A/N – Sorry this is kind of late, guys! I've been super busy with work and I only get a few hours at night to write so I'm usually all in a rush lol. I've got this weekend off though so I'm hoping to get the Army of Ghosts chapter finished and uploaded so I can start working on the chapter I know we're all waiting for! I'm excited to write it and move on to the S3 rewrite because I've got so many ideas for this story right now!
Anyway, this chapter is a little shorter than the others, but the re-write chapters will be incredibly long so hopefully that'll make up for it. This is just setting the stage for the fix it, really! So, enjoy!
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"I don't care what you say, Doctor, those weren't chips," Rose's voice was lightly argumentative as they made their way back through the still bustling alien marketplace, her fingers holding securely to The Doctor's, and he simply lifted his eyebrows at her in response.
"Well…" He trailed off, clearly ready to defend the alien delicacy, but Rose let out a small snort before he could begin, lightly nudging her shoulder against his.
"Just 'cause they were fried and made of the Klipan version of a potato doesn't make 'em the same," She pointed out, and The Doctor lightly wrinkled his nose in response, though he was smiling, deciding to let it slide.
"Okay, well, the next time we're on Earth, we'll get some proper chips, how about that? Can't have you without your favourite greasy snack, can we?" He paused for a moment, before adding innocently: "The Klipan chips DID taste nice, though."
"They tasted kinda like bananas," Rose hummed thoughtfully, before her eyes widened and she looked at The Doctor accusingly, who was openly grinning; clearly pleased with himself. "Banana flavoured chips?! Are you havin' a laugh?! God, you find a way to slip banana's into everything!"
"What? Rose, Bananas are an excellent source of potassium, vitamin B6, vitamin C and fibre, not to mention lots of other micronutrients." The Doctor pointed out indignantly, trying to defend his choice. "Actually, did you know a banana is botanically a berry? Wouldn't think it just by looking at it, doesn't really conjure up an image of a berry when you say the word, does it? But a berry is just a fruit without a stone that comes from a plant." He slipped his free hand into his pocket, not noticing the fond smile Rose shot his way as he babbled. "Anyway, the point is, the CHIPS weren't banana flavoured, they just tasted like Klipan potatoes. The salt on the other hand…"
"Banana flavoured salt?" Rose asked, disbelieving, and he shot her a wide, excited grin.
"Better! Banana INFUSED salt! Gives us all the good stuff we get from bananas along with the excellent taste." He confirmed, and Rose burst into laughter, leaning into his side lightly as her shoulders shook. God, that was just such a Doctor thing to do. Banana salt, honestly…
"I'm surprised you didn't just go and buy some for yourself," Rose laughed, and The Doctor reached into one of his inner pockets, pulling out a small yellow tub and shook it from side to side, and Rose stared silently at him for a moment. "Don't you dare start sprinklin' that on all of my food, Doctor."
"Fine, I guess I'll just save all these excellent nutritional flakes for myself," The Doctor sniffed, and Rose grinned in response as the TARDIS came into view. This trip hadn't gone the way she'd remembered it the last time she was here, but honestly, she was glad for it. She knew she'd have to repeat the battle of Canary Wharf soon enough, so feeling as though she were creating new memories with The Doctor was comforting.
The Doctor unlocked the TARDIS doors and they headed inside, prompting the ship to offer a happy hum to welcome the two of them back. The Doctor let go of Rose's hand to rush over to the console, whereas Rose simply smiled warmly at the ceiling before she moved to head for the corridor.
"I'm gonna go put my stuff in my room, alright?" Rose held up the bag she'd been gripping in her free hand, and The Doctor waved his hand to indicate she should head off, and she did so, pausing at the entrance to the hallway before she turned briefly. "Where are we goin' next?" She asked, eyes shining eagerly, and he looked back at her with a smile.
"Don't ask, it takes the mystery out of it!" He dismissed, and Rose flashed him her famous tongue in teeth smile before she disappeared, and The Doctor's own smile slowly faded, rubbing at his eyes with a soft sigh. The trail of golden energy he'd seen lingering around Rose had been worrying him for a while, since she'd come out of her room that morning. There was a strange feeling he got around her, as though timelines were being stretched and pulled in different directions.
Nothing seemed to be at risk of fracturing the universe, not that he could initially tell, at least, but something was definitely going on. He did his best to never fully focus on the timelines of his companions, as knowing too much never led to anything good, but Rose's stood out so vividly to him, it seemed to call him. It beckoned his intrigue because he was sure Rose knew something about it herself but wouldn't or couldn't tell him.
Her over-emotional greeting to him and the way she tried to stay as close to him as possible, as though she were afraid he'd disappear were big clues, but Rose seemed to brush it all aside as though it were nothing. He wanted to understand and he HATED not knowing the answer to something huge when it hung almost directly in his face.
Absently flicking a switch on the TARDIS console, The Doctor steeled himself to make a decision. He was worried about Rose and about her timelines. Why did they stand out to him? Why did they shine with golden light? What was Rose hiding from him? The questions swirled around the expanse of his mind, taunting him, goading him into doing something rash, and he sighed quietly.
Tentatively, The Doctor reached out with his mind, reaching deep to focus on Rose's timeline, which he could distinct from the rest with ease. It continued to glow gold faintly, and still called to him, though he'd managed to ignore it until now. He reached out further, intent on searching the timeline for anything out of the ordinary, only to jerk back suddenly.
He'd been mentally pushed, quite firmly too, away from the timeline, and he could hear the TARDIS humming angrily at him. She sent a spark to the button he was touching on the console, and he pulled back his hand with a curse, shaking it out before trying to nurse the light burn she'd given him.
"What's wrong with you?!" He snapped, running his fingers lightly over the reddened skin, only for her to hum apologetically in response, though he could still sense her anger. The TARDIS never approved when he DID dare to peer at the timelines of those around him, but she'd never rebuffed him so strongly – he didn't even know she COULD do that. "I'm not trying to pry, I just want to make sure Rose is okay. Her timeline shouldn't look the way it does, and I'm worried. You like Rose, aren't you worried about her?" He demanded.
The TARDIS sent a hum of agreement through his mind, along with a wave of emotion she seemed to feel in regards to Rose. His ship seemed to hold Rose in incredibly high regard, and for a moment, he was stunned into silence. He'd known the TARDIS liked Rose, she'd taken to her quite well and gave her an excellent room, whereas most of his companions got the basics - which eventually built up into more. Despite that, he'd never anticipated just HOW much the time ship would care for Rose. When had that happened?
Sighing, The Doctor sat down in the pilot's seat, flexing his fingers as he focused once more on the unique timeline of his companion, though he made no effort to delve deeper into it. Whatever was going on with Rose, the TARDIS knew something, and the old girl was keeping him in the dark. If that WERE the case, then surely, given how much the TARDIS liked her, Rose couldn't be in real danger?
Still, he'd like to know for sure…
"Just one peek?" He asked aloud, peering hopefully at the time rotor, and the ship shuddered in response, nearly throwing him off of his seat. Once he regained his balance (and his dignity) he sighed once more in defeat. "You're sure she's safe?"
The TARDIS sent waves of reassurance towards him, and The Doctor tried to let them calm him down. He was going to find out the mysteries revolving around Rose Tyler soon enough, he was sure of it. He wondered if she was even aware of the changes her timeline had gone through the past day or so, or if he was just so worried he was letting his imagination run wild.
Until The Doctor was sure, he would keep quiet, not wanting to worry Rose needlessly. For now, he'd trust the TARDIS, at least until he couldn't stop himself from trying to peek at her timeline again. He was INCREDIBLY curious, after all. It almost always led him into trouble.
Standing up, The Doctor moved back to the console, trying to push the situation to the back of his mind for the time being so he could focus instead on taking Rose somewhere he was sure she'd love. Flipping a switch, he moved to turn a dial, smiling faintly as an idea came to mind.
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Shutting the door to her room, Rose let out a long exhale, resting her head back against the cool metal, her mind a complete whirl. She'd decided to put her bag away primarily as an excuse to have a chance to breathe. Being with The Doctor again was everything she'd ever hoped, but she hated keeping secrets from him, and having him so close and not being able to feel their bond was still surprisingly painful.
With John, it had become normal for them both to reach out to one another through the bond, sending waves of love and comfort. It had become as common as holding hands and she still found herself subconsciously trying to reach out with her mind, though she knew technically there WAS no bond. John didn't exist here, so the bond had never technically been struck in this timeline.
She could still remember how it felt to BE bonded, which would explain her attempts to reach out and her conscious awareness of how quiet it was inside of her head, but there was no pain to cripple her every time she thought about John, and that in itself was a huge relief. For the first time in a year, she felt like she could think clearly again.
Dropping the bag down onto her bed, Rose opened it up, taking out the few things she'd bought from the asteroid bazaar. She'd picked up a pretty scarf that shifted colours in the light, the bazoolium trinket, plus some kind of alien hairdryer with different dials which could not only blow dry her hair but curl it and straighten it, along with lots of other settings she couldn't wait to try out.
There were a few other small items, but the things she had deemed MOST important were two coils of pure white rope she'd bought whilst The Doctor's back had been turned. The vendor had assured her it was the strongest rope available to the general public at that time, and was made of a special fibre called Gorona. Apparently, it couldn't be physically be cut or torn, and if what he'd said was to be believed, Rose felt like she'd just found her safety net to help her stay with The Doctor during the battle of Canary Wharf.
"Time to test it out, I guess – that bloke better not have ripped me off," Rose muttered to herself, moving over to her vanity. She picked up a pair of scissors, snipping them lightly before she rested the rope between the blades. It wasn't incredibly thick, nor did it look very strong, but Rose was willing to try to give it a chance. She tried to cut down on the rope, but was met with some resistance. Encouraged, Rose tried to open and close the scissors rapidly on the rope, but didn't even seem to be making a dent in the material.
Setting the scissors down, Rose dropped one end of the rope on the ground and stepped on it, gripping the rest of the coil firmly in her hands. Pulling it as hard as she could, she gritted her teeth, straining as much as possible until she could feel her muscles burning in protest. Relaxing once she was sure she couldn't pull anymore, Rose let out a huff of air before inspecting the rope, smiling slowly when she realised there wasn't even a scuff mark.
"Alrigh', definitely not ripped off, then." Glancing at the ceiling, Rose held up the coil with a smile. "What d'you think? Will it help?"
The TARDIS sent a wave of encouragement to the blonde, and confidence welled up within her, prompting her smile to turn to a grin as she set her purchase down on the bed.
"Right, now I just gotta figure out how to carry this rope around with me when I'm at Torchwood," She mused to herself thoughtfully. "Could carry a bag with me, I guess…" Setting her hands on her hips, Rose frowned down at the rope, only to blink in surprise as an image of her TARDIS blue jacket flickered to life in her mind. Touching her temple, she shot another curious look at the ceiling. Ever since she'd returned from the other world, she'd noticed her connection with the TARDIS was even stronger than before. She'd been able to sense and feel the ship after the Bad Wolf incident, but now she could understand her so easily.
It was confusing, but Rose certainly wasn't going to complain. She needed all the help she could get, after all.
Lifting up her jacket from the bed, Rose checked the outer pockets, but they seemed relatively normal. She wasn't sure how this could help her hide two coils of rope, and turned it around, pausing when she noticed pockets in the inner lining that she hadn't seen earlier when she'd put it on. Reaching inside one of them, Rose's eyes slowly widened as her hand didn't stop, moving past the wrist and then up to her elbow. Rose couldn't help it, she laughed loudly, pulling back her hand as her grin only broadened.
"Oh, he's not gonna be happy that he's not the only one with bigger on the inside pockets anymore!" She noted gleefully, giggling at the mere thought of the look that would appear on his face when he found out. "This is PERFECT, thank you!"
Picking up the coils of rope, she slipped them into the pockets, noticing curiously that the weight hadn't changed at all. She supposed much like how the TARDIS operated on a multi-dimensional level; the pockets did too, rendering their mass null. She wasn't a genius, nor did she fully understand Time Lord Technology, but that was her best guess.
Hanging the jacket over her bedpost, Rose picked up the bazoolium trinket she'd bought for Jackie, setting it down on top of her vanity. Her thoughts began to stray to her mother as she looked down at the small object, thinking back on her idea to try to give her mum a piece of her original universe when she went over to Pete's world.
"Don't s'pose you've got any bigger on the inside bags for me too?" Rose asked hopefully, directing the question towards the TARDIS. The ship seemed to understand her intent, clever girl that she was, and Rose's closet door opened by its own accord, revealing what looked to be a small sling bag in a matching colour to her jacket hanging inside. Delighted, Rose took the bag, opening it up before reaching her hand inside, noting gleefully that she could get her full arm inside before she hit what felt like the bottom.
"Thank you, sweetheart," Rose smiled fondly as she drew back her hand, choosing to rest it on the wall and trying to send a wave of gratitude out telepathically. It was difficult, not having a specific bond to focus on, but when she felt a warm sensation of love wash over her in response, she sighed, content.
It struck her then, that she'd nicknamed the TARDIS without thinking too much about it, and she wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it all. God, now she finally understood where The Doctor was coming from when he'd whisper lovingly to the console and stroke it when he thought she wasn't looking. He was just showing his love and affection to the old girl, and Rose honestly couldn't blame him for it now.
"Everythin's comin' together," She noted after a moment, moving to sit at her vanity, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Her fingers moved to run through her hair, tilting her head from side to side. When she'd seen her reflection earlier, she'd thought she looked younger, but did she?
Looking at herself now, Rose honestly didn't think she didn't look that much different than she had seven years ago. Well, compared to how she'd looked in Pete's world – Blimey, it would take some getting used to trying to figure out her tenses.
Reaching out, Rose picked up the bazoolium again, running her thumbs over the metal thoughtfully. She was going to see her mum again soon for the last time in a while, she knew that. She knew she'd eventually see Jackie again once the stars started to go out, but still. As far as Jackie knew, once she was in Pete's world, she'd never see her daughter again, and though Rose was sure The Doctor would help her say goodbye to her mum the way he'd said goodbye to her, two minutes just wasn't enough.
Setting it down, Rose reached instead for a piece of paper and a pen, turning it thoughtfully in her fingers before she ducked down her head and began to write. She'd leave the letter in the bag with the photo albums she'd collect for Jackie, and Rose hoped it would be something for Jackie to hold onto while they couldn't see each other.
It was the best she could do, for now.
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"There she is! Blimey, you said you were only putting your shopping away, how much stuff did you actually get? Then again, you can fit twenty things into one single bag somehow; your packing skills never cease to amaze me."
The Doctor's babbling was a welcome distraction as Rose made her way back to the console room, moving over to the jump seat and sitting down on it, watching as the Time Lord moved grandly around the circle of buttons, gears and levers he claimed to know so well. Writing the letter to her mum had left her feeling overly emotional, and frankly, she felt like she needed something to lift her spirits.
"That's my old shop girl instincts kickin' in there," Rose quipped in response, lightly tugging at the sleeves of the jacket she'd chosen to put back on. "Those skills are good for somethin' afterall, eh?"
The Doctor flashed Rose a grin in response, pulling down a lever before he moved backwards, sweeping out his arms grandly as he gestured to the TARDIS doors. With Rose in the room again, her timeline seemed to shine even brighter, illuminating his senses to the point of near distraction. He wasn't sure how the TARDIS expected him to hold back on discovering the truth, but he could only hope it wouldn't take too long.
He wasn't sure how long he could resist the temptation when it was presented so openly to him like this.
"Right then, Rose Tyler! Out there, the year six-hundred and fifty thousand by the Earth calendar, but we're NOT on Earth; instead we're on the planet Huru. Been a while since I've been here, honestly but from what I remember, they're supposed to have INCREDIBLE ice cream. Well, I say ice cream, it's not, but it's close enough, honestly." He tugged lightly at his earlobe as he mused. "More importantly, though, this is supposed to be their golden year of peace, which means a week-long celebration. There'll be music, culture, dancing, plus, some brilliant food. No chips, unfortunately for you, but you'll find a way to cope, I'm sure."
"This ice cream doesn't taste purely of bananas, right?" Rose asked, lifting her eyebrows, though she was grinning, and The Doctor rolled his eyes slightly.
"Everything I just said and you focus on that? No, the ice cream doesn't taste of bananas, honestly, that's not all I think about Rose." He shook his head, mockingly disappointed, and Rose snorted.
"Could've fooled me," She shot back, but The Doctor chose to tactfully ignore the jab, holding out his hand with a smile.
"Well? What d'you say Rose Tyler? Brave new world out there, ready to celebrate five-hundred years of peace – it's not something you see every day."
Smiling back at him, Rose could see the hope in his eyes, and she softened considerably, pushing herself to stand. She didn't reply with words, choosing instead to take his hand, linking their fingers together with ease.
It was time for another adventure.