A/N:Here we are again, Mother Russia. Now my Russian history isn't as good as my Ripper history. I'm a historical criminologist so I know the ins and outs of criminal life but I'm useless when it comes to normal history so if I get a few dates or names wrong you'll have to forgive me. A few spoilers coming up for both series, probably only up to episode 7 (Idiot's Lantern) for the new series though.

Still own nothing by the way if you were wondering and that includes the Warner Brothers film Anastacia which I might cheekily borrow bits from- I can bet any money Rose would have seen it.

Rose pulled the blanket tighter around her as she tried to bring her body temperature back up to normal. She perched on the captains chair, an amused smile playing her lips and the Doctor, still dressed in a loin cloth, tried to tempt some information out of the TARDIS. As he'd informed her, Russia was a big place and although the street signs had told him they were only a half mile away from St Petersburg he still needed to know dates and exact places if they were going to find anything exciting to do.

She heard his triumphant yell as the TARDIS beeped and gave up the information he required. He was humming some song under his breath and Rose wasn't even half surprised to hear perfect Russian coming from his lips. He scrolled through the information on the screen before him before turning to her with a triumphant grin.

"I love our TARDIS," he said before turning back and pulling himself up onto the console to press a kiss to the central column, "You're going to love this time Rose. Romance, intrigued, murder…werewolves."

"Werewolves?" said Rose.

"Well haemophiliacs… A haemophiliac, the disease Queen Victoria carried. Do you remember?"

"Why would Queen Victoria be in Russia, I'd thought she'd be long dead?"

"She is but some of her family are still knocking about. Out there is St Petersburg on 25th November 1916 and despite the War being on there's still going to be a party at the Winter Palace. Want to go?"

Rose gave him a wicked grin, "1916. That's just before the Revolution. That means the Tsar is still in charge. Doctor are we going to see the Tsar?"

"Do you want to see the Tsar?" said the Doctor picking up the psychic paper from the console and handing it to her. Rose read the words and smiled all the wider.

"Doctor Theta Tyler and Dame Rose Tyler of the Powell Estate, England. Chief physician to His Royal Majesty George 5th of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Rather posh my dear," said Rose, "So I take it you plan on getting us very close."

"Not to the Tsar as much," said the Doctor, his eyes burning with adventure, "I've always rather fancied meeting Rasputin, come on, we'd better change."

XXXX

Jackie rushed out of the bathroom, cursing the fact that she'd let Mickey and Trisha take Susan out to the park, as the phone rang remorselessly. Her hand reached the receiver just as her own voice rang out from the answering machine.

"Hi, no one's home right now but please leave a message for me. Rose if its you when are you coming home darling? Tell that Doctor he'd better bring you home in one piece."

Jackie cringed at the four year old message, reminding herself once again to change it. She was relieved when Rose's voice sounded out a moment later.

"Hi Mum, I don't know if you're their or what time it is. We had a bit of a hiccup in the TARDIS and now she's refusing to move so we're stuck for a bit. We're in St Petersburg, in Russia…"

"Rose get off the phone, come on!"

Jackie rolled her eyes as the Doctor's voice cut across her daughter's

"Yes in a minute. I've gotta go Mum but we'll be home soon. Tell Susie we love her. Bye."

"And about bloody time too…"

Jackie laughed as the Doctor's voice was cut dead on the phone. So the TARDIS had landed them in Russia. She walked to the book shelf and pulled out one of the large history tomes that Doctor had insisted on keeping at the flat for whenever he was over. Sitting down with it on the sofa she flipped through to settle on the section about Russia, curiosity as to what mischief could be created by a Time Lord and his wife.

XXXX

Rose had never seen anything like the sight before her as she walked arm in arm with the Doctor. Before them stood the vast Winter Palace, home to Tsar Nicholas the second of Russia. The snow lay heavy on the ground and Rose was glad for the boots the Doctor had insisted upon her wearing underneath the heavy silk of her ball gown. They both wore huge fur coats, although the Doctor assured her that they were very convincing fakes, to keep them from the chill in the air beneath which they had dressed in the elegant styles of the time. The Doctor was quite happy to change into the black top hat and tails after the incident with the loin cloth and Rose couldn't help remembering how elegant he had looked before they ventured outside.

The great palace sprawled before them, lights twinkling from every window as elegant coaches pulled up in front of a grand, pillared entrance way, each one containing guests in more finery than the last. Rose breathed in the cold, fresh air and clutched a little tighter to the Doctor's arm, feeling like she did the first time she stepped out in a long forgotten time.

"You look beautiful," said the Doctor, not looking down at her, "Considering…"

Rose laughed as he shot her a cheeky smile, "At least I got you into something more elegant than jeans and that leather jacket this time," she said, remembering their trip to Cardiff in 1869, "Although, you always did look very handsome regardless of what you wore."

The Doctor placed a hand over his heart in mock affront, "Did? You mean I'm not handsome now? I'm hurt."

Rose pulled him to a halt, a serious look on her face, "You are so unbelievably handsome now," she said softly, taking his face in her gloved hands, "And I am the luckiest woman alive that you still loved me when you regenerated, you could have had anyone."

The Doctor could hear the slight choke in her voice at her last words and pressed a kiss to her lips to silence her further, "Rose, I never wanted anyone but you, no one could compare, no one could make me feel half of what you do. I love you so much."

"I love you to," pushing any melancholy from her voice and flashing him a warm smile, "Now come on Doctor Tyler, take me to meet the Tsar."

The Doctor proudly escorted her to the door, pulling the psychic paper from his coat pocket and handing it to the guard at the door. The guard briefly scanned the page before handing it back to the Doctor with a gruff nod, motioning for him to proceed. They were approached by a tall, bearded man dressed in a butlers uniform who bowed low before them before quietly enquiring their name's from the Doctor. Two servant girls took their heavy outdoor coats and Rose's boots as she quickly slipped her feet into two elegant pink slippers that matched her ball gown. The gown itself fell off her shoulders, trimmed with white lace and exposing her ivory neck around which hung her most treasured necklace that the Doctor had given her on the day of her cousins wedding. She lay a gloved hand in the Doctor's as he led her towards an elegant staircase which descended into a myriad of colour and movement below where the ball was well and truly underway.

The Butler stood to one side of them, clearing his throat to announce them. The Doctor squeezed Rose's fingers a little tighter as the butler spoke.

"The Duke and Duchess of Bucknall, England," he announced with a thick Russian accent, "Advisors to His Royal Majesty King George the fifth."

Rose bit her lip as they descended the stairs, not turning to the Doctor as she spoke.

"You changed it," she muttered, noticing how several people had already turned to look at them, some marvelling at the expense of Rose's dress.

"Well why be a Doctor when you can be a Duke and as Bucknall only exists on an estate we're hardly impersonating anyone," said the Doctor, his eyes not leaving the ball before him, "What better way to get intimate with the Romanovs than be one of the family."

"But won't they realise they don't recognise us," said Rose, smiling politely as a young gentleman complimented her outfit as they reached the floor.

"I told you that Gallifreyan silk would work a treat," said the Doctor, "Anyway, they barely know half their family these royals and they'll be so embarrassed that they didn't realise we were coming that they will schmooze like you wouldn't believe. They want to keep the British onside you see, nasty old Bolsheviks are starting to flare up and they might need our help."

"You can drop the plumy accent," said Rose as they began to dance fairly close to the large, golden thrones and the Romanov family in all their elegant glory.

"Righteo darling, right after I convince good old Nicky that I'm one of the gang," said the Doctor in a terribly British tone before dropping his voice to his normal accent, "Shouldn't be too hard, I am a genius after all."

"You're so full of yourself," said Rose, "Probably why I like you."

XXXX

Rose couldn't helped but be dumbfounded by the beauty before her as she regarded the imperial beauty of Tsarina Alexandra Romanov. In all her travels with the Doctor Rose had seen the beauties of the universe both alien and human but nothing could prepare her for the Russian Queen. Her hair was a rich auburn that hung in delicate curls around her head. She was a good ten years older than Rose but could still be a sought after beauty, her face not marred by lines but yet showing a great sadness behind her deep, dark eyes.

Rose raised herself from a curtsey, before proceeding to sit in the chair offered to her by the Tsarina.

"So My Lady Rose, you are come to us from England?" even Alexandra's voice flowed like music.

"Yes, we errr…flew in…well that is the coach flew across Europe to bring us here tonight?"

Alexandra regarded her quizzically, "You crossed Europe by coach, did you not fear the fighting?"

"We…"

"Your Majesty," interjected the Doctor as the Tsar left him to greet another guest, "Tell me how the young Tsarevich fares these days. I hear you have a great healer who works for you."

Rose shot him a grateful glance as the Tsarina's attention was diverted. The one thing that had amazed her about the Doctor from the very beginning was the way he managed to worm his way in to any circle he chose. After only two dances he had approached the Tsar and Tsarina with a whirlwind of talk that even Rose could not keep up with and soon they were being introduced as the second cousins of the kings himself. That was how Rose now found herself, seated before the flurry of dancers being rescued once again by her husband's silver tongue.

"Rasputin," said the Tsarina with pride, "He is a great Staretz, a Holy Man in your tongue. As you will know from your cousin our Alexis weakens daily but with Rasputin's aid we shall find a cure for him and Russia will reign on in Imperial power."

"Well I suppose its good to have a pipe dream…"

"Theta!" warned Rose, "Rude."

"As I was going to say its good to keep that dream alive and I'm sure Alexis will last until his time. I should like to meet this Rasputin, if I may?"

"I shall arrange it for the morning, Your Grace," said Alexandra with a look that Rose did not like her giving the Doctor, "Where are you staying while you are in St Petersburg?"

The Doctor flashed her his most brilliant smile, turning on his infectious boyish charm, "Well that's where we come a bit unstuck you see, we were in such a rush to get her we didn't make any arrangements or bring an awful lot with us so I was wondering…"

"You do not even have to ask," said Alexandra extending her hand to the Doctor as he helped her to rise, he pressed a kiss to the back of her hand and Rose bristled beneath her finery, "I shall speak with my maid at once and have rooms and clothes prepared for you. I will not have you return to England to tell your court that the Romanovs were not…accommodating."

"Your Majesty is most kind," said the Doctor.

"Think nothing of it, Your Grace. Lady Rose," said Alexandra as she left her guests alone once more.

"You were flirting with her!" said Rose folding her arms across her chest until she realised that heads had turned at her comment. She continued, her voice dropped to a whisper, picking up his left hand and holding it in front of his face, "Wedding band, remember?"

"Well be grateful that I got us a bed for the night," said the Doctor indignantly before his face softened, "I swear I wasn't flirting, just…I don't know…exploiting my influence."

"Flirting," said Rose.

"Got us Rasputin though didn't it?" said the Doctor as a smile twitched at Rose's lips, "Ahh…see, you're pleased because you know there's a mystery to be had. You've seen the films surely."

"I saw the cartoon one with the songs."

"Highly inaccurate," said the Doctor, his voice barely above a whisper, "They infantilised Anastacia and the fall of the Romanovs comes two years after Rasputin's death but hey, makes good telly. Anyway, Rose Tyler, am I forgiven for my outrageous flirting because I got you a mystery?"

"I suppose so," said Rose, still resisting the smile that wanted to spread across her face, "So long as you dance with me."

"Well, might as well enjoy the party. We can do our investigating in the morning," said the Doctor pulling her to her feet and spinning her back into the dance, "Maestro play a Chardash!"