A/N. I should have warned you beforehand. I didn't. :)

Previously…

"No," she repeated more firmly. "Everyone warns you to keep away, and you still-"

"Precisely, Rose Tyler. Pretty Boy's words are nothing but words," he eyed her smugly.

"What about the TARDIS forbidding you to?"

Glimpse into the Future

Chapter Ten

The Doctor stared at her, disbelieving. "What does the TARDIS have to do with any of this? She is sentient, surely, but the old girl would never…"

"Communicate verbally with someone as plain as me?

"The ship was never programmed to be able to communicate verbally. You're having me on, Rose Tyler."

The Doctor hated to admit it, but there have always been things about his clever vessel not even he, its proud owner – has known… Although the ship has clearly had quite a different opinion about who belonged to whom, giving him quite a smack in his mind.

"Are you coming, Rose?" He ignored the warning. That must have been just another of the old girl's know-it-all moments.

An annoyed bleep.

"No." Rose was persistent. "And neither should you."

"Ahem." Jack interrupted. "Care to cease with the quarrelling for once, people? Or do you want me to call Mickey, Doc? He might brighten your mood just enough, while Rose and I go watch some romantic movie in the media room? Cuddling included?"

That has had just the effect the Captain wished it would. "Not in a million years!"

Ha! "Because she is your Rose, right, Doc? And you wouldn't bear someone like the dashing, sexy, irresistible Captain Jack Harkness borrowing her for the night?"

This was getting out of hand. Maddening Rose Tyler was never a good idea.

"Oi! I am still here! And if I choose to watch a film… I'll do so on my own, thanks. "

The Time Lord shrugged with a feigned nonchalance. "All right. I'm going to investigate on my own, then."

Jack rolled his eyes, knowing what was coming next and counting the passing seconds in his head. One. Two. Three-

"Don't you think I'm going to leave you alone with Rose, Captain. You are coming with me," the Doctor grunted in a commanding voice.

Jack slipped a wink Rose's way. "Sure, but… Isn't Rosie the key figure in all this Bad Wolf mess? What's the point of us going if she isn't joining us? "

"Rose refuses to even get close to that thing. This other version of me has forbidden her to. The alien could not shake away the alluring idea that this has only been yet another reason for them to go.

"It's not like I would force her upon it," he said instead.

But the Doctor has been burning to know. Surely, and most likely, this hasn't been half as dangerous as Pretty Boy has attempted to portray it. Maybe, if he tried to approach it when everybody was asleep…

Too much in a hurry to die, are you, Doctor? The aforementioned lad was on the TARDIS the next moment. The younger Doctor has almost snarled at him. Can't you leave us alone for once?

Both Rose and Jack backed away in surprise. Things were falling apart sooner than expected. That much was obvious.

"Don't mind me. Rose, Captain," the other Doctor sent them a blinding grin. "It seems to me one of us is putting too much at risk."

The fair-haired companion grabbed the ex-Time Agent by the hand and pulled him out of the room. "It's for the better," she assured him. "Trust me."

The short-haired Time Lord was boiling with rage. This plan of his was supposed to be settled quietly and peacefully! With no Pretty Boys disturbing it! Strangely, the TARDIS was quiet. What, in Rassilon's name, are you doing here? Again? How many more times would he need to bear with the other him entering – no, shamelessly materialising aboard his ship?

The other Time Lord was merely watching him intently, saying nothing. This has only infuriated the big-eared Doctor further. Really? Don't you have your own TARDIS to cause trouble in? Your own Rose, now that we're at it?

When the older him finally worded his thoughts, it was done quietly and with obvious resignation. "I have done all I could. With as little interference as I could. I am off to have a private word with Rose now, if you don't mind, Grumpy."

Rose's first Doctor shrugged at the other one. He did mind, but there was no chance he would show it to that one. "That is, if she is not otherwise occupied with Jack Harkness," a biting bitter comment followed.

"We'll see about that," the familiar blinding grin was once again on Pretty Boy's face…

Ugh. How much more annoying-

Calm down. This is the last time I'm coming here with you still in this body.

Fantastic. "What about Rose? When I'm gone, what's going to happen to her?" The Doctor's Northern accent did nothing to mask his sincere worry over his companion.

"What do you think?" The bloody intruding Doctor has dared to wink at him! Who was he? Jack 2.0?

"I pity your Rose," the Ninth Doctor shrugged at him instead.

"Our Rose," he corrected patiently. "Or have you forgotten the undeniable fact she is and has always been the very same person? No matter the regeneration?"

"From the tiniest glimpse of the Rose I had seen with you… she was what? Completely smitten with you? The Rose in my TARDIS would never-"

This was going nowhere. The Time Lord in a brown suit exhaled, his resignation returning. "Goodbye, Doctor."

Before returning to his TARDIS, the Doctor waved at Rose.

"Rose… if you absolutely cannot talk him off this adventure so close to home… don't bother."

"Wait, Doctor! What am I to do? What is going to happen to us? To the Doctor? To me? To Jack?"

"Honestly? I don't have a bleeping idea," he smirked at her. "See you soon, love." And with that, he was gone.

Rose was ready to kick, punch or break something. Anything. The sense of adventure was coloured with fear and determination all of a sudden.

Not wishing to return to her stubborn Time Lord, she went into the library instead. But her mind was too shaken to concentrate on anything.

Unable to sleep, which has been only natural, Rose went looking for the Doctor. She has come up on Jack instead. The charming human Captain was on alert at once.

"Rose. What are you doing here?"

"Or should I give you the same question, Jack?"

"Oh, I was merely looking at some titles I might want to read-"

"Your very own collection of selected themed heavily-sexualised novels," Rose rolled her eyes at him. More like pornography. "Sure thing."

To his honour, Jack has had the decency to blush. "Look, Rosie, let's not talk about it right now. Have you seen the Doctor?"

"Oh, there you are! Let's go now! Are you sure you don't want to join us, Rose?"

It was dark outside… but the Bad Wolf Rose kept alluring them just the same. The TARDIS was no longer encouraging the companion to stop the Doctor. What had to happen, was going to happen.

"Someone has to be here to save you, after all," Rose exhaled, accepting the Doctor's hand, being pulled into an unfamiliar dark place, with both the Time Lord and the human by her side. It was strange how responsible she was suddenly feeling over these two men.

The TARDIS was feeling responsible for them all.

Only after Rose has opened her eyes did she realise what has taken place. The Bad Wolf. The Daleks. The kiss. And then, nothing but the loving tearful smile from the brown-eyed Doctor. One she knew and loved so well.

"Welcome back, Rose Tyler."

The End

A/N. Surprise, surprise… Thank you all for reading, following, favouriting and reviewing. Love you all!