A/N: The following scene is a scene that actually happened (albeit a deleted scene,) that clearly stated that Ricky and Jake were an item. I just added some internal dialogue for dramatic flair. This is just a prelude anyways, so don't get your panties in a knot.

Spoilers for Age of Steel and Rise of the Cybermen.

I also don't own Mickey or Ricky or Jake or any DW characters. If I did, that scene wouldn't have been deleted and there would have been some Ricky/Jake lovin's before he got killed.

--

The TARDIS vworped out of sight, the winds dying down as it slipped out of their dimension and back into it's own.

Mickey looked sideways at Jake, who was still staring with mild shock at the place where the big blue box had been moments before. He laughed a little, remembering how much he had freaked out when he had first seen examples of the Doctors alien technology.

He felt a pang of guilt in his heart for leaving Rose, although it was painfully obvious she wasn't interested in him anymore, but rather reserved her affections for the dashing young Timelord who had apparently swept her off her feet.

He guessed that her going into another dimension entirely was kind of saying that they were going their seperate ways.

It took him a while to relize Jake had begun to move and was heading towards the van. Slipping on the ice, Mickey hurried after him, reaching the drivers door the same time as Jake reached the passengers side. Sliding into the relative warmth of the vans interior, Mickey shuffled around a bit before looking directly at Jake.

"Look, I know it's hard with my face lookin' exactly like Rickys...but I'm a different man. I'm not gonna replace him." Mickey silently prided himself on how smoothly that came out. Traveling with the Doctor helped to remove his nervous stuttering, too, it seemed.

Jake looked at Mickey, smiling sadly, but fondly in a way that he was most likely remembering Ricky. He shook his head. "You never could," He said softly, and let out a small sigh. "I'll never have another boyfriend like him."

A short beat passed in which everything slammed together in Mickeys mind. Oh, he should have seen it coming. But he missed it.

Missed the small but meaningful looks that quickly took place between Jake and Ricky, back in the van...

Missed the strange knowing look that Jake had given him when he thought he was Ricky...

Missed the urgency in Jakes voice when he came running up to the group that night, sans doppleganger... "are you Ricky...? are you Ricky?!"

Missed when Mickey told him that Ricky had been killed by the Cybermen...the way Jake just seemed to deflate... "don't even say his name! you're nothing, you are. nothing!"

Blinking several times, Mickey finally managed to make his vocal chords work in time with his mouth. "Okay! Definately not replacing him."

Jake snorted a bit at Mickeys surprise, but then looked up and geniunely grinned at him, and Mickey met his eyes, and something else panged in his chest that he passed off as pity.

"...But we can remember him," He continued, refusing to look away. "By fightin' in his name."

-

A/N: Don't worry, not a one shot. Just a prologue, there's more coming. )