God Save The Queen and…Rose?”

He looked over and saw Rose quickly hurrying into the ladies restroom.

“Hey, I wasn’t finished talking yet! That’s rude and you know I’m supposed to be the rude one in this partnership.”

He shook his head.

“That’s the trouble with young-uns today. No attention span.”

His eyes widened as he heard giggling behind him. He turned and saw two young girls drinking sodas and eyeing him appreciatively. He smiled at them.

“Hello.” He said.

He grinned as the girls looked at each other and giggled some more.

“You’re cute.” One of them said as the other one nodded in agreement.

“Well, thank you.”

The girls giggled. They glanced down at his crotch and looked at each other with wide eyes. They looked back at him.

“So, cutie, you want to go for a ride with us?” she asked.

The Doctor raised his eyebrow.

“A ride? Where?” he asked.

The girls looked at each other and grinned.

“Oh just to a little out of the way spot we know about.” One of them said as her friend giggled. “So, how ‘bout it?”

“I think not!”

The Doctor spun around and saw Rose standing behind him staring angrily at the girls. She gave the girls a pointed look as they stared at her.

“I believe he’s with me.” She said. “So, you two clear off!”

The girls shrugged. Glancing one last time at the Doctor’s crotch, they walked past him sipping their sodas.

Rose glared at the Doctor.

“What the Hell do you think you were do…”

“Skank.”

“Chav.”

“Oi!” Rose yelled, spinning around with her fist in the air.

She glared at the girls as they ran away giggling.

“You hoes better run!” she yelled at them.

She shook her head and unclenched her fist.

“Right.” She said, turning back around to the Doctor who was staring at her with an amused grin. “As I was saying, what the bloody Hell you think you were doing with those two?”

“Um…stroking my enormous ego?”

Rose eyed him.

“I wasn’t going to go anywhere with them, Rose. I was just playing along.”

“Oh really. And if I even so much as sneeze out Mickey’s name, you leap out of nowhere, latch onto me like a koala bear and scream “MINE” at the top of your lungs.”

“You are mine.”

“Yeah, well, it goes both ways mister. If I can’t look at other men, you can’t look at other women.”

“Well, actually, I can. You see human society at this particular time period has this huge double standard that favors men. So you see I can look at women all I want and it’s perfectly all right; while you looking at men will get you buried in an anthill up to your neck in the hot sun while a dish of chocolate chip ice cream sits nearby and torments you with its creamy goodness. This is the way it is for you, Rose, I’m afraid. Men rule and women drool.”

“You’re gonna think drool when I kick your balls up into your brain.”

“Oh now, you wouldn’t do that. You’d have nothing to amuse yourself with when we go to bed at night.”

He kissed her cheek and grinned as he walked away from her.

Rose raised her eyebrow.

“One of these days, boy, you’re gonna cross the line and you’re gonna find you can’t charm your way out of a black eye.”

“You know, the first sign of insanity is talking to yourself.” The Doctor called back.

“Well, good, I’m glad I’m insane, cause now I really am a perfect match for you.” She said, catching up to him.

He chuckled and put his arm around her.

“Well, where to next, my little ape compatriot?” he asked.

He gave her an innocent grin as she eyed him.

As they walked, she suddenly put his hand up against his chest. The Doctor stopped and noticed Rose was staring at a jewelry store beside them.

“Wait a moment. I want to see about something.” Rose said.

She started to go and turned and glared at him.

“I better not come back and find girls swarming all over you.” She warned him.

“I’ll keep my hands to myself but I can’t be held responsible for hormonally charged teenagers and their roaming eyes and hands.”

“Just behave if you know what’s good for ya.”

“Yes, ma’am, I will keep my hands firmly to my sides and stare down at the floor until you return.”

“See, that you do.”

The Doctor raised his eyebrows as Rose walked away.

“Rassilon’s Rod, Rose, you’re crabby today. Must be your time of the month.” He muttered to himself.

He put his hands in his pockets and watched as Rose talked to the clerk behind the counter. He watched as she gestured to something in the display case and nodded her head as the clerk told her something. She nodded one more time, paid him and smiling, walked out the store.

“Let’s see it.” The Doctor said excitedly as she walked up.

“See what?”

“What you nicked.” He said with a gleam in his eyes.

“I didn’t nick anything!”

“Oh come on, Rose. I know you better than that. Paying that clerk was just a ruse. You were palming something while you were doing it. So come on, let’s see what you got.”

He chuckled as Rose rolled her eyes.

“You know, I can just go back in there and cancel the order I gave him for your gift.”

The Doctor paused.

“My gift?” he said

“Yes, your gift.”

He looked at the jewelry store.”

“Oooo, did you get me a nice necklace, Rose? I’ve always fancied a nice, expensive diamond necklace.”

“No, I didn’t get you a necklace.”

“Or a tiara. A nice, expensive diamond tiara. 24 karats.”

He embraced her.

“Oh Rose, a 24 karat diamond tiara. You shouldn’t have!” he said in a high-pitched girly voice.

“I didn’t get you a bleedin’ tiara. And your gift isn’t gonna be no bleedin’ 24 karats either. I don’t have that much money on me.” Rose said.

The Doctor pouted.

“But…I want a tiara. It would show off my brown eyes perfectly.”

He paused and gave Rose a look of indignation.

“And what you mean I don’t get 24 karats? How dare you settle for something less for me? I’ve saved your life countless times and all I’m getting is some stupid dolphin ring? Thanks for nothing.”

Rose eyed him as he snickered.

“Or is it one of those best friend forever necklaces that each of us would have to…oh wait, you said no necklaces.”

His eyes widened and he let out a girly squeal.

“Oh Rose!!! We’re getting matching diamond stud nose rings, aren’t we!! How cute is that! I’ve always wanted to wear a beautiful diamond nose ring in my nose! It will accent my brown eyes perfectly.”

He paused.

“24 karat diamond nose ring, of course. That goes without saying.”

Rose rolled her eyes as she started to walk away.

“Ooooo, is it matching nipple rings, Rose? Because nothing says I love you like having someone stick a pin through your nipple and putting an earring in it. Oh, I’m so excited! Can we go to the tattoo parlor afters and get matching mom tattoos so we can be twins?”

Rose sped up as people started to stare at the Doctor.

“Now I know how my mom feels when she wants to avoid you.” She muttered to herself as she headed towards the nearest store.

“And branding, Rose. Don’t forget that. We just have to get matching brands…”

Chapter Six

The Doctor caught up with Rose as she entered a little gift store and looked around.

“I’m just gonna look in here a moment, we need to head back and catch up with mum.” She said, glancing at her watch.

The Doctor groaned.

“Already. Aw, Rose, do we have to go meet up with her. I was having so much fun being alone with you.”

Rose smiled.

“I am too but she’s expecting us so we need to hurry up.”

The Doctor let out another groan as Rose stroked his cheek. He sighed as she turned and walked towards the back of the store.

“Bollocks, it was so much easier when I took along companions who were by themselves.” He muttered.

They walked into the store and looked around. The Doctor sighed. He was pretty sure they would be leaving after they met up with Jackie if not soon after that and he still didn’t have any ideas for a present for Rose. Nothing he saw was worthy of her. After you gave a girl time and the universe, what was left? He let out a sigh. Jackie got a present for him; he supposed he have to get one for her as a courtesy. He muttered under his breath cursing her for putting him in that position.

Shoving his hands in his pockets, he walked towards Rose who was looking at some stuffed bears.

“Here.” She said, handing him a pink one. “Get this for mum.”

The Doctor looked at it.

“You want me to give her a pink, stuffed bear?” he asked.

“Got a better idea?”

“Yeah, a restraining order.”

Rose shook her head.

“Just give that to her. That way I’ll be sure it’s not a pit bull or a hornet’s nest or something.”

“What’s wrong with that? Every housewife needs some pets.”

“Just get her the bear.” Rose said.

The Doctor stared at it for a moment and, making a face, he put it back.

“Doctor!”

“I’m gonna get it. I’m just gonna get something other than pink. It’s embarrassing enough having to give the bear to her as it is.”

He scanned through the assortment.

“Come on, come on.”

Rose looked at him.

“What? What’s wrong?”

“They don’t have any black ones.”

“Black?”

“Yeah, black, grey…somber funereal colors. That’s what I’m wanting.”

“Doctor!”

“What? I’m not the woman’s boyfriend and I’m not all that fond of her. She came on to me the first time I ever saw her and I don’t want to have to risk going through that again.”

Rose snorted

“Trust me, Doctor. I think there’s zero chance of her ever coming onto you again.”

“Good and I want to keep it that way. Now where’s the puke-green colored bear?”

Rose threw up her hands as the Doctor winked at her.

“Okay, okay, I’ll get this purple one here.” He said, picking up a bear. “Purple’s a nice neutral color.”

Rose nodded.

“Now I need to find something for Mickey…and you need to go find something for me, yeah?”

“Yeah, I guess.” He said, shrugging.

She frowned.

“You are getting me something?” she asked.

“Yes, of course I am. I just need to figure out something that suits you.” He said.

“Well, you look around and I’ll go over here and that way you can look without me looking over your shoulder and seeing what you got me.”

“Yeah…”

Rose frowned as the Doctor sighed. As the Doctor turned away, she smiled softly as she heard him mutter, “What do you get a goddess?” to himself.

She stared at him with love as he wandered around the store picking up things and putting them down and then, glancing at her watch, she quickly hurried to find Mickey a gift.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Find something?” Rose asked, as they walked out of the store.

“Nope.”

He put an arm around her shoulder.

“But I will, trust me. You’re not going to be empty handed on Valentines Day night.” He said.

He looked down at the bag.

“So, what’d you get Mickity-Mick-Mickey then?”

She pulled out a little figurine of a boy playing football. On the base it said I get a kick out of you, Valentine.”

“It’s cheesy, but it was the best I could do since everything else was more for couples.”

She looked up at the Doctor.

“And I know how pissed off you would get if I got something like that.”

“Too right, I would. I’m a jealous guy.”

“Really? Hadn’t quite guessed that!” Rose said sarcastically.

The Doctor chuckled and leaned down to kiss her lips.

Rose rubbed his back for a moment before stopping him in his tracks.

“Gotta pick up your gift then.” She said.

“Oh yeah, my 24 karat diamond tiara. We can’t forget that.”

Rose rolled her eyes and gave him a playful punch. The Doctor smiled and watched her lovingly as she walked over the jewelry shop.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Oh Rassilon,” The Doctor groaned as they got back in the car.” Cramped legs, here we come.”

He sighed as Rose squeezed into the back seat with him and cuddled beside him.

“Did you have fun in there, love?” Jackie asked Rose as she got in the front.

“Yes, we had fun, mum.”

“And I trust you behaved yourself judging from the fact you’re in the backseat of my car and not in jail.”

The Doctor opened his mouth to make a snide remark. Rose quickly put her hand over his mouth, silencing him with a look.

“Well, I’ll give you your gifts now before I forget. I’m getting forgetful in my old age, you know.” She said, opening her bags and digging through them.

Her head jerked up and she shot the Doctor a warning look as he smiled at her innocently.

She looked back into her bags and the Doctor looked at Rose and mimed gagging. Rose put her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing.

“Here you go, love.” Here’s yours.” She said, pulling out a bag and giving it to her.

Rose opened the bag and cooed as she pulled out a little stuffed angel holding a little heart in its hands.

“Oh God, mum. I love her.” She said.

Jackie smiled.

“That’s because you’re my little angel and you always will be.” She said.

She looked at the Doctor and the smile fell off her face as she handed him a bag.

“Here. Happy Valentines Day.” She said politely.

The Doctor gave her a polite smile as he took the bag. He gave Rose a look of mock terror as he held the bag for a moment.

“Just open the bleedin’ bag and quit makin’ faces at my daughter.” Jackie said exasperated.

The Doctor sighed and opened the bag. He paused and frowned as he pulled out a tall, black box and looked at the object inside it. Rose glanced over and saw Jackie’s gift to the Doctor was a green alien bobblehead holding a ray gun in its hands. She glanced up at the Doctor and bit her lip as she noticed he was staring at it with a mixture of shock and confusion.

“This is the gift you got for me? An alien bobblehead doll.” The Doctor said slowly as he stared at Jackie.

“Well, yeah. I don’t know what to get an alien for Valentines Day so I got you this.”

The Doctor raised his eyebrow as Rose giggled. He slowly turned his head and looked at Rose as she shrugged. He looked back at Jackie.

“Well, thank you so much for this alien bobblehead, Jackie. I’ve been meaning to put a dashboard in the console room and now I have something to put on top of it.”

Rose bent over laughing as Jackie let out a sigh and turned around in her seat.

“Do you want your gifts now, mum?” Rose asked, sobering up.

“No, I’ll wait till we get home. I just want to get there before the traffic gets bad.”

The Doctor stared at Rose as she started the car.

“She got me a bobblehead doll, Rose.” He muttered to her. “What do I do with it?”

Rose shrugged.

“Build a dashboard in the console room and put it on top of it?” she said.

She giggled as the Doctor shook his head.

“And I have to give her a gift in return?” he whispered.

“Yes, Doctor. It’s the thought that counts remember.” She whispered back.

She kissed his cheek.

“Besides, my gift will more than make up for it.”

She paused.

“I hope.” She added.

The Doctor smiled tenderly at her.

“Rose Tyler, you could give me diarrhea and I would have it bronzed and put up on the mantle.”

“You have a mantle?”

“No, I’m building that after I build the dashboard.”

Rose laughed and leaned her head against the Doctor’s shoulder as they looked at the bobblehead.

“I suppose I could nip over to the Andromeda galaxy and give it to one of the Andromedans since this is their race.” He said.

Rose looked at him.

“That’s what this alien is? An Andromedan?”

The Doctor nodded.

“Except they aren’t green, they have translucent skin and this here…” he said, pointing to the head. “Isn’t their actual head. Everyone thinks it is but this is really a space helmet. The Andromedans can’t breathe in Earth’s atmosphere and all the people who have given descriptions of them have seen this helmet and assumed it’s their head. Underneath, they’re humanoid and look a lot like humans. Just bigger noses and eyes. And the ray gun is wrong too. The Andromedans are a peaceful race. They’ve only come here to observe and study the Earth, not to invade and enslave people.”

He smiled at her.

“Maybe we could go there sometime. It’s a nice planet.”

“I’d like that.”

She snuggled close to the Doctor as he put his arm around her and closed his eyes.

Chapter Seven

Rose laughed as the Doctor leapt out of the car and hopped around.

“You know what, Rose? I have half a mind to go back to the late 1800’s and convince the people who made the first cars to either stick to horses or make the cars more roomier so I won’t have to suffer now!”

“Aw, my poor baby,” Rose said, cupping his cheeks. “Here, maybe this will make the tingling go away.”

She leaned in and gave him a passionate kiss. The Doctor stopped moving and grabbing her around the waist pressed him to her as he kissed back.

He smiled as he broke off the kiss.

“Wow, you’re good. The tingling has gone out of my legs.”

His eyes glanced down at his crotch and looked at Rose.

“Although…it appears to have moved somewhere else now.” He added, wagging his eyebrows.

*Ahem*

They looked over at Jackie who was giving the Doctor an angry stare.

“Do you mind until you get into the TARDIS before you start that rubbish? I don’t want to be reminded my daughter is beddin’ an alien from outer space.”

“Well, you know, Jackie if you had played your cards right and been more seductive in that pink bathrobe of yours it would be you in the sack with me right now.”

“Oh God, don’t remind me!” Jackie said, holding up her hand and hurrying into the building.

The Doctor gave Rose an evil grin as she sighed and shook her head.

“Just be nice for the next five minutes and then we’ll be outta here.” She said.

“Thank Rassilon; I think I would rather spend my time locked in the Big Brother house with a Dalek, a Cyberman and The Master than live in that flat with your mother.”

He took her by the shoulders and gave her a proud grin.

“And you managed to survive 19 years with the shrew. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; Rose Tyler, you are the gutsiest woman I’ve ever known!”

“Just get in there, smart ass.” Rose said, pointing to the building.

The Doctor pinched her bum and took off running.

“If you think my ass is smart, you should see the rest of me!” he called back to her.

Rose rolled her eyes.

“No, Doctor, you’re wrong. It takes more guts for me to put up with your insanity day in and day out, than it does living with my mum.” She said, as she followed after him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor giggled as he reached the door of Jackie’s flat. He knocked on the door and waited a moment.

“Who is it?”

Using his mimicry skills, the Doctor impersonated Rose.

“It’s me, mum. You locked the door. Let me in, yeah?” he said, in a perfect imitation of her voice.

“I did?” he could hear Jackie saying. “I’m sorry, love, I must have locked the door automatically when I came in.”

“That’s all right, mum. Just let me in, okay?” The Doctor replied in Rose’s voice.

He quickly ducked around a nearby corner as he heard Jackie unlock the door.

Jackie opened the door and looked out. She frowned in confusion as she looked around the empty hallway.

“Rose? Where’d you go?” Jackie said, stepping out into the hallway.

“BWAAAAAAAA!”

Jackie yelled as the Doctor suddenly jumped out around the corner and screamed at her.

“DOCTOR! DAMN YOU!”

The Doctor bent over laughing.

“I’m so sorry, Jackie, I just couldn’t resist.” He said.

He ducked as Jackie’s hand swung around to connect with his cheek.

“Oh ho, missed me that time, Jacks.” He said with a smug grin. “Guess you’re getting slow in your old…”

The Doctor let out a grunt as Jackie slapped him as hard as she could. He fell back against the wall with a thud as Jackie smirked.

“What was that about me being old?” she said. “Maybe you’re the one who’s getting old, Doctor.” She said, staring at him triumphantly as he straightened up and rubbed his cheek. “You do that to me again and it’ll be a knee in the groin.”

She looked around and folded her arms over her chest.

“Alright, Rose Marion Tyler, get out here this instant. I want to have a word with you, young lady about joining in all this.”

“Joining in what mum?”

Jackie stared angrily at her daughter as she got out of an open elevator nearby and walked towards her. She stopped and looked at the Doctor.

“Oh God, what have you done this time?” she asked him.

“Don’t play innocent with me, young lady. You were the one who knocked on the door and got me to answer it in the first place.”

Rose stared at her.

“Mum, I’ve been downstairs. I haven’t been up here till now.”

“Don’t lie to me, young lady; I heard your voice plain as day.”

“I wasn’t lying to you, mum, I was downstairs.”

Jackie and Rose’s eyes widened. Jackie’s mouth dropped open as she realized her daughter hadn’t spoken that. They turned and looked at the Doctor as he smiled at them.

“I was downstairs, mum.” He said in Rose’s voice. “It was the Doctor. He used his people’s gift of mimicry and lured you out here so he could scare the pants off ya.”

“YOU!!” Jackie bellowed.

The Doctor took off down the hall as Jackie let out a roar and chased him.

Rose coughed, embarrassed, as several of Jackie’s neighbors opened their doors and stuck their heads out.

“Don’t ask.” She said, as they looked at her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jackie hugged her daughter as she stood outside the TARDIS. Inside, the Doctor was hiding as he waited for Rose.

“I love ya, mum.” She said, hugging her.

“I love ya too, hon. Thanks so much for the birthstone ring you got me.”

Well, I figured a ring with my birthstone in it would be a nice gift for ya.”

“Oh it is. It’s lovely.”

She looked down at the bear and made a face.

“You can take this back though.” She said, picking it up and giving it to her.

“Mum.”

“Hon, I appreciate you getting a gift for the Doctor to give to me. But I don’t want it. The greatest gift I can get from that man is him jumping in that TARDIS and going far, far away from me.”

She sighed as she put her hand on Rose’s cheek.

“I just wish you’d reconsider going with him, love. He’s not right for you.”

“You’re wrong, mum. He’s everything I’ve ever dreamed of and more.”

Jackie shook her head.

“But he’s dangerous, Rose. He’s gonna get ya killed one day.”

Rose shook her head.

“He won’t let that happen. I feel so safe when I’m with him, mum. He’s so strong and protective and when I’m in his arms there could be Hell breaking loose around me and I don’t fear a thing. Losing me would be devastating to him, mum and he knows that so he’ll take good care of me like he always does.”

“Well, I’m glad you have so much faith in him because from what I can see the man is a total loon.”

Rose smiled.

“He is, but I like that. He’s very entertaining.”

“He’s something, but entertaining isn’t the word that comes to my mind.”

Rose laughed and embraced her mother.

“Aw, happy Valentines Day, mum.”

“Happy Valentines Day, love. Be good and keep that boy in line, ya hear.”

“I always do, mum.”

She gave her mother one last hug and with a wave, she opened the door and stepped inside the TARDIS.

Jackie shook her head as the TARDIS dematerialized in front of her.

“I hope your faith in that man is justified, Rose.” She murmured. “Because I sure as Hell don’t trust him with your life.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

*February 14, 2007, 7 P.M.”

The Doctor finished lighting the last of the candles in the TARDIS’s dining room. He smiled as he turned off the lights and looked around at the illuminated room.

“Perfect.” He murmured to himself.

He sensed movement behind him and turned. His breath caught in his throat as he saw Rose standing in the doorway. Her hair was pulled up into a bun and she was wearing an elegant red evening gown with a small matching purse. She smiled as the Doctor stared at her, dumbstruck.

“You…you look incredible.” He said, in awe.

Rose smiled as she walked to his side. She stared at his suit. Instead of his usual brown pinstripes, he was dressed in a navy blue suit with white shirt and pale yellow tie. She ran her hands over the jacket as she stared up at him.

“You too.” She said. “I love this. You oughta wear this color more often.”

“Nah, I only save this suit for special occasions like tonight.” He said.

Taking Rose’s hand in his, he gave the back of it a gentle kiss as his eyes connected with hers. Rose felt her heart stop as she stared at his mesmerizing gaze.

“Shall we?” he asked, as he leaned back up.

Rose nodded and let herself be guided to the table in the center of the room.

She stared around in delight at all the candles.

“Oh Doctor,” she whispered. “It’s so lovely.”

The Doctor looked at her and gave her a soft smile. He guided her around the table to her seat. Releasing her hand, he pulled out the chair and kissed her neck as she sat down.

“I love you.” He whispered in her ear as he slid the chair back.

“I love you too.” Rose whispered back.

He kissed her cheek and with a smile went around the table to his seat.

Rose looked at the table and giggled as she noticed the alien bobblehead was in between two candles in the center of it.

“I thought you were gonna get rid of that.” She said, pointing to it.

The Doctor grinned as he sat down.

“Nah, I’ve grown quite fond of Bob now. I think I’ll keep him.”

“Bob?”

“Yeah, Bob the bobblehead.”

Rose giggled.

“I like that. It’s the perfect name for him.” She said.

The Doctor smiled and nodded.

Rose looked down at her plate.

“What do we have here?” she said, staring at it. “Hmmm…roast beef, mashed potatoes, peas and corn and…”

She stared at a purple, pear-shaped fruit by her plate. She looked at the Doctor.

“Amorsidrian. From Sarcolian Minor. It’s a delicacy there. Extremely rare to get because they grow only on high cliffs that must be scaled by expert climbers. Many Sarcolians have died trying to get it; but the taste is so exquisite; they consider it worth the risk. I thought a rare and delicate fruit would be just perfect for a rare and delicate lady.

Rose raised her eyebrow.

“Delicate?”

The Doctor grinned.

“Well, delicate when you want to be.” He conceded.

Rose smiled as he chuckled. She stared at the fruit.

“I love the color.” She said.

“So do I.” the Doctor replied.

She looked at him and raised her eyebrow.

“How did you get it? Don’t tell me you climbed up and got one.”

The Doctor smiled and shook his head.

“Nope, didn’t get it myself. I have a couple of Sarcolian friends who get me the fruit on occasion. I’m quite addicted to the taste myself.”

“Oooo, well, if it has your stamp of approval…”

She picked the fruit up and bit into it as the Doctor watched her closely. He grinned as he eyes widened in surprise and delight.

“Oh my God, it’s…I don’t even have a word for the taste of it. I mean, saying it’s good doesn’t even begin to describe it.”

She looked at the Doctor.

“Bloody Hell, I can see why you like them so much. I think I’ll just have to join you in your addiction.” She said.

“Well, I guess I’ll have to tell my friends to double the order whenever they get them.” He said.

He smiled as Rose reached across the table and offered the fruit to him. Her breath caught in her throat as he took a bite and his gaze fixed on her. Rose stared at the candlelight reflected in his eyes and felt as if she was drowning in them.

After what seemed like an eternity, the Doctor finished biting the fruit and leaned back up chewing on it slowly as Rose put the fruit back beside the table.

“So…is that my Valentines gift?” she asked him.

The Doctor shook his head and swallowed.

“No, that’s just a small sample of tonight’s delights.” He said. “Your gift comes after we finish dinner.”

“After biting into that, the rest of this is gonna taste pretty bland.” Rose said.

“That may be true, but I insist we eat. I spent all day slaving over a stove making this dinner.”

The TARDIS rumbled.

“Okay, the TARDIS did most of it.” He conceded. “But I opened the cans of corn and peas.”

Rose giggled at his self-congratulatory smile.

“Good job, Doctor. I’m proud of ya.”

“So am I. I didn’t cut myself on the lids or anything. I’m a genius.”

He winked as Rose laughed. Smiling at each other, they picked up their silverware and began eating.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Well, that was delicious.” Rose said, as she put her fork down.

She glanced up at the TARDIS.

“Thank you TARDIS for the meal.” She said.

“Yes, thanks girl.”

The TARDIS rumbled happily.

“Okay,” Rose said, reaching for her purse. “Now I guess its time for your gift.”

The Doctor watched as she pulled a small silver box out of the purse. He frowned.

“That’s an awfully tiny box. How’d you fit my tiara in it?” he asked.

“You nut.” Rose said, as the Doctor giggled.

She handed the box to him.

“Happy Valentines Day, my love.” She said.

The Doctor took the box. He took her hand before she could pull it away and kissed the back of it briefly before letting go. As Rose took her hand away, he opened the box. As Rose watched nervously, he stared inside for a moment and then his eyes widened in delight and he smiled as he pulled a small silver ring out of the box.

The Doctor stared at it in wonder. It was a sterling silver ring. A rose was engraved on the outside of it and Forever Your Rose was engraved around the inside.

“Do…do you like it?” Rose asked, as she noticed the Doctor hadn’t said anything.

The Doctor felt tears come to his eyes as he looked at her.

“It’s beautiful. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever received in my life. I love it.” He said.

Rose watched as he slipped on the ring finger of his right hand. He smiled and looked up at her.

“It fits perfectly. How’d ya manage that?” he asked.

Rose shrugged.

“After buying a ton of rings for me and my mum and my mates, I’ve gotten to be a good judge at ring sizes.”

“I…I don’t know what to say. I love it so much.”

Rose raised her eyebrow.

“Even though it isn’t 24 karats?” she asked.

“Sod 24 karats. This is perfect as is.”

He leaned up and took Rose’s hands in his.

“Thank you so much, my love. I will never take it off.” He said.

He gave her a soft kiss on the lips and sat back down.

Rose watched as he reached into his jacket pocket and brought out a piece of paper.

“And now for your gift.” He said.

He smiled at her as he unfolded the paper.

“I couldn’t think of anything to get you that would seem suitable in my eyes.” He explained. “So, I thought and thought and finally the TARDIS gave me an idea. I decided to write a poem for you.”

Rose’s eyes widened.

“You write…poetry?” she asked in disbelief.

The Doctor smiled.

“Well, I have been known to dabble in it from time to time. I helped Shakespeare out with a few of his sonnets and I helped Keats and Shelly think up some of their poems as well. It’s not something I do all the time but I can whip up something when I put my mind to it.”

“I’m intrigued. Let’s hear it.” Rose said, putting her arms on the table and leaning in.

The Doctor cleared his throat as he looked down at the paper and began to read.

I've roamed about this Earth
With just a suitcase in my hand,
And I've met some bug-eyed Joes,
I've met the blessed, I've met the damned.
But of all the strange, strange creatures
In the air, at sea, on land,
Oh, my girl, my girl, my precious girl,
I love you, you understand.

Rose smiled as she let out an “Awww…” The Doctor grinned and continued.

I have wandered, I have rambled
I have crossed this crowded sphere,
And I've seen a mass of problems
That I long to disappear.
Now, all I have's this lovesick heart,
And all I can think of is you.
Oh, my girl, my girl, my precious girl,
Just what is this man to do?

Rose felt the tears roll down her cheeks as the Doctor reached over and took her hand.

So, reel me in, my precious girl,
Come on, take me home.
'Cause my body's tired of traveling
And my heart don't wish to roam.

He squeezed her hand as Rose wiped at the tears on her face.

You took me in, you stole my heart,
I cannot roam no more.
Because love, it stays within you,
It does not wash up on a shore.
But a fighting man forgets each cut
Each knock, each bruise, each fall,
But a fighting man cannot forget
Why his love don't roam no more.

So, walk with me, my love, my love,
Walk tall, walk proud, walk far,
For you are my love, my one true love,
You are my shining star.

“Oh Doctor…” Rose whispered.

So here me now, my precious girl,
Hear your lover’s vow,
I’ll never stray, I’ll never roam
For you are with me now.

You have my heart, you have my soul,
You have my very mind.
And I swear we’ll be together, Rose,
Until the end of time.

He put the piece of paper down and got out of his seat as Rose wept with joy. Embracing her, he held her close as she laid her head on his shoulder.

“Did you like it?” he asked nervously.

“Oh God, yes, I love it. I love it so much.” Rose cried. “Thank you so much, Doctor.”

He smiled.

“I mean every word of it, my love.” He whispered in her ear. “Every word.”

He sighed as Rose reached up and ran her hand down the back of his hair.

“Oh my love, it’s beautiful. It’s so beautiful. I’ll treasure it always.”

“I’m glad. And I’ll always treasure the ring you gave me. It’s beautiful.” He said glancing down at it.

He kissed her cheek.

“Ready for the next part of your Valentines gift?” he asked.

Rose looked at him.

“What could possibly top your poem.”

He grinned at her.

“Me.”

Rose snorted.

“Not bloody likely.”

He giggled as the Doctor looked at her, offended.

“I’m kidding, you goof. Although you’ll have to do something pretty spectacular to top the poem.”

“Are you kidding, spectacular is my middle name.”

“You have a middle name? I wasn’t aware of that. I wasn’t even aware you had a last name.” she said

“Well, lover is my last name.”

“Really? You sure it’s not nutter?”

She giggled as the Doctor’s mouth dropped open. He grinned as he began to tickle her. He gave her an impish look as she laughed hysterically. He picked her up in his arms and smiled at her as she put her hand against his face.

“I love you, Rose Tyler, now and for the rest of my lives.”

“I love you too, forever and ever.”

She looked down at Bob.

“Is he going to come too so he can watch?”

The Doctor glanced down at him and grinned.

“Nah, I don’t like little plastic Andromedians watching me while I perform. He can clean up.”

He kissed Rose on the cheek and she wrapped her arms around his neck as he carried her out of the dining room.

THE END.

DW Fanfic: Love Don't Roam on Valentine's Day...PG-13 Parts 1-3/7

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 13:27:17 GMT

TITLE: Love Don't Roam on Valentines Day

FANDOM: Doctor Who

RATING: PG-13

PAIRING: 10/Rose

WARNINGS: Fluff, some swearing

SUMMARY: The Doctor and Rose go shopping with Jackie and celebrate Valentines Day together

DISCLAIMER: Doctor Who doesn't belong to me. I'm making no money off of this.

Part One

Rose couldn’t believe it.

She just couldn’t believe it.

The Doctor was actually excited about Valentine’s Day?

This was a first.

When she spent Valentine’s Day with her first Doctor, he could have possibly cared less about it.

Not this Doctor.

Rose looked around at the Valentine’s Day decorations on the console room walls and smiled. She figured all this was more for her benefit than his, but still it was nice that this Doctor didn’t spend all his time moping and got out and had some fun every once in awhile.

“It’s not too much, is it?”

Rose looked over at the Doctor as he entered the console room.

“I tried not to overdo it, but I do remember we didn’t celebrate last year and I wanted to do something special for you.”

“No, I love it. It’s very pretty.” She said looking at the cardboard cutouts of cupids and Valentine hearts and white bears holding little hearts in their paws. Thank you so much for this.”

She sighed as she felt the Doctor’s arms around her.

“Anything for you, my Rose.” He murmured in her ear. “Anything that makes you happy makes me happy.”

She reached behind her and brought his head closer to her as he kissed her neck.

“This isn’t all. I have something very special planned for Valentine’s night.” He whispered in her ear.

“Oooo, I can’t wait.”

“Neither can I.”

Rose leaned back into the Doctor as he continued to kiss her neck and face. She opened her eyes as the cell phone in her pocket rang.

“Oh bollocks.” The Doctor muttered. “Whoever it is has perfect bloody timing.”

Rose got her cell out of her pocket and looked at it. She looked back at him.

“It’s mum.” She said.

“Like I said, perfect bloody timing.”

Rose elbowed him and answered the phone.

“Mum?”

“Rose. How are you, love?”

“I’m fine, mum. The Doctor and me are just flying through the vortex at the moment.”

“You’re not on a planet right now?”

“Nope, we’re trying to decide where to go.”

“Well, I have the perfect place for you, honey.”

“Where?”

“Here! I want you to come back home for awhile. I have to go shop for a Valentines gift for Howard and I want you to come with me.”

The Doctor groaned. Thanks to Jackie’s high pitched, loud voice, he could hear the whole conversation perfectly.

“Is the Doctor around?”

Rose glanced at the Doctor. His chin was lying on her left shoulder and his arms were wrapped around her.

“Uh, yeah, he’s right here.” She said.

“Hello, Jackie.” The Doctor called out.

“Well, tell him to leave. I want to tell you something in private.” Jackie said.

“Leave? This is my TARDIS we’re talking about here.” The Doctor said.

“Oh for Christ’s sake, Doctor.”

Rose pulled the cell away from her ear as Jackie yelled back at the Doctor.

“Could you give my daughter a few minutes alone with me?” she bellowed. “You get to see her all the bloody time now and I don’t. So please go somewhere and…fight a monster or something.”

Rose bit her lip to keep from laughing while the Doctor made a face at the cell and flipped it off. Mumbling curses in Gallifreyan, he reluctantly turned and walked to the back of the room.

Rose watched as the Doctor folded his arms over his chest, leaned against the wall and stared angrily at the cell. She turned away from him.

“Okay, he’s out of earshot, mum.”

“You sure?”

Rose glanced back around. The Doctor made eye contact with her and rolled his eyes. She turned her head back around.

“Well, he’s back as far as he’s gonna go.” She said.

Jackie sighed.

“And I suppose that’s not very far.”

“Only to the back of the room.”

“Bloody Hell. You two oughta be Siamese twins since you seem to be joined at the hip now.” Jackie said angrily.

“Tell Jackie if she wants to tell you a secret she better lower that screechy, harpy voice of hers because I can still hear every word from back here.” The Doctor said.

“What was that?”

“The Doctor said happy Valentines Day.”

Jackie snorted.

“Sure he did and I’m the bleedin’ Prime Minister.”

“Well, whisper what you want, mum before the Doctor comes over here, rips the phone out of my hand and hangs up.”

“He better not do that, by God or I’ll track him down and slap the Hell outta him.”

“I swear to Rassilon, Jackie Tyler, the next time you do slap me it’ll be your last time because I’ll break both your bloody hands off at the wrists and unlike me you won’t have any residual energy to grow them back!” Rose heard the Doctor say.

“What was that?” Jackie asked.

“Nothing, mum, nothing. Just say whatever you have to say.”

“Well,” Jackie said, lowering her voice. “I wanted you to come with me because I thought you’d get something nice for Mickey for Valentines Day.”

“And the Doctor too.” Rose added.

There was a long pause.

“Yes, I suppose the Doctor too.” Jackie finally said.

She sighed.

“Honestly what do you get an alien for Valentines Day? I haven’t seen any alien cupid plushies or Valentines Day candy from Venus or Martian roses or something.”

Rose sighed.

“Mum, give him a break, will ya? He loves me and he’s saved my life a zillion times since I met him. You should at least be grateful for that.”

“I am grateful. But the man gets on my last nerve. Especially the way he wants to spend every waking moment with you. You can’t turn around without bumping into his scrawny, little body.” She said. “Like I said, you two are joined at the hip.”

Rose rolled her eyes.

“Anyway, mum. I’d love to come with you. But why did you make the Doctor leave before you told me this?”

“Because I don’t want Mickey to know and knowing how that man loves to talk he would know before the two of you even got past the TARDIS door.” She said.

“Well, I’m pretty sure the Doctor will want to come along too.”

“Why?” Jackie demanded.

“Because mum, he’s been upset for the past couple of days. We just got done fighting a werewolf and we nearly got killed. We just…need each other right now okay? Each time we go out I keep thinking it’ll be the last time I see him and I know he thinks that too and the only comfort we have through all of this craziness is each other. So could you please just give the man a break and at least try to get along with him. He’s not a bad person, mum.”

“I know he’s not, hon.”

“Well, why can’t you get along with him?”

“Yeah, why can’t she get along with me?” she heard the Doctor say.

Jackie sighed.

“It’s just that…I’m not comfortable with him being an alien and you being human. Mickey may have had his faults but he was from Earth. Plus, we don’t know everything about this Doctor’s past. What if he’s dangerous?”

“He’s not dangerous, mum. The Doctor would never hurt me.”

“Oh for God’s sake, Jackie.” She heard the Doctor say. “I would never hurt Rose and you know it. You’re just upset because Howard’s too busy munching on the Satsuma in his dressing gown to give you a good I'm a naughty swearer - wash my mouth out with soap!.”

Rose put her hand over her mouth to keep the laughter in.

“What did he just say?” Jackie demanded.

Rose couldn’t answer for fear of laughing. She glanced around at the Doctor and gave him a warning look as he grinned and winked at her.

“What did he say, Rose?” Jackie repeated.

Rose swallowed back the laughter and took her hand away from her face.

“He’s…just being his usual goofy self, mum. He’s over there trying to make me laugh.” She said.

“No, he’s over there saying rude things about me. That’s the other thing I don’t like about him. The man is rude beyond belief. He doesn’t know when to keep his bloody gob shut.”

“At least when I open my bloody gob and speak it can’t be heard 40 miles away.”

Rose slammed her hand over her mouth again and gave the Doctor a pointed look as he shrugged.

“Um…anyway, mum. I’d love to go shopping with you. When do you want us to come?”

“Tomorrow morning, right after breakfast. And I mean, tomorrow morning as in tomorrow morning February 13th, 2007 not twelve months from that date.”

“Ah, piss off, you old cow. I’d like to see you fly the TARDIS. You’d probably manage to find a brick wall in the middle of the vortex and crash right into that.”

Rose bit her lip.

“Mum, I really gotta go. I’ll talk to you later.” Rose said, trying to control her voice.

“You just be here when I said, young lady and make sure the Doctor gets that.”

I will, mum. I’ll see you on February 13th. Bye.”

As she closed her cell, she gasped as the Doctor came up from behind, grabbed the cell, put it on the floor and lightly kicked it.

“See ya!” he said to the cell as it slid across the floor.

“Now,” he said, turning his attention back to Rose. “Where were we?”

“Mmmmm, I think we were here.” Rose said, lowering his head down to her neck.”

“Ah yes, that’s right.” The Doctor mumbled into her neck. “We were.”

Rose sighed as the Doctor began to kiss and suck on her neck. Her mum could wait. They were in a time machine and had all the time in the world.”

Chapter Two

As the TARDIS landed with a thump, the Doctor looked at Rose and motioned to the view screen.

“There you see…February 13th, 2000 and 7, the Powell Estates. I got us to the correct location and time so I don’t want to hear anything from your mum.”

Rose sighed.

“Doctor, don’t…just forget what my mum said, okay? Ignore it, please? I want to have fun today and not hear the two of you going at it. Please?”

The Doctor took her hands in his.

“I’ll be nice, but I can’t guarantee what she’ll do.” He said.

“Well, that’s all you can do. Just worry about yourself and don’t let her get to you. You’re gonna be with me and that’s all that matters, isn’t it?”

The Doctor smiled.

“Yes, it is.” He said leaning in for a kiss.

“Doctor?”

The Doctor jerked up as he heard Jackie banging on the front door.

“Rassilon! Does the woman have built in radar that detects when we’re having a romantic moment or something?” he said. “She never fails to interrupt us!”

“Be good.” Rose said, squeezing his hand.

The Doctor grinned as he leaned in.

“Don’t you mean…”

He imitated ET.

“Beeeee gooooood.”

Rose rolled her eyes and grinned.

“Ouch. I’ll beeee riiiiight heeeere.” He added.

“Will you knock it off?”

“Elliot. ET phooooone hooooome.”

Rose giggled.

“You do a crappy impression of ET, you know that.”

“Really, I thought it was rather good myself. Next thing I’ll do is tie a bike to the top of the TARDIS and you can get up there and pretend to do the flying scene as we’re going through the vortex.”

Rose smiled.

“Only if you get in the little basket.”

“If you can fit me in one.”

“As thin as you are, I don’t think that’ll be a problem.”

She giggled as the Doctor looked down at his body and looked up at her with a grin. He pulled her close and lowered his lips to hers.

“Doctor! Open up!”

The Doctor pulled back and sighed.

“That woman is a bigger pain in the neck than any monster I’ve ever faced.” He said.

He rolled his eyes.

“Come on, before she finds a way to break in.” he said, taking her hand.

The Doctor walked to the door and opened it and was nearly sent over the railing as Jackie burst in and embraced her daughter.

“Rose! I haven’t seen you in ages!” she gushed as she hugged her tight.

“Hi, mum.”

“Oh, it’s so good to see you!” Jackie said, cupping Rose’s face in her hands. “Oh, my little baby girl! I’m so glad you’re alright.”

She finally looked over at the Doctor.

“Hello.” She said coolly.

The Doctor raised his eyebrow.

“Blimey, is it just me or did the temperature in the room suddenly drop a thousand degrees?” he said.

Jackie glared at him.

“Mum.”

She looked at her daughter and sighed as she managed a small smile for the Doctor.

“It is nice to see you, Doctor.” She said politely.

“And you.” The Doctor replied just as politely.

Rose smiled.

“Thank you.” She said to them.

Jackie embraced her daughter once more.

“Come on, love. Let’s go have fun shopping.” She said.

As Jackie pulled away from Rose and went out the TARDIS door, the Doctor took Rose’s hand in his and with a kiss they followed her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rose looked over at the Doctor as they sat in the back seat of Jackie’s car. She looked down at his legs and watched as the Doctor desperately tried to get them into a comfortable position.

“Ugh, hate cars.” He muttered. “Especially tiny little cars with no leg room.”

He sighed as he shook his head.

“Geez, I miss my TARDIS already. At least I could walk around in it.”

He looked at Jackie.

“You know, I could have just flown us to the mall and we could have missed all the traffic on the motorway.”

“I am not about to go flying around in that TARDIS thing and end up in the age of dinosaurs or something.”

“Why not?” the Doctor muttered. “You’d fit right…”

He let out a gasp as Rose hit his arm. He gave her sheepish grin when she shot him a look.

The Doctor leaned his head back and let out a bored sigh.

“Couldn’t we at least have some music or something?” he asked Jackie.

“Not while I’m in the middle of traffic. I’m trying to concentrate.” Jackie replied.

The Doctor rolled his eyes and leaned his head against Rose.

“Sing to me.” He murmured in her ear.

“Sing to you?”

“Yes, sing to me. I want something that’ll distract me from the pain of my cramped legs and the smell of your mother’s cheap perfume.” He whispered. “Sing.”

“Sing what?”

“Anything. I don’t care. Soft rock, hard rock, rap, Who Let The Dogs Out?, Happy Birthday, Yankee Doodle, anything, just…sing.”

Rose giggled. She put her arm around the Doctor’s shoulder and thought for a moment. She smiled, got down next to his ear and began to sing softly.

“Look into my eyes. You will see what you mean to me.”

The Doctor smiled and closed his eyes.

“Search your heart, search your soul and when you find me there you’ll search no more.”

The Doctor nuzzled her cheek.

Rose grimaced.

“Ugh, I suck at singing.”

The Doctor opened his eyes.

“No, you don’t. I love your voice. I could listen to it all day.”

He jabbed his finger at Jackie as he mouthed, “Unlike hers.” To Rose.

“Doctor.” She whispered.

The Doctor shrugged.

“Can I help it if I’m brutally honest in this life?” he whispered back.

“What are you two talking about back there?” Jackie asked.

“We’re discussing the finer points of cow mutilation and anal probe science. I’m in favor of just ramming the rod straight up the anus while Rose favors a more delicate approach. Your thoughts?”

“You know, Doctor, I could stop this car and throw you out on the motorway.”

“Really? That would be great since I’ve lost all feeling in my legs now.”

The Doctor raised his eyebrows as Jackie started to slow the car down.

“Mum, speed back up now!” Rose said angrily.

As people began to honk their horns behind them, Jackie let out a sigh and picked up speed.

Rose swatted the Doctor’s arm as Jackie muttered curses to herself.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Oh thank Rassilon.” The Doctor said, as Jackie finally found a parking space at the mall.

Rose laughed as he opened the car door, leapt out and began hopping around trying to get the feeling back in his legs. She followed him out and shut the door as Jackie sat and looked through her purse for her money.

“You gonna be alright?” Rose asked him.

“I will be in a moment.”

He sighed as the numbness finally left his legs.

“See that’s another sign of my people’s superior intelligence. When we designed vehicles for travel you didn’t have to fly around in them with your knees up to your nose.”

He glanced over at Jackie who was still in the car counting her money.

“Is the ice queen ever gonna get out of the car or did we just come all the way here to watch her count her money?” he asked.

“She always does this when we go places. Just give her a moment.” Rose said.

The Doctor sighed. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and glared at Jackie. Suddenly, he had an idea and a mischievous smile spread over his face.

“Let’s go.” He said, turning to Rose.

“Go? Mum’s not done yet.”

“I know. Let’s seize this chance and just run willy-nilly into the mall and then spend all day hiding while the buzzard has to search for us.”

“No, Doctor.”

“Ah, come on; it’ll give the old crone some exercise.”

“No, Doctor.”

“Can we at least find a secluded spot and make out for a few minutes?”

“No, Doctor.”

“Okay, make out, but do it on the hood of the car so Jackie knows where we’re at.”

“Definitely not, Doctor.”

“Damn. Sometimes, Rose Tyler, you are no fun to be around.”

Rose chuckled and put her arm around the Doctor and leaned against him.

After a few more minutes, Jackie finally put her money back in her purse and opened the door.

The Doctor grabbed Rose and pointed at Jackie.

“Rose. My eyes must be playing a trick on me. It appears your mother is finally getting out of the car.” He said with wide eyes.

“It’s no illusion, Doctor.” She really is.” Rose answered, playing along.

She giggled as the Doctor’s eyes widened even further.

“No, it can’t be. It hasn’t been five hours yet. I calculated it would take that long for her to count 3 pounds and I’m never wrong! What is wrong here? Did we lose a bunch of time and didn’t know it? Talk to me, Rose!”

“Alright, Doctor. That’ll do.”

The Doctor stared at Rose.

“Rose. When you answered me just now, you sounded just like Jackie. How d’ya manage that? And you didn’t move your lips either; I didn’t know you were a ventriloquist.”

“Doctor.” Jackie said angrily.

He spun his head around as Rose snickered.

“Oh! It is you Jackie. Thousand pardons.” He said straightening up.

Jackie stared at her daughter.

“Why did he have to come along?”

“Well, Jackie, it would have been hard for me not to come along seeing how Rose and I are Siamese twins.”

Jackie glared at him. Shaking her head, she turned and headed towards the mall as the Doctor winked at Rose. He took her hand in his.

“My precious Rose,” he said to her. “It’s the day before Valentines Day. Love is in the air and my hearts are light as a feather. Let’s skip into the mall. What say ya?”

Rose grinned.

“I think that’s a good idea, Doctor. I’d love to skip with ya.”

The Doctor’s face beamed with delight.

“Then what are we waiting for!” he said overjoyed.

Rose giggled as both of them held hands and skipped towards the mall entrance.

Jackie gasped as they passed by her.

“Come on, Jackie!” the Doctor yelled back. “Skip with us! It’s ever so fun.”

Jackie stopped and shook her head as she watched her daughter skipping across the parking lot with her alien boyfriend.

“I believe I will keep a safe distance from the two of you today.” She muttered. “I don’t want to give anyone the impression we’re together.”

She rolled her eyes as she heard the Doctor singing “LA, LA, LA, LA” at the top of her voice. She waited a moment until they were almost to the door and then slowly she started following them.

Chapter Three

“Phew.” Rose said as they entered the mall. “That was fun. I haven’t skipped in years. We ougtha do it more oft…”

She paused as she noticed the Doctor was surveying the mall with a serious look on his face.

“Doctor? What’s wrong?” she asked, looking around.

“People of Earth…”

Rose looked at the Doctor as he stretched his arms out and looked around the mall.

“I am an alien from the planet Gallifrey. I have come to this Earth to harvest you for servitude. Please go about your shopping and I will enslave each of your minds in a calm, orderly fashion.”

He grinned as Rose giggled.

“You are such a goof sometimes.” She said.

He chuckled as Rose punched his arm playfully.

They looked around and saw Jackie standing just outside the door looking in at them.

“What’s she waiting for?” the Doctor asked.

“Um, I think she wants us to go ahead and move and she’ll come in behind us. I think she’s embarrassed to be around you now.” Rose replied.

“So…you mean if we just stand here, she won’t come in and bother us. Brilliant. Well, Rose, pull up a chair and I’ll go get some snacks.”

“No, I think we better just move on.”

“Darn, I wanted to sit here and watch her shiver out in the cold.” The Doctor said. “Ah, well, one can’t have everything one wants. Let’s go. Shall we skip again?”

“Nah, I’m skipped out.”

“How about we tango through the mall.”

“Nah.”

“Samba through the mall?”

“Nope.”

An evil grin spread over the Doctor’s face.

“Dirty Dance?” he said hopefully.

Rose considered that for a moment.

“Nah, knowing you, you’d take it too far and we’d be spending the night in jail.”

“Bollocks and I thought you were going to go along with it for a moment.”

“How about we just walk through the mall, hand in hand?”

The Doctor smiled.

“Old fashioned, been done before. But hey, I’m a fan of the classics. So, why not?”

He took her hand in his and looked back at the mall door.

“Okay, Jackie, we’re going. You can come in now.” He called out as they started walking.

When they got father along, they looked back and saw Jackie walking several feet behind them.

“Blimey, I guess your mum wasn’t kidding about not wanting to be around us.” He said to Rose.

“Well, the way you act sometimes I can’t blame her.”

“Should I yell out to everyone that she is with us?”

“Do you wanna get slapped?”

“Not especially.”

“Then, don’t.”

The Doctor shrugged and smiled at her.

They passed by the Hallmark store and Rose tugged on the Doctor’s arm.

“Let’s go in here. They have nice things.” She said.

The Doctor shrugged.

“Wherever you wanna go is fine with me. I don’t know one store from another.” He said.

“Just like a male.”

“Oi!”

Rose giggled as the Doctor pinched her arm. She looked over at Jackie and pointed to the store to indicate they were going inside. Jackie nodded and pointed to one across the way. Rose nodded.

“Oh thank Rassilon, she’s not coming in.” The Doctor said watching as Jackie walked to the other side of the mall.

Rose cooed as they looked around.

“Oh my God, look at these little teddy bears. Aren’t they gorgeous?” Rose said, as they walked up to a display near the front.

“I can think of something more gorgeous than a teddy bear.” The Doctor murmured as she picked one up and looked at it.

Rose grinned up at him.

“You are such a charmer. You could be Casanova, you know.”

The Doctor considered that.

“I can see that.” He said.

He leaned into her.

“Yeah, I can see me I'm a naughty swearer - wash my mouth out with soap! a woman and then running out of her room and onto a balcony at the first sign of her husband.”

“And where would you go once you got out on the balcony?”

The Doctor thought for a moment and then grinned.

“Oh, I think I would have a horse waiting. A noble steed that I would whistle for and then I would jump from the balcony onto his back and ride away before anyone caught up with me.”

“Knowing you, you’d miss the horse.”

“Oi? I would not!” The Doctor said, offended, as Rose giggled. “I’d never miss. How dare you suggest such a thing!”

Rose shrugged and put the bear back on the shelf.

“Well, come on; let’s find something for Mickey, yeah?”

The Doctor frowned.

“Mickity-Mick-Mickey? Why are you getting something for him?”

Rose gasped as he seized her around the middle and pulled her against him.

“Is there something you’re not telling me about you and Mickey?” he breathed in her ear.

“No, there is nothing between me and Mickey anymore.”

“Good, because you’re mine now; now and forever, remember that.”

“How can I forget when you act all jealous every time I mention Mickey’s name?”

“I just want you to know that Mickey is a part of your past now. I’m your present and your future.”

“Yes, dear.” Rose replied, patting his cheek.

“So…why are you buying a present for your ex-boyfriend then?”

“Because my mother suggested I do so.”

“Oh…that figures. Suddenly it all becomes clear.” The Doctor said, rolling his eyes.

“Calm down, yeah? I’m not gonna get him as nice a gift as I’m gonna get you.”

The Doctor frowned.

“You don’t have to get me anything, Rose.”

“You don’t want a Valentines gift?”

The Doctor smiled and held her close.

“I have one. My Valentines gift is you here warm and safe and alive in my arms. That’s all the gift I need.”

Rose sighed as the Doctor kissed her cheek.

“Well, just the same I am gonna get you something.”

“Really, what?”

“I’m not gonna tell ya, you big goober. You just have to wait till tomorrow night.”

The Doctor let out a melodramatic sigh.

“Oh, if I must.” He said, rolling his eyes.

He hugged Rose as she shook her head.

“Well, let’s get idiot boy his consolation gift then.” He replied, leaning back up.

He gave Rose an innocent look as she eyed him. Taking her hand, they walked towards the back of the store.

Rose gasped as she felt the Doctor stop suddenly.

“Here.” The Doctor said, reaching around, grabbing an object off the shelf and pressing it into her hands. “Get him this.”

Rose stared at it.

“Um…this is a cheap plastic trophy with World’s Greatest Grandmother written on the base.”

“Yeah, Mickey will love it. Get it and let’s go.”

Rose eyed him as he giggled. Very deliberately, she put the trophy back in its place.

“What? Is something wrong with my selection?” The Doctor asked, feigning shock.

Rose beckoned him to follow her.

“What? Idiot boy would probably like a trophy. I bet he’s never won one in his life.” The Doctor said as he followed her.

They walked towards the back and stopped in front of a shelf filled with Valentines Day figurines. Rose leaned back into the Doctor as they stood and stared at them.

“Uh-huh…”

Rose watched as the Doctor picked up a figurine. It was a pig dressed as a cupid with a bow and arrow. On the base was written ‘I’m Hog Wild For You, Valentine.”

“What a charming thing to give your sweetie.” The Doctor said, staring at it. “Happy Valentines Day, my love, I saw this pig and thought instantly of you.”

Rose giggled as the Doctor placed it back on the shelf. She pointed at a puppy holding a heart in its hands.

“And this one is saying your sweetheart’s a dog.” She said.

“Exactly. Odd choices, don’t you think?”

“I never thought of it before, but yeah, you’re right.” Rose said.

He grinned as he spied a monkey figurine.

“Oh look, they have one for the stupid ape in your life.” He said, picking it up.

He read the base.

“I go bananas for you, Valentine.”

He smiled.

“Ah, bananas. Nature’s most perfect food.”

Rose smiled as she took the figurine from him and looked at it.

“It is cute.” She said.

“Well, get it for ol’ Mickey boy then.”

Rose snorted.

“And make him have to listen to you teasing him about it, no thanks.” She said putting it back.

The Doctor shrugged.

Rose shook her head.

“Let’s look somewhere else. Everything here is way too cutesy for a boy.” She said.

“The trophy was pretty manly.”

“We’re not getting the bleedin’ trophy.”

“Not even if I find one that says World’s Greatest Ex-Boyfriend?”

“No.”

“Alright, suit yourself.” He said shrugging.

He kissed Rose on the lips and taking her hand led her out of the store.

Type your cut contents here.

DW Fanfic: Count Your Blessings...PG Parts 1-2/2

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 13:13:36 GMT

TITLE: Count Your Blessings

PAIRING: 10/Rose (Implied)

SPOILERS: Post Runaway Bride

RATING: PG

SUMMARY: Grieving for Rose, the TARDIS takes him somewhere where he can help someone and be helped in return

DISCLAIMER: Doctor Who doesn't belong to me except in my feverish dreams. I'm making no money off of this.

Chapter One

“Her name was Rose.”

The Doctor stared at Donna.

He dare not cry.

He would not cry.

Not in front of her.

He was the Doctor. He was always in control of everything including his emotions. He felt a tear forming in his left eye and he knew he had to break eye contact and go back inside before he lost it completely. Finally after what seemed like ages, the Doctor went back inside the TARDIS and closed the door.

He hurried over to the console praying Donna wouldn’t call him back again. He felt tears blurring his vision as he ordered the TARDIS to take him as far away from Donna as they possibly could go.

As the TARDIS began its familiar wheezing rhythm, the Doctor sank down to the floor and finally let his emotions take over as his head fell into his hands and he wept uncontrollably.

As he cried, he lay his head back against the console, and caught something out of the corner of his eye. He looked over to Rose’s shirt lying on the floor in the corner of the room. He stared at the shirt hating himself for bringing it into the room.

He had gone into her room after he had lost her with the pretense of packing up her things. But looking around at her stuff, memories came flooding back to him and he just couldn’t bring himself to do it. Instead, he began rifling through her things; feeling, touching, tasting, smelling trying to hold on to some part of her. Then, he opened her dresser drawer and saw it. The shirt. The shirt she had worn on the first place he had taken her in his current body. Memories flooded his mind. New Earth, The Sisters of Plentitude, The Face of Boe, the cloned humans. It all came rushing back like a tidal wave threatening to overwhelm him.

He remembered how beautiful she looked in the shirt. How he thought the color purple suited her. He held it to his body and as his fingers held the fabric, he imagined holding her. As he put the shirt to his nose and inhaled, he caught a faint whiff of her scent and tears ran down his cheeks as he remembered smelling that scent a thousand times before whenever they embraced, whenever she lay her head on his shoulder, the smell of her on his fingertips after they had held hands. He had taken her for granted. When she stood with him on Alphasia 5 and they watched the Mantabats flying around them as the suns set in the sky; he asked her how long she would stay with him and smiled as she told him “Forever.” And he had actually believed that. What an idealistic fool he had been. He should have known. The universe had never treated him with kindness and it never would. He now knew why his people had never fallen in love with each other. Love was both a blessing and a curse. A joy and a torment. Being in love felt so wonderful, but the pain of loss was worse than any torture the Doctor had ever experienced. He wondered if he would ever get over Rose and yet he feared the day he actually might.

Rising to his feet, the Doctor went and retrieved the shirt and held it to his chest just as he had done so many times when he had waited and prayed for Rose to answer his call. When he had finally found her, he had put the shirt on the railing just in case Rose would be able to see it. He didn’t want to have to answer a lot of embarrassing questions about it. He had been so upset after the gap had closed that it had completely slipped his mind that the shirt was there until he looked up and Donna was shoving it in his face and screeching at him about abducting Rose. He damned her for doing that and damned himself for being so weak that he had to carry around a shirt like a child’s security blanket.

“And now, he was at it again.

“What am I doing? It’s just a shirt. A cheap, little shirt. It’s not her, you fool.” He muttered to himself.

“But in a way it was. It was a link. A tangible link to her and unlike her, it was something he could touch and hold on to. So, he closed his eyes and walked around the console room as the TARDIS flew him to God-knows-where. Walking and holding the shirt and remembering all the happy times they had shared together.

His eyes snapped open as he heard the familiar thump indicating that the TARDIS had landed. He walked over to the computer screen and his face drained of all color as he saw where they had landed.

“Oh no. No. Please not here.” He said to the TARDIS. “Take me somewhere else. Anywhere but here.”

“Go outside.” The TARDIS said telepathically.

“No, I won’t.”

“Go outside. Someone needs your help.”

“Well, they’ll just have to help themselves for a change. I’m not available.”

“Go, help her.”

The Doctor sighed angrily. He knew the TARDIS wouldn’t leave no matter how much he pleaded with her. Cursing his ship’s stubbornness, he stomped towards the front door.

He paused as he realized he was still holding the shirt in his hand. He started to throw it down, but then thought better of it. He needed this tiny bit of comfort right now no matter how goofy it might look to this mystery woman. Besides, given their destination, It seemed appropriate that it accompany him.

Sticking it in the waistband of his trousers, he buttoned up his jacket and put on his leather coat. Walking to the door; he put his hand on the door handle, took a deep breath and stepped outside into…

New Earth.

He flinched as he stared at he skyline of New New York. The TARDIS hadn’t landed in the exact same place as before but it was pretty close. As the hovercars whizzed over his head towards the city, he got a sudden urge to lay down. Taking off his coat, he spread it on the apple grass and with a sad sigh, lowered himself onto it. Reaching under his jacket for the shirt, he pressed it close to his hearts as he stared up at the sky. As he listened to the car’s engines roaring overhead, he turned his head and his eyes misted over as he imagined Rose lying beside him; leaning upo n her elbow and smiling at him as she did that day.

“Oh my love.” He murmured. “I miss you so much.”

He lay for a few minutes more until the memories became unbearable. Stuffing the shirt back in his waistband. He rose up from the ground, put his leather coat back on and with a sigh of resignation began walking towards a nearby hill wanting to find this mystery woman and do whatever the TARDIS wanted him to do so she would fly him away from here and never return.

Reaching the top of the hill, he looked down and saw that this was the place where his TARDIS had landed before. He looked over a the hospital and was surprised to find it was no longer there. He frowned in confusion for a moment and then reasoned that it must have been demolished sometime after the sister’s arrest to cover up the evidence of their underground labs.

“Good riddance.” The Doctor muttered.

As he uttered those words, a thought occurred to him. He wondered what had become of the clones? He hoped that someone was helping them assimilate into society and they hadn’t been abandoned or shipped off to other labs to be experimented on.

As his eyes drifted over towards the riverbank, he spied a lone woman standing and staring quietly out at the river. The Doctor raised his eyebrows.

“I guess this must be the damsel in distress.” He said dryly.

He looked around him half expecting Daleks or Cybermen or Slitheen to appear over the horizon and start attacking the women en masse. Seeing none, he looked back at her and watched as she just stood and stared off into the distance.

“Okay, what am I supposed to help this woman with?” he muttered to himself.

His eyebrows raised as he watched her disrobe. Completely naked, she stood for a few minutes more on the riverbank and then she waded in and slowly walked further into the river. The Doctor watched as she got a few feet out and then lowered herself under the water. He watched waiting for the woman to surface.

And waited…and waited.

Suddenly, the Doctor’s eyes widened in alarm as he realized what the woman was doing.

“Oh no!” he cried out as he sped down the hill.

Chapter Two

He quickly pulled off his coat, Jacket and Rose’s shirt and threw them to the ground as he sped down to the river.

Without a moment’s thought, he hurried in and dived down where he had last seen the woman go in. Using his respiratory bypass system, he swan down through the murky depths; his eyes adjusting to the gloom as he searched all around him for the woman.

At last, he spied her lying unconscious on the bottom of the river. Wrapping her arms around her, he quickly swam to the surface holding her to him. Once he broke through the surface, he frantically swam for shore noticing out of the corner of his eye that the woman’s skin was now a pale blue. Heaving himself and the woman up on the riverbank, he got up on his knees and quickly began mouth to mouth resuscitation.

“Come on, come on.” He muttered between breaths.

Just when he was about to lose all hope, the woman sputtered and coughed and the Doctor breathed a sigh of relief as she began to cough up water from her lungs. He quickly took her pulse and respiration and smiled as he noticed they were returning to normal. He sat beside her and watched her as she gasped in breath. When she had recovered enough to speak, he leaned over and smiled at her.

“Hello. I’m the Doctor. What’s your name?”

The woman gasped.

“Alexandra.” She said.

“Nice to meet you.”

Alexandra frowned.

“Am I dead?”

“No, I saved you.”

“Why did you do that?” she spat out.

The Doctor was taken aback.

“Because you were trying to kill yourself!”

“So, what do you care?”

“I care because I think suicide is wrong. It’s a stupid way to resolve problems. Nothing in this life is worth taking your life for. Especially not for a problem that in the grand scheme of things probably doesn’t amount to much.”

“You don’t know my problem.”

“Well, then tell me. Because I want to know what problem is so insurmountable in your life that you just can’t bear to face it head on.” The Doctor replied angrily.

“I lost the love of my life two days ago. He was killed by a drunk driver and I just can’t bear to live without him, okay?” Alexandra spat out.

The Doctor paused and he stared at Alexandra.

“I’m sorry.” He said sympathetically.

“I don’t need your pity.”

“I wasn’t giving you pity. I was giving you my condolences.”

“Well, I don’t want that either.”

The Doctor sighed as he lowered his head into his hands and shook his head. He just got done putting up with Donna; he didn’t want another snotty person to deal with. He wanted to just get up and go back to the TARDIS but he knew it wouldn’t work. She wouldn’t budge until he helped this woman out.

“Look, I’m sorry.” Alexandra said. “I just wanted to die and I’m a little upset that you rescued me.”

“Yeah, well, there are some days I feel like chucking it in and killing myself too, but I don’t.”

“Why don’t you?”

“Because I enjoy living too much.” The Doctor said. “There is a lot of bad in this universe but the good far outweighs the bad and I keep looking for the good in order to keep going. If you did that, you would find that there was so much you had to live for, Alexandra.”

“John was my life and without him in it, I don’t want to go on.”

“Well, I understand perfectly because I lost the love of my life too and I do want to go on because I know she’d want me to.”

She looked at him.

“You lost someone too?”

“Yes, I did. She was everything to me like John was to you. And I understand your feelings, Alexandra, really I do. Since I lost her there are some days I just want to go and lie in my bed and let the world pass me by. But like I said, she would never forgive me if I did that.”

“What was her name?”

The Doctor hesitated.

“Rose. Her name was Rose.” He said.

“I love that. It’s a beautiful name.”

The Doctor smiled.

“Yes, it is. A beautiful name for a beautiful lady.”

She looked at him.

“How’d you meet her?”

The Doctor paused. How to explain the Autons and the Nestene Consiousness to her? He decided not to go into that part of it.

“I…uh…bumped into her one day.” He said.

“Heh, that’s how John and I met.”

The Doctor smiled; happy to have an opportunity to steer the conversation away from Rose.

“Really? What happened?” he asked.

Alexandra smiled.

“I was taking a vacation on Davron. Do you know where that is?”

“Yes, I do. It is a great place for a vacation.”

Alexandra nodded.

“Well, I was sunning myself on the beach near Arcon City and John was there jogging along and listening to his holodisc player and…”

She giggled at the memory.

“The stupid idiot was so absorbed in the music that he didn’t see me and tripped right over me and landed face first in the sand.”

The Doctor chuckled.

“Kind of an embarrassing way to meet.” He said.

“Yup.” Alexandra said, nodding. “But I accepted his apology and he offered to take me out to dinner in return for bothering me. So we went up to a little restaurant up the road and talked and he was just so charming and funny and sweet that I fell in love with him and six months later we were engaged.”

She paused and her eyes misted over.

“We were going to be married today if that drunk driver hadn’t…”

She trailed off and the Doctor laid a hand on her shoulder, comforting her as she began to cry.

“I’m so sorry, Alexandra. Really I am.” He said.

He watched helplessly as Alexandra cried softly. He didn’t know what to do other than sit with her and let her know that someone did care.

After awhile Alexandra’s crying lessened to sobs and she looked at the Doctor.

“I’m…so sorry about that.”

“About what?”

“Crying in front of you like that.”

“Alexandra, it’s perfectly understandable. It’s okay to cry in front of other people if you need to.”

The Doctor paused remembering how desperate he had been to get away from Donna so she wouldn’t see him cry. He felt like a huge hypocrite.

Alexandra sniffed and looked at the Doctor.

“So…what about you and Rose? You said you bumped into her.” She said. “Then, what happened?”

The Doctor flinched.

“Please.” Alexandra said. “I want to hear. I need something to get my mind off of John for a moment so I can stop crying. Please? Tell me about her.”

The Doctor stared at his hands.

“Well, after I…bumped into her. I asked her to accompany me on my travels.”

“Really? You travel?”

“Yes, I’m an adventurer and I love having people with me when I travel and there was no one with me at the moment and I asked Rose to come along and go to other planets and have adventures with me.”

“Wow, pretty cool. Beats my job as a personal assistant.”

The Doctor laughed.

“So, you started out friends and became lovers then?” she asked.

“Yup. Mind you, I didn’t intend for it to be that way. But she’s a lot like John. She’s just so amazing and funny and cute that I couldn’t help falling in love with her.”

The Doctor smiled as he felt a weigh lift off his shoulders. He had been hesitant about talking about Rose but the more he talked, the better he felt.

“She sounds great. You wouldn’t happen to have a picture of her, do you?” Alexandra said. “I’d love to see what she looks like.”

“Well, I do. But I’d love to see what John looks like as well. Do you have a picture of him?”

“Yup, I do. It’s in my clothes.”

She glanced down and suddenly realized she was still nude.

“Oh geez!” she said, throwing her arms over her breast and crouch. “I’m sorry. I’m sitting her completely starkers.”

The Doctor laughed.

“Under the circumstances, I think it’s understandable.” He said.

“Um, I’ll…get my clothes back on and get the picture of John for you.” She said, gesturing to her clothes lying a few feet away.

The Doctor nodded.

“I need to retrieve some of the clothes I threw off when I dove in to save you and I’ll get my picture of Rose from them.”

Alexandra stared at his damp shirt and trousers.

“Oh God, I am so sorry. I made you ruin your clothes.”

“Oh don’t worry about it. Won’t be the first pair I’ve ruined.” The Doctor said, holding up his hand. “All that matters to me is you’re alive.”

Alexandra smiled.

“Really?”

“Really. You’re a nice woman, Alexandra. I would hate to think a nice woman like you ended up dead at the bottom of a river.”

She gave him a soft smile.

“Thanks. For everything.”

“You’re welcome.”

“And I’m sorry I snapped at you earlier.”

The Doctor held up his hand.

“I understand completely.”

Alexandra nodded. She got up and went over to get her clothes as the Doctor rose and went to retrieve his. He gathered up Rose’s shirt, his coat and his jacket and slung them over his arm. Reaching into his inside jacket pocket, he took out the photo of Rose he kept next to his sonic screwdriver and close to his right heart. He stared at it for a moment smiling at the memory before walking back. He laid his clothes on the ground, took his leather coat and spread it out for him and Alexandra as she walked back to him, fully dressed, clutching a small black disc in her hand.

“Okay,” the Doctor said, settling down on the coat. “Let’s see what John looks like.”

Alexandra settled down to him. She pushed a small button on the disc and a 3D hologram rose up from it. The Doctor smiled as he stared at her and John sitting at a table in a darkened restaurant. They were clinking Champaign glasses together as they smiled for the camera.”

“He’s very handsome.” The Doctor said.

Alexandra nodded.

“This was taken the night he proposed. He had just gotten down on his knee and asked me and I accepted and this couple at the next table offered to take our picture. I gave the guy who took it my address and when the disc developed, he sent it to me.”

“That was nice of him.”

“Yes, it was. I’m so glad he did that.”

He looked at the Doctor as he handed her his photo.

“Whoa, this is a 2D photograph.” She said, staring at it. “I’ve never seen one before.”

She turned it over and looked at the white backing.

“Pretty neat. Although I prefer holo-photos myself.”

She turned it back over and stared at the photo. She giggled.

“This is hilarious. Where was it taken?”

The Doctor grinned.

“At an amusement park. We went there awhile back on a little vacation and we got on the log ride and at the top of the final hill they snapped our picture. The woman sitting beside me screaming and squeezing the air outta my lungs is Rose.”

She giggled.

“She is very beautiful. You two look like you had a blast.”

“Oh we did. That’s why I keep this photo with me. Looking at it reminds me of all the good times we had that day.”

Alexandra gave him a sad smile.

“I’m so sorry she died. She seemed like a good match for you.”

“Well…she’s not dead.”

“She’s not? Oh my God, where is she then?”

The Doctor looked down at his hands.

“She’s…”

The Doctor frowned. How to explain without having to go into the concept of parallel universes.

“In a far away place and I’m not able to be with her anymore.”

“Why not?”

“Because she was taken from me.”

Alexandra’s eyes widened.

“Oh my God, she was kidnapped?” she said, horrified.

“Um…no, nothing like that. She and I got into trouble and her…father…rescued her and took her away where she would be safe. And I’m letting her stay with him and her family so she’ll be safe.”

“And she’s not safe with you?”

“Not really, no.”

“Is this danger related to your adventuring?”

“Yeah, it is. Um…we get into a lot of danger on our travels.”

“And did you lie to her when she joined you?”

“Lied?”

“About the danger.”

“Oh no, I was very upfront with her about that. She knew there would be danger.”

“And were you in danger before this time?”

“Yes.”

“So why the sudden need to send her away and protect her if she knew what she was getting into and had been through danger with you before?”

The Doctor sighed.

“Because Rose became my whole world and we’d had so many close calls that I finally decided to just let her be with her family so I wouldn’t have to risk seeing her die.”

“And is she okay with staying with her family.”

The Doctor snorted.

“No, but she doesn’t have a choice either.”

Alexandra stared at him in confusion.

“Why? Is she on another planet with no way of getting of it?”

“You could say that. She’s stuck where she is and I have no way to reach her.”

“But you’re not from around here are you?”

The Doctor hesitated.

“Are you?”

The Doctor shook his head.

“So I’m assuming you have transportation that works. So why don’t you use it and go get her.”

“She’s safer where she is.”

“Yeah, but I bet she’s miserable as Hell. I know I would be if that happened to me and John. And I’m assuming she’s an adult.”

“Yes, she is.”

“Well, then it’s her decision to come along with you then. Let her make her own choice about whether or not she wants to face danger with you. For Christ’s sake, um, Doctor…”

She paused and looked at him.

“Doctor…just Doctor.” He said to her.

Alexandra raised her eyebrow and gave him an odd look. She shrugged.

“Okay…Doctor. Go get her, Doctor. If Rose means that much to you then go be with her.”

She looked at the Doctor who sat staring off into space.

“You’re not telling me the whole story, are you?” she said. “You’re leaving things out, I can just tell from looking at your expression.”

The Doctor sighed.

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“Yeah? Try me.”

“Alexandra…”

She pointed over to where the hospital had been.

“Doctor, six months ago, they arrested a bunch of alien cat nuns who were apparently growing their own personal batch of human clones to experiment on. And now those clones are living in special detention areas in the city while the mayor and the authorities try to figure out what to do with them. Human clones and cat nuns who run secret labs in the basements of hospitals. So I repeat, Doctor, try me.”

The Doctor stared at her for a moment.

“Okay, here goes.”

He paused for a moment.

“I’m an alien.” He said.

He stared at her waiting for a reaction.

“And? Go on.”

“That doesn’t shock you?”

“Cat nuns, remember.”

The Doctor shrugged.

“Okay, well, my space ship is just over that hill. It is called the TARDIS and it travels through time and space.”

Alexandra’s eyes were as wide as saucers.

“It does? Like a time machine?”

“Yes, it’s a time machine. And since you keep mentioning the cat nuns, I know all about them. Rose and I were the ones to discover their secret labs and get them arrested in the first place.”

He paused.

“Well, actually, Cassandra and I discovered the labs, I guess.”

He waved his hand dismissively as Alexandra stared at him, confused.

“Anyway, I’ve been here before with Rose. The whole encounter with the cat nuns and the human clones was one of the adventures we had. And…on another one of our adventures, we fought two evil races that were threatening Old Earth back in the year 2006 and we found a way to suck them into a void between dimensions and Rose was about to follow them in when her father from a parallel dimension popped over, grabbed her and took her back with him. The void closed and she and I were separated forever in two different universes. I managed to find a gap big enough to send a projection of myself through to tell her goodbye but even that closed and now there’s no way I can reach her. So there you have it. The whole story.”

He folded his arms over his chest as Alexandra stared at him in shock.

“Damn, that beats the Hell outta the cat nuns and cloned humans.” She said.

“Told you it was bizarre.”

“So, you’re just gonna sit here on New Earth and have a pity party and not go after her then?”

“I’m not sitting here having a pity party. I’m sitting here trying to convince you not to get back in the water and drown yourself again.”

“Okay, you’ve convinced me. Now forget about me and go and get Rose back.”

The Doctor let out an exasperated sigh as he looked up at the sky.

“Didn’t you just hear a word of what I said? She is stuck in a parallel universe with no way for me to get to her. It’s impossible.”

“And you’re sure about that?”

“Yes, I’m sure.”

“You’ve tried everything? Every possible thing you can think of to get her back?”

The Doctor opened his mouth and paused as Alexandra stared at him expectantly.

“Well, no, I guess not EVERY thing.” He conceded. “But I do know if I do try something and it goes wrong, I collapse this universe and the parallel one.”

“And she’s not worth the risk?”

“Well…”

“I mean…I understand not wanting to collapse universes but Doctor, you have a golden opportunity here. You should count your blessings. Unlike my John, Rose is still alive and I know if it were John, I would search day and night to find a way back to him. There’s still a chance for you to be with her and go to more amusement parks and have more silly photos snapped of you on rides. Take that chance and throw caution to the wind and risk the universes for the one you love.”

The Doctor gave her a half smile.

“And if I fail and end up collapsing the universes in the process?”

“Well, I was gonna off myself anyway so I guess if you end up killing me in the process of getting Rose, It would be rude to come back and haunt you.” She said.

She held up her hands as the Doctor raised her eyebrows.

“Kidding, I’m kidding. I’m not gonna off myself if you leave. I give you my solemn word.”

The Doctor stared at her for a moment.

“Come with me.” He said.

Alexandra frowned.

“Come with you?”

“Yeah, come with me. Help me search for Rose.”

“Why? You think I’m gonna rush into the river the moment you’re gone?”

“No. I’m just offering you something better than being a personal assistant on New Earth.”

Alexandra thought for a moment.

“Sounds tempting. But what’s the catch?”

The Doctor shrugged.

“No catch. I just…need someone with me. A friend to share my adventures and have a few laughs with while I take this one in a million chance and figure out a way to get Rose back.

Alexandra considered that.

“And there’ll be danger, I assume.”

“Yes, I’ll be just as upfront with you as I was with Rose. It won’t be quiet, it won’t be safe, and it won’t be calm. But I’ll tell you what it will be…”

He paused and a grin spread over his face.

“The trip of a lifetime.” He said.

“Oooo, well, since you put it that way.”

She took his hand and shook it.

“I accept.”

The Doctor grinned as he shook her hand.

“Welcome aboard, Alexandra…”

“Stevens.”

“Welcome aboard, Alexandra Stevens. It’s nice to have you along. I look forward to having you aboard my TARDIS while I take this crazy chance and go rescue Rose.”

“Your what?”

“TARDIS. My ship. It’s just over the hill there.” He said pointing.

“Cool.” Alexandra said, getting up. “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go get Rose!”

“Well, don’t you want to say goodbye to anyone here?”

“Nah, my mom’s dead and my dad lives on another planet. I’m an only child and I didn’t really have anyone in my life besides John. At least no one close enough that they would care if I’m leaving. And as for my job, sod it, it didn’t pay much anyway.”

The Doctor laughed.

“Well, I think you’ll find the job I offer is more exciting.”

“Exactly. I’ve always wanted to go and see the universe and I might as well take a chance too and go out and live.”

“That’s the spirit.”

She smiled as they both got up.

“You’re right, Doctor. If you wait long enough, good things always come along that make life worth living.”

“See I told ya so. So let’s get moving then…”

He paused as he grabbed his coat.

“Alexandra…or do you want to be called Alex or something like that?”

“Alex is fine. I like that better than Alexandra anyway. Alexandra sounds a bit formal…”

She paused.

“Doctor…or Doc?”

“Doctor. I can’t stand Doc.”

“Fair enough.” She said.

She took the Doctor’s hand as they started back over the hill. As they reached the top of the hill, Alex stopped and stared at the TARDIS.

“That?” she asked, pointing at it.

“Yup, that’s my ship.”

“You have got to be kidding me.”

“Nope, that’s it. The TARDIS.”

“Um…gonna be kinda cramped in there, isn’t it?”

The Doctor grinned.

“Oh no, there’s plenty of room inside, come and see!”

Alex shook her head as he followed the Doctor down the hill. He got to the door, and spun around with his back to it. He paused a moment with a huge grin on his face as Alex caught up with him and then with a “Voila!” he threw open the door.

Alex’s mouth fell open as she stared inside.

“This is amazing.” She said.

“Yup, that’s the word for it.”

She grinned at him.

“See, here’s another impossible thing right before our eyes. A ship that’s bigger on the inside than out. So if this impossible thing is possible…”

He grinned.

“Then other impossible things are possible too.” He added.

She patted him on the arm.

“Just keep thinking that and you’ll have Rose back in no time.” She said.

The Doctor grinned at her. He stepped aside and let Alex inside. As he stared at her looking around the interior in awe, he patted the door.

“I take it back, old girl. You knew just what you were doing.” He said.

THE END

A/N: Um…when I started out to write this I meant this as a one shot where Alex would do what Donna did and decline the Doctor’s offer at the end. But I love writing Alex so much that I’ve decided to make a series out of this. Mind you, this relationship will be platonic because I’m die-hard Doctor/Rose shipper and nothing will ever change that. But the Doctor does need a friend and a fellow adventurer, so this is the first of the series. I hope you liked it!

DW Fanfic: How Can You Watch That Thing? PG

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 13:03:21 GMT

TITLE: How Can You Watch That Thing?

PAIRING: 10/Rose

RATING: PG

SUMMARY: The Doctor comes face to face with one of the most horrifying things he's ever seen...a chick flick.

DISCLAIMER: Doctor Who doesn't belong to me. I'm making no money off of this.

The Doctor groaned as he got up off the console room floor and stretched his aching back. He had just got through doing another adjustment to the TARDIS’s control panel. He smiled as he patted it and looked up at the ceiling.

“There ya go. Another little tune up.” He said. “You seem to need them more and more. You’re getting on in years, old girl.”

He chuckled as the TARDIS let out an indignant grunt.

“Hey, don’t feel bad, I’m no spring chicken myself.”

The TARDIS burbled affectionately as he stroked the control panel.

“Ready to go on another adventure, old friend?”

The TARDIS let out another burble. The Doctor smiled.

“Me too.” He said. “Let me see if I can locate Rose and get her opinion on where to go. I have so many good ideas but I want to know what she wants to do.”

He let out a sigh as he put his hands on his back, gave one more quick stretch and then went out of the control room towards the living areas in search of Rose.

He found her in her bedroom. She was sitting on her bed watching a movie. He stood at the door smiling as he took in her beauty. He paused as he noticed tears running down her cheeks.

“Rose?” he said worriedly as he came into the room. “Rose, what’s wrong?”

Rose stared at him, confused as he settled down next to her and took her hand in his.

“Nothing’s wrong, Doctor.”

The Doctor frowned.

“But, you’re crying.” He said.

“Oh, that.” Rose replied, chuckling. “It’s not me personally. I’m just watching a very sad movie.”

The Doctor shook his head. He had never understood this human need to cry at sad movies. There were enough things in the universe to cry over as it was. Still, he always looked for an opportunity to be close to Rose and so he scooted over, put his arm around her shoulder and watched the movie with her. He frowned as he noticed a woman lying in a hospital bed.

“What’s wrong with her?” he asked.

Rose sniffed and dabbed at her eyes with a Kleenex.

“She’s dying. She has cancer.” She said.

“Oh, that’s too bad.” The Doctor replied.

“Yes, and she’s a single mother on welfare who is estranged from her family and the man she loves is in the military and he went on a secret mission and he’s missing, so they’re trying to locate him before it’s too late and she dies and the children are taken away.”

The Doctor raised his eyebrow.

“Am I correct in assuming that this is what you humans call a ‘chick flick’?” He said.

“Yeah, I guess so.” Rose said, nodding.

The Doctor looked at her.

“And you enjoy watching these sob stories?” he asked in disbelief

Rose shrugged.

“Occasionally. Sometimes I just like to watch a movie and have a good cry.”

The Doctor shook his head.

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. You humans are strange creatures.” He said.

Leaning his head over onto Rose’s shoulder, he watched quietly as Rose sniffed and dabbed at her eyes with the Kleenex.

The woman in the hospital bed looked up at the doctor as he entered the room.

“Has Roger been located yet, doctor?”

“I’m afraid not, Marie. He’s still missing in action. They’re searching for him but there’s a not much hope of him being found alive.”

Marie lets out a series of heart wrenching coughs.

“I pray he comes home safely, doctor. I don’t have much time left and I’m so afraid Sarah and Jonathan will be forced to go to a foster home and will never see their father again.”

“Oh brother.” The Doctor mumbled. “And I thought the Daleks were experts at torturing people.”

The doctor laid his hand on Marie’s shoulder.

“You must hang on for their sake, Marie. Your children are depending on you. You are the only stable thing in their life right now.”

“I’m trying, doctor but, every day I’m growing weaker. I don’t know how much longer I can hold on.”

The doctor grabbed her hands.

“You must fight, Marie. I know you can do it. You have so much courage. You are an example for us all.”

The Doctor rolled his eyes.

Marie let out another series of gut wrenching coughs.

“I’ve got an idea.” The Doctor said. “Why don’t they go get a shotgun and put her out of her misery like they do for horses?”

Rose glanced at him as he chuckled. She shook her head and nudged him in the ribs.

“Marie you must hang on.” The doctor said, laying his hand on her hair. “I…I…love you.”

The Doctor raised his eyebrow.

“No, doctor, don’t say it.”

“I must say it. These past few weeks that I’ve taken care of you; I’ve fallen hopelessly in love. Oh my darling, why do you wait for a man who may never come back when I can give you the world?”

“No, I can’t. I love Roger.”

“Don’t be a fool.” The doctor said, staring intently into her eyes. “I’m more a man than he ever will be. Just give me a chance and I will make you happy.”

“Oh doctor.” Marie said, stroking his face. “I mustn’t, but I can’t help the way I feel about you. You have been so good to me and I don’t know how to repay you for all your kindness.”

“I do.” The doctor replied. “Make love to me.”

“Hey, Rose?”

Rose looked at the Doctor.

“Yeah?”

“You got a bucket? I need to throw up all of a sudden.”

“You don’t like it, don’t watch.”

The Doctor’s eyebrows rose.

“Actually, that sounds like a great idea. I don’t think I can stomach much more of this sob fest.” He said.

He kissed Rose on the cheek.

“When you’re finished with this, come to the console room. I’m anxious to get going again and I have a few ideas about where to go but I want to run them by you and get your opinion.”

Rose nodded. The Doctor kissed her on the cheek again and smiled as he ran his hand down her hair affectionately.

Walking to the door, he glanced back at her and watched as she dabbed her eyes with the Kleenex. As he stared at her, a mischievous thought formed in his head and with barely contained glee he hurried off to the console room to wait for Rose.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“God, that was so good.” Rose said as she shut off the TV.

Wiping the last of the tears from her eyes, she headed off towards the console room to talk to the Doctor.

“Doctor?” she said, as she entered the console room and looked around. “The movie’s over. I’m here.”

She scanned the room.

“Where are ya?”

“Rose.”

Rose’s head snapped around as she heard the Doctor’s voice coming from the other side of the console. She frowned. She couldn’t see him.

She shrugged. He was probably on his back working on the console again. She walked around the console towards him. And stopped short…

The Doctor laid on the floor rolled up in a ball; a look of agony on his face.

“Doctor?” Rose said panicking. “What’s wrong?”

“Took a walk outside. Got ambushed and shot. I’m…dying.” He said between gritted teeth.

Rose’s eyes were wide with terror.

“Oh no, Doctor.” She said, gripping his shoulders.

“Rose, I won’t have very much longer. I’m…about to…regenerate.”

Tears came to Rose’s eyes.

“Oh God, not again. I just got used to this body.” She said, stroking his hair. “Oh God, Doctor, who was it that hurt you?”

“I…don’t know…couldn’t…see. I…just came back in here as quick as I could.”

Tears fell down Rose’s face as she leaned down and kissed him on the forehead.

“Doctor, I want you to know that no matter what you look like in your next life, I’ll always love you.” She said.

The Doctor smiled.

“And I’ll always love you. But…I have one request before I go.”

“Anything.” Rose said, sobbing.

“Take care of the children.”

Rose froze as a frown spread over her face.

“Children? What children?”

“Our…children.”

Rose stared at him as if he’d already regenerated and grown two heads.

“What are you talking about? We don’t have any children.”

“But we do. We adopted them on Farfax 9. Lucy and Dezi. Remember?”

Rose stared at him.

“Um…Doctor…is the regeneration process messing up your head or something?”

“Take care of them, Rose, in case something goes wrong with my regeneration.” The Doctor said, clutching her arms. “I don’t want to see our beloved children thrown into a whorehouse and enslaved.”

Rose’s eyes bugged out.

“Doctor, you aren’t making any sense.” She said.

“Goodbye my darling! Be sure to make the payments on the TARDIS while I’m gone. I don’t want us to lose her.”

Rose stared at him.

“I didn’t realize you were making payments on the TARDIS.” She said.

“Oh yes, and I only have 10 payments left. Make them for me, my love. I don’t want the repo man taking away our home. The children need a stable environment.”

“Doctor, for the last time there are no children! I don’t know what the regeneration’s doing to your brain but we never adopted any kids and…”

She paused and stared at the Doctor as he suddenly let out a snicker. She narrowed her eyes.

“Wait a moment.” She said.

She took the Doctor’s hand and moved it off his chest as the Doctor stared up at her with an impish grin. Her eyes widened as she noticed no wound. She looked up at the Doctor and saw him staring at her with glee.

“Damn you, Doctor!” Rose said, hitting him as the Doctor roared with laughter.

“What? You don’t like being in your very own chick flick, hon?” he asked, his eyes twinkling.

He covered his head and giggled as Rose slapped him repeatedly.

“You can be a real asshole sometimes, you know that?” she said, as she kept on slapping him.

“I’m sorry; love, but I couldn’t help it. After watching part of that stupid movie I had to play a prank on ya. You know how I am.”

He took his hands away from his head as Rose stopped slapping and glared at him. He reached up and stroked her cheek.

“I’m sorry I scared you, honestly. I was just having you on.” He said.

A grin spread across his face.

“And boy, did you fall for it too. I figured you’d catch on a lot sooner. Especially after I started mentioning the kids.”

“Well, I thought the regeneration was messing with your mind like it did before.” Rose said sheepishly.

The Doctor chuckled as he wiped the tear streaks from her eyes.

“I am sorry I scared you, hon.” He said gently. “I just couldn’t resist having a bit of fun. You know me in this body. I don’t know when to stop.”

He pulled her down onto his body and stroked her hair.

“But you have to admit those movies are cornball.” He said, kissing the top of her head.

“I know. But I still love em.” Rose said, “They’re a guilty pleasure.”

“Ah yes, I know something about that. I used to have a thing for jelly babies. That was my guilty pleasure.”

“Really? You like jelly babies?”

“Liked. I ate so many of them through so many regenerations I finally got sick of them.” He said.

He snuggled her close and kissed the tear streaks from her cheeks. They lay in silence for a few moments.

“Lucy and Dezi?” Rose finally asked.

The Doctor chuckled.

“I love Lucy is a good show.” He said

He grinned at her.

“And you kept going after that. I figured that would make you suspect something was up.” He said.

“Like I said, I thought the regeneration was warping your brain.”

The Doctor chuckled.

“I guess this proves I’m a stupid ape after all, eh?” Rose said.

“Nah, you’re not stupid. At least not as stupid as the rest of humanity.”

“Thanks a Hell of a lot. That makes me feel so much better.” Rose said sarcastically.

The Doctor smiled and kissed her cheek.

“You are one of the cleverest things I’ve ever seen in all my lives. You put other humans to shame.” He said. “And I mean that.”

Rose smiled.

“Now if we can only wean you off this cornball chick flicks you watch, you’ll be even cleverer.”

He giggled as Rose slapped his arm.

The Doctor sighed as he gave Rose a soft kiss on the lips. He pulled back and smiled at her.

“Well, Rose, where do you want to go next?” he asked. “Like I said before, I’m just itching to explore.”

“It doesn’t matter. Pick somewhere. You know better than I where we should go.”

The Doctor nodded. Rose rolled off him and he helped her to her feet.

“How about Zaconia? They have some lovely parks with waterfalls and roman style statues.” He said.

Rose smiled.

“Sounds good.”

The Doctor grinned.

“Or we could go to Cornballia and see the widows and orphans auctions, and the cancer patient ward where the doctors fall madly in love with their patients and I'm a naughty swearer - wash my mouth out with soap! them in their beds, and the coal mines where the welfare mothers work 23 hours a day for pennies to support their I'm a naughty swearer - wash my mouth out with soap! children and…”

He laughed as Rose slapped his back repeatedly.

“Ok, Zaconia it is.” He said.

He giggled as Rose shook her head and rolled her eyes as she walked back to her bedroom.

“You know you love me!” he called out.

“I do love you, but some days you make it pretty damn difficult!” Rose called back

The Doctor grinned at her as she left the console room. Chuckling, he imputed the coordinates in his computer and made preparations to leave.

THE END.

DW Fanfic: New, New, New Doctor...PG-13 Part 7/?

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 20:18:08 GMT

TITLE: New, New, New Doctor
PAIRING: 11/Rose
RATING: PG-13
WARNINGS: Swearing, Angst, Some mentions of torture
SUMMARY: After regenerating, the Doctor finds his way back to Rose and tries to rekindle is relationship with her.
DISCLAIMER: Doctor Who doesn't belong to me. I'm making no money off of this.

Chapter Seven

The Doctor backed away from Rose and stared at Pete who was standing across from him holding his daughter in his arms and glaring at him.

“Who are you, and what do you think you are doing?” he said pointing at Rose.

The Doctor put his hands behind his back and smiled at him.

“Pete Tyler. How are ya?” he asked.

“Answer the question!” Pete demanded. “And answer it now, or I’m phoning the police.”

“No, wait!” Rose said leaping up from her chair and standing beside the Doctor. “You don’t understand!”

“I understand that some stranger was in here snogging your face off.”

He noticed Martha.

“And who might you be?” he asked her.

“Calm down, Pete.” Jackie said as she emerged from the kitchen.

She pointed at the Doctor.

“This is the Doctor.” She said.

She pointed at Martha.

“And this is Martha; his friend.”

“Doctor? Doctor who?” Pete asked, confused.

The Doctor sighed and looked at Rose.

“Here we go again.” He said.

“Well, you’re the one who insists on using that as a name.” Rose replied.

Pete shook his head.

“Will someone please tell me in plain English what’s going on here?”

He put down Ariel who was struggling in his grasp. She ran to Rose, and she picked her little sister up and held her close.

“Pete, luv,” Jackie said walking up to him. “This is the Doctor.”

Pete stared at her for a moment and then his eyes widened.

“THE Doctor?” he asked her.

Jackie nodded.

Pete stared at him.

“Wait. It can’t be. It doesn’t even look like him.” He said. “How can he be the Doctor?”

“He regenerates.” Jackie replied.

Pete looked at her.

“He does what?”

The Doctor sighed.

“Whenever I’m on the verge of death, I regenerate and get a new body. I regenerated about six months ago and this is the 11th out of 13 incarnations I will go through before I die.”

“So, the last time I saw you, that was…number 10?”

“Yes, and when I first met Rose, I was in my 9th incarnation.”

“So, it really is you? You’re not a Doctor from this universe?”

“Nope, I finally found a way across the void, and Martha and I found Rose and we came here with her and Mickey.”

“And now Mickey and I are leaving with them.” Rose said. “We’re going back to our universe.”

Pete looked at Jackie. He let out a sigh as he walked over to the chair and sat down in it.

“Shoulda known this day would come.” He muttered. “Shoulda figured you’d find some way to get back here and get her.”

He looked up at the Doctor.

“And what about this universe and the other one?” he said. “You told us not to cross the void because the planet was starting to boil, and yet here you are back over the void again!”

“And that’s precisely why I’m only making one trip back. I came to get Rose, and I guess Mickey is going with us as well now, and when I get back to my reality, that’ll be it. I will seal the gap we came through, and there will be no more crossings ever. At least…not by me.”

“So you’d risk the safety of two universes so you could come back and get your little girlfriend?” Pete said angrily.

“I was careful this time.” The Doctor shot back. “I finally managed to locate a book in my library that I’d been hunting for since Rose was lost to me. It was written by my people and in it, there’s a section on how to do a safe void crossing. My people used to cross the voids between universes all the time without harming anything. After I located the book, it was simply a matter of gathering the materials from various worlds and using the schematic in the book to construct the device I needed. I, at no time, put anyone from the two universes in danger. My people knew what they were doing, unlike Torchwood. I love Rose and I would do anything to see her, but I know enough to wait and make a safe crossing, Pete. Otherwise, I would have killed her, us and everyone in two universes which would have certainly defeated the purpose of seeing her again.”

Pete looked at Rose.

“And what about you?” he asked her.

“What about me?”

“You have a life here now.”

“No, I don’t. The life I have here is empty. My real life is with the Doctor and the TARDIS. I have never had a desire to stay here permanently, Pete. You’ve never wanted me here anyway. I’m not your daughter.”

“Yeah, well, that’s your sister.” Pete said pointing to Ariel in her arms. “You gonna leave her behind, and your mum, so you can go gallivanting off again with a half crazed alien, and possibly get yourself killed?”

“Life is full of risks, Pete.” Rose said angrily. “I decided long ago that risking my life was worth seeing the universe, and being with the Doctor.”

She looked at him.

“The Doctor is everything I’ve ever wanted and I wouldn’t trade him for anything in this universe or the other one. If you traveled with him, Pete, you would see what I see; what Martha and Mickey see. Riding in the TARDIS is a once in a lifetime experience and I thank God every day that he thought I was worthy enough to go with him. He is a unique, wonderful person and I’m sure he was unique even when he wasn’t the last of the Time Lords.”

“Technically I never was the last of the Time Lords anyway since the Master and the Valeyard survived, but never mind, just go on with your speech about how wonderful I am.”

Rose shot the Doctor a look.

“You know me, Rosebud, everything has to be correct.” He said shrugging.

He grinned and pinched Rose’s cheek when she let out a sigh.

“Anyway, the point is, this is the moment I’ve been waiting for since you brought me to this universe and I’m not going to give up the chance to go back with the Doctor for anything. Not mum, not Ariel and not you. I’m sorry, but I keep telling everyone I made my decision long ago to be with the Doctor and I’m sticking to it!”

Pete threw up his hands.

“Fine, whatever, you wanna go off and leave your family; that’s your choice. I just hope your sister is young enough that she won’t remember you being here because I’m not going to spend the rest of my life explaining to her that you’re in another universe where she can’t get to you.”

He looked at Jackie.

“Is supper ready yet? Ariel and I just had a nice day at the park and I think both of us are hungry now. I know I am.”

“It’s just about ready.”

“Well, I’m gonna get changed and get some of this dirt off me.”

He looked at Rose.

“When are you leaving? You planning to eat or do you just wanna run out the door now.”

The Doctor put a hand on her shoulder when he sensed Rose was about to go off on Pete.

“We can stay awhile and eat. I’m not in any hurry to leave.” He said.

He smiled at Rose.

“You aren’t in any hurry, are you?”

“No.” Rose said as she gave Pete a pointed stare. “I had every intention of staying for supper.”

She glared at Pete as he walked past them towards the bathroom.

“God, Doctor, I’m so glad you came back to get me.” She muttered. “I never thought I’d say it but I’ll be so glad to get away from that man.”