Chapter Three:
"I think you're at the wrong club." The bouncer looked down his massive bulk at the Doctor.
"No, I'm not, mate." Since telling the bouncer that he was on the list wasn't working, usually there was always a John Smith on any sort of list, the Doctor fished around in his pocket for the psychic paper. Praying whatever time vortex fallout that had taken out the sonic screwdriver and Rose's memory hadn't ruined the psychic on the paper as well, the Doctor held out the notebook to the bouncer and hoped it worked.
The bouncer's eyes widened. "Why didn't you say something earlier? We'd about given up on you!"
"Never give up on me," the Doctor said, wondering exactly what the paper said.
The bouncer ushered him inside and toward the back rooms. "What you say your name was?"
"John Smith."
"Not that, your other name!"
"The Doctor?" he said, confused.
The bouncer frowned. "Not terribly original, but it's your gimmick, innit?"
"That's right!" the Doctor agreed cheerfully.
"Captain Jack's up next, but you're on after."
"Stage? Next for what?"
The bouncer ignored him. "Thank God you showed. There's a few bachelorette parties tonight, and the crowd's a little wild. You tell them the featured performer's out and there's no telling what they'll do."
"What? What?"
The bouncer opened a dressing room door, and Captain Jack Harkness stepped out. "Jack, there you are. This here's John Smith, 'The Doctor.'"
Captain Jack gave the Doctor the onceover. "Shouldn't you have a lab coat or a stethoscope or something?"
"Someone nicked 'em?" The Doctor couldn't help but stare at Jack. He was dressed in a silver Speedo and boots with a fake ray gun holstered to his side. He looked like a '60s version of a spaceman, but considerably less dressed.
"That's rotten luck," Jack shook his head. "I think someone else who used the doctor gimmick left some props backstage, you should go check 'em out."
The Doctor stepped closer. "Jack, what are you doing here? Are you my Jack or Pete's World Jack?"
Jack grinned. "I think I'd remember if I was ever your Jack, even if I was a little drunk. You'll have to refresh my memory, 'Doctor.'"
The Doctor shook his head. "Never mind. You're either not him or suffering from the same amnesia as Rose."
"Well, if you change your mind." Jack clapped his hand on the Doctor's shoulder. "And if you need any help with your costume, you let me know." He winked at him and turned and headed onstage.
"Let's give a warm welcome to Captain Jack, the Spaceman!" an announcer crowed. "He's out of this world!"
Women screamed and went crazy as Jack danced around on stage collecting pounds and shedding what little clothes he had by the minute.
"It's a strip club," the Doctor muttered. Then he caught sight of who was sitting at the rowdiest table, stirring her fancy drink glumly and not looking at all caught up by the atmosphere.
Rose.
He had to talk to her, get her to at least believe that he wasn't a nutter long enough to tell the TARDIS to get out of here before they caused more damage.
But should he even try to leave this parallel dimension? Wouldn't that cause even more damage? Better maybe to just continue his travels here, in this plane of existence, and see what wonders he could find.
Alone.
He cast his eyes back to Rose, remembering her tears on the beach as they said their goodbyes, as she said the words that seemed to stick in his throat.
The song ended, and he saw Jackie Tyler stand up and wave Jack over. She held up some money and he nodded and motioned toward a back room. Rose's entourage laughed and started pushing her toward the room, despite her protests.
Jack came off the stage, counting the money, and hardly noticed the Doctor step in front of him.
"Hey, you'd better get ready, you're up next," Jack said. "Or is that your outfit?"
"Where's that blonde woman going? The one whose group was practically stuffing their salaries down your pants?"
Jack laughed. "Oh, the blushing bride. Her friends bought her a private dance with yours truly. Just her and me." He winked. "Maybe I'll get to kiss the bride before the groom does."
"Where's these private dance rooms?"
"Toward the back, in behind the bar."
"Thanks," the Doctor said and punched Jack in the face, knocking him out. He shook his hand, sore from the impact. "Ow. That's why violence isn't the answer."
Rose's party must have went back out to watch the action or been buying drinks at the bar, because the only person loitering outside the rooms was Jackie Tyler. The Doctor tensed, waiting for her to recognize him.
"You, erm, ordered the private dance?" the Doctor asked.
She looked at him, a frown on her face, that erased when she saw him. "Yes, with that Captain Jack bloke. It's not for me, it's for my daughter. I'm happily married," she said, thrusting a huge rock of a ring in his face. "But she should have all the fun while she still can." She laughed.
"Yes, well, Jack had an emergency and had to leave rather abruptly, but he asked me to fill in and here I am, so…"
"You supposed to be a professor or something?" Jackie asked, looking him over.
"Doctor, actually."
"You don't look much like a Doctor. Or a dancer."
"Well, I am! Both actually. Why does everyone assume I can't dance?" he asked, irritated.
"You're easy on the eyes, though, aren't you?" Jackie said, with a flirty smile. "If I wasn't already married…"
"But you are, so I'll just go in a see your daughter, shall I?" the Doctor said quickly, and opened the door and closed it behind him quickly.
Rose was sitting on a couch facing a small stage, holding another drink and looking bored.
"Look, let's just get this over with, I'm not in the mood…" she trailed off, seeing him. "Oh! It's you!"
"Yes, and your mother just flirted with me! Wish I could get amnesia to forget that bit." He clapped his hands together. "Now, Rose, I know you think I'm a bit off, but if you'll just listen to me for a moment…"
"How did you get here? You're not a dancer, are you? Did you follow me? I'm calling for security," she said, reaching for the phone.
"You looked into the TARDIS and the TARDIS looked into you," he said quickly. Her hand froze over the phone. "You're connected now. The temperal radiation, anyone who travels in the TARDIS receives a bit of it, it buggered up with this new hole in the universe, which is why none of you remember me, but you, you're connected to the TARDIS, and you have it, a tiny glimpse, a tiny memory of me and her, of being the Bad Wolf." He saw her features pale. "Rose, look at me. Look at me and remember, somewhere deep inside, you still do. You know this life and marrying Melvin Whatshisname isn't what you want."
"Martin Jones. And how do you know that? I've never told anyone that."
"It's because I know you."
"You know me. Right. Great line." She nodded, looking really upset. "You almost had me believing you. Just because I had dreams of monsters and robots and aliens…next thing you'll tell me you had two different faces."
"I did! Well, more than two, actually."
She frowned. "Fine. You want me to believe you? Tell me all about me and how you fit into all of this."
"Alright."
She leaned forward and pushed a button and music started playing. "While dancing."
He stared at her. "W-What?"
"My mum and my mates paid for me to get a private dance. You want to talk? Start dancing. Otherwise I'm calling security."
He stared at Rose helplessly. "Come off it, you're not really going to make me…"
Her hand went back to the phone.
"Alright!" He silently thanked the fates that he always wore multiple layers of clothing this time around. The CD player switched to a new song. He frowned, listening to Freddy Mercury croon the opening, Tonight I'm going to have myself a real good time…
"Queen?" he said.
"I won't stop you now," she said, and motioned for him to continue. "And do it properly, or I'll call security."
He moved a bit, sliding the long coat down and whirling it around him like a cape. "We met back when I was in my last regeneration. I looked different then, older, with stick-out ears and liked to wear jumpers and leather jackets. I've gotten better looking in this generation."
"So you're what? A mutant or something?"
"Alien," he corrected, actually starting to move in time with music. "Timelord."
She looked pointedly for him to continue, and he unbuttoned his jacket, sliding it off slowly this time, with a bit more flair, and giving it a toss across the room.
"I travel in the TARDIS, through time and space. You looked into the time vortex when you were trying to rescue me from the Daleks."
"They say, 'Exterminate.'"
"That's right!" He untied the tie as he did a slow twirl and then tossed it to her. She caught it out of the air. "We traveled all through time and space, meeting all sorts of beings. We went to the 1950s and fought the Wire, we saved Madame Du Pompadour."
"You snogged Madame Du Pompadour," she said darkly.
"You remember a lot for someone who has forgotten everything."
"And you're talking instead of dancing."
"You got taken from me when were saving the world from the Daleks and the Cybermen. They were being sucked into the void, which is an interpretation of hell, and we had to close the gateway between this world and the one you came from. I did mention this was a parallel dimension, right?" He deliberately unbuckled his belt and tossed it away, not knowing how much longer he could stall before shedding important layers of clothing.
"I think earlier, yes," she said, still watching him.
"The void was sucking you in, and Pete Tyler, your dad saved you and brought you here to this world. But I couldn't come here to get you because of the damage it could do to the fabric of reality." He slowly unbuttoned his shirt, button by button, all while watching her watching him.
"And yet here you are."
"This is starting to get a bit sexy, isn't?"
"More than a bit." She bit one fingernail, watching as he slid his hands over his long, lean body.
"Didn't expect that," he said, untucking his t-shirt from his pinstripe pants, letting her catch a glimpse of his well-defined stomach, whipping it off, enjoying her sharp intake of breath.
"Keep talking," she said, sitting up.
Something intense was passing between them. He took a deep breath, not taking his eyes from hers as he advanced toward her. "We had to say goodbye on a beach in Norway. I was just a projection, so I couldn't touch you. I never got the chance…" his voice caught.
"To what?" she asked, on her feet and moving toward him as well.
"To say…"
"Yes?"
He was close enough now to reach out and touch her. "It doesn't matter now, you have a fiancé. You're happy."
"No, I'm not. I'm miserable." A tear trickled down her cheek. "You say you know me so well, you can't tell that I'm just passing time, filling my life with people that don't even matter, just to have someone close by? Someone who won't leave me? I'm haunted by the feeling of losing something that meant the world to me, but I don't remember…"
His face softened. "Rose Tyler, I think you need a Doctor." He leaned forward, tipping her chin up, and kissed her.
Her eyes slowly opened as his lips left hers. "Oh, my God," she breathed. She seemed to gain focus. "Oh, my God! You're here! You're finally here!" She threw her arms around him and hugged him tight. She pulled back, looking confused. "Remind me, why were you stripping?"
He gathered her up in a big hug. "It doesn't matter. You're back, I'm back, all's right with the universe."
"Back to stay," she agreed.
"Too right."
They stared at each other for a long moment. Then as if a silent communication had urged them to go for it, they met in a passionate kiss. They toppled back onto the couch behind them.
The door flew open and the two froze, the Doctor still on top of Rose, half-clothed.
"Oh, my God!" Jackie Tyler shrieked, standing there in the doorway with the bouncer, and Jack, who was still holding his nose. "He's molesting my daughter! Stop him!"
"For God's sake, mum, he's not molesting me, he's the Doctor!" Rose said indignantly.
"She doesn't remember me, you didn't up until a few moments ago," the Doctor said.
"Seems like you're getting reacquainted pretty easy," Jack said.
The Doctor and Rose looked at each other and then scrambled up, the Doctor grabbing his t-shirt up and jamming it on quickly.
"Really, Rose, I took you out to have fun tonight and blow off some steam before your wedding, not to shag a stripper."
"Please, Mum, he's not a stripper!"
"And we didn't shag!"
"Because you barged in," Rose grumbled.
"You're not helping," the Doctor said to her.
"Mate, you're going to have to come with me," the bouncer said.
"See, the thing about that is," The Doctor grabbed Rose's hand and bolted for the door, knocking Jackie and Jack over.
Rose's laugh was music to his ears.
Chapter Four:
"Ask and ye shall receive," the Doctor announced as he entered the TARDIS, hand-in-hand with Rose. "One Rose Tyler, in the flesh." He turned to her. "Now have some girl talk with the TARDIS so we can get out of here. She refused to move until she saw you. Ruddy machines are getting more and more tempermental. First they want certain people in their presence, the next they're sending scouts to scan the brain of a French aristocrat."
"All roads lead back to Madame Du Pompadour with you, don't they?" Rose said.
He smiled. "Jealous?"
"You were going to stay forever with her and leave me on that spaceship, so yeah, I am a bit."
"And you were going to marry a rugby player named Meldrake."
"Martin! And the very fact that you refuse to acknowledge his name just shows how jealous you are." Rose tapped a few keys on the TARDIS console. "She seems content now, all systems are in working order as far as I can tell."
He looked over her shoulder. "Isn't that bloody amazing."
She glanced back at him. "I like you in the more casual look."
He looked down at his t-shirt and pants. "Well, I had to leave half of my clothes behind thanks to someone."
She smiled. "A hole in the universe, a few missing clothes, what's it matter as long as we're back together?"
He smiled back. "Quite right. We can't go back to our world, but there's a lot of this one out there to explore. What do you say? Are you game?"
"Always." She leaned up to him and he caught her around the waist, to kiss her, leaning her back against the TARDIS console, even as she wound her arms around his neck. The TARDIS beeped in protest.
He glanced over at the monitor. "What? You wanted her back, you'll just have to get used to this."
A screen of Gallifreyan ran across.
"And we're not shagging on the console!"
"Yet," Rose amended, reaching around him to shut off the monitor. "We're not shagging on the console yet."
