Title: The Right Path
Author: Angel Leviathan
Spoilers: None, I think.
Disclaimer: Doctor Who, characters, concept, etc, aren't mine.
Notes: Most likely an AU, but I think it might work as this universe.
"Oi! Where're you off to! You can just leave me wandering here like some stray!"
The Doctor grinned, "Your words, not mine!"
"Well what am I gonna do?" Rose exclaimed.
He dug into the pocket of his jacket, producing a handful of change and notes that he pressed into her hand, "Go get a drink or something. I'll be back before you know it!" he started off into the large alien market that had even stumped her. There were shopping centres and there were…ridiculously large shopping arenas…
"You mean that literally or figuratively?" she shouted after him.
"Both!" The Doctor waved and vanished into the crowd.
She heard soft laughter from the booth behind her, the one which she had tried to avoid, seeing so many alien figures around it. Not knowing various races' customs had got her into enough trouble on enough worlds already. However, there were a couple of humanoid figures, one of which had an empty seat beside. She also noted that it was beside the figure that the laughter had came from. Rose stuck her hands in her pockets and stalked over, climbing nonchalantly into the high seat, "What's so funny?" she demanded, pretending to sort the cash in her hand.
The voice that answered was female and worryingly familiar, "You. And him," she smiled, face hidden beneath her mousy brown hair, hints of lighter shades showing through.
"Nice to know we amuse," she sorted some currency from the coins and slid it across what she presumed was a bar surface, "I'll have…" she frowned, "…Er, whatever's…selling well…" she trailed off, feeling rather stupid, realising she couldn't pronounce half of what was written on the board above her.
The young woman beside her glanced across at her, "What's your name?" her voice held hidden amusement that Rose wasn't sure she liked.
"Rose," she answered, looking back down from the board, "What's yours?" she finally focused on the face beside her and jumped, nearly falling off the high stool.
"Rose."
She scrambled for grip on her chair, staring. Older features that would have once been identical to hers stared back at her, hint of a smile still hidden. Thinner, shorter hair that still held some hints of blonde, but bright eyed and evidently still amused, another Rose Tyler finally grinned at her past self's shock.
"Know how you feel. I sat there once, you know."
"I…" Rose blinked several times, "I…you're…" her drink was slid across the bar to her, which she grabbed at and attempted to down half of instantly.
"Careful, its-"
Her eyes widened as she almost choked, eyes tight shut as the alcohol content of the drink hit the back of her throat, burning through her chest.
"Strong!" they uttered in unison.
Rose coughed and tried to regain her composure. She'd had some damned strong concoctions before, but that was indescribable. She looked back at who she was presuming to be her future self, "…So…you're…me…a future me?" she questioned.
She nodded, distracted for a moment, calling for the bartender's attention, "I'll have something non-alcoholic," she threw the correct change down on the counter, nodding her thanks as a tall glass of something purple was slid across to her, "Yep. Maybe not as far future as you think, though," she laughed softly, "He cut it a little too fine this time. You know, visiting the same place, different times. One of our haunts, this place is. 'Course I wasn't gonna tell him he might muck up, 'cause otherwise we wouldn't be sitting here, right?" she took a sip of her drink.
Rose tried to study the woman beside her without staring. Baggy clothes, dark, long soft jacket that dangled to just above her feet, boots, she noted, not trainers. Still had gold hoops in her ears, though she wondered if they were from Earth or made of a foreign metal, "…How old are you…?" she asked.
Her companion shrugged, taking another sip from the glass, "I think I lost track. Who knows? Age isn't really that important anymore. But I know I'm not past twenty five. I think," she frowned, "I hope," she laughed again, "So maybe I lied when I said age wasn't that important."
"And you're still travelling with the Doctor?"
"Who else?" she smiled softly, eyes going out of focus for a moment, as if lost in a memory.
Rose shuffled a little way away, unsure how to judge the whole situation, yet trying not to appear impolite.
"Don't worry, I won't touch you. Know the risks. Beyond talking, that is. Could be doing all sorts of damage if I'm saying the wrong things now actually…" she frowned, pushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
"Wait, wait, I'm gonna have to say this…what if I forget? What did you just say? I can't remember all of this!" Rose panicked.
"Hope it happens naturally then. 'Cause I couldn't remember either. Nothing seems to have happened yet though, so I'm guessing we're on the right path here," she smiled again, "I do remember this though, and this is gonna piss you off…"
"What?" she frowned.
Her future self suddenly lost all traces of mirth or happiness, folding her hands in her lap as she twisted in her seat to face her a little more, "…Do you love him?"
"Excuse me?"
"Do you love him?" the woman repeated, "Do you even realise it yet?"
Rose stared, "…I…I dunno…I…" she blinked, "Do you love him?" she tried to change the subject, however little, moving the attention away from herself to…her…other…self.
"Yes," the answer was immediate and that simple, "Yes, I do," she glanced away for a moment, "I ask you 'cause…I don't know when it started…I can't remember when I fell in love with him. Whether I loved him from the start…whether he was head over heels before I was…it just seems…like it was always there. From the moment we ran across London Bridge and he grabbed my hand…whether it was then…or it took time…" she shook her head, "Time. Always time…" she finished her drink, "So?"
"So what?" Rose tried to keep a grip on everything that was being said, trying to ignore the thoughts in the back of her mind that told her that she was completely in love with him already and maybe always had been.
"Do you love him?" now her future self did laugh.
She stared at the floor, blushing ever so slightly, "…Yeah…I think I might…" she looked back up, "…But…but I can't tell you when it started. I don't know," she answered honestly, "If I could tell you, I would, but I don't know…I just…don't know…"
The young woman stood up, checking some form of watch on her wrist as she did so, "…At least you know…" she reached out toward Rose and stopped just short of touching her, "…Maybe you should let him know sometime, eh?"
Rose nodded, gaze fixed on the floor again before she looked up, studying the woman once more. Her eyes fell on her slightly rounded stomach. That wasn't weight. That was… She stared up in shock, "…What…I…" she tried to form some sort of coherent sentence, "Who's the father?" she exclaimed.
"You know already," the future Rose nodded, "Careful. He's finished shopping."
"What's he buying?" she was more than curious.
"I can't tell you," her hand rested on what appeared to be a silver pendant round her neck for a moment, "Don't look so shocked or he'll ask and this might never happen. He knows when you're lying," she started to move off, "See you, Rose."
"Wait, you can't just leave!"
"Sorry, have to. Doctor's waiting for me," she smiled before she managed to blend in with the rest of the milling crowd.
Rose took a hasty gulp of her drink, wincing as it burned all the way down again, jumping when she felt a hand on her shoulder. At least she could seem shocked because of the drink.
"Hitting the hard stuff already?" the Doctor grimaced, "Rather you than me."
"Get what you wanted?" she questioned.
"Yeah," he nodded, "Any requests before we go?"
She laughed, trying to hide her complete confusion, "How about a song?"
"How about 'no'?" he grinned and threw an arm around her shoulders as she slipped off the chair.
"Damn."
"Find anything useful?" the Doctor asked, "You usually appear with enough to fill the TARDIS."
Rose hit him, "I'm a woman, its my duty. And yeah, I did find something useful."
"Do tell."
"Can't."
"Why?"
"That'd spoil the fun."
Fin