CHAPTER THREE : Blah the Third
Dull light trickled into the halls of the estate, hugging doorways and casting a dark mood around. Raindrops could be heard as they fell from the sky, hitting everything that was in their way. The Spider sat on Jackie's coffee pot, his eyes peering about the room. He was keeping to himself since Rose did not seem to want to talk; so instead, the Spider was musing to himself on where to start his corner of the flat. That picture over there would look good with a web around it . . .
Across the kitchen, through the living room, and into the second bedroom (which had always been the second bedroom - fancy that, a room that doesn't move!) sat nineteen year old Rose Tyler. She was very still, her eyes unreadable. Jackie sat beside her daughter, trying to offer comfort.
The Spider scurried into the room, aiming for the dresser. He went up its leg, then made a bee line for Rose's old hair brush. He settled into it with a grumble.
"You know, sweetheart, you could just go back to Mickey," Jackie tried. Rose glanced at her mother from the corner of her eye, but remained silent. With a sigh, Jackie left.
The Spider picked a hair out of Rose's brush. With a smile, he started to harvest hair. The dresser was his canvas, and he was going to give Rose a present!
Rose noticed something moving about her dresser. She stood up, walked over, and thought, 'Here I thought I'd seen everything. What is that spider doing? Uh - oh. Alien!'
She raised her hand to squash the spider, but then noticed the contents of the hair/web-picture. Which wasn't a picture. It read , 'Don't be angry Rose. You have me! And eventually the Doctor will come around!'
Once finished, the little spider went down with a huff, puffing and taking big gulps of air. Rose smiled.
"Thanks." She put her hand down, letting the Spider crawl onto her palm. He twisted his leg into a thumbs up sign as he collapse on her hand. Rose wandered back to her bed, sitting down and bringing her knees up. For the next three hours, she told the Spider everything that had been bothering her, how much she loved the Doctor, and how hurt she was he had pushed her out.
The Spider never talked, but he nodded at all the right places, and even though she couldn't physically feel it, she was comforted when the Spider patted her hand with his foot.
A knock on the door. The Spider scurried away, claiming a seat on a pink teddy bear. Rose stood up, leaving her room and calling, "Mum? Why aren't you answering the door?"
The Spider sighed. Probably that Nicky fellow. No, wait. Rickey. His name was Rickey. Or was it Richie? The Spider frowned. That Bloke That Used To Date Rose. There. He had a name.
'Right?' the Spider asked the Estate. When he didn't get an answer, he got the heebie-jeebies. The Spider thought it was eery, the Estate not moving or having a mind of its own. He was also not very happy with the food selection in this place, and above all, he was not pleased with the Doctor for kicking Rose out.
Today was not a good day.
Rose re-entered the room in a huff. "I'm not speaking to you -"
"But Rose - " The Doctor's voice filtered into the room. The Spider blinked at the doorway, and sure enough, a lost looking Time Lord came into view. The Doctor glanced around the room, as if searching for something to say that wouldn't set Rose off. "See you 'ave a friend . . . "
The Spider knew he was the friend - Rose knew it too, and she spat, "At least he didn't abandon me."
"Rose . . . " The Doctor trailed off. The Spider scuttled over to Rose, going up her leg and coming to a rest on her belt for a second, regaining his breath. Writing was hard work.
"I am not talking to you," Rose icily informed the Doctor. The Spider resumed his trek, sitting on Rose's shoulder at the end.
The Doctor frowned. "Fine! If you want to stay here, eatin' chips, sellin' clothes, go right ahead! I have a universe to save and I do not have time to coddle a nineteen year old girl!"
"Coddle?" Rose's voice was dangerously low. "You tease me, make me think you love me, then you kick me out when I confront you about it! What may I ask is so coddling about that?" Her next words struck the Doctor like a brick across the face. "I am just some stupid little ape that you picked up, a scrap of DNA and cells, and RNA and whatever else I am made of! I'm just a thing for you to play with! I don't live long, so I'm worthless!"
The Spider nervously glanced from Rose to the Doctor and back again. What was going to happen? What would the Doctor do? Should the Spider run like his little backside had bug spray after it?
The Doctor's face went hard, then slowly softened. He spoke softly, "Rose, you are not worthless. I just . . . " He looked away. The Spider gently pulled on Rose's hair. Come on, Rose! He's here! He came back!
Rose trotted up to the Doctor. "Do you love me?" she asked quietly.
". . . Y. . . " the Doctor swallowed nothing. "Rose . . . "
Rose leaned up, leaning in for a kiss . . . and the Doctor moved away. The Spider groaned. Doc-tor!
"I can't," the Doctor pleaded. "I just can't." He turned his eyes to Rose, eyes filled with hurt, confusion, and yearning.
"Yes you can," Rose insisted. "You- "
"Time Lords do not love!" he shouted. He took a deep breath. "I am going back to the TARDIS. Are you coming or staying?" Without waiting for an answer, the Doctor turned and exited. Jackie shouted at him, from the noise she was in the kitchen.
Rose let herself fall onto her bed. The Spider twiddled his forelegs, much like a person when they twiddle their thumbs. The Spider waited for Rose, and Rose waited for something. After a good twenty minutes the young woman stood up, leaving the flat with Spider in tow.
The TARDIS was waiting for them.