AN: This was meant to be a short one-shot. Didn't turn out that way. This is the most unusual thing I've ever written, in it being so normal… Which means I'm really weird, but we already knew that!
Doctor Who: The Mugging of Rose Tyler
They had stopped at Beijing to refuel. Apparently it was almost as good as Cardiff, and a lot less dangerous.
Jack had gone off on his own early this morning, so she had convinced the Doctor to entertain her. Grudgingly, he showed her around Beijing, pointing out the cultural differences. They had ended up at a museum that showcased Chinese history and the Doctor had begun to describe his adventures with the building of the Great Wall when he saw someone he recognized.
This was not an unusual occasion, since he had been to every corner of Earth. What was unusual is that he was glad to see her.
Rose watched enviously as the Doctor started speaking rapidly to the tall, dark-haired woman in the low-cut red dress.
"Rose, this is Anh," the Doctor introduced them, grinning at Anh, "She was a student when I met her the first time, but now she's the curator of this museum!"
"Nice to meet you," Rose said politely. If Anh responded, she didn't notice. Rose was too busy watching the Doctor fall over himself.
"She's invited us to join her for dinner," the Doctor said, snapping Rose out of her reverie.
Rose smiled tightly, "That's great, Doctor, but I think I'll just stay here. You two go ahead."
The Doctor shrugged, "Suit yourself. You can get home, right?"
Rose glared at him. What was she, five?
"Yah," she said shortly.
She had wandered around the museum for a little while, quickly bored without the Doctor's stories.
As Rose stepped out into the dark night, she shivered. The day had been clear and warm, but since night had fallen a cold mist had settled on the city. The thin t-shirt and skirt she had worn were practically useless and she wrapped her arms around herself as she strode forward.
Entering the dimly-lit streets, Rose started to dig through her purse, looking to see if she had enough local currency to take a taxi. The TARDIS was on the other side of town, too far to walk in the cold mist.
She didn't notice as she turned the corner that the streetlight ahead was burnt out. It wasn't until she had to pull out her phone for its light that she looked up in confusion.
By then, it was too late. The darkness concealed the entrance to a small alley. Three teenage boys grabbed her and yanked her into the alley.
"Hey!" Rose yelled, fighting against their grip.
"Give us the bag, lady, and we won't hurt you," the tallest boy said.
Rose stopped fighting and handed over the bag. It wasn't worth fighting over.
The boy took it and dumped the contents.
"That's it?" he exclaimed, "No credit cards, nothing?"
"Shoulda picked someone else, I guess," Rose said, aggravated, "Now let me go!" she said, trying to pull away from the two boys holding her.
The leader sneered at her, "You got to make it worth our while, lady." He looked her over and Rose's stomach clenched.
"Don't touch me," Rose warned. The boy laughed, gesturing for the other two to drag her farther into the dead-end.
"Let me go!" Rose screamed, "Help! Somebody help me!"
The boy punched her and the others laughed as they let her fall to the ground. She landed with a huff, her phone skidding out of her pocket and across the cement.
There was a loud crunch as the boy crushed it under his heel.
Rose covered her face with her hand, holding back the pain. She crept backwards, the boys laughing as they circled predatorily.
Rose waited until the smallest boy was behind her and then leapt to her feet, barreling into him and slamming him up against the wall. Before the others could react, she took off down the alleyway- headed for the street.
All that running with the Doctor had paid off, and, though there pursued her, she managed to dodge them, twisting around corners and finally losing them.
Panting, her hands on her knees, Rose leaned against the cold brick of a building, comfortingly encircled by the streetlight. She looked up and realized she had no idea where she was.
Great. No phone, no money, and now she was lost. She felt like crying, and winced as pain shot from her head.
She heard a car approach, the lights illuminating the mist. It squeaked to a stop somewhere in front of her.
"You okay?" she heard a man ask, his American accent strangely comforting.
"Jack?" she asked hopefully, lifting her head to peer out into the mist.
The man paused, "Uh, no. Do you need a lift?" he asked.
Rose took a wary step forward, making out the edges of a mini-van, and relaxing as she saw the word TAXI written boldly across it.
She stepped up to the passenger door, peering in the open window. She nearly jerked away in surprise.
The driver looked like the Doctor! She blinked quickly and tried to calm down.
"I don't have any money," she said finally, frustrated to realize that help was so close but still so far, "But if you could tell me which way the Grand Hotel is, I'd appreciate it."
The driver laughed, "If you think I'm going to let you hoof it that far in the middle of the night, you're crazier than you look."
"Hey!" Rose said, affronted, "I can take care of myself!"
The driver frowned, "I'm sure you can, or you wouldn't be talking to me now, would you? Get mugged?" he asked, his voice softly concerned.
Rose touched her face, embarrassed. "Yah," she said, "Took my purse. Broke my cell."
"Get in," the driver said, reaching over to open the passenger door.
Rose looked at him, surprised. "You sure?" she asked, slipping into the car.
The driver laughed again, nodding. He looked over at her, "Here," he said, reaching under his seat and pulling out a brown and blue knitted blanket. He handed it to her.
"It'll warm you up faster than the heater in this thing," he said with a wry smile.
Rose took the blanket, surprised at its softness and beauty.
"It's beautiful," she murmured, wrapping it tightly around her.
The driver grinned at her as he pulled away from the curb.
"Thanks," he said, "I made it."
"No!" Rose exclaimed, looking down at the blanket.
"Hey, can't a man knit?" the driver said, mock affronted.
Rose laughed, shaking her head.
"My name's Ben," the driver said.
"Mine's Rose," she said, immediately liking the upbeat man. That he looked like the Doctor was only a plus. Though, now that she could see him in the dashboard lights, he really looked quite different. His nose was crooked, his eyes a darker shade of blue, and his ears sat back against his head, unlike the Doctor's satellite ears. Rose giggled.
"What's so funny?" Ben asked, still grinning.
"Nothing," Rose said.
"Well, I hope you're okay with getting back to the hotel late- or early, depending on your point of view," Ben said, "Since you're not a paying customer, I actually have several stops to make before I can take you home."
"Better than walking," Rose said with a shrug.
"Thanks, I think," Ben said. Rose laughed.
They spent the next few hours messing with drunken people's heads. Rose could barely keep quiet as Ben hunched down in the seat, changing his accent from a snotty Frenchman to a confused Indian, even a passable English accent that sent her into silent convulsions.
The only gloomy spot of the whole night was Ben's request that she cover up in the blanket and stay quiet so the passengers wouldn't notice her. At her confused expression, Ben merely reassured her that it was safer that way.
"Last call," Ben said with a sigh, "then I can take you home." He seemed genuinely morose at the thought, and, to her surprise, Rose felt the same way.
Ben was a lot of fun, but, unlike Jack, she didn't have to field him off every few minutes or watch with irritation as he walked off with anything that moved. In fact, Rose thought, even when the few drunken women they had picked up had practically flashed him, Ben still kept his eyes on the road with an exasperated expression on his face. The Doctor could learn a few things from him; like how to keep the same mood for more than five minutes.
They stopped outside a bar. A man stumbled up to the cab, sliding in gracelessly. He reeked of cheap liquor.
"Where to?" Ben asked, without any accent this time.
Rose looked at him, surprised to see how tense he suddenly was. She abruptly found out why as the drunken man pulled out a gun and aimed it at Ben's head.
"Hand over the cash," the man demanded.
Ben looked over at her, and then glanced to the floor. Rose nodded, her eyes wide, but mouthed 'be careful'. Ben smiled tightly.
"Sure, man, just be cool," Ben said, raising his hands. He started to reach for the cash box, and then suddenly twisted.
Rose dove to the floor, holding her breath in anticipation of a shot. Oh, God, what if Ben got shot? She didn't know where the hospital was! Did he even have a cell phone?
She heard the back door crash open. After a moment's silence, Rose looked up.
"Ben?" she whispered, her heart in her throat. She shook in relief as he grinned down at her, the barrel of a gun gripped in his hand. Rose leapt up and threw her arms around him.
"Oh, God, Ben! Are you okay? I was so scared!"
Ben laughed, his deep, hearty laughter vibrating into her bones. His free hand embraced her with surprising strength.
"I'm fine," he said, pulling away. Rose sat back in her seat and watched as he opened his cash box and carefully set the gun inside- next to three others.
"What are those?" Rose asked, her voice horrified.
Ben grinned at her, "What, you think that's the first gun I've had pulled on me?" he nodded towards the box, "That's just this week. I dump them in the river once a week."
"You do this a lot?" Rose said in astonishment, "Wait a minute! The river? Aren't you supposed to turn them into the police or report it or something?"
Ben shrugged, "Yah, I could do that, but then I'd have the same gun pointed back at me a week later."
"And you live here why?" Rose asked sardonically.
Ben shrugged as the van pulled away from the bar, "Wanted to travel- see the world."
"Oh," Rose said softly, relaxing as the taxi was in motion, "I can understand that," she said, "That's what I do. Me and Jack and the Doctor. We travel, see the sights."
Ben looked over at her, his hands clenched around the steering wheel.
"So," he asked, his voice tight, "you and Jack are…" he trailed off, the tips of his ears turning red, "Never mind," he said quickly, "None of my business."
Rose looked over at him in astonishment. He liked her! Like, liked like. She couldn't help but giggle, but she managed to answer him.
"No, Jack… Well, let's just say he loves everyone he meets," she said, shaking her head.
"Oh," Ben said, perking up a bit, "and the Doctor fellow?"
Rose snorted in amusement, "The Doctor thinks I'm twelve years old… on a good day."
"You're not twelve," Ben said, his voice deepening.
"No, I'm not," Rose said as if realizing it for the first time. She looked out the window, trying to process her thoughts.
They drove in silence for a few minutes, until Rose noticed something.
"Didn't we just pass this store?" she asked, suddenly breaking the silence.
Ben flushed, not meeting her eyes as he pulled the car into a parking spot outside a quiet residential high rise. When he put the mini-van in park, he turned his whole body towards her and finally met her eyes.
"Rose, I…" he sighed, and yanked at his right ear, "I've been circling this block for the past ten minutes. The hotel is just a few blocks down from here, and…" he looked intently into her eyes, "I don't want to take you home yet."
Rose blushed, "Oh…" she paused for a long moment, processing.
Hurt flooded Ben's eyes, and he turned and put the van in reverse.
Rose put her small hand on top of his large one and slid the gear back into park. He looked over at her, his eyes wide.
"Ben," Rose said, her voice quiet, "I don't want to go home yet."
Ben grinned, "Wonderful!" he said, almost shouting. He leapt from the car, sprinting to Rose's door before she could blink. She laughed at his excitement, but she was confused. Did he live here?
Ben opened her door and helped her out, tucking the blanket tightly around her to keep her warm. She looked up at him. And up. And up. She blinked. He was huge! She had no idea he was so big, just seeing him sitting in the driver's seat. She was eye to chest with him, and an impressive chest it was. He filled out the black turtleneck to perfection.
"How tall are you?" Rose asked in astonishment.
"Six foot six," Ben said, grinning down at her.
"What…" Rose started to ask, but Ben just shook his head and opened the back door. With a flourish, he pressed a button and Rose watched in amusement as the back seats folded into the floor- creating a nice sized room in the back of the cab.
Ben jumped into the back and dug under the passenger seat, pulling out a thermos and a small cooler.
"Dinner?" he asked with a grin.
Rose's stomach growled loudly and they both laughed. She climbed into the back, sliding the door shut behind her.
As Ben set up a picnic, Rose got comfortable, spreading out the blanket beneath her.
"Here," Ben said with a smile, handing her the thermos lid filled with coffee, "Sorry it's not tea, but at least it's still warm."
Rose wrapped her hands around the warm metal and hummed a note of thanks as her icy fingers finally defrosted. She took a sip, watching Ben over the rim of the cup.
He was really cute when he was concentrating. His brow furrowed as he spread out a napkin and carefully set out a spread. Much to Rose's amusement he laid out little cubes of cheese, yellow and white, some squares of meat and a bunch of tiny red grapes.
"Ta da!" he exclaimed, looking up at her with an embarrassed grin.
Rose laughed, "You expecting to serve tea?" she asked.
Ben yanked at his ear, "I eat on the go," he explained, "So it makes sense to have things prepared."
Rose nodded, and then asked with a grin, "And the miniature grapes?"
Ben grinned, his eyes dancing, "Those, Miss Rose, are champagne grapes. They taste good."
Rose's eyes widened in curiosity, "Really? I thought they were just babies!"
Ben chuckled and picked off three tiny grapes, his large fingers surprisingly dexterous.
"Here," he said lowly, his eyes darkening as he reached out to feed them to Rose, "See what you think."
Rose licked her lips and opened her mouth, allowing him to drop the grapes onto her tongue. His fingers hovered for a moment before he reached down and took the cup of coffee from her. Taking a sip, he watched her intently.
Rose closed her eyes as the tiny grapes exploded in her mouth- their taste surprisingly sweet. She smiled and opened her eyes.
"They're really good," she said quietly.
Ben nodded, sipping at the coffee. He sat the cup down between them and then began to assemble the meats and cheeses into little sandwiches.
"The yellow cheese is sharp cheddar. The white is American. I think that the American goes best with the turkey," he said as he stacked them, "But the ham needs a stronger cheese, like the cheddar." He looked up at her, "You have to get sharp, though. It's the only kind that can stand up to the flavor of the meat."
Rose suddenly realized he wasn't talking about their snack. She blushed and reached out to take one he had finished. She took a bite and chewed thoughtfully.
"You're right," she said finally, "they both have strong flavors, but they balance each other out."
They ate and laughed as he recounted his adventures adapting to customs. As Ben carefully packed away the cooler and empty thermos, Rose shared a story of her own.
Rose held her sides, "Oh, you have no idea how weird customs can get!" she exclaimed after he told her of bribing his grocer for non-expired milk. "This one time, I was mistaken for the Doctor's daughter, and he was expected to trade me for the chief's daughter! And he had to marry her!"
Ben looked at her, shaking his head, "I bet that went over well."
Rose nodded, still laughing as she pictured the Doctor's expression, "I've never seen him haggle so fast!" she said.
"Didn't want to trade you?" Ben asked.
"Didn't want to marry her!" Rose said with a laugh.
Ben frowned. They were just inches from each other now, lying across the floor of the van, propped up on their elbows facing each other.
"I'd be more worried about losing you," he said softly. Rose froze as he reached out and cupped her cheek. His large hand warmed the side of her face and she leaned into him.
"Rose?" Ben asked quietly.
"Yah?" she whispered.
"May I kiss you?" he asked.
Rose nodded.