The Doctor had been on Little Way for two hours, and he was furious. He was wasting time, but the man who had the part didn't want to sell. The only other planet who had Titleranium, was rationing it and he didn't have much of a chance there.
"I told you I would pay triple what you were first asking, when I came in," the Doctor growled.
"It's no longer for sale," the man had the sense to look scared, and the Doctor thought that this went above him.
"Who do I have to talk to then," the Doctor asked, him, wanting to slam is fist on the table but knowing it wouldn't get him anywhere.
"Please, just go," the man begged. "Please, you don't know what you are getting into. Consider the girl gone."
He hadn't mentioned Rose, and the Doctor reached over the table, grabbing the man by his expensive shirt and hauling him to his feet. The Doctor leaned in close. "What do you mean?"
"You don't know who you are dealing with, please, leave her. The whole Earth will be in danger if you find her," the man was shaking.
"And you don't know who you are dealing with," the Doctor told him.
"Yes, I do, Doctor," he said softly.
The Doctor let go of him. He hadn't told him his name either, and that meant this went farther than he wanted to think about.
"Tell me why the whole world is in danger," he told him.
"She wasn't meant to be a part of it," the man told him, as if that was his apology. "Look, I don't know all the details, but she just fell into their laps. They don't know yet, but they will, and they will use her to get to you."
Anyone who tried to use Rose for anything would make a enemy that they didn't want to have. "Who?"
"The Corian," he said the words in a hushed tone. The Doctor knew that this stupid man before him wasn't involved, at least not on the side of the Corian but he did have answers, and he would be sharing them.
The Doctor had stopped the Corian before; they had tried about twenty two years before Rose was even born to invade. They were slave traders, and some of the worse species in the universe. He had let two of their invasion party live, to take back a message. That the Earth wasn't on the menu, but they had apparently gotten brave again.
"They are banned," the Doctor argued, but it was only with himself.
The man however felt the need to agree, "Yes, they know. And they are well hidden, but they have your Rose."
"Where," he demanded.
"I don't know, but we have people working on it, but Doctor, you can't go."
"I don't care who you have," the Doctor told him, hands resting on the table, eyes filled with something that would inspire fear. "She is my Rose, she is…mine…I will find her, and I will stop them."
"They will be expecting you, they aren't us. If you stay away, we can save the Earth."
"There is nothing you can say that will keep me from getting to Rose," he told him, leaving no more room to argue. He laid down triple the asking price, and the man finally rose and walked to the back. He brought out a hunk of the metal and handed it to him.
"Is she worth risking the world?"
The Doctor didn't answer, because he was scared of the answer, and he spun and started to leave. He paused. "Don't tell anyone I was here."
The man shook his head. "Believe me, I don't want involved anymore than I am."
The Doctor believed him, and left carrying his last piece, and walked back to the TARDIS to start building.
DW
Dinner was quiet, but Rose was trying to keep a careful eye on Peter. He was a picture of charm in the presence of the others, but Autumn didn't seem any more convinced that Rose did.
After desert, Rose lingered as long as she could, she had no where to go, and no money anyway, but the time finally came when Peter spoke of leaving. She didn't want to be around when he did so, she so thanked them and Autumn walked to the door with her.
She leaned in very close and whispered, "There is a tree on the far side of the house, climb it, and my window is unlocked. Wait for me there."
Rose just nodded, unsure of how Autumn knew that she needed a safe place to stay but thankful, and she left Autumn with a wave.
She found the tree, and there was a light on in the room, though she was fairly certain Autumn was still down stairs. She climbed, something she hadn't done in such a long time, and reaching the branch that stretched out to the window she scooted across.
She missed the Doctor fiercely, and she knew he would smile to see her now. She opened the window, ignoring the tears that were brimming in her eyes, hands to busy to wipe them away, and slid in, somehow silently. She closed it behind her and looked about room.
The room was decorated thickly, and bore a lot of green items. There were several posters on the wall, but they weren't anything Rose had heard of, and there was a desk with papers. She shouldn't snoop but she looked down at them, keeping her ears open for any noise that would indicate that she needed to hide.
It seemed to be a story, she picked it up and read. It was about a man, a time traveler and his friend. A girl with blond hair, and brown eyes, and Rose tried to ignore how much the story seemed like their life. There were another stack of papers and she looked through them, each on seemed to be one adventure in the pair life.
She wanted to read more closely when she heard footsteps on the stairs. Rose looked around and then slipped into the closet.
She heard the door open and movement within and she tried to stay silent. "Thanks for treating Peter well, honey."
Autumn was silent for a moment, and Rose didn't have to see her to know she made a face. "Sure," she agreed. "I'm tired, Mom, so I'm going to go to bed."
"Okay," she moved again and Rose heard papers being touched. "Still writing these stories, then?"
"Yes," Autumn agreed. "Just stories, you know."
"I know," Abigail agreed. "You write so well, I just can't imagine where you get your ideas."
"I'm not sure either," Autumn agreed and let out a yawn that Rose was certain was fake.
"Right," Abigail told her, her tone returning to the motherly tone from earlier in the evening. "You get some sleep, and I love you."
"Love you too, Mom," she told her.
Rose heard the door close, but she waited until Autumn opened the closet door for her. When she did at last, Rose found a smile though she had questions she wanted so much to ask.