AN: And now we have a bit of intersection with The Shortest Life… I took a minor liberty with the ability of the character mentioned in this chapter, but I figured, why the hell not, it's the Whoniverse, anything's possible :P Also, in case you read this before TSL, just a mention: I haven't watched more than one or two episodes with this character in it yet (still grieving my OTP) so I might have her characterization off. Also, in spite of her showing up and everything that entails, I am by no means a shipper of this particular character in any pairing she's associated with. (I hope that was vague enough?)

'It's not fun, it's not smart, it's just standing up and making a decision because no one else will.'

So much for ten seconds, Rose thought miserably. She could practically feel the Doctor's eyes boring a hole into the back of her head. No doubt he was curious as to why she wasn't putting up a fuss, but she ignored him.

She needed to think, needed to figure out how to deal with this entire situation, which wouldn't have bloody happened if he hadn't –

She inhaled a deep, calming breath.

Anger would not help her get herself and the Doctor out of this latest scrape. She needed her wits about her, considering she wasn't even on Earth. Even travelling in time, television had at least prepared her to fake her way through certain situations.

This wasn't one of them.

She was led out of the containment area and into the room where the so-called "galactic traffic cops", as the Doctor had called them, congregated.

The strange environment was a mixture of a futuristic movie set and the type of human office she had seen on the procedural police dramas that her friend Keisha enjoyed. Levitating desks and chairs were organised along an invisible grid, and instead of desktop computers the alien officers appeared to be using holographic view screens. The windows of the station offered a sprawling view of space instead countryside or cityscape.

Rose was shown to one of the desk units by the officer that had released her. After ensuring the levitating seat could take her weight, she sat down.

'I'll be back in a moment,' the officer told her. 'Don't move.'

'Where would I go?' Rose wondered out loud after he left, looking around the satellite cum police station in awe.

The people in the station were mostly alien. The officers all seemed to be the same greenish reptilian as the one that had led her from the cell, but that was the only instance of sameness she noticed. At a desk three yards away, a large greenish-yellow blob with tentacles and one eye stock babbled in agitation, while nearby a blue Crespallion seemed to be paying something.

The only remotely human looking creature other than her was an athletic-looking woman with curly hair sitting not far away.

'There are several documents you need to fill out to secure your release,' the officer told her, upon his return. 'Then you can go.'

'That's great,' Rose said, 'but what about the Doctor?'

'As I said before…'

'Yeah, I heard, but I can't really leave him here.'

'I'm afraid you don't have a choice.'

'Yeah, but… look, he's with me –' the officer raised an eyebrow at that, and she rolled her eyes, ' – well, not with me with me, but we're travelling together. My mum even knows, you can call her, once you give me back my phone –'

'Even if your parent can confirm your story, it won't make much difference,' the officer said, in clipped tones. 'He ruined a private event that was organised by a very influential member of the local parliament.'

'I thought you said it was a private company?'

'Owned by a member of the government, yes.'

'But the Doctor didn't know that!' Rose protested. 'I'm sure if he had, he wouldn't have flown through that supernova!'

She tried to at least sound like she believed that – considering he'd blown up her job minutes after meeting her, she doubted he paid much attention to property rights. At any rate, the officer didn't seem to buy it.

'In that case, he'll have a chance to speak at his sentencing hearing – something I've no doubt he'll be good at,' the officer deadpanned. 'As it is, you'd best call someone to pick you up, because your companion isn't going anywhere for at minimum three days.'

Rose could see she wouldn't be getting much help from him, so she sighed. 'Can I at least get my things back?'

'Once you've finished your paperwork. The office dealing with prisoner belongings is down the hall, three doors to the right.'

'Is our ship there too? Only, there are things in there belonging to me, and if you're gonna be sending me off on my own, I need them.'

'Impounded transportation is kept on the lower levels of the satellite, and can't be accessed unless you can show adequate documentation to prove ownership. As it is, that particular vessel is being held as evidence in your friend's trial, so you wouldn't be able to tamper with it,' he recited, bored. 'Sorry for the inconvenience.'

'Yeah, I'll bet,' Rose deadpanned, but the green-skinned officer was already gone.

Rose let out a loud groan of frustration and resisted the urge to tear at her hair. Here she was, stuck filling out forms at a police station who-knew-how-many light-years away from her planet and time. Effectively stranded because the Doctor had decided he would prefer getting arrested to having shepherd's pie with her mother.

She completely understood that he wasn't ready to be around people, especially considering Mickey had called him a 'thing' and her mum had slapped him. But the fact that he had made her choose between her mother and him?

Added to the fact her mother had begged her to stay, and she hadn't –

'Oh, God, Mum… what am I even going to tell her?' she muttered to herself. 'Sorry, stuck on a satellite station in the middle of nowhere cos the Doctor up and got himself arrested.''

What if his trial ended with him being sent to prison? She'd really be in trouble – she had no identification, no way home and no place to stay. What she'd have to do to survive didn't even bear thinking about, and so she decided the obvious solution was getting the Doctor out of this mess.

'You look like you've had a rough day, sweetie.'

Rose jumped.

The woman she had noticed before had moved to sit beside her; her full lips were curled into a kind smile and her grey eyes were crinkled in something like sympathy. She didn't look anywhere near as out of place as Rose felt, but her clothes didn't have the same alien quality as the rest of the office. She wore a grey tunic dress that flounced at the ends and was cinched with a brown belt as well as a curious looking wrist strap.

S'pose space travel automatically includes dressing weird, Rose decided, eyes lingering on the woman's bare feet. She, too, was missing her shoes. 'You could say that.'

'Trouble with your man?' the woman asked, and when Rose raised an eyebrow she grinned unrepentantly. 'I couldn't help overhearing.'

'Sor' of,' Rose admitted, not wanting to get into the more complicated particulars of her story. Instead, she smiled and introduced herself. 'I'm Rose.'

'River,' the woman answered blithely, mouth curling into a wry smile.

'Well, River, what are you in for?' Rose asked with a laugh. 'I never thought I'd ever be in a situation to ask that.'

River chuckled along with her. 'After the fifth time, you stop feeling like an extra in an old Earth prison film.'

'Really?' Rose asked warily, wondering how many times the woman had been arrested and if, perhaps, she wasn't a lot more dangerous than she looked.

River seemed to read her expression because she held up a hand in a placating gesture.

'Oh, not for anything serious!' River assured her. 'Well, I say serious, but serious is relative if you think about it. One planet's shoplifting is another planet's high treason.'

Remembering what the Doctor had told her about Velopssian attitudes towards handholding after that particular forgotten adventure, Rose nodded. 'I guess that makes sense. So, why are you here?'

'They think I incited a riot on one of the moons down there.'

'Did you?'

'Well…' River drawled, eyes sparkling. 'I mean, I might have mentioned to one man I ran into – gorgeous arse, let me tell you – that the government was considering a one-child policy that would force thousands of kids into slave labour. But that was it. What he did with that information was his own business.'

Rose blinked and then grinned. 'Sounds like the time I "accidentally" started my school choir protesting. Not as serious as a riot on a moon, I guess. But I get how people can make a fuss out of one wrong word…' She shrugged. 'So, you're stuck here as well?'

'Not for long. Right now, I'm just a life-form of interest, just waiting for my mother to bail me out.'

'Your mother?' She flicked her eyes over the woman once more, trying to assess her age. She looked too old to need her mother to come bail her out of trouble. Perhaps she was one of those rich heiresses, or her species aged faster?

'Well, my other, sort-of-mother. It's a long story.'

'Right… and she'll just come get you? Just like that? Won't she be angry for you getting arrested?'

'Hah, with the amount of trouble she stirs up on her own? I'm liable to get a trip somewhere hot and sunny for my troubles.'

'Wow,' Rose shook her head in admiration. 'If my mum ever found out I got arrested, she'd murder me.'

Rose had gotten into her share of trouble over the years, but aside from getting lectured by security for shoplifting, had never been detained in her life. That one experience of her mother's fury had made her skittish of even the idea of being properly arrested.

'Trouble's a bit genetic where I'm from,' River was saying, mirth in her eyes. 'Anyhow, that means I've got some time until she gets here, so how about you let me help you out?'

'With what?'

'With getting your man out,' River informed her. 'You don't actually want to wait here for his trial, do you? Only you don't strike me as someone from around here,. I can tell you it'll be a hard thing to find a place to stay on a satellite. And planet side isn't much better unless you're open to selling yourself into indentured servitude.'

'Um, no, not really.'

'Didn't think so. That's what you'd have to do to pay back whoever paid your bail, so I'd say we should get moving sooner than later.'

Rose frowned. 'How d'you know someone paid my bail?'

'Well, you obviously didn't do it,' River pointed out. 'I doubt a tourist would have enough of the local currency to pay their own bail even if it was allowed.'

'Oh,' Rose managed. That made sense, at least. 'Are you sure? I mean, I don't want you to get into trouble because of me…'

'Hah! Trouble's my middle name!' the other woman declared brazenly, and then shrugged, 'Actually I don't have a middle name, but no one's perfect.'

Rose shook her head with a smile, deciding to just go with the flow of things. 'Well, if you're sure…'

With a bit of creative planning, getting out of the processing room was rather easy.

It seemed even disgruntled green men – Amaranians, River called them – were flummoxed at what to do when a teenaged girl burst into hysterical sobs in the middle of the room.

As Rose called up tears and pretended to heave in panic, there was a flurry of movement around her as several officers came over to see what the matter was. Beside her, River had slung an arm around her and was patting her back calmly.

'First time off-planet,' she heard her explain sympathetically. 'Probably not used to being the only human in the room – can I take her to the loo?'

A sobbing girl was obviously a problem to shuffle out sight as soon as possible as a flustered Amaranian was soon leading them down the hall to the facilities. He waited in the hallway as Rose and River ducked inside, the latter flashing Rose a thumbs up once the door closed.

'Good, keep that up just a bit longer,' her new friend whispered, keeping an ear on the door.

It was surprisingly easy to do, despite the fact that Rose wasn't the greatest actress. Neither was she someone prone to random bursts of tears when a situation became difficult. She was amazed to find that the inspiration for her tears was genuine.

What if she really did get stuck here, without the Doctor?

Her throat began to hurt.

After several minutes that seemed to go on for hours, River stuck her head outside the door. 'Yeah, er, it's going to be awhile. You sure you want to stand there til she calms down?' There was a mutter outside about orders. 'Well, that's awful sensible. Might as well come in and have a sit down 'til she's done then.'

An embarrassed mumble and then the sound of footsteps retreating very quickly.

'That got him,' River laughed as she closed the door, and Rose immediately stopped her theatrical sobbing. 'Universal constant: men are intimidated by walking into the ladies.'

'I'll have to remember that one,' Rose answered, wiping her eyes and forcing a smile.

River's expression turned pensive. 'Are you alright?'

'What? Yeah, of course.'

'It's just… seems like you really are upset.'

'I'm not. All part of the act,' Rose lied.

River shook her head. 'No, you're projecting. There's something actually wrong.'

Rose froze. 'How… how can you tell that?'

'I'm slightly empathic,' River shrugged. 'Ish.'

That brought Rose up short.

'So you're… alien.'

River laughed, not sounding a bit offended. 'Oh, everyone's alien. It's a big universe. I'm mostly human – but just alien enough to have a few tricks.'

'And you… you can read my mind? Tell how I'm feeling?'

Something about Rose's wariness bled into her tone, or perhaps River was reading it, because she made a soothing gesture.

'It's a completely automatic ability, sweetie. Empaths read emotions and minds the way humans like you see faces.'

'So… you don't always see everyone's thoughts?'

'Of course not! I'd've gone mad ages ago if that were the case. I was trained since I was little to automatically shield myself. Even the simplest mind is entitled to privacy. With a mind as emotionally driven as a human's… anyway, no self-respecting telepath or empath would ever look into your head just to mess around.'

Rose reflected on what she had learned about the TARDIS and what the Doctor had revealed to her about their forgotten conversation on Velopssi. Although she seriously regretted not being able to remember what had happened on her very first alien planet, the Doctor had told her everything she had missed. That included their argument about him being able to read her mind.

She'd been impressed, knowing that most blokes would be keen to pretend a forgotten argument had never happened, but the Doctor appeared intent on keeping her trust. Had he not shown that back home when he had presented her with a TARDIS key of her very own? The gesture had been touching and very telling, but at the same time…

'So what is it?' River's question drew her back to the present situation. 'It doesn't seem like it's because you were arrested, or you'd still be in the waiting room.' She offered a tentative smile. 'Was I right? Problems with your man?'

'We're not like that,' Rose told her firmly. 'But… yeah. I'm sort of travelling with him, and we – he accidentally brought me home later than expected and got into it with my mum. And I just needed a bit of time to smooth things over, but he wouldn't even wait.' The old spark of anger flared up. 'He practically told me to choose between them!'

'That's rough,' River agreed. 'Though it sounds like you're angrier at yourself than him.'

Rose opened her mouth to disagree and then paused when the idea didn't sound completely false.

'I… think you might be right,' Rose managed, surprised to find the words tasted like the truth.

She was plenty upset about the Doctor forcing her to make such a decision, but she was even more furious with herself at going along with it.

It wasn't the first time she'd done such a thing, either. While she understood choosing the Doctor over her mother was nothing like what had happened with Jimmy, the fact that he had manipulated her scared her.

It was an unsettling situation. He wasn't her boyfriend, and he probably saw himself as nothing more than a protective guardian, but there was still an unequal power dynamic to their relationship. One that would make it all the easier for him to influence her if he were that kind of man.

In her heart she knew he would never do something like that to her with malice aforethought. He didn't seem the type to manipulate others to suit his own purposes, yet her ability to read people suggested that once upon a time he might have been.

After all, his people were Time Lords; that was as imperious and controlling a title as any could have.

But he's not like that, she thought, worryingly certain. He's just lonely.

That same certainty also told her travelling with the Doctor might be the most amazing thing to ever happen to her. But she still needed to decide whether she could allow him that kind of power over her. Even if it was motivated by loneliness.

'When you get out of here, tell him,' River advised. 'If he's the slightest bit decent, he'll understand and apologise. If not, chuck him.'

Rose snorted at the absurdity of that notion. If this woman knew the Doctor, she wouldn't be so quick to dismiss him.

There was no time to educate her even if she wanted to, though, because River straightened up and nodded toward the door. 'Ready to go?'

Rose paused. It wouldn't do to meet up with the Doctor and have him notice she had been crying. She took a moment to examine her mascara in the – well, it wasn't a mirror so much as a reflective view screen.

Everything looked fine, but the futuristic technology made her wonder. 'Won't there be cameras? You know, tracking us?'

'No,' River answered, leading Rose out of the loo and back into the hallway. 'When I got picked up I fed a virus into the security system in case I needed to make a quick escape. Just in case.'

The response was something like what the Doctor might say to her, but unlike when he said it, Rose wasn't comforted by it. Instead, she regarded River warily, suddenly wondering if the woman that had jumped to her aid might not be more trouble than she was worth.

Maybe she was a criminal and was now using Rose as a means to an end. In which case, the ability Rose had cultivated growing up to know whether someone was trustworthy had failed her.

'Maybe this isn't such a good idea,' she began, taking a half step back. 'I mean, I'm sure I could find something to do until my friend gets released.'

'Do you fancy wandering around in your knickers and a pair of stilettos the rest of your life?'

'No.'

'Then trust me, it's better we get you out of here as soon as possible,' River insisted firmly, guiding Rose down a staircase and into another hallway.

But as unwilling to entertain that possible fate as she was, Rose would not be side-tracked. 'Why are you so keen to help me out, anyhow? You don't even know me.'

River paused, opening her mouth to say something – possibly one of her ready stories – but meeting Rose's gaze, she seemed to decide something. 'You're not going to let it drop, are you?'

Rose crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow in challenge.

'Fine – truth time,' River decided, and reached into her belt to bring out a billfold. She flipped it open, revealing an official looking badge. 'Agent River Song, and I'm an operative of the Shadow Proclamation. And the reason I'm trying to get you out of here is you're messing up my investigation.'

Rose's head spun for a moment as she tried to pick out which bit of information to deal with first.

'Hold on. 'Agent'?'

'There've been a wave of disappearances in the past year of humanoid life-forms, and we suspect they're being pulled into the species trafficking ring,' River went on. 'We've traced the ring leaders to a galactic bail bondsman service that contracts with several law- enforcement stations. We've narrowed it down to this particular station.'

'So?'

'So, I'm here investigating it and you being here is messing up my operation,' River told her. 'I'm supposed to be the only humanoid here, and yet here you are. I bet they've already set their sights on you and that's why you've were separated from your bloke.'

'Why me?'

'Well, it's that whole blond stereotype, to be honest. Next to me, you're a prime target. You're clearly out of your depth, and under normal circumstances, I'd use that to my advantage. But there's too much that's gone into this operation to put on someone untrained, so I need to get you out of here as fast as possible.'

'But I could help – so could my friend. It's sort of what we do, and you're all alone…'

'Obviously you've never heard of me, or you'd know I do some of my best work alone,' River grinned. 'But, if you're set on it…'

'Yeah?'

'Well, first, we need to cause a distraction. A short in the holographic environment projections throughout the satellite will do nicely, don't you?'

'If you say so,' Rose agreed, excited at the idea of a new adventure. River gave her a look she couldn't quite describe. 'What?'

'Nothing, I'm just used to people questioning me whenever I tell them we need to do something. My parents, my husband, life-forms of indeterminate species…'

'Well, easier to go with it and ask question later, right?' Rose replied. 'If we survive, and all.'

River barked out a laugh. 'Did you learn that from your friend?'

'Sort of, yeah.'

'And that's not ironic at all,' River murmured, shaking her thick hair. 'Well, come along. If your bloke's anything like my husband in a bind, he's planning something stupid…'

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