The Musical Stylings of Rose Tyler Chapter 10: Misfocusing, a doctor who fanfic

Rose knelt on the ground, sobbing and staring at the place where the Tardis once stood. She knew the Tardis had tried to warn her that this would happen, but that still didn't prepare her for just how hard it would be to see the Doctor leave her again. The only difference this time was that she knew this wouldn't be the last time she would see him. She was told she still had a future with the Doctor and as heartbroken as she was, she had something to hope for. That still didn't stop her from breaking down. Rose stood up, pulled out her cell phone and dialed the only person who she knew would understand right now. "Mickey? He's gone! The Doctor's gone." Rose sobbed to him. "What do you mean gone? Where'd he go?" he asked. "I don't know. The Tardis just vanished and it locked him inside." she said. "Oh my god! Are you ok, Rose?" he asked her. "No, I'm not ok. Can you come get me? Please?" Rose pleaded. "Course…I'll be right there." Rose told Mickey her location, then put her phone back into her pocket and sat on the ground against the wall, crying into her hands. Ten minutes later, Mickey pulled up in the alleyway. Rose ran and threw her arms around Mickey as soon as he stepped out of the car. Crying into his shoulder, she said "He's gone!" Mickey tried to comfort his friend, by rubbing her back as he let her cry on him. He couldn't imagine what Rose must be going through this time…she finally had him back and now she'd lost him again. "Rose, what happened?" he asked her calmly. Rose wiped her tears away and tried to tell Mickey what had happened. "He was going to tell me he loved me, Mickey. I know it, but he said he wanted to give me something first. So we left the show and walked over here to the Tardis. He was only inside for a few minutes and then the doors slammed shut and wouldn't let me in. The Doctor was yelling for me, but he couldn't get the doors open. I don't know what happened, but he didn't want to leave me. He told me…he promised me he wouldn't leave me. He was even going to stay here with me!" Mickey just held Rose and didn't know what to say, but he had been worried something like this would happen…that the Doctor would leave again and Rose would be worse off than she was before. "Let me take you home." he said as he helped Rose into the car. "I need to call Martha and tell her I'm not coming back. She'll be waiting for me…" Rose said. "Don't worry, I'll call her." Mickey said as he took out his phone and dialed. "Hi Martha, its Mickey…Rose's friend. Ya, something has happened and Rose won't be coming back to the show. No, she's fine, but the Doctor had to leave and she's pretty broken up. I'm just taking her home. Ok, I'll let her know. Bye." he said before hanging up. "Martha said she's really sorry and to call her if you need anything." he said to Rose. "Thanks, Mickey." Rose said in response, as they took off back towards the mansion.

Back at the mansion, Rose sat on the sofa flipping through television stations as she waited for Mickey, who was making them tea. They had been watching mindless tv for hours and he had been trying anything to get her mind off recent events and so far it had worked, until Rose changed the channel again. Rose froze on a station broadcasting entertainment news and her heart almost stopped. There on the screen was an image of her and the Doctor. "Mickey! Get in here!" she yelled. "What?! What is it?" he asked alarmed, as he ran into the room from the kitchen. "Look…" she said as she pointed to the image on the screen. "Where the hell did they get us at? I didn't see them anywhere!" she wondered. The image on the screen was of her and the Doctor sitting on the bench by the Thames, holding hands and staring into each other eyes. "He's only been here a few days…when was that taken?" Mickey asked. "Yesterday…we walked down to the Thames after rehearsal. There must have been a photographer hiding in a bush. Damnit!" Rose yelled, as a tear ran down her cheek out of frustration. The reporter on the television was speculating that the "mysterious man" in the image was a love interest and apparently, rumor had it, that he was the infamous doctor from her past that she had written so many songs about. Where the hell did they get that information from? Rose would make sure heads rolled if she ever found out who leaked that bit of information. Although she was upset that now she knew that image would be everywhere, it wasn't the fact that a photo of her and the Doctor was released that bothered her. She was only upset that it was released now that he was gone and she definitely was too fragile at the moment to make up a sob story for the press. Mickey turned off the television and sat down next to Rose on the sofa, "Forget about what they said, Rose. Just forget about that right now, ok?" he said to her, but the image had already reminded her that the Doctor was gone. "I don't care about that. It's just…I can't believe he's gone." Rose said tearfully. "Rose, I'm sorry to say this, but maybe…" he started, but was cut off. Rose already knew what he was thinking. "No don't…you're wrong. He wouldn't just leave me like that. Not again." Rose said. "How do you know, Rose?" asked Mickey. "I know what you're thinking, but he wouldn't do that. He wouldn't have left me the first time if he could help it and he wouldn't leave me now." she said. "How can you be so sure?" Mickey asked. "Remember all those dreams I've been having? Dreams about the Doctor coming? Well, last night I had another one and remembered everything. The Tardis appeared to me as the Voice Interface and warned me that the Doctor would be taken away from me by force of someone else. She said that he wouldn't know what is going on, but that I shouldn't give up hope cause I would see him again. She said that the Doctor didn't want to leave me and that we have a future together." she explained. "But Rose, how do you know that wasn't just a dream?" she questioned her. "The Tardis said that she was able to imprint a message in my head through a gap in the universe as a warning of what was coming. She told me it wasn't a dream…and I could tell by the look in the Doctor's eyes when I told him that he didn't think it was just a dream either." Rose said. "Wait, you told the Doctor about this? How come he didn't do anything then?" Mickey asked. "I don't think he knew what it meant yet. Besides, I didn't think it would happen so soon." she said. "Ok, so if it's not a dream, then what are we going to do?" Mickey asked. "I don't know, but I can't give up hope." "We'll figure something out then. In the meantime, why don't you go to bed? In the morning, we'll start trying to come up with a plan. Ok?" Mickey said. "Ya, guess you're right." Rose said as she kissed him on the cheek and stood up. "Thanks, Mickey…for everything today. I really appreciate it." Rose said to him. "Anytime, Rose." he said with a smile, as she turned and headed upstairs for bed.

Rose lay in bed for hours, unable to fall asleep. How could she? There was a side of her bed that was a bit too empty and she couldn't think of anything else. This day seemed like a whirlwind and she hadn't yet processed all that had happened. In one day, she had come closer than ever to having a happy ending with the man she loved, lost him, and discovered that her story was now being broadcast all over Britain for the entertainment of the masses. Rose didn't know what to do, but it was times like this that made her miss her relative non-existent status…in that small little flat in her home universe that she shared with only her mum. Working in a shop, where no one knew who she was…at least she could live her life…boring as it was, it was easier. She wouldn't trade her time with the Doctor for anything in either world, but when he wasn't around she just wanted to be normal…and left alone. Life in this universe was anything but normal now…now that she was the long-lost famous daughter of Pete and Jackie Tyler, turned pop star. Her entire life, although false as it was, was public knowledge now and her every action under public scrutiny. The images she saw on the television tonight were proof of that. A private moment between her and the Doctor was now all over for everyone to see and she had no idea how she would get away from it. She had never really wanted this life to begin with…her life had left in his blue box. This life had always been nothing more than a distraction, but the distraction wasn't working anymore. Rose felt betrayed and cheated. Not by the Doctor by any means, but by life in general…cheated out of the life and love that she always hoped for and betrayed by those around her who she felt just wanted to be close because she was famous. Mickey and her family were the only exceptions. At one point she had liked it when she and the Doctor would visit a distant civilization and they would have already heard of them…and tremble at their names. Traveling with the Doctor had made her love the adventure and sometimes being the hero, but now she just wanted to be…invisible. With all of these thoughts on her mind and the empty bed beside her, of course she wasn't able to sleep. So Rose did what she always did when she couldn't sleep…she took out her notebook and began to write.

"If I was the last person to know how you cheated me, did you think I could let go of your betrayal easily? Oh no it went deep. I lost a lot of sleep thinking I had no one to turn to.

Gotta stop the world misfocusing on me. Gotta stop the world misfocusing on me. How you ever gonna see clearly? Are you ever gonna know the real me? I gotta stop the world, I gotta stop the world, gotta stop the world misfocusing on me.

I can't take all the misquotes and lies, barbed wire bouquets, but you…I never thought would stoop so low. I guess that goes to show what you just don't know can really hurt you so and I'm not sure who to trust anymore.

I can't deny it stresses me like no lover ever could. Makes me wonder why the world is such a jealous lover. Ask me what I have learned? You gotta play the fool to catch the wise, act the mute to hear the lies. What else and the rest. Coming home is always the best, but a smile can hide a deadly weapon and a friend you thought you could rely on. Don't you feel sorry for me?

Early the next morning, Rose woke and found that she had actually dozed off while writing…her pen and notepad still lying beside her. She didn't remember dreaming either. That was the first dreamless night she had in a long time now and it was actually unsettling…there was no Doctor, no Tardis talking to her anymore. Now that he was gone, there was nothing left to warn her about. Did that mean things were up to her now? Or was it possible that it just meant her time with the Doctor was finally over? She didn't want to think about it and just kept repeating to herself not to lose hope…things would work out, somehow. Despite all that, Rose was finding it extremely hard to be cheerful. She cleared her schedule of any meetings, interviews, or any other obligations today…she didn't want to go anywhere or talk to anyone…and she definitely didn't feel like having breakfast. Rose made her way downstairs to the kitchen and made herself a cup of tea. She had the house to herself for the moment, as Mickey was still sleeping. He had started sleeping at the mansion again after the departure of the Doctor. Mickey didn't want Rose to have to be alone and she didn't want to be. Rose took her cup of tea outside and sat down on a bench facing the garden. She sat there trying to clear her head of the previous day's events, but it seemed like a useless feat. Instead she began to focus her thoughts on ways to get back to the Doctor. She didn't know when or how, but she was determined to find him again. No more would she sit around and mope, feeling sorry for herself and succumbing to the idea that she would have to live her life without him. No, she had been told she would see him again and she was going to make that happen somehow. Rose was trying to make a list in her head of all of the assets that she did have that might be of some help, but it was a short list – Mickey, Pete, and Torchwood. Torchwood would definitely be of some help, but no matter what, they still had the problem of the universe being sealed and that was their biggest challenge…breaking through without destroying everything.

As Rose sat in the garden, lost in thought, she heard footsteps approaching behind her. Then she felt someone sit down on the bench next to her. "Whatcha thinking about?" Mickey asked her. "I didn't dream last night Mickey." Rose said. "Isn't that good? You can finally get some sleep for a change." Mickey said. "I thought it would be, but now that I know what the dreams meant…I don't know where to go from here. The Tardis isn't speaking to me anymore." she responded, but Mickey didn't know how to respond. "I need to find him Mickey. I'm not giving up this time." she said. "But how Rose?" he asked. With a sigh, she responded, "I don't know. If we could find a way to cross over to our original universe…" she began, but stopped suddenly. Her eyes grew wide and she froze…she could almost see the light bulb turning on above her head, but Mickey hadn't noticed. "Rose, the gap between universes has been closed…remember? Torchwood has been tracking it. There's no way to get back." Mickey said. "That's it!" Rose yelled, "I've got it Mickey!" "What?" Mickey asked, confused. "I am going to get back to him somehow! I have an idea, but I'll need Torchwood's help. Mickey, call your team and tell them to meet us at Torchwood. I'll call my dad and tell him what's going on…we'll need his help when he and mum get home." Rose said decidedly, as she jumped up to a stand. "What idea? What are you talking about?" Mickey asked, confused. "We need to figure out how to build some type of machine that will send me back to our original universe…something powerful enough to shoot me across dimensions. You and dad made those devices last time that could jump between universes. We can do it again, I know it!" Rose said. "Rose, are you sure this is going to work? Those devices only worked because there was already a hole in the universe. We don't know if it will work again." said Mickey. "The Tardis told me that this wouldn't be the last time I would see him. I have a future with the Doctor, Mickey…I know it. I'm not sitting around waiting for him to find me again…I'm going to find him! So let's get to work…I don't want to waste any more time!" Rose told him, before taking out her cellphone and dialing, "Hi, Dad? Listen, I've got something tell you and I'm going to need your help."