A/N: This is completely AU. Here, Rose is 19 even though the fic is set in 2010 and she's working at Henrick's and living at the Powell Estates just as she was in the first episode of New Who. The Doctor has just regenerated when he meets Rose. I think I might add the other characters from season 5 onwards but I haven't decided yet. Anyway, I'll leave you to read the chapter now. Geronimo.
Chapter One: Cat and Mouse
London, 2010
Henrick's
She didn't see him even though he'd been running around the shop waving his sonic screwdriver in the air for almost twenty minutes now. Everyone else had noticed. Rose, however was in a world of her own; a world where she was doing something better than settling for being a shop girl.
He ran through the aisles, his attention on a scurrying, lightning fast cybermat as it zipped here and there, neatly evading him. He didn't notice the blonde shop attendant who was staring vacantly at the wall until he smacked into her, sending them both tumbling to the floor—him on top of her.
"Er, Sorry, sorry," he said, hastily getting up and lending her a hand.
Rose noticed his dishevelled appearance immediately.
"You alright, mate?" she asked. He looked like he'd been through hell. His hair was a mess and his face was smudged with dirt. His clothes were also not in their best condition. His pinstriped trousers were torn, his partially tucked shirt and loose tie dirt ridden.
"Yeah...yes, yes I am," he answered almost absently. He jumped impatiently on his feet, and his head swerved around the room—scanning for the cybermat but she didn't know that. "Don't worry, this is all perfectly normal."
"Are you sure?" she persisted.
His head whipped back to her and she felt strange—not exactly uncomfortable though—at the intensity of his gaze. His eyes were a pretty shade of green, she marvelled almost absently. He, on the other hand was fascinated by the amount of concern in the voice of this stranger.
There was a lingering silence as he forgot for a moment that she'd asked him a question. She couldn't bring herself to break it, surprisingly but she didn't have to. The cybermat did it for her. His attention was immediately snapped to the swift movement of silver behind her and with a triumphant whoop, he lurched towards it. She was unsure whether to be amused or concerned when he fell down comically and didn't bother getting up but crawled frantically towards one of the clothes' rack. He pulled out a strange silver device and pointed it under the rack. At the press of a button, the tip glowed blue and made an odd sort of a buzz. Rose couldn't help but stare. A few others did too.
"Gotcha," he mumbled.
Rose cautiously stepped towards him just as he reached for something under the rack. She was just about to ask him what he was looking for when he screamed and pulled out his hand and along with it came a silver mechanical mouse type thing, its teeth firmly clenching his fingers. He tried to get it off unsuccessfully and more howls of pain followed. Rose immediately rushed forward even though she wasn't really sure what to do. She grabbed the mouse by the side of its mouth, trying to dislodge its jaws from the eccentric man's hand. With a mighty tug, he was free but just as soon, the mouse jumped for her. She screamed and wrapped her hands around it to keep it away. It was very powerful for such a small thing and the force of its momentum threw her to the ground.
Rose couldn't believe the strength of the thing. It took all she had to keep it away from biting into her face as it pushed forwards with a shocking force, its metal teeth gleaming in the artificial lights of the room. Rose vaguely heard someone step up to help but the crazy stranger told them to stand back and before she could get angry, she heard that odd buzz from the silver and blue device again. Seconds later, the mouse stopped moving. Rose threw it off her hastily and scrambled back, until her back hit the wall.
The crazy man cast a cautious eye at the mouse, and told the crowd that had gathered not to touch it before hurrying towards her.
"Are you alright?" he asked. It seemed that their conversations were going in a loop.
"Yeah," Rose answered and she really was. Maybe a bit shaken but that was it. He, on the other hand, was bleeding but he didn't seem to notice or care. But Rose did.
"You're hurt," she pointed out as he pulled that silver wand of his once more and waved it in her face, making it buzz again.
"Hmm?" he wasn't quite listening as he read the sonic. She really was fine. Only with an elevated heart rate, but that was quite alright.
"You're hurt," she repeated and he looked down at his injured hand.
"Oh," he said in a small voice.
"Come here." She took his other hand and led him away. He picked up the cybermat on the way but followed her without a fuss. He quite liked the feel of her hand in his, he noted absently.
"That was very brave," he commemorated as she gestured for him to sit behind an unmanned counter.
"What was that thing? The mechanical mouse?" Rose asked as she brought out a small first aid kit and pulled a swab of cotton and a bottle of antiseptic.
"Cybermat," he answered smiling up at her only to shriek shrilly when she tried to clean his wounds.
"Stop squirming," Rose said, tugging his injured arm towards her.
"It hurts!" he protested like a child.
"What's a cybermat?" she tried to divert his attention so he wouldn't concentrate on the pain.
"Cybermats are infiltrators. Very small, very aaahh! Are you trying to kill me?"
Rose tried not to smile. She was being as gentle but he was behaving like a nine year old.
"Very small, very?" she prompted.
"...deadly." He answered with a pout. "They collect power like bees collect pollen. This little guy," he waved the cybermat, "has been sucking the electrical energy from this area."
"Why here?" Rose asked. "I mean, there are better places to get power from. Why a shop? It could er, go to a nuclear station or something."
"Ooh, very good! I've been thinking that too." He frowned as he studied the cybermat. "It doesn't make sense."
He yelled again when she started to bandage his hand. "You are trying to kill me." He accused. "That's very rude. Especially when I just saved your life!"
Rose sighed. "So, how long have you been chasing this cybermat thing?" she said gesturing at the state of his clothes.
"Twelve minutes, thirty six seconds," he answered. "I was supposed to go to Felspoon but the TARDIS is a bit not well at the moment so I crashed on Earth instead and that's when I found the cybermat and got sidetracked"
Oh god, this guy really was crazy. Or suffering from severe head trauma. Rose wondered if she should take him to the hospital. He really looked like he needed a good check up.
"I'm the Doctor, by the way." He said. "Well, I think I'm the Doctor. Not exactly sure at the moment though. Still cooking a bit you see. Had a long day. What's your name?"
"Rose. Rose Tyler."
"Nice to meet you Rose," the Doctor grinned. "Do you happen to have any apples?"
"Apples?"
"I think I'm having a craving. Never had cravings before," he said gleefully. "Do you have any then?"
"Uh, not at the moment, no." Rose said.
His face fell. Rose was just about to suggest that they could go over to the market and get some if he really wanted apples that badly when the cyber mouse...mat, cybermat twitched it tail.
The Doctor dropped it in surprise and jumped up from his seat, pointing his silver tube thing at the cybermat. But when he pressed the on switch, it fizzed and the blue light flickered and the device started to smoke.
"Oh come on," the Doctor moaned. "Not now!"
The cybermat lurched and the Doctor and Rose ducked in opposite directions. The cybermat swerved around and zipped towards Rose who frantically tried to back away. Just when it'd almost cornered her, she felt a cool hand on hers and found the Doctor's warm green eyes and manic smile meet her as she looked up.
"Run!" he said and she did.
A/N: Okay, so what do you think? This happens to be my first Doctor Who fic so I'm not exactly sure if I got the characters right. I'd love some feedback so I know what I'm doing right and what's wrong so that I can fix it. Reviews will be ever so appreaciated. I'll update as soon as I can. See you next chapter.
