A/N. One review is better than none, right? Oh well, as you can see, I am not really a no reviews = no updates person. Even if barely receiving any attention on a newly posted story hardly helps. :( Anyway, I can update as often as my muse strikes! ;)
Essentially Together
Previously…
"You need to hide somewhere! Quick! See that closet?"
The pink and yellow human stared at him. "Oh, no. There's no way!"
"A call-girl, then," he winked at her, knowing he has won.
Chapter Two
Discoveries
"You'd like that," she glared at him, but could not back away a smirk.
He smirked back at her, trying his best to keep his eyes on her face. "Maybe I would."
Rose gave him one of her best Tyler glares.
"On the other hand-" he pushed her inside and closed the door, nodding at the two women, a knowing smirk on his lips.
The truth was he intended to return to his pink and yellow human and provide her with suitable clothes as soon as possible, once he was free from the two other rambling companions. But the fact the Time Lord's incessant gob often got the better of him meant quite a different outcome.
Not once did he forget about Rose Tyler waiting for him just several doors away, no. Still, he was trying his best to seem at ease to the two companions… Some time later, his apparently flawlessly fabricated impression of nonchalance began to slip. Soon, the Tyler girl was all he could think about. Particularly the barely-wearing-anything variation of her.
"What is it, Spaceman?" Donna asked him on the first break in his chatter longer than five seconds.
"What do you mean?" he knew just what the ginger had in mind.
"It's just… Have you eaten something?" Martha spoke uncertainly.
"Or licked something?" the ginger eyed him with worry.
The Doctor only shrugged, every passing second now weighing upon him. "Er… I need to check some… important things."
Donna's voice was piercing through him. "No. You rest. I'll go check the important things for you."
"I mean personal things."
"I don't care, Doctor. You don't look like yourself. Have some rest in silence... Say, fifteen minutes! I'm not asking for more of you."
This incurable alien! The TARDIS could wait. Martha could wait.
With a heavy sigh, he agreed. Saying no to Donna Noble in this was a lost cause. "Fifteen minutes. Not a second more." Surely his brilliant Rose could wait for fifteen more minutes!
Rose was upset. This was it – he has left her dependent on him again, for he knew she would rather wait for him to return instead of risking meeting anybody else. The Doctor was so going to pay for this. She made a stretch. Unexpectedly, this tiny space was not bigger on the inside. However, some of the thoughts on her wandering mind suggested this was only for the better… The fact all of them included the Doctor… Oh, well. She'd had more than two years of fighting these on the TARDIS alone. It could not hurt to have a dozen more.
She sat on the floor, hoping to not fall asleep until he returned.
Much, much later, after what must have been hours, the closet's door opened. Rose had not fallen asleep. Her renewed annoyance was back at once. How could he have left her mope in this place for this long? Alone?
"For heaven's sake, Doctor! Would it have hurt you to-" Rose was furious. Would she need to remind him- Oh. Oh my God. She blanched at the sight of her, then her face coloured deep pink, as she hurried to wrap her arms around herself.
"Ahem." An amused redhead was staring at her, incredulous. "Wow. This is… well… awkward. Hi."
She should have known the never-before-seen piece of overly-basic-looking furniture had something to do with the Doctor's untold secrets. Personal things, he'd said. This, however, was much more.
Rose stared back, an apologetic almost-smile on her face, hands fixed on covering her chest. "Tell me about it."
All of a sudden, the ginger smiled at Rose sadly. "Does he do this often to you? Leaves you in a closet, well, bare? Is this how he understands-" Donna was scandalised. Strange as the Spaceman might have been, this was beyond everything. This very blonde was the woman he loved, for God's sake!
"Oh, no," Rose shook her head at the woman. A companion, very likely. "This is the first time. Still makes me want to kill him for leaving me here like this."
This justifies it.
"Oh, I'm sure it's nothing. The Doctor does have this effect on the best of us. Should I call him?" Donna asked her kindly, conveniently ignoring her state of close-nakedness. These two lovebirds could do whatever, for all the fiery woman cared… The discomfort in Rose's features diminished visibly.
"Would be lovely if you reminded him I'm waiting here for him, all… unclad. Tell him I still need something to put on. Thank you." Not knowing the woman's name was only strengthening the blonde's uneasiness, but... "Where is he, anyway?"
"Chatting with Martha, I guess," Donna shrugged, then noticed her blank look. "Oh, I don't really know her yet either. She's one of his previous companions," she clarified, then understood the word was not fitting in the fair-haired companion's case. "Some time after you, though."
"Yeah?" Rose failed to succeed in feigning her indifference. "You know who I am, then?"
Donna could not back away an eye-roll. "You're still the main thing on his mind, Rose. You should have seen the expression on his face, after Martha and I appeared on the ship some time before you. Apparently, it was you he was secretly expecting to see in this inexplicable turn of events."
"I'm here now, though," she muttered, a small smile appearing on her face. "I'm sorry – your name is…"
"Donna."
The pink and yellow human nodded in acknowledgement. The fact this Donna did not once address her being dangerously underdressed was strangely relieving. "Sorry you had to meet me like this, I-"
The ginger rolled her eyes. "Having travelled with the Doctor, nothing disturbs me any more," she winked at Rose. "Not that sure about Martha… but then again, she was not expecting to be brought here, not minutes before her exam."
"Ouch. That's time travel for you," Rose grinned.
"If you don't mind me asking - is this a part of some plan? A planned surprise, perhaps?"
Rose grimaced. "I will surprise him all right with a slap he so rightfully deserves, if he doesn't have a reasonable excuse for- for- this. Martha, you said?"
"Yeah. I'll bring him to you right away! Try to keep from snogging him senseless before you have something on!" Donna winked at her and left.
Rose nodded absent-mindedly. Right. Did this mean another person should meet her like this?
Minutes later, she could hear their voices ringing in the console room. "Not amusing, Donna! Try to have some decency!"
This prude of a Time Lord… "It actually is very amusing, Doctor. I'm sure she would agree!"
Oh, I'm sure she would. The Doctor opened the closet hurriedly and eyed Rose apologetically. "Sorry for taking so long!" he tossed her a pink skirt, similar to the one she'd worn for a concert they'd failed to visit.
"Er… Doctor? Something to cover my breasts?" Rose flushed bright red.
The ginger rolled her eyes at him. "You can't have thought of it, can you, Time Lord." Donna nearly tore his pinstriped jacket off unashamedly. Care to share with your lady?" The more recent companion glared at him, putting the piece of clothing on Rose's shoulders. "Here. Somehow I no longer wonder about you wanting to slap him." The Doctor's eyes grew wide for a brief second, before he hurried to button the jacket on Rose – with his eyes closed tight.
The redhead sighed heavily. Whatever was the reason of her finding herself on board the TARDIS, having to become a relationship counsellor was not a part of her plans.
"Oi, there's no need for violence! If you're becoming like Jackie, I'd much prefer you kissed me," he licked his lips. Rose's eyes widened, as she responded seductively, her words barely audible. "Might do just that.
Donna rolled her eyes. "Slap him already!" She smirked. "Later."
The dark-skinned companion has only entered the scene after the main things were more or less settled between the two people who kept giggling like adolescents. Even if the looks they shared and the shy touches suggested something much more intense.
"Right, you two, shoo! The kindergarten is the other way," Donna giggled. "Martha seems to have missed all the fun already."
Martha cleared her throat, disgusted, her voice just loud enough for Rose and the Doctor to hear. "I did not know he was keeping a prostitute handy," she grimaced. Rose bit her lip, stopping the Doctor from rushing in to stop his companion from making wrong conclusions. Last thing she needed was having the Doctor stutter with explanations. "A call-girl, hadn't you said?" the Tyler girl gave him an unnaturally wide grin.
"Wow. Martha. I did not know you were this quick in making conclusions," Donna glared at her.
"Who is she, if not a prostitute?" Martha was confused. "She's wearing only knickers and his jacket. What am I to think? It's unlike the Doctor to ever-"
"Precisely!"
"The Doctor must have been eager to cover her breasts, so he's given her his jacket. What's there not to see?" Martha was feeling disillusioned. He was just like every other man.
Donna shook her head. "Not every man enjoys sharing." Even when it comes to glances.
"See? A prostitute. Has he finally got over Rose?"
"What's up with you now, Martha?" the ginger was not certain about how much she could disclose. "It's as if you were his mother," she shrugged.
Rose took the Doctor's hand assuringly. It seemed he was more affected than she was. "Martha doesn't know what she's talking about. Happens to everyone, right?"
The Doctor pulled her into a hug. "I-"
"I know," she hugged him just as tightly.
"If spending time with call-girls is what turns him on..."
Donna pulled the other companion aside, her whisper piercing. "Do you even realise what you're saying?"
"Yes, why? Isn't she-"
"Just- stop."
"All right! It's not that I'm going to openly ask him about this new liking of his, or anything."
"You'd better not."
"What does this have to do with you, anyway?"
"I am sorry... This is really a very inappropriate thing to say about anyone," Rose spoke quietly, her hand in the Doctor's.
A/N. I have nothing against Martha, but she was the one having a crush on the Doctor. Sorry!
