A/N: I know you are all waiting for the next chapter of Forever has no end, but it is my beta's birthday today and I just had to write her something as a gift! Incidentally, this is unbeta'ed, so hopefully it is not too terrible! There will be two chapters, the second one should come out sometime next week.
This was inspired by a comment of Billie Piper, saying she'd love to work with Paul McGann and calling him dreamy, and David acting just a bit jealous. It made me itch to write something similar happening with Eight, Rose and Ten!
"I'll just go have a quick look, check if they have any of the parts I need, and come right back. Ten minutes, tops, I promise."
"It's fine, Doctor, don't worry. I can handle myself. Besides, this is a pretty peaceful planet, you said so yourself."
"Right, right, I know. Just – be careful, anyway. You never know when trouble will find you."
"Especially when travelling with you. You seem to attract it in spades. And when there's none, you just go look for it," she teased him.
"I deny everything," he chuckled. Then, with a squeeze of her hand and a quick "I won't be long", he turned around and disappeared into the crowd.
Rose strolled through the market, enjoying the sights around her. It was a beautiful day, bright and warm, and the streets were animated by the chatter of the crowd and the calls of vendors trying to attract customers. There was an event of some sort happening here later tonight, which the Doctor had refused to describe further, insisting that he wanted it to be a surprise, but according to him it wasn't to be missed. Judging by the palpable sense of anticipation in the air, he was right, too, and the excitement was quickly spreading to her.
She perused the shops as she walked, looking with curiosity at the strange, sweet-smelling food, at the eclectic works of art on display, at the clothes, loose and colorful like the natives favoured. The Doctor had left her some local money, and she was eager to spend it, but there were so many interesting things that she couldn't really settle on anything. Then her eyes landed on some jewelry, made of a metal quite unlike anything she'd ever seen before. She lightly ran her fingers over the ornaments and it was as though they were responding to her touch – some vibrating with a strange chime, others shining in various colors or patterns. They were all different, and all equally fascinating.
She finally settled on one, a necklace with a gem that glowed in a beautiful golden light whenever it touched her skin. The vendor congratulated her on her choice with an obsequious smile, but his expression soured when she offered him the coins the Doctor had given her, turning instantly into one of hostile suspicion.
"What are you trying to pull? I've never seen money like this before. I certainly won't let you pay with it. You thought I was some gullible fool that you could trick with false currency, is that it?"
"No! I – I'm sorry, I thought…" she stammered, the colour rising in her cheeks. "My friend gave me these, he must have made a mistake. I'll go find him and I'll come back right away, I swear. Just keep that necklace aside for me, alright?"
The vendor only narrowed his eyes in distrust, scowling as he watched her hurry out of his shop. She hastened away, putting enough distance between her and the shop to ensure that the crowd had engulfed her and screened her from view, before slowing down again.
Well, that had been… particularly unpleasant. Why had the Doctor given her the wrong currency? Had he landed them in the wrong place, or the wrong time? It wouldn't be the first time, after all. Or had he just been too distracted to realize he'd handed her the wrong coins? That… wouldn't be surprising at all, actually.
She scanned the crowd, searching for familiar spiky brown hair among the alien heads. A good ten minutes had passed since they'd parted ways, so he should be making his way back to her any minute now. Best not to wander too far away looking for him, then. She spotted a bench close by and made her way there to wait.
And wait some more.
The Doctor was over fifteen minutes late, and she was getting sick of sitting around waiting for him. She was itching to get on her feet and do something, but chances were they would just miss each other if she started moving. Or worse, she could get lost in the labyrinth of streets – the market was pretty big, from what she'd seen.
"Doctor, where areyou?" she grumbled, annoyed. The glare of the sun seemed to intensify with each passing minute, and the heat was starting to get to her. With the apparently useless currency she carried, she couldn't even buy anything to quench the thirst she was starting to feel.
She fanned herself with her hand as she considered her options. Maybe she could ask around, see if anyone had seen him. Or she could go back to the TARDIS and wait for him there. She was… almost sure she remembered the way back –
The unmistakable whir of the TARDIS engines froze her in place for a moment. What – He would never leave her here – Why –
She took off running towards the sound, her mind empty of anything except the surge of panic and adrenaline coursing through her. She rushed down the street, heedless of the dense crowd, shouting hasty apologies to the people she jostled along the way. She took a hurried turn, her frenzy reaching a peak as the sound of the engines started to fade before disappearing in the rumble of the crowd.
She slowed to a stop, panting as she surveyed the area around her. The TARDIS was nowhere to be seen, and to add to this she had no idea where she was, the area around her being not the least bit familiar. Well, she thought grimly, if the Doctor had truly left, she would have plenty of time to get acquainted to the place.
But, wait – the area wasn't the least bit familiar.This wasn't where they'd landed earlier today. So what had she just heard? If that sound hadn't been the TARDIS leaving… could it have been the ship materializing, instead?
"Doctor!" she shouted, ignoring the curious stares of the people around her. She waited in silence for a few moments before trying again. "Doctor, where are you? You better not have abandoned on this planet!"
"That would be terribly rude of me, wouldn't it?"
She whirled around, startled.
There was a man in front of her, dressed like something out of a Jane Austen novel, smiling kindly down at her with polite curiosity. With his green velvet frock coat, silky cravat and long brown curls, he looked as out of place in the middle of a crowd of aliens dressed in vibrant, flowing clothes as she had in her t-shirt and dungaree dress in 1879 Scotland. As she stared at him, his polite expression sharpened into something more, his eyes traveling intently over her as though she was a puzzle he'd love to solve.
"What – Who…" she trailed off. There was something…something she thought she recognized, something in his eyes… But she'd never seen that man before, she was sure of it.
"I'm the Doctor, of course. I believe you were looking for me?"
"You're the Doctor? But how –"
"Ah, not familiar with the concept of regeneration, are you? I'm afraid that will make any attempt at an explanation rather difficult."
"No, I – I know about it. Then you're…"
"Another incarnation, yes. And you are a companion, a future one I would assume, given that I don't recognize you. It's strange, however. Your timeline is quite difficult to see. And the rare glimpses I am getting… I've never seen one quite so intricately connected with my own. How long have you been traveling with me? "
"Um… About a year and a half, maybe? It's hard to tell on the TARDIS, sometimes."
"Hmmm."
He ran his hand over his chin as he appraised her, his gaze so penetrating that she averted her eyes, fidgeting under its weight.
"Well, no matter," he exclaimed suddenly, clapping his hands. "So, you are looking for my other self, correct? Can I assume that I, terrible travel companion that I am, left you to your own devices on this strange world and proceeded to go missing somewhere along the way? I can help you find my future self, if you wish."
"That'd be great!" she answered, brightening up until a doubt crossed her mind. "Although… wouldn't that be dangerous? Two of you, at the same place and the same time?"
"Oh no, no need to worry. It's happened before. For someone with all of time and space at my disposal, it's funny how often I run into myself. I must have some favorite spots, I suppose. But never mind that – as I was saying, there's no danger at all. Time Lords have the ability to lock away memories until they're safe to be remembered again. Although I must say, it will be a shame to forget a lovely young lady such as yourself."
He gave her a small bow and she giggled, a faint blush heating her cheeks.
"I'm sorry, I've been very rude. I haven't asked you your name yet," he added as he straightened up.
"It's Rose. Rose Tyler."
"Lovely to make your acquaintance, Miss Tyler. Shall we?"
He offered her his arm, and she tucked her hand in the crook of his elbow, beaming at the chivalrous gesture.
"You know, Resznar is a very interesting world," he began, turning them around and leading her down the street at a leisurely pace, seeming completely unconcerned with the rushing crowd pressing in around them. "There is a mineral compound found only on this planet that is empathic. It's rather amazing, really: it has the ability to create light, color and even sound in response to a person's touch. This reaction varies widely from specimen to specimen, and can mean a multitude of things – it can reflect the person's emotions, of course, but also their thoughts or personality. The people here have learned how to transform this mineral into a variety of objects – works of art, for example, or even clothes. This is why everyone here is dressed so exuberantly. It is simply mirroring how excited they are about the start of the festival tonight."
Her eyes widened with wonder as he indicated the natives walking around them with a sweep of his hand.
"Then that explains the jewelry I saw, too. There was a necklace that glowed a beautiful golden color when I touched it. Was that an empathic reflection of me, then?"
"Most definitely. The mineral's reaction can be difficult to interpret, however. Just like there are craftsman specializing in wielding the mineral, there are people making a career out of reading the stone, if you will."
Rose nodded, fascinated. She began observing the garments of the aliens walking past them with closer attention, wondering what thissplash of color or thatswirling pattern meant. Some people scowled at her when they saw her staring and Rose turned towards the Doctor, surprised, when she heard him chuckle.
"It is considered rather rude to examine other people's projections that closely," he explained.
"But they are wearing empathic clothes for everyone to see! How can it be rude to look?"
"I never said it was logical, did I? I would imagine it's just like facial expressions, however – some people you can read that way like an open book. Does that mean you wouldn't mind if someone started scrutinizing your face for every twitch, every frown and every smile? No, probably not. But anyway, as I mentioned, interpreting the reflections is very difficult for most people."
"But not for you?" she asked with a teasing grin.
"This goes without question, Rose Tyler. I'm not most people, as you well know."
"Alright, then. What about her? What does her dress tell you?" she asked, pointing to a passerby wearing a complicated splatter of bright colors.
"Didn't I just say it was rude to do this?"
"Yes, well, you're pretty rude in general, aren't you?"
He gave her a weighted look then raised one eyebrow in amusement.
"Very well. This swatch of color on the front of her dress spell out hope and anticipation mixed in with a healthy drop of nervousness. She is obviously going to meet someone at the festival later tonight, someone she likes but hasn't confessed to yet, hence her stress. Oh, and see that patch of sombre green by her shoulder? That means she's rather disappointed with the meal she's just had – lacked a bit of spice."
"Oh, come on! Now I know you're kidding!" she protested, leaning into him as she giggled.
"But am I, really? Are you sure?" he replied, grinning down at her.
She laughed, shaking her head in disbelief. Someone rushed past her and pushed her into the Doctor, who glared at the person's retreating back before securing her more firmly against his side. The crowd seemed to be growing thicker by the minute, and this brought back to mind a comment he had made earlier.
"What is this festival you mentioned earlier?"
"Ah, yes. The famed Annual Summer Exhibition. Has my future self not told you about it?" She shook her head, intrigued. "Strange. I thought this was why you two were here. But I suppose he might have been keeping it a surprise, in which case I apologize for letting the metaphorical cat out of the bag."
"What's so special about it that he'd keep it a surprise?"
He nudged her out of the throng and into a side street, rummaging in his pockets until he found a bottle of water. He offered it to her and she took it gratefully, suddenly realizing how parched she was. She rested on the wall as she drank, glad to be out of the oppressive press of bodies for a moment.
"It's quite a remarkable event, really," he began again when she handed the bottle back to him. "The people here are proud of the culture that has formed around the mineral, and this is a celebration of it. Every year, the capital city is invaded by thousands of people coming to watch the various events – competitions, exhibits, workshops and trade. And of course there is the opening ceremony. Just as there are people who specialize in crafting the mineral, others specialize in mastering the final products, just like musical instruments. Those people learn to modulate their thoughts and emotions at will while in contact with an empathic object and thus creating veritable wonders of light, color and sound. The opening ceremony is a finely tuned performance by some of the best artists in the world."
"That sounds amazing."
"It is. And tonight's event in particular will go down in history as the most extraordinary display this art form has ever produced. I've been itching to see it for a long time, but could never quite make myself go. I wanted to save it for a special occasion."
"Why? What do you mean?"
"Well, I can only see it once, now, can I? Crossing my own timeline for something like this, as grandiose as it is, is simply too reckless. No, I can only witness this event once, I'm afraid."
"But then why would he bring me here? My Doctor I mean." He gave her a sidelong glance, and the fact that she'd just referred to his future self as hers finally registered. She soldiered on, trying to keep the red out of her cheeks. "I mean, didn't he know you'd be here?"
"Well, that's the thing, isn't it? He didn't know. In order to preserve the timelines I will obviously have to lock away any memory of meeting you here, and therefore of coming here at all. Which means…" He paused, taking the step separating them to grab hold of her hand. He looked down, tracing her knuckles with his thumb. "You must mean a great deal to me in the future for my future self to bring you here, I wouldn't share this special, treasured bit of space and time with just anyone."
He lifted her hand to his lips and Rose could only stare at him, transfixed, as his lips lingered on her skin. Their eyes met and held each other, and there was a breathless moment that seemed to stretch on to infinity before he straightened up again. Instead of releasing her hand or tucking it back in the crook of his elbow, however, he took it in his, squeezing it once.
"Ready to go back?" he asked, smiling warmly down at her as he indicated the main street at the end of the alley.
She nodded, not trusting her voice to be steady while he was looking at her like that. This was silly, she thought. This incarnation of his was as good as a stranger to her and would never get the chance to become anything else, and yet she couldn't help the way she reacted to him. He was a version of the Doctor, after all. And a damn charming one at that.
Shaking off the thought, she followed him through the crowded street, looking at the vendor stalls around them with renewed interest, now that she understood how special their merchandise was. She was really looking forward to the opening ceremony tonight, too. A once in a lifetime event, if the Doctor was to be believed. Which reminded her…
"What about you? What's the special occasion that made you decide to finally come here today?"
He stiffened, though he tried to hide his reaction to her words. He was silent for a long moment, and Rose was about to apologize for asking what now appeared to be too personal a question when he finally spoke, in a voice so low she had to strain to hear him.
"Something rather unpleasant awaits me very soon, something I did not think I would survive. So I thought it was now or never – a dying man's last wish, if you will. But then, meeting you here… it brings me hope. Hope that I have a future, that there is something for me beyond this veil of darkness that is my future."
His last words were hushed, and if she didn't know any better she would say almost fearful. She looked at him, speechless. He was staring straight ahead, his brow drawn and his jaw clenched, but then in an instant his features transformed into a look of excitement as he flashed her a quick smile.
"Look, I wonder what's happening over there!" he exclaimed, pointing to a gathering of people on the side of the street and tugging her towards it without waiting for a response.
It was a street performer, creating a melody using a series of humming empathic statuettes. It was lovely, and they watched in silence as the people around them oohed and aahed.
Rose knew the Doctor well enough to recognize this sudden change as a deflection, a way to avoid further discussion on an unwelcome subject. In this, he wasn't any different from his future regenerations. And just like with his future selves, she would respect his desire and wouldn't pry any further. She couldn't help but wonder, though.
She didn't know which incarnation this Doctor was. In the weeks following his regeneration, she had naturally had many questions to ask him, some he answered good-naturedly and others… not. But he had told her that this was now his tenth body. She had gathered, from what he let slip and what he kept tightly bottled up, that the first one she had met, his ninth body, had been born at the end of the Time War, into the pain and guilt and loneliness that had followed. He had not been the regeneration that had fought it, however.
Could this be the one that did, then? Could this warm, kind version of him be the one to fight through the horrors of the war?
Her heart clenched painfully in her chest at the thought. She glanced at him to see that his face had settled back into a frown as he stared at the street performer, all trace of his previous excitement gone. Sensing her watching him, he tilted his head towards her, and she squeezed his hand in silent comfort. For a moment his eyes shut in something close to pain, but when he opened them again the burden in them had lessened. He gave her a small nod of thanks, and they turned back to watch the artist's performance in silence.
When it was over Rose tugged on the Doctor's hand, and they walked away as people around them cheered. She led him among the stalls, exaggerating her enthusiasm as she stopped to examine and comment on the items she saw. The Doctor joined in her exclamations, visibly forcing himself at first, but by the time they reached a shop selling empathic hats and Rose started trying on the most ridiculous ones, they were both laughing with genuine amusement.
They wandered among the kiosks for a while, their original goal of finding her current Doctor seemingly all but forgotten. They ran around the market exclaiming over the things they saw, rushing from one stall to the next and not caring in the least about the curious looks they were attracting. The Doctor rambled on about the history of the planet, the discovery of the mineral and some of its most infamous uses, and Rose couldn't keep the amused smile that was slowly forming on her face. She giggled in the middle of a completely non-humoristic account of how the world will run out of mineral once it becomes over-exploited in the planet's recent future, and he stopped, a mock affronted look on his face.
"Something funny, Miss Tyler?"
"I'm sorry, Doctor," she said, her apology marred by the fact that she was still chuckling, looking far from repentant. "It's just… you sound so much like… well, like you. The other versions of you I know. Sure, you're different, just like they were different from each other, too, but at the same time… You know, sometimes I think a big part of the reason why you take on companion is to have someone that will listen to you when you let out all of that knowledge in that big Time Lord brain of yours."
"Oh, I'm sorry. Am I boring you, Rose, with all of this tedious knowledge?"
"No! No, that's not what I meant! I enjoy listening to you!" she protested, laughing.
"Of course you do. Though I couldn't blame you if my future selves have bored you on occasion. If they're anything like my past ones – of which I have no doubt – then they never know when to shut up, the pompous, long-winded, self-important old geezers…"
He wrinkled his nose in distaste, and Rose beamed at him in amusement.
"Not a fan of yourself, I take it?"
"I like myself just fine, Rose Tyler. Best incarnation there is, yet."
He winked at her and she giggled, her tongue poking teasingly out of the corner of her lips. For just an instant his eyes drifted to it, and she felt a strange swooping sensation at the sight. When he dragged his gaze back to hers she could have sworn that there was a faint flush on his cheeks. He averted his eyes, clearing his throat as he did so, and tugged on her hand to get them moving again.
She let herself be pulled away, trying to get her pounding heart under control. There was nothing to be done – against all instincts of self-preservation she had, she was well on her way to falling for this Doctor, as well. Any body, any face he wore, she seemed to be powerless to resist him. This amazing, wonderful, silly alien had stolen her heart a while ago, and now it was his, whichever version of himself he happened to be.
It was probably selfish of her, but she wished she could get to know all of his incarnations. She wished she could have been with him from the beginning and stay with him until the end. At the very least, she wished she could get to know this version of him better. She would spend her days trying to see that flush on his cheeks again.
She was following the Doctor down the street, lost in her musings, when she became aware of an insistent gaze trained on her. She scanned the crowd, feeling uneasy, until her eyes fell on a merchant standing beside his wares, eyeing her with mistrust.
She froze for an instant, her back stiffening as she recognized him. The jewelry vendor from before. And from the looks of it, his opinion of her hadn't improved in the time that had passed since she'd left his shop.
Feeling herself flush with embarrassment, she looked away, trying not to let it bother her. The Doctor had felt the stutter in her steps, however, and stopped her with a look of concern.
"What is it? Something wrong?"
"No, it's nothing. Just…"
Her eyes darted against her will to the merchant still staring at her, and the Doctor followed her gaze with a frown.
"Rose, why is that man glaring at you like you are a villain plotting his downfall?"
She bit her lip, shuffling on her feet before sighing in resignation. The whole thing was just so ridiculous.
"Well… future you had left in search of some parts for the TARDIS, and I was just having a look around when I saw this really gorgeous necklace. You'd left me some money, but when I tried to pay it turns out you'd given me the wrong type of currency. I don't think the merchant believed me when I said it was a mistake – he probably thinks I was trying to steal from him."
"Hmmm."
The Doctor hummed pensively, his eyes narrowed at the man who had turned away to help another customer.
"Doctor, it's alright, it doesn't matter. Just let it drop," she protested, tugging on his hand to drag him away.
He resisted her attempts, looking at her with a raised eyebrow.
"Nonsense, Rose. It was my future self's negligence that put you in this situation, it's only natural that I should put things right again."
He strode towards the stall, Rose having no other choice but to keep up with him. The merchant saw them approach and looked at Rose with mistrust, but one glance at the Doctor and his expression changed into one of grovelling servility.
"Ah, dear lady, so you found your friend! You came back for the necklace?"
"Yes, yes, she found me, here I am! I'm so sorry, silly me, we've been travelling so much that I got the currency confused. You can understand, I'm sure. Rose, what exactly did you try to pay with?"
She handed him the coins, and his eyebrows flew up in exaggerated astonishment.
"Oh dear, it's a good thing for us the transaction was denied. Taking the exchange rate into consideration, these are worth quitea good deal more than anything we could buy in this shop."
He pocketed the alien money with a benign smile thrown in the merchant's direction, whose eyes had bulged out in shock – and most likely in regret, as well.
"Now, will you kindly get the lady's necklace?"
The man nodded and walked away to fetch it, and Rose used that opportunity to lean in close to the Doctor.
"Are those coins really worth that much, Doctor?" she whispered.
"I have no idea. I've never seen their kind before. I don't even know what planet they're from."
Rose shook her head at him in amusement, but the merchant coming back with a small jewelry box prevented her from saying anything else. The disgruntled look of the vendor as the Doctor pocketed the alien coins and handed him some plain, old Resznar money instead had Rose biting her lips to suppress her laughter.
Now that she knew the empathic nature of the necklace, she was eager to try it on again and see how it would react to her touch this time. If its glow had been a reflection of her emotions, there was no way the gem would react the same way –she'd definitely gone through a whole spectrum of them since the last time she'd touched it
"Allow me," said a smooth voice next to her, startling her from her contemplation.
She nodded, and the Doctor took the chain from her hands, stepping behind her to fasten the clasp. His fingers brushed the gem as he did so, and for a moment it glowed a gorgeous cerulean blue color that stole her breath away.
"There, all done."
The Doctor walked back to face her, but the moment his eyes lighted on the gem he froze. It had changed again when it touched the skin of her collarbone, and it was now shining in the same golden color as before. The Doctor stood staring at it, seemingly spellbound.
Her hand went up to touch the pendant, worried.
"What is it, Doctor? Something wrong with the necklace?"
"No, it's…" His voice was hoarse, and he cleared his throat before beginning again. "It's beautiful, that's all."
He raised his eyes back to hers, and she was startled to see the intensity in them. It seemed as though they were piercing through her and looking into her soul.
He reached a tentative hand forward and she watched, breathless, as it stopped a hair's breadth away from the gem. She dropped her own hand in silent permission, and he swallowed thickly before slowly closing the gap, stroking the pendant with the tip of his fingers.
For a moment the gem seemed to pulsate, wavering, and then the same gorgeous blue color erupted in its center, swirling in perfect harmony with the golden glow. It was one of the most beautiful things she'd ever seen, and though she didn't understand the meaning behind it, the sight of it made her heart feel so full that it almost ached.
She dragged her gaze back to the Doctor. He was still staring at the pendant, his eyes dark and full of a storm of emotions she couldn't begin to read. She watched him for a moment, barely daring to breathe in fear of breaking the spell he seemed to be under, but then his gaze snapped up to hers. In the blink of an eye he had dropped his hand and backed a few steps away, looking anywhere but her.
"Yes, very good. Excellent purchase," he said, his voice strained, running a hand through his hair in agitation. "Now how about we – hold on, what's this?"
Still reeling from what had just happened and the way it suddenly ended, Rose could only blink in confusion. The Doctor was frowning at a display of very expensive-looking pieces of empathic jewelry in a section of the store. The merchant hurried over when he saw him looking, an obsequious smile on his face.
"Ah yes, the gentleman has a good eye. These are my newest arrivals. They were created by an up-and-coming artist who's been all the rage recently. I was lucky enough to snatch up a few of his products. You can see for yourself how good his designs are."
"Yes, well, what I can see is that they are most certainly fake. These were not made from real empathic mineral, no doubt about it. Oh, the imitation is admittedly convincing enough for most people, but I am not most people." He picked up a bracelet that flashed a bright green under his touch, dangling it in front of his eyes for a moment. "Yes, as I thought, these are coated with a chemical substance that is designed to respond to touch in a pre-determined way. It will look just like the real empathic mineral to untrained eyes, except for the fact that this substance will fade away in time, and then I suspect you will have very angry customers on your hands."
The shock on the merchant's face seemed genuine.
"Are – are you sure? How do you know...?"
"Quite sure. The residual smell is very distinctive to my superior olfactory system, I'm afraid."
The other man snatched the bracelet from the Doctor's grip and sniffed it, his face darkening into a scowl.
"Then he tricked me – he tricked all of us, the good-for-nothing scum!"
"Who is? Where does this merchandise come from?"
"From a stranger who moved here only a few weeks ago. None of us knew anything about him, but his products were so popular... We didn't question it. He made fools out of all of us. I won't stand for it! Wait till the other merchants hear this. We have a reputation to maintain, you know?"
"Where can we find him?" asked Rose, stepping forward to join in on the conversation. "Maybe we should pay him a visit, Doctor. Because I'm thinking, what if the other you noticed the same thing, and decided to track it down to the source…"
"Yes, you're right, that does sound like something I'd do."
The merchant frowned at the words the other you, but he shrugged, deeming it unimportant.
"Well, I can tell you where his art studio is, though I have to tell you, it's pretty well guarded. We all thought he was just bit paranoid, or just a bit crazy, but…"
"…Maybe he was preparing against another type of eventuality, like an angry horde of shop vendors discovering he's been tricking them. You're right, Rose, I think it would be most interesting to see this studio for ourselves."
"You do what you want. As for me, I'm going to start passing the word around and make sure no one sells that stuff from now on, and then I'll contact the authorities. If you want to find him, go down that street until you reach the fountain, then turn right and take a left right after. There will be a large building surrounded by a high fence, you can't miss it." Rose and the Doctor nodded in thanks and were turning to leave when he called after them again. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I'm – I'm sorry about earlier, Miss. I was… pretty rude."
"That's alright," Rose assured him, beaming cheerfully. "I can understand your reaction. And I'm used to rudeness, anyway."
The Doctor sent her a sidelong glance as they walked away from the stall, and Rose grinned at his expression.
"Was that last remark meant for me?"
"Well, if the shoe fits…" He narrowed his eyes at her, and she giggled. "Though if it's any consolation, you're much less rude than your current incarnation. I thought for sure you were going to chew that merchant out when you strode in there."
"Part of me wanted to, I have to admit, but… he'd done nothing wrong, after all. Being suspicious of strange currency is a question of survival for merchants."
"I know. Still, I was amazed by your self-restraint."
He let out a strained chuckle, his eyes darting down to the necklace around her neck before looking away again. Rose's breath hitched when she noticed the faint blush that had reappeared on his cheeks, or the way he ran a hand through his curls again. She still wasn't sure what had happened back at the shop, what either the golden or the blue color meant, and why the Doctor had reacted to them so strongly, but…
There had been something in his eyes back then, something that looked very much like longing. The way he'd so slowly reached out to touch the gem… like he had to touch it, like he couldn't help himself. And then the way he'd looked at her… Was it a sudden sense of self-restraint that had caused him to jump away from her as though she'd burned him?
She shook her head with a sigh. It was pointless to wonder about this. They were going to find her current Doctor, and after that this version of him would make himself forget about her and leave. So no matter how much she… And even though she wished she could…
No. It was pointless.