Thanks to Funky In Fishnet, Stoko, Dr Azaria (it's the ninth, by the way), Joshwales, Grinedel, and all who have been reading. Special thanks to my beta reader, Riona, who would like to say after seeing the reviews that Mickey isn't really all that bad, is he?

Chapter 5

The Doctor Would Rather Not Dance

Hand-in-hand, amidst a flurry of confetti, Rose and Mickey descended the steps of the registry office. They were greeted with hugs and kisses by a small crowd of guests. Soon the couple started making their way down the road, towards 'The Moon Under Water', where an upstairs function room had been booked for the reception. As they approached the pub, Mickey stopped dead in his tracks.

"What the hell is he doing here?"

Rose followed his gaze. Her heart skipped a beat. There, outside the pub, with his arms folded and grinning from ear to ear was the Doctor.

"Don't tell me you invited him." Mickey glared at Rose.

"Er..." Rose faltered.

"Rose, you're not planning on going anywhere, are you?"

"Well, we are going to Brighton, aren't we?"

"You know what I mean. I mean with him."

Rose grabbed Mickey's arm.

"Look at me. What have we just done back there? What have I just done? I've made a commitment. A commitment to be with you for a lifetime. Maybe I did invite the Doctor to our reception. But he's an old friend who happened to be around, and I might not see him for... well... for eons!"

"I hope you don't, Rose. For our sake, I hope you don't." Mickey pulled his arm away and strode towards the pub.

"Congratulations!" said the Doctor as he approached. Ignoring him, Mickey walked straight past and through the door. Rose walked up to the Doctor, who looked her up and down.

"Rose, you look stunning."

"Thanks, but... what are you doing here?"

The Doctor had been preparing for this.

"There's a problem with the TARDIS. It needs a particular part which, according to Jack, will be available in London in a few years time. He's gone into the future to pick it up."

"Don't tell me that soon we'll all own a TARDIS here!"

The Doctor smiled. "No, of course not. In fact it's just a car part. It's a particular kind of shock-absorber that happens to suit the TARDIS.

Rose sighed. "I could do with a shock-absorber myself at the moment..."

"Rose?"

"Yes?"

"Where's the crystal?"

Rose felt the colour rise in her cheeks. She turned away.

"I've got to go in. I'm supposed to be there to greet people."

The Doctor's mood suddenly changed. He grabbed her wrist.

"Look at me, Rose. What's happened to the crystal? It's important. I have to know. What have you done with it?"

Rose met his eyes. For the first time she saw a flash of real anger and was afraid. She had felt fear in his presence on many occasions and with good reason. Never before, though, had she feared the Doctor himself.

Rose spoke quietly. "You're hurting me."

The Doctor seemed to shake himself and let go of her wrist.

"Sorry, Rose. But we must talk about this..."

"Not now. There's a little bar at the back of the pub. In an hour or so I'll try and get down there. If you see I've left the reception, come and meet me there."

-

Two hours later and Rose had still not managed to escape. Much food and wine had been consumed, speeches made, and the Abba tribute band were launching into 'Dancing Queen'. Jackie, who had been flirting outrageously with the Doctor, grabbed his arm. 'Come on, handsome. Rose tells me you're quite something on the dance floor!"

Hanging on to his waist, Jackie swung herself and the Doctor round in circles:

"Oh, she can dance! She can jive!" Jackie bellowed as they dispersed the other, less energetic, dancers.

"Actually... the foxtrot... is more...my scene," the Doctor panted. He now knew where Rose got her strength from.

"Come on!" Jackie winked at him. "That's the 1940s! You're not telling me you were around in those days – whoops!"

At that moment Jackie lost her footing. Still hanging on to the Doctor, she staggered to the side of the dance floor and crashed into the trestle table on which Betty's Smurf cake stood in state. The table began to keel over. For the second time in its short life, the cake looked as if it was going to come to a sticky end, but fortunately a quick-thinking guest caught it just before it hit the ground.

Concerned friends gathered around Jackie to see if she was all right. The Doctor looked up to see Rose moving towards the door. She glanced at him over her shoulder before she left the room.

-

"So... Tell me all about it."

The Doctor and Rose sat in an alcove at the back of the bar. In hushed tones, Rose explained about the break-in.

"I'm sorry," said Rose wretchedly. "I know I should've looked after it better."

The Doctor looked thoughtful.

"Had you told anyone about it beforehand?"

Rose shook her head. "You told me not to."

"And when it was taken - you didn't call the police?"

"No. The only thing they took was the crystal, and I couldn't tell Mum or anyone about that."

"Quite right."

Rose leant on the table and covered her face with her hands.

"I can't believe it. You gave me the most amazing and precious object in the world, and I lost it..."

"You didn't lose it."

"If I'd taken proper care of it, I'd still have it."

"Cheer up, Rose. I can always make you another one."

Rose peeped over the top of her hands

"You couldn't..."

"Of course I could." The Doctor smiled at Rose. Her hair had been tied up for the occasion, but by now strands of it had escaped and were hanging round her face. The Doctor leaned over and carefully pulled one thread of hair from her head. "This should do nicely."

Rose watched him as he took a paper napkin and neatly folded the hair up in it, then tucked it into his pocket. He looked up and grinned. "Enough there for several hundred crystals, I'd say."

She beamed at him.

"You should do that more often," said the Doctor "It suits you. Now, hadn't you better get back to your guests?"