Disclaimer: I, the writer of this story claim no ownership over the characters and concepts used within this piece of literature. I the writer also state that I make no profit from this piece but the profit of sharing my energies with the viewing public.
Authors Note: Well I must admit that this a first story for me in this category. I usually settle for anime but what the hey, I found inspiration one gloomy winter's night and cooked up this ficlet. This one is a small fluff between Rose and the Ninth Doctor, and who can resist placing dear ol' Jack in here and there. The time period I'm not so sure of, I can't recall the episode where Rose discovers the Doctors morbid past. So assume this takes place after she discovers it and Jack is with the TARDIS crew.
Critique is welcome always so please if you would, spend a moment to review your opinions.
Celestial Ghost
The idea had struck Rose, quite abruptly might it be added, one morning while settled in her mother's flat.
It was one of the short and vastly spaced opportunities that The Doctor did finally dare to enter the lions den that was the residence of Jackie Tylor and allow Rose some home time with her mum. The Doctor unsurprisingly had made a near immediate retreat to the TARDIS mumbling something along the lines of "tinkering" that had the young Londoner feel sorry for the poor pseudo Police Box she'd grown immensely fond of.
Of course that did not defer Rose from where she now currently sat upon the couch in front of the TV, jean clad legs folded beneath her and a steaming cuppa clasped between her palms and quickly warming them. She'd idly been observing the news, following the pattern of sip, watch and eaves strop on her mum chatting with her aunt. Rose had just completed one cycle of sip, watch and eaves strop, when on the next motion to bring the Tigger mug of tea to her lips she paused and reached for the remote to turn up the TV.
"…and on other news, tonight is your chance to see a super nova of a star from outside the Milky Way. Reporting on this story we have Edward Miller corresponding from Greenwich…"
The image of a prim looking woman in her 30's behind the classic news desk faded out to the image of a young looking reporter wrapped up tightly against the winters chill as he stood out in the open of a grass verge of some sorts, a large brick building looming over him in the background. Rose turned the volume further and had to wonder about the strange new habit she'd acquired since spending time with The Doctor. She never used to watch the news nearly as much as she did now.
"Thank you Alice, I'm here outside the Royal Greenwich Observatory Centre which is currently in a buzz from the phenomenon about to happen this evening. With me today is Professor Chadwick Burns who is going to explain what is going on."
The camera panned from the young reporter to an elderly looking gentleman in horn rimmed glass looking as excited as a child on Christmas. The sight made Rose snort as this bloke looked more like Scrooge. She half expected his words to be "bah humbug!" but was sadly disappointed by the upper class London accent the man used to explain the hubbub.
"Well Edward, tonight is going to be a special night as this evening one of the many stars in our night sky is going to fade away from existence due to a star going through a super nova twelve years ago."
"Twelve years ago?" questioned the reporter "but how is it we are seeing something that occurred so long ago?"
"It is all down to the speed of light, Edward. You see the light we are experiencing from the sun right this moment started from the Sun and took four years to get here. It's the same principle with this star that exploded. It has taken twelve years for the light to reach us so that we may see it…"
And it was that that moment the idea had hit Rose. The rest of the interview between the professor and the reporter fell on deaf ears as Rose's mind stared turning.
Ever since the discovery of The Doctor's tragic past, Rose had been aching to find a way to do something special for him. Yet she drew up blanks at every turn. Out of all the planets and times she had visited with him and Jack, she'd found nothing. Not a sausage. The search was driving her to near insanity and in the end she'd enlisted the aid of ever helpful Jack to think of ways to accomplish her self appointed task. Jack's first suggestion had ended in a food fight within the TARDIS kitchen.
Rose had been idly nibbling on a digestive biscuit when Jack came careening into the kitchen with a silly grin plastered over is handsome features. After seating him self and stealing a digestive from her plate, he gone on to tell her that The Doctor would most likely appreciate a lap dance off Rose in the lingerie he'd (Jack) bought her as a joke from Anne Summers. An added perk would be if Jack could watch this too. The angelic smile and teasing eyes did nothing to prevent the half eaten digestive biscuit from smacking him on the nose. It had gone down hill from there and The Doctor upon finding them in the middle of an intense food fight, had wisely left as quickly as his legs would carry him.
It was a fond memory but it still hadn't brought her any closer to finding the right something. Now she finally had a great idea, and hoped that The Doctor would like it too.
Noise from the hall had Rose glancing behind her just in time to see her mum, looking a little flustered, walk in closely trailed by a grinning Jack. Rose had to roll her eyes at the scene and patted the spot next to her for the time agent. Ever since he'd met Jackie, Jack was on full throttle with the charm and endlessly complimented the elder Tylor woman to the point of exaggeration.
"Oye, stop comin' on to me mum!" Rose pretended to glare through the grin upon her face. Jack did his best to look wounded a feat easily accomplished if Rose didn't know him so well, and sat down beside her. "Who me?"
"No, the tooth fairy, Jack"
He looked at her blankly, the reference to the tooth fairy baffling for a moment before he moved on with the conversation.
"So, had any ideas yet, Rosie?"
Knowing immediately what he meant, Rose nodded before glancing out towards the hall where the front door stood. Jack picked up on the glance and shook his head.
"After exploring I went to check up on him, he's deeply preoccupied with an overhaul of the TRADIS guiding systems." Rose had to roll her eyes at the words and they both shared exasperated looks before she went on speak.
"Is there any way we could take the TRADIS somewhere without The Doctors knowing but he's still gotta be on board?"
Jack frowned "well there could be, maybe during one of the rare occasions that man sleeps…but the harder thing would be getting the TRADIS herself to cooperate."
"Oh she'd be willin' I reckon, it's for The Doctor after all." She supplied and Jack nodded his agreement then smiled slyly.
"So about this plan…"
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO
The plan was going surprisingly well. It had taken months to plan and carry it out to this extend, but Rose was most certain that it would work. She knew that she could have never done it without Jack and she was forever thankful for his help. He'd helped her search for the information she needed on the TRADIS database as well as help coax the TRADIS herself into relenting and allowing the two conspirators to tweak her controls in order to reach the needed destination without The Doctor's notice. So now with a less hopeful and more of a victorious look, Rose sauntered happily about the corridors and the control room much to the confusion of The Doctor. Jack too had a similar look planted annoyingly over his face, the sly glances they shared also had the alien wary of the two apes he'd picked up on his endless travels. Consequently he soon moved off to bed, grumbling all the way about two certain "apes".
It was the right queue for both Rose and Jack, who made a scramble for the controls once they were positive that a certain Time Lord was well enough away. Pulling short, Rose watched as Jack started to tweak this knob and pull that lever. The controls of the TRADIS were still lost upon her for the most part but trusting Jack, she braced herself against the consol in time for the sudden jerk as the course was changed. All too aware that The Doctor would be rushing back to the control room to see what was happening, she hoped the TRADIS was stalling him enough for them to reach their destination.
The TRADIS suddenly ground to a halt, the whirring ceased and a more than a little disgruntled Time Lord barged into the control room.
"What happened?" he exclaimed and trotted over to Jack and Rose to inspect if both they and his precious ship were alright.
"I don't know" Jack shrugged "We were just talking when the ol' gal suddenly started off somewhere, I tried to readjust the course back but she wouldn't let me"
The Doctor frowned and attempted the approach the consol only to be halted by a bout of angry sparks. Stepping back he looked toward the central column with a frown.
"Huh"
"Why don't we go outside and explore?" Rose interjected before The Doctor could start attempting to repair the 'fault'.
"You two go ahead and take a look around…" Rose looked at him with doleful eyes and immediately he relented.
"Oh alright"
Rose grinned and taking his queue, Jack stretched and yawned tiredly.
"Sorry kids but I'm feeling awful tired, I'll leave you two to it." And with a hidden wink to Rose, he wandered off out of the control room.
Rose blinked and glanced to The Doctor who looked befuddled for a long moment before snapping out of it and looked at her with a silly grin. Rose replied it and sauntered past the Time Lord only to pause at the door and bow her arm in invitation.
"Comin'?"
Looking over to his companion The Doctor couldn't help but grin, especially when she replied it with her own grin and tongue poking out cheekily from the corner of her mouth. Striding over to her, his expression its usual maniac grin, he took her arm with flourish and opened the door leading her out into the place the TRADIS had 'accidentally' taken them.
"Felinistrome, the planet of-"
"-eternal night." Rose finished from him with a smug smile.
The Doctor blinked and tilted his head to face her while they continued to meander near blinded up a small dirt verge.
"And how would you know about this pla-" and then it clicked "you meant to come here."
Rose could only nod, and fast paced to the top of the verge, dragging the unresisting Doctor with her. Once perched upon the hill, she tilted her head back and eyed the skies intently. The Doctor looked ready to question her further but a sideward glance from Rose reminding him scarily of her mother silenced him. This carried on for a short expanse of time; Rose watched the skies and The Doctor watched Rose. A smile soon made its way to her lips and Rose looked away from the stars to the Time Lord beside her. Her expression had suddenly grown serious leaving the alien beside her to become wary.
"When you told me about what happened to your people, the Gallifreyan's, I couldn't imagine how lonely you feel, th -let me finish Doctor, please-" Rose glanced earnestly at him and The Doctor closed his mouth. Rose took that as her queue and carried on.
"that is until I saw the destruction of Earth. I may not understand the feelin' totally, but I know its there. So I wanted to do something for you." Rose frowned when The Doctor looked off into the distance, back to a dark patch where she knew the TARDIS stood stationary.
"Rose…I don't need your pity…" he began and Rose shook her head.
"It's not that Doctor; look." Looking up to the starlit skies once again, she rose the hand not entangled with The Doctor's own and pointed it to an odd five pointed star constellation with one single brightly shimmering star in the centre. The Doctor looked up respectively and followed her arm to the same constellation.
"You see that star right in the centre there?" The Doctor nodded looking a tad perplexed from what Rose was trying to get at from the unfamiliar constellation.
"What about it?"
Rose just smiled.
"That bright star is Gallifrey."
She heard The Doctor swallow painfully beside her as she spoke the name of his home planet. Tightening her hold upon his arm, she carried on to attempt to explain herself.
"You see it was on the news back home…this star had died years ago and we were only just gunna see the explosion that night. So it had me thinkin' that there was bound to be a place and time somewhere where it was the same for your planet. And I was right"
The last sentence came out in a smug tone and Rose looked up to the silent Time Lord beside her almost hopefully. He stayed silent, pale blue eyes glistening in the light as they stared transfixed upon the celestial ghost that was his long destroyed planet. The silence continued and Rose grew uncomfortable.
"I thought it'd help…knowing that somewhere, a piece of where you came from still exists like" she babbled "I'm sorry if I upset you, it was a stupid idea, I didn't mean nothin' of i-" She was quickly silenced by the finger placed upon her lips and the intense expression of wonder and appreciation that lit up his face. The look had Rose's knees nearly buckle from under her in its strength but once again The Doctor saved her as she was swiftly pulled into a crushing hug. Hesitantly she wrapped her arms about his middle and hugged him back smiling contently to herself.
"So…you like it then?"
"Fantastic"
-FIN-