Mickey Smith knocked on the door of the Tardis. He was surprised when a man he didn't recognize opened the door and leaned against it. "Who the hell are you?"
"What do you mean, who the hell am I? Who the hell are you?"
"Captain Jack Harkness. Whatever your selling, we're not buying."
"Oh, get out of my way!" He said and pushed past him.
"Don't tell me. This must be Mickey."
"Here comes trouble! How're you doing, Ricky boy?"
"It's Mickey!"
"Don't listen to him, he's winding you up." Rose smiled.
"You look fantastic," he murmured. They hugged.
The Doctor and Jack watched. The Doctor was stood on a ladder, meddling with something.
"Aw, sweet, look at these two. How come I never get any of that?" Jack whined.
"Buy me a drink first."
"You're such hard work."
"But worth it," he grinned.
"Did you manage to find it?" Rose asked.
He nodded and handed her a passport. "There you go."
"I can go anywhere now." Rose boasted.
"I told you, you don't need a passport."
"It's all very well going to Platform One and Justicia and the Glass Pyramid of San Kaloon, but what if we end up in Brazil? I might need it. You see, I'm prepared for anything."
"Sounds like your staying, then." Mickey said sadly.
Rose looked away awkwardly.
"So, what're you doing in Cardiff? And who the hell's Jumping Jack Flash? I mean, I don't mind you hanging out with big-ears up there-"
"Oi!"
"Look in the mirror. But this guy, I don't know, he's kind of..."
"Handsome?"
"More like cheesy."
"Early twenty first Century slang. Is cheesy good or bad?"
"It's bad."
"But bad means good, isn't that right?"
"Are you saying I'm not handsome?" The Doctor protested.
Piper rolled her eyes. "Yes, Doctor. You're drop dead gorgeous. Now, stop thinking otherwise, kay?"
Everyone stared at her.
"What? I don't like it when people doubt themselves based on their looks. It's personality I go for," she muttered.
The Doctor smiled gently at her, touched at her statement.
"We just stopped off. We need to refuel. The thing is, Cardiff's got this rift running through the middle of the city. It's invisible, but it's like an earthquake fault between different dimensions." Rose started.
"The rift was healed back in 1869." The Doctor said.
"Thanks to a girl named Gwyneth, because these creatures called the Gelth were using the rift as a gateway but she saved the world and closed it." Piper added.
"But closing a rift always leaves a scar, and that scar generates energy, harmless to the human race." Jack said grinning.
"But perfect for the Tardis, so just park it here for a couple of days right on top of the scar and-"
"Open up the engines, soak up the radiation-"
"Like filling her up with petrol and off we go!"
"Into time!"
Mickey watched them as they high fived each other and stared. "My God, have you seen yourselves? You all think you're so clever, don't you?"
"Yeah."
"Yeah."
"Yep."
"Kinda."
"Should take another twenty four hours, which means we've got time to kill."
"That old lady's staring."
"Probably wondering what five people could do inside a small wooden box."
"What are you captain of, the Innuendo Squad?" Mickey snapped, glaring at him.
Jack made a rude gesture and began to walk away.
"Wait, the Tardis, we can't just leave it. Doesn't it get noticed?"
"Yeah, what's with the police box? Why does it look like that?"
"It's a cloaking device."
"It's called a chameleon circuit. The Tardis is meant to disguise itself wherever it lands, like if this was Ancient Rome, it'd be a statue on a plinth or something. But I landed in the 1960s, it disguised itself as a police box, and the circuit got stuck." The Doctor explained.
"So it copied a real thing? There actually was police boxes?"
"Yeah, on street corners. Phone for help before they had radios and mobiles. If they arrested someone, they could shove them inside till help came, like a little prison cell."
"Why don't you just fix the circuit?" Jack wanted to know.
"I like it, don't you?"
"I love it." Rose grinned, patting the box.
"Same," Piper smiled.
"But that's what I meant. There's no police boxes anymore, so doesn't it get noticed?"
"Ricky, let me tell you something about the human race. You put a mysterious blue box slap bang in the middle of town, what do they do? Walk past it. Now, stop your nagging. Let's go and explore."
Mickey rolled his eyes.
"What's the plan?" Rose asked.
"I don't know. Cardiff, early twenty first century and the wind's coming from the east. Trust me. Safest place in the universe."
"This nuclear power station right in the heart of Cardiff city will bring jobs for all. As you can see, as Lord Mayor, I've had to sanction some radical redevelopments. No photographs! What did I say? Take pictures of the project by all means, but not me, thank you. So, Cardiff Castle will be demolished allowing the Blaidd Drwg Project to rise up, tall and proud. A monument to Welsh industry. And yes, some of you might shiver. The words nuclear power station and major population center aren't exactly the happiest of bedfellows. But I give you my personal guarantee that as long as I walk upon this Earth, no harm will come to any of my citizens. Now, drink up. A toast. To the future!"
Everyone in the room clapped.
"To the future!" They cheered.
"And believe me it will glow."
"Excuse me, Mrs. Blaine? My name's Cathy Salt, I represent the Cardiff Gazette."
"I'm sorry, I'm not doing interviews. I can't bear self publicity." Margret the Slitheen dismissed.
"But are you aware of the curse?"
Margret stopped. "Whatever do you mean? Cathy, wasn't it?"
Cathy smiled. "Cathy Salt. That's what some of your engineers are saying, that the Blaidd Drwg Project is cursed."
"Sounds rather silly to me."
"That's what I thought. I was just chasing a bit of local color. But the funny thing is, when you start piecing it all together, it does begin to look a bit odd."
Margret's smile faded. "In what way?" She questioned tensely.
Cathy didn't seem to notice the small change. "The deaths, The number of deaths associated with this project. First of all, there was the entire team of the European Safety Inspectors."
"But they were French! Its not my fault if Danger Explosives was only written in Welsh."
"And then there was that accident with the Cardiff Heritage Committee."
"The electrocution of that swimming pool was put down to natural wear and tear." Margret said firmly.
"And then the architect?"
"It was raining, visibility was low. my car simply couldn't stop."
"And then just recently, Mister Cleaver, the government's nuclear adviser."
"Slipped on an icy patch."
Cathy frowned. "He was decapitated."
"It was a very icy patch. I'm afraid these stories are nothing more than typical small town thinking. I really haven't got time. If you'll excuse me-"
Cathy tried again. "Except, before he died, Mister Cleaver posted some of his findings online."
"Did he now?"
"If you know where to look. He was concerned about the reactor."
"Oh, all that technical stuff!"
"Specifically, that the design of the suppression pool would cause the hydrogen recombiners to fail, precipitating in the collapse in the containment isolation system and resulting in a meltdown."
"Who's been doing her homework?"
"That's my job."
"I think, Cathy Salt, I think you and I should have a word in private." She pulled the dark haired woman down the corridor. "Oh! My little tum is complaining. I think we might have to make a detour to the ladies."
"I'll wait here."
"Oh, come on. All girls together." They half walked - half ran to the bathroom. "So, you were saying. These outlandish theories of yours?"
Margret ran into the nearest cubical and closed the door. There was a squelching sound.
"Sounds like we got here just in time."
"Continue."
"Well, I don't know much about nuclear physics, but from what I could make out, Cleaver was saying that the whole project could go up worse than Chernobyl."
Underneath the toilet door, a blue light lit up. "Is there something wrong with the lights?"
"Oh, they're always on the blink. I can't tell you how many memos I've sent. So, Chernobyl."
"Apparently, but a thousand times worse. I know it sounds absurd, there must be so many safety regulations. But Cleaver seemed to be talking about a nuclear holocaust. He almost made it sound deliberate. I mean, we're hardly the Sunday Times, we're only the Cardiff Gazette, but we still have a duty to report the facts."
"And you're going to print this information?" Margret demanded.
Cathy frowned in concern. "Are you all right? You sound a bit-"
"Sore throat. Ahem, ahem. Just a little tickle. But tell me, do you intend to make this information public?"
"I have to." Cathy replied, not knowing the danger she was in.
"So be it." Margret raised a claw but stopped at Cathy's next words.
"Mind you, my boyfriend thinks I'm mad. We're getting married next month, and he says if I cause a fuss, I could lose my job just when we need the money."
"Boyfriend?"
"Jeffery. Civil Servant. He's nothing exciting, but he's mine." Cathy smiled softly.
"When's the wedding?"
"The nineteenth. It's really just to stop my mother from nagging, but the baby sort of clinched it, I suppose."
"You're with child?" Margret said softly and sat on the toilet seat.
"Three months. It's not showing yet. Wasn't planned, it was an accident. Nice accident, though."
"Congratulations."
"Thank you. How about you? You got any kids?"
"No."
"Is there a Mister Blaine?"
"Not anymore. I'm all on my own. I had quite a sizeable family, once upon a time. Wonderful brothers. Oh, they were bold. But all of them gone now. Maybe you're right. Maybe I'm cursed."
"No, no, I don't think so. Not really."
"You're very kind. If you don't mind, I might be a while. You run along. Perhaps we could do this another day."
"Are you all right?"
"Fine!"
"Okay, I'll tell you what. I'll leave my details with your office. Thanks for talking."
"Thank you." She sat sadly in the cubical as Cathy left, lost in the memories of her long dead family.
The Doctor, Piper, Rose, Jack and Mickey were sat at a table in a café. They were laughing at the story Jack was telling them. "I swear, six feet tall and with big tusks."
"You're lying through your teeth!"
"I'd have gone bonkers! That's the word - bonkers!"
"I mean, it turns out the white things are tusks and I mean tusks! And it's woken, and it's not happy."
"How could you not know it was there?"
"And we're standing there, fifteen of us, naked."
"Naked?!"
"And I'm like, oh, no, no, it's got nothing to do with me. And then it roars, and we are running. Oh my God, we are running! And Brakovitch falls, so I turn to him and I say-"
"I knew we should've turned left!" Mickey cried.
"That's my line!"
As they were laughing, the Doctor looked away and caught sight of a man reading a paper and his grin faded as he saw the picture on the cover. He stood up and walked over to the man and snatched the paper out of his hands and read it. The others turned, noticing his look. "And I was having such a nice day." He held up the paper grimly. On the cover was a large picture of Margret. She had her hand over her face.
They stopped in a foyer and stood in a line. "According to intelligence, the target is the last surviving member of the Slitheen family, a criminal sect from the planet Raxacoricofallapatorious, masquerading as a human being, zipped inside a skin suit. Okay, plan of attack, we assume a basic fifty seven fifty six strategy, covering all available exits on the ground floor. Doctor, you go face to face. That'll designate Exit One, I'll cover Exit Two. Rose and Piper, you two Exit Three. Mickey Smith, you take Exit Four. Have you got that?" Jack spoke with Doctor just stared at him.
"Excuse me. Who's in charge?"
"Sorry. Awaiting orders, sir."
Rose and Piper looked down, grinning.
The Doctor looked straight ahead. "Right, here's the plan." He paused. "Like he said. Nice plan. Anything else?"
Piper and Rose's grin widened.
"Present arms." They each pulled out a phone.
"Ready."
"Ready."
"Ready."
"Ready."
"Ready. Speed dial?"
"Yep."
"Ready."
"Check."
"Gotcha."
"See you in hell." Jack said before walking off.
They all separated.
The Doctor stopped at a desk. A man looked up. "Hello, I've come to see the Lord Mayor."
"Have you got an appointment?" The man enquired.
"No, just an old friend passing by. Bit of a surprise. Can't wait to see her face." He grinned.
"Well, she's just having a cup of tea."
"Just go in there and tell her the Doctor would like to see her."
"Doctor who?"
"Just the Doctor. Tell her exactly that. The Doctor."
The man sighed and stood up. "Hang on a tick." The Doctor waited while he went inside and a few seconds later, heard a cup smash on the floor. The man hurried out the door. "The Lord Mayor says thank you for popping by. She'd love to have a chat, but, erm, she's up to her eyes in paperwork. Perhaps if you could make an appointment for next week?
But the Doctor wasn't fooled. "She's climbing out of the window, isn't she?"
"Yes, she is."
The Doctor shoved past him and ran into the room. He ran out onto the balcony, catching sight of Margret escaping. "Slitheen heading north."
"On my way."
"Over and out."
"Oh my God."
"Leave the Mayor alone!" The receptionist wrestled with the Doctor.
"Margaret!" The Doctor sang. He climbed down the ladder as Margaret removed her earrings and brooch.
"Who's on Exit Four?" Jack cried in irritation.
"That was Mickey!" Rose said.
"Here I am."
"Mickey the idiot."
"Oh, be fair. she's not exactly going to outrun us, is she?" Rose defended him.
A second later, she vanished.
"Um, what you were saying?" Piper mocked.
"She's got a teleport! That's cheating! Now we're never going to get her."
"Oh, the Doctor's very good at teleports." Rose beamed.
The Doctor held up his sonic screwdriver and Margaret reappeared, running towards them. Her smile faded and she ran back into the opposite direction and disappeared. This happened a few times before she finally stopped in front of them.
"I could do this all day."
"This is persecution. Why can't you leave me alone? What did I ever do to you?"
"You tried to kill me and destroy this entire planet."
"Apart from that."
"So, you're a Slitheen, you're on Earth, you're trapped. Your family get killed but you teleport out just in the nick of time. You have no means of escape. What do you do? You build a nuclear power station. But what for?" The Doctor asked as they walked back inside.
"A philanthropic gesture. I've learnt the error of my ways."
"And it just so happens to be right on top of the rift."
"What rift would that be?" Margret asked, as if she didn't know.
"A rift in space and time. If this power station went into meltdown, the entire planet would go boom!"
"This station is designed to explode the minute it reaches capacity."
"Didn't anyone notice? Isn't there someone in London checking this sort of stuff?"
"Rose? We're not in London. We're in Cardiff. It's different," Piper pointed out.
"We're in Cardiff. London doesn't care. The South Wales coast could fall into the sea and they wouldn't notice. Oh. I sound like a Welshman. God help me, I've gone native."
"But why would she do that? A great big explosion, she'd only end up killing herself."
"She's got a name, you know." Margret hissed angrily.
"She's not even a she, she's a thing."
"Oh, but she's clever." He pulled the middle section out of the model and turned it over to reveal electronics underneath. "Fantastic."
Jack stared in awe. "Is that a tribophysical waveform macro-kinetic extrapolator?"
The Doctor stared at him. "Couldn't have put it better myself."
"Ooh, genius! You didn't build this."
"I have my hobbies. A little tinkering."
"No, no, no. I mean, you really didn't build this. Way beyond you."
The Doctor got distracted by a banner and went to look at it.
"I bet she stole it."
"It fell into my hands."
"Is it a weapon?"
"It's transport. You see, if the reactor blows, the rift opens. Phenomenal cosmic disaster. But this thing shrouds you in a forcefield. You have this energy bubble, so you're safe. Then you feed it coordinates, stand on top, and ride the concussion all the way out of the solar system." Jack explained with passion in his voice.
"It's a surfboard."
"A pan-dimensional surfboard, yeah."
"And it would've worked. Id have surfed away from this dead end dump and back to civilization." Margret said angrily.
"You'd blow up a whole planet just to get a lift?" Mickey asked in disbelief. How could anyone be so cruel?
"Like stepping on an anthill." She sneered in disgust.
"How'd you think of the name?"
"What, Blaidd Drwg? It's Welsh."
"I know, but how did you think of it?"
"I chose it at random, that's all. I don't know. It just sounded good. Does it matter?" She stopped just behind Rose.
"Blaidd Drwg." The Doctor repeated, turning around.
"What's it mean?"
"Bad Wolf."
"But I've heard that before. Bad Wolf. I've heard that lots of times."
"Yeah. It's really weird," Piper commented.
"Everywhere we go. Two words following us. Bad Wolf."
"How can they be following us?"
The Doctor stood there looking troubled before he grinned. "Nah, just a coincidence. Like hearing a word on the radio then hearing it all day." Rose rolled her eyes at him. "Never mind. Things to do. Margaret, we're going to take you home."
"Hold on, isn't that the easy option, like letting her go?"
Rose jumped up and down and laughed. "I don't believe it! We actually get to go to Raxa-" She stopped and the Doctor rolled his eyes. "Wait a minute! Raxacor-"
"Raxacoricofallapatorius."
"Raxacorico-"
"Fallapatorius."
"Raxacoricofallapatorius. That's it! I did it!"
They hugged.
"They have the death penalty." Margret said suddenly. Everyone turned to look at her. "The family Slitheen were tried in its absence many years ago and found guilty with no chance of appeal. According to the statutes of government, the moment I return, I am to be executed. What do you make of that, Doctor? Take me home and you take me to my death."
Their grins faded and Rose looked away awkwardly.
"Not my problem." The Doctor said.
"This ship is impossible. It's superb. How do you get the outside around the inside?"
"Like I'd give you the secret, yeah."
"I almost feel better about being defeated. I never stood a chance. This is the technology of the Gods."
"Don't worship me. I'd make a very bad God. You wouldn't get a day off, for starters. Jack, how we doing, big fella?"
"This extrapolator's top of the range. Where did you get it?"
"Oh, I don't know. Some airlock sale?"
"Must've been a great big heist. It's stacked with power."
"But we can use it for fuel?"
"It's not compatible, but it should knock off about twelve hours. We'll be ready to go by morning."
"Then we're stuck here overnight."
"I'm in no hurry."
"We've got a prisoner. The police box is really a police box."
"You're not just police, though. Since you're taking me to my death, that makes you my executioners. Each and every one of you."
"Well, you deserve it."
"You're very quick to say so. You're very quick to soak your hands in my blood, which makes you better than me, how, exactly? Long night ahead Let's see who can look me in the eye."
She looked at each of them but no one could hold her gaze for very long.
Mickey stood outside staring into the distance. Rose joined him.
"It's freezing out here!"
"Better than in there. She does deserve it. She's a Slitheen. I don't care. It's just weird in that box."
"I didn't really need my passport." Rose admitted.
Mickey smiled. Rose grinned. "I've been thinking, you know, we could go have a drink. Have a pizza or something. Just you and me."
"That'd be nice."
"And, I mean, if the Tardis can't leave until morning, we could go to a hotel, spend the night. I mean, if you want to. I've got some money."
"Okay, yeah."
"Is that all right?" Mickey asked cautiously, as if he were scared she would reject him.
This made Rose feel slightly guilty. "Yeah."
"Cool. There's a couple of bars around here. We should give them a go. Do you have to go and tell him?"
Rose looked back at the Tardis. "It's none of his business."
The Doctor watched as Mickey and Rose walked away on the scanner. He turned it off just as Jack stopped next to him.
"So, what's on?"
"Nothing, just..."
Margret was sat nearby. "I gather it's not always like this, having to wait. I bet you're always the first to leave, Doctor. Never mind the consequences, off you go. You butchered my family and then ran for the stars, am I right? But not this time. At last you have consequences. How does it feel?" She asked spitefully.
"I didn't butcher them." He said, not bothering to look at her.
"Don't answer back. That's what she wants."
"I didn't. What about you? You had an emergency teleport. You didn't zap them to safety, did you?"
"It only carries one. I had to fly without coordinates. I ended up on a skip in the Isle of Dogs."
The Doctor, Jack and Piper started laughing.
"t wasn't funny."
"Sorry. It is a bit funny."
Margret chuckled. "Do I get a last request?"
"Depends what it is." He said carefully.
"I grew quite fond of my little human life. All those rituals. The brushing of the teeth, and the complicated way they cook things. There's a little restaurant just round the Bay. It became quite a favourite of mine."
The Doctor raised his eyebrows and looked at her. "Is that what you want, a last meal?"
"Don't I have rights?" She snapped.
"Oh, like she's not going to try to escape." Jack said.
"Except I can never escape the Doctor, so where's the danger? I wonder if you could do it? To sit with a creature you're about to kill and take supper. How strong is your stomach?"
"Strong enough."
"I wonder. I've seen you fight your enemies, now dine with them."
"You won't change my mind."
"Prove it." Margret ordered.
"There are people out there. If you slip away just for one second, they'll be in danger."
"Except I've got these." Jack turned around, holding some bracelets. "You both wear one. If she moves more than ten feet away, she gets zapped by ten thousand volts." Margret cringed as Jack demonstrated.
Piper leaned in to whisper in his ear. "I think you should go but whatever you do, don't listen to her lies and tricks," she warned.
The Doctor nodded and turned to Margret, smiling. "Margaret, would you like to come out to dinner? My treat."
"Dinner in bondage. Works for me." She smirked.
The Doctor and Margret sat at a table. They were handed menu's and the Doctor flicked through his so he wouldn't have to look at her.
"Here we are, out on a date, and you haven't even asked my proper name." Margret commented, feeling put out.
"It's not a date. What's your name?"
"Blon. I am Blon Fel Fotch Passameer-Day Slitheen. That's what it'll say on my death certificate."
"Nice to meet you, Blon." He wasn't stupid. He knew she was trying to make him feel guilty over taking her home so he would let her go but he wasn't going to fall for it.
"I'm sure. Look, that's where I was living as Margaret. Nice little flat, over there, on the top. Next to the one with the light on." She pointed and the Doctor turned to look. While his back was turned, she quickly poured a powder like substance into his drink. She smiled when he turned back. Her smile faded when he grinned back, switching their glasses round. "Two bedrooms, bayside view. I was rather content. Don't suppose I'll see it again."
"Suppose not."
"Thank you."
"Pleasure." He replied and went back to reading his menu.
Margret leaned forward, changing tactics. "Tell me then, Doctor. What do you know of our species?"
"Only what I've seen."
"Did you know, for example, in extreme cases, when her life is in danger, a female Raxacoricofallapatorian can manufacture a poison dart within her own finger." She held up a finger and pointed it at him. A dart flew out of her finger but luckily, he caught it.
"Yes, I did."
"Just checking." She leaned back in her seat. "And one more thing. between you and me." They glanced around as if someone were listening in and leaned in. "As a final resort, the excess poison can be exhaled through the lungs." She started to exhale but coughed and spluttered when he sprayed some freshener into her mouth.
"That's better. Now then, what do you think? Mmm, steak looks nice. Steak and chips."
She glared at him then smiled.
Rose and Mickey stood by the railings overlooking the water. Rose was lost in her memories, talking animatedly of her adventures in the Tardis. Mickey listened quietly, his heart breaking bit by bit the more he listened. It was like Rose had forgotten they had once been together and it killed him inside. It was like the time they spent together had meant nothing to her, like she'd moved on - moved onto the Doctor. It devastated him. He still loved her and had waited for her, first when she had vanished for a whole year and now. Why couldn't she see that? A part of him blamed the Doctor for taking her away from him but he knew it wasn't really his fault. Not that he was ever going to admit it to the man's face. Listening to her talk about him and the Tardis was driving him insane. Didn't she care that it was hurting him? Did she even think of how it would hurt him? Probably not. Did she even care that he was spending his life waiting for her to come back to him? Again, probably not. He could tell Piper knew what he was going through by the sad looks she gave him.
"The Doctor took us to this planet a while back. It was much colder than this. They called it Woman Wept. The planet was actually called Woman Wept, because if you looked at it, right, from above, there's like this huge continent, like all curved round. It sort of looked like a woman, you know, lamenting. Oh my God, and we went to this beach, right. No people, no buildings, just this beach like a thousand miles across. And something had happened, something to do with the sun, I don't know, but the sea had just frozen. In a split second, in the middle of a storm, right, waves and foam, just frozen, all the way out to the horizon. Midnight, right, we walk underneath these waves a hundred feet tall, made of ice." She was saying happily.
"I'm going out with Trisha Delaney." Mickey said randomly. He could see the surprise in her eyes and felt satisfaction.
"Right. That's nice." She nodded her head slowly as she absorbed this new bit of information. "Trisha from the shop?"
"Yeah, Rob Delany's sister."
"Well, she's nice. She's a bit big."
"She lost weight." He said quickly. "You've been away."
"Well, good for you. She's nice."
Mickey turned to look at her. "So, tell us more about this planet, then." He requested cheerfully.
"That was it, really." Rose trailed off absently. Her happiness was gone and all she could think about was what Mickey had just told her.
Piper watched Jack as he walked around the Tardis. Her thoughts were mainly on Rose and Mickey's crumbling relationship but every now and then her thoughts would stray to the Doctor. She hoped he was okay but she knew he was more than capable of taking care of himself. She couldn't understand how Rose couldn't see how much Mickey was hurting. How much she was hurting him. All she ever talking about was the Doctor and their adventures and she knew it must be killing Mickey to have to listen. She also knew that her friend was still in love with Rose but it looked like Rose no longer held those feeling for him. The worst part was that Rose didn't seem to notice or care about Mickey's feelings on the subject. She noticed how Rose would cough awkwardly or look away when their relation came up. It was annoying and wrong. How could she treat Mickey like that. He deserved better than that.
Jack looked up at her from what he was doing. "So what's on your mind?"
She looked up, startled. "What makes you think there's something on my mind?" She stuttered.
"Cause you look kinda angry."
Piper bit her lip, unsure if she should bring it up or not. In the end she gave in. "It's Rose."
"What about Rose?"
"Her and Mickey used to be in a relationship. But the Doctor showed up in our lives, took us with him and it's changed everything. We didn't came back until a year later only to find out we were missing. Ever since then, Rose had been distant with Mickey. She's awkward around him, especially when their relationship or the mention of her staying here pops up and I can see it's hurting him but she doesn't seem to notice it. Either that or she just doesn't care. Mickey's a good friend and he deserves better than what she's doing to him."
Jack listened intently. "So what are you gonna do?"
Piper sighed. "I dunno. Talk to her, maybe? Give Mickey a shoulder to lean on if he wants it."
Jack smirked.
"Get your damn mind out of the gutter!" She growled.
He held his hands up. "Seems we're all havin some problems. Let's hope the Doctor's doing better than we are," he murmured.
Back in the restaurant, Margret was explaining how her species executed one another. "Public execution's a slow death. They prepare a thin acetic acid, lower me into the cauldron and boil me. The acidity is perfectly gauged to strip away the skin. Internal organs fall out into the liquid, and I become soup. And still alive, still screaming."
"I don't make the law." He protested.
"But you deliver it. Will you stay to watch?" She asked defiantly.
"What else can I do?"
"The Slitheen family's huge. There's a lot more of us, all scattered off-world. Take me to them. Take me somewhere safe." She pleaded.
"But then you'll just start again."
"I promise I won't."
The Doctor shook his head in pity. "You've been in that skin suit too long. You've forgotten. There used to be a real Margaret Blaine. You killed her and stripped her and used the skin. You're pleading for mercy out of a dead woman's lips."
Margret's eyes darkened. "Perhaps I have got used to it. A human life, an ordinary life. That's all I'm asking. Give me a chance, Doctor. I can change."
"I don't believe you."
"So, what do you want to do now?" Mickey wondered.
"Don't mind." Rose murmured. Her mind was still on Mickey's words.
"We could ask about hotels." He suggested.
"What would Trisha Delaney say?" She asked, trying to hide the jealousy in her voice. She had no right to be jealous. She had left him. She no longer had any claim to him, not really. But still...
"Suppose. There's a bar down there with a Spanish name or something-"
He was cut off when Rose turned around angrily. "You don't even like Trisha Delaney!" She accused.
"Oh, is that right? What the hell do you know?" He bit back angrily. What would she know? She had left him.
"I know you, And I know her. And I know that's never going to happen. So who do you think you're kidding?" She demanded spitefully.
"At least I know where she is!" He cried, finally showing his true feelings.
"There we are, then. It's got nothing to do with Trisha. This is all about me, isn't it?"
Mickey stared at her in hurt. "You left me! We were nice, we were happy. And then what? You give me a kiss and you run off with him, and you make me feel like nothing, Rose. I was nothing. I can't even go out with a stupid girl from a shop because you pick up the phone and I comes running. I mean, is that what I am, Rose, standby? Am I just supposed to sit here for the rest of my life, waiting for you? Because I will." His eyes filled with tears but he refused to let them fall.
Rose tried to touch him but he pulled away from her. "I'm sorry." She said quietly.
"I promise you I've changed since we last met, Doctor. There was this girl, just today. A young thing, something of a danger. She was getting too close. I felt the blood lust rising, just as the family taught me, I was going to kill her without a thought. And then I stopped. She's alive somewhere right now. She's walking around this city because I can change. I did change. I know I can't prove it."
"I believe you."
Margret paused. "Then you know I'm capable of better."
The Doctor shook his head knowingly. "It doesn't mean anything."
"I spared her life." She protested.
"You let one of them go, but that's nothing new. Every now and then, a little victim's spared because she smiled, because he's got freckles, because they begged. And that's how you live with yourself. That's how you slaughter millions. Because once in a while, on a whim, if the wind's in the right direction, you happen to be kind."
Knowing he wasn't going to change his mind she changed tactics again. "Only a killer would know that. Is that right? From what I've seen, your funny little happy go lucky little life leaves devastation in its wake. Always moving on because you dare not look back. Playing with so many peoples lives, you might as well be a god. And you're right, Doctor. You're absolutely right. Sometimes you let one go. Let me go."
"I'm not asking you to leave him, because I know that's not fair. But I just need something, yeah? Some sort of promise that when you do come back, you're coming back for me." Mickey told Rose.
There was a deep rumble, distracting her from Mickey's words. "Is that thunder?" She asked, looking around.
"Does it matter?" Mickey stared at her.
"No. That's not thunder."
"In the family Slitheen, we had no choice. I was made to carry out my first kill at thirteen. If I'd refused, my father would have fed me to the Venom Grubs. If I'm a killer, it's because I was born to kill. It's all I know. Doctor, are you even listening to me?"
"Can you hear that?" The Doctor asked her.
She stared at him incredulously. Was he serious? She was begging for her life and he was distracted by a noise. "I'm begging for my life."
"No, listen, shush." The looked down at the table. The glasses began to vibrate, then the glass in the windows shattered. The customers began to scream.
Rose ran back to the Tardis as people began to flee. Mickey watched her furiously. "Oh, go on then, run! It's him again, isn't it? It's the Doctor! It's always the Doctor! It's always going to be the Doctor. It's never me!"
The Doctor ran but Margret couldn't keep up. She gestured to the handcuffs. "The handcuffs!"
"Don't think you're running away." He warned her as he took them off.
"Oh, I'm sticking with you. Some date this turned out to be!"
Energy was streaming from the Tardis into the sky. They stared up at it in horror.
"It's the rift. The rift's opening!" They ran inside the Tardis. Sparks erupted from the console and the Tardis shook, throwing them from side to side. "What the hell are you doing?!"
"It just went crazy!"
"What the hell's going on?" Piper cried out.
"It's the rift. Time and space are ripping apart. The whole city's going to disappear!"
"It's the extrapolator. I've disconnected it but it's still feeding off the engine! It's using the Tardis. I can't stop it!"
"Never mind Cardiff, it's going to rip open the planet!"
They looked up as Rose entered. "What is it? What's happening?!"
"Oh, just little me." Margret grinned and ripped off her arm from her body suit. She wrapped a claw around Rose's neck and pulled her closer to her. "One wrong move and she snaps like a promise."
"I might've known." The Doctor said flatly.
"I've had you bleating all night, poor baby, now shut it. You, fly boy, put the extrapolator at my feet."
Jack paused so Margret tightened her grip on Rose's neck. Piper glared furiously but stayed where she was. Jack glanced at the Doctor who nodded. He grabbed the extrapolator and put it at her feet like she's asked. She looked down at him, smiling almost sweetly. "Thank you. Just as I planned."
"I thought you needed to blow up the nuclear power station?" Rose gasped.
"Failing that, if I were to be arrested, then anyone capable of tracking me down would have considerable technology of their own. Therefore, they would be captivated by the extrapolator. Especially a magpie mind like yours, Doctor. So the extrapolator was programmed to go to plan B." She pulled Rose's hair making her cry out. "To lock onto the nearest alien power source and open the rift. And what a power source it found. I'm back on schedule, thanks to you."
"The rift's going to convulse. You'll destroy the whole planet!"
"And you with it!" She snarled. She stepped onto the extrapolator "While I ride this board over the crest of the inferno all the way to freedom. Stand back, boys. Surf's up."
Piper and Jack glanced at the Doctor. Their eyes narrowed as he stood there as if he were waiting for something. Suddenly, part of the console opened and a golden light hit Margret and Rose. The light was so bright it made Rose turn away from it.
"Of course, opening the rift means you'll pull this ship apart."
"So sue me."
"It's not just any old power source. It's the Tardis. My Tardis. The best ship in the Universe." He told them calmly.
"It'll make wonderful scrap." She replied cruelly.
"What's that light?"
Margret couldn't help but gaze at the light. The Doctor noticed this. "The heart of the Tardis. This ship's alive. You've opened its soul."
"It's so bright." She said distantly.
"Look at it, Margaret."
"Beautiful." She murmured as she continued to gaze at the light.
"Look inside, Blon Fel Fotch. Look at the light."
Margaret relaxed, allowing Rose to free herself and run to the others.. She looks up at the Doctor and for once, Piper could tell that it was a genuine smile and not a fake one. "Thank you." The light surrounded Margret and when they were able to see, all they saw was the body suite of the lond-dead woman she was wearing.
The Doctor ran to the panel and began spinning something around. "Don't look. Stay there. Close your eyes!" Bit by bit, the console closed. "Now, Jack, come on, shut it all down. Shut down! Rose, that panel over there, turn all the switches to the right." They did as they were told and soon the energy stopped pouring into the sky. "Nicely done. Thank you, all."
They crouched down to where Margret's body was.
"What happened to Margaret?"
"Must've got burnt up. Carried out her own death sentence."
The Doctor shook his head. "No, I don't think she's dead."
"Then what happened?" Piper asked.
"She looked into the heart of the Tardis. Even I don't know how strong that is. And the ship's telepathic, like I told you. Gets inside your head. Translates alien languages. Maybe the raw energy can translate all sorts of thoughts." He moved the body to the side and picked up a large egg. "Here she is."
They stared at it in bewilderment.
"She's an egg?" Rose stated.
"Regressed to her childhood."
"She's an egg?" Jack repeated.
"She can start again. Live her life from scratch. If we take her home, give her to a different family, tell them to bring her up properly, she might be all right!"
"Or she might be worse." Jack pointed out.
"That's her choice." He responded grimly.
"But again. She's an egg." Piper couldn't help but point it out.
The Doctor just laughed affectionately at her. "She's an egg."
Rose's eyes widened as she suddenly remembered Mickey. "Oh, my God. Mickey." She got to her feet and ran out the door before anyone could stop her.
Rose ran out and stopped by an ambulance. She asked him if he had seen Mickey, giving the man a description. She was disheartened when he told her no. If she had turned around at that moment, she would have seen Mickey watching her from the shadows. She never saw him watching her and she never saw him walk away. She turned back and walked to the Tardis feeling disappointed.
The Doctor looked up as she quietly entered. "We're all powered up. We can leave. Opening the rift filled us up with energy. We can go, if that's all right."
"Yeah, fine." Rose nodded.
"How's Mickey?" He asked tentively.
"He's okay. He's gone."
"Do you want to go and find him? We'll wait." He suggested, knowingly.
"No need. He deserves better." She said dully.
"Off we go, then. Always moving on," he said cheerfully.
"Next stop, Raxacoricofallapatorius. Now you don't often get to say that."
"We'll just stop by and pop her in the hatchery. Margaret the Slitheen can live her life again. A second chance."
Rose stared into the distance. "That'd be nice." She whispered quietly.