AN: This idea for a story popped into my head wondering if I could fill in the bits we didn't see in between the episodes. Maybe making up for some plot gaps in the later ones. This will be a multi-Doctor story, Nine, Ten, and TenToo, because I wondered what they'd be like. This one has the beginning bit for episode two at the end, but none of the others will. I just thought it would fit here.
Chapter 1- Post-Rose
She's relatively quieter than he expected, even though she ran to the TARDIS like she was running for her life, a manic grin decorating her face as she went. Now, though, now Rose is silent. More silent than she had been the entire time since he'd met her.
What was it about this human that made the Doctor go back twice? Why was she so special? He never asked more than once. He thought about the way she just took his hand, like she trusted him on sight, and that was staggering to him. Why did so many people trust him with their lives? Because...well, they didn't know what he had done. The pain was still so fresh and so new, but Rose...she had made him laugh for the first time since he destroyed his planet.
"Is someone tryin' to take over Britain's shops?" He couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculous prospect, and the fact that the girl had laughed too, had made it impossible to resist.
But the moment he knew he could no longer deny Rose Tyler a trip aboard his TARDIS was when she saved his life. She barely knew him, and he had done nothing to make her like him, pushing her away like he did. She saved him all the same, and now he was beginning to think in more than one way.
"I've got no A levels, no job, no future. But I tell ya what I have got. Jericho Street Junior School under 7's gymanstics team. I got the bronze!" Just like that, the next thing the Doctor knew, he was swinging up above the consciousness in Rose's grip on a chain. For a human to risk their life like that, for him, when death was so imminent, it was...staggering. He could think of no other word. This nineteen year old woman had been so eager to do the right thing, even if it meant them all dying.
The Doctor beamed at her, causing Rose to raise an eyebrow at him.
"What?" she asked.
"S'nothin'." He frowned at himself, trying to get his thoughts together. "Was just wonderin' if ya'd like a cup a tea?"
"You can make tea on this thing?" she asked, tongue reaching out past her teeth, disarming the Doctor for a moment.
Rule #2: Don't get involved with companions, he reminded himself. Probably would have to do if she kept smiling like that.
"'Course I can," he said, scoffing. "How d'you think I eat?"
"I dunno," she shrugged. "Photosynethesis?"
The Doctor was about to launch into a full out rant about how if she thought that just because he was alien, he was a plant, they obviously had a lot to discuss...only she was laughing at him. Oh. She had meant it as a joke. Right. He'd have to get used to those again.
"Anyways," he continued, "Cup a tea, then anywhere ya want to go, as a reward for savin' my life."
"Or," Rose said, "We could skip the tea, and straight to the impressive bit."
"Ya sure?" he asked. "Ya don't need to regroup or anythin'? Just fought off an alien, and you've been given quite the culture shock."
"I think," she began, "it's just you that needs the rest, old man." There was a mischevious twinkle in her eye, and the Doctor flashed her his daftest grin.
"Ya really think so, Rose? 'Cause let me tell ya somethin'. Time Lords don't sleep. Superior biology. You on the other hand…"
"Oi!" she protested. "Before ya insult my species, maybe you should show me why exactly you're so impressive in the first place."
He was positively manic with excitement. She thought he couldn't be impressive? He'd show her.
"Right then, Rose Tyler," the Doctor said, rolling her name off the tip of his tongue and straightening his jacket lapels, "you tell me. Where do ya wanna go? Backwards or forwards in time? What's it gonna be?"
"Forwards," she said, without any hesitation.
He leaned over her shoulder to press some buttons. "How far?" he asked nonchalantly.
Rose bit her lip in concentration. "One hundred years," she said finally.
The Doctor pulled a lever, and spun the materialization knob. They lurched forward and suddenly stopped with a bang.
"There ya go!" he announced proudly. "Step outside those doors, it's the twenty-second century."
"You're kiddin'," she said in awe.
"That's a bit borin', though, isn't it? Want to go further?"
"Fine by me," Rose grinned.
The Doctor started up the engines again, went through the motions, and landed again just as quickly.
"Ten thousand years into your future," he told her. Step outside, it's the year 12005, the new Roman empire."
"You think you're so impressive," she teased.
"I am so impressive," he said affronted.
"You wish!" Rose exclaimed.
"Right then, you asked for it, I know exactly where to go." He pumped the levers furiously and grinned. If she was sure he wasn't impressive, he would show her. Just wait until she saw this.