Chapter Two
Rose glanced up again at the clock for the hundredth time. The meeting with the delegation from Gallifrey was going to start at one and ever since Rose had gotten back from lunch, she had been checking the time constantly eager to get in there and find out what they had to say about the Doctor.
The Doctor. He was here in this universe. She could hardly contain her joy.
Would he look the same?
Would he know her?
What had he done to make his people call him a criminal?
So many questions spinning around in her head; it was all she could do to keep her mind on the paperwork in front of her.
For the first time in a long time, she felt hopeful. If she couldn't be with her Doctor, then maybe this Doctor would take her in. The thought of traveling with the Doctor again and escaping the dullness of the 9 to 5 workday made her so ecstatic, she couldn't help but let out a girlish squeal.
"Oi!" Randy said peeking over the cubicle at her, "if you're gonna sit and squeal over the latest pop star instead of doing your work, would you mind keeping it down for the rest of us?"
"For your information, I'm not squealing over a pop star," Rose said, looking up at him.
"Oh, what are you squealing over then?"
Rose's smile was as wide as her face.
"I think I'm going on holiday," she said, "a very long holiday."
Randy raised his eyebrow.
"What? The workaholic is actually going to take time off?"
He leaned his head into her cubicle and narrowed his eyes.
"You are Rose Tyler, right? You aren't an alien replicant, or a robot of any kind?"
Rose giggled.
"No, I'm still the same old Rose Tyler."
"Damn, and here I though we were getting an upgrade."
Rose flinched at the word, upgrade.
"Well have fun," Randy added, "I envy you. I wish I could get away from dictator Ianto for awhile."
"Ahem."
Randy looked over and saw Ianto standing by his cubicle.
"Oh, hello, sir," Randy said, sheepishly.
"I heard you talking about your desire for a holiday, Mister Henderson. Keep making snide comments and you'll be taking a permanent one. Is that understood?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good."
Rose bit her lip when she heard Randy sit down. Ianto gave him a stern look and then moved on to Rose's cubicle.
"Ms. Tyler, we are ready for the meeting," he said.
"Yes, sir."
Rose quickly gathered up her things and walked with Ianto towards the conference room.
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Rose could barely contain her laughter.
She and Ianto stood in front of the Gallifreyan delegates and she couldn't believe the outfits they were wearing. All of them wore long, red robes that almost touched the floor and silver skullcaps on their heads. They looked completely goofy and it took all the control Rose had not to laugh right in their faces. Was this what people wore on the other Gallifrey as well? If it was, she was glad the Doctor never wore it.
"Councilor Thanis, welcome," Ianto said, to the leader.
"Thank you, Mister Jones. It is an honor to be here," Thanis replied.
He gestured to the other two members of the delegation.
"These are my associates; Councilor Bartok and Councilor Mantua.
"We are happy to have you here," Ianto replied.
He looked at Rose.
"This is Rose Tyler. She is an expert on aliens and alien civilizations."
"It is a pleasure to meet you," Thanis said, nodding at her.
"It is a pleasure to meet you as well," Rose replied.
Ianto gestured to their seats. He and Rose waited until they were all seated before sitting down.
"Would you like some tea?" Ianto asked, "I can call for Owen. He's our tea boy."
"No thank you, refreshment is not necessary," Thanis said, "we wish to get down to business. Earth may be in danger at this very moment, so there is no time for pleasantries.
"Very well," Ianto replied, "then please tell us about this…Doctor."
Thanis pulled a small black disc out of his robe. He sat it on the table in front of Rose and Ianto and pushed a button. Rose's eyes widened with delight when a 3D holographic image of the Doctor hovered above it.
It was the Doctor.
Her Doctor; trench coat and all.
She could barely keep her composure. Even though it was only a hologram she couldn't stop the tear that fell down her cheek. It had been several months since that day on the beach and every day since had been hell on her. She had longed to see his face again, hear his voice, feel his arms around her, and now here he was. A duplicate of her Doctor that she could touch, kiss, and caress.
Better yet, he was here on Earth.
She prayed to God he was near.
As she stared at the holographic image, she suddenly realized there was something not quite right about his face. She couldn't put her finger on it though. She stared at the tiny hologram for a moment, and then she finally noticed.
His right eye was completely white.
"Um…Councilor Thanis?" she said, hesitantly.
Thanis looked at her.
"Yes, Ms. Tyler?"
"Is…there any way you can zoom in on the face?" she asked.
Thanis nodded. He pushed a button on the disc and the image changed from a full body view to the Doctor's face.
Rose stared at the white eye and the scar that ran from the middle of his forehead down to his right cheek. Other than that, he looked the same as her Doctor.
"Um…what happened to his eye?" she asked, pointing to the hologram.
"He lost it during a battle on Arcadia."
Rose's ears perked up at the mention of the name.
"He was battling someone who had a sword and he managed to wound him and damage his eye before the Doctor killed him. The eye was replaced with a cybernetic version that can gather information about his surroundings and feed it directly into his brain. He also has limited laser capabilities with it, in addition to the laser blaster he carries."
Rose raised her eyebrow. That was another difference. Her Doctor never used a blaster unless he was forced to.
She stared at the hologram and noticed the hardened expression on his face; so different from the warm, loving look she was used to.
"Um…does…he travel with anyone?" she asked.
"No. We are not aware of any others that travel with him."
Would he let others travel with him? Rose wondered.
"What exactly has this Doctor done?" Ianto asked.
"He is accused of several counts of genocide, murder in the first degree, piracy, and violating several of the Time Laws. This man is extremely violent and will do anything to get what he wants, including murdering innocent civilians. He had been imprisoned on Gallifrey along with his TARDIS…"
"I'm sorry," Ianto interrupted, "his what?"
Thanis opened his mouth to speak when Rose cut in.
"TARDIS," she explained, "it stands for Time And Relative Dimension In Space. It's the Doctor time machine."
She glanced over at the delegation and instantly regretted speaking up, because now they were all looking straight at her.
"And how exactly do you know this, Ms. Tyler?" Thanis asked, "we have never been here before, and we know of no other Gallifreyan who has visited in the past; so how exactly do you know about the TARDIS? He escaped his cell on the day of his execution and managed to get back to his TARDIS and escape. Are you one of the ones aiding the Doctor and hiding him on Earth?"
He narrowed his eyes at her.
"Speak!" he commanded, "what exactly do you know about the Doctor?"
