The Doctor let go of Rose and stepped back.
"Figures, you're back and I don't even get a hello. No, I have to find you snagging this-"
"It's not what it looks like."
"Of course it isn't…"
Behind them, all the workers were gathering up behind them. The Doctor tried calling Rose, but she didn't hear him over Mickey's arguing. The worker's began to flicker as if they were holograms that couldn't decided on what image to settle on. When they did settle, their human disguises were gone. They turned into green human silhouettes covered in slime. The Doctor shouted,
"Everybody out, now!"
All the customers and Mickey ran out in a panic. Rose stayed and stood behind the Doctor.
"Rose, go!"
"I'm not leaving you."
One of the creatures shot the green slime aiming at Rose, who barely dodged it in time. Instead, it hit the wall behind her. The slime sizzled and burned a hole through the wall. The Doctor pulled Rose by the hand and they hid behind a table.
"Give us the girl." growled one of the things. Rose looked at the Doctor as if asking for an explanation. He just shrugged and asked,
"Why do you want her?"
"She has absorbed the time vortex. She is the perfect match."
"She doesn't have it, I removed it from her."
The details of that day were always sketchy to Rose. She slept for quite a while after absorbing the vortex, and the Doctor never cleared anything up. She made a mental note to ask him what had really happened.
"You dare to lie to us?"
A loud bang came from behind the table as the slime hit it, and a hole was made in the table rendering it useless. The Doctor whispered to Rose,
"What do we do now?"
"Behind the counter!"
Rose ran out from behind the table. He followed her while all creatures attempted to hit them. When they arrived, the Doctor mumbled to himself trying to find a solution.
"Who are you? I've met many species, but never you."
One of them began to speak, but the Doctor wasn't paying attention.
"Slime? What's supposed to go against slime? I've never gone against slime!"
Rose thought for a moment, then said,
"The air conditioning!"
"What about the air conditioning?"
"If you shut it off, it can get extremely hot in here. They'll melt, I guess."
"You're brilliant."
The Doctor pulled out his screwdriver and aimed it at the thermostat.
"What is that terrible noise?" growled one of the Scandon, as they now knew they were called.
"That," said the Doctor as he threw his sonic screwdriver in the air and catching it, "is this beauty. Wonderful thing a sonic screwdriver." He pushed the button again, and the Scandons covered their ears and fell to the floor. As they fell, the heat cause them to fall apart. The Doctor grabbed Rose's hand and she turned to him and smiled. Mickey was the first to walk back in.
"Are they gone?"
Rose let go of the Doctor's hand and walked up to Mickey.
"Explain to me why I have to tell you where I am and who I'm with when you have a girlfriend."
Mickey looked at Rose in shock.
"What?"
"Trisha, remember her? Why do you care what I'm doing with the Doctor when you have Trisha."
The Doctor held back his laughter as he watched the argument. Mickey kept mumbling words failing to develop complete sentences.
Rose place a hand on his shoulder.
"May be my fault for not telling you I was here, but that does't give you the right to snoop around."
With that, Rose walked out of the restaurant. The Doctor walked behind her stopping next to Mickey.
"Mickey."
"Doctor."
He caught up to her and walked in silence. Then he said,
"I never did like him."
Back at the flat, they ordered a pizza as they talked about the day's events.
"So, got to get a new job, again."
"You're not good at working at safe places are you?"
Rose laughed and then decided to ask him,
"Doctor, what happened the day I took in the time vortex?"
The Doctor had precisely avoided telling her that he had had to kiss her to get it out of her system. He quickly tried to come up with a story, but had to tell her the truth. He opened his mouth to speak, when her phone rang. She picked up the phone and read the screen.
"It's my mum."
The Doctor rolled his eyes as she answered the phone. He wasn't sure what she was saying, but she was speaking so loud, he could hear her through the phone.
"Yeah, mum. Everything's fine, the Doctor took care of it."
Of course, Jackie being a mother, called Rose to ask her how everything had gone and if she was alive. Rose walked into the room and left the Doctor on his own. He did the dishes then walked in behind her.
"Everything okay?"
"Yeah, she's just being her usual self."
As Rose got into bed, the Doctor asked her,
"Would you like to work on the TARDIS with me tomorrow?"
Rose gave him a smile,
"Yeah, of course."
The Doctor returned the smile. He got into bed and turned off the lights. Rose waited until he got comfortable. Then, she turned to face him and laid her arm on his side.
"Thanks for today."
He grabbed her hand, lacing his fingers between hers.
"I'll always be here. Don't mention it."
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