Bounty Part Two

Notes: Some nice little flashbacks and more pretty songs. And may I say I cried out with happiness when I saw all the wonderful reviews you guys have left for me! I'm astounded that this has obviously grabbed your interest, and I'm so very very happy!

Immi: Ah! So glad to see you back my dear! Thankee sankee…I try my best…;) Hope you enjoy this chapter.

Sands of Patience: Blimey that's a long name! Oh thank you…like I said, this kind of plot is almost common in the Pokemon world and I thought it would work! I'm also trying EXTRA hard with my description, so you said exactly what I wanted to hear! Don't worry, that's explained in this very chapter. Thanks for reviewing, hope you stick with me! They call me Sticky Eevee…I stick to my friends and my friends stick to me!

Dingbatt: Aww, I luffles you too! I hope you continue to squeal as my little plot unfurls its wings.

Banshee: Oh, I hope so! I'm excited too…and so glad I'll have your support! I love Pokemon 2005, it's an excellent fic, and if I can make this one half as good…overt 9Rose? Well…(grins)…wait and see my dear…

Dory Shotgun: Thank you for reviewing there! Hopefully I answer some questions with this chapter, and hopefully you're still reading! I really do appreciate your review…I know some people without accounts feel they don't have to review, but any feedback is welcomed with hugging arms y'know!

Cossie: Ah, well, that'll be explained as we go on my dear. There are a few reasons why he'd choose to do it. I'm glad I grabbed your interest…yay yay yay, people like it!

Cloud: I know! It's so shocking…well, some of the banter between Jack and the Doctor was supposed to let off my humorous steam…I want to be able to write something a little more serious. But you know me…incapable of complete seriousnessnessness…

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Rose was frustrated, her face red, but the Doctor was doing his best to ignore her.

"Seven years is long enough!" she yelled. He turned his face towards her. It was full of a deep sadness she had only seen in him when he talked of Gallifrey.

"I have so much left to show you," he said tenderly, trying to take her hand. But Rose wrenched it away from his grasp.

"My mum is dying," she pleaded, her eyes filling with tears. "She has cancer Doctor. Cancer! Do you even understand that?"

"Of course I do," he said amiably. "And I'll take you home. I care too much about you to keep you here against your will."

"Then why are you hesitating?" she asked, holding his gaze. He turned his face away.

"Rose, is this for good?" he asked quietly. "Is this decision permanent or do you want us to come back?"

Jack suddenly entered the conversation, unable to stay silent a moment longer. "It'll be so lonely without you Rosie!" he burst out. She smiled at him.

"You too," she said softly. She sighed. "I don't know. I don't know what I want. I know that if I leave you for good…I couldn't bear never seeing you both again."

"It's mutual Rose," the Doctor assured her, suddenly realising how close he was to losing her. He desperately needed to get his point across. "I don't want you to—"

"But if I don't make this final, how can I concentrate on mum?" she continued, talking more to herself than them. She turned her face back towards them. "How would you feel if someone you loved was hanging around out of pity and would be gone the moment you kicked the proverbial bucket?"

The Doctor couldn't answer her straight away. "She…might pull through." He was grasping at straws now and he knew it.

"All the more reason for me to stay with her," she said. "I love you both, and this is hard…but I've had my adventures now. I need to put family first. It's time for me to go back." She smiled up at the Doctor. "Even we can't cheat time forever."

Jack rushed forwards and claimed her with a hug. "Blood is thicker than water, Rose," he whispered in her ear. "You need to be there for your mom."

She looked back to the Doctor, thinking she would see sadness and anger, hoping for acceptance.

His eyes were totally cold.

"Pack your stuff," he said.

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"God Rose…what the hell have you done?"

She glared at him defiantly but realised he'd seen the coat. She struggled to her feet.

"Shoot me then," she said. Jack put the blaster away.

"As if I could," he said, shocked. This was not the Rose they'd left behind. Everything about her was so different. Jack paused, trying to take it all in.

One of the biggest shocks was her hair. Whichever hairdresser had cut it ought to be sued, Jack though grimly. It was cut into a short, messy style that barely brushed her shoulders. It had also changed dramatically in colour, from bright blonde to ashy, dusty brown. It still waved like it used to, but lay flat to her head, lifeless.

Her eyes looked different too. They were dull and cold instead of their warm brown. Her face was devoid of make up and she was pale and tired looking, dark circles shadowing her eyes.

She was still Rose. She would always be Rose. But now it was just a word. Everything that had made up her bright, outgoing look had gone. The person glaring at Jack now was more new stranger than old friend.

"What are you doing here Jack? I have enough to deal with without you and the Doctor messing things up for me," she said coldly, bundling up the coat to hide the stains of blood.

"I think you've done a good job of messing things up yourself," Jack pointed out, not unkindly.

"S'my life," she said airily, brushing past him in an attempt to leave. He grabbed her wrist. "Let go Jack!"

"I can't do that," he replied simply. "You're not the only one who changed."

Rose took in his steely glare and the ever-present threat of the blaster in his pocket. "I get it. You're a bounty hunter."

Jack didn't confirm her guess, but she knew she was right. "Going to turn me in Jack?" she asked indifferently.

"Would you like me to?" he shot right back. Rose looked confused.

"What do you think?" she snarled sarcastically.

"I think everything about you so far is screaming for a way out, Rose Tyler," he stated. "You're not the only one who's good at guessing. You're coming back to the TARDIS."

"I'll do no such thing," she said, trying to prise his fingers away from her wrist. He held fast and began dragging her away, regardless of her protests. The coat was dropped, forgotten, as he shoved her inside what she'd once been able to call home.

It wasn't home anymore.

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Rose was laughing as she saw his film choice. "Phantom of the Opera? I thought you were all about science fiction! This is almost romance!"

"It is science fiction! There's a phantom!" he protested, but he'd chosen that film on purpose. It was almost a romance. In particular one song, one song that he thought was perfect.

Tonight was the night. Time to shut up that arrogant little voice in his head that said he was a coward.

They watched in silence, just sat with each other on the worn out sofa. Occasionally Rose offered comments on the costumes or singing and the Doctor reassured her it was even more spectacular in real life, which made her laugh, not quite knowing if he was teasing or not.

Night time sharpens, heightens each sensation
Darkness stirs and wakes imagination
Silently the senses abandon their defences

He tensed. This was the song. He waited.

Let your mind start a journey through a strange, new world

Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before

Rose sat, entranced. The lyrics were so beautiful, so simple…She glanced at the Doctor, who was staring straight ahead. Suddenly he took her hand. And looked right at her.

Looked right into her.

Let your soul take you where you long to be

Say it! Say it now! urged the little voice in his head.


Only then can you belong to me

He looked at his Rose, waiting expectantly.

"Doctor?"

He swallowed.

And froze.

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He had to do everything in his power not to clutch his head and cry out in confusion.

Rose? Rose? Here? Now?

His mind was buzzing as he listened to Jack talking to the young woman he'd parted with five years back.

I thought I lost her.

Correction. He did lose her. But through no fault of his own, no fault of Rose's. No fault but human stupidity.

That said, even he had been unable to offer Jackie a cure. Even if he had, would things be different now? He doubted it. Rose would still have gone home eventually. He couldn't have prevented her.

Liar.

He put his head in his hands. It was a lie.

You think you're so brave. You're not. You couldn't even say three little words that would have changed everything.

I love you.

For love makes a fool of me
For love makes a part of us
You know it's worthless
As worthless can be

And now look at her.

She'd made such a mess of her life.

Maybe you made a mess of yours.

It was true. He'd screwed up again. He'd lost sight of

what's important? When did you stop being about adventure, justice, freedom?

When had he stopped being about Rose?

The TARDIS doors were opening. He could hear her. He clamped his mouth shut to stop him crying out, saying everything.

You'll just lose her again. You'll scare her away. This is your chance to put things right.

He didn't want to look miserable, stern, excited, happy…nothing seemed right. Nothing fitted.

Left with no other feelings to express, he decided on indifference.

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Rose Tyler had no home, no anchor. She kidded herself that she liked living like that, but it was killing her. Every second she spent alone in the flat she and Jackie had once shared was a knife in her chest.

And meeting the Doctor as she was bundled into the TARDIS, his eyes as indifferent and unresponsive as hers, was just one more knife.

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Please review! Shall we?

Crawdie: If you're about to suggest something dodgy…

No no! Let's put on some loud, evil music and do our Dalek voices!

Both: REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW OR BE POLLINATED!