Chapter 4:
Since that very close almost encounter, I decided to stay away from the console room. And the rest of the TARDIS for that matter without checking with her to make sure that I wouldn't get caught. A month has gone by since then. And for the first time since Christmas he finally decided to land in England. To be more precise he landed in the gutters by Buckingham Palace. It was Easter Sunday and The Doctor was very excited. He was rarely on Earth for that holiday. He all but skipped out of the TARDIS and did his own thing. I knew what was going to happen today. This is when he goes on another bus ride that ends up being more than he bargained for. At least this time the humans on the bus didn't think about throwing anyone overboard.
Regardless, I decided to venture out into the city and wandered into various shops. This was one adventure I couldn't sneak onto. But there was something I could do for him. Today will be the day he has his fate delivered to him. He won't need me just quite yet, but that day is going to be very, very soon. He will be extremely distraught when he returns to the TARDIS tonight. The most I can do is try to soften the blow. First I had to get a few things. I didn't have any money that would work here, but that was hardly an issue. I pulled out my sonic eyeliner and went to an ATM and got enough for the things I needed to buy.
The first shop I went into was a supplier of electronic devices. I managed to buy a portable radio and a headset. I popped into the loo to sonic the device so I could tap into UNIT's communication devices. That way I could figure out how much time I had to do what I needed to do, and in case there was a dire emergency concerning The Doctor. Then I went into a shop to buy some decorations. Once I was done with the shopping, I made a few phone calls. That out of the way, I returned to the TARDIS and started organizing everything.
As soon as all the decorations were in the right place she went to the console. From what I overheard on the radio, UNIT was just arriving at the tunnel where the bus that The Doctor was on disappeared into. Good, plenty of time. Or rather, I can just jump a little bit into the time stream.
"Alright old girl, can you get yourself into the bed of a truck in a few hours time?" I asked the TARDIS.
She hummed in confirmation and the engine started whirring. "Make sure you don't attract too much attention."
I went to my bathroom and dug around the cabinets looking for my special mirror. Found it! It's still here after all this time! Back in the day when I was a companion, during one of our adventures we went to this place that sold magic mirrors that would show you your heart's desire. Naturally I got one. Now it was time for me to use it. I walked into my bedroom and sat on the bed with my back against the wall.
"Show me The Doctor." I demanded, and it showed The Doctor flying a bus and getting ready to drive through the wormhole. "Okay old girl, you should make yourself appear in the back of the truck now."
The engines stopped whirring as I watched The Doctor fly out on the other side, Earth side. I smiled, way to go Doctor. The worry in my mind couldn't settle down yet though, some of the metal sting rays of death and destruction that were chasing them made it through before the wormhole completely closed. UNIT was firing at them with guns. That won't work. Suddenly lasers were being shot at the metal aliens of doom from somewhere out of the night sky, but, obviously, it wasn't the Doctor shooting them. That will work. Great job guys.
The Doctor landed the bus and everyone climbed out with smiles bright as the sun. He did his rounds, hugging Malcom, telling the UNIT captain to take two of the bus passengers, and then he went to talk to the couple that was on the bus. He was all smiles, but then Carmen told him his fate. "He will knock four times." I couldn't bear to watch. His face which was all bright from another adventure going well to a grave face only I have ever seen. It was worse than his expression when he had to say goodbye as a hologram on the beach. And I could tell he was trying not to cry then. Now he is just trying to keep himself calm as he processes the fact that he is going to die soon. Tears started to fall from my face. Not if I can do something about it. I wiped the tears away with the back of my hand and pulled out my mobile. There was a message I had typed up earlier waiting to be sent. I hit the send button. Then I watched the mirror anxiously. Christina had already flown off in the bus to go on her own adventure, and escape going to jail. The Doctor was about to climb into the TARDIS, when suddenly, out of the sky a pterodactyl swooped down and landed right next to the police box.
It only stayed grounded for a few seconds before taking off, revealing Captain Jack Harkness, being, well, Captain Jack Harkness. The Doctor looked shocked to see him.
"Did you miss me?" Jack asked all smiles at his old friend.
"Where the bloody hell did you get a pterodactyl?" The Doctor let out a ragged laughed as he hugged Jack.
"Long story. Why didn't you tell me you were in town? It would have been like old times." Jack said a bit wistfully.
"Wait, but you work out of the Torchwood in Cardiff. This is London. You knew I was here. Who told you?" The Doctor asked, raising his eyebrow in a way that always made me swoon inwardly.
Right as Jack was about to answer, a helicopter flew overhead and two parachutists jumped out and started to drift down to the ground. They both looked up, curious to see who it was. In about a minute Martha and Mickey both landed in front of The Doctor and Jack. This time both of The Doctor's eyebrows shot up in surprise.
"Okay, first Jack. Now Martha and Mickey Mouse. Jack is more explainable than you two. What is going on?"
"Nice to see you too Doctor." Mickey fist bumped The Doctor.
"We just wanted to visit London today, and then we heard the TARDIS, so we decided to see if you were around." Martha smiled innocently as she hugged The Doctor.
The Doctor looked at each of them quizzically, "Will one of you tell me what is going on? I am not in a mood for surprises right now. Last time I saw either of you was after the Dalek invasion. Believe me when I say I am thrilled to see familiar faces, but why the hell are you all here?"
"Does there have to be a reason why we are strangely all in the same place? Let's just say someone is watching over you and told us you needed your friends. Before you have a brain aneurysm from over-thinking let's go in the TARDIS for old time's sake." Reasonable Martha reasoned.
Before he could say anything, Jack and Mickey grabbed either of The Doctor's arms and forcibly dragged him into the TARDIS. Where The Doctor's jaw went slack at the various decorations I had spent hanging or blowing up. There were multicoloured aluminium balloons floating or tied to rails to prevent them from floating too high. Blue, gold, and orange paper streamers were pasted to the turquoise engine and console. The walls were painted a happy, yet calming, pistachio green colour and the coral beams had garlands of tropical flowers, mixed in with a few pink and yellow roses thrown in there as a subtle message that he probably won't think about, wrapped around them.
I smiled proudly as they took in my handiwork. Although everyone but The Doctor knew what was going on. Apparently it was so much for him to take in that The Doctor had to sit down in his chair, which was a warm brown leather rolling chair which I replaced with his old plastic white chair. As soon as he sat down he jumped up and stared at it with eyes as wide as saucers. Then he looked at the walls more closely. There were hanging photographs, in simple but nice frames, of all of his past companions. Not just from this generation, but several others from past generations. I saw his eyes pause for a second on Donna's picture, but then he completely stopped when he saw my picture. As if he was unable to stop himself, he walked up to it, not realizing that everyone was watching. His arm went up and his fingers gently, slowly, touched the picture. His eyes softening in affection and pain. I did the same thing to the mirror. Thankfully the mirror can't transport me to the scene that is being displayed. He closed his eyes for a second, trying to compose himself, and then turned around with a happy smile on his face.
"Thank you guys for doing all of this. You didn't have to." The Doctor hugged each of his friends in turn.
A different side of Jack was present today, he wasn't being his flamboyant self, his Boe side was showing. "Like Martha said earlier, you are being watched out for. It's neither one of us. But someone out there is. They just want you safe and happy. We don't know how, but we only know why. No one should be alone when they are given their marching orders."
They all looked at Jack shocked at his moment of sensitivity.
"How did you know about that?" Mr. Suspicious asked. "I just found out ten minutes ago."
"Look, lets forget about the sad stuff. We are here to throw you a party. If you want to be all Mr. Grumpy Pants, go ahead, that won't stop us from having fun." Mickey jabbed his index finger at The Doctor.
I smiled. Then I realized I forgot something. I grabbed the remote control that I had put on my bed and pressed the red button then returned my attention to the mirror. A few toy helicopters emerged from the hallway, leading into the kitchen, holding large pizzas in trays, into the console room. Once again The Doctor's eyes went wide.
"How did that happen? These are remote controlled toys! Which means..." The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and started to sonic one of the choppers.
I immediately pulled out my sonic eyeliner and pointed it at the remote so it wouldn't be traceable.
"A sonic device is trying to intercept my tracking!" The Doctor exclaimed. "And it's coming from somewhere in this ship. How? Who? Where? … Its coming from..." He stopped and looked puzzled. "That's not possible. How could it be coming from Rose's room?" His eyes went wide again, this time full of hope.
While he was busy rambling, the others were looking at each other with concern on their face. They knew, it wasn't time for him to know that I was here. He doesn't quite need me yet. I broke the remote and took the broken pieces in one hand. The mirror was in my other hand, and I just hopped off my bed and started running out of my room, as far away from the console room as possible. I turned the sound off on the mirror so that it wouldn't get amplified in the hallways, and accidentally draw more attention. I opened a door at random and closed it. The Doctor's room. Great place to hide, Rose. I actually had never been in this room.
There were a lot of closet doors and then there was a strange golden door on one end of the room. Forgetting that I was trying to hide, my curiosity overshadowed any other thought. I quickly crossed the room and pulled on the heavy door. My jaw dropped. It was a shrine. About me. As much as I was flattered, I remembered that I had to hide, so I went inside the very spacious shrine and hid behind a poster board covered in pictures of me and him holding hands and hearts drawn around them in red marker.
The door closed of its own accord, and I returned my attention to the mirror again. Jack and Mickey were trying to get him to party instead of trying to trace the signal. Hopefully he won't be able to trace it since I broke the remote. The Doctor had finally reached my room, he opened it, and it was empty. Of course. Not only was it empty, it was walled up. The TARDIS had put up a cement wall in the door frame.
The Doctor looked at the floor dejectedly, and returned to the console room with his shoulders slumped. Martha handed him a banana daiquiri, hoping to lift his spirits with his favorite drink. He smiled at Martha as he accepted it, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. He actually was hoping to see me. I sighed as I gazed longingly at the mirror. One of these days my Doctor, my dear friend, we shall be reunited, but not under ideal circumstances. Until then, be happy, for me.
The TARDIS created a door in the wall behind me, I opened it and it was my room. With no cement wall. I smiled and thanked her as I strode back inside it and sat on my bed. The Doctor was inhaling banana daiquiri after banana daiquiri. The poor man has been through a lot today. Ordinarily I would have been irate with him, but under the circumstances, I let it slide. The party went on for several hours. I think Jack put more rum than bananas in the Gallifreyan's favorite drink. The poor sod was getting crazier and dancing with everyone. At one point he put his hand down Jack's pants, upon The Doctor's insistence. Finally the party ended and Mickey and Jack dragged the unconscious drunk alien to his room. I smiled, turned off the mirror, and went to sleep knowing that my Doctor was going to be okay, for now.