I just recently re-watched 'Beauty and the Beast' and was struck with the similarities between Nine and Rose and the Beast and Belle so this little piece of fluffity-fluff came into my brain. But, as it always goes for me, it's now neither little nor all fluff. It might be rubbish, but it's pretty fun to write, so I'm going to keep at it. I hope you like it! AU from both Dr. Who and Beauty and the Beast. Warning: There is a sort of intense scene in the middle with Jimmy and Rose. Nothing bad but the potential is there.
Rose Tyler was a peculiar girl. There was no way around it. The people of this little town didn't know what of make of her. For example, instead of taking up a perfectly acceptable hobby...like gymnastics, for instance, she tended to do things quite unladylike. Things like Read. Which led to Ideas. And, even worse, Thinking. What self-respecting girl went around Reading and Thinking?
Well, and there was the fact that she was English. But she couldn't help that, could she?
And her father! Pete Tyler...a looney, he was. He always had some new scheme, some new tonic, some new invention.. In the time since the Tylers arrived several years ago, the people had started to ignore the billowing smoke and frequent explosions which emanated from their basement.
Yes, no doubt about it, Rose Tyler was a funny girl and their first instinct was to dislike her. That, however, proved to be a Problem. You see, it's hard to dislike someone as charming, as friendly and as beautiful as Rose Tyler. It was difficult to dislike a girl who brought you homemade biscuits on the anniversary of your Grandmother's death. It was difficult not to smile back when she smiled that dazzling, tongue-touched smile you. So she quietly flitted around town, leaving people charmed but confused in her wake.
What a Puzzle was Rose Tyler.
~~~~~ )-}- ~~~~~
.Rose sighed to herself as she walked through town. She really wished the townspeople wouldn't stare at her like that. She knew they thought she was odd. She knew they stared at her when she walked past, whipping around and pretending to be busy when she turned.
It wasn't her fault she didn't fit in here in this poor, provincial French town with its strangely bouyant greetings and unnatural predisposition for capitalizing things that didn't need to be capitalized. She was from London, born and raised. When her mother died, hit by an errant car when Rose was just a girl, her father had taken his tonics and inventions on the road. He and Rose had travelled across Europe but their money had run out here in France and so now they were Stuck.
Oh, drat. Now she was doing it too.
Stuck at least until Pete's next invention would take off and they could finally leave. Rose ached to travel once again, to have adventures in the great wide somewhere out there. She wanted much more than this life. She traipsed her way through the street on her way to the library. Her book was past-due and she needed a new one. Or an old one, perhaps. There was one about a charming time-traveller that she returned to time and again. The strong, charismatic heroine didn't even discover that the man was an alien until chapter three! Maybe she'd read that one again.
A few minutes later, nose stuck firmly in her newly-checked out old favorite, Rose ran directly into a very solid body.
"Oof!" she cried, none too delicately settling onto the ground with a thud. Her library book went flying to the side, landing beside a pair of large black boots.
"You know if you got your nose out of those books every once and a while, you'd notice more important things," came a deep, arrogant voice from above her.
Rose squinted up. And up and up and up.
Oh. Jimmy Stone. Town heart-throb and all around git. He was good-looking, she'd give him that, but that's about where his appeal stopped. He was manipulative, boorish and he made her uncomfortable.
"Mickey, help the girl up," snapped Jimmy. His ever-present sidekick Mickey (the idiot, Rose often added in her head) scrambled to help Rose to her feet. Mickey seemed nice enough when he wasn't around Jimmy (which wasn't very often) but he didn't often act like he could think for himself.
"More important things like what?" Rose asked, reaching over to pluck her slightly muddy book from Mickey's hands before he could do something like pull out a page.
"Like me," Jimmy said, grinning at her with what she presumed he thought was a charming smile. She thought it just made him look even more like a snake.
"Ah," Rose responded, noncommittally.
Non-plussed by her response, Jimmy wrapped an arm around Rose's shoulders and she was forced to sort of plod along beside him. "What do you say you and I take a stroll over to the tavern and I can show you my latest song?"
Rose wasn't sure exactly what Jimmy did besides play guitar in the local pub band and sleep his way through all the girls in town, but she didn't think it was probably very good.
"Thanks but I've got to get back to my father -" she began.
"That old coot?" snickered Jimmy, looking over at Mickey who then suddenly laughed. He wasn't sure what they were laughing about but it was generally a good idea to laugh when Jimmy laughed.
"Oi! Don't talk about my father that way!' Rose snapped.
Jimmy elbowed Mickey hard in the ribs. "Yeah! Don't talk about her father that way!" he said with far too much bravado. Rose rolled her eyes and, taking advantage of his distraction, dodged out from under Jimmy's arm.
"Well, gotta go," she said, starting off.
Jimmy's arm shot out and took ahold of her wrist with more force than she thought was needed. "I'm playing a show tonight at the pub. You'll be there?" he said, the last part more of a statement than a question.
"We'll see," Rose answered and, with one last eye-locked expression, Jimmy eased his grip on Rose's arm and she fled off in the direction of her house.
Watching her raptly as she disappeared around a corner, Jimmy turned to Mickey. "She'd better be there tonight," he said.
"Why do you want her?" Mickey asked. He felt a little uncomfortable with Jimmy's fixation on Rose and, really, he'd always fancied her a bit himself. "You could have any girl in town."
"She's gorgeous. And I have had practically every girl in town," he said, gloating. She, however, is a challenge. And you know how much I like a Challenge," Jimmy said, licking his lips. and missing Mickey's slight shudder.
~~~~~ )-}- ~~~~~
Rose found Pete in the basement, on his back, underneath something that she thought must be his newest invention. She smiled at the familiar sight. He probably had those ridiculous goggles on, the ones that made his eyes look five times their normal size. And perhaps that funny blinking torch on his head. Pete heard her enter and scooted out from underneath the contraption.
"Hello, sweetheart!" he said, standing up to greet her. Goggles and torch. Two for two, Rose thought, smiling.
"Hi, Dad! How's it going?" she asked, poking at the machine.
"Can't get the stupid thing to function properly. Don't know how it's going to be ready by tomorrow," he said, kicking the machine, which only served to make a bit that probably wasn't supposed to fall off fall off and give him a sore toe.
"C'mon, Dad. You'll get it working. I know you will. The Vitex Water Purifying Machine will take the world by storm," Rose said, elbowing him and grinning.
"D'you really think so?" he asked, peering up at her through those funny goggles.
"I know so!" she smiled, kissing him on the cheek.
"Well," Pete blustered, settling himself back under the machine. "Best get back to work then! I've got to leave for the invention fair tonight if I want to make it by tomorrow morning."
Rose settled herself on his workbench, handing him tools when he asked for them and reading in her book. After a while, she finally put down her book and spoke out loud again.
"Dad...d'you think I'm odd?" she asked.
Pete shot out from under his invention, goggles, torch and all. "My daughter, odd? Where did you get an idea like that?"
Rose fidgeted with the strings on her blue and white hoodie. "It's just...you know. People talk," she said, quietly.
"They talk about me too," Pete answered, taking off his headgear and sitting beside her. "You're not odd, Rose. Our family is perfectly normal! Well, except your uncle Mort. He spent the last few years of his life swearing that Grandad's ghost came back and spoke to him on a daily basis. But, besides that - perfectly normal. But you're your mother's daughter, Rose," he continued, taking her cheek in his hand. "And let me tell you, she was a force to be reckoned with. She did her own thing, that's for sure."
"So I should just accept that I'm not like everybody else?" Rose asked.
"Rose, you were meant for more than this life," Pete said, looking away from her down at his hands. "You're meant travelling and adventure, not beans on toast every night. And I'm sorry I haven't been about to give it to you the past few years. I've let you down," he said.
"It's all right, Dad," she said, reaching over to squeeze his hand. "I'm proud of you. I love your inventions and your brilliant ideas. And one of these days, your invention's going to show the world just what the Tylers have got and we'll get out of here, travel like we used to, yeah?"
"Yeah," he said, blinking back a few tears. "So! Let's see what the old girl's got!"
Pete jumped up and pulled a large, shiny lever. The machine bubbled and burbled and fizzed and then, slowly but surely, the green, brackish water in the containment tank became clear and pure.
"It works!" Pete yelled, picking Rose up around the waist and swinging her.
"It works!" she yelled back, grinning like a maniac with him.
"Off to that fair, then!" he said, overjoyed. Rose helped him pack the machine up carefully and find his overcoat and gloves.
"One more thing before you go," she said, smiling at him. "I made you something for your trip!" Rose dashed off to her room and returned with a long multi-colored scarf.
"Better not let the ladies in town find out you've been knitting, Rose," Pete smiled mischievously back at her. "They'll start to think you're becoming Normal."
"Ha-ha," she said, sticking her tongue out at him and shoving him toward the door. "Off you go then!"
"I'm going, I'm going," he laughed. "Oh, and Rose?" he said, sticking his head back in the door.
"Yes, Dad?" Rose responded, patiently.
"Don't just sit at home reading while you're waiting for me to get back, ok? Go out and do something fun...go down to the pub or take a walk. I noticed that Jimmy fellow's been hanging around lately," he said, trying to read her on that. He wasn't sure he liked the look of that man but Rose needed to make some friends other than Dickens and Shakespeare. "Do it for me?"
"I'll think about it," Rose answered and kissed him on the cheek. Rose watched him set jauntily off through the woods and stood there until his off-key whistling faded away into nothing.
She walked back inside and prepared to settle down with her book by the fire but her father's words kept coming back to her. Maybe she should go down to the pub tonight, even just for a little fresh air and a new scene. Sure. Ok. She could do that.
But it didn't mean she couldn't take her book with her.
Rose changed into a flattering jumper and walked into town, settling at a table off to the side in the back where no one would disturb her. Jimmy's band was already playing when she got there and the pub was filled with screaming, adoring fangirls. Rose shook her head. More bosom than brains, the lot of them.
Jimmy's eyes scanned the crowd again, taking stock of the fawning women and picking up his second-choice for the evening. His first choice had apparently had the utter audacity not to show up. And then he watched as Rose slipped in the door, shyly waving to a few people and settling in a table at the back. His lips curled into a dangerous grin. He knew she would cave. Time then, to be Mr. Impressive.
Calling out the next song, the final one for the evening, Jimmy set into a raucous, rather obscene number that expounded on his own personal sexual prowess, shaking his hips and moving his hands in ways that had the first three rows of women practically throwing their knickers on the stage at him. Triumphantly looking back toward Rose's table, expecting to see eyes of lust-filled adulation, he nearly stumbled on his lyrics.
She was reading.
She wasn't watching the stage at all.
Reading.
At the end of the song, she looked up, surprised at the sudden lack of annoying din and clapped politely along with the rest of the crowd. Well, that had been an entire waste of an evening. But, she'd made an appearance and it would please her father to know that she'd gone. Rose slipped out the side door, nose back in her book, squinting at the pages in the dim light provided by the single light in this alley. Just two more pages and she'd finally be at chapter three.
Jimmy lept off the stage at the end of his performance, shoving his guitar at Mickey and telling him to tear down and fought his way through the crowd, searching for Rose. He watched as she went through the side door. Oh, perfect.
He found her in the alley, huddled over by the crappy light, with that stupid book in her hands again. Walking directly over to her, he tore it from her hands and threw it onto the ground.
"Hello, Rose," he said, smiling that oily smile at her and placing his hands on either side of her head. "You came."
"I did," Rose said, uncertainly, trying to duck under his arm. "And now I'm leaving." She could smell the alcohol on his breath and he was far too close for comfort..
"Oh, I don't think so. Not yet," Jimmy said, suddenly surging forward and pinning her against the wall with his body, using one of his hands to pin hers above her head. "I just did a spectacular show. And I think I deserve something for it, don't you?" he said, leaning in so his lips were just inches from hers.
"Let go of me!" she cried, struggling in his grip.
"A fighter, are we?" he said, lowering his head to her neck and breathing in deeply. "I like those." And with that, he ground his hips into her and fiercely attacked her lips. Rose struggled under him but couldn't escape his aggressive onslaught as the hand not pinning hers began to roam under her jumper.
Suddenly the doorway to the pub opened with a bang and Jimmy, surprised, loosened his grip for a moment. Rose took advantage of his surprise to wretch her hands from his and brought her knee squarely up into his groin.
"Jimmy, I wasn't sure which one of the cables led into the amp -" Mickey began and then trailed off, looking at the doubled over, swearing Jimmy and the petrified Rose. With tears in her eyes, Rose took off out of the alley as fast as she could. When he finally could, Jimmy said a few more choice words, spat in the street after her and straightened.
Who the hell did Rose Tyler think she was? She had tangled with the wrong man. No one said no to Jimmy Stone. No one.
Jimmy reached out and took hold of Mickey, slamming him against the wall, holding his shirt. "Make no mistake about it, Mickey. I WILL have Rose Tyler," he said releasing his hold so Mickey crumpled to the ground. Striding forward and bending to pick up Rose's battered book, Jimmy stalked back into the pub.
Rose Tyler would be his if it was the last thing he did.
~~~~~ )-}- ~~~~~
Rose cried herself to sleep that night and deadbolted the door. She wished her father was home. He'd know what to do. Why hadn't she just gone with him to that stupid fair? He was likely to get lost anyway...he was rubbish at maps.
The next morning she awoke not feeling much better. What was she going to do? She couldn't go into town...she might see Jimmy and who knows what stories he'd spread about her already. And she'd left her book in that alley.
Rose walked out into her front yard and settled under a tree. Maybe she could start off into the forest after her father. Surely it wouldn't take too long to find the fair and then they could come back together. And maybe she could convince him to leave this town altogether now. But strange stories came out of that forest, she shuddered. Stories of things that went in and never came out. Of huge, terrifying flying monsters with razor sharp teeth. Of mysterious blue boxes and tricks of time. All nonsense, of course, but frightening nonetheless.
Rose was startled from her musings by a figure appearing beside her and blocking her sunlight. She jumped to her feet, tensed and ready to run back into the house but instead of seeing Jimmy, it was merely Mickey.
"Oh. Hello, Mickey," she sighed, turning from him.
"Hi, Rose," he said, softly. "I...I just wanted to make sure you were ok," Mickey said after an awkward pause.
"Jimmy send you?" Rose asked harshly.
"N-n-no," Mickey stuttered. "He probably wouldn't like me being here, actually," he responded, looking a bit fearful. Rose lifted her eyes to look at him properly at that. Mickey had disobeyed Jimmy? And come to see if she was all right? Maybe there was hope for him after all. She was about to thank him when she caught sight of a long, multi-colored scarf hanging from his pocket.
She reached out and grabbed it, making Mickey stumble back in surprise.
"Where did you get this?" she asked, insistently.
Mickey stepped back from her sudden aggressiveness. "I found it," he said, defensively.
"Found it where?" Rose demanded.
"In the woods," Mickey shuddered. "Jimmy made me go in as punishment for -" he stopped, abruptly. 'For disrupting him in the alley,' he finished silently. He was secretly glad he had, even if Jimmy had made him go into the woods for it.
"That's my father's scarf! He must be lost. You have to take me there!" Rose cried, shaking his shoulders.
"I can't!" Mickey responded, backing away from her and putting his head in his hands. "I can't go back in there! It's dark and scary and there are monsters!"
"You've got to!" Rose said and she looked so distraught he almost caved. But he was, after all, a coward.
"I can't," he responded and then turned on his heel and took off toward the village.
Rose stared after him for a moment and then looked down at the torn scarf in her hands. "Then I'll find him myself," she said, quietly.
~~~~~ )-}- ~~~~~
