A/N: Chapter two of the re-write (sorry it took so long). Read away. Dinos and robots and flowers, oh my!

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who

If Things Had Changed

Chapter 2

"ROSE? WHERE ARE YOU?" Cut through the heady air, mixing with muffled roars.

"RIGHT NEXT TO YOU!" She shouted, scrambling for his sweaty palm as she stumbled through the undergrowth.

"I ALREADY TOLD YOU NOT TO WANDER OFF!" He yelled in her ear, the bellowing gaining, "COME ON THIS WAY!" She felt a tug on her wrist before the two bodies were sent spiraling down another hill. Rose was yanked into a small hollow behind a ripped out circuit of roots. Her chest heaved as she gulped down sticky air.

"Remind me why we're here again?" She panted, peeling off her sweatshirt and sinking to the ground.

"Dinos?" The Doctor tried.

"Mmhmm," She shot a pointed look at him, "Then would you like to explain why you thought a day with the dinos would be safe?"

He gaped at her, "Well..." His hand had drifted to the back of his neck, "You see... em... uh... No, I got nothing."

"I'm choosing our next stop."

"Whatever you say." She threw a well aimed glare at him, "Fine." He whined, "But what happened wasn't my fault, I'll have you know."

"That's not what my eyes told me."

"Well I didn't mean for it to be my fault."

"Then who's fault was it going to be? Mine?" The Doctor gulped, and shook his head furiously.

"Er... no! I promise!"

"Tell that to the dinos!" She muttered, wiping a hand across her forehead.

It was awfully hot in this forest. The sun was beating down on their skin and the air clung to their limbs, trying desperately to hold on. The dark leaves above them let the light pass right through. The faint chatter of creatures reached their ears as they waited, waited for any sign that the chase had ended.

Rose relaxed against the dirt dusted web of wood, letting her eyes drift shut trying to block out the persistent rays of light.

"It was definitely your fault." She mumbled, watching the colors dance behind her lids. She glanced over at her Time Lord companion. He was pouting with his arms crossed and a petulant look in his eyes.

"The pterodactyl was the one who-"

"You were the one who walked into the pterodactyl, if I remember right." She raised her eyebrows and looked up at the canopy of leaves, "I think it's safe to say that it's all your fault."

"Oi! Mr. Dactyl doesn't think that, I'm-"

"So they have names now?" The Doctor let out a humph! and pouted, "And then you just had to go and pet the fucking ELECTRICSAURUS."

"You mean the alectrosaurus right?"

"I don't care, Doctor." Rose fumed, "It was like a small t-rex. It had the little arms and everything! And last time I checked, they were carnivorous." She gave him a pointed glare.

"You're mad at me aren't you?" She let out a groan and the gummy sound of her palm hitting her forehead reverberated off the surrounding trunks.

"How'd you figure that out, hmm?" She glowered at him. He gave her sheepish smile.

"Does a movie sound good?"

"Huh?"

"When we get back to the TARDIS, do you want to watch a movie? You know, relax." Rose sat silently of a moment, mulling the thought over in her head.

"Sure. Just nothing too scary. And not Jurassic Park!" She waggled her finger at him. He grinned and gave her a mock salute, letting two of his fingers bump against his forehead. Then there was a little silence. It was a nice quiet sort of nothingness and the two companions just sat and watched.

"Should we leave then?" The Doctor asked, breaking out of his reverie.

"Yeah." Rose let him pull her to her feet and they started their journey back to their little blue box.

Then a roar cut through the air and they were running again.

"STILL YOUR FAULT!" Rose shrieked. The Doctor let out a laugh and grabbed her hand with his.

The next day it was robots in the place of dinos. They had landed right smack dab in the center of a revolution.

"You said they were friendly."

"They are." A twitching, flickering head with wires trailing out of its base shot out of the battle towards the pair.

"Yeah... Not convinced." Rose raised her eyebrows and turned back to the TARDIS, "I wanted a massage, that was all, a good honest massage, but no. We had to land in the middle of their revolution. Call me if you need me." She made to open the door when the police box vanished.

They were stuck there for a week and four days.

"This time it was your fault." The Doctor grinned as they finally pulled open the doors of their home.

"And why do you say that?" Rose challenged.

"You decided that you had to fix their problem and stop the feud even after I told you it was supposed to continue for another 47 years!" He pulled her up the ramp.

"I don't like to see people fighting, is there something wrong with that?" She shrugged as she scooted onto the Captain's chair.

"I'm going to be honest with you Rose, alright?" He paused, waiting for a reply. She didn't answer, so he continued, "How you handled that situation is probably going to make it continue for a lot longer than 47 years."

"I learned from the best, what can I say?" She grumbled and made her way back to her room, making sure to lock the door. The TARDIS wheezed, seeming to laugh at him.

"Thanks, old girl." The Doctor muttered as her patted the console and flipped a few switches. They were actually going to go somewhere calm. Just for Rose's sake.

It worked. For the most part. The place was beautiful, with field upon field of brightly colored petal swaying in the warm breeze. It was the plant Spring and the Doctor hadn't been there since he was a child, or at least he didn't have any memories of the area other than that. And if he had, he would have remembered about the pollen.

He did as they were struggling back to the TARDIS, trying to keep their eyes open and their limbs moving. They fell asleep in the entrance. All in all, it had been a good day.

Our adventures were what they'd always been: a tangled mess of limbs running and racing, laughing all the way. They were fun. They were carefree. I was young and the Doctor never seemed to want to grow old. He wanted to stay the same. You would expect him to find change normal, what with regenerations and such, but he never enjoyed it when it wasn't something he had planned. I was afraid to mention the words Bad Wolf to him for fear he would drop me off at home. Now I realise that that would have been impossible. I had just woken up from my repression and I was still rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

You see, when a person wakes up or remembers that one little thing they had sworn they wouldn't forget, they feel like they've betrayed themselves. They become anxious and jumpy. It feels like the whole world is judging what they do and what they say. They feel guilty. They feel awkward. Out of place. I did. You try and cover up how you feel and it just gets uncomfortable for everyone involved.

As I sit here on the captain's chair I cannot help but wince at my stupidity.

Rose turned on the water, shucked her clothes, and stepped into the pelting drops, letting the ripples cascade down her back. She rubbed her eyes once more and opened them, only instead of the distinguished warping, everything had changed color. A range of yellows dipping into browns, greys, and blue to blacks coated her surroundings. Her bright blush tinted walls were now dark yellow, verging on chocolate. Glancing in the mirror, her skin had become a light gold and her hair was paler than normal. Her lips were amber and her eyes mustard as opposed to their normal hazel sheen. Great.

Quickly, she rummaged around for a pair of sunglasses that were big enough to cover the majority of her face and pulled her sweater's hood over her head. The less skin people could see the better. She edged her way towards the kitchen, stopping and turning back towards her room every few minutes. Her stomach growled in protest.

"Shush!" Her eyes flew wide, she was bound to be found now. She crept through the door, praying that the TARDIS wouldn't let the floor boards squeak today. "Deep breaths, Rose, you can do this."

"Do what?" She froze. She pulled the hood down further and tiptoed away, "Rose, what's wrong?"

"Er... no?" She tried, hunching her shoulders. She kept her back to him as she crossed her arms, tugging her sweater closed, "It's nothing, Doctor." She made to return to her room, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her in her tracks.

"You're not very good at lying, you know." The Doctor turned her around to face him, "Now tell me, what's wrong, Rose."

"What's wrong? Can't you that I'm-" She stared up at him. He didn't see anything wrong with her, did he? Rose hurried to the bathroom and peered in the mirror. Everything was normal. She had pink lips and yellow hair and hazel eyes. It was okay. Everything was perfectly fine. She laughed to herself. The Doctor clattered to a stop behind her, eyebrow raised in confusion.

"Nothing's wrong at all." She smiled to herself, then folded her sunglasses in her hands and placed them in her pocket, "Come on let's visit mum." She heard a groan as she left the room. She tugged off her baggy sweater and swapped it for a periwinkle zip-up and she was ready to go.

"Back again so soon?" Jackie cooed, ushering her daughter into the small flat. She left the Doctor standing in the hallway, "But I bet it's been ages since the two of you last saw me. Tea?" She held up a mug and put the kettle on the stove before either could respond, "Earl Grey? English Breakfast? Peppermint?" She quizzed, "Oh, it seems we only have jasmine."

He hates jasmine. Sometimes he wonders if Jackie's only does this to spite him. Rose whacked her forehead with her palm,

"Mum! Calm down! We're only paying a visit, not running off to Mars." She put her hands on hips and Jackie's spoon paused halfway between the sugar bowl and one of the mugs.

"Well then. I guess that clears it up then. What have you just back from, I don't think you've said." Jackie turned away from them appearing agitated.

"Dinosaurs and the Robot Revolution on Abshir?" Rose offered. Jackie sighed, a smile crossing her features.

"Oh good."

"Why, what about it mum?"

"It's nothing, sweetheart. Now come on, here's your tea. It looks like there was some Earl Grey after all. Drink up!" She winked at the Doctor. He scowled. Something was up with the woman and he was going to find out by the look she was giving him. And earful at that.

Once Rose had drained her mug and disappeared to her room (the Doctor didn't know why), Jackie dragged him by his lapels into her bedroom. He winced. This is a place he was hoping he would never have to visit again.

"So you haven't been anywhere on the Continent then? No Germany, no Spain... no France?" She looked him in the eye.

"No."

"If you do, do this for me: please avoid the fish and the jeans." Jackie whispered, "I won't let you hurt my daughter again, so you are going to bloody well avoid the fish. Alright?"

He gulped, "Uh huh."

"Good. Now we should get back to our tea before Rose comes looking for you. She really does care for you, Doctor. Don't screw it up." She glared daggers at him.

"Wouldn't dream of it." She gave his cheek a pat and trotted back to her armchair in the sitting room, "She's terrifying..." He muttered, following her out. The Doctor plopped himself back onto his spot on the sofa and took a generous gulp of his tea.

"So what exactly have you and Rose been up to?" Jackie gave him a sly smile, "Not making any explosions or earthquakes, I should hope."

He choked hard.

"N-n-no. No. Not at all." He took a deep breath, "Lots of running though, never stop."

"So you haven't shagged my daughter?" She cackled as all of the blood drained from his face,

"NO!" The Doctor was trying to sink into the cushions he was seated on. It wasn't working very well. He shifted uncomfortably.

"What's all this?" He had never thought he would be so grateful to hear Rose's voice until now.

"Oh nothing, sweetheart. Never you mind." Jackie said into her mug, hiding her smile from her daughters view.

"If you're sure, I'll just go finish up then."

"Alright. Have fun." Then Jackie had the audacity to wave her off. He was ready to phone the TARDIS and have her materialize around him. He wished with all his might that he wouldn't have to sit through much more of this.

Rose packed a bag this time. She really should have taken a bag before hand. But now that she had, she was ready to go on another adventure.

She ran into the console room after dumping her hiking bag in her room, and flashed a grin across the table of switches,

"So where we going?"

"Further than we've ever gone before." He waggled his eyebrows as he tugged at a lever and she let a tongue and tooth smile appear.

"You really love being dramatic, don't you?" The Doctor look at his feet,

"Maybe."

"You totally do." She laughed.

"Do not. And don't even say "do too", it's not like you're any better." The Doctor folded his arms and gave her a pointed look. She scoffed,

"I'd beg to differ. You don't see me stating the obvious left and right." He raised an eyebrow and she stuck out her tongue.

"I don't care."

"Aw, is the wittle Time Word pouting?"

"I do not pout!"

"Then what are you doing now?"

"...Glowering."

"That's totally a pout."

"You are going to pay for that Rose Marion Tyler!" He chased her around the console room and down the hall. The planet could wait.

They hopped out the TARDIS, one following the other. The wind blew and the grass danced and the smell of freshly picked apples wafted around them, wrapping them in aromas. The blades of grass were too green and the sky too blue and the view across the harbor too perfect. It made Rose miss all of the little quirks that made places in her own time seem real. The imperfections were what made them perfect. Here it was the opposite. It seemed like someone had saturated all of her senses, and, she supposed, the people here liked it that way. She closed her eyes and bounced off of the balls of her feet, this adventure should be a good one. She lent a smile to the Doctor and fell back on the grass.

They talked and laughed. It was calm, almost relaxed. She didn't mind the change of pace. Then he jumped to his feet and reached for her hand and she jumped to hers. They curled their fingers together and set off running towards their destination, just as they always did.

She was drenched. Oh he was going to get it and she was going to make him regret it for a good long while. She was soaked and sprayed and squirted with lukewarm water. "Yeah, watch out for the disinfectant, Rose, there's no way to avoid it." She thought, pressing herself against the wall. That was a nice way to greet visitors. Rose curled in on herself. She was trying to let the least amount of skin be soaked.

"I'm going to kill him. I swear." She grumbled to herself as goose flesh rose all over her body, "Definitely killing him."

As suddenly as the water had started, it stopped and she was powdered from head to toe with white dust. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to keep what hadn't gotten in her eyes out. Then came the air. That was much nicer, like a giant hair dryer. The warm wisps curled around her curves in a pleasant way, warming her now clammy skin up again. Her hands left her side as they brushed her hair back into array. So maybe the disinfectant wasn't that bad.

The weird tattoo guy was really starting to creep her out. Not only was he staring at her and staring at her figure, but he seemed to know who she was.

"The Human child is clean." His head listed to one side and he took a shuddering step towards her, approaching like she was a wild animal that was going to be added to a collection. He looked at her with intrigue. Intrigue and a frenzied form of smugness.

"Um, I'm looking for Ward 26."

"This way, Rose Tyler." So he did know her, well that was sketchy. She had never seen him before in her life and yet he had known what she was and who she was not to mention, where she was from. And with that he ran off with his shoulders hunched up around his ears, reminding Rose somewhat of a rat running back to its lowered herself to the ground, trying not to make a sound, and picked up a spare metal pipe. She needed to be able to protect herself.

She hesitated in the corridor, she could leave now and find the Doctor or she could follow this strange person. She hated to admit it, but the creature, whatever he was, had captured her interest. She followed at a safe pace, concealing her weapon behind her back. She stepped into a dank room filled with coils of wire and cement support columns. She judged it to be the boiler room.

An old tape of a party, and a posh one at that, was flickering on the wall in front of her. It seemed to focus on a single woman in a form-fitted silver dress with blond curls and a good amount of red lipstick. She seemed to be enjoying herself, chatting and laughing with acquaintances. As Rose listened, a memory with the same voice wormed its way to the front of her mind. Her first trip.

"What a minute... that's…" She whipped around there Cassandra sat (stood?), smirking at her.

"Peekaboo!" She drawled.

"Don't you come anywhere near me, Cassandra." Rose said, pointing the rod at the piece of stretched, translucent skin.

"Why? What do you think I'm going to do? Flap you to death?" Cassandra mused, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, but what about Gollum?" Rose gestured towards the stopped figure.

"Oh, that's just Chip. He's my pet." So he was a puppet just like her last minions.

"I worship the mistress!" he proclaimed, puffing up his chest. His wide eyed stare turned from Rose to his Lady. A tender, doting kind of look.

"Moisturize me, moisturize me..." Cassandra ordered. Chip picked up a bottle of and began to squirt the acid on her skin, "He's not even a proper life form. He's a force-grown clone. I modeled him on my favorite pattern. But he's so faithful. Chip sees to my physical needs."

"I hope that means food." Rose mumbled, trying to keep any and all images out of her head. She pulled her shoulders back and stood at her full height, "How come you're still alive?"

"After you murdered me."

"That was your own fault."

"The brain of my mistress survived." Rose followed his gaze to a clear bucket with wires protruding from the sides. It was filled with a bubbling, liquid, and stuck right in the middle of it all was a waterlogged, flaking, pink brain. It looked like it had started to rot a long time ago, "And her pretty blue eyes were salvaged from the bin." Chip leered at his Mistress and Cassandra looked flattered.

"What about the skin? I saw it, you," Rose laughed, "You got ripped apart."

"That piece of skin was taken from the front of my body. This piece is the back."

"Right, so you're talking out of your a–" Rose laughed. Oh this was just too good.

"Ask not." Cassandra glared at the pink and yellow girl.

"The mistress was lucky to survive. Chip secreted milady into the hospital."

"So they don't know you're here?" That made the smug smile on Rose's cheeks vanish.

"Chip steals medicine. Helps milady. Soothes her. Strokes her..."

"You can stop right there, Chip." Rose bit her lip as a the grin spread again. He really didn't know what he was saying, did he?

"But I'm so alone, hidden down here..." Cassandra bemoaned, her eyes drifting towards the ceiling, "The last human in existence..."

"Oh, don't start that again, they've called this planet New Earth."

"A vegetable patch." Cassandra spat.

"And there's millions of humans out there, millions of them."

"Mutant stock!"

"They evolved Cassandra. They just evolved, like they should. You stayed still. You got yourself all pickled and preserved, and what good did it do you?" Cassandra was trying to stop time, to push it away. She didn't see that that went against the physics of time and aging. She was locked up in her own little world. It was like she'd never grown up.

"Oh, I remember that night." Cassandra murmured, watching the old tape play out, "Drinks for the Ambassador of Thrace. That was the last time anyone told me I was beautiful. After that it all became." Here she paused as her wistful tone turned spiteful, "Such hard work." She shot a glare at Rose. One of malice and pain.

"Well, you've got a knack for survival. I'll give you that."

"But I've not been idle Rose, tucked away, underneath this hospital." A smirk appeared on her lipsticked lips, "I've been listening. The Sisters are hiding something."

"What d'you mean?"

"Oh, these cats have secrets." Cassandra spoke, her eyes glittering, "Hush, let me whisper. Come close."

"You must be joking if you think I'm coming anywhere near you!" Rose let out a harsh laugh. She tried to edge her way out of the room, if she moved little by little, they wouldn't notice. As she tried to exit the room, her hands and feet were bound in place by beams of light.

"Chip, activate the psychograft!" The tattooed man bounded over to a great whirring machine, hands at the ready.

"I can't move! Cassandra let me go!" Rose cried. Her mind was racing and her heart pounding. She was stuck. Absolutely and irrevocably stuck. And nothing it seemed, would be able to get her out of this mess. Chip pulled a lever and bars of a blue shot down, encircling her in a prison made out of impenetrable energy.

She couldn't keep the terror out of her voice as she asked, "What are you doing?"

"The lady's moving on. It's goodbye trampoline and hello Blondie!" Cassandra's eyes were fixed on the ceiling as if she were concentrating with all her might. A knowing simper played on her skin. Then in a sudden moment, she vanished in a puff of pink air and shot towards Rose.

Oh shit, was all Rose could think on impact. Chip turned of the machine as she collapsed to the floor and the pipe fell from her loose fingers.

She opened her eyes. She was still her! She wanted to laugh. She tried to bring herself to a stand, but remained sprawled on the ground. She couldn't control her body any more. Oh shit. Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, her mind repeated over and over again.

It's not polite to curse, echoed in her head. Was that, Cassandra? Shit. It was. Cassandra was inside of Rose's body and on top of that, she felt like she was being squished. She glared with all her mental strength at Cassandra. She could feel the smug smile. Then her mouth began to move,

"Moisturize me…" She saw Chip running to get the bottle filled with red acid as she was pulled to a seated position. Her eyes blinked a few times.

Oh, you're going to get it, Cassandra.

Now, now. It's not the time.

You little sh-

Shush.

"How bizarre. Arms… fingers… hair!" She breathed, "Oh, let me see! Let me see!"

She felt her body jerk to a stand as Cassandra stared at her reflection, "Oh my God. I'm a chav!" She cried. Rose wanted to scream in her ear.

You're really going to pay, Cassandra! She heard a smug laugh and Rose saw red.

"Look at me! From class to brass! Although," Her hand tugged at her zipper and ran down her body, "Oh," Her eyes hovered on her breasts, "Curves…" A malicious smile played on her lips, "Oh, baby…" Her body bounced up and down. Cassandra was trying to get a feel for her body. Chip copied her body's movement, as he bobbed up and down as well, "It's like living inside a bouncy castle!" Cassandra commented happily. Rose sighed.

Did you have to?

It's fun to watch you squirm.

How was she going to get the snarky trampoline out her head, though? The TARDIS would know. So would the Doctor, she added as a second thought. Both were out of her reach.

"The mistress is beautiful!" Chip doted.

"Absolutement!" Rose wasn't sure if Cassandra was trying to be spiteful anymore. It seemed she relished the ability to move of her own accord, to have a body.

Her head turned to look back at the metal frame that had held Cassandra's skin, "Oh, but look." Her voice trailed off.

"Oh…!" Chip teetered on his toes, "The brain lead expired... My old mistress is gone." His eyes seemed empty, shocked.

"But safe and sound in here." Cassandra tapped her temple.

"But what of the Rose child's mind?"

"Oh… tucked away… I can just about access the surface memory." Both Cassandra and Rose knew full well that that was a part of the truth. "She's," Cassandra paused, "God… She's with the Doctor… a man… he's the Doctor… The same Doctor with a new face!" Rose blinked. So Cassandra could access memories, "Oh, that hypocrite! I must get the name of his surgeon. I could do with a little work." Cassandra fiddled with her hair, gazing at her reflection once more. Rose had given up trying to care,

"Although," Rose felt her hand ran over her bum, "A nice rear bumper. Hmm!" Her lips spread into a pleased smile.

What are you planning?

Oh you'll see, Rose. You'll see.

Her mobile rang.

"Oh! It seems to be ringing. Is it meant to ring?" Cassandra asked as she pulled out the device. Her hands fumbled with it, trying to figure out how it worked.

"A primitive communications device." Chip provided. Finally, her fingers flipped it open and pressed the answer button.

"Rose, where are you?" Came the Doctor's voice. Right. Ward 26. Rose had forgotten about that.

"How does she speak?" Cassandra whispered to Chip as she pressed the small pink mobile to her ear.

"Old Earth Cockney."

"Um… wotcha?" Cassandra tried.

Close, but not quite, Rose thought.

"Where've you been? How long does it take to get to Ward 26?"

"I'm on my way, governor." He was thick. Absolutely thick. He should have been able to tellit wasn't her. She didn't speak like that, let alone use those speech patterns, "I shall proceed up the Apples and Pears."

You just completely botched that.

Not now, I'm busy.

"You'll never guess. I'm with the Face of Boe! Remember him?" He sounded oh so pleased with himself. Cassandra gritted her teeth and laughed,

"Course I do… that big old… boat… race…"

I'm sorry, a what? The Face of Boe isn't a boat race, that's just mental.

"I'd better go. See you in a minute." She heard the receiver click back into place and Cassandra flipped the mobile shut, sliding it into her pocket again.

"This Doctor man is dangerous." Chip pleaded with Cassandra. Her fingers ruffled her hair and undid the first few buttons of her shirt. The more skin she showed the better.

"Dangerous and clever. I might need a mind like his. The Sisterhood is up to something. Remember that Old Earth saying...? Never trust a Nun. Never trust a Nurse. And never trust a cat. Perfume?" He handed a small vial to her and she pushed it down her cleavage. Then she strode out of the room and into the elevator,

"Ward 26 and make it quick. I don't have all day."

She had a plan that was practically perfect, all she had to do was seduce the Doctor.