Rose stood up, shaking her head lightly. The landings got easier every time, and this time she could even sense that she was further in the past than she had been moments ago. She added that skill to the list of things she needed to eventually speak to the TARDIS about the next time she slept aboard the ship. That thought triggered Rose to look around the console room where she had landed and frown. It was easy to see from the interface that she was still in the TARDIS that her pinstripe Doctor traveled in. But the lights were dimmed once more and everything was covered in a thick layer of dust.
"Poor thing," she tutted. "The Doctor's been neglecting you hasn't he?" she asked aloud. Concern wrenched her gut as only silence answered her. The point in her mind where the TARDIS song usually sang loud and clear wasn't empty like it had been during the year that never was, but it was almost as though someone had hit mute. She couldn't hear the song and the TARDIS wasn't reaching out in her mind, but she could feel that the TARDIS was alive and well...just dormant. Rose made her way swiftly to the controls, but without guidance from the TARDIS herself or the Doctor, she wasn't sure what to press to activate the controls. She added another mental note to force the Doctor or the TARDIS to teach her some basics when she figured out what was going on. As usual, the circular Galifreyan that served as a sort of desktop background was not translated.
With a huff of frustration, Rose made her way out of the console room and began wandering the halls of the TARDIS. She popped her head into some of the Doctor's favorite rooms: the galley, the library, the media room...she even brushed a hand along the door for the room she knew to be the Doctor's private bedroom. But she didn't open it. She'd only been in that room once when she'd first wandered in on accident. The Doctor had been so flustered she never dared again. Her room, however, was nowhere to be found. She assumed that the TARDIS had moved it when she was sent to the parallel world and in whatever dormant state she was in, she couldn't bring it back.
"Think, Rose, what would cause the Doctor to leave the TARDIS like this?" she wondered aloud as she made her way back to the console room. She planned to take a look outside to see if it would give her any context, but as she neared the room she heard the Doctor's voice.
"... Two, don't worry about the Tardis. I'll put it on emergency power so they can't detect it. Just let it hide away. Four. No, wait a minute, three. No getting involved in big historical events. Four, you. Don't let me abandon you. And fi-
His voice sped up suddenly, and Rose realized that someone was listening to a recording. She didn't dare peer around the corner until she heard a very familiar voice.
"But there was a meteor, a shooting star. What am I supposed to do then?" exclaimed Martha Jones. Rose broke into a smile before she realized that this was probably the adventure Martha was referring to before their year of traveling the world. So she found herself once more meeting a dear friend in the wrong order. She took a deep calming breath as the Doctor's voice resumed normal speed.
"And twenty three. If anything goes wrong, if they find us, Martha, then you know what to do. Open the watch. Everything I am is kept safe in there. Now, I've put a perception filter on it so the human me won't think anything of it. To him, it's just a watch. But don't open it unless you have to. Because once it's open, then the Family will be able to find me. It's all down to you, Martha. Your choice. Oh, and thank you," the Doctor's voice finished and Rose rolled her eyes. Yet again, he was putting enormous pressure on the young human with likely no preparation and at the end of it, there was unlikely to be any thanks or praise. The Doctor was brilliant and he chose brilliant companions, but he had a way of making them feel very unqualified.
"I wish you'd come back," Martha sighed and Rose stepped around the corner, determined to comfort her friend.
"He will," she said calmly. Martha jumped and whirled around, her eyes narrowing as her entire body stiffened.
"Who are you?" she demanded, glancing around the room in a veiled attempt to seek out some form of protection.
"A friend," Rose answered. She didn't move towards Martha, but also made no move to step down or back off.
"A friend of the Doctor's? How did you get here?" Martha questioned.
"A friend of yours and the Doctors...you just haven't met me yet. I have my own way of travel, but that's not important right now. I'm here to help," Rose promised her. Martha seemed to relax a bit as her shoulders drooped.
"I guess there's no way you could've gotten in here if you weren't a friend. What's your name then?" the younger woman crossed her arms in an attempt to feign more confidence than she was feeling at the moment.
"Rose," the older woman answered honestly. Martha felt every hair on her body stand on end. She knew the woman's face had seemed familiar and now it was clear why. Her face was sketched out in John Smith's journal. Even in human form, Rose was the woman he thought about. Not Martha. Rose. Against her will, she felt her shoulders drop in defeat. She had fought so hard for the Doctor's attention. She was the one there, not Rose. Rose had left him and yet here the woman stood as if nothing had ever happened.
"I see," Martha finally responded curtly. Rose tilted her head to the side slightly, trying to get a read on Martha. She could tell the younger woman was standing defensively, and whether that was because of the apparently imminent danger or because of Rose's sudden appearance she couldn't say for sure. But she was not surprised by the younger companion's reaction. She very much doubted the Doctor had told Martha much about his previous companions. Briefly, she remembered her first encounter with Sarah Jane. She had been in Martha's shoes before, except that Sarah Jane hadn't had the advantage of already being friends with Rose when Rose first met her. The blonde sighed as she felt a headache beginning to form. Time travel was becoming exceedingly complicated.
"I'm not sure what the Doctor has told you about me," Rose started.
"Just that you were brilliant and you'll always know the answer in any situation. But you haven't been here with him, have you?" Martha sneered, unable to help the petty remarks from falling from her lips. Rose gazed at her with a calm, gentle look…one of pity that made Martha fume even more.
"You're right. I haven't been here. And I am so glad he has had such a wonderful friend to travel with him. I would never want the Doctor to be alone. But let me make one thing perfectly clear, Martha Jones," Rose firmed her tone a little bit. Even though she wanted to be gentle with her friend, the Bad Wolf within her roared at the jealousy that so clearly oozed from Martha's tone.
My Doctor, the Bad Wolf snarled and Rose fought to calm herself before continuing.
"I did not leave the Doctor by choice. We were separated by forces outside either of our control and I fought many impossible challenges to get back to him. Unfortunately…I've arrived a little too early in his timeline. This is not my adventure to live through," she explained.
"What's that supposed to mean? What have you got your own TARDIS or something?" Martha questioned. Rose smiled a little. There was absolutely no slipping anything past the observant young woman.
"No. I travel through the Time Vortex on my own with the help of an entity called Bad Wolf," Rose answered. Martha may not be able to fully understand the science behind time travel, but she was an incredibly intelligent and accomplished woman. There was no point in speaking down to her. Martha didn't respond for a minute, but allowed her posture to relax a little. Rose had made her feelings for the Doctor abundantly clear and while it stung, Martha was almost glad to know that whatever feelings the Doctor had for his former companion were reciprocated.
"I suppose I've seen stranger things traveling with him," Martha admitted quietly.
"And I'm sure you'll see even stranger things in the future."
"If you're here too early, why did you stay? Why even introduce yourself to me?" Martha questioned.
"It's a little complicated. I'm still getting the hang of time traveling on my own, and I keep meeting people out of order. I just came from the future where I met you for the first time, but you seemed to know me already. So then when I came here and saw you, I figured I should properly introduce myself. But I don't have to stay, Martha. The Doctor trusts you with keeping him safe," Rose promised.
"But you said you're too early in his timeline. How do you know that? This isn't before he's met you."
"I can't tell you about what's going to happen in the future, but there are other events in his personal timeline that I've already been part of. If I am going to reunite with him properly, I need to find a point in his timeline after those events. I can't risk him seeing me now…it would create a terribly paradox," Rose tried to explain it in the simplest terms that she could and watched as Martha seemed to really mull over her words before sighing heavily.
"Well if there is a way for you to avoid being seen by him, it couldn't hurt to have a second set of hands on this. It's…not as straight forward as the Doctor was hoping it would be," Martha admitted. Even though she didn't fully trust Rose, the woman was clearly trusted by the Doctor and Martha felt completely in over her head with the recent developments.
"Then I am here to help. Just tell me what you need," Rose offered.
"How much do you know about the situation?" Martha asked.
"Not much. In the future, the Doctor told me about some of the trouble he got into when I wasn't there, but he didn't always go into much detail. Why don't we pop into the galley for a cuppa and you can catch me up?"
"I shouldn't be gone from the school too long. People will notice," Martha sighed.
"Let me worry about that," Rose told her gently. She was well aware by the servants uniform Martha donned that they were likely somewhere in the past where the color of Martha's skin was probably making things that much harder. Rose's eastern accent was sure to turn heads depending on where they were located and it wouldn't have been the first time that traveling in the past made things more challenging for a woman of lower class.
"Alright I guess," Martha shrugged, still keeping her guard up but aching to accept the metaphorical hand Rose was offering. It felt like she finally saw land after being lost at sea for weeks. She went to lead the way to the galley but startled as Rose walked confidently down the hall and straight for the familiar room.
"How did you know how to find the galley? I feel like every time I go to find it, it's in a different spot accept since we landed here. The Doctor said he put the ship on low power mode, so I assume that's why things aren't changing like they normally are," Martha asked as the pair of them walked along the short journey to the warm galley. Even in low power mode, there was power to the appliances in the galley. It just wasn't automated like it normally was since the TARDIS was essentially in a deep sleep.
"The Doctor does a shite job at explaining the TARDIS," Rose bit back a frustrated groan.
"But she's much more than just a ship. She's a multidimensional being that's actually alive in her own way. She can communicate with the Doctor because he is somewhat telepathic. Humans can't generally communicate with her, but she and I have…an understanding. And the galley is always not too far off the console room," Rose explained as she got busy putting a kettle on.
"That's just…that's insane!" Martha exclaimed.
"It's hard to show you when she's like this…but when she's awake…on full power, just press your hand to one of those coral struts some time. Feel the vibrations, watch the console. That's where her heart is. She's not human or Time Lord, just her own very special being," Rose smiled fondly as the kettle whistled. Future and alien technology was the best part of being back on the TARDIS. Never have to wait more than a few minutes for a hot cuppa ever again.
"I guess," Martha pursed her lips, rifling through the cupboards to find the box of her favorite tea. The two woman finished preparing their tea in silence, adding sugar and powdered creamer since there was no fresh food aboard the ship. Rose presumed it had all gone bad or they hadn't bothered to shop in a while. One thing the TARDIS couldn't really do was materialize food from nothing. She could move objects around from even deep within her archives, but she couldn't make things exist that didn't exist.
"So what's going on here?" Rose asked as they sat down in the little booth that still decorated the almost 1950s style galley.
"We were just traveling on another planet when we ran into these creatures called The Family. They're naturally short lived, only a few months, but they kill others to take their life force to live longer and when they spotted the Doctor, they were enticed by the idea of living forever. So the Doctor decided we should go into hiding and just try to outlast them," Martha started and paused, looking at Rose to make sure she was keeping up. Rose nodded for her to continue. It made sense that the Doctor's first inclination would be to avoid conflict. Though he had some dark moments and could fight when he needed, he strove to be peaceful at every opportunity.
"The Doctor said that the Family would follow us wherever or whenever we went and the only way to really hide from them was to hide himself away in a pocket watch," Martha continued and Rose frowned.
"I'm afraid that's where you're losing me," she interrupted and Martha bit her lip.
"I can't explain it that well. He was in such a rush when he was trying to tell me, but basically he put this thing on his head…I think he called it the Chameleon Arch and supposedly it rewrote his biology to turn him human. One heart, a false identity implanted in his brain, and the very essence of himself hidden in a pocket watch that he put some kind of filter on so his human self wouldn't try to open it or anything," Martha explained.
"I…didn't know that was possible. But I'm sure I'll have my opportunity to find out more about it eventually," Rose murmured, her head spinning. She thought that her John was the only human version of the Doctor. And he was supposed to have been impossible. But the Doctor had been through something like this before? And he hadn't mentioned it to her? She thoughts she remembered John briefly saying something about the Family, but she couldn't remember any details. Whether that was from her age, or because he just hadn't offered any details up she couldn't say for sure.
"Well anyway, the TARDIS dropped us off here in 1913 in Farringham. The Doctor thinks he's a Professor named John Smith and I'm his maid that's worked for him for a few years," Martha rolled her eyes. Typical for her to end up as the help while the Doctor paraded around as upper class despite not even really being a human and definitely not having a strong understanding of human customs…at least not the real Doctor.
"And how long have you been here?" Rose pressed.
"About two months. The Doctor said we should be safe after three. But I've run into a few problems, and I'm worried they might be closing in," Martha confessed, sipping her tea and almost melting into the comfort.
"What problems?"
"Well first last night I saw a meteor come down and I swear it came down in a field nearby. I went to check it out because I thought it might've been a ship, but I didn't see anything there. Still. I'm worried about it," Martha stated.
"We should check it out again. It might have some kind perception filter or camouflage technology like the TARDIS," Rose nodded.
"The TARDIS doesn't have camouflage technology. I think people just ignore it because it's too odd," Martha chuckled a little.
"Oh she has the technology. It's just that a long, long time ago it broke down when she was disguised as a Police Box and the Doctor liked it so much he has never repaired her. I don't think she'd let him even if he tried though," Rose rolled her eyes, fondling thinking of the TARDIS shocking the Doctor as he tried to tinker with things that didn't need fixing.
"Oh," Martha responded in surprise. Silence from Rose aside from quiet sipping of her tea urged her to continue.
"The second problem is that the Doctor seems to be…getting rather attached to one of the other faculty members at the school we're working at. There's a nurse that's taken a fancy to him and he seems to reciprocate. He even confessed to her that he has dreams of being a time traveling alien with a blue box," Martha admitted awkwardly, avoiding Rose's intense gaze as she spoke of the nurse and the Doctor's feelings for her.
Things were already tense enough when it was clear that his two companions both had feelings for him. Now another human woman was added to the mix? What did they all even see in him anyway? Sure he was brilliant and proper fit, but he was also arrogant and condescending and at times, extremely immature. The more Martha thought about it, in fact, the more she realized that if she had met a human version of the Doctor like John Smith…she would not have fallen for him. But he wasn't human. He was the Doctor and he was wonderful. Martha shook her head lightly to remove herself from those spiraling thoughts. It wasn't the time to worry about how she felt about the Doctor. At the moment she needed to be focused on John Smith.
"Alright…do you worry that his dreams of his real life are starting to disrupt whatever disguise he put on himself?" Rose asked, trying to focus on the most imminent problem even though her heart stung with heartache and jealousy at the thought of any version of the Doctor falling in love with someone else. Meeting his next self and her future self had confirmed that the two of them had a future together as more than just traveling companions, but as the Doctor had always reminded her…time was always in flux. Very few things were actually fixed points in time.
"Not really. He's been having those dreams almost the whole time, and the watch has remained closed. He's got a journal where he writes down these dreams," Martha answered. She did not add that he also had drawings of Rose in there.
"Okay, so let's not worry about that just yet. The Family being here is potentially a problem, but if we can keep the Doctor hidden and the watch safe…they shouldn't be able to figure out who he is and if I can help this false story last for another two weeks you should be able to go back to normal," Rose concluded.
"But what about the nurse?"
"What about her?" Rose asked stiffly.
"What if he falls in love with her? What if he won't be willing to give that up to take his life back?" Martha questioned.
"Of course he'll want his life back. He's the Doctor! He can't stand domestic life. He'd get bored instantly," Rose answered confidently.
"Look, Rose. I'm sure you know the Doctor really well and all, but this isn't the Doctor we're talking about. He thinks his real memories are crazy dreams. He calls them his Journal of Impossible things. He's boring, dismisses me as a regular servant, and is nowhere near as close to the Doctor as you might be thinking. This is John Smith. And if he falls in love with the nurse, I'm not sure we'll get the Doctor back," Martha admitted painfully.
"I…"
"I know the Doctor cares about you. A lot. But he doesn't know that you're here. He acts like you're gone forever and he'll never see you again. Now that you've told me you were forcibly separated, it makes a lot more sense. You haven't seen what I have. He can be downright dangerous when I'm not there to tell him to stop," Martha explained and Rose thought back to some of her moments with the Doctor. The two of them had kept things light and upbeat, even when they were getting into serious danger. But she knew from the first time she met him with the Nestene Consciousness, that the Doctor was capable of terrible actions. He was far from perfect and having lived through a war that forced him to make an impossible choice, Rose thought there was very little he wouldn't do to protect something he felt was important…or someone.
"I get that. He's always been like that," Rose acknowledged.
"And what I mean is…he was really quick to disguise himself as a human. Almost like he didn't want to be the Doctor anymore," Martha confessed. It was a thought that had been circling around her head for the last two months, pestering at her and refusing to leave her mind. The Doctor knew there was a chance he would have to face the Family no matter what, he had warned Martha that there was a chance she'd need to open the watch. But he chose not to face them initially. He chose to run and hide instead.
"He'll make the right decision in the end, Martha," Rose assured the younger woman, though part of her was doubtful. Her own husband had confessed to her that the Doctor had some pretty dark moments after they were separated. He felt guilty for not being open about his feelings for Rose, but also angry at himself for even experiencing those feelings. He was torn apart that she was gone, but also tried to argue that it was better for her to be locked away where he couldn't be tempted to act on his irrational feelings. He was extremely conflicted and Rose knew that running away from his problems or feelings was always what the Doctor did best.
"I'd feel a lot better of we could have some assurance that he won't fall in love with a human here. But the backstory the TARDIS gave for me puts me in a very limited position," Martha stated sharply, the pain evident in her voice.
"Yeah. I'm not sure why she did that. I'll have to have a chat with her about that when she's more awake," Rose responded, adding it to the never ending list of things she needed to speak to the TARDIS about when they were eventually reunited properly.
"Speak…to the ship? Are you telepathic like the Doctor?"
"No, not generally telepathic. Like I said, the TARDIS and I have a special relationship. It's a bit much to explain right now, but I'm sure I'll be able to show you in time. I can communicate with her very directly, even more so than the Doctor but not when she's shut down like this. It's like she's in a coma…the bare essentials are functioning but she's not aware and alert," Rose explained.
"Oh. Well if you can speak to her then, tell her to piss off for sending us here of all places. Couldn't have been the future? Or even a time less in the past?" Martha grumbled.
"I'm not sure why she or the Doctor chose this time, but I won't let him walk all over you Martha. I'm here to help, so let me help," Rose assured her friend.
Even though Martha did not yet know the older woman, she could hear the genuine tone in her voice. Rose meant her no harm. The mysterious woman in front of her was not at all what Martha had expected Rose to be like from the Doctor's descriptions of her. He had never been specific, but she certainly wasn't expecting such a young face or a girl that was clearly grounded in a never-ending faith in the Doctor. Martha wasn't completely sure how old she was, she didn't look a day over 21 but she carried herself like a much, much older person. And her eyes were the strangest color with flecks of hazel…even gold in some lights. Martha's heart broke once more at the thought of a possible solution, but she knew that whatever relationship Rose and the Doctor had was clearly much deeper and complex than the feelings she herself had developed for the Time Lord. So against every inclination, she offered up a suggestion.
"You could come back to the school with me. We could fit you into the town, into his life. With you there, there's no way he'd fall for Matron Redfern. He remembers you. He's even sketched you in his journal," Martha finally admitted. Rose paused, her heart thumping painfully.
"I don't know that we should risk him recognizing me. Even my name could be enough to trigger more memories and threaten the integrity of whatever illusion is making him believe he is John Smith," Rose stated. Even though all she wanted was to run into the Doctor's arms…she knew that trying to return to him before her past self returned and John Noble was created would create a paradox that would likely rip both universes apart.
"The TARDIS may not have her full abilities, but she's still got a full wardrobe. Bet there's some wigs in there," Martha suggested with a shrug. Rose took a long sip of her tea, mulling the idea over.
"I bet there is," she agreed.
"Let's go check it out then!" Martha chimed in, quickly abandoning her empty cup in the sink before darting off to find the wardrobe room. Rose smiled fondly, as she followed the younger girl who now bounced a little with excitement. It was nice to see some of the weight come off her shoulders and see that new thrill of adventuring on someone else. Rose hadn't seen it on herself in a while.
The two of them found their way to the wardrobe room which Rose reveled in. I hadn't changed much, just an excessively large room filled with never-ending outfits and accessories. Sure enough tucked into a back corner was a whole wall of wigs and hats that Rose mused through. Getting rid of her blonde hair would probably be the most important, but she'd need to be careful about the way she spoke and carried herself, maybe even try to do her makeup in a way that slightly altered her facial features.
"How do you think you'd look as a redhead?" Martha teased, pulling a short, curly red wig off the wall and throwing it at Rose. The blonde wrinkled her nose in disgust.
"Been there. Not a good look," she shook her head, setting the wig down on a nearby vanity before selecting a long brown wig. It was a very plain, mousy color but shouldn't contrast her features too much. The wigs were better quality than anything she'd seen in her own time on Earth, so she didn't worry about it seeming too fake.
"Just plain I think," she mused, stroking the wig as she stared at it.
"If you're sure, put it on. Let's have a look," Martha shrugged, waiting as Rose opened the drawer of the vanity to conveniently find some pins and a mesh cap to keep her own hair tucked away. She had never put on a wig, though, so she stared at the items helplessly for a few moments before Martha laughed.
"Here, let me help," she offered and Rose grabbed the supplies and brought them to the younger woman.
"I've never worn a wig, just not my style, but my younger sister Tish used to do dance when she was younger so I learned how to help her with some of this stuff," Martha explained as she plaited Rose's smooth hair to make it easier to pin under the cap. She worked quietly for a few minutes as both of them contemplated the situations they found themselves in. It didn't take too long since Rose's hair was only just past her shoulders soon Martha was placing the wig on her. It was significantly longer than her own hair and had a slight wave to it. Rose gazed at herself in the mirror. She had had blonde hair for so long that even just the color of it made her do a double take.
"This may actually work," she mused as she turned her head back and forth, making sure there were no places that looked fake.
"We should definitely not call you Rose, just to be safe," Martha suggested.
"Definitely not. I won't go by my middle name either, since he knows that and it might remind him. What's a common name for the time? Mary? That's always popular," Rose mused. She thought her name was a pretty old fashioned English name too, but tried to think of other examples from history.
"We have to be a little more creative than that. How about Alice? Definitely feels like we're in Wonderland," Martha offered up and Rose pursed her lips in thought for a moment before nodding.
"Works for me. Alice Prentice. Rhymes a bit, but that's fine," Rose rolled the name on the tongue. It felt foreign, but then again any name would.
"Why Prentice?"
"It was my mother's maiden name, just the first name I thought of," Rose shrugged.
"That'll do it. Now the next question is how to we insert you into his life? You can't just show up out of nowhere and even if you were younger, it's an all boys school," Martha muttered, trying to remember if there were any open positions at the school.
"Can you fake a proper accent?" The younger woman added thoughtfully.
"I can do my best, though I never change my accent when I'm traveling," Rose huffed.
"Yeah well unless you want to end up a servant like me, where John wouldn't even give you a second glance, we're going to need to come up with an alternative plan. You need to be at his class or higher. Otherwise he'll purposely ignore you, even if he likes you," Martha explained and Rose couldn't deny she was correct.
"There aren't many jobs women can hold these days that they wouldn't prefer to give to a man," Rose groaned.
"Tell me about it. I'm finishing up medical school and instead of being able to help people, I'm scrubbing chamberpots," Martha complained.
"I'm not qualified to pose as a nurse, and anyway you said there is a nurse at the school already, right?" Rose asked and Martha nodded in response.
"Yeah, but I think there may be a position open for a librarian. We had a librarian when we arrived last month, but I think she moved away once she became engaged. Since married women shouldn't work. Will you be unmarried? You look young enough that people could assume you haven't been married off yet?" Martha asked. She wasn't sure just how old Rose was and she didn't want to make assumptions, but Rose chortled a bit in response.
"If only they knew…but no. Most woman are married off before 21 at this time. I'll just tell them the truth. I'm widowed," Rose shrugged and Martha blinked in surprise.
"You're widowed? But I thought you and the Doctor-
"We do. But it wasn't always clear to me that he did love me and at one point there was someone else very special in my life. We were only married for a year before he passed away, but it's been a long time since then," Rose admitted. She didn't want to get into the whole thing with Martha, but she would never deny talking about her husband. Even though it had been a century since she'd been married, she would honor their relationship for the rest of her life…however long it may end up being.
"Oh, well I'm sorry for your loss," Martha said.
"I appreciate that, but like I said. It was a very long time ago, so don't worry too much," Rose smiled softly as she moved over to one of the closets that held gowns from around this time period.
"I thought you were human," Martha blurted.
"I am…was…it's complicated. I was born a human and in many ways I am still a human. But there's a reason that I can travel through time and that I'm much older than I look," Rose stated carefully. She didn't want to overwhelm Martha with too much information, but she didn't intend to be dishonest with her friend. Plus at some point in the near future, Martha would go through the worst year of her life with Rose by her side and at that point she was already very comfortable with Rose's added gifts…so Rose knew it was okay to be open.
"That sounds complicated," Martha acknowledged, trying her best to avoid asking the question she was obviously dying to ask.
"It's okay to be curious. There's a lot to my story and we have other tasks to focus on," Rose spoke as she rifled through dresses, pulling out a few that were modest but definitely higher class.
"But if you have questions I will always do my best to answer them honestly," she finished as she held five dresses on her arm before making her way over to the luggage area of the wardrobe room and selecting a simple case that was appropriate for the general time. She hoped no one would notice if it was off by just a few years.
"Alright. How old are you exactly?"
"At this point? I've lost track of my exact age because traveling in time means I don't experience time linearly. But I do believe I'm about 120 years old," Rose answered.
"Excuse me?" Martha gaped at the other woman.
"Like I said, I could be off by several months or even a few years. But it's definitely near there," Rose tried to shrug it off, although she knew that the information would be difficult for Martha to process completely given that Rose had just told her she was a human.
"How is that even possible?" Martha asked.
"You'll find that traveling with the Doctor, very little is impossible," Rose smiled slyly.
"Okay that's fine and all, but you don't look anywhere near 100 years old," Martha insisted.
"The Doctor doesn't look 1000 years old either," Rose smirked. Martha paused.
"I knew he was not human, and I think at some point he mentioned he was older than I thought…but I don't think he's ever said just how old he actually is," Martha gaped.
"He does tend to leave that out sometimes. But yes, he absolutely doesn't track his age closely but he's easily a century old at this point," Rose confirmed and Martha just sat in stunned silence for a bit as Rose carefully folded some of the gowns she'd chosen into the case.
"It won't be too odd to claim that I heard about the open position from the former librarian, right? Do you happen to know what her name was?" Rose asked, shifting the subject.
"No but I'll find out before we send you in to speak to the Headmaster. Just a warning Rose, this school is a real Boys Club and the Headmaster is the worst of them all."
"I'm sure. It is 1913 after all. I was in this time period not too long ago," she said, thinking back to the boarding house they'd stayed in for just a night before the Titanic was supposed to set sail.
"Oh?"
"We went to see the Titanic off," Rose mentioned.
"And you didn't save it?" Martha gasped.
"The Doctor's told you about fixed points in time, yeah?"
"Yeah," the younger woman nodded.
"Unfortunately the Titanic is a fixed point in time. He usually avoids them, but there was one family in particular we knew we could save. So we did," Rose explained as she clipped the case shut and stood, holding the remaining dress.
"I guess one family is better than nothing. It's nighttime outside right now since I came here right after I saw the meteor or ship. I should be heading back, but tomorrow is Monday morning. If you come to the main school building and request an audience with the Headmaster, he should be able to see you. I'm not sure if they're already in talks to fill the position or not but at least it's something," Martha said, moving to exit the room.
"Is it pretty simple to get to school?" Rose asked as they walked through the hallway back to the console room.
"Yeah, we're just inside the forest edge right now. If you walk a few yards straight ahead from the doors you'll get to a small field. You'll be able to see a road. Make a right and that road will lead you to town or a left and it'll take you up to the school. It shouldn't be more than a 20 minute walk. I usually bike, but I'm not sure if there is another one available. If you find one though, it'll make the trip quick. Will you be alright here for the night? I would stay, but I'll get in trouble if I'm not on time to start the morning chores," Martha explained, gathering her coat. Rose smiled, wanting so badly to hug her friend. She knew they weren't at that point yet, but it didn't lessen the urge to comfort Martha.
"Yeah, I'll be fine. I'll head out in the morning once it's light. Do you usually answer the doors? That way you can give me the name of the former librarian before I go in to see the Headmaster?"
"I can keep an ear out tomorrow," Martha agreed.
"Good luck Martha," Rose called out as the younger woman exited the TARDIS.
"Same to you," she agreed with a grim smile before leaving. Rose heaved a sigh once the doors were closed. Once more it was just her and the TARDIS, but with the ship in her dormant state Rose felt pretty alone. Her head was not empty, just quiet and Rose moved backwards towards her room to grab a few hours of sleep before the day truly started. The clock in her room was set to automatically tune to local time so she would be able to know when it was time to leave again. She wasn't sure how much rest she would get, but she was determined to try for at least a few hours of quiet. Her room was unchanged from when she had last seen it, although it was tucked away into a back hallway where she assumed Martha never wandered.
Recognizing that it was much the same, she realized the TARDIS had probably known she would end up here and chose this time for her…regardless of how tricky of a situation it might put Martha in. Rose tutted disapprovingly at the ship. She wasn't sure how much the TARDIS would understand while on reduced power, but it was habit to reach out to her. She quickly changed into her pajamas and removed the wig, undoing the plaits in her hair as she went before slipping under the covers and turning off the lamp on her bedside table. Although she laid awake for probably at least two hours, she did eventually drift off into a light, uneventful sleep. She couldn't remember whether or not she dreamed, but she knew that when she awoke all she could think of was the tight knot in her stomach. The clock on her bedside table read 5:30, a little too early to head out but definitely not worth trying to go back to sleep.
She groaned as she got out of the bed and made her way to the ensuite for a shower. It was strange to move about her normal routine in complete silence. The TARDIS was usually very active in the morning with her mental musings, and her singing would be enough to brighten any day. But without that, Rose rushed through getting ready in a hurry to see Martha again and just interact with another person. She didn't realize how lonely it could be when it was really just her. She dressed easily and did her best to put on a modest amount of makeup. She didn't really have the skills to disguise her face more than just putting on the wig, but she had chosen dresses and a makeup style that were very unlike her usual taste. She hoped that would be enough to throw him off. The makeup she was using didn't even exist in 1913, but it appeared natural enough that no one should be able to tell. She didn't bother with breakfast before grabbing a coat from the wardrobe room and skipping out the doors. The display on the console showed that the time was now 6:30 and by now people should be up and active. If she arrived at the school by 7:00, that should be bright and early to land a quick audience with the Headmaster.
Meanwhile in the school, Martha was heading up to John Smith's quarters with his breakfast in hand. She had spent the entire night tossing and turning, worrying if their plan was the right move. Was she overreacting about John falling in love with the nurse? Was she overreacting about the meteor? Should she have gotten Rose involved in any of it? Part of her desperately wanted to be able to tell Rose to just leave and let Martha have her time with the Doctor, but she worried that things were out of hand in 1913. And she was desperate for someone else that understood and saw her as an equal. So even if things went south, at least she had Rose for that. It had been a long two months without a real friend. Martha knocked on the door quickly and heard the Doctor's voice call out.
"Come on in Martha!" She entered quietly, smiling at him as he finished tying his tie and buttoning up his jacket.
"Good morning sir," she greeted, placing the tray down on the small table near the fireplace.
"Thank you," he answered, picking up the daily paper that was on the tray.
"Another beautiful day outside. Any news from the village?" He asked as he browsed the paper.
"Actually, yes. Word is it that someone may be on the way to fill the vacant librarian position," Martha took the opportunity to slip in the idea of someone new coming into the school.
"Oh really? I hadn't realized the headmaster was looking to fill the position before the end of the semester. But alls well, I'm afraid the place has fallen into quite a disarray after Miss Barlow's departure," John responded absently, glancing at the large pile of books piled on his own night table. He had several more in his classroom and he knew he was probably more guilty than any other faculty member of hoarding library property.
"Yes, well that's just the rumor going around among staff," Martha responded.
"Well perhaps we will find out today," the very ordinary professor smiled before picking up a slice of the toast from the tray and munching on it.
"Anything else sir?"
"No, that'll be all Martha. Thank you," he answered, not even making eye contact as he dismissed her. Martha fought the urge to huff. She was going to give the real Doctor so much shite when he came back for how he treated her. Even with his dismissive attitude, he was one of the kindest people at the school which Martha found absolutely despicable. Still, she bowed her head graciously and exited his room quietly, shutting the door behind her. A glance at the grandfather clock in the hall told her that it was almost 7am and Rose would be due to arrive soon so she made her way down to the front entryway to begin dusting there, ensuring she would be the one to answer the door when Rose arrived.
After several minutes of general housework, the loud bell rang at the door and Martha straightened herself, patting down her apron as she made her way to the door. Sure enough when she opened it, she was greeted with the welcome site of Rose holding her case and smiling.
"Hello," the older woman, donned in her brunette wig and large overcoat, greeted simply.
"Hello miss. How can I help you?" Martha asked, keeping up pretenses as a few other servants and even some students were wandering the halls by now.
"My name is Miss Alice Prentice, and I'm here to inquire about a meeting with your Headmaster. A former schoolmate of mine indicated a potentially open position and I was wondering if I might offer my services," Rose stated in a believably proper accent. Martha nodded and opened the door wider, inviting her friend inside.
"If you'll just wait here a moment miss, I will see if someone can fetch the Headmaster. The departure of our most recent librarian, Miss Barlow," she gave a direct glance at Rose who subtly nodded, "was unexpected."
Martha scurried off to find her supervisor, the head of staff and a rather cross woman to explain the visitor at the door. One glance at Rose, well dressed and sitting quietly in the foyer was enough to convince the woman to allow Rose to follow her to the Headmaster's office. Martha flashed her a discreet thumbs up as their plan launched into action.
"Please wait here," the head of staff asked Rose, directing her to a bench across the hall from the Headmaster's office. Rose nodded, sitting down and resisting the urge to bounce her leg like a nervous child waiting to be told off. She wasn't worried at all about the lying or pretending. She was worried about seeing the Doctor, when he wasn't the Doctor after all. He had the Doctor's face, but he also had her husband's face and name. The Rose knew the Doctor in many forms and she had long since come to understand that though each version of her Doctor was unique, they were all her Doctor deep down. Human or otherwise, she knew John Smith would tug at her heartstrings and she hoped that she would tug on his. How she would slip away before the real Doctor was woken up and the watch was opened…she hadn't yet thought of. After only a few minutes the door to the Headmaster's office opened and an older man with a bushy mustache showed his face.
"Miss…"
"Prentice. Alice Prentice," Rose stood, offering her hand. The older man shook it with a somewhat stern smile.
"Miss Prentice, pleasure to make your acquaintance. If you wouldn't mind taking a step inside my office so we can discuss your potential employment," he opened the door wide, allowing her to step inside and take yet another seat in a chair on the opposite side of his oversized desk.
"So you were schoolmates with our former librarian then?" He asked as he also took a seat.
"Yes, sir. Miss Barlow and I were schoolmates for many years. When she vacated her position here in preparation of her marriage, she suggested I inquire after it. Before my own marriage I worked as a librarian at a small primary school in London," Rose lied through her teeth.
"Forgive me for assuming, but if you are married should you not be at home supervising your own household?" The Headmaster asked with a judgmental gaze.
"Unfortunately I was widowed only a few months ago. I lost my husband to tragic illness," she replied, allowing her genuine sadness to peak through and make the lie more believable.
"I am sorry to hear that Ms. Prentice. It is true, we currently have a vacancy for a librarian. I really had not intended on filling the position before the new semester…"
"If I may, sir," Rose interrupted. "I would be more than happy to work on a trial basis. If you're not pleased with my level of work, I would not at all be offended if you chose to leave the position vacant until a more suitable match could be found."
"Well…since you have traveled all the way here. I suppose we could use someone to help us tidy up since the library has been left in a bit of a disarray. Some of our students, and even some of the professors have really neglected it," he sighed.
"I would be happy to assist in getting it cleaned up and organized at the very least. It's a few days journey from where I was staying before, so I'd like to make it worth it."
"Alright, let's give it a trial run then. You may stay in the librarian's quarters if that is convenient for you until such time we determine your official employment status with our school. I can have my head of staff take your belongings while I walk you through the grounds to introduce you to some of our other faculty," he stated, standing up and gesturing for the woman who had been standing quietly in the corner to take Rose's bag. Rose offered it to her before falling in step behind the Headmaster as he walked down the hallway and down the stairs to foyer where Rose spotted Martha, half-heartedly cleaning the floors near the stairs. Rose flashed her a very subtle thumbs up and Martha grinned.
"I'm not sure if Miss Barlow mentioned it, but my name is Headmaster Rocastle and I have been the Headmaster of this fine institution for the last 37 years. We pride ourselves on creating well rounded boys educating in maths, science, English, history, and of course the basic art of war," he began as they exited the building and were greeted by the loud sound of gunshots. Rose flinched as a bang sounded off. She was no stranger to war or violence, and had become quite adept with a weapon during her time with Torchwood in the parallel world, but that didn't mean that she enjoyed war and seeing young boys training to be soldiers in a place that was supposed to foster learning upset her. She knew it was best to keep her opinions to herself, but when she caught the back of a very familiar head her heart stopped. This would be the moment. Would he recognize her? Would he not? Rose fought to control her heartbeat as the Bad Wolf inside her almost howled in delight. The Doctor was nearby.
"Concentrate," she heard his voice say to one of the boys. "Hutchinson, excellent work."
"Cease fire!" Commanded the Headmaster, walking up to the Doctor, or rather John Smith. While the man's gaze didn't immediately flutter to Rose her eyes were locked on his. There was something different about him, something lighter. This was a closer look than she'd gotten aboard the Valiant before the Master had initially released the Toclafane and while physically he looked much the same she could tell that this man walked around without the weight and century of life experience that the Doctor did. Still, her heart almost burst with joy.
"Good day to you, Headmaster," he greeted, again not quite seeing Rose who stood a bit behind the tall, older gentleman.
"Your crew's in fine form today, Mister Smith. I'm just showing our new librarian the grounds. Ms. Prentice, may I introduce Mister Smith, one of our professors in History and War," the Headmaster finally gestured to Rose who took a step forward and offered a hand to her Doctor, almost worried that their touch might spark actual electricity.
John Smith's face lit up in delight, though he couldn't explain why if you asked. The woman looked mildly familiar, but not enough to spark instant recognition. She was a delicate, beautiful young woman with a smile that brightened his day.
"Excuse me Headmaster, but we could do a lot better. Lattimer's being deliberately shoddy," an older boy with a sharp jawline called out and Rose turned to gaze at him with annoyance.
"It's rude to disrupt your Headmaster when he is speaking with your Professor," she chimed in, chancing an interruption. While she wouldn't dare over-speak to men in power, the school boys were technically below her since they were not yet adults.
"She's correct. Apologize to Ms. Prentice," John backed her up and the by glared a bit but muttered an apology before shoving at a much smaller boy seated near the butt of the machine gun.
"I apologize on his behalf Ms. Prentice. I'm Mister John Smith," the Doctor greeted her properly, finally taking her outstretched hand and shaking it once or twice. He released her hands after only a few moments without issue, but Rose ached for his touch as her hand had slipped so easily into his.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," she managed to squeeze out the words relatively normally.
"Ms. Prentice will be serving as our librarian on a trial basis given that Miss Barlow's departure left us with an unexpected vacancy," the Headmaster explained and John nodded enthusiastically.
"I daresay I have half the library's collection in my classroom and quarters," he admitted sheepishly.
"Then I suppose I shall be needing to come around to collect them," Rose smiled easily. Of course the Doctor was hoarding books.
"No need, I'm sure Mister Smith will have no problem whatsoever delivering them to you within the day," the Headmaster added and John nodded.
"Of course, Headmaster. I'll have them to you by the end of the school day," he promised before turning back to his class.
"Carry on," the Headmaster instructed before moving away more quickly than Rose wanted to follow. She overheard the same distasteful boy from before chiming in about the laziness of what she assumed was the smaller boy on the ground, but their conversation quickly faded into the background before she could eavesdrop more.
The Headmaster took her on a tour of the school, which was really just one large building with classrooms on the bottom floor, quarters for the students as well as the library and infirmary on the second floor, and quarters for the other faculty on the third floor. The tour ended, of course, with the library which had apparently only been vacant for a month but you couldn't tell. It was dark, covered in a thick layer of dirt, and the tables were strewn with piles of books. Neglected was a poor choice of words. Mistreated might be a better one. Rose heaved a heavy sigh as she got to work. It would be a long day, but looking forward to a certain someone stopping by made things go along a bit easier. After only about 20 minutes of work just righting the chairs and organizing the books that were already strewn about onto the tables, Rose heard a knock at the door. She opened it, expecting to see either Martha or John but was surprised to see the small boy from earlier…Latimer, she thought.
"Hello Miss. I was…well I was just coming by to use the library. It's been empty, but I overheard in wars class earlier that you would be taking over Miss Barlow's position," he greeted quietly, his eyes planted firmly near his feet. Rose felt a wave of pity wash over her. Something about the small, frightened child really touched her. He reminded her of a much younger version of her brother Tony. Even though Tony grew to be a charming and confident man, he was a shy child overshadowed by Rose's own personality.
"Of course. I'm afraid several of the tables are occupied by books as I'm trying to organize, but students are always welcome in my library," Rose beamed, opening the door wider for the young student to enter. He walked through the door, one hand clutching a small pile of books while the other was shoved in his pocket. He chose a table in the far corner and sat down, immediately opening one of the books.
"I'm sorry, not sure I caught your name," Rose called out softly and the boy looked up, burning red.
"Oh yes. I'm Tim Latimer," he introduced himself and Rose offered him a welcoming smile.
"Lovely to meet you Tim. I'm Miss Prentice," Rose informed him. While she would feel uncomfortable with people referring to her by a surname all the time, she knew it would get the boy into trouble if he was overheard referring to her by her first name so she didn't dare offer it. Tim simply nodded in response and went back to reading his school book while Rose resumed her work, now pulling books off the shelves to organize into her piles. She couldn't even tell what system had been in place before, but she knew it needed a revamp so she busied herself with the task. It kept her from obsessively waiting for the Doctor to show up. About an hour later, bells rang which signaled the young boy to look up from his books in surprise.
"That's the end of my free period, but if you don't mind I'd like to come back at the end of the day to work some more," Tim said standing up a little more tall. Rose offered him another easy smile.
"Of course. I'll just be here, waiting for Mister Smith to return some of the books he's taken from the library so I can sort them and make sure they get back to their proper place," Rose answered.
"I have him for my next class again. Would you like me to remind him?"
"Oh yes please, Tim. If you wouldn't mind!" She responded cheerfully and Tim nodded before dashing out the door. Rose watched him run down the hall and was about to close the library door when she saw another person approaching. She was a middle aged woman, maybe no more than 35 years old, in a nurse's uniform so Rose guessed this must be the matron that John Smith was developing feelings for.
"Hello!" The woman called out with a warm smile and Rose held the door open.
"I'm Matron Redfern, though I prefer the more informal Nurse Redfern. I wanted to come and introduce myself since we'll be working nearby each other. I was out on a walk into town when the Headmaster showed you around earlier but I heard word we had gotten a new librarian," she continued as she paused in the hallway at the library door. She was carrying her own handful of books that Rose glanced at with interest. One of them was a very familiar tone of blue.
"Lovely to meet you Nurse Redfern. My name is Alice Prentice, but please feel free to call me just by my name Alice. No titles for me," Rose offered a hand and Nurse Redfern shifted the stack of books in her arms to take it and give it a firm shake.
"I see you've spotted another reason I stopped by. I'm afraid that many of us have borrowed some books over the last few months that we've forgotten to return. We usually try to keep the books in the library but with it being mostly unattended, I think we've all gotten just a bit slack about it," she apologized sheepishly, offering the pile of books to Rose who accepted them with ease, moving to set them on a nearby table. Nurse Redfern followed her into the library, peering around.
"I'm afraid we've made quite the mess for you," she apologized again.
"Not to worry. I've certainly organized worse before! Oh…I'm not sure this book belongs to the library," Rose stated as her hand lingered on the TARDIS blue journal which she knew immediately must be the Doctor's that Martha had mentioned.
"Oh dear, you're correct. That is…part of Mister Smith's personal collection. It was on my desk and I must've grabbed it with the rest of them by accident," Nurse Redfern reached for the book but Rose held onto it.
"Mister Smith is due to return a large quantity of books to the library this afternoon. I can pass it along to him," she stated firmly. The other woman looked conflicted, not wanting to be rude and insist but also not wanting to leave the man's personal journal in the hands of a perfect stranger.
"I'm afraid it is quite important to him," she attempted to explain but Rose offered a tight smile.
"I assure you it is in very good hands. I met Mister Smith earlier this morning and he guaranteed me he will be making a visit to the library very shortly," Rose insisted and the Nurse seemed resigned to accept the answer.
"Do be sure to tell him to stop by my office if he'd like to…discuss it further. Just between you and I, Mister Smith and I have been seeing a lot of each other lately," Nurse Redfern confessed. There were no other woman of her status on staff, and she hoped that Miss Barlow's replacement could be a friend to her the same way Miss Barlow was, but the stiff look that she got from the younger woman was not promising. Rose, for her part, bit her tongue to refrain from saying something completely unladylike. On the surface level she knew that this poor woman had no idea that Mister Smith and herself had history, but it didn't stop the twang of jealousy that flared within her. Somehow being around the Doctor and so close to being truly reunited had left her feeling particularly emotional about the entire thing.
"Nurse Redfern, I'm sure that your private affairs are none of my business. But I will pass along the message," she finally stated. It wouldn't do her any good to befriend the woman she was trying to keep away from the Doctor anyhow.
"Of course. Thank you Miss Prentice," the Nurse stated calmly before turning to leave very quickly. Rose recognized the use of her surname as a sign that the other woman was no longer feeling particularly cordial, and she couldn't bring herself to be too broken up about it. She didn't want the nurse to become collateral damage. If the Family did track them down, and they did make the connection that John Smith was the Doctor before they had time to open the watch…anyone close to him would become a target. That was always how it went with enemies of the Doctor. And while Rose was confident that she or Martha could both handle themselves if a situation went awry, she did not feel the same about Nurse Redfern. At least those were the excuses she told herself as she was downright cold to the woman in front of her. Somewhere deep inside she recognized that she was also just pushing the woman away so that she could establish her own relationship with the human parading around in the Doctor's body.
Any version of the Doctor is ours to love
That thought had come not from her own consciousness, but from the Bad Wolf who was becoming more and more present in Rose's mind. The more she utilized the gifts that Bad Wolf had left her with, the more she felt the entity making itself known. It was more part of her than even the TARDIS had theorized. But this time, Rose did not particularly disagree with the Bad Wolf's sentiment. Plus, it was all part of the plan she and Martha had formulated. The Doctor would be guilt ridden if he realized, once he'd returned, that an innocent human had become involved with him only to have her heart broken. Because Rose did fully believe that the John Smith would soon disappear as the Doctor returned and that would leave poor Nurse Redfern heartbroken and confused like Sarah Jane, Martha or even a much younger Rose a century ago.
Before returning to work, Rose picked up the journal that she had convinced Nurse Redfern to leave behind. She held it tightly to her chest, the familiar feeling of tears stinging her eyes. As she sat down, she opened it gingerly and flicked through a few pages. She knew she wouldn't have time to read the entire journal, but just seeing the stories that stuck out enough to remain even in his human memory made her giddy. She paused suddenly as she landed on a sketch of herself along with frantically scrawled words:
I find myself wanting to draw a perfect Rose, over and over although I cannot find a Rose anywhere!
I remember this girl I have drawn her although I know her well in my dream
I know her well I know.
I know her
In my dream she keeps walking away
I see her in my dreams
In my dream I keep asking a girl where to find one and she is dressed in the most immodest way
She will not answer me, & and she keeps walking away.
In my dreams I keep asking a girl where to find one and she is dressed in the most immodest and extraordinary way
She will not answer me, and she keeps walking away.
Rose ran a finger over the pages. She may not have been defined in John Smith's memory, but she was there. Her image almost perfect and her name so plainly displayed, even if he could not decipher it for himself. Her heart swelled as she stared, almost mesmerized by the chicken scrawl. It was not recognizable as the Doctor's handwriting, but she supposed that was something that probably changed with each body anyway. She thumbed through a few more pages with sketches of Daleks, the Ood, New York City, and more. The smile that graced her features didn't leave her face even as she put the journal aside and continued to work on the menial task of organizing the library. Her Doctor remembered her.
Author's Note: Oh my lovelies! It has been far too long since I was able to update. 2020 has been so exceedingly stressful (for everyone I'm sure) and it really sucked up my creativity. But then NaNoWriMo came around yet again and though I was originally working on a different project, I ended up coming back to this story because I know where it's going and just needed to really hammer myself down to write.
I hope ya'll enjoy this story. It was a bit tricky to write Rose and Martha's friendship from a different perspective (with Martha just now meeting Rose) and definitely tricky to decide how Rose was going to fit into this episode but I'm happy about where we ended up. The next chapter will cover the reminder of the "Human Nature" plotline as well as go into Family of Blood. I was going to break it up the same as the episodes, but since I changed so much about the plot, it was more natural to break here. I've already started working on the next chapter so hopefully an update won't be more than a week away!