Past Scars

She stood in the wardrobe room, seeing the row upon row of clothes. The high vaulted expanse seeming to have no end. In the centre a spiral staircase reached up and down, linking the never-ending levels. One day she would try and get to the bottom, or the top, when she had the time. She had decided on the jeans she was going to ware. A gold dragon embroidered going down each leg from thigh to ankle. But she could not decide what top to ware. She still hadn't found a bra for that matter. In the dull light from the room illuminated her back, showing the scar travelling from her right shoulder to the middle of her back. She was very careful for that not to be seen. An old memory she really wanted to forget.
Rose was so engrossed in her past thoughts when Jack walked in through the door to the side. She squealed and not thinking tuned her chest away from him, exposing her back.

"Nice skin Rose...Whoa...where did you get that!" He exclaimed as she saw the ragged, savage scar.

"Jack! Don't you know how to knock?" She exclaimed, now trying to hide behind the rails of clothing.

"Rose...no need to, and where did you get that?" he tried to get closer to her to see her back. She ignored his comment again.

"Don't make me set the Doctor on you!" she drawled and Jack stopped a moment, thinking of what the Doctor would do to him if he saw them like this. He was now going to find out.

"What am I your Dog?" The Doctor took in the scene, of Rose half naked, and Jack in the same room. "Jack..." he growled low, eyes dark.

"Look Doc it's not what you think...I thought she would have finished by now...and..." Jack was saved at that moment by a mirror. For the Doctor caught the reflection of Rose's back. His eyes narrowed then he walked past Jack as if he wasn't there

"Rose...where did you get that?"

"What?" she tried to feign innocence.

"Oh I don't know...the great big bloody scar on your back" The Doctors tone sarcastic.

"Oh...did it when I was a kid, fell off the slide and caught myself" by this time she had grabbed a random top and shoved it over her head. Deciding now was not the time to worry about a bra.

"Don't lie Rose, that's no accident. That was done with a knife, repeatedly by the looks of it." He said, now leaning against the wall, watching her with hooded eyes.

"It's nothing, so leave it. Thought we were landing" Rose cut off the topic, walking from the room towards the control room. The Doctor and Jack exchanged a look.

"Your right Doc, no way could that be an accident. Not the way she is explaining it"
"She obviously doesn't want to talk about it, not yet anyway" The Doctor mused, giving Jack a significant glance that said "leave it alone. I'll ask her at the right time"

"Yeah, but did you see her eyes, she was scared to death. Even more than the time with the gas mask zombies. What the hell scared her, Doc?"

"I don't know Jack. She didn't get that scar while she was with me. It's old. Very old. 2 maybe 3 years. Look let's get going" The Doctor walked from the room, darkness playing across his mind. Someone had hurt Rose, badly.

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

The two men walked into the console room finding Rose sat on the seat beside the main console. The time rotor had stopped indicating they had landed. She looked to them. Knowing full well why they had taken their time getting here, but not wanting to mention it.

"What took you so long? Jack need another shower?"

"I'll have you know, a precious flower such as myself needs plenty of water"

"Yeah, maybe then you'll sprout a brain" The Doctor decided to add, making Rose dissolve in a fit of giggles at Jacks face. He just looked at the Doctor a moment. Then made a mark of one in the air, hissing as he did. That would make the score. Jack 13 Doctor 56. Rose 57. She was just in the lead at the moment. Though with the Doctor she knew that could be lost very quickly.

"Rose your shoelaces are undone" Rose looked down to her shoes...which had no laces, she scowled at the Doctor as he repeated Jacks movement earlier before. Doctor...57

They walked from the TARDIS into a pleasant meadow, looking like something from the "Sound of Music". High mountains in the back ground. Blue skies, flowers. Only differenced was the great big rusty structure slap bang in the middle. Jack and the Doctor were looking it over, arguing over the different readings their trademark toys gave them. Jacks wrist device said it was this amount old. The doctors said it was this amount. They argued for a while...but stopped when the Doctor figured out he had in fact been scanning himself... hence the over 900 year age. Giving Jack another point...14. She giggled at the Doctor. He looked up sticking his tongue out at her, and then his face cracked into one of his trademark grins. Her phone began to ring; she rolled her eyes at him as she pulled it out of her pocket. She looked to the screen it was an unknown number. She frowned as she pressed the answer call button.

"Hello"

"Hello my little flower" came a slick voice from the other side of the phone. Rose's blood ran cold. Even with the warmth of the breeze on this planet. It was if she had been thrown into space.

"What's wrong little flower? Not happy to hear from me?"

"What do you want? I told you to leave me alone!" she hissed into the phone.

"Ahh, but I can't do that my little flower. You see you have something of mine, and you owe me one. Did you forget what I did for your little friend?"

"No, I haven't forgotten. I remember what you did for Mickey" Rose sighed, looking up to the sky as an echo of pain flashed across her back.

"Good, now I need to see you, my little flower. Your mother said you were travelling with a new friend. But I need you back. So when can you get here, hum?" he was talking as if it was a normal conversation. Like he was asking how she was, not running her life.

"Give me about a week ok?" She sighed.

"Good...see you soon, my little flower..oh and make sure you do come back. Wouldn't want anything to happen to your dear mother now would we?" the phone went dead

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

The Doctor had turned back to scanning the ruins with Jack when he heard her mobile ring. "Probably her mother" he rolled his eyes at the thought of that. Jack was going on about what this place might have been. A brothel was the top of his list. The Doctor was only half listening, when he got a feeling that there was something wrong. He scanned around, but nothing seemed out of place. He than glanced to Rose, and his hearts sped up and not in a good way. Rose's eyes had the same look in them from the wardrobe room, such fear it didn't look right in her eye's. What was it the instilled such fear? He had seen the fear of death in her eyes before. He hated the fact that he had been the cause of that on many occasions. But the look was fear added with acceptance, the will to do all that she could to live but knowing that someday death would be inevitable.
She was so brave, to face the Slitheen, Cassandra and the death of earth, the Jagrafess, and even a Dalek. Nothing, nothing compared to the fear now held within those brown orbs. He could see her physically shaking.
At that moment her eyes locked onto his to see him watching. She gave him a shaky smile then go to her feet. She walked from the ruins, towards the TARDIS, which was sat on the hill, entering the old time ship without a second glance.

"Where's Rose going?" Jack asked, coming to stand beside him.

"Back to the TARDIS it would seem" he said almost absently. "Something is very wrong...come on Jack, there is nothing here"
They both walked back to the TARDIS, upon entering the console room, with its coral like struts reaching up to the ceiling. But there was no sign of Rose.

"Jack, Get the TARDIS underway, I'm going to find Rose" with that he walked from the console room leaving a somewhat stunned Jack.

"I get to drive?" he joked, but he was concerned about Rose too.

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

She knew he would come looking for her soon; after all he was her best friend. And she had seen the concern in his eyes, the silent question he had asked her. "What's wrong?"
Rose wandered the hallways of the TARDIS, passing doors of all shapes and sizes. Some were double doors, while others where just normal. She didn't head to her room, trusting the TARDIS to know what she wanted. Finally she came to a set of double doors she had never seen before. The door looking as if it was made of wood. She pushed open the door, to find a huge garden on the other side; she could not see the roof. It looked like the sky, a sun in the heavens. She gasped at the sight. She knew the TARDIS was big, but how the hell had he fit this in here?
The garden was in the style of a Victorian house's grounds. She giggled...there was even a maze. She could see flowers of every kind from earth, and some that were not. There were roses, honeysuckle, and ivy. To flowers that almost seemed to be made of metal, to those that looked to be made of glass. She walked to the fountain; to she sat upon the side. The rhythmic sound of the water flowing from the statue in the centre of the fountain, lulling her mind to some state of calm. She stayed there for a while, when a rustling caught her attention. From the maze came a creature, it looked like a Venus flytrap with eyes, long lianas coiled together to make four legs, and two smaller ones for arms. It regarded her a moment, then slowly came closer.
Rose sat still, not afraid as such. But wary as you would be a strange dog. It came closer, wary of her.

"Hello, it's alright. I won't hurt you." She held out her hand, it touched her hand with its head; she assumed it was sniffing her. Then it placed its head on her lap, and actually began to purr. She scratched its head as if it was a cat, it's leaves rustled in contentment.

"Well what's your name then?" she asked giggling as it crooned.

"He's called George." Came a northern voice. Rose looked up at the Doctor. She could see his concerned gaze.

"What's he doing here?" she tried to ignore his storm blue eyes.

"Found him on a planet, the scientist were using him for experiments. He was a man-eater. Still is, though he's never gone for me, but I would never be able to pet him like that. I have never seen him warm up to someone so quickly. Normally he would have bit your hand off"

"Aww, you're just misunderstood aren't you? Why George?"

"He looks like a George, don't you think he looks like a George?...ok, I was watching little shop of horrors, and he jumped me ok!" she giggled, picturing the Doctor watching it in the movie room, and a little plant George jumping in his lap. Making him spill his popcorn.
The Doctor sat down beside her, making George growl a little. Rose soothed him my scratching his head.

"Rose..." His voice laced with concern.

"What?" she replied quietly.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong"

"I thought we were best friends? He stated

"We are!" she exclaimed, shocked that he thought otherwise.

"Best friends don't lie to each other"

"Doctor...its just...you can't help me this time" she said softly, he voice laced with sorrow and fear.

" Rose, please. Tell me what it is. Why are you so afraid?"

"Its...don't worry about it Doctor. It's nothing. Just me being a stupid ape."

"Rose..." he pleaded, but Rose just snapped. She couldn't tell him, but she also needed to get home. And she knew of only one way to do it.

"Look, why don't you mind your own Business!"

"I'm only trying to help!"

"Well I don't need it!" she came right up to his face, prodding him in the chest.

"Well if you don't need it, maybe you don't need me!"

"Maybe I don't!"

"Fine then, maybe I should take you home then"

"Maybe you should!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!" they glared at each other a moment. The Doctor's eyes the full storm, the alien fury. Blinding him to the fear that was in her eyes, and the Sorrow, silently telling him goodbye. The Doctor turned on his heal, and strode from the garden towards the console room...

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Rose watched the Doctor leave the garden; she waited until he had turned from sight. Then broke down crying. George sensing her distress, coming closer and wrapping her in a viney embrace. She was mumbling, begging for forgiveness from the Doctor. She knew how alone he felt. And she would have to be blind to not see she eased some of it. She never wanted to hurt him. But she had no choice. She had to go back home, or the man from her past would hurt her mother, Mickey. And her entire family until she gave him what he wanted. Trouble is she didn't know what she had that was his.
Well...she would find out soon enough.

" I have to go George, goodbye. Keep an eye on him for me" she kissed the plants head, and then walked from the garden. She went to her room and packed her rucksack. Looking at the picture left on the nightstand. It showed her, Jack and the Doctor in the control room. It was just after Cardiff and the incident with Margaret. They had been repairing the console room. When the Doctor found a redundant system...something that looked to be a web cam. Jack had decided they needed a picture. So they had all posed in front of it. All covered in oil, the Doctor with the red lamp thing on his head. And Jack doing fingers behind the Doctors head. All had beaming smiles.

She picked it up and placed it in the rucksack with the rest of her stuff. She felt the dull clunk as the TARDIS landed. It always made her wonder why did the console room shake so much on landing? When the rest of the old girl stayed stable. Just a dull clunk gave any indication that you landed.
She gave one last look around the room she had called home for the last...god knows how long, you lost track in here. She said goodbye to the TARDIS in her mind. Thanking the ancient craft for letting her travel within her. Then Rose walked to towards the console room for the last time...

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Jack had been drooling over the TARDIS, when the Doctor strode in, his face a storm of anger and sorrow. He walked straight past Jack as if he never existed. He started pulling switches, and punching buttons with such force Jack was surprised they didn't break. The TARDIS gave an indignant beep as if to say "don't take it out on me!"

"Whoa! Doc, where're we going in such a hurry?"

"We're taking Rose home " he replied in a low growl, not looking up from the console.

"What!...Why?" Jack asked, looking shocked.

"Cause it seems she doesn't need us anymore"

"Huh? Doc you're not making any sense" Jack grabbed the console as the Ship landed with a jolt. Jack looked up as Rose walked into the console room, backpack slung over her shoulder. The Doctor was gripping the console, his knuckles white. His body language showing his pain at what was about to happen.

"Rose, what's going on?" Jack asked, walking towards her and placing his hands on here arms.

"Sorry Jack, I have to go." She hugged him, kissing his cheek. "Look after him for me" she whispered into his ear. She then turned to the Doctor. She slowly walked towards him, but he made no move to acknowledge her.

"If you're going then go" he could feel Jack's glare on his back. He heard her footsteps stop a moment, and then they began walking towards the door. If it was possible he gripped the console tighter, trying to contain his emotion. He heard the door open, then a thump. He looked up to see she had thrown her backpack out of the door. She then had run up to him and before he could do anything, embraced him. He stood frozen for a moment, then returned the embrace, but it was only as slight return of it, as if it was demanded of him. Because he knew if he did hug her like he wanted, he would never be able to let go. She moved slightly so her lips were near his ear, he could feel her breath brush across his ears before she whispered to him. Just three words that would haunt him.
"Please forgive me" The she ran from the TARDIS...

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

"Doc! What the hell is going on! You can't let her go like that!" Jack all but shouted in the Doctors face. But the Doctor was running on automatic, he told the TARDIS to move. The familiar alien groan started up as the TARDIS dematerialised. Then he walked slowly over the chair by the console and sat heavily down upon it.

"Doctor!"

"Just shut up a minute Captain!" the Doctor snapped, he had his head in his hands. He felt Jack stand beside him, then felt a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Ok, ok Doctor. But this is Rose we're talking about. The love of your life" he got a glare between fingers for the last remark. "Oh don't look at me like that, she is and you know it. What is going on?"

"I don't know Jack, she didn't tell me. I mean I went in to find out, she was sat with George..."

"George?" Jack cut in

" Pet plant in the garden..anyway...she nearly told me Jack. Then she snapped at me, and I snapped back...next thing I know I'm saying that maybe it's better that's she's at home, she agrees and then I'm walking off." The Doctor sighed.

"She played you Doc"

"What?"

"The easiest way for her to get you to take her home without telling you what's wrong...was to make you mad"
The Doctor looked to the wall of the TARDIS, Jack was right she had got him into a position where he would lash out. He had let his temper be his weakness. Strangely he didn't feel angry that Rose had manipulated him like that, but somehow he felt afraid. Because he knew she would not do that if it wasn't, end of the world stuff. Like the end of the world for her "please forgive me," it rattled round his brain over and over. Forgive her for what? Getting him mad...or leaving?
He groaned as he tried to think. But as he thought, lost in the time Vortex as the Tardis travelled...time past.

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Rose had run to the child's park near her home. She couldn't face the world...not yet. Se rummaged in her backpack for that photo. She held it in her hands, looking at the days that were. She looked at the drops forming on the photo, she looked up thinking it was raining a moment until she realised she was crying silent tears. It was if she no longer had the strength to let loose the grief within her. As if something vital was lost to her. Could it be she had left herself, her true self on the TARDIS? She now knew that the person that was Rose Tyler was lost. Now the lost little girl, the hallow husk would return.
With a sigh she placed the photo into her hoodie pocket. She then stood and started to walk towards her mum's flat. After travelling with the Doctor she no longer thought of that little place as home. The TARDIS was home and would now always be.
She started to mount the stairs to the top floor; the sky looking like it was about to rain. She had just made it to her mum's floor. When that voice stopped her.

"Hello my little flower" she jumped, dropping her rucksack. Then he was grabbing her, placing his hand over her mouth as another guy came up and helped him carry her down the stairs.
The rucksack lay forgotten as it began to rain.

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Jackie came home from he shops, walking to her flat. She heard Suzie's kids before she saw them.

"Wonder who's it is?"

"Cool, look at that mobile" Jackie looked to seem them rummaging through a very familiar rucksack, with a very familiar mobile in the young boys grasp

"Billy and Rachel Granger. What do you think you are doing?"

"Uh.. Mrs Tyler we just found this rucksack" Billy stammered.

"That's my daughters rucksack and her mobile" she took the mobile off the young boy.

"We're sorry Mrs Tyler, but we didn't know" Rachel replied, shuffling her feet.

"It's ok Rachel, but mind you don't do it again. Now you said you found it? You didn't see Rose?"

" No Mrs Tyler"

"Ok then, off with you both" the two young children rushed back inside their home. Jackie picked up the rucksack and went into her flat. She placed the rucksack by the door and looked around the flat calling for Rose, thinking the silly girl had left it outside. But there was no sign of her.
Now alarm bells were ringing in her head. Where could she be? She wouldn't have gone with the Doctor leaving her bag behind. She was just about to use Rose's mobile to ring the Doctor...when there was a knock on the door. Jackie went to the front door to see Suzie herself at the door.

"Hey Suzie..." Jackie stopped when she saw the look on Suzie's face.

"Jackie love, please tell me Rose isn't back"

"What? Why?"

"Because I've just seen someone who looked like Rose being dragged off by Jimmy Stones," the girl babbled.

"No, I told him she was gone...why? Oh god Suzie, he has her...I've gotta call the police" Jackie panicked rushing for her phone.

"You can't Jackie...you know Jimmy, he'll kill her" Suzie grabbed the phone "besides, you know what he would do to the estate"

"Oh what am I going to do?" Jackie began to sob.

"Maybe he will get bored of her"

"Then he will kill her for sure"

"There has to be something, a private detective or something...oh I've been watching too much TV" the girl rambled on.

"The Doctor" Jackie suddenly said, rushing for Rose's mobile

"Who?" but Jackie was no longer listening, she looked through Rose's address book and called the TARDIS.

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

The Doctor was sat alone in the console room, the seat hydraulics supporting him as he sat upon the chair. His head was lolled back, eyes sightlessly looking to the dark recesses of the TARDIS ceiling.Then the phone rang, he jumped to his feet like he had been struck by an electric shock. He rushed to the phone,

"Rose?...Rose" but it was not Rose which replied.

"Oh Doctor, you have to help Rose, he has her. He has her!" Jackie sobbed over the phone.

"What are you on about Jackie?...who's got Rose?"

"Jimmy Stones,...he'll kill her Doctor. Or worse...oh Doctor you have to come back"

"I'm already there" over the phone the grinding wheeze as the TARDIS dematerialised in Jackie Tyler's living room. He wrenched open the door of the TARDIS and walked up to Jackie.

"What's going on? Who's Jimmy stones?" they both turned round and the flump; there was Suzie out cold on the floor. "Oh great"

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

With the help of Jack, the Doctor carried Suzie to her flat, and with the help of jelly babies in his pocket, got the two kids to tell their mum that she had fainted, and that she had been dreaming. They were now sat back in Jackie's living room, Jack brought in a cup of tea to Jackie as she began to fill them in.

"Rose met Jimmy in high school, he was in a rock band and she was smitten. Did everything he told her to. Left school lived in a flat with him. Then things began to change. You see Jimmy got in with the main dealers. He would sell whatever he could. To whom ever. Even young children. Rose tried to stop him, be he did something to her. She began no more than a slave. We could do nothing at the time. There were just too many of them. I tried to get her to move back, but she was so scared. Then one day the police said they could get them all put away if they had the proof. They asked Rose to help them. At first she refused, then Mickey trying to be her knight in shining armour...they started to beat him up. Rose made Jimmy stop the others" Jackie took a sip of her tea, her throat dry from hear tears and talking.

" What did he do to her?" the Doctor asked, eyes hooded.

"She wouldn't tell me much, just saying she was fine"

"Did he give her that huge scar on her back?" Jack blurted out without thinking.

"How'd you see that?"

"Um.."

"Never mind, he did give it to her didn't he?" the Doctor caught Jackie's attention

"Yes, he just went mad one night, he cut her back, the Doctor said it must have been done with a red hot knife, because the wound sealed. As it was done. Hence why she has that scar. They found her, shivering on the floor." Jackie had begun to cry again, Jack looked to the Doctor. He could see the contained rage as the storm brewed inside the Doctor. No one hurt Rose. They would both make this Jimmy Stones pay if he indeed had Rose.

"Doc, we need to find her. But how? Her mobile's here. We can't trace her that way."

"She never gave me back the TARDIS key. I only hope she has it with her" The Doctor rose from the seat and walked inside the TARDIS. Jack told Jackie to wait here, in case Rose came back. And swore to her that they would find her daughter.
The Doctor keyed the scanner. The TARDIS should have no problem finding the TARDIS key, because it was part of her. Jack walked just as the TARDIS beeped to say it had found the key.

"Hang on Rosie, we're coming for ya"

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Rose lay upon the floor, looking in to the eyes of Jimmy Stones. Her wrist hurt, she kept moving trying to ease them, but it did no good. Jimmy was cruel. She was handcuffed to the radiator, the heat transferring though the metal, making them now uncomfortably hot. Her wrists now becoming red raw and starting to blister

"What do you want Jimmy?"

"I want what is mine" he replied, holding the blade over the fire.

"I haven't got anything of yours Jimmy"

"Of course you do"

"What?"

"It's you, my little flower" her twirled the red of blade, stepping closer to her. He ripped the jacket up over her head, revealing her back. She writhed and shouted beneath him, so he straddled her. He was shocked some what; the old Rose would have lain submissively. He could not believe Mickey had given her such spirit.

"I'm not scared of you Jimmy. Not anymore"

"Oh, well you should be"

"I have faced worse than you, you're a sorry little man" Jimmy growled and pressed the blade to her flesh. She screamed as she writhed below him. In the struggle the picture fell from her pocket.

"What's this?"

"No! Give it back!" she sobbed, trying in vain to grasp it back but only screamed when he placed the knife back to her flesh, cutting and burning.
All stopped with the wheezing that filled the room. Jimmy got off Rose, dropping the photo as he did so. An un-earthly wind rose up to blow at Jimmy's hair as he twirled around trying to find its source.
Rose heard none of this, grasping the photo between her hands, she slipped into oblivion.

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

The TARDIS dematerialised in a corner of the flat. The Doctor and Jack stormed out of the TARDIS. They froze at the sight before him. Jack acted first, attacking Jimmy.

"You bastard, what have you done to her" he kept punching Jimmy. The Doctor let Jack deal with him, because he knew with Jack the man would live. If the Doctor got his hands on him...well he didn't want to think. Instead he rushed over to Rose, growling deep when he saw all that was done to her. Her wrists red and blistered, the photo still clutched in her grasp.
The Doctor used the Sonic screwdriver to undo the handcuffs. Then he gently picked Rose up. She murmured in pain from her back.

"Captain, bring that thing in" then he walked into the TARDIS, deep into it's bowls heading for the med bay.
He lay Rose gently down on one of the beds, making sure she was on her side. He removed her jacket and top with clinical detachment. He began to heal the wound on her back, using the dermal regenerator to knit the skin. Then taking out another device that hummed like the sonic screwdriver. He ran it over her flesh. Slowly the old scar began to fade, as he erased from time the mark Jimmy had placed upon her. Marking her as his. But Rose was never his, Rose belonged to the universe and to time.

He then healed her wrists taking the bun marks from her flesh. When he was finished he turned to a cupboard, finding a T-shit inside that looked like one of Rose's. He thanked the TARDIS for placing the T-Shirt there. He could feel the anger and disgust that this man was travelling inside her. She was not happy, seeing inside the man's mind showing the Doctor some of them.
He checked that she would sleep for a while before making his way back to the console room. Jimmy was cuffed to one of the railings to the side, his face black and blue. His eyes in slits he looked around the room in shock.

"W-w-w-who are you guys?" he stammered. But the Doctor ignored him. Instead he set course for a moon.

"What we going to do with him Doc?" Jack asked, looking at Jimmy

"We'll leave him where he belongs" the Doctor growled out. There was the normal jerk and rock as the TARDIS landed, causing Jimmy to cry out as he was thrown to the side, cuffs cutting his wrists. Then he was being pulled to his feet and dragged out the door by the leather-clad man

"Jack stay here" then he was outside, the sky a strange colour, almost purple/black.

"What's going on man? Come on man, we can make a deal. If you want the little flower you can have her."

"Shut up, she is not yours to bargain with"

"Course she's mine, I broke her"

"Broke her? You broke her? I think not, her spirit is stronger than that. She was not some dog you trained. She is a living being. And you are not worthy even to look at her. Let alone touch her' The Doctor growled in his face, eyes the dark storm.

"And what? You think you are? Don't make me laugh"

"No I'm not worthy of her, but at least I treat her like the treasure she is to your race. You treat her like a weed to be stamped out. Just because she is female and has an opinion. You're living in the past Jimmy. And it's time you got a taste of your own medicine." The Doctor pushed him over as he saw the slavers coming over the rise; on this moon the men were subservient to the females. It was time Jimmy Stones Learned his place.

He turned from the man, leaving him to his fate on this alien moon. Upon entering the TARDIS he looked to Jack's shocked face. He hadn't thought the Doctor would go through with it. The Doctor set the TARDIS to cruise the time vortex with no destination in mind.

"I'm going to check on Rose"

"Ok Doc, I'll go and make something to eat for us ok. Have a quiet night" Jack replied, clapping the Doctor on his shoulder. Then walked off down the hallway.

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Upon returning to the med bay he found Rose awake, still topless. Looking into a row of mirrors that hadn't been there before. It was like a box so she could see her back clearly. Her fingers were reaching over her shoulder, tracing where the scar used to be. He stopped a moment, embarrassed. It was one thing to see her topless when she was asleep and injured; it was another with her awake.
He turned to onside, and coughed in case she hadn't noticed his entrance. But she didn't look up, always looking at that point on her back.

"Rose..."

"It's gone"

"I made it go away" the Doctor replied, he looked to her face. She was crying. He forgot everything and just embraced her. She began to tell him everything between her sobs. Of how he said he owned her, and that he could hurt her entire family. She told him of a dark past he would never have known existed. She had placed the fear and humiliation in her core, hidden behind the courage that made up her being.

"After everything I faced, I'm scared of a man"

"And you had every right to be. We all have fears Rose. You have seen mine, of how it can make you act without thinking. You saw that between me and the Dalek."

"Yeah, but the Dalek was a evil pepper pot with a gun. My fear was of a man." She replied, burying her face in his jacket.

"He was no less dangerous. A Dalek without its gun was harmless, only able to shout words. Give the gun back and it will kill. Jimmy had a knife, he hurt you. There is no difference" The Doctor's eyes had gone dark blue as he mentioned the Dalek and Jimmy hurting her.

"I suppose, what happened to him?"

"You don't need to worry about him anymore. Why don't you go have a bath? Jack's cooking and we can sit and watch a movie ok?" he grinned.

"Ok Doctor," she turned leave. Placing the T-shirt over her head. Then she walked back to him, and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks Doctor. I'm sorry about before"

"Don't worry. I forgive you. It's in the past" he squeezed her hand. Then watched as she left the room."I forgive you, but I can never forgive myself" he looked up at the sigh he heard. Rose had come back.

"It wasn't your fault."

"I should have known Rose. I shouldn't have let you get under my skin like that. I should have seen how scared you were" she came up, placing her hands on his forearms

"You can't know everything Doctor. You're learning just like I am." She looked deep into his eyes, showing him that just as she was learning about the universe. He was learning about the stupid apes he was so fond of.

"When did you get so wise?"

"You must be rubbing off on me" she smiled as cupped her cheek with his hand.

"Yeah...Rose...will you stay? Or do you want to go back to your mum?" he asked the question that scared him. After Jimmy, he was afraid she had come with him only to escape Jimmy.

"Always Doctor. Till the end of my time" she leaned up and kissed him on the lips. He looked shocked a moment. Them smiling her leaned in and claimed her lips, he groaned at the soft warm silk touch. He traced his tongue on her lower lip, asking for entrance, which she gave freely. She pushed herself flush to him as her arms went round his neck. His found their way round her waist, fingers drawing Gallifreyan symbols on her back, marking her as his.
They broke for air, foreheads resting against each other, eyes bright.

"Seems Jack has been rubbing off on you Doctor"

"Please, have some taste. I am 900 years old after all. Think I ...danced at some point" he gave her the insane grin.

"You call this dancing?"

"Might do"

"Then I think you need a few pointers" she replied cheekily, he was about to kiss her again. When she sniffed the air. "Do you smell chips?"

"Yeah"

"I want chips"

"What? You would rather have chips over me?" the Doctor looked indignant

"Hum...over you...now there's an idea"

"Not bloody likely, they'd burn"

"Aww poor Doctor. I would have to kiss it better." The Doctor coughed, looked embarrassed a moment. Then smirked.

"Right, you bath. I need a word with Jack"

"Oh, need pointers?"

"Hardly...but those are chip shop chips...which means he didn't cook them like he said he was going to and that he in fact flew the TARDIS somewhere" he looked annoyed at that. But Rose just laughed; he pulled the funniest face when he did that.

"Just make sure you don't squish the chips when you tell him off, I would like some chips. Not mashed potato" Rose walked from the room to her own. Intending on having a bath.

"JACK, YOU LIER...YOU DIDN'T COOK THOSE...THEY STILL IN THE RUDDY NEWSPAPER" Rose giggled; knowing Jack was saying something back. She had decided on a quick shower first. So her chips wouldn't get cold.

"THE DATE SAYS 3026 ON THE THING. AND I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT'S WHAT YOU LOT THINK WAS THE TIME THE BEST CHIPS WERE EVER MADE" looks like Jack was loosing the argument. She smiled; she had wondered what had happened to Jimmy. But only for a moment. She knew the Doctor would not kill him...but would have done something he thought the human would have deserved.
As she made her way to the life she loved, she wished Jimmy luck...

The end

KITG" there you go smeggy, all for you done and dusted :P think it was about time for another Jimmy Stone fic. not a great fic, but a distraction.