AN: Sorry guys, life's been way too hectic. I'll try to make this a semi long chapter to hopefully make up for the fact that it's wayyyyyyy too long. Anywho, thanks for the reviews, follows and favorites! I really appreciate that you guys spend time to acknowledge my writing and story. Enjoy!

Chapter 29

The Doctor just stares at me nervously as he waits for me to explode. Instead, I surprise him by whispering tersely, "Why the hell didn't you trust me?"

The Doctor stays silent. "I said," I walk around the console slowly. Before he could even blink my hand was grasping his earlobe and dragging him down to my height. "WHY. DIDN'T. YOU. TRUST. ME." I will remember his expression for the rest of my life. I had always admired the 9th doctor for his attitude and fearlessness, but right now, he looks like a scared little puppy. He soon snaps out of his stupor, gaining an annoyed scowl on his face as he pulls away from me. "You can't really expect me to put my trust into a 22-year old who has never experienced this before," he says, a slight smugness in his voice. I cross my arms. "You seem to be forgetting that I technically have experienced this before," I remind him.

"No, you've only witnessed it on a screen," he corrects me. "And you don't think that means anything? I lived those adventures as much as you or any other companion. Just because I wasn't there doesn't mean I didn't feel something from it. Plus, I actually know ahead of time which decisions will ultimately save more lives." He looks curiously at me. "What do you mean?"

I sigh, scratching my head. "I...I feel like it's my mission to save some of the people that originally didn't make it in the series." He raises an eyebrow. "So far I've saved two, but I was planning on finding a way to convince you that there would be lives at stake if you allowed Gwen to open the rift, which obviously didn't work." He turns away, ashamed.

"I didn't know."

I nod. "It's okay, I just-" I inhale deeply. "I need you to trust me at all times, even when what I'm saying doesn't make sense or goes against your every instinct."

He looks worried. I try to console him. "I know that's asking a lot of you, but I might be able to actually have some purpose while I'm here."

"Purpose? You thought that your only purpose was to save people? You and every companion means so much more to me than just another soldier fighting against evil. I may have just met you, but I know a good person and a right person when I see them."

I blush deeply, glancing away. A few seconds of tense silence, I feel a pair of strong arms pull me to his chest in the best hug I've ever had. I wrapped my arms around his middle and squeezed. Both of us knew there was nothing romantic there, and I was fine with that. He was like a mentor or leader to me, and I was content with keeping it that way. For now, we both had a moment of weakness that only few people ever share. I was secretly counting down the days until he was gone, and I was depressed on how little time we had. I was glad that we hadn't fought long, because there was never enough time to get to know someone, especially someone who you've studied, but never understood.

We finally release each other, sighing contently. "I should probably change," I say moving away awkwardly. He smiled sadly. "Go tell Rose to get some sleep, and then we'll decide where to go next." I chuckle, thinking of the episode we were about to start. "Better put some novacane on that cheek, Doc." I saunter off, ignoring the confused look on his face.

0000000

(Rose P.O.V)

They stepped out of the Tardis into the slightly chilly London air. Alice didn't say much about her and the Doctor's "talk", just telling her to pick somewhere to go. Rose assumed it either went really well, or terribly, but she didn't dwell on it. Instead, she requested (cautiously) if they could visit home. After one reassuring glance from Alice, the Doctor had agreed. Rose could swear that they had some sort of freaky mental connection. "How long have I been gone?" she asked.

"About twelve hours," the Doctor estimated. Rose looked over to Alice who was looking at the ground, smirking. Something must be really funny, or she wouldn't be hiding it. Rose shrugged and decided to ask her about it later. "Ok, so I won't be long. I just want to see my mum."

"And tell her…?" Alice inquired. "I don't know," Rose admitted. "I've been to the year 5 billion and only been gone, what, twelve hours?" A tiny snort from Alice which Rose ignored. "No, I'll just tell her I spent the night at Shareen's. See you later." She starts to walk away, before adding, "Alice, don't you let him disappear." She gave a salute, grinning ear to ear. Rose turns again, finally jogging up the stairs to her mum's flat, to her old life. She didn't notice the commotion behind her when Alice happens to point out a missing persons sign with Rose's face on it to the Doctor.

000000

The Doctor's face was priceless. He runs up the stairs, me on his heels. "Maybe you should slow down-" I start, but it's too late. We burst into the flat, the Doctor calling out, "It's not twelve hours, it's twelve months. You've been gone a whole year...Sorry." He's panting when he finally notices Rose's mum. I whistle. "Awkward."

A little while later, the three of us are sitting on the Tyler's lumpy couch, squished together while being stared down by a very upset Jackie and a passive policemen. "The hours I've sat here," Jackie whispers. "Days and weeks and months, all on my own. I thought you were dead, and where were you? Travelling. What the hell does that mean, travelling? That's no sort of answer. You ask her," she addresses the policeman. "She won't tell me. That's all she says. Travelling."

"That's what I was doing," Rose protests. "When your passport's still in the drawer? It's just one lie after another," Jackie counters. Rose clasps her hands together nervously. "I meant to phone. I really did. I just forgot."

"What, for a year? You forgot for a year? And I am left sitting here. I just don't believe you. Why won't you tell me where you've been?"

The Doctor sheepishly intervenes. "Actually, it's my fault. I sort of, er, employed Rose as my companion." I slap my forehead. He couldn't have worded that any differently. The policeman finally speaks. "When you say companion, is this a sexual relationship?" The disgusted looks on my friends' faces almost made me die with amusement. "No!" They both answered simultaneously. I just giggled. "And who are you?" Jackie addresses me. "Oh, me?" I gasp, wiping my eyes. "I'm his research partner from America." The Doctor nods, silently complimenting my quick thinking. Jackie just shakes her head. "Both of you waltz in here all charm and smiles, and the next thing I know, my daughter vanishes off the face of the Earth! How old are you then?" She glares daggers at the Doctor. "Forty? Forty five? What, did you find her on the Internet? Did you go online and pretend you're a doctor?"

The Doctor looked offended. "I am a Doctor."

"Prove it. Stitch this, mate!"

A crack resounded through the room as palm met flesh. The Doctor looked shocked. I guffawed, laughing so hard that tears were streaming from my highs. "Did I not tell you to apply some nova-"

A stinging sensation blooms on my cheek as Jackie lands a harsh slap to my skin. I raise a hand, gingerly touching the red mark rapidly appearing on my pale cheek. "MUM!" Rose shouts. Jackie still glares at me as Rose pulls her into the small kitchen. I look over at the Doctor, both of our mouths open in shock. I never thought Jackie would actually hit me. The Doctor removes my hand and checks the mark. I wince as he accidentally touches the sore area. He withdraws his hand and I nod to reassure him that I'm fine. I raise an eyebrow and he shrugs. I still check his red cheek. We sit in silence as Rose and her mum talk it out. Eventually we just get up and leave, content on letting Rose have some time to make up with her mum.

0000000

(Rose P.O.V)

Rose closes her eyes and feels the wind rush around her. The trio of travelers were standing on the roof of her building, contemplating what to do about the current situation. "I can't tell her," Rose states. "I can't even begin. She's never going to forgive me. And I missed a year. Was it good?" The Doctor shrugs. "Middling."

"You're so useless."

"Rose, are you going to stay? I mean, we really caused you a lot of trouble," Alice says. Rose had tried to fuss over the cherry red mark on her cheek, but Alice refused her care, insisting that she was fine. It didn't make Rose feel any less guilty about the incident. Rose sighed. "I don't know. I can't do that to her again, though." Rose couldn't deny that it was amazing seeing her mother again, but the adventures they had been on were life changing. She couldn't just give that up.

The Doctor flat out said, "Well, she's not coming with us." Rose agreed. "No chance."

"I don't do families." Rose nodded, accepting that her mum couldn't understand what she had seen. The severity of her mum's actions suddenly hit her. "She slapped you!"

Both Alice and the Doctor started laughing. "Nine hundred years of time and space, and I've never been slapped by someone's mother." Rose was giggling excessively by now. "Your face!"

"It hurt!"

Rose was suddenly stunned. "When you say nine hundred years…?"

"That's my age."

"You're nine hundred years old," Rose said skeptically, crossing her arms. "Yeah."

Rose just shook her head. "My mum was right, that is one hell of an age gap.

Every conversation with you just goes mental. There's no one I can talk to other than Alice. I've seen all that stuff up there, the size of it, and I can't say a word. Aliens and spaceships and things, and Alice and I are the only people on planet Earth who knows they exist."

No sooner had the words left her mouth when a loud noise erupted from the sky and revealed a spaceship. It was burning, black smoke billowing from it's tail. It swerves, avoiding the Tower Bridge and weaving around St. Paul's before sputtering and taking out a chunk of the Big Ben. It landed with an audible splash into the Thames, fire bursting from it's hull. The three stood there for a second in silence.

"Oh, that's just not fair," Rose murmurs.