Thanks to Funky In Fishnet, Ark Led, Joshwales and all who have been reading.

Chapter 7

Faith and Charity

Rose wandered down East Street. She'd come back from Brighton just two days before. The wedding reception had been a disaster, but things had picked up on the honeymoon. She'd managed to persuade Mickey that there was nothing going on between her and the Doctor – that he'd just wanted to say goodbye before he went off to some other galaxy. But still, Rose reflected, she missed the Doctor... She missed him every day.

-

Rose turned into her favourite charity shop. She had been going through Mickey's clothes and had found some pretty hideous items which she'd persuaded him to part with. She took the bag up to the counter. As usual, there was Olive.

"Hi, Olive! How's it going? I've got some stuff for you here." Rose handed over the bag.

"Hello, love. You're looking well. Good honeymoon?" Olive winked at her.

"Yes, thanks." Rose's eyes strayed towards the glass case on the counter. This was where Olive put 'quality jewellery', and Rose often found something interesting here, either for herself or Jackie. But today there was nothing. A garish brooch from Woolworths, circa 1970, some cheap looking bangles and a fake diamond tiara.

"Nothing for me today, then," said Rose

"Oh! Oh, yes, Rose... yes, as a matter of fact there is something for you. Just a minute."

Olive went through to the back of the shop. She re-appeared a moment later holding a small rectangular black box. She gave it to Rose.

"A gentleman brought this in the other day. He asked if I knew someone called 'Rose' who was fond of pretty things. He asked me to keep it for you until you next came in. Looks like you've got two strings to your bow!" Olive smiled.

Rose opened the box. Her heart missed a beat. There, on a red velvet pad, was the crystal she had lost. Or at least, it looked just like the crystal, but it had a clasp at one end and a silver chain, so it could be worn as a pendant. With a shaking hand, she took it out of the box. Then she noticed a tiny piece of paper, tightly folded, that had been hidden underneath. She carefully put the pendant and the box on the counter and, trembling, unfolded the note. It simply said: "Wear this always". It was, Rose was sure, in the Doctor's handwriting.

"Who..." Rose stammered "...who brought this in?"

"As I said, it was a gentleman. Quite tall... Quite handsome as a matter of fact. Unusual eyes..."

That was it then. Rose knew what had happened. The Doctor had made another pair of crystals using the DNA from the thread of hair that he took at the reception. Only this time he wasn't going to take any chances. He had made hers into a pendant... Rose undid the catch and put the chain round her neck. She would never, ever take it off.

"Oh, it is pretty," exclaimed Olive. "Look in the mirror... It looks lovely on you. I wonder what sort of stone it is..."

Rose gazed at herself in the mirror. The crystal flashed as it caught the light from the window. "How much do you want for it, Olive?"

"Oh, nothing, love. I think that gentleman wanted you to have it as a present. If you like, put a couple of pounds in the box." She gestured towards the earthquake appeal box on the counter. Rose stuffed a twenty pound note in the box, hesitated, then stuffed another one in.

"Thanks, Olive," said Rose, pocketing the box containing the note. "Thanks a lot ...and bye!"

"Thank you, dear," said Olive, smiling after her as she left the shop."

Rose emerged into the autumn sunlight. Dazed, she made her way to a bench and sat down. She almost grasped the crystal round her neck, and then caught herself, realising the problems it could cause. She closed her eyes. "Thank you Doctor..." she whispered. "Thank you."

-

'"WE FAKED BIRD FLU", TEENAGERS ADMIT'. The Doctor chuckled over the headline of The Times, 21st June, 2009. He was sitting in the back bar of 'The Moon Under Water'. Jack had just joined him, and had brought back a memento from the future.

Jack laughed along with him. "I just wish I'd kept the paper from two days before. There was this big article by some eminent Cambridge professor claiming that time travel is feasible. Boy, has he been hauled over the coals. Take a look at the 'letters page'. All the other scientists are up in arms and demanding his dismissal. Poor guy... His theory was pretty sound, too. Basic, but pretty sound. I sent him some notes that I thought would give him a few more clues. Anyway... Cheers!"

They both raised their pints of Young's.

"So..." said the Doctor, after a long draught of beer. "What did you discover about the pendant?"

"I asked Rose and she was very vague. Claimed not to remember anything. But, as I say, she's acting weird... I don't know what's with her. But Mickey remembers. He says she started to wear it a few days after they came back from honeymoon. Says he asked her to take it off in bed, and she wouldn't. He's pretty sure it was from her regular charity shop."

"Right," said the Doctor. "That's good. They went away for two weeks to Brighton, so Rose'll be picking up the crystal soon. I'm going to be busy trying to fix the TARDIS. But you, Jack, should take a look at the charity shop in East Street."

"Sure, I'll go there today. Find out whether the crystal's there already. If not, I'll keep an eye on the place."

"The first thing I'm going to do is check out of my hotel. They're getting a little suspicious of me there since I returned their lap-top."

"Why?" asked Jack.

"I'd been using an intergalactic search engine to find out about the properties of the particular type of quartz I'd used for Rose's crystal. After I'd given the computer back to them, I realised I'd forgotten to shut it off. Now they keep giving me odd looks and asking how much longer I'm staying."

Jack smiled. "Ah, well, send my love to Kit."

They finished their pints and then left the pub. The Doctor headed towards the TARDIS, which had been parked in its usual spot. Jack made his way towards East Street.

-

Five days later the Doctor was busy working on the TARDIS. He thought he had found the problem. The sonic compression chamber was damaged. He hoped that, with Jack's help, he could build a new one.

Suddenly, Jack burst through the door. He was out of breath and sweating, yet ashen faced. He leant against the control panel, staring wildly at the Doctor.

"What's up?" the Doctor asked, "You look as though you've seen a ghost."

"Have you... Have you been here all... all morning?" gasped Jack.

"Yes..." said the Doctor. "Why? Where have you been?"

"I've been in the charity shop... The crystal's been delivered... it's - it's there now."

"Did you see who brought it in?"

"Oh, yes. I saw all right.

"And...?"

Jack shook his head, a look of complete bewilderment in his eyes.

"It was you, Doctor... It was you."