"God Save the Queen" – Sex Pistols
When they returned to the Tardis, a debate commenced. It was, unfortunately, entirely unplanned and unmediated, and involved some insults.
"The Sex Pistols?" the Doctor had asked, his mouth hanging open incredulously.
Rose had given him a 'you serious' look. "Yeah. Doesn't it remind you of Queen Victoria and all those werewolves and your secret punk past?"
"No, but it does remind me that you're an impressionable young woman whose taste in music leaves something to be desired."
She stuck her tongue out at him. "Says the Ian Dury fan! Ugh, at least this is a little rebellious."
"Like you."
"Yeah, like me," she said, smiling. "Now, what next?"
"London, 1970?"
"Figures, you punk."
"Miracle!" – Paramore
There were bad habits afoot, even among time travelers, which made close quarters of any kind a little odd.
For example, the rather silly way in which the Doctor licked every surface available. Even Rose's face, occasionally.
Rose, on the other hand, took to bouncing about for lengthy periods of time, when she was especially excited. She appeared to be involved in a particularly intense bout of moshing sometimes.
"What're we doing today, Doctor?" Bounce bounce.
"You made chips?" Bouncing again.
Perhaps Cassandra had been right: living with her was like living in a bouncy castle.
"Lights" – Scissor Sisters
Time Lords didn't often need time alone. Well, that was a lie. The Doctor did, but he rarely took time to himself. At least 90 of his day was spent with Rose in close proximity, which wasn't something he was complaining about. Definitely not.
In fact, well, she was occasionally the reason he needed to be alone.
This was something she discovered by mistake, as she flipped the light switch on in his room.
"Doctor, do we have any more ja- er, um, sorry!"
He'd gritted his teeth and turned away from her as quickly as possible. "Rose?"
"Lights out?"
"Yes, thank you."
"Um, talk to you later then, yeah?"
"Yes, I think so."
"Kay."
"Vampires" – Fastball
Rose threw her head back and laughed. "Vampires? Really?"
The Doctor was taken aback. "Yes, really. I killed them, all of them, saved the universe and all the blood banks in it."
She'd looked serious then, and smiled, happily. "I know you did. Sounds like something you'd do."
Her hair was glinting in the sunlight and it had fallen over her face in such a way that she looked like someone…someone he'd put from his mind so long ago. Someone he'd loved too, just as much, really. It almost hurt to think her name. Ro-
"Doctor? Tell me another story," she said, her face her own again.
"Yes, alright."
"Happiness Is a Warm Gun" – Tori Amos
Guns were terrible things. Rose knew this, she'd been told this more times than she could remember. Guns sweet-talked normal-thinking people into kissing their barrels. Guns coaxed shop-owners into handing over their livelihood so the lazier and more brutal individuals of the world could get ahead. Guns hurt people, pierced them in the most fantastically gruesome ways that had always made Rose queasy during action films. Guns lured children into firing them at others, making decisions for impulsive little ones without any thought to the consequences of pulling that trigger.
And that was exactly who Rose Tyler was at this moment. A petulant, curious child who had let frenzy and rage run wild within her hands.
She held the weapon in her hands now, running her fingers over its long muzzle and trigger. So cold and steely and beautiful, and full of potential. And as she thought of her Doctor, lying upon the metal floor of the Tardis at that very moment, she could think only of how good it would feel to shout and to scream with the gun as her voice.
He was safe, he was fine, but he wasn't the same, wouldn't be the same, ever. Someone had taken him from her, her playmate and her lover, and this new Rose Tyler, the one who saw bloodshed and hurt each and every day, she wanted to fire this huge thing at them and make them feel a smidgen of the pain she was feeling. The pain she would be feeling for the rest of her life.
She held it high at her shoulder and took aim. He was gone, her Doctor was, and her only solution involved killing the stupid alien who'd hurt him. It involved killing every fucking Dalek, and it was beautiful.
"K. I. S. S. I. N. G. Part B" – Flight of the Conchords
He'd kissed her once, and she'd kissed him once too. Unfortunately, she hadn't really been present at either.
And that was why she kissed him so fervently now, her tongue pressed against his in some kind of epic battle.
"Rose," he'd murmured. "You're acting..odd."
"Shut up," she replied. "A kiss is not a contract, so don't worry." And kissed him some more. In other places.
"My Boyfriend's Back" – The Raveonettes
I love watching them. I really do. They're so adorable I sometimes want to be sick, or sometimes I feel like I'm getting a toothache.
He's grinning all the time now, even more than usual, and she's the same way. It's hard to imagine she was mowing down Daleks like Rambo a week ago.
Now, all they can do is babble together and hold hands and kiss, and occasionally, they'll look at me and say, "Sorry, Donna, is this weird?"
What can I say? "A bit, but it's a good sort of weird. Like jelly babies or sparkly wine."
"Shazam!" – Spiderbait
There are loud cracks and booms and thuds. All the time. It's standard with machinery like the Tardis, isn't it?
But it makes those noises so much now, like it's just so darn pleased Rose is back. It's a welcome sort of pounding and bumping, like "Hello, again, old friend. Enjoy the ride."
And she does, she really does, all that space and time turbulence. Wouldn't miss it for the world.
"Hey Mama" – Kanye West
Jenny dreams sometimes. She rarely sleeps, but some of her do-gooder trips through space leave her so winded, she can only curl up with a blanket and pass out.
And in her dreams are him, of course, her dad, and this gorgeous woman with a wide smile and ridiculously happy eyes. The woman, Jenny doesn't know her name, she's so kind and funny and cheery. It's like Jenny can just look into her face, and suddenly the world is right.
She knows that's why her dad is with the woman in the dreams. He sees the same thing, maybe more. Maybe he sees her smile like it's a sun, maybe her eyes are a book of poetry and he has to read them every moment because they're always changing. He doesn't want to miss a line or stanza, they're just so beautiful.
When Jenny wakes, she can always hold the woman's face in her mind. She sometimes fancies that the woman looks like her too, even though she knows they're not related, but maybe someday, they could be. Just the three of them. Jenny, her dad, and her mum. Like in her dreams. A girl and a kind lady who looks like her, a mum.
"It's All Right" – Killola
"Did you think about me?" Rose asks, absentmindedly stroking the Doctor's hair.
He smiles and wraps an arm around her shoulder. "Well, I suppose you may have crossed my mind a few times."
"Only a few?" There is an amused smirk upon her face. "That's not what Martha and Donna said. From the way they talk, you chatted everyone up about me."
"That's the human brain, making assumptions. They're both fabulous girls, really, but a bit thick, don't you think?" he adds, putting on a serious face he knows she can see through. "I didn't talk about you all the time."
"But you did?" she asks, eyes full of sleep and shining still, her hair mussed as she leans against him. She's never looked lovelier than when they're about to fall asleep. Or rather, when she's about to fall asleep and he's about to stay up most the night watching her.
"Only when I wanted you," he replies. "And that happens to be an awful lot."