I don't own Doctor Who, the TARDIS or anything but our new friend Rachel. Enjoy!
Rachel
The Cross Country bus pulled up outside the road house. The brakes hissed as as it came to a stop. The doors opened and slowly, passengers started to get out of the bus. The evening air was cool as the passengers milled around outside the bus. Some went to wait by the baggage compartment, waiting for the driver to find their belongings, for this was their last stop, others, headed into the roadhouse for a much needed break of food, personal refreshment and leg stretching.
One particular passenger though, hovered hesitantly near the bus as she clutched a small tote bag close to her. Other passengers moved around her, talking to each other, whining about the trip. But she spoke to no one. Her dirty-blond hair was tied back in a loose pony-tail and her blue eyes nervously surveyed the area. After a moment she followed the other passengers into the roadhouse and as she did, she heard the oddest sound she'd ever heard. It was like something screeching and clanging and well, she had no idea, because while it sounded like that, it also didn't. There was an un-earthly quality to the noise. She looked around for the source of the mysterious noise. Just to the side of the roadhouse a large blue box appeared. She stopped walking and tried look closely at it. It was a blue London Police Call Box. Well, nothing really odd about that in the middle of an American Roadhouse right? Not really. The place was called London House. No, the box itself wasn't was what weird to the young woman. No, the weird thing was, she could've sworn that the blue box hadn't been their only a few moments ago... AND... That only a moment before that it had been translucent.
She continued to stand their and watch it and the door opened. out stepped a tallish man, with unruly hair and a long brown trench coat. She shook her head in disbelief.
"It's just a telephone box... It was always there and he was making call..." She said to herself, as she turned away and headed inside.
-T-A-R-D-I-S-
The Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS and looked around. This definitely wasn't London. Ok... maybe it was. The Roadhouse was called London House. He sighed miserably to himself. He hadn't landed correctly anywhere since he'd lost Donna, Martha and Rose. He shrugged and decided to look anyway.
Inside the building he looked around. People were walking around, ordering food, chatting to one another. Acting just the way humans do. He smiled as he watched them, enjoying being among the apes again. At the food counter he heard someone order a bowl of chips.
Chips... He thought to himself... Rose's favorite... I hope he buys her chips...
Without thinking he made his way to the counter and ordered a large bowl of chips. As the young man working their scooped the chips into a bowl, he suddenly wondered what he was going to do with a large bowl of chips all by himself. He frowned slightly as he payed for the chips, then looked around for somewhere to sit. All the tables were taken. In a back corner, a booth was occupied by a sole occupant. A young woman with dirty-blond hair. She was different from the other people in this place. She sat alone in a corner, reading a book. She had no food or drink with her and she was young. He headed over to her.
"This seat taken?" He asked her.
She looked up at him. He'd been right. She was young. Younger than Rose even. She had a curious look on her face as she saw him. But what surprised The Doctor about the girl, was her eyes. They looked haunted, not possessed haunted... Haunted like she was hiding from something.
She shrugged as she looked at him. Her pale blue eyes took in every feature of his face. He was the man she'd seen come out of the call box, "It's yours if you want it," She finally said. Her voice was low and soft. The Doctor had to struggle to hear her over the chatter of the people around them.
He smiled as he sat down across from her and placed the chips down on the table. As he grabbed one and chewed it, he looked down at the book she was reading. She'd already returned to reading, so surely, it must be more interesting then him.
"Advanced Theorem of Ignatius Aoppalote," The Doctor remarked, sounding obviously impressed, "Wow, that's not easy reading."
"It's research," The girl replied, not looking up at him. Yep, the book must've been really interesting.
She looked up briefly as he chewed another chip. She eyed the bowl hungrily. He guessed she hadn't eaten since earlier the day before, "I'm Doctor John Smith," He said extending a hand to her.
She eyed the hand cautiously before lowering her book and excepting the hand shake. For a young girl she had a strong, firm grip. He was impressed, "Rachel Malone," She said.
Sitting up close to her, the Doctor managed to get a good look at the girl. Where had he seen her before? Then it hit him. A few months before Davros, he and Donna had, had a strange encounter...
"Where are we? Had Donna asked him.
"I dunno... Let's have a look!" He'd replied as he usually did, but suddenly there had been the sound of a key in the TARDIS lock and a blond woman had burst through the door and slammed it shut behind her.
"Who are you?" Donna had cried.
"What?" He'd muttered as he stared at the unfamiliar face.
But the woman had ignored them both and looked around the TARDIS, He'd initially assumed because she'd never seen anything quite like it, "Oh my god..." She'd whispered under her breath, but then she'd continued, "It's really the TARDIS..." That had caught his attention. She knew what the TARDIS was. She finally looked at him and a smile broke across her face that truely made her face glow.
She approached him slowly and raised her hand, as his she were about to caress his face, but then dropped it and looked at the grating that made the floor, "Right... You don't remember me... It hasn't happened yet..."
Donna had looked at the Doctor, who had been staring intently at the woman infront of him, "Doctor? What's going on?"
"Exactly what I'd like to know," He said. He didn't move away from the strange woman, instead, he looked her over. Taking in everything there was about her. She had dirty blond hair, pale blue eyes. Her skin was fair, but blemished with a few freckles. He'd thought that was odd, blonds don't have freckles, red heads do... She was wearing a dark blue windbreaker with the letters "FBI" in big yellow lettering on it. He didn't recall knowing anyone in the FBI. Under the windbreaker her could tell she was wearing a Kevlar vest on top of a red polo shirt. The rest of the look was completed by light blue jeans... And red trainers... Just like his... "What hasn't happened yet?"
The woman had sighed, "Us meeting..." There was a sadness in her voice, a sense of longing, "You know, it's funny. The first time you meet me, I'm ten years older then the first time I meet you. You tried to explain that to me... How time was like a big ball of Wibbly Wobbly, Timey Wimey Stuff..."
"Wibbly Wobbly, Timey Wimey Stuff," The Doctor said with her.
She nodded, "Yep, that's right."
"Who are you?" He'd asked.
"I'm Rachel," She'd turned to Donna then and smiled. It was a sad, knowing smile. As if she knew something about Donna, "And you must be Donna Noble..."
Donna looked startled as Rachel had said her name, "How...?"
"She's from my future... Like River Song," The Doctor said, "But it's still the same time as we've met..." He'd etched her face into is memory, trying to make sure he'd remember her for when the time came.
"Something like that..." Rachel said, "I'm so happy to finally meet you, Donna. I've heard so much about you," She walked up to her, "You're no ordinary person. Remember that, no matter what happens and also remember this, you're a hero in a lot of peoples eyes."
"What do you mean?" Donna asked, "I'm just a temp!"
She'd glanced towards the Doctor, "I can't say anymore, if I did I'd be breaking some Gallifreyan Time Law. I believe it's law Section fifteen, part ninety-two point eight point three of the Book of Rassilon. The revealing of one's future allows that person to change events without the oversight of a Time Lord. Or something like that, words aren't my thing, numbers are."
The Doctor gaped at her. He'd never told anyone Gallifreyan Time Laws. Why would he have told her? She smiled at him, again, that knowing smile, "Anyway. I must be off. I actually have a job to do and if we let this guy get away again it'll be on my head. Really no fun being the junior agent when that happens. Take care you two."
She'd headed for the door of the TARDIS then stopped and turned back to the Doctor, "Promise me you'll come back one day. When you do remember?"
All he'd been able to do was nod his head, yes. He was baffled by this strange woman who knew about him and Donna and the TARDIS AND Gallifreyan Time Laws.
She opened the door a crack and suddenly he'd run over to the door and grabbed her arm, preventing her from pulling the door open any further, "Wait," He'd whispered hoarsely to her.
Just as he'd finished his warning, the three of them had heard the sound of a bullet ricocheting off the TARDIS door. Rachel had looked at him, "Still saving my life? I guess some things never change Doctor. I believe the first time was the Slitheen."
With that, she'd stepped out into the alleyway where the TARDIS had landed. They'd heard people shouting out there and her voice was added to the frey, ordering someone to freeze and drop their weapon. He'd closed the door and looked at Donna...
He stared at the girl infront of him, to the extent that he forgot to chew the chip in his mouth. This was the same girl. Ten years younger. Just like she'd said. Oh how life really was a big ball of Wibbly Wobbly, Timey Wimey stuff...
Rassilon... He thought to himself.
He thought back to the woman he'd met with Donna. Vibrant and full of life, rambled, a bit like him. Knew about time travel and him and Donna. She'd seemed happy, despite being in the middle of a chase.
Well, saving the world does usually include an awful lot of running...
She'd obviously felt his stare on her because she looked up at him, "Yes?" It struck him how totally different these two people were. Well, they were the same person, but totally different. posture, attitude, the looks on their faces. Her face. Had he made that difference? Or had ten years made that difference?
"Nothing, just... Would you like some chips? I can't possibly eat all of these myself and I keep forgetting I'm not traveling with anyone anymore. I had this friend you see, absolutely loved chips. Could eat them all day if she wanted to," He'd started to ramble, to cover his moment of blankness. And in that ramble he'd just happened to bring up Rose. He sighed to himself and pushed the bowl closer to her.
She looked hesitantly at him, then glanced at the chips. Then reached out a hand and took one, "Thanks," She said.
"So, any particular theorem you're looking at? Or just like his work?" The Doctor asked, motioning to the book.
"The Rachmal Theorem."
"Ahh, one of the greatest mysteries of all time," The Doctor replied, "What does it do?"
"Well, that's what I plan to find out," Rachel said.
The Doctor grinned at her as he raised an eyebrow, "Really now?"
She nodded, "Yep." She looked at the chips again. He pretended not to notice and after a few moments she took another.
As she ate more chips, she became more talkative. She'd graduated High School three months ago, but had decided not to pursue her studies, which he thought was perposturous. She was obviously intelligent, for an ape anyway... She loved horses, traveling and the Rachmal theorem was her Mother's work.
"And your mum, where's she now?" He asked.
She turned away from him and stared out of the window, "She's dead. Three years ago in a car accident. I promised I'd finish her work." She could see people moving around outside, "My bus is getting ready to leave."
"It's been lovely chatting Rachel," The Doctor said. His face was consumed by a huge grin as he offered his hand again.
This time, she really smiled at him as she took his offered hand, "You too Doctor Smith. I hope we meet again."
She put her book away in her bag and headed off towards the door. She gave him a small wave as she walked past him via the windows and as he watched her board the bus, he heard her voice in his head. Well, not hers, the older her.
"I believe the first time was the Slitheen."
He leapt up from the booth and pushed past a few people to get to the door. A few people shouted angry cries after him, but he ignored them as he ran outside after her, "RACHEL!" He screamed, but she was already on the bus and the last person was boarding. The doors closed just before he reached the back of the bus and then it took off... Leaving him standing there in a cloud of dust.
-T-A-R-D-I-S-
The Doctor ran back to the TARDIS. He threw open the doors as he entered. His mind was racing a hundred miles a second. No, a hundred thousand miles a second. What could the Slitheen want at a small Roadhouse? Ok, the place was gimmicky, but even the Slitheen weren't that stupid to believe the place could really be London. Why would he need to save Rachel from them? She was too young to be significant right? But then again she was researching Ignatius Aoppalote. Many of his theories were controversial and of course, his biggest one, the Rachmal theorem. No one knew what it was supposed to do. Or how to finish it.
Rachmal... What was her name? Rachel Malone... No... Could it be possible? No...
The Doctor glanced around the TARDIS, "Alright old girl, After that bus!"
He started twisting knobs, hitting buttons, pushing levers, all while jumping around the TARDIS, getting her on a path to follow the bus. His mind was still buzzing with thoughts as to why the Slitheen could be here. They liked to take over the world... That was very hard to do from a little road house... Perhaps there was someone important on that bus?
Well, he'd figure it out soon enough. Using the view screen he spotted the bus just ahead. He opened the door to the TARDIS and stared ahead at the bus. Throwing around options in his head. He didn't want to hurt anyone on the bus. So, he pointed his sonic screw driver at the back wheel. After a few seconds he saw it go flat. The bus swerved slightly then pulled up by the side of the road. The Doctor stepped back into the TARDIS and landed a few yards ahead of the bus.
-T-A-R-D-I-S-
Rachel stepped onto the bus and slowly made her way to the back. There hadn't been many people sitting there on the last leg of the trip. She'd been almost last getting on. She couldn't quite believe that she'd gotten so caught up talking to that man, though he had been very interesting and there was a charming quality about him. And definitely unique. Yes, she would definitely like to meet him again.
She sat down and put her bag beside her. She could've sworn she'd heard her name being called as the bus took off, but it was so noisey in the bus she couldn't be certain and Rachel wasn't a rare name. She leaned her head against the window as they drove. An old woman was sitting next to her and let off a fart... that, well no human could ever make.
No one should release that much sulpher when farting... Ohh... Gross...
She wrinkled her nose as discretely as possible. She wanted desperately to move, but she couldn't. She wanted to raise her hand to cover her mouth and nose, but was trying very hard not to appear rude. Instead she opened the window above her head.
The old woman reached out her hand to her, "Oh so sorry sweety!" Then she laughed. Well, it sounded more like a cackle really. The old woman ran her hand through Rachel's hair as she stared a weird grin at her.
"Oh... No, that's fine Ma'am..." Rachel replied trying to move out of the woman's reach, but she was cornered.
"Such lovely manners, child," The woman cackled, "Oh how lovely. Intelligent too I think. You look intelligent. Are you intelligent?"
Rachel shrugged, "I..."
Her eyes surveyed the bus, trying to find someone who'd help her, but everyone was staring intently ahead. She was on her own. Nothing new with that.
"Excuse me Ma'am, I'd just like to read my book..." She said, her voice betrayed her nerves. something about this woman scared her.
The woman looked down at her bag, "Ahh, yes, definitely intelligent and the one we're after..."
Suddenly the bus swerved and the back felt bumpy, as if the tire had gone flat. As the bus swerved back the other direction, the old woman fell on top of Rachel. The bus came to a stop by the side of the road. The driver ordered people off the bus, but seemed to ignore the old lady, who was on top of her...
-T-A-R-D-I-S-
The Doctor ran from the TARDIS as people started to get off the bus. They were talking constantly about this and that, trying to figure out what had happened. He searched their faces, looking for the young woman he'd just met, but he didn't see her among them. People were no longer coming off the bus. In fact, the doors were closed...
The Doctor also noticed, that the driver hadn't come off yet. He looked around. This was definitely the bus he'd seen the girl get on. He stared at the bus, a few people were hovering at the back of the bus that he could see. Suddenly, light burst from their foreheads...
"Slitheen!" He hissed to himself as he heard a scream from inside the bus...
He hammered on the door, but no one took any notice of him. He grabbed his sonic screwdriver from his jacket and pointed it at the door. Something snapped and he shoved the door open himself. The Slitheen were shedding their skin suits as he bounded up the stairs. He pulled out the bottle of vinegar he had in his jacket pocket as he approached them.
"Step away from the girl," He said to them.
She looked up at him from her place in the back corner of the bus. She looked scared. The Slitheen stared at him too, but they didn't look scared of him, no, they looked smug. Like they knew something he didn't.
"Help me!" She mouthed to him, "Please..."
"I will!" He mouthed back to her. He pulled the vinegar from his jacket and approached them squirting.
"RETREAT!" The Slitheen, standing right next to Rachel cried. Then it grabbed her. She screamed as the Slitheen's hand wrapped around her arm.
"DOCTOR!" She cried, just as they vanished away.
The Doctor was left standing there, with the bottle of vineger in one hand, "NO!" He yelled after them.
The people from the bus were now looking intently at the bus and were gasping at what they'd seen through the windows. But he didn't care about them right now. The Slitheen had Rachel. Why did he care though? He didn't know her. They'd only met today. Well, if you didn't include their first strange meeting.
-T-A-R-D-I-S-
The Doctor paced around the TARDIS. Where would the Slitheen take the girl? Why did they want the girl? She was young and from what he could tell, nothing particually special. Where eould the Slitheen take her? Maybe they had a ship in orbit? It needed to be reletively close for a teleport. He started to use the TARDIS to scan for other alien vessels.
"Booyeah!" He cried. The TARDIS located a slitheen ship, just on the other side of the moon. Out of sight for the humans and close enough for teleports. He set the TARDIS to go to the Slitheen ship. They wanted the girl and he wanted to know why and get her back.
The TARDIS materialized on the Slitheen ship and the Doctor stepped out. Luckily, the room he had landed in was empty. He retrieved his Sonic Screwdriver from his pocket and searced for any human lifesigns and he found one. Quite close actually and it was coming closer. So were four Slitheen. The Doctor dashed back to the TARDIS and left the door slightly ajar. Four Slitheen entered the room just as he'd predicted. Between two of them, they carried a struggling Rachel. She was trying her hardest, but her small form was no match for two big Slitheen. He looked at her face, she was clearly scared.
Rachel continued to struggle and one the the other Slitheen turned to her. His green hand raised and he brought it down on her. Causing her whimper and lose her footing. She stumbled and the two holding her dragged her along. The Doctor had seen enough. He started to step out of the TARDIS when the Slitheen started speaking.
"You will work out the theorem for us Human," The lead one announced.
She shook her head, but didn't look up at them, "I... I don't know how..." She whimpered.
He raised his awful green hand to her again and she tried to pull away. She whimpered from fear, "DO IT!" The Slitheen ordered. The two holding her dragged her forward to a computer panel and pushed her into a seat. "Work," The lead one ordered.
The Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS and silently made his way over to the four Slitheen. He held up the vinger bottle, "How about we let the girl go before I cover you all in vineger, eh?"
The four Slitheen turned to him as did Rachel. Her eyes lit up at the sight of a friendly face. Till one of the Slitheen grabbed her and pulled her away from the computer.
It held her, one arm around her neck, "You come anywhere near us and I'll kill her."
"No you won't. You need her too much!" The Doctor replied calling the Slitheen's bluff.
The Doctor squirted the Slitheen closest to him. he Slitheen took off running, while smokig from the reaction between the calcium and vineger.
The Doctor grinned at Rachel, "They're mainly made up of calcium. Vineger takes care of them nicely."
She probably would have nodded, but the Slitheen holding her was acking off with her. His arm, still tightly wrapped around her neck.
"I'd stop moving if I were you!" He held the vinger out, "It squirts!"
The two other remaining Slitheen moved in his way. He noticed the lead Slitheen taking off with Rachel. Suddenly she stomped on it's foot, causing it to yelp. She did it again. The Slitheen pushed her away roughly. she stumbled away from the alien. Her bag went flying to the other side of the room.
The Doctor was busy watching her. One of the Slitheen attacked him and sent him flying. He landed with a thud on the floor. Rachel glared at the Sliteen that had attacked the Doctor.
"Oi! Over here green thing!" She yelled. The three Slitheen turned to her. Her face paled as the three of them approached her, "Ok..." She muttered to herself, "Chicago gangsters... Big green things... How different can they be?"
The Doctor struggled up as the girl was descended upon by the big green aliens. He was impressed, she could actually fight. One Slitheen actually stumbled after she'd delivered a swift kick to it's burly stomach. But she was grabbed by one of the others. She used that as an opertunity to kick the third one under the chin.
The Doctor squirted the one holding her and it released her instantly. She fell to the ground with a thud. She crawled away from the Slitheen who was running around, from the vineger. She got to her feet only to be confronted by the lead Slitheen. The Doctor, was busy dealing with the first one she'd kicked.
The lead Slitheen glared at her. He hadn't appreciated the kick to the chin. She was just a Human. He reached out and grabbed her by the neck, "Help..." She choked out. The Doctor finished his Slitheen off with a squirt to the eyes, which sent the alien running around in a frenzy.
He turned his attention to the last Slitheen and the girl. The Slitheen was holding her. It was obviously angry with her. The Slitheen saw him coming and tossed Rachel aside as if she was a rag doll. She flew through the air and collided with a wall. She slid down and didn't move.
"You're going to regret that!" The Doctor hissed.
"Oh am I?" The Slitheen asked, "Do I look bothered by you?"
"You should be!" The Doctor replied, "Because I still have more of this!" He squirted non stop at the large Slitheen.
The slitheen started to wail as the others did and ran out of the room screaming, "I'M MELTING!!"
-T-A-R-D-I-S-
The Doctor knealt down beside the girl. She was unconcious and they were still on the Slitheen ship. He carefully slipped his arms under her, so he could lift her up. He got back up and noticed across the room, her bag had been abandoned by the Slitheen after his vinegar attack. He walked over to it, and while trying to keep the unconcious Rachel steady, he picked it up. He had a strange feeling that anything spacial to her was in this bag. Since it had been with the the entire time he'd known her. That time being one day.
He walked into the TARDIS on the opposite side of the room. He heard her moan softly as he passed the threshold into the TARDIS. He put her carefully down on the floor beside the console. He put the small bag on the seat and looked at her. She looked so calm, peaceful... young. When he'd first seen her, the older her. She'd been a whirl of emotions. Joy at seeing him, sadness after realizing that he didn't know her. He'd literally been able to see the adrenaline pumping through her due to her job and the gratitude after she'd realized he'd saved her life... apparently again. There'd also been pride and wisdom.
But the young girl, the one wth him right now. She'd been constantly nervous, always looking about. Smething aout her said that she was scared of something or someone. She was a mystery to him.
Now though, as he watched her, he realised it really didn't matter how someone appeared, it was when they slept, that you saw the real them. She was vunerable, even if she appeared strong. He continued to watch her. What was it about her? Was it that he'd finally met her? He hadn't met River Song yet. She moaned again. She'd taken a pretty nasty hit to the head.
He kelt beside her, "Rachel?"
She groaned again, this time, he was sure it was a word, "Daddy..."
Her father? She'd never mentiond her father when they'd been talking. She'd spoken of her mother, but never her father, "No Rachel, it's John Smith, remember?"
Slowly, her eyes fluttered open and she looked at him. He could have sworn he'd seen relief flash through her eyes, before confusion took over, "Where... Where am I?"
"My home. You got hurt. I'm so sorry."
She linked a few tims, her eys adjusting to the light. She looked at him, "What appened? I... Seem to remember little... no, big green men..."
The Doctor laughed, "Yeah, that's about right."
He helped her sit up and he smiled as she looked around the TARDIS, "What is this place?"
"My home, I live here. Come on, we best be getting you back," He said holding out a hand to her. She took it and he pulled her up. She swayed on her feet and he caught her before she could fall. He held her for a few more moments still she nodded to him. He let her go tentatively, ready to catch her if she fell again.
"What were those things?" Rachel asked him as she walked around the TARDIS. She had so many questions to ask him, about, so many things.
"Slitheen," The Doctor replied. He stopped working on the console and looked at her. Standing so close to her, he realized just how short she was, "They're always looking for ways to take over the world."
"And... Where was it, you said they came from?" She asked as she looked down at something on the console.
"Raxacoricofallapatorius," He replied, with that cheeky grin of his, "Well, strictly speaking, the Slitheen are only one family from there, but they're the only ones trying to take over earth at the moment."
She nodded, "Right..." she was obviously confused. She looked back up at him, a serious look on her face, "What happened to those three people? The real ones..."
The Doctor looked sadly at her, then back down at the console, "They're dead."
She continued to look at him, "So who are you?"
"Me? I'm the Doctor," He said.
She frowned at him, "Ok, let me rephrase. What are you?"
"Ah..." The Doctor said. He should have expected that, "Well... I'm a Time Lord. Look, Rachel, there's a lot more out there then people believe."
"Well of course there is, Doctor. Just because we think we're the only ones out there, doesn't mean we are!"
He was impressed with her. Not many humans saw it that way, "How would you like to see what's out there?"
Rachel looked hesitantly back down at the console, then at him, "You're insane, you know that right?"
"So I've been told."
"It's not possible!" She insisted.
He grinned and motioned for her to follow him "Come on."
She sighed and followed him to the TARDIS door. She looked at him incredulously as the stepped out. He turned her around to look at his 'ship'. It was the same blue telephone box she'd seen appear from nowhere at the Roadhouse, but it was still just a small blue box... "You're crazy right?"
"Don't be so hasty to judge," He said as he stepped back inside.
After a few moments, she stepped back inside the blue box, after him. He was standing by the console when she did.
"About time..." He was cut off as she ran outside. He was about to follow her when she ran back in.
"This... It's not possible!" She cried to him.
He laughed, "Oh, it's very possible Rachel. Lots of things are possible."
"But it's just a tiny box and it's HUGE in here!"
"There's more then just this, plus it travels through time and space. We Time Lords like traveling and Gallifreyans are really big on space saving!"
"You... You're certifiably, positively, undeniably, crazy!" She insisted walking up to him by the console, "This whole thing, is crazy!"
"You got any other words to describe how crazy I am?" He asked, cheekily.
She frowned at him, obviously not amused, "No... Words aren't my thing... Numbers are..."
The Doctor's smile grew, "Oh, I've heard that before! You're not as different as I thought. Oh, just imagine it Rachel. The stars, anywhere you want to go in Time or Space!"
She shook her head though, "No..."
His face fell, "Why?"
"Because... The only place I'd want to go, is to before my mother died... To stop her getting in that car," She said sadly. She shook her head at him, "No, if what you say is true, then you can't give that ability to someone... Plus I suspect there's some intergalactic law or something, right?"
The Doctor nodded, "Right..." He knew she was right, he saw what had happened with Rose, when she'd seen her father, "And, yes, there is a law against it, Section fifteen, part ninety-two point eight point three of the Book of Rassilon..." His voice trailed off. There... He'd said it, the very same law she'd recited to him when he saw her when she was older.
She nodded, "See, I was right."
"Well, you best be going then. Wouldn't want you to miss your bus..."
She nodded again, "Right, yeah. My bus." She turned slightly to walk out, then paused, as if she wanted to say something, but she didn't. Instead she walked out and pulled the door shut behind her.
-T-A-R-D-I-S-
Rachel stepped out of the TARDIS and instantly glanced at the tiny box. It was hard to believe this tiny box held all those secrets, like how BIG it was. She watched the box fade away and there it was again, that noise. That, odd noise she'd heard at the Roadhouse.
Foolish, foolish, foolish girl!! Why? Why? Why? Did you just let that opportunity fade away?
She sighed to herself and watched the empty space for a moment more, then turned away and headed to the bus.
Inside the TARDIS, the Doctor was trying to decide where to go, when it struck him. There were a lot of things about the future girl, that didn't match up with the girl now. The future Rachel, had known about Donna. He'd never mentioned Donna during the course of the day, nor had he referred to time as a big ball of Wibbly Wobbly, Timey Wimey stuff. She'd also seemed very familiar with him...
He hit the controls to reverse back the way he'd come and ran out of the TARDIS. Just in front of him, he could see her. She'd obviously been walking away, but had stopped. She didn't turn.
"Are you absolutely sure, you don't want to come?" He called to her.
She turned to him. He saw her bite her lower lip, "No... No I'm not sure."
He grinned, "Well, tell ya what. One trip. One trip to... Ohh, I don't know, you like horses right?" He asked. She nodded, "Ressension, Yes, lovely world. Oh, you'd absolutely love the Equabie. So horse like it's not funny. What do you say?"
She grinned back at him, "You know what? I have absolutely nothing to lose. Why not?" She walked up to him, "One trip, to decide."
"One trip, if you're in, then we go anywhere in the universe!" The Doctor was actully excited at the prospect of having someone new to travel with. He smiled at her and held his hand out to her. She took it and he lead her back to the TARDIS.
What do you think? To be continued with their adventures on Ressension? (The world from 'Pest Control') or not? Please review!