THE PRESENT, THE PAST AND THE FUTURE

Chapter 1

The Present

Rose stepped out of the Dry Cleaner's. The sun had just emerged from behind a cloud and the pavements glistened wet from a recent downpour. She slung the bag over her shoulder and set off towards home. As she turned into the road that led to her estate, she became aware of someone following her. Without looking round, she quickened her pace. It was four-thirty on an October afternoon, broad daylight and there were people about, but the figure was hot on her heels and Rose felt increasingly nervous. She was just about to turn into a pub in an effort to shake him off, when she heard a familiar voice over her shoulder.

"Rose. Rose Tyler."

"Doctor!"

Rose turned round and looked up at the face she knew so well.

"When...? How...? Where did you come from?"

"The planet Kali, since you ask."

"I don't think I know that one," said Rose.

"You wouldn't," replied the Doctor. "It's five-and-a-half thousand light years away, the atmosphere stinks and its inhabitants are less than welcoming. Not the ideal place for a holiday destination. But keep moving. We don't want to set tongues wagging, not with your big day coming up. Who's the lucky man? Or need I ask..."

"How did you know I was getting married?"

The Doctor shrugged. "A little bird told me."

Rose smiled. "There are little birds on the planet Kali?"

"Certainly, and they're a lot more vocal than the ones round here," he said, gesturing towards a bedraggled group of pigeons pecking at a discarded bag of chips. "So, am I right?"

Rose tried to gather her thoughts. "Right about what?"

"The lucky man?"

"Oh. Oh, yeah. Yeah, it's Mickey."

"Why, Rose? I mean, Mickey's a nice bloke but why do it? Why tie the knot?"

"Why not? We love each other. And I can't keep him waiting around for ever. He's been asking me to marry him for ages."

The Doctor stopped and drew Rose round by the shoulder to face him.

"Rose. How old are you?"

"Twenty," said Rose defensively

"Twenty," repeated the Doctor. He let go of her shoulder and they continued on their way. "Well, it's none of my business, of course, but if I were you I'd give it another couple of hundred years, just to be sure..."

"Yeah, well, you're not me. Us mortals are different. I had the shock of my life six months ago. Mickey was in a really bad car crash. I thought I'd lost him."

"I'm sorry," said the Doctor. "Is he OK?"

Rose nodded. "Once they'd taken half-a-ton of scrap metal out of his legs. His legs are still not right. Not sure they ever will be." She paused."But anyway, enough about me and my problems. What are you doing here?"

"I just came to wish you luck. And I've got something for you."

The Doctor steered Rose into a dustbin alley between the back of two tower blocks. Rose noticed the TARDIS nestling discreetly behind a fire escape. They stopped opposite it, and the Doctor rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a soft black drawstring bag. He gave it to Rose. "For you."

Rose smiled. "A wedding present?"

"No," he quickly replied. "No, Rose. This is for you. Only you can use it, and it's best you don't show to anyone else. Not even your 'intended'."

Curiously, Rose opened the bag and took out a piece of quartz, about three inches long.

"It's beautiful." She held it up to the sunlight, turning it slowly.

"Put it back in the bag, Rose. Keep it in there at all times. Except when you need to use it."

Rose reluctantly put it in the bag. "What d'you mean, 'use it'?"

"Rose, if you're ever in trouble – real trouble – you can use it to summon me."

"How? How does it work?"

"At the heart of the crystal there's a treble helix..."

"A what?"

"Rose, you know what a double helix is – you've got Biology GCSE"

"Er... DNA, isn't it?"

"That's right. Human DNA. At the heart of the crystal is a strand of your DNA.."

"Mine!"

"Yes," said the Doctor, smiling at her confusion.

"But you said a treble helix."

"Human DNA is a double helix, right? But us Time Lords are different. We have a single, narrow helix. Within the strand of your DNA, Rose, is a strand of mine. Inside the TARDIS is a corresponding crystal. When you hold your crystal, it will detect that the DNA without, matches that within. An incredible energy will be released, surging through space-time. So long as I am in the TARDIS at the time, my crystal will respond to yours, and be drawn to you, taking me and the TARDIS with it. No matter where you are, Rose, I'll find you."

Rose sank down on her haunches. Leaning against a wall, she stared at the black bag in her hand.

"I don't know what to say..."

"How about 'thanks'? Here," said the Doctor, crouching down beside her. "Give me your hand. I'll show you how it works." He slipped the bag with the crystal into her jacket pocket and took her right hand between his.

"Hold your hand out flat, palm upwards, like so... Now, you lay the crystal across the palm..." he placed his index finger across her hand, "...and close your hand around it." Rose's fingers closed around his finger. "Now, look at my eyes, Rose. You have to concentrate on my eyes. Remember them...When you're holding the crystal, remember them." Rose looked into the eyes that were so familiar to her, and yet at the same time so strange, so alien. Eyes that had seen things most people see only in their dreams.

Or nightmares.

"That's it," said the Doctor, smiling cheerfully. "That's all you need to do. When the crystal starts glowing blue, it means I'm on my way. And talking of which, I ought to be on my way." Rose released her grip and the Doctor stood up.

"But you can't go yet! I've so many questions..."

"Like what?"

"Like..." Rose hesitated, not knowing where to begin. "Like... How on earth did you get my DNA?"

"It wasn't on Earth," said the Doctor.

"And in any case..." Another voice chipped in, making Rose jump up in alarm, "...you wouldn't want to know, Rose. Believe me, you really wouldn't."

"Jack!" Rose laughed as Captain Jack swept her up in his arms. "Doctor! Why didn't you tell me?"shedemanded,disentangling herself and trying to look severe.

"You didn't give me a chance," the Doctor said innocently.

"Hey, what's this?" Jack took her left hand and examined the engagement ring, pretending to look hurt. "Couldn't you have waited for me...?"

Rose's face darkened. "I thought... I wasn't sure what had happened..."

"Well, that's another story." The Doctor reached over to Rose's jacket and zipped up the pocket containing the crystal. "Seriously, Rose, we must be going. Time waits for no man – and I think Jack's a man, even if I'm not. All the best in the future. Don't do anything I would, like go back to the past. Above all, keep the crystal safe."

The Doctor leant down and gently kissed her on the cheek. Rose fought to keep emotions she thought were long dead at bay, but when Jack followed suit she gave up the struggle and fell on to his shoulder, her body shaking with the sobs that she could no longer control.

"Come on, Rose. You're gonna be fine. And if you're not , just give the Doctor here a call."

The Doctor and Jack turned away towards the TARDIS while Rose looked on. In a flash it came to her that she could go with them. She could give up the life that was mapped out for her here on earth in the twenty-first century. The life of marriage and possibly children. Of scraping and saving and shopping and cooking. Of menial part-time jobs and school runs.

But she couldn't do it. She couldn't let Mickey down again.

"Doctor..." Rose said as they both stepped into the TARDIS.

"Rose?"

"How do I do it again? The bit about concentrating on your eyes..."

For a moment the Doctor looked puzzled. Then his face lit up. "Oh, that. I made that bit up."

"You mean...?"

"Totally unnecessary. Just hold the crystal and I'll be there. Take care." The Doctor winked as the door of the TARDIS closed. In the next moment, Rose found herself staring at the brick wall beneath the fire escape.