If you are reading this and haven't read the first installment (1. Amber) please read that first! This won't make any sense otherwise.
And I'm probably not going to be able to update this for a while because I am not going to be at home for nearly two weeks... I will try but no promises!
"Why can't we go back?" Rose asked.
"And face your mother? No ta!" The Doctor said.
"Doctor!"
"Come on, Doc, what could be so bad about her mother?" Jack asked.
"Have you ever met Jackie Tyler?" the Doctor asked him.
"Err, no, but…"
"Then you can't comment."
"But Doctor, Amber and Jack have never seen twenty first century England – it could be interesting for them." Rose said.
"A backwards little human colony? What could be interesting about that?" The Doctor said.
Rose put her hands on her hips.
"Ok, sorry, I know it's your home – but of all the interesting places in the Universe, we spend more time on that council estate in London than I care to go into!"
"Look, I didn't leave off very well with Mickey last time I saw him, and I just want a chance to put things right." Rose said. By the look on the Doctor's face, this was a double reason to avoid going, but he put on a forced smile.
"Mickey the Idiot? Really Rose…"
"He might be an idiot, but we owe him our lives! He saved you, Harriet and me from the Slitheen!"
"Harriet, you and I," the Doctor corrected.
"Whatever…"
"There was another lovely lady travelling with you back then?" Jack asked.
"No," the Doctor said, "and I doubt Harriet would be to your taste, a bit prim and proper for you."
"Nothing wrong with prim and proper, and I have a habit of bringing out the worst in people anyway." Jack said with a smutty grin.
"Let's not go there," Rose suggested, "but we could go and visit Harriet you know – see how she's getting on."
"I don't do that," the Doctor said.
"I know, domestic," Rose said, in an uncanny imitation of the Doctor, "But I'm human, and I do – I'd like to see my Mother again. You don't have to come – you could sit in the TARDIS, I don't think she'd mind too much."
"I said no," the Doctor said.
"What is your problem?" Rose snapped. Jack backed away and left the room, knowing this was likely to get nasty quite quickly. Amber also followed his lead.
"I'm not the one with the problem!" the Doctor said, "who's the one who wants to go to London when there is a whole universe out there to explore!"
"Look, I feel guilty, ok? Can you comprehend that with that oversized alien brain of yours? I feel guilty for leaving Mickey behind, for treating him the way I did!"
"He's not worthy of that guilt," the Doctor said a little more gently.
"How dare you say that!" Rose fumed, "Mickey was a nice bloke! He was good to me!"
"He's useless!" the Doctor retorted, "Mickey the idiot, not Mickey the wonderful, remember."
"He loved me!" Rose yelled.
"Then why didn't he come along when asked him to?" the Doctor shouted back. A deathly silence followed.
"You… you asked him to come along?" Rose asked. The Doctor was facing his console, toying with the controls, but he nodded. "When?"
"Just before we left after stopping the Slitheen," the Doctor said.
Rose was shocked. So shocked she couldn't even speak. The Doctor had offered to do something domestic… for her?
"What exactly does this message from Mickey say?" the Doctor asked, relenting a little.
"Just that, he's sorry for avoiding me, and wondered if we could catch up some time the world isn't about to end."
"Do you really want to go?"
"Yeah, really."
"Really really?"
"Really really," Rose said.
The Doctor contemplated it for a moment, then smiled.
"Ok then, London 2006-ish, here we come."
Rose smiled as the central column of the TARDIS began to move, making its unique sound as it took them from wherever they were in time and space to her home.
The TARDIS had been stationary for twenty minutes when the knock came on the door.
"Get that would you," Jack said to the Doctor.
"It'll be Mickey, why would I want to talk to him? You get it!"
"I'm busy working on the extrapolator! You get it!"
"Oi, who's in charge here?"
"Hey you two, Doctor? Jack Flash? I can hear you in there, open the door!" came the muffled voice of Mickey. He rammed on the door a little harder.
"Where's Rose?" the Doctor asked.
"Gone for a quick shower."
"Quick?"
"If there's one thing I've learnt about women, it's that they don't know the definition of the word 'quick'," Jack said.
"Who's knocking?" Amber asked, walking into the room.
She had tied her long blue hair up and donned her jacket again. She was also wearing a utility belt which held at least three different guns and a knife.
"Are either of you going to get that?" She asked.
Jack and the Doctor looked at each other, then shook their heads.
"Children," Amber commented, then went to get the door.
Mickey was preparing to knock again, even harder this time. He figured if he annoyed them enough they would eventually give in and open the door. He could hear them both in there, arguing about who was going to let him in.
He raised his fist and was about to bring it crashing on the door when it opened.
"Can I help you?" Asked a woman Mickey didn't recognise.
She was leaning against the door frame, one arm raised above her head, the other resting on her hip. Her eyes were orange, her hair blue and in the centre of her forehead was a blue gemstone, which said to Mickey 'Alien'. He felt himself flush a little – she was gorgeous.
"Errr…" He mumbled, unable to find the words.
"Mickey, right?" the woman asked. Mickey managed to nod, and she stepped aside.
"Where's Rose?" Mickey asked, once inside the TARDIS.
"Having a shower, should be back soon – she left to have it twenty minutes ago!" the Doctor said.
"Knowing Rose she'll be gone another half hour!" Mickey said, "What you doing back in London anyway? Rose said you were coming, she didn't say why."
"We needed a break from saving the world!" the Doctor said, "Thought we'd come back and visit some old friends."
"Doesn't sound much like you," Mickey said.
"That's because it's Rose talking," Jack said.
"Figures," Mickey said.
He stood and watched them for a while. All three seemed to be working. The Doctor was messing with the controls and wires, just like he always was (though this time he wasn't wearing a ridiculous flashing bike light, which presumably served some greater purpose Mickey was too stupid to see, that or the Doctor liked looking like an idiot), Jack was playing with the extrapolator they had picked up on their last visit to Earth, and the new girl was tinkering with a small box.
"She's gorgeous, isn't she?" Jack said, leaning over to talk to him quietly.
It was a statement, not a question so Mickey didn't answer. He just nodded in agreement.
"Well don't go getting any ideas, she's mine," Jack said, pointing to himself to emphasise the point.
She walked past, engrossed in her little box, poking at it with a real screwdriver, not one of the sonic variety, yet somehow managing to step over all the precariously placed wires and tools. Mickey didn't know she'd only been on the ship for about an hour, and had anyone said she had, he wouldn't have believed them.
As she walked past Jack he grabbed her arm and placed his free hand on her shoulder.
"Need any help with that sweetheart?" he asked, caressing her shoulders slightly. She looked up at him, then kicked his shin, grabbed his arm and twisted it up behind his back.
"Don't touch," she said into his ear, then let him go, pushing him away from her roughly before walking off.
Mickey raised an eyebrow in Jack's direction.
"Yeah, well, she doesn't know it yet, but she will be!" he said, rubbing his wrist and limping slightly.
"You don't stand a chance!" Mickey said.
"Oh and you could do better, Mickey the idiot?" Jack challenged.
"Yeah, reckon I could," he said, straightening up a little.
"Go on then," Jack said, gesturing towards Amber, who had just sat down inside what looked like a space ship, only very small – just big enough for her to fit inside. Mickey adjusted his coat, then walked over.
The new girl had placed her screwdriver and strange box thing inside her ship and stood up again by the time Mickey walked over, climbing over the wires and toolboxes. She had a rag over her shoulder in a very mechanic-like fashion, and was opening a panel on the outside, pulling out wires and reattaching them in different places.
Mickey took a deep breath then tapped her on the shoulder.
"Hey, um, I don't think we've been introduced, I'm Mickey – what's your…"
Amber turned round and placed one of her many guns against his head. She flicked her thumb along the side of it, and it made a distinct loading sound.
"Don't waste your time," she said, then turned back to her ship.
Mickey turned to see Jack laughing and felt very annoyed and more than a little embarrassed.
"Meet Amber Mickey. Did Jack neglect to mention she's an assassin from the year one million, four hundred thousand, two hundred and seventy-two?" the Doctor said.
"Might have done, yeah," Mickey said, watching Amber with a wary eye.
"Are we going then?" Rose asked, walking into the room, hair still slightly damp, dressed in her twenty first century finery. "Mickey!" she said on seeing him, then rushed over to hug him.
"Hey Rose!" he said, a little awkward but happy.
"How you doing?" she asked, "How's things with Tricia?"
"Going alright, yeah," Mickey said uncertainly.
"Good, I'm glad," Rose said earnestly, punching him in the arm affectionately.
"Right then!" the Doctor said, "Are we off? Coming Amber?"
"If I'm invited," Amber replied.
"Sure you are!" the Doctor said, "Gotta have you around to keep Jack under control!"
Amber let that comment slide, he was a Time Lord after all, he could say stuff like that and get away with it. She headed for the TARDIS door.
"Well, you can't go out like that, lose the weapons for a start and, lovely as you look, your fashion sense is light years ahead of this lot, literally."
Amber rolled her eyes, but dropped her utility belt to the floor, looked up and down at the clothes Mickey, Rose and Jack were wearing, then changed her own so they matched them. Her trousers switched to become dark blue jeans, her silver top became a white tank top and her jacket changed from the plastic-like material to leather. Once finished, she ignored Jack's appreciative glance and Mickey's 'How did she do that?' and went for the door.
"Ah, Amber…" the Doctor said, and tapped the centre of his forehead.
The assassin sighed and changed her face so the gemstone was no longer there.
"So… where are we going?" Mickey asked.
"To visit the In-law," the Doctor said, "Only kidding!" he added at Mickey's horrified face.
Jackie Tyler shrieked and launched herself at Rose when she walked through the door. She only broke away at Jack's comment of, "Aww, how sweet."
"What happened to that God-awful Doctor of yours?" Jackie asked Rose, looking up at Jack with admiration, "Must say your taste has drastically improved!"
Rose laughed.
"He's trailing behind with the rest of the crew! Mum, this is Jack, Captain Jack Harkness."
Jack took Jackie's hand in his.
"Jackie Tyler, I've heard so many nice things about you from Rose!" he said, "Can't say the same thing of the Doctor, but I don't trust the opinion of a man who rates bananas as one of his top favourite things in the universe!" he kissed the back of her hand and Jackie Tyler giggled like a school girl.
"Pleasure to meet you," she said.
"Pleasure's all mine!"
"Oh don't you start Captain," Mickey said as he walked through the door, followed closely by Amber and the Doctor.
"Hi there, Jackie!" the Doctor said, trying to stay jolly for Rose's sake. His only reward was a scowl.
"So, you lot aliens as well then?" Jackie asked.
"No ma'am," Jack said, "Human, born and bred, just from a couple thousand years in the future."
"Oh, that's nice," Jackie said. She turned an enquiring glance towards Amber, but didn't get a reply. Jackie looked at her disdainfully, making Rose laugh.
"That's Amber, we only picked her up a few hours ago, so none of us know her too well, but she's an alien." She said.
"Well, what are you all up to today then, not just visiting me I can imagine – got a baddy to stop or something?" Jackie asked.
"Actually no," the Doctor said, "We're on holiday!"
"We thought we'd visit Harriet," Rose said, "You know, catch up!"
"Who is this Harriet you keep talking about?" Jack asked.
"An old friend," Rose said cryptically, "You coming Mickey? I'm sure Harriet would like to meet the young man responsible for firing a missile at her!"
"Err, I'd better not…" Mickey began.
"Nonsense!" the Doctor said, "The more the merrier!"
"Would you like to come, Mrs Tyler?" Jack asked politely.
"Ms, and no, I've got shepherds pie to make, taking one up to Nancy upstairs later," Jackie said.
"Since when have you cooked for Mrs Wellings?" Rose asked.
"Since my daughter decided to swan off into space for a year!" Jackie retorted, "She was a shoulder to cry on, bless the old dear, and I don't like politicians anyway – they think they're all that…" Jackie said. That decided, everyone else took their leave and began to wander through London.
"Politicians?" Jack asked.
"Yup," the Doctor said, "Harriet Jones, current Prime Minister of England."
"You know the Prime Minister?" Jack asked.
"First name terms!" the Doctor said with a grin. "Nice girl, not your sort of nice though,so don't get any ideas!"
"Damn," Jack cursed, but Rose could tell from his voice that he was only messing around, which was good – she doubted Harriet could handle the more flirtatious side of Jack.
"How do you intend to get inside Downing Street?" Mickey asked when they got a bit closer, "Just walk up to the door and knock?"
"Yup!" the Doctor said, "Something like that."
"That's never going to work." Mickey said, "You'd have more luck getting Jack Flash to charm his way in."
"No good if there are male guards," Amber said.
"Gender has never stopped him before!" Rose said with a snort of laughter.
"Well, there's going to be no need to prove that," the Doctor said, taking out a wallet with a seemingly blank sheet of paper in it.
"How is a blank piece of paper going to get you into Downing Street?" Mickey asked.
"It's slightly psychic paper," Jack said.
"It shows people whatever you want them to see!" Rose added, linking arms with the Doctor and walking with him to the front door.
Jack offered his arm to Amber, earning him a swift smack on her way past. He looked vaguely disappointed, but the expression faded as he offered his arm to Mickey. Mickey took one long, horrified look at him, then walked quickly past.
Jack shook his head, then followed on behind.
"Do you have an appointment?" the guard asked the Doctor.
"Nope!" he said, grinning cheerfully, "We're just old friends passing by – thought we'd drop in for a visit!"
"Do you have any identification?"
The Doctor flashed his slightly psychic paper.
"The Doctor, that's me – I work for UNIT, United Nations Intelligence Taskforce. This is Rose Tyler, my associate, Captain Jack Harkness of the American Air Force."
Rose smiled and Jack gave the guards a toothy grin, before briefly holding up his badge, not long enough for them to realise it was more than fifty years old.
"And at the back there is Mickey Smith, my computer technician, and Amber, Rose's body guard!" The Doctor continued.
Amber gave him a brief look, but straightened up and folded her arms in a bodyguard like manner. The guards still looked uncertain.
"Look, just tell Harriet that the Doctor and Rose have popped by for a visit, you'll see!" Rose said.
The two armed guards glanced at each other, then one nodded and the other walked off into Downing Street. The remaining guard glanced at the group before him uncertainly.
"So, you all American?" he asked.
"Nah, I'm a Londoner," Rose said, "So's Mickey."
"And yourself, er, Doctor?" the guard asked, trying to stay friendly.
"I'm from a very long way away," the Doctor said serenely.
"Right…" the guard said uncomfortably. He was saved from any further embarrassment by Harriet running down the corridor to great them.
"Harriet Jones," the Doctor said, "bet you never thought you'd see us again!"
"Well, no not really, but it's ever such a nice surprise! Do come in!" she said, holding the large front door open to them.
"Now there's an offer I can't refuse!" Rose said, and held out her arm for the Doctor. He took it and walked with her into the house, followed by an intrigued Jack, an indifferent Amber and an awe filled Mickey.
Thanks to everyone who reviewed my last story! please keep them coming!