Missing scene from Together Again

The Doctor leaned against the TARDIS console, dejection apparent in the slump of his shoulders, moodily listening to the time rotor rise and fall. That stupid idiotic ape! He was sure the girl would have come with him if it hadn't been for the stupid whinging lump that had attached itself to her legs. The TARDIS hummed comfortingly in the back of his mind. The Doctor smiled sadly and stroked the console.

"Thanks, Old Girl. You would have liked traveling with this one. She had spunk, and..." he broke off as a golden light filled the interior doorway. He was astonished to hear a voice he recognized, and the figure the voice belonged to that solidified out of the light.

"…don't know, Doctor. There was something weird about…" she broke off, staring wide-eyed at him.

"How did you…" the Doctor's demand of how Rose Tyler had gotten herself on his TARDIS was interrupted.

"Doctor!" she cried, "It's you!" Rose raced across the room to hug him tightly.

The Doctor looked down at the blond head on his chest. "Of course it's me!" he said indignantly, "Who else would it be?"

The blond head moved in negation, never losing contact with his jumper. "No, I mean it's you you!The first you I met." She hugged him tighter and the Doctor found his arms automatically going around her. He realized uncomfortably that she was crying. What was going on?

Later he had her calmed down, after rubbing circles on her back and murmuring soothing nonsense as she cried herself out in his embrace.

sniff "I must look a fright!" she half-laughed, wiping at tears and smearing mascara.

The Doctor grinned. "I wouldn't say that." Off her look of exaggerated disbelief, "All right, maybe I would." He paused, then suddenly indignant; "Ow, what did you do that for?" after she lightly smacked his arm.

Rose snorted. "As if you don't know" She grabbed a small towel that was conveniently lying across the jump seat and vigorously scrubbed at her face, cleaning the worst of the smears. "You said you couldn't change back but here you are. What happened?"

"I changed?" the Doctor inquired sharply.

"Yes," Rose said warily, "Why? Don't you remember?" Worried suddenly, "Is there something wrong with your regeneration?"

Remembering bad regenerations, the Doctor shuddered. "No, I'm all right. But Rose, I just left you on Earth with Ricky…"

"Mickey." Rose automatically corrected.

"You stayed with him. Said you didn't want to travel with me..." The Doctor grabbed Rose's arm, alarmed at how pale she became.

She stared at him in horror. "But you came back for me!" She cried, "Just a few seconds later, you came back! You have to go back and get me, or it will damage the timeline!"

He could see that prospect terrified her. What could have happened that she was so afraid of messing with time? He hugged her close, trying to comfort her. "It's all right, Rose. It was a few seconds to you. As long as I go back at some point, it doesn't matter how long it takes me to get there." He released her and stepped back, grinning. "I guess this means you do decide to travel with me?" When she nodded, his grin got even broader. "Fantastic!" he said happily. Then frowned. "But I change?"

Rose nodded, frowning slightly. "I shouldn't talk to you about, though, should I?"

"No," he laughed, "I suppose you shouldn't. But if you were in the TARDIS with me in my future, how did you get here to my present? And what was that golden light you appeared in?

Rose looked at him sharply. "Golden light? I appeared in golden light?" she bit her lip and looked consideringly at the console, then shook her head as if to clear it. "I don't know." She looked back at the Doctor. "Can you get me back to where, I mean when, I'm supposed to be?"

"I don't know, but I can try," promised the Doctor.

"Good." Rose smiled. "I think I'll get cleaned up. I need a shower."

"There are some rooms..." The Doctor began.

She smiled back at him before disappearing down the corridor, "I know!"

Rose walked slowly, looking for her room. She could feel the TARDIS' confusion in the back of her mind. Where's my door? she thought to the TARDIS, picturing the familiar elaborate carvings, with the large central rose that had so startled and intrigued her when she first came to stay on board.

The TARDIS was very confused. The human girl could hear her! She hadn't been able to the first time she came on board; though really, she hadn't stayed long, just a short hop across the city… There was an odd familiarity to Rose Tyler now, almost as if the girl had been touched by a TARDIS. What could that mean for the future? What did Bad Wolf mean? Why was that phrase so apparant in Rose's mind, and what did it have to do with Rose? Too many questions.

There was a purpose behind Rose's appearance on board, but neither girl not time ship knew what it was. The TARDIS decided to wait and see. She liked Rose, and wanted to keep her around for her Doctor. There was something about her, and the TARDIS could feel the depth of Rose's love for the Doctor. It almost matched the TARDIS' own! She could sympathize with Rose Tyler, and was happy she was on board. It was good for him to have a companion again, and this one had made him smile. The TARDIS shuffled her interior, creating the door she had seen in the girl's mind.

Rose grinned in relief as she finally found her room. It was strange to feel lost aboard the TARDIS. Usually she just trusted the TARDIS to guide her where she needed to be. She guessed the time ship didn't know her yet. Just when she had gotten used to time travel, something like this happens and messes things up. She had no idea what she could or couldn't say to this Doctor. 'Fancy a shag?' was probably right out. She had never worked up the nerve to say it to either this Doctor or the new one. She looked around her room. It was empty of all her things, of course; it was as it had been before she moved in. She snorted at herself in derision. Of course! She hadn't moved in yet! But it was still home.

The Doctor was surprised later when he came across the beautifully carved door. He had never before seen anything like it on the TARDIS . The Old Girl certainly seemed to like Rose. He absent-mindedly stroked the central carving. A rose for Rose, he mused. The TARDIS hummed smugly at him.