Rose Tyler sighed as she walked in to the coffee shop, in for another dull day.
She walked behind the counter and put on her apron, taking her place behind the cash register. She began taking orders and names with a sunny smile on her face. The shop was a little slow today. The only thing worse than a busy day was a slow day in Rose's mind. She did enjoy her job, she liked working with people and her coworkers, Donna and Mickey, were great. She didn't need to work, not really. Pete Tyler, Rose's father, was richer than God himself and would have taken care of her finances without batting an eye. She didn't want that, though. Rose had her own flat, which she paid for with money from this very job. She liked a sense of responsibility, she liked being able to take care of herself. Her mum had been insisting that she take a vacation soon, said she's been working far too long and hard. Rose was just to the point of relenting. Pete and Jackie wanted to pay for a week long vacation to St Ives beach (and Rose was pretty certain that Jackie had already booked her room at the Salt House). Rose had decided today that she'd agree.

The bell on top of the door jingled, and Rose glanced up. A tall man with wild hair and an even wilder grin bounced in. He wore a long trench coat and a slightly ill-fitting suit. When his bright eyes landed on Rose, he positively beamed. She smiled back reflexively.

"Hello," he said brightly.

"Hello," Rose responded, her grin widening.

He ordered his coffee, something with way too much chocolate and sugar for a grown man, but that was neither here nor there.

"What's your name?" she asked, his cup and a marker in hand.

"The Doctor," he said with a straight face. Rose arched an eyebrow.

"The Doctor?" she asked. What sort of name was that?

"Yes, that's me. The Doctor," he said, beaming at her. She had half a mind to press it, but he looked so pleased that she couldn't bring herself to. She scrawled it across his cup. After a few minutes, it was ready.

"Doctor?" she called, looking around for the man. He bounded up to the counter and took the drink with a word of thanks. He walked back over to his seat and sat down, fiddling with some strange contraption. Rose went back to work. Every now and then she sneaked a glance at the strange man, the Doctor. She felt drawn to him for some reason; he was magnetic.

A while later there was a loud bang from the general area of the Doctor. Rose gasped as her head snapped over to see him slightly singed, the contraption smoking slightly. It looked like no one had been hurt.

"Ah, yes... Well, I must be going then..." He said sheepishly, picking up his drink and still-smoking device. He bounded for the door, turning to offer Rose a cheeky wink.

"What's your name?" he asked, turning. He had one foot out the door, his body twisted at the waist to look at Rose.

"Rose," she said with a furrow between her brows, "Rose Tyler."

He nodded, seeming satisfied.

"Goodbye, Rose Tyler."

Alright, maybe not just another dull day, she thought.

RTRTRTRTRTRTRTRT

"Mum," Rose called as she entered the Tyler's home.

"Up here, sweetheart!" Jackie said from the general direction of the stairs. Rose tromped up the stairs with a grin, already hearing her baby brother's tiny voice from the bathroom.

"Rose!" Tony cried as he caught sight of his sister, stretching his little arms toward her. He was slippery with water and soap from his bath.

"Hey, Tony," she said to the four-year-old, staying carefully out of his reach when she crouched down to talk to him.

"How was your day, little man?" she asked.

"Great! Dad took me to the park and to get ice cream and we saw this really cool dog at the park, Rose, even though dogs aren't allowed at the park, he was still there and he wagged his tail at me and I petted him and he licked me-"

"Breathe, Tony," Jackie said, rolling her eyes. Her son took in a huge gulp of air and grinned at his sister.

"Sounds like you had a busy day then," Rose said with a laugh. She turned to her mum.

"I think I'll take that vacation," she said simply, cringing when Jackie squealed.

"Oh, that's great sweetheart! I've already got everything planned for you! You'll take one of Pete's-"

Rose cut her off, "I'll take the train like a normal person."

Jackie frowned, "Fine, fine, but you're staying for a full week, no complaints!"

"Yes, Mum," Rose said, grinning fondly.

"Are you staying for tea?" Jackie asked, fishing Tony out of the tub and wrapping him in a fluffy towel.

"No, I just wanted to let you know that I was going on the vacation," Rose answered, already heading for the door.

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow?" Jackie called after her.

"Sure! I'll have tea here," she said, walked to the stairs.

RTRTRTRTRTRTRTRT

When Rose got home, she began packing her bags. Jackie had texted her to give her all the details of her vacation. She would be going to St Ives and staying in some place called the Salt House. It was some sort of B&B with two rooms for rent. Jackie had apparently tried booking both rooms, but the South had already been taken. That was fine with Rose, it might give her someone to talk to while she was there. She was leaving in two days and she'd stay for a week.

RTRTRTRTRTRTRTRT

Rose sat at the table in the Tyler's dining room, laughing at a story that Tony was telling. At the young age of four, Tony was already a performer. Jackie and Pete smiled fondly at their children, gently reminding Tony to eat as well as tell his story.

"So, you excited about your vacation?" Pete asked, smirking when Jackie practically started bouncing in her seat.

"Yeah, I think it'll be alright," Rose said, answering Pete's smirk with one of her own. That was bound to get a rise out of Jackie.

"Alright?" she demanded, glaring at Rose.

"Yeah, you know, it'll be fine," Rose elaborated, biting her cheek to keep herself from smiling.

"Fine? Rose Marion Tyler, this is the vacation of a lifetime, you never know what'll happen! It'll be more than 'alright' and 'fine', it'll be amazing!" Jackie said, wiping Tony's chin of food.

"Sorry, Mum, of course you're right. It'll be fantastic, brilliant even," Rose admitted, tucking back in to her food. Jackie nodded in satisfaction.

"Have you finished packing, love?" Pete asked. Rose nodded, her mouth full.

"Good, I'll send a car round to take you to the train station when it's time for you to leave," he said, his tone allowing for no arguments. Rose nodded dutifully.

RTRTRTRTRTRTRTRT

The alarm blared from Rose's nightstand, shocking her out of her sound slumber. She had been having the best dream... Some mysterious man in a leather jacket with bright blue eyes had taken her to see the stars in a place very far from home. It was fantastic.
Rose grumbled and smacked her alarm, silencing it. She slid out of bed, flinching when her feet met the cold floor. She quickly got dressed and pulled her duffel bag up on her shoulder, heading downstairs to wait on the car to pick her up. She had a long day ahead.

RTRTRTRTRTRTRTRT

The train clacked merrily beneath her as she settled in to her seat. She took out the book that she had brought along to read and buried her nose in it. She didn't notice the tall man with the wild hair as he bounded through her carriage and on to the next.

RTRTRTRTRTRTRTRT

Rose groaned as she stood up, stretching. Five bloody hours and she was finally here. This better be one amazing vacation.

She hailed a taxi and told the cabbie that she was going to the Salt House.

She arrived not too long after and walked up to the reception desk, telling the receptionist her name.

"Rose Tyler?" she heard a delighted voice behind her crow. She turned around, her brow furrowed.

"Doctor?"