A/N: And here is chapter 11 early because you guys apparently want more angst and rage! :D Just kidding (but not really). So fair warning, you might want to grab a stress ball and stay away from any breakable objects while reading this chapter. This should also clear up some questions (I hope) and, well, stuff. Once again, this is the last chapter for a little while because I've been neglecting some other fics that I desperately want to finish the next chapters on. Sorry. As usual, this story is un-betaed so if you see any mistakes, please let me know. Feedback is wonderful and I know I haven't responded to some of you yet, but I wrote chapter 11 already so I hope you'll forgive me. I will answer you, I promise! Enjoy! :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of its characters or anything you recognize.
Mickey stared in complete shock at the scene that unfolded on the computer screen before him. The screen had flipped on giving Mickey a full view of what happened. He was also able to hear every damning word said to Rose.
That…that stupid selfish bastard!
After everything she's done for him, this is how he repays her?!
If Mickey weren't trapped in this godforsaken room he would have stormed up to the Time Lord and busted his nose and teeth. There was a time when Mickey thought that he wasn't good enough for Rose, not as worthy as her Doctor, but not anymore.
No, Rose was too good for the Doctor and even if things had not worked out between Mickey and her, they still had a good relationship to fall back on.
But the Doctor, how dare he?!
How dare he make Rose feel inferior to that royal bitch just because Rose talked back to him?
Mickey slammed his fists on the desk, fury radiating off of him. This was a complete disaster and he couldn't stop it, not from here at least. He knew something was off with Rose since the moment she woke up. They have known each other for so long that Mickey could pinpoint Rose's emotions from just the slightest shift in expression.
The Doctor either did not have that capability or he was just as affected by whatever was happening to Rose.
Wait.
What if he was?
Mickey may not like the arrogant arse, but he's never before stooped to this level of arseholery. Maybe that's what the TARDIS was trying to emphasize.
A 'dong' noise resounded throughout the room as if to say 'well, duh.'
"Okay," Mickey said, not sure whether it was to himself or the TARDIS, "if the Doctor is affected by the same thing, then what is it?"
The only answer he received was a variation between exclamation points and question marks. Apparently the TARDIS didn't know what it was either.
The screen started to run through different languages again.
"MickeySmith/TinDog/CleverBoy/Friend. Danger! Thief. BadWolf. FrenchTart. Infected!"
Mickey pondered the words carefully. Infected? What did that mean? Was it all three of them? Was he infected too? None of this was making sense.
"MickeySmith/TinDog/CleverBoy/Friend. Need help. Can't fight alone. Assist. Please."
"You need my help?" he asked the sentient machine.
"Yes."
Plopping back down into the chair in front of the computer, Mickey tapped at the strange keyboard that suddenly appeared. Most of the symbols were in English, but some were in that odd language that he saw all over the console room on post-it notes.
Okay, he thought, this will be interesting.
"What do I need to do?"
Anguish threatened to crush Rose's heart at the Doctor's announcement.
"You're taking me home?"
It was unfathomable. She was not the guilty party here so why should she go home?
The Doctor sighed exasperatedly. "You heard me right, Rose. Please don't make me repeat myself. Go get your things and be in here within the next hour; no dawdling. There is still the matter of my ship and Reinette's star to attend to."
Rose's feet were glued to the floor, unable to move even if she wanted to.
Agitation covered the Doctor's face as he took Reinette's arm in his. "Rose, are you hard of hearing?" he asked snidely.
Life flooded her veins at the Doctor's cruel question. "You stupid—how can you do this?! What the hell is your problem? I was there for you all this time and suddenly I'm not good enough? To the hell with the both of you!"
Storming out of the console room, Rose wiped angry tears from her eyes as she fought down the growing resentment in her chest. This was too much. She couldn't do this anymore. It seemed that Reinette had a good grip on the Doctor's b—whatever, no more.
She'd had enough.
Yanking the door open to her room, she blindly started shoving random knickknacks and clothes into a rucksack.
Everything had gotten out of hand quickly and Rose was no longer able to handle the Doctor's caustic attitude. After the Doctor's sudden love for the French mistress and the droid attack, Rose wasn't sure of much of anything anymore. Her nightmares were getting worse and he didn't even seem to care.
Her throat burned as she sobbed, eyes blurring so badly that she could hardly tell what she was taking with her. How could she just pack up her life with the Doctor? After everywhere they had been and everything they had been through?
Her first Doctor never would have done this to her. There was something wrong with this new incarnation of him. The one before this one may have been blunt and often callous, but he fought for her.
He even challenged the Dalek Emperor himself in order to save her.
This one, though? No, he would just up and leave her to die on a derelict spaceship with no way home. Oh, and those clockwork droids? Yeah, well no need to make sure they would all shut down when French courtesans were waiting. Who needs the companion that willingly threw herself into danger to save his Time Lord arse?
Apparently not this git.
Rose collapsed onto her bed and curled into a ball, desperately hoping everything that happened these past few days was just one of her terrible nightmares that she would forget the instant she woke up. After a few moments, she rubbed away the rest of her tears and lay there completely numb.
A swirling light caught her attention.
It was the snow globe she got when they went to the Alps; a little conglomeration of mountainous moons that featured some of the best known slopes for skiing. They were staying at one of the lodges when she spotted it.
These snow globes were known for their telepathic capabilities; able to reflect one's state of mind and current thoughts. The Doctor had been hesitant at first, mostly because he refused to hold it saying something along the lines of it being a rubbish toy that was a complete scam.
The moment she held it in her own hands the globe began emitting the most beautiful music and the snow granules inside swirled around until it revealed a scene of two people on a grass covered cliff overlooking a city.
It was a miniature version of their trip to New Earth, right down to the miniature version of herself snuggling against the Doctor's shoulder as they lay on his coat.
Holding it up to get a better look at the scene, Rose swore she could even smell some apple grass too.
The Doctor bought it almost instantly, saying it would make a good memento. She just smiled as he avoided looking her in the eye, blushing right up to his hairline.
He never held it though, but she could probably understand why. After everything he'd seen and done, it would hurt too much.
Now Rose couldn't bear to touch it as she was terrified by what she would see.
As she stared at the snow globe Rose realized with astonishment how quickly everything had fallen apart. And now with Reinette and her nightmares and Mickey…
Rose scrambled off the bed.
Mickey, oh god what was she going to tell him?
Sorry Mickey, I'm getting kicked off the TARDIS because I'm too common for the French mistress' standards, but hey, it's not like we didn't see this coming.
He would probably call the Doctor a bloody wanker and tell him to shove his sonic screwdriver up where the sun don't shine.
Rose didn't think she could face Mickey at that moment.
This was such a mess.
As she finished tying off her bag, Rose took one last look around her room, memorizing the smallest details.
Everything was wrong; this situation was wrong, but what could she do?
There was nothing left for her here.
The Doctor felt something clawing at his conscience telling him to go after Rose and apologize. Apologize for ever suggesting she leave, for saying that she was anything except absolutely fantastic and he never wanted her to change who she was just because of what someone else thought.
But those thoughts were quickly extinguished the moment Reinette smiled at him.
Why had he even invited Rose in the first place?
The Doctor had mingled with kings and queens. He could command the stars if he so wished and yet he wasted his time with a filthy chav and her simpleton of a boyfriend?
Ridiculous.
Reinette was different; she was raised to be extraordinary and exceptional, nothing at all like that immature child who he wasted a regeneration on. She even had the audacity to tear open the console on his TARDIS! Granted, it was to save his life so maybe it was not such a bad thing.
It wasn't that he didn't appreciate his current body, especially aesthetically. He was handsome and attractive, while his former body was more commanding and stately. He liked being fawned over and now he had one of history's most famous lovers to do so.
Why had he not done this before?
Again, that clawing feeling was trying to get his attention.
His head was starting to ache.
The sound of feet drew his eyes to the archway leading to the rest of the TARDIS. Ah, finally.
"Rassilon, are you slow." The Doctor sneered at Rose.
The cold expression he received only grated on his nerves even more; how dare she look at him like that! He was her superior and deserved her respect.
"Sorry, I was busy throwing away all that pathetic trash you bought me. Won't be needing any of it anyway and I'm certain that the Madame would think it too diseased for her hands." Rose briskly walked past him to stand expectantly by the doors.
A part of the Doctor was crying out in agony at the quickly approaching departure of his companion, desperately begging his more rational side to stop this madness. Losing Rose would destroy him, why couldn't he see that?
That was odd. Why would he want the girl to stay? It was obvious that she was not nearly intelligent enough to be traveling with a man of such great importance as himself. There should be no conflict and yet, there it was.
It was unreasonable that a part of him was even remotely upset to see her go. She was a useless companion.
The irrational side, as he was considering it, tried and tried to change his mind and it felt as though his head was being split in two.
His headache was getting worse.
Reinette practically had a death grip on his arm, which he found strange, but he made no attempt to remove her hands. However, the more he looked at Rose, who was turned away from him with slumped shoulders, the more he felt that this was all wrong.
Why was he so conflicted?
Having already set the coordinates for the Powell Estate, the Doctor activated the dematerialization sequence but felt the TARDIS fight against him as he struggled to navigate his ship. "Come now, not you too."
The other part of his mind cheered at the trouble he was having, but it didn't last as with a few quick adjustments, the TARDIS landed with a hard thud a few blocks from Jackie's flat.
Cracking the door open, Rose looked over her shoulder at him agitatedly. "What, you couldn't park it any closer? So much for your driving skills."
"I felt it wouldn't hurt you to walk. Don't be lazy; your legs work perfectly fine." His condescending tone made Rose's shoulders tense.
His mind fought him, screaming in horror as Rose took one last look around the console room, the barest hint of emotion in her eyes. She slowly pushed the doors open all the way before a voice from next to the Doctor stopped her.
"Rose, you might wish to refrain from making a spectacle of yourself once you leave; it is quite unbecoming." Reinette's demure voice floated through the air; a wasp stinging its victim one last time.
Rose turned ever so slightly, her gaze falling on the other woman. "Oh, I won't cry, Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, so do not worry about me. Though I should warn you both, by forcing me off this ship you have unleashed something so terrible that the entire universe will tremble in its wake. Something as powerful as it is horrible. Darkness will fall and Hell shall ascend." Her eyes were narrowed into slits, almost completely black.
And with those parting words, Rose left the TARDIS with her head held high.
