Once they had picked up Andrew's sister, Lola, the six of them hired a large and rather swish taxi to drop them off at the woods. It was the quickest way of doing it other than using the TARDIS, which they couldn't risk doing in case the Doctor made a mistake in the time coordinates. He made a big show of insisting that he'd never make a mistake like that, but Rose shot him a disbelieving look and he relented. They told the driver of the taxi that he'd get a bonus wad of cash if he parked up and waited for them. He agreed.

At the woods, they decided it was best that they all stick together. No wandering off, not today, just in case the Meligui had followed Lola's scent there. The Doctor used his sonic to track down the Keptalisus plant; it was a long process, as he had to scan each area of flora that they came across, but eventually he found a patch of the plant underneath a couple of oak trees.

Lola held out the bag she'd brought with her. "Thought we could put it all in here, to take back."

"Good idea," said the Doctor.

They gathered up as much as they could, and the Doctor explained that they would have to head back to the TARDIS before he could extract what was needed to protect Lola.

They made their way back to the waiting taxi on the edge of the woods. As they walked, Rose hung back from the Doctor and Reinette a little, preferring to talk to Andrew than listen to their conversation.

"I appreciate you lot helping us with this," Andrew said to her.

She smiled. "It's no problem, really."

"Hope this works."

"It will. The Doctor said that the Meligui are allergic to whatever it is in this plant. Fiercely allergic. He won't risk going too near her after the Doctor's made up the perfume for her to wear."

"And what do we do after that?"

Rose shrugged. "Well it sounds like the alien will lurk around at a safe distance, right? So whilst we know that he won't be able to hurt Lola, he'll still be around. We can get him then. Convince him to go back to where he's come from, or something."

"Yeah," Andrew nodded gratefully. His eyes went to Lola, who was walking ahead with Mickey. "That – that sounds like an all right plan."

"Good. So, can I ask you something?"

He chuckled. "You want to know about the future."

"No! No…not as such, I mean…you can't tell me anything. But…" She looked forwards, watching the Doctor help Reinette over a fallen tree. She sighed.

"You and him, you're very different," Andrew remarked suddenly.

Rose bristled. "In what way? Good or bad different?"

"Just…different. When I know you, you two are more…" He smiled to himself. "In sync, I guess."

"We are in sync," she protested.

"In some ways, yeah, but…" he trailed off, and Rose knew she really, really shouldn't press him for information about their future, so she eventually let it drop. She was just glad that she was apparently still travelling with him. "Who is she, anyway?" he asked.

"The Doctor introduced you, didn't he?"

"Yeah, but what's she like, and why's she with you?"

"She's…" Rose glanced over at the woman in question. "She's really clever, and beautiful, and she has all this…charisma, you know? She's…really, reallyrefined. Proper classy." She laughed, then, and added in a cheery voice, "Exact opposite of me, eh?"

Andrew frowned, and placed his hand over hers, gripping it loosely and swinging it between them as they walked. "Don't be daft," he said softly. "For what it's worth, I think you're wonderful."

She stared at him for a few moments, biting her lip nervously. "Do you?"

They stopped walking. Andrew smiled slowly at her, and gave her hand a squeeze. "I really do, Rose. I've always thought so. I never tell you that in the future, though, when you know me properly."

"Why not?" Something in the way he was looking at her made her breath catch.

He looked at the ground, his grin turning rueful. Chuckling quietly, he said, "Let's just say…there's never a good time. You…" He met her eyes again. "I really shouldn't say this. But I'm gonna. I'll never have another chance to, after all."

"Okay," she breathed out roughly.

"It's never – the same, for you. I…" His cheeks went a bit pink. "I think you are the most beautiful, warm person I know and I care for you dearly, but to you, we're just friends, and that's okay, because you're happy."

Rose blinked quickly. "Wait, I…you…"

He swallowed hard, but somehow kept the grin on his face. "You're with someone else, and you're happier with them than I could ever make you. So I never tell you, but I think you know. And now I know whyyou know; because I just told you. God, I'm a bit of an idiot. Just – you can't ever tell me that I told you that. Not only 'cos of timelines, but…" He laughed softly. "Well, you know, dignity, and all that."

She nodded, and on impulse, grabbed him into a hug. "But we're good friends?"

"Oh, we're great friends, Rose," he assured her, squeezing her tight. "The greatest."

They released one another and started walking again. She realised with a start that the Doctor had paused and was staring at them, but she avoided his gaze and he immediately resumed his brisk pace.

::

The taxi driver had dutifully waited for them, and soon they were on their way back into town. The Doctor gave the driver directions to where the TARDIS was parked.

Once the journey was over and they had paid the taxi driver, Rose took a few steps away from the rest of the group, gesturing for Andrew to follow her. She wanted to talk to him before they all went inside the TARDIS; there had been a bit of a tense atmosphere in the taxi, with the Doctor absurdly deciding to sit in between her and Andrew and butting in every time the other man tried to say something to her, and she felt the need to apologise for the Doctor's strange behaviour. Before she could say a word, however, she tripped over a rubbish bag she hadn't noticed on the ground behind her, and Andrew reached out to steady her; on her other side the Doctor did the same. When she looked at the Time Lord, she saw him glaring at the other man, and it clicked. The reason he'd been acting so oddly. He was jealous.What a petty, hypocritical idiotof a man. Rose yanked her arm away from him and ignored the hurt look in his eyes.

"I'll go and start the extraction process," the Doctor said, swallowing hard. "You lot can wait in the console room, it's fine." With that, he bounded into the TARDIS.

"I'm sorry about him," said Rose quietly.

"I've never seen him like that," Andrew told her, raising his eyebrows. "He's always come across as a friendly chap."

"He is, usually. I dunno what's wrong with him." She glanced down at Andrew's hand, which was still on her elbow.

He pulled back when he saw her notice, and chuckled to himself. "Oh I think I do," he murmured. Rose gave a half shrug.

Mickey, Lola and Reinette had already entered the TARDIS, so Rose tilted her head towards the blue box. "Shall we?"

"Sure, lead the way!"

::

Confronting the Meligui wasn't as difficult as Rose initially expected. With Lola safe and sound inside her house, the perfume the Doctor had made for her to wear working effectively to bar the creature from entering, the Doctor, Rose, Andrew and Mickey faced him down several metres down the road. Reinette was in the house with Lola, keeping her company.

"We know what you are," said the Doctor calmly.

The Meligui identified himself as Ridul and hissed at them, "The human is my prey, it's nothing personal. She just seems so…tasty."

Andrew flinched, and Rose stayed him with a hand on his shoulder. "But it's not fair," she said. "You can't just latch onto her and decide to kill her, it's not right."

"I don't conform to your pesky human morals," Ridul sighed. "They do get in the way."

"Well you can't have her now," replied the Doctor firmly. "Not even if we let you, which we are notgoing to do. She's contaminated. You'll get a nasty reaction if you try to sink your teeth into her."

Rose rolled her eyes at his phrasing, squeezing Andrew's shoulder in support.

The Doctor slowly advanced on the Meligui, gesturing for Mickey to do so too. "This is what's going to happen," he said. "You are going to let us take you home, far away from here, and away from this young woman who you cannot consume. Okay?"

"I don't think that isgoing to happen," said Ridul, shaking his head almost apologetically. "See, I like it here. I might not be able to have the Lola human, but I can retreat and find someone else."

"No," said the Doctor. "I can't let you do that."

Ridul flashed his teeth and them and started stepping backwards. "You are going to have to, I'm afraid."

Mickey had the foresight to hurl himself at the Meligui before he had a chance to break into a run. Pinning him down to the ground, Mickey looked up and met the Doctor's eyes as the Time Lord sonicked a pair of handcuffs around their captive. They smiled at each other in accomplishment and dragged a spluttering Ridul to his feet, walking him back over to Andrew and Rose.

Rose blinked at the scene before her. It had all happened so fast. And wherehad he gotten those handcuffs from?

::

Rose entered the house to tell Lola and Reinette the good news.

"You don't have to worry now, Lola," Rose said, wrapping her arm around her shoulders in a brief, reassuring hug. "The Doctor and my friend Mickey are gonna take him back to the TARDIS and get him secure for when we take him back to his home planet. He'll probably get into trouble back there for contravening their rules about unauthorised hunting on a Level 5 planet or something, so the Doctor says. So he won't go unpunished. Probably a prison sentence in for him."

"I'm glad you did this, that you helped us," said Lola. "I was so worried that Andrew would get killed or something, in some foolish attempt to take him on all on his own."

"The Doctor likes to avert such methods," said Reinette. Rose glanced at her and Reinette shrugged. "I saw in his mind that he was, at heart, somewhat of a – what is that word? Ah yes, a pacifist."

Rose swallowed and nodded. "Right. Anyway, we should head off. Your brother's outside, getting himself together. I think he's a bit shaken up by it all, but he's very relieved that you're safe," she smiled.

"Thank you," Lola said. "All of you. Say goodbye to the Doctor and Mickey for me."

"We will," answered Reinette.

"Bye, Lola," said Rose

"Goodbye."

::

"The Doctor and Mickey are already on their way back with Ridul," said Andrew to Rose and Reinette, when they met him in the hallway. "Thank you for taking care of this whole thing. I'm very grateful."

"That's what friends are for," said Rose with a grin, pulling him into a hug. "I'll see you sometime."

"I hope you're looking forward to it," chuckled Andrew.

"I am."

"Farewell for now, Rose." He dipped his head. "Reinette." Then, he went into the other room to find his sister.

Reinette was quiet on the trip back to the TARDIS with Rose. They grabbed a taxi back to save walking across town, and Rose kept glancing at her across the backseat as the other woman fiddled with her hands in a nervous manner that Rose was not used to seeing Reinette exhibit.

"Are you all right?" Rose asked softly, after a while of silence.

"Yes," Reinette breathed out, pasting a smile onto her face. "Oh, I'm quite fine. Quite fine."

"Thanks for looking out for Lola while we were outside, by the way."

"My pleasure."

The awkward silence descended again.

Rose coughed and started, "It's not always like this - "

"The Doctor is worth the monsters," Reinette said firmly, nodding to herself as though her repeating the phrase was a mantra she kept telling herself.

Rose shut up after that, and they went the rest of the journey without saying another word.

::

When Reinette and Rose exited the taxi, the Doctor was striding down the alleyway towards them. "Ridul's all tied up with Mickey standing guard," he explained. "We'll take him back to his home planet and, like I said earlier, hopefully they will put him on trial."

"Good," Rose said, nodding. "So, should we - "

"Just want to have a quick word with you, Rose. Reinette, do you want to go inside?"

"I…"

"Please?"

"Very well," answered Reinette with a frown. She walked down to the TARDIS and closed the doors behind her without looking back.

"What's up?" asked Rose, pushing a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"What did Andrew say to you?" he said, jumping straight in.

"I don't know what you mean."

"You know exactly what I mean. He shouldn't have said anything about the future, Rose. You two might be 'friends' then, but it's still not on. It could cause a - "

"Doctor, he didn't tell me anything. And I didn't ask him to tell me anything. Just calm down, yeah? I know the risks, I'm not an idiot."

"Right. But it certainly looked as though - "

"As though what?"

"As though you – I don't know."

"What are you talking about?"

"Nothing," he snapped. "It doesn't matter."

"Oh my god, what is wrong with you," she said, shaking her head. "Oh, and I've got a bone to pick with you by the way."

"What's that?" he huffed.

"You could've been a bit more sensitive, you know. You going on at Ridul about not wanting to sink his teeth into Lola whilst Andrew was standing right there. Poor bloke was shaking, almost thought he'd dive in and strangle Ridul. Could've made a right mess of things."

"And that's myfault?"

"Well, you didn't need to be so dismissive with what you were saying. Sometimes giving less graphic details is best, Doctor."

"Of course, Andrewnot being able to keep his temper in check has to be because of something I said," he grumbled.

"Oi, you'd be hard pressed to keep your temper if some hunter with retractable fangs was after someone you cared about!"

"Andrew knew I was sorting it all out, he should've stayed in the house with his sister if he didn't think he could face that Meligui." He paused, turning away as if to go back to the TARDIS, and then murmured, "Then again, suppose expecting him to leave your side for one solitary second was pretty much impossible."

"Ooh, who pressed all your buttons?" Rose muttered under her breath.

He whirled around so quickly that she backed up against the alley wall. He closed the distance between them and stared down at her fiercely. "What do you want me to say?" he demanded.

"I don't know what you're talking about - " she began, but he slammed his hands down either side of her head, boxing her in. Her heart rate sped up. She wasn't scared, could never be scared of him. No, what she was feeling right then was something more like anticipation.

"What do you want me to say?" he repeated.

Rose let her eyes wander over him for a moment before she replied, "I want you to admit that you're jealous."

"Why would I be jealous?"

"I dunno," she snorted. "But you were sure acting like it back there with Andrew."

"There was something – something about him I didn't take to. That's all," he bit out firmly.

"Right," Rose said slowly. "So that's why anytime he looked at me you started growling."

"I did not growl," he growled. There was barely any space between them, now. Their chests were almost touching, though he was very overtly keeping his hips several inches from hers. Rose wondered if, in those pinstriped trousers of his, he was hard. His eyes were certainly darker than she'd ever seen them.

"You so did," she countered, and some sudden burst of courage enabled her to grab onto his jacket lapels. She yanked him closer. "So what's your problem?"

Rose watched his breaths came in short puffs, watched his arms tremble with the strain of leaning against the wall, watched his eyes dart across her face.

"I wasn't jealous," the Doctor mumbled half-heartedly. His head was tilting towards hers, and she gripped his lapels tighter. "I…"

His lips were so close to hers. Both of them had parted their mouths, and it was as though they were inhaling and exhaling each other's air. Rose was eighty-nine per cent sure that he would be kissing her against the wall within the next ten seconds.

Unfortunately, it was the remaining eleven per cent, the bit that knew him too well, which was proved correct.

Just as he swayed even closer towards her, something flickered and shut down in his eyes. "We should…" he trailed off for a second, cleared his throat, and continued, "We should go. Back to the TARDIS. To – to take care of things. With Ridul, I mean."

Rose released his lapels. "Right. Yeah," she replied. He took a few steps back, and ran a hand through his hair. "Let's just…"

"Yes," he agreed, and made for the TARDIS, his pace brisk.