A/N: I do exist! I came back off holiday this afternoon! I got near a computer for an hour during it, which is why I was able to review some fics! I quickly finished typing this chapter for all of you! Enjoy! Chapter Nine: Be grateful for your problems…

Since Rose and he had their little talk that cleared the air, the Doctor took a) every opportunity to remind Mickey that Rose was now his and b) to humiliate Mickey as much as he could after all 'It was his sacred duty to upset Rose's ex-boyfriend as much as possible', especially after the incident with the letter; and as Rose often reminded him he still needed his 'polite' talk with the Idiot.

"And when did I tell you to do that?" The Doctor asked looking at Mickey holding down a button with his index finger, while he had his arm around the back of the sofa he and Rose were currently sharing.

"About half an hour ago."

"Well you can let go now," He had a grin tugging at his lips, he did his best to hide it. Out of the corner of his eye Theta could see Rose laughing.

"How long has it been since I could've stopped?" Mickey looked angry and the Doctor couldn't care at all.

"10 minutes, 20, 29…"

"You just forgot about me!" Now, this wasn't exactly true, Theta made him hold the button down and left him there simply because he didn't trust Mickey being left on his own again.

"No, no, not at all. I was just calibrating, I know exactly what I'm doing…" Pretty much as soon as he finished his sentence the consol exploded, he quickly shoved Rose off the sofa and onto the floor. As soon as he could he looked at the monitors, "The vortex is gone!" He couldn't believe it. "Brace yourselves we're gonna crash!" He yelled over the noise that filled the room.

The landing wasn't as bad as he'd imagined he just hoped Rose was all right, but he couldn't see through the smoke that clouded the room.

"Is everyone alright?" No reply came to him. Then a figure began to emerge through the smoke, "Rose?" He quickly scrambled over to her; he let out a sigh of relief when he discovered that she was breathing. Theta gently cupped a cheek and spoke softly to her trying to wake her, "You okay?" He asked when she was fully awake.

"Yea you?"

"I'm fine." Suddenly he remembered someone else was with them. "Mickey?" The room was silent for a few moments.

"Yea, sorry. I'm fine!" Only one word could sum up the Doctor's thoughts 'Damn.'

"Oh so there's nothing out there to tempt me then." Mickey knew the Doctor was angry then, and he was right. Theta didn't like the idea that Mickey had left Rose to wander freely on a parallel Earth and the fact that he was still furious over him going through his trench coat.

"I don't know I can't worry about everything! If I could just get this damn thing to work." Then he kicked the TARDIS; something he'd never dream of doing under any other circumstance.

"Did that help?" Mickey asked meekly.

"Yes." Theta moved over to the seat.

"Did that hurt?"

"Yes! Ow!" The Doctor lifted up his foot and cradled it gently. Mickey began to move over to the TARDIS doors once more. "I want a word with you Mickey Smith!" Mickey immediately turned back to the Doctor with a look of innocence on his face.

"Me? What did I do?"

"You're the one who made Rose so upset." Theta let it hang in the air enjoying the guilty look on Mickey's face.

"How?" Mickey asked.

"By making sure she found a certain letter." Theta crossed his arms over his chest.

"The one from Madam de Pompadour?" Mickey asked.

"Well there's a clever boy, how on Earth did you know who the letter was from unless you read it?" Mickey suddenly realised that he should've kept his mouth shut. "I'll tell you how, you went through my pockets, found the letter and read it?"

"Why would I do that Doctor? Don't you trust me at all?"

"For you information Rickey I don't bloody well trust you. As for why, I think you thought it would be just the thing to get Rose back." The Doctor had such a filthy tongue when he wanted to use it.

"You did take her from me!" the Doctor sighed and stood up.

"It's up to her. You've never let her choose her own path!" The Doctor's tone became venomous. "Now if you want to fight me feel free to do so after all nothing would please me more than to see you picking your ass up off the floor." The Doctor advanced slightly.

"Rose should've come back to me, instead she acted like a little whore and went for you!" Theta began to throw curses at Mickey using each and every language he knew.

"Don't you ever call Rose that in my presence do you understand me?" Mickey didn't answer. "DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME!" Theta yelled at him.

"NO!" Mickey replied not caring anymore. "I WILL CALL HER WHAT EVER I WANT TO CALL HER!"

"YOU TALK AS IF YOU OWN ROSE! YOU DON'T DESERVE HER!"

"OH AND YOU DO!" Theta calmed down a little.

"No, I never will, but its up to her. I can only try to do my best to love her and protect my family."

"She'll come running back to me, she always does."

"How can you be so sure this time?" Theta raised an eyebrow at him, it unnerved Mickey.

"You're an alien, that thing inside of her is an alien. She can't possibly be happy with that idea."

"Why don't you ask her?" Mickey didn't answer. "Afraid of the answer Mickey?" The Doctor had managed to back Mickey into a corner. He had achieved satisfaction when Mickey stalked off towards the other side of the TARDIS and began to sulk.

The Doctor ran chasing after Rose, this alternate Earth was the biggest gingerbread house he'd ever seen, which obviously meant it was more dangerous than any other parallel world he'd visited.

"Rose!" He yelled, she jumped at her name obviously Rose had been lost in thought. Slowly she turned around to face him, it was then he saw guilt in her eyes. "What's wrong love?" He gently wrapped an arm around her shoulders as he reached her.

"It's nothing really."

"I know when you're lying." Theta bent down to her level, "Come on I won't bite. Tell me."

"I'm not here."

"I know you told me."

"No, I mean I'm not here but this universe's you is all alone. Something I promised would never happen again to you."

"I'm not alone…" He began.

"You are, you're probably off in the TARDIS journeying around the universe. I just can't imagine a universe without an 'us'."

"Oh Rose." He drew her to him hugging her. "My silly little ape, I never really explained the Time Lords did I?" He felt her shaking her head into his shoulder. "The Time Lords existed outside of time, so this universe's me is actually me, because even parallel universes fall under the definition of time and of what my people watched over. If there were more Time Lords, I'd know even if it was me. When I say I'm the last I truly am the last, no matter how many alternate universes there are I am the last."

"Really?" She asked him slowly pulling back slightly.

"Really, really." He smiled at her, he was relieved to see her return his smile. He began to walk off slowly; suddenly a tug on his arm brought him back to face Rose.

"You're not just assaying that to make me feel better are you?"

"Cross my hearts and hope to…live!"

"To live?"

"I don't want to die. Who would rescue you when you get captured?" Rose poked him in the ribs. He pulled her beside him and gently lowered his head to hers to give her a soft kiss. When they broke he took her hand and laced their fingers.

"By the way I had a talk with Mickey and it was politer than I expected it to be."

"How many curses did you throw at him?" Rose sighed; anything below 175 was polite by his standards.

"Not many, 134." Rose laughed and squeezed his hand. "So, tell me more about our resident idiot…"

"The kitchens? We're going to work as staff?" Rose could hardly believe what he was telling her.

"Yup." Theta was struggling with his bow tie; every time he succeeded in tying it one side would come undone.

"Why?" Rose slapped his hands away, doing it up for him.

"Because. Turn round." Rose turned to let him tie the short apron She had to wear. He'd noticed that what she wore highlighted the fact that she was pregnant, something that concerned him slightly if she were to be captured.

"Because doesn't help." He passed the tray with the snacks to Rose to carry, favouring the one with the champagne on.

"You can't drink." He told her lamely. He gracefully exited the kitchen and set off towards one of the main rooms.

"No, really?" She bit at him sarcastically. "I'm pregnant not stupid."

"Well you are a blonde ape…" The glare he received was full of ice. "Too far."

"We could be anyone. Sir Doctor, Dame Rose remember?" He offered his tray to the first person he saw. Rose forced a smile at the guests.

"If you want information, work in the kitchens." Rose barely managed to resist the urge to stick her tongue out at him. He wouldn't get away with this little escapade that easily.

The Cybermen had just assassinated the president of Great Britain in front of Jackie Tyler's guests. As soon as they'd entered Theta had pushed Rose back behind him in an effort to protect her and the tot. It may sound awful but he was glad the Cybermen had gone after the other guests first instead of them.

"Come on!" He quickly grabbed her hand and yanked her from the centre of the room. He saw a means of escape being the window and didn't hesitate in climbing out of it. He panicked when he felt a force pulling him back, turning round he saw Rose was still there.

"My mum's in there." By the way she nearly choked up when she talked about her mum he knew something had happened, he didn't know what but he'd find out soon.

"She's not your mother!" He accidentally snapped at her, loudly. He didn't mean to. "Come one Rose!" He pleaded softer. She nodded and they ran. Rose turned back towards the window as something caught her eye.

"Pete! This way!" Rose knew that the Doctor had groaned without looking at him. They all skidded round the corner of the building.

"Is there a way out?" The Doctor asked Pete.

"The side gates!" They began to run again, stopping suddenly when more Cybermen appeared in front of them. Rose's hear jumped to her throat when Theta skidded to a halt only a few feet away from them.

"Get out of the way!" A familiar voice called. The pair shared a small concerned look and ran towards the voice.

"I'm so glad this tot's biology lets me run. Honestly can't you not get into trouble for once?" She asked him grinning. The gunfire that sounded made her jump. The Cybermen came to a halt and the figure and his friend stood.

"Mickey. Look at you. I thought I'd never see you again." Rose gave him a hug only to have him pull back, Theta and Rose both thought it was because he was still mad at them.

"No offence sweetheart, but who the hell are you?" Rose stepped back shocked.

"Rose!" A voice yelled, "That's not me, that's the other one!" Rose looked at the two Mickey Smiths on both sides of her.

"And if things weren't bad enough there's two Mickeys!" The Doctor wasn't amused. He could barely handle having one around but two?

"Its Rickey!" The double snapped. Rose immediately stepped back coming to a halt as she collided with the Doctor. She looked into his eyes and saw the annoyance that clouded them. She knew immediately that she hadn't caused it; it was a mixture of things.

After a few more minutes the Cybermen had them surrounded.

"We give ourselves up. We're good stock. Take us to be processed." They all copied the Doctor, lifting their hands in surrender as well.

"You are rogue elements." They were having difficulty understanding the Cybermen. The voices weren't all that clear.

"We surrender!"

"You are not compatible. You cannot be reborn as Cybermen."

"Why not?"

"You are not compatible, she is with child." The Doctor wiped his head round to Rose. He was worried something like this would happen. "You will be deleted!"

"Listen to me we surrender!"

"You will be deleted." The monotone voice droned on and on.

"This is a surrender! We surrender!"

"You will be deleted under maximum setting." The Cyberman in front of the Doctor extended his arm and the others followed soon after. "DELETE! DELETE! DELETE! DELETE!" Theta only had one thing left to say; something that came to his mind, which he directed at Rose.

"MARRY ME!"

TBC

Next Chappie: Rose's answer and the age of steel. (There's no way to add an in between episodes chapter, obviously)