a/n: Just a heads up, this is a teen story which means it's angsty in places and there are cliques. In particular, Reinette is part of the pretty popular girl clique so she may not be the most sympathetic character. If that bothers you, this might not be the story for you.

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who and do not profit from this fic or any of the characters contained therein.

After the incident in Maths, Rose's time at the Gallifreyan Academy became less controversial but still quite interesting. Harriet had been stern but also understanding. She had little tolerance for running away from one's problems. She insisted that if Rose had given Mr. Delaware a chance, he would have handled the situation with the other students as well as provided Rose with a plan to help her in her maths studies. Rose wasn't sure she believed that, as Mr. Delaware didn't strike her as an understanding type. She did, however, respect Harriet for being straightforward with her without being condescending or judgmental. The ultimate resolution was that Rose would receive one on one tutoring before she would be placed back into Mr. Delaware's classroom, that she had to apologize to Mr. Delaware and she was on restriction. Being on restriction, meant she wasn't allowed to participate in any extracurricular activities for the next two weeks. Rose thought that was fair and knew she had to focus on her studies anyway if she was going to make it at this school.

For the next two weeks, Rose's days consisted of studying, a quick break for lunch, more studying and dinner with Astrid, Mickey and a few others. She'd never worked so hard and she often fell into an exhausted sleep at night. Studying for Rose, meant math tutoring with Jack who was becoming a fast friend, studying Shakespeare, reading about Queen Victoria's reign, memorizing periodical tables, trying her hand at a few science experiments with Dr. Taylor and blowing quite a few of the students out of the water at physical education. She had won the bronze in gymnastics when she was seven and that experience was paying off here. All in all, it wasn't so different from the schoolwork she would have had in London, only more focused and intense.

Then, there were the odd things she noticed. Every once in a while she caught something out of the corner of her eye that she couldn't believe. There was the time she swore Mickey talked to this computer and it just did what he wanted without him ever touching a keyboard or a mouse. It was how Lynda's hand seemed to become almost translucent as she reached into a hard drive and symbols flew across the screen of her monitor. There was the day she swore she saw Adam snap his fingers and an apple flew out of a bowl and into his hand. It didn't end there. Astrid burnt her hand on an open flame burner in the lab and Martha rushed over gently running her hands over the burn and it disappeared. Astrid smiled and thanked her as if it was the most normal thing.

Nothing was as it appeared at the Academy. Rose was clever and noticed more and more things the longer she was there, even oddities with the teachers. It was how Gwen Cooper always seemed to know when one of her students was about to fall off the climbing wall and was there to catch them or how her literature teacher, Sarah Jane Smith could tell when someone was lying or stared at someone, almost willing them to tell her every little detail of what they'd been doing. Dr. Reynolds never needed any lab samples labeled, he just picked up the mineral or compound substance and new what it was down to its molecular level. Everyone here seemed to have some unique talent or strange quality about them. Everyone, that is, except for Rose. She couldn't help wondering why she was here?

When Rose's two week restriction period ended, she was lying in bed with a furrowed brow studying Einstein's Theory of Relativity when Donna whipped the book away from her and snapped it shut. "All right that's enough."

Rose looked up at her confused. "Sorry, what's your problem? Was I studyin' too loud or somethin?"

Donna rolled her eyes. "Don't be daft. Your restriction's up. That means you can go do something fun like meet up with your friends and go out."

"Maybe you missed it but I don't exactly have friends here. I'm the trouble maker accordin' to certain people which means I'm not welcome in certain circles."

"Oh stop it!" Donna snapped. "You're not gonna play that game with me, blondie. And who gives a flip what snooty Reinette or her little followers say! Now come along, we're going out."

Rose stared at her for moment before grabbing a jacket and following Donna out. They walked up never ending stair cases until they reached what Rose presumed to be the attic and then up more stairs to the roof. When Rose emerged, Jack was there to lift her up. She gasped at the starry sky above her. "It's beautiful," she breathed.

"Thought you'd like it," Jack said, looking up with her. "Bet you don't see skies like this back in London. Too many lights."

Rose shook her head and just stared up at more stars than shed' ever seen in sparkling in the sky. Donna grabbed her arm. "Come on, Captain Innuendo gets to see you everyday. Time to meet some new people with less pervy habits," Donna said and yanked Rose away from a sputtering Jack. The rest of the roof was crowded with students chatting and grouped around lanterns or telescopes. People were, listening to music, drinking and eating snacks and looked to be having a nice time. She waved at Mickey who was standing next to Martha with a lovesick expression. She had a good feeling about them. Astrid and Lynda were leaning over a telescope with a tall, lanky, bow tie wearing boy with long brown hair. Both were giggling over something he'd said.

Rose soon found herself being introduced to a group of Donna's friends huddled near a chimney. Lee McAvoy was a tall, well built bloke with dark curly hair and a slight a stutter. He looked at Donna as if the sun rose and set on her. Rose smiled at how adorable they were together. They felt right too. Next, was Craig Owens who was a heavy set bloke with sandy colored hair and a faraway look in his blue eyes. Donna thumped him to get his attention. He turned to Rose with a shy smile and said, "Oh, hello!"

Rose smiled brightly. "Hi Craig, I'm Rose." His eyes seemed to glaze as he looked at her and said a nervous "sorry" before muttering he needed a drink and almost stumbled away.

Rose looked quizzically at Donna. "What's his problem?"

Donna paused for a moment watching him leave. "Oh, it's not you. He's a bit skittish is all."

Rose nodded but didn't understand. Donna pulled her over to another group of students. She soon found herself sitting with a petite, fiery ginger haired girl named Amy Pond and her boyfriend, Rory Williams while Donna tugged Lee away to talk to some people near one of the telescopes. It was clear that the brown haired, t-shirt wearing Rory was head over heels for Amy although Amy seemed to be more casual about his adoration as if it was expected.

"So Rose, you're from London then?" Amy asked. She was very inquisitive and had already peppered Rose with questions about everything from music to fashion while Rory fetched drinks for them.

"Yeah, I lived with my Mum. I've never been really anywhere until I came here. To be honest, I'm still not quite sure how or why I won the scholarship."

"Scholarship?" Rory asked.

Rose looked down and picked at her nails. "Yeah, Mum couldn't have paid for some posh school like this. Guess I was just lucky one of my teachers recommended me."

"So, you don't know why you're here?" Amy asked, with a suspicious look on her face.

Rose looked up at her. "No, not really. I mean I know you lot are a bunch of geniuses. Not that I'm dumb, cause I'm not but I know I'm not as smart as like Jack over there."

Amy looked over at Jack who winked at her before she turned back to Rose.

Before Amy could say anything further, Rory spoke up. "Jack's no genius. Neither is Amy or I."

Amy thumped him. He looked wounded and rubbed the arm she had smacked. "Not that Amy isn't brilliant in her own way," he added. "But this school is more about talent. You wouldn't be here if you didn't have a special gift."

"Rory's right," Amy affirmed. "So go on spill, Rose. What's your talent?"

Rose stared at them for a moment, not sure what they were getting at. "I guess I'm a decent gymnast. At least, accordin' to Gwen. I mean I work real hard on the other school stuff and I'm not a slacker…"

Amy rolled her eyes. "Rose, it's not like it needs to be a secret here. Look," she said and tipped her cup pouring the contents out which froze in midair. Rose's eyes widened and she looked back at Amy in amazement. "See, it's no big deal."

"So, you can freeze stuff?" Rose asked and gently reached over and tapped the frozen contents of Amy's drink.

"Yeah, it's easy," Amy responded as if it was a common occurrence for her. "I can make fires too."

"Amy's a thermokinetic talent. It means when she wants she can control temperature with her mind," Rory explained.

Suddenly, the frozen liquid melted and splashed to the ground. Amy shrugged like it was no big deal and sipped the remainder of her drink.

Rose looked at Rory. "And you, you have some super power too?"

"Super power?" Amy choked out. "God, don't let Harriet hear you call it that, even if it is a bit funny."

Rory glared at Amy. "Rose, what we have is a genetic anomaly that allows us special talents. That's all," Rory explained seriously.

"Rory's really strong," Amy confided and shot him a knowing look. Rory blushed.

"So, go on. Tell us Rose. What's your deal?" Amy asked, impishly, curiosity just oozing out of her eyes.

"Amy! Leave her alone. She doesn't' have to talk about it." Rory turned to Rose. "It's all right. I didn't want to talk about it when I was new here either. If and when you're ready to talk, Amy and I will be here."

Rose bit her lip worrying. She was definitely feeling out of place here. She didn't have any special super talents like they did. Before she could confide in them that she didn't have any special power, there was an explosion of fireworks overhead and sparks rained down on them.

"Bloody hell!" Amy shouted. "It's that wanker Luke Rattigan showing off again."

"He'll burn the whole school down!" Rory muttered.

More fireworks exploded closer to them and everyone began running. Rose wasn't sure where to go until someone grabbed her hand and said, "Run!"

She found herself being tugged across the roof, over vents and around chimneys to a quiet area near an odd looking metallic device that looked like a silver bowling ball sized orb with a scope sticking out of it. Next to it was a thermos, teacup, biscuits and a blanket. Rose looked up at the spiky brown-haired, pinstriped suited Doctor. He puzzled her. When she'd met him with Jack, he seemed less interested in being friendly and then there was his snobby girlfriend. Now, he'd not only rescued her from the fireworks trouble but brought her to some private star viewing place and was grinning at her like a loon.

"Um, thanks for rescuin' me from all the fireworks stuff."

"Oh, you're welcome!" he said, with hands in the pockets of his long brown coat and rocking back on his heels.

Rose looked around. "It's quiet over here. You come here a lot?"

He walked over and knelt by his thermos and poured her a cup of tea and added some cream which he had pulled out of his pocket. Rose was a little surprised but thought "why not?" and sat next to him accepting the hot beverage. "How'd you know this is how I take tea?"

"I'm observant," he answered and pulled another tea cup out of his seemingly never ending pocket and poured his own tea adding more sugar than Rose had ever seen added to tea.

"Oh, I um, never see you around. What, is that your super secret power then?" Rose asked.

"Super secret power?" he asked in a tone that clearly indicated his disdain for such a designation.

Rose grinned. "Well, Rory and Amy were telling me 'bout their talents and that's what it seems like to me. This some school for people who, you know, got special powers?"

He furrowed his brow and sniffed. "They are not super powers," he said again, wincing at that term. "People here are just special, have a bit more in the genetic make up than the average human."

Rose nodded and sipped her tea again wondering why she was here. "Yeah, I can see there's lots of special people here." She looked over at him to find him staring intently at her. "What, there something on me?" she asked and looked down at her pink hoody but couldn't see anything but then it was awfully dark on this side of the roof.

"No, just getting a feel for you is all. You're a bit of a puzzle," he replied and sipped his tea, smacking his lips.

Rose stared at him in the dim glow of a lantern he had leaned over and flicked on. She wasn't the puzzle, he was. She'd always been able to get a feel for people but he was a lot harder to read. It was clear he was brilliant and had an aura of authority about him, but there something else and she just couldn't put her finger on it. "So you gonna show me some stars then?" she finally asked.

His face lit up and he pulled a silver pen out of his pocked with a glowing blue tip which he waved at the device before them. "That some type of remote control?" she asked.

He looked at her as if she had dribbled. "It's my sonic screwdriver. I use it to…make adjustments and stuff."

"And stuff?" she teased and scooted closer to him.

"It's a sophisticated tool for adjusting things, reheating tea, unlocking doors, resonating whatever and well lots of stuff."

"You invented it then?" Rose asked.

He preened at that comment. "I did. Bit of genius, me!"

Rose rolled her eyes. "And so humble too," she commented and bumped her shoulder against his.

He had a delighted look in his eyes and she could see him almost bounce with boyish charm. After that, he started to babble to her about his sonic telescope and began showing her stars, planets and nebulas.

They were huddled close together. "See that, Rose, that's the Horsehead Nebula. Right now there's a plasma storm brewing there. Fires are burning, ten million miles wide. Imagine if we could fly into the heart of it, then ride the shock wave all the way out, hurtling right across the sky. We could end up anywhere."

Rose pulled back from the telescope and looked at him gazing up at the sky with such longing and felt something inside of herself unfurl. He looked at her then, his eyes shining even on the darkened roof. There was something between them, some intangible connection. He whispered her name and leaned closer to her.

"There you are!" a feminine voice called out, breaking the intimate mood between them. They both pulled back guiltily but still shooting each other flirtatious looks. Reinette strode forward holding a lantern. "Harriet has ordered everyone to their rooms. There was a concern when the child had vanished…again," she announced in her cultured voice and still refusing to look at Rose.

"The child has a name and it's Rose," Rose retorted, annoyed with Reinette's attitude.

Reinette turned to her with a haughty look. "You would do well to learn to lose that coarse attitude and adopt a more pleasing and congenial demeanor. You've already been reprimanded once and developed a reputation for rebellion. Perhaps that might be acceptable from whence you come but not at the Gallifreyan Academy. You will be held to a higher standard here.

The Doctor stood up. "Reinette, that's enough," he said in a clipped tone. "Rose is with me not off rebelling."

"Is she?" Reinette asked in a voice that questioned and yet had just a touch of arrogance to it. "You seem to have quite a few young students who you run off with." She then turned to Rose. "I suppose you think you're special? That is what most think in their naiveté. Let me assure you child, you are not. You are new and fresh and caught his interest. He will tire of you like he has all the others and I will be here when he does."

The Doctor didn't say anything, only looked uncomfortable. Rose stood up and looked ready to explode but not sure who at, the prat Doctor who it appeared liked to seduce new students or his cow of girlfriend who showed up to be condescending and cruel. "I don't know who's worse you or 'im," Rose finally said, glaring at both of them.

"Rose, don't," the Doctor said in an aggravated voice. "You're not…that is to say, I, well I…"

"Don't!" Rose repeated back. "This whole school is mucked up. What do you do, bring normal people around to make yourselves feel more special? Is that why I'm here?"

"What? What are you talking about?" he demanded in an irritated tone. He wasn't about to stand there and allow both girls to impugn his integrity much less get in the middle of some cat fight. He hadn't done anything wrong in his mind and didn't understand why Rose, who he had deemed extraordinary and clever would ask such a thing. How could she not know how special she was?

"I'm not that daft. Everyone here has some power or talent or whatever you call it. I don't. So why am I here?"

"An excellent question," Reinette agreed. "Perhaps the child has a point. Look at her. There's nothing special about her." Reinette walked over to the Doctor. "She's not like us," she said and looped her arm through the Doctor's much to his annoyance.

He pulled away. "Stop it, Reinette. You don't know what you're talking about."

Reinette looked annoyed. That's when Rose got it. Reinette was in love with him and wanted him all to herself. Rose knew girls like this. Posh or not, they all had the same goal, to catch a pretty bloke and parade him around like a trophy. They needed to have a man in their lives to feel accomplished. In that moment, annoyed or not, Rose pitied Reinette. She didn't need a bloke to be happy. She could do fine on her own and had learned on the estate that the only person you relied on was yourself.

Reinette turned on Rose then. "I see. You want some common, uneducated little girl to impress. She said it herself. She's no one special and can barely keep up with her studies here. Perhaps Harriet brought her here to indulge you."

"Stop it Reinette," the Doctor said in a tight voice.

Reinette smirked, unwilling to let this go. He had pricked her ego with his pursuit of Rose and she was going to punish him by hurting Rose who she deemed unworthy of attending the prestigious Academy. "The poor creature said it herself. We have powers she doesn't. She's nothing but…" Reinette paused and looked back at the Doctor. "The tin dog you have in your laboratory that follows you around, at your beck and call and makes you feel important."

"I said STOP IT!" he shouted, now livid that Reinette would be so cruel.

During all of this, Rose felt her confidence ebb. Maybe Reinette had a point. She was nothing like them and why would some good looking, brilliant bloke like the Doctor want anything to do with her. In that moment, she hated both the Doctor and Reinette. They had no right to make her feel this way. She clenched her fists as she watched the Doctor practically trembling with anger and Reinette aim her temper at him.

Jack quietly moved behind Rose intent on getting her away from the oncoming spat. "Rose," he said softly, startling her from the thick tension created by the glaring Doctor and Reinette. "Come on, you don't need to be around this." He gently but firmly guided her away from quiet angry voices beginning to escalate into louder more vicious accusations.

"I'm sorry," Jack said as he wrapped an arm around her. "This was supposed to be a fun evening."

Rose was still thinking about Reinette's accusations but shook herself out of it when Jack put his arm around her. "It's okay, Jack. I was just…"

He paused as they reached the access to the attic. "Hey, don't let them bring you down. Those two have their own issues and always have." He tipped her chin up. "You are special and I don't care what Reinette says. People want to be around you because you're kind, friendly and you know, hot," he said and winked her.

Rose smiled and looked down quietly as she thought about things. She looked back up at him. "But Jack, I'm really not like you or anyone else here. I mean, I don't have any special abilities. I'm just Rose Tyler, a girl off the estate."

"Nothing wrong with that. Maybe that's your gift," Jack said, gazing at her as if looking for something. "Not everyone's gift is all flash. Harriet's always preaching at us that our talents come from inside and that who we are is more important than what we can do."

"You don't think I'm some side kick then or what Reinette said, the Doctor's tin dog?"

Jack rolled his eyes. "You are no one's tin dog and if you knew the tin dog in question, you wouldn't be so offended. K-9 is brilliant and sassy. He puts the Doctor in his place."

Rose smiled brightly at him. "Thanks, Jack. Guess I should be gettin' back before I'm in trouble again." She made to climb down the ladder but Jack pulled her back.

"Seems like a waste."

"What?" she asked

"You, me, starry night all alone on the roof," he said, pulling her close.

Rose wasn't sure what to think at first. He was Jack. Then she looked up a the stars and back at him. He was Jack, he was nice and a bit fit. Back on the estate she wouldn't have hesitated. What was wrong with her? She'd almost kissed the Doctor before Reinette interrupted and all they'd done was talk about science and the stars. Maybe she just needed a good snog and get it out of her system and Jack was…safe."

Jack seemed to sense her agreement and in typical Jack style, swept her up into his arms for the snog of her life and he wasn't just a good kisser, he was fantastic. Little did they realize that kiss was being observed and by someone who was most definitely not happy. In fact, there was a storm in his eyes and that storm manifested in a very physical way. The air vibrated with it. Jack pulled away. "We should go in before Harriet finds us and then we'll both be in hot water."

Rose, a little out of breath nodded. Jack helped her down and whilst climbing down himself, he looked over across the roof to see a dark figure in a long coat standing there staring at him. Jack nodded at the figure and descended thinking maybe that would be enough to shake his idiot friend out of that pompous attitude he had. Reinette wasn't the only problem here although she certainly was the most annoying one. A certain Doctor needed to open his eyes and see the life he could have with someone as real as Rose and if he didn't, someone else would be there to sweep her away. Someone, like Jack.