Hi everyone! I finally managed to find some time to finish the tenth chapter. It turned out to be a larger exhibition than I had planned, so not all will be explained after all in this one. But I'm sure you will have worked it out by now anyways :). Thanks for reading and reviewing! A very happy new year too you all!

Disclaimer: Do not own Doctor Who.

Chapter 10

It was bizarre, watching Doctor Who in action. There was the inside of the TARDIS exactly as she remembered it from just a few hours ago. Only now it was a set. One quarter of the console room was stuffed with cameras, lights, wires, monitors. And people, all with their respective duties. Everyone was getting ready to shoot the last scenes of the day. The actors as well. Actors. The meaning of the word seemed to have shifted for Rose, and the knot in her stomach tightened by the second. David Tennant - or the Doctor - where talking with the director. She stood a bit off, not wanting to be in the way, but not that far away - because she was playing her part - so she could be available to him. He glanced back at her a couple of times, which made her head spin. Despite her anxiety from the situation, she couldn't help feeling curiously warm inside. Was he talking about her?

Her thoughts scattered when they were joined by Freema Agyeman. Damn, it was really her. She even wore the same Martha Jones-outfit. She snorted in spite of herself. Rose had never been a fan of Martha, although she knew her resentment was completely unfounded. The poor character had come along after the popular Rose Tyler and before the brilliant Donna Noble, and had never seemed to have any personality except being in love with the Doctor. She was still very pretty, even in real life, and Rose couldn't help but feel a sting of jealousy. As if reading her mind, Freema Agyeman nodded in her direction, making Tennant turn as well and smile awkwardly. Rose immediately turned her head elsewhere, feeling her cheeks burn a bright red. But even though she felt like she been caught with the hand in the cookie jar, she now desperately wanted to listen in on their conversation. Fate, seemed to think the same. Turning her gaze back after few minutes, thinking the coast was clear, she met both actors intense look. Tennant waved her over and Rose had absolutely no idea what to say.

Up close, however, Freema Agyeman didn't seem so intimidating, being slightly shorter than Rose.

"Rose, this is Freema, she plays..."

"Martha Jones." Agyeman punctuated, with perhaps a bit too much force. They shook hands

"Yeah I know. Love the show. I'm Rose."

"David just told me your name is Rose Tyler. What a coincidence!" She said with a taste of sarcasm and stroked Tennants arm.

"I suppose it is. All though, I prefer to view it as luck." She said, already more relaxed. This woman obviously needed to prove something to her.

Then Tennant raised a finger and was about to speak, but Agyeman was faster.

"A lucky fangirl? That's a new one."

Rose kept her cool, even though the rude manner and the disrespecting air of the woman was getting really annoying.

"Not unheard of. Perhaps we should ask Mr. Tennant about that. Aren't you a Whovian and wasn't it a childhood dream to play the Doctor? Seems very lucky to me that you got the part."

Both women directed their piercing eyes towards him.

"I... Well, yes... That's true." He said, uncomfortable.

"I'm sure you are a much greater fan than I am since you've watched the show all your life. My guess is that's why you play him so well." She smiled crookedly, testing if he could read the underlying meaning in those words. Agyeman seemed a bit taken aback from the confident way Rose was speaking. But Tennant looked at her curiously, clearly regarding her differently.

Some person from the film crew came over and told them they were ready to shoot. Rose and Agyeman exchanged pleasantries with cold eyes, but Tennant smiled warmly when they parted.

Rose stood and watched the filming but her mind was drifting and she paid little attention. But she did watch Agyeman and understood quite soon why she was so convincing. It wasn't just Martha that was in love with the Doctor. Freema Agyeman was in love with David Tennant as well. She kept touching him, smiling and laughing at his jokes. That kind of behaviour must be annoying, Rose thought. Or rather, that's what she told herself.

The scene was done before she knew it and everyone was packing up to leave. But the truth was written across the room, she realized. She had seen that scene on the telly. This history had already been written. Yeah, this was definitely an old time line. But whose was it? When she got back to the Doctor, blimey would he know about it. She began planning how to yell at him, when David Tennant patted her shoulder.

"Rose? Hello?"

"Oh! Hiya!" 'Hiya'?

"Did you hear what I've said?

"No, sorry."

"We're leaving."

"Right!" She nodded and followed his lead, back outside to the trailer area. She noticed he wore jeans and a white shirt now. Still looking good though.

"So where is Ms. Agyeman?" She asked nonchalantly, feeling completely transparent.

"Oh, she's gone on ahead to the pub... Actually, Rose..." He stopped and shifted awkwardly. "Would you like to come along? We're a few mates going out for drinks. Or, we're really colleagues more than mates. Everyone aren't actors. Well, most of them. With most, I mean me and Freema..." He went silent, flushed and ran a hand through his hair.

Rose smiled inwardly. Rambling like the Doctor and equally cute when embarrassed. She decided to play with that a bit.

"Oh? Are you asking me out, Mr. Tennant?" She half-joked in a semi-serious voice.

That made him shake his head violently and sound slightly panicked.

"No no no no no no! That's not what I meant!" He paused and watched her face crack up into a bright smile. "Oh, you were joking weren't you...?"

Rose laughed hard and for a moment, the knot in her stomach were gone. Tennant watched her laugh and humoured her with an involuntary grin.

When Rose stopped laughing she was once more reminded of her situation. Where was the Doctor? Should she stay and wait for him?

"So? You think you'll come along?" He asked again, this time a bit more guarded.

"I'd love it. But I don't know if I can."

"You have someone... someplace to be?"

"Not exactly... I only have some instructions." Well, that sounded sad. But then she remembered the Doctor's words. Follow my lead. Did he mean Tennant's lead? Let's say he did. She couldn't say no, not to an evening with him.

"Never mind that. I'll come."

He grinned and they started walking again.

In the end there were five from the Doctor Who-crew having pints in a small Cardiff pub. Agyeman, Tennant and two other blokes. Both of the other guys worked in the special effects department and both had their eyes set on Freema Agyeman. For Rose, that was a good thing. She got to sit opposite Tennant. For Agyeman it was less so. Even though she had most of the guys attention, she didn't have the one's she wanted. It resulted in not so subtle eye sparks directed at Rose. Even though she couldn't blame Agyeman, she would never have switched places for the world. For some reason, Tennant seemed genuinely interested in Rose, which seemed very odd. After a while she dared to ask him why, and in a cheeky way even.

"So, do you make a habit of making your fans into groupies, Mr. Tennant?"

"Oi, stop with the 'Mr. Tennant' will you?" Then, perhaps only just realizing her question, he coloured. "Groupies! That's absurd!"

"Well, let me rephrase that then. Do you always take fans out for drinks?" She said innocently.

"Oh, you are never gonna stop reading... stuff into this are you!" He tried to sound shocked and angry but failed. "I just wanted to talk to you." He added in a more serious tone.

She tilted her head and took a sip of her pint. "What about? I mean, really?"

He swallowed and looked at the others around the table, the rest obviously in a completely different conversation. Agyeman however, looked at him.

"Are you always this blunt?" he asked.

"Only when it's a challenge."

They locked their eyes for a moment.

"You've asked me lots of questions by now but hardly said anything about yourself. Makes a girl wonder what you're up to." She spoke softly this time, but her words still had the same weight.

He sighed and rolled his eyes. "Well... Alright then. It's just what you said this afternoon. That sort of stuck with me."

"What did I say?"

"Actually it was more that you questioned me... about Rose, me and the Doctor's relationship. And the fact that you are a believer, you said?

"I take it that's a sensitive subject."

He seemed think hard before he answered.

"It's complicated."

"And I wouldn't understand?"

He frowned. "That's not what I said."

"No, but you were going to. That is very him."

"Very who?"

"The Doctor."

For just a moment, David Tennant's eyes flashed with something, a darkness perhaps. Then suddenly, he burst out laughing. Rose, however, didn't join in. She was on to the truth and it was plain to her that he laughed in her face to cover it up.

"I think you perhaps have watched Doctor Who a bit too much, Rose." he said with half a smile when he regained composure.

Bloody hell, he would not pat her on her head. Travelling with the Doctor, she knew it was all real and she had gained confidence. She stood up, still watching him.

"Coward."

And then she walked away, toward the exit, without one look back. She had just reached it when she felt his hand gently touching her wrist. And it almost made her lose all courage and all vigil.

"I'm sorry, Rose, don't go. Tell me what you meant by being a believer. Please." He said softly.

She turned around slowly, watching his dark gaze from above. Her throat felt dry. Why did he have to be so handsome?

"It means I know who you are. I'll be waiting." She turned quickly again and ran outside, biting the inside of her cheek as she went. God, why did I leave? Because this is not my time. It is wrong and you know it, Rose Tyler. But what now? She was running the streets of Cardiff without much as one glance back. She passed a sign that read 'Wales Millenium Centre' and by instinct she turned her sprint towards the bay. When she reached it she realized her gut feeling had been right. In the middle of the square a familiar blue box was standing