A/N: Thank you so much for all your reviews. I desperately needed to write some fluff and now I'm glad I shared it with you. Here's part two.

We last left the Doctor in Jackie's flat being smacked with a rolled up newspaper!

Chapter 2

Rose stood at the window staring out into the dark sky, rain tapping against the window. She didn't realise how many people she'd left behind and in how many ways. She felt too old to be around them now. She found herself getting irritated by their girly behaviour and shallow problems. The Doctor was rubbing off on her and she knew it. She'd rather be on the TARDIS chatting to him as he tinkered underneath the control panel.

Rose Tyler was growing up.

"Hey Rose. So where's your friend?"

"Friend?"

"Yeah the bloke you've been travelling with." Shareen was practically bouncing and very close to being drunk.

"Oh, he's um… he had some people to meet." She lied.

"That's a shame. You mum says he's a bit of a looker." The girl winked at her.

Rose was glad she was wearing a mask as she felt her cheeks turn pink. "I suppose."

"Ooo I love this song, where's Mickey?" Shareen bounded off to drag the poor boy to dance.

Rose watched and laughed as her friend looked so disinterested, being dragged around the floor.

"Don't you just hate it when they play a slow song in the middle of a party?" An unfamiliar voice floated over her shoulder. "Care to dance?" The stranger took her hand and led to her the dance floor. As they swayed to the music, Rose stole a proper glance up at her partner but couldn't make him out. He was very good at keeping to the shadows and his mask covered a good portion of his face. But there was something nagging at her about him.

He could see the confusion sparkling in her eyes as she kept glancing up at him. It was all he could do to stop himself from laughing. It was amazing what a difference a mask could make.

"Thought you were too old for this?" Rose said finally a small smile gracing her lips.

"I don't know what you mean. You must have me confused with someone else."

"What's with the accent anyway? What's it meant to be?"

"Fine. Ruin any air of mystery. And I don't know; it's sort of a mixture. Normal accentage will resume."

Rose giggled. "So what changed your mind?"

"Your mother."

"Got that bad huh?"

"No, she dragged me to the TARDIS and made me find a costume."

"You're kidding?"

"Nope, I swear on my lives. Smacked me round the head with a newspaper the whole way! You deserve better than a 'you look nice'." He told her glancing over at Mickey.

"That's just Mickey. Besides you told me I looked good so that was enough for me."

"Actually I said you looked beautiful. Twice."

Rose's smile grew even wider. "I'm glad you came. I was getting so bored." She could make out the questioning look in his eyes as they neared some lights. "I just feel so out of place now. Everything has stayed the same except me."

"I know the feeling." He said ruefully, after all changing was his speciality. The question is; do you want to stay the same? Be the way you were?"

"I don't know. One minute I think I do and then I think that if I was then I might not have you in my life. So I suppose, no. I've changed and I think, no I KNOW it's for the better."

The Doctor pulled her tight to him and pressed his lips against the top of her head.

"You're wise beyond your years Rose Tyler."

"Hey Rose!" Shareen was yelling at her from the other side of the room, practically falling over. Only Mickey was stopping her from falling to the floor completely. "Who's the hottie?"

Rose and the Doctor froze.

"John Smith has entered the building." The Doctor muttered.

"Doctor John Smith or just plain old John Smith?"

"Oh I'm never plain old anything Rose!" He told her in mock seriousness.

"Don't I know it?" She grinned up at him as Shareen stumbled across the floor.

"So is this your hot friend?"

"Uh, John this is Shareen. Shareen, this is John."

"Nice to meet you." The Doctor grinned.

"It definitely is!" She replied, eyeing him up and down.

"Is there any girl in the universe that doesn't come on to you the minute they meet you?" Mickey moaned.

"Umm…..no!" The Doctor grinned at him.

"Well there's mum." Rose said.

"Nope, she has too. When we first met. Something about a strange man in her bedroom and that anything could happen." The Doctor told her with an amused half smile.

"Oh really? We so need to talk later."

"Probably shouldn't have told you that."

"So, Rose said you had people to visit." Shareen slurred.

"Oh, yes, well. It was all terribly boring and I realised I had better places to be." He risked a glance down at Rose.

"Aww, that's so sweet. I was feeling a little guilty 'cause I'd stolen her date." Shareen grinned at Mickey causing the boy to groan inwardly.

The four stood with Shareen grinning at the Doctor and Mickey glaring at him.

Rose felt him shift awkwardly beside her.

"Do you want a drink?" He asked, his eyes pleading with her to say yes.

"Okay." She gave him her brightest smile as he jokingly bowed and kissed her hand. She giggled as he retreated into the shadows of the room.

"Where did you find him?" Shareen gushed, tilting her head to watch the Doctor appreciatively.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me."

Mickey rolled his eyes and folded his arms across his chest, looking to all the world like a sulking child.

"You remember when Henricks blew up? He got me out before it did."

"You're kidding! So he saved your life? Wow!"

"Yeah."

"That is so cool! So what is your relationship with him anyways? Is he like your boyfriend? 'Cause 'well done' you. He's older than you right?"

"You could say that." Rose grinned to herself.

"I thought so. He looks at least 32."

"Dare you to tell him that." Mickey mumbled before stalking off towards the bathroom.

He stood staring at himself in the mirror and huffed. Rose was meant to be his girl. Okay technically they weren't together anymore but he'd sort of hoped to sweep her off her feet again that night, especially with the Doctor out of the way. Problem was, even when the Doctor wasn't around, Mickey knew he was on her mind. She'd slipped away from him at the first opportunity and stood staring at the stars.

He'd asked her a few weeks ago if she loved the Doctor but she hadn't answered him, not properly but he supposed she didn't need to. It was plain as day she loved the old him and this new him, well, he was even more crazy and giddy and unfortunately for Mickey, no longer had the big ears and nose. And to top it off looked at least ten years younger.

Just once he'd like to steal Rose's attention away from him, just for a moment he wanted her to look at him with that great big smile and the sparkle in her eyes she always treated the Time Lord to the moment he came into view

It was almost as if she'd forgotten he was an alien, a completely different species that, according to common sense, shouldn't exist. It was the stuff of science fiction movies. The man has two hearts and was over 900 years old for crying out loud and yet instead of being freaked out or uncomfortable, Rose seemed to like him more for it. Voyages into the unknown weren't empty promises for the Doctor, he could take her any where she wanted. Maybe that was the attraction. The unknown and the strange. He missed his Rose, the girl that he used to meet for lunch, the one he used to play fight with, the girl he'd known all his life. That girl wasn't there anymore, at least not for him. He didn't want to think about what she and the alien got up to in that spaceship all alone with no one to disturb them. He was pretty sure they hadn't gone that far, just by the way the Doctor was with her, ever so slightly naïve at times, missing the flirtatious intent to her words every now and then and blushing when he did notice. Mickey had to wonder how much longer they would hold out before going that far.

The thought made his stomach churn and his eyes burn. He knew that side of Rose and it was the most sensational thing he'd ever known. He didn't think any one would ever come close to Rose Tyler or the way she made him feel, or used to make him feel rather. He could close his eyes and see her dishevelled, wicked face, her tongue caught between her lips. Problem now was when he closed his eyes she wasn't looking at him anymore.

Sighing he snapped his eyes open and saw the very face he's opened his eyes to avoid.

"You alright Mick?" The Doctor asked; his head cocked to one side, looking at him quizzically.

"Yeah, fine." The boy grumped, washing his hands for no particular reason.

The Doctor raised an eyebrow and folded his arms across his chest, leaning against the door of one of the cubicles.

"You sure? I've seen that look a million times before and it's never on the face of someone that's okay."

Mickey moved to the hand dryer, turning his back to the Doctor and gripped it tightly.

"You couldn't just stay away." He muttered.

"What was that?"

"You couldn't just stay at Jackie's could you? You had to come and invade every part of her life. We were getting on fine before you turned up."

"She was stood at the window on her own, looking very bored." The Doctor countered.

"I don't mean tonight." He whirled round to face him. "You could have taken off and never come back that first time, but no. You melted back into view, opened that door and tempted her away with promises of time travel and your sad blue eyes, stupid big ears and dumb northern accent. It was all good before you turned up and now nothing is good enough for her." The sad look on the Doctor's face irritated Mickey even more. "And don't look at me like that!"

"Like what?!"

"Like you feel sorry for me. Like you weren't trying to impress her with all the mad the things you can do. Like I've hurt your feelings or something. Doesn't work on me!"

"Mickey, I never meant to….." He was cut off any further as the sprinklers burst into life and screaming started in the dance hall. "What on earth?" Taking a quick look over at the irate teen the Doctor darted out the door, Mickey following a beat behind.

XxXxX

A/N: Don't hate me, Mickey had to have his say sometime! Anyways, like anyone really listens to the poor boy!

So what do ya think?

"Catch ya on the flip flop!"