Title: Christmas in July
Author: Sailorneo
Summary: The Doctor has found a way to get to Rose, but when he reaches the Universe things go a little wonky.
Author's Note: So, I'm still feeling Christmassy, but I'm also feeling summery. So here you go!
"Are you sure this is the right place?" Martha Jones asked.
"This doesn't look like July, Doc," Jack said.
"It is July!" the Doctor said indignantly.
"It's decorated like Christmas," Donna said, crossing her arms. "So I don't see how it bloody well could be July."
"Are we really in a parallel universe at all?" Martha asked. "It seemed just like any other regular TARDIS ride—bumpy as hell."
"Oi! It was far more bumpy than usual!" the Doctor protested. "And we are in a parallel universe, and it is July. I just don't know why it's Christmassy. Favorite holiday you humans have come up with, by the way."
"No, it seriously can't be July. It's too cold to be July," Donna said.
"I hear people," Jack said. The small group rounded a corner and found a large group of people dressed in fancy Christmas attire. Faint strains of someone singing a Karaoke version of Wham's "Last Christmas" could be heard.
"I think it's Christmas, Doctor," Martha said.
"It can't be!" the Doctor protested. "The TARDIS says it's July!"
"And you ever think it might be wrong?" Donna asked.
"She, not it, and no, she's always right," the Doctor said.
"Well, whoever's singing this song is butchering it," Jack said.
Thankfully, the song ended just then and the Doctor frowned, looking around. "I don't know why the TARDIS brought us here. I didn't tell her to."
A new song began, and thankfully this singer had a much better voice than the previous one. "Is this Mariah Carey? Does everyone have to sing this song at Christmas?" Martha asked in irritation.
"I like it," Donna said.
"You would," Jack said with a cheeky grin. "So Doc, why don't we head back to the TARDIS and figure out what's going on here." He didn't get a response, so he glanced back at the Time Lord.
Said Time Lord had frozen and was staring off into the throng of people. "You all right?" Martha asked him.
"I know who's singing," he said faintly. "She used to sing when she didn't think I could hear her…"
It took Jack half a second to figure it out. "Rose? So we are in the right place, then. Didn't know she could sing though."
"Her mum wanted her to do something with it, but she wouldn't. Said she wasn't good enough," the Doctor faintly muttered before striding off into the crowds.
Jack, Donna, and Martha hurried to catch up as the Doctor was soon lost to sight. "And he tells us to not wander off," Donna muttered angrily.
"Is it really wandering off if we saw him do it?" Jack mused.
"Doesn't matter. We need to find him," Martha said.
"Jack Harkness?" a voice asked from behind.
Jack turned around. "Mickey Smith? Well, looks like we really are in the right place then."
Mickey looked warily at Jack. "You're not from here, then?"
"Nope. We got here from the other Universe. The Doctor's here somewhere. Heard Rose singing and off he went like a shot," Jack said.
"Good," Mickey said, breaking out into a grin. "We should find Jackie though. She'll want to hit him."
"You know, I don't think I've ever seen her hit him," Jack said. "Heard enough about it from both Rose and the Doctor, but never seen it in person."
"It was more of a sight to behold when it was Big Ears. She didn't hit him as much after he regenerated," Mickey said.
"She hits the Doctor?" Donna asked. "Her I'd like to meet."
"What's up with the Christmas decorations? The TARDIS says it's July," Jack said.
"Oh, it is. Jackie got a little stir crazy and decided that everyone at Torchwood was going to celebrate Christmas in July," Mickey said.
"That's not a half bad idea," Donna murmured. "S'like havin' another holiday all over again."
"That's not what Pete thought," Mickey said with a grin.
Mickey led the three to a table, "Jackie. Guess who's here?" he asked.
"The Doctor," a blonde woman who could only be Jackie Tyler said. When Mickey didn't say anything in response, but only grinned, she stood up. "Where is he? I'll give that man a piece of my mind. 'No way back my arse!'"
The man that had been sitting next to Jackie stood up. "Jacks, he'll find Rose first. Then you can slap him if you like."
"Pete—"
"No, let him find Rose. It's not like it's hard to. She's right up there on stage," Pete said, gesturing to the stage that dominated the far side of the room.
Rose was indeed on it, but it wasn't the Rose that Jack remembered. She looked more grown up, for one with her shoulder length hair. The makeup was more subdued and he was fairly certain there weren't any roots showing in her hair either.
"Well, then let's go," Jackie said, marching away.
"As the lady desires," Pete murmured as soon as she was out of earshot. "Can't believe I forgot she could be like this."
"I can't believe she ever could have been like anything else," Mickey said with a grin.
They once again made their way through the crowds, Donna whispering to Jack, "Was she really from the Estates? This seems too posh for that."
"You'd be surprised at Rose Tyler," Jack whispered back. A familiar brown coat caught his attention and he changed his direction to stand next to the Doctor.
The Doctor was staring up at Rose as the song drew to a close and she left the stage. "What aren't you doing?" Jack asked him.
The Doctor looked at him, startled. "What?" he asked.
"What aren't you doing?" Jack repeated.
"That doesn't even make sense," the Doctor said.
"Well, the answer is finding Rose," Jack said. "See, it's what you aren't doing."
"There's a multitude of things I'm not doing though," the Doctor said. "I'm not playing with a yo-yo, I'm not on the TARDIS fixing things, I'm not eating cake—ooh! I wonder if they have any cakes with edible ball bearings. You're the only race to do that, you know."
"Doc," Jack said. "Go find her."
The Doctor sighed wearily. "She's not going to want to come with me. Look at what she has here. She has a life."
"Well, Jackie and Mickey already know, so it's only a matter of time before—," Jack didn't even get to finish his sentence before a blonde blur threw herself on the Doctor, whose arms came around her reflexively.
The blonde blur was Rose, who had her arms wrapped around the Doctor beneath his coat, her face hidden in the crook of his neck. Neither said anything, but the Doctor's arms tightened around Rose and his eyes slid shut as he buried his face in her hair.
The crowd around them—even the singer up on stage—had stopped and was staring at the two of them.
"—she finds out," Jack finished.
Rose pulled back a slight bit and smiled wildly. "You said it was impossible," she said.
"Never say never ever," the Doctor told her. "You'd be surprised how active the rift can get up in Cardiff."
Rose giggled and the Doctor pulled her close again before setting her on her feet. "You, Rose Tyler, are incredibly hard to find. And I'm so sorry that I didn't have enough time. Funny that. Time Lord running out of time."
"Doesn't matter," Rose said. "You're here now."
"Oh, but I think it does matter. Four of your Earth years I've been regretting babbling the way I did and not telling you the most important bit. Because I do, so much…But I don't know if I can say it." He paused before dipping his head down and kissing her.
It was obvious that this wasn't their first kiss, the way the two quickly warmed up to it. "Well," Jack said. "Thank God for the two of them getting together."
"I told him I wouldn't compete with her," Martha said as she and Donna arrived, having realized that Jack was no longer following them.
Donna just snorted.
The Doctor pulled back slightly, nuzzling Rose. "Love you," she murmured happily.
"Come with me?" he asked. "Travel between the universes isn't as impossible as it seemed."
"Yes," Rose said.
"Doc," Jack said. "Don't mean to ruin the moment—great to see you by the way, Rose—but Jackie's headed this way and looks pissed."
The Doctor glanced over Rose's shoulder and did indeed see the bane of his face's existence heading towards them, looking quite angry. "Rose?" he asked.
"Yeah, Doctor?"
"Run."