A/N: Hi everyone! I hope you've been loving my other stories, and I'm definitely going to continue on with them and post again very soon, but I had plot bunnies hop into my brain today and I had to write this down. It's a quick little one-shot inspired the line in 'The Wedding of River Song' where the Doctor says that he can go back in time and 'help Rose Tyler with her homework', and of course, Amy's quote from 'The Beast Below' quoted, well...below. I hope you like it! I know it's not that good, seeing as I put it out all in one day, but I would still love feedback, so review please, kind people!
So that's the way it is, Doctor? You never interfere in the affairs of other peoples or planets…unless there's children crying. –Amy Pond
10-year-old Rose Marion Tyler sat on a swing on the playground, waiting for her mother, gentle tears streaming down her little face. The latest grade reports had come out, and she was on the bottom of the class again. The other kids had been cruel at break time, and she was afraid of the way that her mother would react when she told her the news. Jackie Tyler was no pushover. She sat there crying until a man walked up to her. He must have been a teacher, with the way that he was dressed in a tweed jacket and a bow tie, but he looked like he must have been the youngest teacher they had on staff here at the school.
"Why the tears?" He asked.
"It's my grades, sir." Rose said meekly, "They're…not so good this time round."
"No kid cries like that just because of grades." The man said. "The other children were a bit harsh at break time, were they?" He asked. Rose nodded. "Well, I wouldn't pay them any mind. They're probably just jealous, you know. What's your name?" He asked, even though he really didn't have to.
"Rose. Rose Tyler." She answered. She saw the man's smile stretch across his face as he heard her name.
"John Smith. It's very nice to meet you, Rose Tyler." He said. At just that moment, a car pulled up in the drive and out came Jackie Tyler.
"What do you think you're at?" She spouted, "Hanging around my daughter like some pedophile."
"Some things never change…" The man in the tweed jacket said under his breath, "I just happen to be a teacher here. I only had to be around your daughter because she was out here alone."
"You try being a single mother and trying to make ends meet." Jackie said, "And if you're a teacher, than maybe Rose should be spending more time around you. Your teacher phoned me about your grades, little madam, so don't think I'll just let it go…again." She said, gesturing to Rose to follow her to the car. Rose obliged, getting up from the playground swing.
"Thanks, Mr. Smith." Rose said, giving him her signature smile with her tongue poking out of her teeth. He gave a smile back and gave a little laugh on the inside. Same old Rose Tyler.
Rose walked into her classroom the next day, and sat down by her mate Shireen. She noticed that the teacher wasn't there yet.
"Where's Mrs. Keynes?" Rose asked.
"I dunno. I did hear that she won the lottery last night. Maybe she just up and quit her job!" Shireen replied. All of a sudden, the door opened wide and the class was quiet as the same man with the tweed jacket and bow tie that Rose had seen yesterday walked in. If this had happened ten years from now, Rose would get the message that the Doctor was coming around. But, at this age she didn't know of the Doctor yet, which is exactly why he could interfere in affairs now with his regenerated face she would never see again, as long as he kept his real identity a secret.
"Hello. I'm Mr. Smith, and as I'm sure you've heard, Mrs. Keynes is on a…spontaneous holiday, so I'll be taking over your class for the time being." He said, winking at Rose, who smiled back at him. If they had to have a new teacher, she was glad it was him.
"Now, if you'd open your history books to page 394, we'll begin by talking about…oh, would you look at that, Queen Victoria." The Doctor said as the class laughed at his 'joke'. After an exceptionally invigorating history lesson (involving something about dinosaurs and a spaceship? Rose never could work that out…_) , it was break time again. Rose hesitated a bit when it was time.
"Come on, mate!" She called. Rose took a deep breath and then headed out. 'Mr. Smith' saw this and as he followed the class out of the room and out to the playground, he resolved to find out who exactly these bullies are.
"Rose Tyler, Rose Tyler, so thick, she can't see you right by her!" The bullies chanted on the playground. Rose stood there, bravely blinking back her tears. Then, the Doctor/Mr. Smith walked up.
"What are you boys doing?" He asked.
"We were just…talking to Rose." They said.
"You're making her cry, guys, stop it!" said another boy, coming up to Rose. "Excuse me, what's your name?" The Doctor asked.
"Mickey, sir. Mickey Smith."
"He's one of my mates, sir." Rose said. The Doctor smiled. Of course he knew that Mickey was Rose's mate.
"Very good. Boys, if you try that again, I'll personally make sure that you're held responsible." The Doctor told the bullies. The bullies scoffed and walked off. The Doctor would have none of that. He took out his sonic (after Rose and Mickey had gone, of course) and he quickly soniced the monkey bars the three bullies were heading for.
"Ow! Ow, ow, ow!" They cried as they reached up to touch them, "They're hot!" The Doctor looked over to where Rose and Mickey were standing and talking and saw them look over and double over in laughter. The Doctor gave himself a little smirk. These kids would never bother Rose Tyler again.
Later that day, Jackie came to pick up Rose, on time because she had let off work early, and Rose sat down to do her homework at the kitchen table. All of a sudden, there was a knock at the door.
"Mum, someone's at the door! Is it one of your blokes?" Rose called.
"No, sweetheart." Jackie said, coming out of her room to open the door, "It's Mr. Smith."
"Mr. Smith? What's he doing here?"
"I called him. He told me he could give you some extra help with your homework. You get those grades, young lady, you pay the price." She said, opening to door to let him in. Rose gave him a kind smile. She really did like Mr. Smith, even though she had only known him for two days now. He had really just come out of the blue.
"Hello there, Mrs. Tyler, Rose." He said, greeting the Tyler girls. He walked over to the kitchen table where Rose was hard at work on her history homework.
"Hello, sir." She said as he sat down. They got to work with the homework, and with 'Mr. Smith's' help, she had it done quickly. "I don't understand why we have to learn history. It's not like it effects our lives today much."
"But what if you were to…I don't know…take a trip in a time machine…it'd help then, wouldn't it?" The Doctor responded.
"Well yes, it would, but when am I ever going to get the chance to travel in a time machine? I mean, I want to get out and and see the world someday, but I'll probably just end up working at a shop or something…"
"Ah, but you can meet all sorts of people being a shop-girl. Just think of the people that could pass through there. " The Doctor said.
"Like…I don't know…an alien!" Rose laughed, "From the north!" The Doctor smiled. If she only knew…
"Or perhaps you'll meet the Queen! Become Dame Rose of the Powell Estate!" The Doctor replied. Maybe he should stop with that…wouldn't want to give away too much. Foreknowledge was a terrible thing. Speaking of which…"Well, Ms. Tyler, it seems I must be going now." The Doctor said. He knew what was waiting for him. Lake Silencio, Utah. Silence will fall. "Goodbye, Rose Tyler. I hope you do get to go and see the world someday," He added, "It truly is a wonderful place."
"Wait, why are you talking like that? You'll see me tomorrow." Rose said.
"I was only a temporary replacement. You'll have a new teacher tomorrow, and I'll be gone." He told her. Rose looked up at him with sad eyes. Rose had developed a certain fondness for this man who was by far the strangest teacher she'd ever had. She hated to see him leave so soon, after all the kindness he had shown her. And, it almost seemed as if he was sad, too.
"I suppose I should thank you for being so kind to me." Rose said. She got out of her seat and gave him a hug, then looked up at him with a great big smile. The Doctor had to hold back his tears. He then waved goodbye to the little girl that would grow up to be one of his most faithful companions and whom he would love with all his hearts. He was glad to have had these last two days with her. The last days of his farewell tour, spent saying farewell to someone who hadn't truly even met him yet. Such was the wonderful life of a time traveler.
A/N: Please review! Look, they even have the little box down there, so you don't have to click any more than you have to! Let me know how you liked it!