Rose

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who

9th Doctor/Rose

Deep within the city of London; lived a young woman by the name of Rose Tyler. She was a fair singer. She had the normal life most people had: she worked in the shops, she lived with her mother, and she had three close friends, Donna, Martha and Donna's grandfather Wilf. Rose loved her mother and friends very much, but she was bored to death with her regular life.

Rose longed for more than just the domestics in her life. She wanted excitement, she wanted danger and she wanted adventure. She wanted to join her late father's work and become part of Torchwood. She wanted to be part of the world that involved aliens, the supernatural and the unexplained. But her mother had forbidden it.

Peter Allen Tyler, Rose's father, had worked for Torchwood before his death in a car accident when Rose was six months of age. Jackie had blamed Torchwood, their work and aliens for Pete's death. Saying they should've to protect him after all he'd done, and she refused to even talk about Torchwood. She did not allow Rose to become part of that world and placed several restrictions on Rose's life.

Rose's best friends were Donna, Martha and Wilf. They listened to her when she needed to vent her frustrations or to confide her secrets, they were there when few ever were and the three of them were Rose's sisters and grandfather in everyway except for blood.

However, the restrictions on Rose's life didn't stop her from occasionally sneaking in to the Torchwood building and swiping forgotten pieces of alien technology and copies of data files, which was stored in a hidden room deep underneath Donna's house. She would often share her findings with her friends and it made her smile when Wilf would get all excited about it.

Rose knew all aliens weren't evil and nor were they to blame for her father's death. She didn't blame Torchwood or her father's work either, unlike her mother. But Rose had another secret. She had met an alien once before.

She remembered all too well the day her first shop job had been lost. She'd been cornered by living plastic and an alien had come in and saved her life. He'd grabbed her hand, told her to run before saying he was called the Doctor and had disappeared after the shop had been blown up. She knew he was an alien because she could've sworn she'd seen him vanish inside a blue box which also disappeared. Wilf had also seen this. She hadn't given him her name and for several nights she'd wondered if he was alive until she spotted him out of the corner of her eye a week later. She didn't know where he was now, but she hoped he was doing okay.

At the moment, Rose was reading a Torchwood file on the Doctor. It was limited, but it still held invaluable information about the Doctor. More than anything she wanted to see him again and speak with him.

Rose's phone rang, startling her out of her thoughts.

"Hello?"

"Rose, it's Martha. Where are you?"

"I'm in that room."

"Why am I not surprised? Listen, you need to get home pronto."

"Why?"

"It's your mum's annual show-off celebration today, remember?"

Rose's heart sank and she smacked her forehead. "Oh; the party! Oh, Mum's going to kill me! Martha, try and stall her. I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Donna and Wilf are already trying to stall her. Now, for heaven's sake, hurry!"

XXX

Despite her best efforts, it took Rose nearly an hour to arrive at the party. When she did arrive, the party was three-quarters over and Jackie looked quite furious at her daughter's lateness.

"Where have you been?" she hissed. "I've been waiting half the night for you!"

"Sorry, Mum, there was really bad traffic," Rose mumbled.

It was a lame excuse, but Rose knew if she told Jackie what she'd really been doing, Jackie would go ballistic.

Jackie narrowed her eyes. "'Sorry' doesn't change the fact that you were supposed to be here for the celebration! I know you don't like the parties, but you had to be here so I could impress my guests tonight! It's one of the most important events of the year, for heaven's sake!"

"I know and I'm sorry. What more can I do?"

"Try and be better! Rose, you look like you're drifting constantly! What is the matter that you can't focus on your responsibilities?"

"Mum, you know what's wrong. I want another life. I want to get out there and explore—"

"Rose, how many times do we have to go through this?" Jackie interrupted. "If you got caught up in that world, you could end up dead just like your dad did!"

"Aliens aren't to blame for Dad's death! It wasn't that world that killed him, Mum!"

"Yes, it was and you know it."

"I'm nineteen years old! I'm not a child!"

"Don't you take the tone of voice with me! As long as you live under my roof, you will do as I tell you. I don't want to hear another word about your father's work anymore, understood?"

Rose was too angry to continue arguing and fought back hot tears as she left for the secret room where Martha and Donna were waiting. Donna rubbed Rose's back soothingly to calm her down for a few minutes and all was silent before Martha broke it.

"Rose, are you okay?" Martha asked.

"Come on, sweetheart, talk to us," said Donna.

Rose sighed. "I just wish I could make her understand. I just don't see things the way she does. Not all aliens are bad." Softly, she began to sing.

"Look at this stuff
Isn't it neat?
Wouldn't you think my collection's complete?
Wouldn't you think I'm the girl
The girl who has everything?
Look at this trove
Treasures untold
How many wonders can one cavern hold?
Looking around here you think
Sure, she's got everything
I've got gadgets and gizmos a-plenty
I've got whozits and whatzits galore
You want thingamabobs?
I've got twenty!
But who cares?
No big deal
I want more

Rose closed her case of alien technology and looked around the room. She loved her collection, but she wanted so much more. It wasn't just she wanted to work with Torchwood and see alien stuff. She wanted to actually be there and see what the universes had to offer.


I wanna be where the aliens are
I wanna see, wanna see them dancin'
Walking around on those - what do you call 'em?
Oh - fins!

Walking around London, you don't get too far
Ships are required for traveling, exploring
Flying along down a – what's that word again?
Galaxy

She took the two women's hands and they danced around the room, smiling and laughing together.

Up where they walk, up where they run
Up where they stay all day in the sun
Wanderin' free - wish I could be
Part of that world

What would I give if I could live another life?
What would I pay to spend a day warm on the sand?
Bet'cha with them they understand
That they don't reprimand their daughters
Bright young women sick of sitting'
Ready to see the stars

And ready to know what the people know
Ask 'em my questions and get some answers
What's a TARDIS and why does it look
Like a blue box?

When's it my turn?
Wouldn't I love, love to explore that world up above?
Out of London
Wish I could be
Part of that world."

Rose sighed and gazed wistfully out of the window.

"You'll see him again, Rose, we know it," said Martha.

Rose just nodded and didn't speak.

"Hey, I've got something to cheer you up. Granddad won some tickets to a little cruise trip tomorrow night. What say we all go and have some fun together?" said Donna. "I think we could all do with a break."

"I'm in," said Rose.

"Sounds like a plan," said Martha.

"That settles it. Let's get packing."