Disclaimer: Rose are Red, you know this part, I don't own, still don't sue.
A/N: I apologize for the slight delay in posting. For those of you would have asked, I try to make sure a new chapter is posted every Friday or Saturday at the latest. If I know I will be unable to post those days, I will try to post early so not to mess with the schedule.
Second I want to thank everyone who left me a review in regards to the last chapter. I have never written a scene like the shower one and I admit I was nervous to share it. Thank you for all the positive feed back.
And lastly, but most importantly, I want to thank everyone who was taken the time to read this, favored or followed me or the story, and who took an extra moment to leave me a review. A big shout out to my lovelies, doctorwholover, Miriam Who, YokaiAngel, vampgirliegirl, debygoebel, yumari, and Shadow Eclipse, for your reviews. I am very happy I was able to please you all with the last chapter.
And now, On With the Show!
Once More with Feeling
Chapter 21: Not the Same
The Tardis landed almost smoothly, touching down with a soft thump, instead of her normal THUD. Curious, the Doctor and Rose stepped out into the massive dark room.
"Where are we?" Rose asked as she stepped away from the TARDIS.
"Don't know," the Doctor answered, moving ahead in search of a switch. "Some kind of signal drew the TARIDS off course."
He could tell they were in some kind of museum based on the display cases he made out in the darkness. Rose was looking right and left, tugging at her right ear lobe lightly, playing with her earring. Flipping the lights on, momentarily blinding them before the room came into sharp focus. Rose let out a strangled gasp. The Doctor turned to her sharply, he knew that sound coming out of her was never a good thing ultimately for them.
"Bugger," Rose cursed softly. "It couldn't have been something new could it?"
Stepping back to her, he gripped her shoulders tightly. "Rose? What is it?" he asked her softly, gently cupping her cheek to bring her back to reality. "You know this place?"
She nodded a little, pulling her eyes from the display cases to look into his eyes. "Yeah," she confirmed with a deep cleansing breath.
"What can you tell me?"
The Doctor pulled away just for a moment, letting his gaze sweep the massive room for dangers. He kept his hand on her shoulder though. Sometimes he struggled with not demanding more information from her when she reacted were like this. He could feel her tension and hesitation over what to tell him. He adored how hard she would fight with her own self to make sure the timelines were not potentially compromised. He once asked her how she was able to tell where she could make a change and where she needed to leave well enough alone. Her answer was that sometimes, if the possibilities were that strong, she could see the faint glimmers of the timelines. She also explained to him that is was exhausting for her, but sometimes she could concentrate and get a blurry image of what could be/likely will be. Before, in her other life, she could see more clearly, she told him. If there is little possibility of change, the lines become too faint to really bother.
The simple fact she could faintly see what he saw nearly all the time, only served to endear her further to him. How she managed to get so far into his hearts, the Doctor didn't know, and surprisingly, found he cared even less. As long as she stayed with him, life was worth living again.
Rose took another deep breath, steadying herself.
"This place is run by a man called Henry Van Statten," she began. "He's American. He collects anything alien he can, buries it here in his private museum. If I am remembering right, it's about 2012." Looking around the room, she shivered at her memories. "He has a small army down here. And a proper tosser named Adam Mitchell. Thinks he's a genius, him. Last time I was here, his small army died."
"How?" the Doctor asked, stepping a bit closer to her, worried.
Shaking her head a little, she offered him a soft smile. She didn't answer his question, still trying to determine how much she should tell him. Wrapping his fingers around her little hand, she shifted a little so her fingers could lace with his and squeezed with a little smile. The TARDIS hummed in the back of both their minds, whispering of something brewing here. Something that they needed to be here for. This was a test for the Doctor, and for Rose, depending on the path taken.
"Now I understand why you made that comment about Utah," the Doctor murmured, his Northern accent soft as he started walking towards the displays with Rose.
"Something alive down here," Rose frowned. Should she tell him about the dying Dalek that drew them here? Squeezing his hand again, they walked mostly silent through the aisles of display cases.
"That's… a bit of a Raxacoricofallapatrorian, right?" Rose stopped in front of the display. She mildly chuckled to herself, remembering how she once called everyone of that race a 'Siltheen'. That was like saying all humans were Tyler.
The Doctor shot her an amused look at the fact should could even say the word correctly, let alone make that difference. He bet she had a lot of practice from before in saying it. "And someone stuffed it."
"Sick," Rose muttered softly.
He was grinning that insane grin of his. Rose shook her head and pushed her hair from her eyes. She was not even remotely looking forward to the race for life again. If that happened. Which it was bound to. It was a Dalek after all. They moved to another display case.
"That's a piece of the Hubbell," he blinked, arching a brow. Interesting choice, he mused. "That there is the milometer from the Rosewell Spaceship." He pointed over at another display case.
The pair walked to the next display and Rose froze for a second. It was a deep red, nearly burgundy in shade collar. On it was gold engravings. The Doctor looked at Rose as tears sprang to her eyes and she covered her mouth. He looked back at the ancient looking thing a bit closer, his eyes widened. The repeated symbol, over and over again, was a gold infinity mark. The crest of Rassilon. The mark of the Time Lords. At the center, however, there was something else. It reminded him of the hair pin he bought Rose back in an alien market.
The engraving of a howling wolf head.
"Brac?" Rose whispered softly. "How? That was Brac's. I gave it to her. She was so excited to get it. It meant she got to go into the field with me. This-This shouldn't be here."
"Brac?"
"She is something that doesn't exist here," Rose admitted. "In this universe, I mean."
The Doctor could only nod. Turning, he came up short. The displayed head of a Cyberman from Mondas stared blankly back at him.
"Look at you," the Doctor breathed, suddenly no longer finding this place entertaining.
Rose leaned her head against his shoulder, looking at the old Cyberman. One of the original models, she recalled.
"Friend of yours?" She teased lightly.
"More like enemy," the Doctor smirked. "One of the most feared creatures and enemy I ever faced. The stuff of nightmares. Reduced to an exhibit. I'm getting old." He sighed, reached to touch the glass.
"Don't!" Rose grabbed his wrist and pulled him back. "That'll set off the alarm. I would rather not be Van Statten's guest again if it can be avoided. He's a bit of an arrogant bastard. You two did not get along. There is something living down here. Van Statten's arrogant arse has an alien in here that shouldn't be. Pretty sure it's what called the TARDIS. I think."
"You think?"
"S'not like you're ever exactly forthcoming with information, ya know," Rose grumbled with a pout.
He just grinned at her like a lunatic.
Honestly, she was guessing. Last time this little 'adventure' concluded, the Doctor hadn't wanted to talk much about what happened while they had been separated. She knew he was ashamed of himself and his actions when faced with the Dalek. She seriously doubted this round would be much better. Guiding him as best she could from the museum, she tried to recall the path she took last time. Stopping suddenly, her eyes darted around her. Her whole posture had shifted.
The Doctor looked at her. The solider in him recognized the signs of a soldier. He knew she was in Torchwood, had even sparred with her over the last few months they travelled together. He had witnessed firsthand her attention to detail, and her reaction times to threats, which was only getting faster. With her own sonic, she was even more versatile. But he had never seen her act like this. It was like an animal in the wild, sensing the presence of another, something potentially dangerous. Releasing his hand slowly, her eyes took on the faint glow he had since gotten used to see in those warm depths. She was looking for something. A tingle went up his spine. It had been less than two seconds since Rose froze up. Now the solider in him was picking up what she had.
Shifting his weight, he moved slightly to cover her back. Somehow that had become a habit between them over the last few months of adventures when danger came calling. His eyes harden into ice shards, scanning the area. His superior sight helped him see more in the dim lights than her human sight.
'How many?' his thoughts came to her.
'Can't really tell,' she admitted. 'Feels like about ten others to me.'
'I count fifteen minds out there,' the Doctor told her. No matter how good her telepathy is, he was a Time Lord. He would be better. If not a bit faulty in this body. Not that he would admit.
Sniffing the air lightly, Rose stepped back carefully until her back touched the Doctor's.
'Tell me you can smell guns too,' she told him wearily.
'Yep.'
'Bugger,' Rose groaned mentally. 'I hate guns.'
'When did you pick that up?' the Doctor asked curiously. She'd been saying a lot more recently.
'I don't know, picked up I think on Lek IV,' was her answer as her hands went up just as the area was flooded with a blinding light. 'Remember? When the locals thought I was their Sun Goddess and you were the Lord of Darkness?'
The sound of multiple people in heavy boots thudded around them followed by the sound of guns cocking interrupted the mental conversation. The light faded a little to reveal exactly fifteen men in full tactical gear and automatic rifles of military grade surrounding them. Rising his hands as well, the Doctor smirked.
"Told you," he grinned. "Fifteen."
"I hate you," Rose muttered under her breath.
"No you don't," the Doctor quipped with a bigger grin, feeling Rose's back up against his.
"Keep your hands where we can see them," a male voice boomed at them in a commanding tone. "No sudden movements. Do exactly what you are told or we will open fire. You will remain silent."
Both Rose and the Doctor started snickering at the commands issued to them.
"Really, mates," the Doctor called out, sounding flippant with a manic grin, "guns? Guessing we broke into a place that's supposed to be completely secured, we did. And, you're what? Going to shoot us?"
"They're Americans," Rose giggled softly.
"Oh," the smile fell from the Doctor's face. Rose could almost picture the wide eyed, childlike look of innocence on his face. "Don't shoot?" And his hands raised higher.
A couple of the guards exchanged glances, at least it looked like they did when their body language shifted. The men were more heavily armed than Rose remembered them being, more military like. Swallowing the growl her inner wolf, which had been getting stronger as she did over the months, Rose forced herself to stay calm. No need to get them shooting at them because her eyes started glowing.
A tall, willow thin woman walked to the front of the group. Rose recognized her instantly. She had been the assistant to Van Statten last time. She looked the Doctor and Rose over with an impassive expression. Snapping her fingers, some of the armed men relaxed.
"How did you get in here?" she asked slowly, eyeing the two of them suspiciously.
"Would you believe the window?" the Doctor grinned at her, which just made her gaze harden.
"Cute," she returned. "Why are you here? What do you want?"
"Nothing?" Rose answered brightly, grinning while her eyes stayed on the men with the guns.
"Right," the woman nodded. "Come with me."
Turning on her heels, which Rose was forced to admit were very cute, professional, efficient and sexy all in one. The woman led them, with the guards still holding guns on them, away from the cage. Rose looked back at the heavy door, worry flickering over her face for a moment. She didn't realize how close they had gotten to it. If she guessed right, the awful man was in there with the Dalek, torturing the thing. While Rose held no love for the Dalek race, she still believed no one deserved to be treated like that. A shove at her shoulder with the barrel of a gun brought her back to the present. Glaring at the faceless guard, she turned to face forward. The Doctor reached out and grasped her hand. They exchanged glances and little smirks. Not like this was the first time they'd been captured, arrested, held prisoner, and would not be the last.
Instead of taking them to the elevator, the woman led them to another vault door. Entering a code, the heavy door swung open to another smaller room. This room had computers and monitors in it. It was like the room before the Cage. And just like that room, there was another heavy door. It opened at the woman's command and the Doctor and Rose were forced inside. Stumbling in, the Doctor noted the room was nothing but a cement block. No windows, chairs, nothing. It was completely empty. The only things in it were the ceiling, air vents were pumping in fresh air and cycling the bad air out.
"Jackets and shoes first," the woman commanded the men.
The Doctor suddenly found himself face first into the cement wall. A shocked cry came from Rose as she found herself pinned as well. There was shouting from both of them as their jackets were stripped off and taken out of the room. Rose snarled, letting her legs go limp as she dropped to the ground and swept a leg out. The sweep kick knocked the guard holding her off balance. She was up instantly, grabbing the guard still on the Doctor. Using the man's weight for momentum, she threw him into the wall. Turning around, the Doctor grabbed another guard that rushed him easily and brought his knee up into the man's gut hard before dropping him.
The pair took a step forward, over the three bodies they left unconscious on the ground, the one Rose knocked over was holding his stomach from a kick Rose gave him. They both looked at the lovely woman with hard eyes and she realized finally how dangerous the two where. Without missing a beat, as she stepped back, her arm raised up. A small grey gun in her hand, she fired two shots with ease. The Doctor grunted at he was hit in the chest. Rose was hit in the neck.
Pulling a small dart from her neck, Rose looked at it curiously before the room started to sway.
"Do-Doctor!" Rose called out as the room spun, knocking her on her arse. Shaking her head, Rose felt her limbs turn to lead as it washed down her body. "H-he…l…p.." Her speech was slurring as she lost the strength to keep herself upright.
The Time Lord nearly laughed with he pulled the dart from his chest and threw it down. He took a step towards the foolish woman when two more struck his chest. Growling now at them, he took another step when he heard Rose call out to him. His blood went cold at the tone she had. She sounded scared. Turning to her, the Doctor's eyes widened as the room blurred before him and he swayed on his feet.
"Rose," he croaked, only concerned with getting to her. Dropping to her side as she went limp, his legs and arms feeling like they were encased in cement, the Doctor gathered her into his arms. "What-What did you do?!" He managed to snarl at the woman as the room went black. He was vaguely aware he was falling then there was nothing
Henry Van Statten was a busy man. He was an important man. He was the most important man in the world, the way he saw it. Without him, half of the medical advances wouldn't have happened. Wireless Internet would still be a dream. The world wide web a thing of fantasy. It was all his genius that propelled the world forward, kept the planet spinning. And he lived in the shadows. He was fine with that. People paid him millions for his genius, threw money at him for his inventions. All of which, of course, he kept control of it all. A word from him, and Presidents lost power, new people rise to power by his command alone.
And he loved every second of it.
This power was what was going to take him to the stars. It is his passion that kept people going into space, and it was his obsession that shut down the space program in America. He was going to rise about the stars and own them all someday. But for now, he kept his collection and obsession quiet. Only those hand-picked by him were allowed to know. Only those he graced with his presence, tolerating those who serve him, elevating those who entertain him, would be allowed close.
One of those people, his personal selected, was failing him. Had failed already. Not only did the fool let the President's approval rating drop again, the moron allowed two people to sneak into his beloved sanctuary. No, this was not something he could deal with over the phone. This required a personal touch.
Van Statten had been notified of the intruders 72 hours ago. He deliberately did not go immediately to see those who would soon be not even a memory to the world. Let them sit, he figured. Let them stew, sweat, trembled at who it was they crossed before he erased them permanently. Then again, he thought as he stared out the window of his personal helicopter, Bad Wolf One, if these two were as good as he suspected they were, maybe he could use them. A smile curled his lips as he thought about the potential addition to his other collection. His collection of Earth's best geniuses.
Looking at the report on his lap lazily, he flipped through the latest of acquisitions that young Adam had gotten for him. Nothing stood out to him as much more than junk. Nothing truly worthy of his museum.
To worsen his mood, as he turned his gaze back out the window to the bland landscape of Utah, the Metaltron was still refusing to speak. He knew it could. It could scream in a very human way, so it could talk. A part of him almost felt bad for the level of pain he knew that Simmons inflicted on the alien. But Metaltron brought it on itself after all. If it would just talk to him, just speak a few words, then he would command Simmons to back off. Alas, it still refused, and thus it would still suffer the other man's tender mercies until it decided to speak to him. Oh, the secrets he will learn once the creature learns its place and speaks to him.
"Sir," the pilot called back to him over the headset that drowned out the sound of the engines, "we are beginning out descent. We will be on the ground in ten minutes."
"Good," Van Statten called back. "Tell the ground crew I want English in my office with his newest finds." Pausing a moment, he grinned. "And I want our two newest guests brought up as well."
…..
75 hours, 58 minutes. They had been kept in this stupid cell for 75 fucking hours and 59 minutes. Without their jackets, without their shoes. Hell, their pockets had even been emptied! No screwdrivers, no tricks up their sleeves, and where the fuck was his jacket!?
After waking up with Rose passed out in his arms, the Doctor had panicked for a brief moment. They were on the cold floor alone. The men they took down were gone, and the door was sealed. Looking down at Rose, he took in her features and checked her pulse and breathing rate before he was satisfied she was fine. Just asleep from whatever they were both pumped full of. It was something nasty, he thought with a frown. Easing Rose out of his arms, he stood up and looked around. A sound caught his attention. In the right upper corner of the cell was a camera.
In an extremely immature moment, the Doctor flashed first the British two finger salute. Then, just to make sure the stupid American humans didn't understand, he flipped the camera off their way. If he did it the Time Lord way, well, if there was one, they would never understand it. Throwing a disgusted look back at the camera, the Doctor went back to Rose. Easing himself onto the floor, he pulled her to his lap so she would at least be somewhat warm.
That had been 70 fucking hours ago.
Now the Doctor was pacing the room like a caged panther. Rose sat on the ground in a corner, watching him. When he would stop his pacing, she would get up and prowl around like the wolf she knew she was inside. A part of her knew she could blow the door of its hinges and get them out. But the level of energy that would be needed would leave her useless for the rest of the day, if she managed to stay conscious.
She never thought she would miss her full abilities so much. It was almost worth the heartache she went through to get them.
Almost.
They had been fed of course. If you could call it food. Mostly it was some kind of protein meal, heavily watered down with mushy veggies mixed in. It was nasty, but it was food. Choking it down somehow got a little easier each time. Bathroom breaks even more fun. These were done under heavy guard and always one at a time. The guards didn't underestimate either of them anymore. The guards never dropped their defenses around the pair, or even when it was only one of them. The threat by the woman, Diana Goddard, that if one misbehaved, the other would be shot kept them playing nice with the guards. For the time being.
By this point, Rose could happily murder someone just to get a shower and a change of clothes. The Doctor looked little better with a three days growth of facial hair he was sporting. He was less than amused at how humanly fast it seemed to grow in this body. Rose told him it made him look sexy. He started debating on keeping it once they left this Rassilon forsaken place.
In the last 70 hours, the pair had tried to see if they could annoy a response out of their capture by literally singing "99 bottles of Beer on the Wall" three times and a forty-five minute long rendition of "the song that never ends". The fact the Doctor knew that one surprised Rose.
"Who do you think taught her the song?" was the cheeky reply.
They briefly debated on sparring but then decided against it. No reason to let these morons know how good they actually were. Ultimately, they fell silent, communicating only with their minds to keep these assholes from hearing them. That seemed to annoy their wardens the most. They would sit across from the door, backs to the wall, holding hands, silent as corpses. Rose did confirm in those times, that this was all new.
'Last time,' she whispered mentally, while caressing his mind with hers gently, 'Van Statten was already here. We saw him immediately.'
'Well,' the Doctor glanced down at her. 'You did say that things were different than you remembered in this new timeline. Not surprised, me. Should be more fun this way.'
When the doors opened outside of the normal times, how the hell either of them were able to do that was beyond Goddard or the guards watching them. A man stepped in, dressed slightly different from the others.
"Stand," he ordered sharply. "Mr. Van Statten will see you now."
"Oh, will he, now?" the Doctor asked sarcastically. "Thanks."
Getting to his feet, he helped Rose to hers and turned back to the captain because this man could be nothing else. "Any chance of getting out shoes back? Jackets too? Hate to meet the boss half dressed. S'rude, you know."
In response, the Doctor's heavy work boots were thrown at him and Rose's trainers at her. Catching them easily, the pair exchanged looked. The Doctor remained standing as Rose bent to put hers on. She returned the favor as the Doctor get his boots back on.
"Jackets?" Rose asked, fighting for polite.
Her hoodie hit her face, unexpectedly. The Doctor caught his jacket with one hand, barely looking as he stood up, stomping his boot a few times. Still not looking at the men, he slipped into his leather jacket and nearly sighed in relief to have it back on. He really hated being outside the TARDIS without it. Glaring at the man who threw her hoodie at her, Rose just tied it around her waist after checking the pockets. Nothing. Damn it.
Taking Rose's hand, glaring the Oncoming Storm glare when a guard tried to break them up, the Doctor and his beautiful companion, were taken from the cement cage they had been kept for over three days. One the way to see Van Statten, however, they were separated and allowed to get cleaned up. It wasn't the greatest, as they got ten minutes. But it allowed them to individually take quick showers and a change of clothes were offered. Rose's hair was still dripping a little as she rejoined the Doctor. She grinned seeing that he didn't get the time to shave yet.
After that, they were lead through the maze that made up the facility to the lift. Surrounded by armed guards, they were taken up. The Doctor noted the number of floors, confirming his original suspicion of how far under the Earth they were. Pulling Rose to his side, he glared at the guards again, refusing to stop.
'Van Statten is an egotistical prick,' Rose reminded him gently. 'At least the one I knew was. This one could be better, but I doubt that.'
The Doctor just nodded once and tightened his grip on her waist.
As they entered the room, Goddard was already there, standing silently off to the side. A man that the Doctor concluded was Van Statten himself was sitting at a desk while some pretty boy with an accent was showing off his genius by making guesses at alien artifacts he apparently bought for a hefty sum. Van Statten just looked bored as he leaned back in his leather chair, ignoring the pair under heavy guard being brought in. The Doctor felt Rose tense up at the sight of the two men, as well as the desire to just rush over and punch them both in the face.
'Calm, darling,' the Doctor sent her, the endearment slipping out. 'Can't blame them for their crimes in another life.'
'If they pull it again, I reserve the right to say to say I told you so,' she returned with a pout.
He really hoped she wouldn't be right.
As they watched, the little English kid, whom Rose told him was the Adam she warned him about, was handling what he was assuming was some kind of fuel injector. Rolling his eyes, the Doctor crossed his arms and bit out, "I wouldn't hold it like that, if I were you."
The guards around the room instantly had guns up and cocked, aimed at him and Rose. Rose this time was the one to roll her eyes. Shaking her head, she tossed a glare at Goddard when she snapped at the Doctor to shut up. The growl barely was kept in her throat. Who the hell did this woman thinks was, talking to her Doctor like that? Soothing waves of affection caressed her mind, calming her. In the back of her mind, Rose heard the TARDIS laughing in delight.
"Is it dangerous?" Adam asked nervously, backing up.
Rose snorted and answered, "No. Just looks stupid like that."
Van Statten looked at her with an arched brow before turning his attention back to the Doctor, clearly ignoring her. The Time Lord was holding out his hand for the piece to demonstrate what it really was. The guards took a step closer to them when Van Statten raised his hand lazily, calling them off. Grinning at his 'guest', the man handed the object over.
"Impress me," Van Statten said with a smirk.
As his companion sent the human male a glare that could freeze alcohol, the Doctor demonstrated what he was talking about. His long, slim fingers dragged over the tube gently. Rose shivered a little, remember what those fingers could do to her body.
'Behave, Minx,' the Doctor scolded her while he talked to the arrogant human before him, telling him how to play the instrument that had made its way to Earth.
In return she sent him images of things she still had yet to do to him with her tongue. 'I am behaving. Badly.'
'Rose,' he warned her again, the color of his thoughts and heat of his mind told her she was affecting him.
"Give it here," Van Statten ordered suddenly, standing up and snatching it from the Doctor's hand.
Rose growled softly this time. The Doctor took her hand and squeezed another warning at her. She squeezed back as Van Statten took his time, trying to play the tiny instrument. Wincing at the series of beeps and whines it made at first, Van Statten adjusted quickly. Soft notes resonated out of the delicate piece. The Doctor praised the man, against his better intentions, calling him an expert. To their dismay, the human just tossed the item aside to clatter to the floor and finally address them fully.
"You're quite the expert too," Van Statten stated plainly, still smirking. "Who exactly are you two then?"
"I'm the Doctor," the Time Lord allowed, giving Van Statten a glowering look while intentionally not naming Rose. "Who are you?"
Smirking, the arrogant man shot back, "Like you don't know. We're hidden away with the most valuable collection of extra-terrestrial artifacts in the world and you," he mocked "just stumbled in by mistake?"
"Pretty much sums us up, yeah," the Doctor shrugged.
"The real question," Van Statten mused, still grinning in a superior fashion, "how did you get in? Fifty-three floors, a half a mile under the surface. With your little," he glanced at Rose, letting his gaze wander over her with a leer, "cat burglar accomplice. Mm. Quite the collector yourself. She is quite enchanting."
Rose narrowed her eyes at the same time the Doctor tensed up and a low growl slipped from him.
"She's gonna slap you if you keep calling her 'she'," Rose warned carefully, glaring at the man. How was it he was worse than her memory?
Still letting his gaze take in her form, the heat in his eyes making Rose want to growl like the Doctor was, Van Statten smiled like a predator, "Ah. English," calling over his shoulder to the nervous looking Adam, "Hey, little Lord Fauntleroy, got you a pretty girlfriend."
"Oh," Rose piped up with a sickeningly sweet tone, "she's also taken. Ta."
Clearing his throat, Adam stepped forward, hoping to break tension before one of the guards started shooting. "This is Mr. Henry Van St-"
"Henry Van Statten," Rose interrupted, crossing her arms over her chest while staring the man down. "Proclaimed owner of the internet and Wi-Fi. Self-made billionaire, born in middle-of-nowhere Utah. Mother died from a curable illness when he was ten, Father left when he was eighteen. Claims to be an expert on all forms of extra-terrestrial life, despite having never encountering any other species. Reason the space program in America was shut down. Only good thing he did for the world was the advancements he provided to the medical community, created off the very technology he stole and patented to get richer."
The Doctor only smiled proudly at the end of Rose's little speech at the look of complete shock on Van Statten's face.
'And I didn't even mention what he tends to do with the employees he fires,' Rose grumbled in his mind.
'Which is?' the Doctor was almost afraid to know.
'Wipes them of their memories and identity before abandoning them somewhere random.'
'Lovely,' the Doctor groaned mentally.
"Sounds like you're an expert yourself," the Doctor cut in smooth as silk. "On just about everything except the things in your little museum. Anything you don't understand, you lock up."
Taking his attention from Rose, Van Statten bristled at the tone man who called himself the Doctor used. "And you claim greater knowledge?"
"I don't need to make claims," the Doctor retorted in confidence, stepping forward slightly in front of Rose. "I know how good I am."
"And yet," the human mocked with a patronizing grin, "I captured you. Right next to the Cage. What were you and the little girl doing down there?"
The people in the room watched with wide eyes as Henry Van Statten stepped up to the intruder who called himself 'the Doctor' in a full display of dominance and the Doctor simply grinned at him, doing the same with only his words and tone. Rose stepped back, eyeing the guards who had gone slack at the scene before them. When was the last time, after all, they saw anyone challenge their boss.
"And that Cage contains your one living specimen, right?" the Doctor challenged.
"You tell me," Van Statten grinned, enjoying himself.
"And what's that in there?" the Doctor questioned both out loud to Van Statten and mentally to Rose, who didn't answer.
"Like you don't know," Van Statten nearly laughed.
"Show me."
"You wanna see it, big boy?"
"Oh for the love of-" Rose broke in, throwing her hands in the air. "If you're done comparing your cock sizes, can we get on with it? Swear, you can smell the testosterone in here."
That got her a room full of men staring in shock again at her. "What? You were all thinking it!" She accused the room with narrowed eyes.
"Goddard," Van Statten commanded without taking his eyes from the Doctor, "Inform the Cage. We're heading down. You, English. Look after the little girl. Canoodle or spoon, or whatever you British do. And you, Doctor with no name, come with me. Come see my pet.
Rose took a step forward, teeth bared slightly when Van Statten started to move towards the lift they had come out of. The Doctor quickly pulled her against him. He knew all too well what she would likely do and it would likely get them shot. While he could just regenerate from it, she was human. He wasn't taking that chance. Holding her tightly, they watched Van Statten issue a few more orders for a guard to stay with Rose for insurance. Adam looked at her and the Doctor suspiciously but kept quiet.
"She stays with me," the Doctor told the room in a tone that had no room to disagree.
Blinking in surprise, Rose looked up at him with wide eyes.
'Rose. What am I walking into?' The Doctor asked her mentally again, keeping her close to his side.
Instead of answering him, Rose showed him. The Doctor held in the gasp as the images came to him. A Dalek. This madman had a Dalek in his basement and was deliberately keeping it alive! She showed him the torture it was being put through, let him hear its screams of pain.
"I think it would be best if your little pet stayed up here," Van Statten attempted to reason with them. "My precious pet can be a bit overwhelming for the lesser sex."
That statement earned him a glare from Goddard behind his back and Rose getting her mouth covered by the Doctor as she was about to let loose with a sting that would make her mother proud.
"She stays with me," the Doctor repeated. "Bit of a feral one, her. Seems to only listen to me. She comes with me or, well, I'd hate to say I told you so."
Rose growled against his hand, not even a little amused with that. She bit his palm to get him back. He didn't even react.
"Sir," Goddard stepped forward. "It might be best. The last time we attempted to separate them turned out badly." Honestly, she was more concerned about the men trying to contain her without the Doctor there than she was about the girl seeing the Metaltron.
Van Statten thought about that for a moment. He had seen the footage of what this little beast of a girl could do. The stance the Doctor had on her, including his actions in the past three days, told him that is would be better to keep her close at hand. Insurance and all that.
"Alright," Van Statten agreed with a nod. "After you." He grinned again at the pair and motioned them into the lift.
'You're sure?' the Doctor went back to his mental conversation with his companion.
'It's not something one can easily forget,' she whispered. 'Too much is the same, so I am willing to bet it's here.'
He could feel the worry coursing through her. Unfortunately, Van Statten started talking again. Belatedly he realized that Van Statten was telling the Doctor about his 'pet'. The whole situation was making the Doctor taste bile in the back of his mouth.
"We've tried everything," the human was saying. "The creature has… shielded but there are definite signs of life inside."
Narrowing his eyes, the Doctor asked, "Inside what?"
Van Statten lead him and Goddard out of the lift only to be stopped by a man in a hazmat suit. The Doctor's suspicions only increased. The man spoke to Goddard and Van Statten, ignoring the pair.
'They call a Dalek, Metaltron?' he called out with his mind as he was warned about touching the Metaltron.
'Yup,' Rose's mental laughter soothed him. 'Stupid name.'
The trio of humans turned their attention to the Doctor. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he stepped into the Cage. He expected them to keep Rose outside the room. At this point, the Doctor told himself to stop expecting sense out of any of Van Statten's actions as Rose was thrust into the room and the door slammed shut.
'Doctor,' Rose continues to reach for his mind. 'Please. I know what I'm going to ask is impossible, but please. Don't be like it. Don't let you hatred and grief get the better of you. Don't let this become like Cardiff.'
The Doctor was silent as he stared into the darkened end of the room. He tried to dismiss the waves of turmoil and rage that the very mention of their name brought to his hearts. If Rose asked him for mercy, she must have a plan. He would trust her, believe in her when there was precious little else he did. The TARDIS sang softly to him, urging him to trust his would-be mate's judgement.
"Look," the Doctor started, nearly choking on his next words, "I'm sorry. Mr. Van Statten thinks he's clever, sending me to talk to you."
Nothing replied. Sighing, the Doctor tried again, knowing what will get a response from it.
"I'm the Doctor."
"DOC-TOR?" There it was, the electronic voice was his nightmares. Steeling himself, he waited. "THE DOC-TOR?"
Rose reached out and grabbed his hand.
Its voice rose in volume as the lights came on. There it was, chained down between four pillars that looked to be electric towers. The armor was dented and tarnished. Some parts were bent back, like someone tried to forcibly enter the armor casing. The Doctor pressed his lips into a thin line, seeing the marks of drills and metal cutters, saws and a variety of other tools that had been used on the thing. What an interesting feeling, he mused as the Dalek became frantic, to feel pity for an enemy.
"EXTERMINATE!" the Dalek started screaming. The Doctor stood there, watching with something like pity in his eyes. "EXTERMINATE! EXERMINATE!"
If Rose had not forewarned him, the Doctor knew the fear would be overwhelming him right now. He would be banging on the door, begging to be let out. Terrified of the creature he was locked in with. The Doctor watched as the gun, which was so deadly, waved around uselessly. It almost made the Doctor want to weep at its pitiful state. Almost. That was losing to his need to end it.
"YOU ARE THE ENEMY OF THE DALEKS!" it cried desperately. "YOU MUST BE DESTROYED!"
"S'not working is it?" the Doctor asked, unable to stop the need to taunt the murderous creature. "Fantastic! Oh, fantastic! Look at you. The Great Space Pepper pot. Helpless. Powerless." Lunging at the Dalek, he let his rage consume him, forgetting Rose's words completely. "How does it feel? Huh? How does it feel?"
The Dalek tried to back up from the Doctor, fear pouring off it. The enraged Time Lord saw none of this.
"KEEP BACK!" it demanded as the Doctor stopped inches from the eye stalk.
"What for? What're you going to do to me?" the Doctor mocks, forgetting he is being watched. "You can't kill me. You can't do anything. If you can't kill, what are you good for, Dalek?"
"I AM WAIT-ING" the Dalek told the Doctor as he circled it.
"Why? What's the point?" he asked confused now.
"I AM A SOLIDER, I MUST GET ORDERS," the Dalek pointed out like the Time Lord before him was stupid. "IF YOU ARE HERE, DOES THE TIME WAR CONTINUE?"
"No, it's over," the Doctor came to a stop in front of the Dalek. "Your race burned. I made it happen."
He expected the Dalek to rage, to call him a liar. Instead the eye stalk lowered a little before raise up again.
"AND WHAT OF THE TIME LORDS?"
"…dead. Along with the Daleks," the Doctor stated. "Both sides burned at the end of the Last Time War. Together."
"AND HERE WE ARE," the Dalek intoned. "WHY DO WE SURVIVE?"
The Doctor's eye twitched a little. Slowly, he became aware of Rose reaching out to him through his pain, caressing his mind, easing back his rage and grief. Glancing back at her, she was watching him with wide eyes full of understanding. Guilt washed over him as he realized he had forgotten she was in there with him.
"Sending out a signal, weren't you?" the Doctor crossed his arms, struggling to control his rage. It was a thin line. "Poor little thing," he mocked in a sickeningly sweet voice. "But there's no one coming 'cos there's no one else left. No one left to help you."
Lowering the eye stalk again the Dalek muttered softly, "I am alone in the universe." Looking up at the Doctor, he swore if it could smile it would be. "SO ARE YOU. WE ARE THE SAME NOW."
"Doctor!" Rose cried out in warning.
Too late. The rage broke free then, and the Doctor started to shout not caring about anything. "We are not the same! I'm not …. No. Wait. Maybe I am like you. You've got a point. You know why?" the Doctor smiled a cold, dark smile now as he wandered over to a control panel. "Because I know what to do. Unlike you, I know what should happen. What you deserve." The smile on his face turned sadistic for a second as he gleefully told the Dalek, "Exterminate."
Yanking down the lever, he watched as the Dalek screamed out for mercy, as the electricity coursed through it. The Doctor, for a moment, was standing back on the last day of the Time War, watching the Daleks slaughter in droves. He paid no mind to the Cage door opening suddenly. He did notice however when someone pushed passed him to turn the machine off. The Doctor called out, telling them to just kill the Dalek now before it got free.
The room suddenly fell into silence as the Doctor watched with wide crystalline blue eyes as Rose walked forward towards the now silent Dalek. She was ignoring everyone else. The Doctor struggled against the guards holding him, yelling for her to stay back.
"Hello?" Rose asks softly, approaching cautiously. "Can you hear me? Does it hurt badly?" Dropping her voice, she couldn't help the surge of pain that came up in her heart. "Dear god, what did he do to you?"
The Dalek replied slowly. "YES."
The surprise in the room was nearly touchable.
"Rose?" The Doctor called her name, terror hinting in his voice.
"Dalek," she whispered softly to it. "I'm here to help. If you let me?"
"YES," it replied again on what sounded like a sigh. It's mechanical voice sounding slow, weary "I AM IN PAIN. THEY… TORTURE ME. BUT EVEN THEN, THEY FEAR ME. DO YOU FEAR ME TOO?"
A small smile covered Rose's lips. "No, I don't fear you. I fear what you once where. I am afraid of what you can do. But I don't fear you."
"I AM GLAD TO MEET SOMEONE WHO DOES NOT FEAR ME," the Dalek told her. "I AM DY-ING. BUT I WEL-COME DEATH. MY RACE IS DEAD. WHAT ELSE IS THERE FOR ME?"
"I can help you," Rose's voice dropped.
"WHY? WHY WOULD YOU HELP ME?"
"Because everyone deserves a second chance," Rose smiled, glancing back at the Doctor.
"WHO ARE YOU?" the Dalek asked gently.
Drawing in a breath, Rose Tyler made her choice. Turning to the room full of stunned people, she smiled at them. The Doctor caught her intent seconds before she did it. He was screaming at her now.
"I am Rose Tyler," she announced to the room before placing both hands on the Dalek.
And held on.