The planet Miiiya seemed like one big shopping mall. Rose was instantly reminded of Satelite 5; the place had a vast, but closed in feel.
The Tardis landed in a huge square, that would have been similar to a human town centre if the whole area hadn't been surrounded by a gigantic metal-framed structure. Harsh white sunlight shone down through the panes of darkened glass.
The Doctor explained that the purpose of the "shell", which covered the entire city, was to protect the Myvian people from the harmful rays of the sun. Less than a century ago, the inhabitants had been able to live in the open air like humans, but as the ozone layer was damaged, this became too dangerous and now all the huge settlements were under cover.
"If only your lot could see this…" the Doctor commented softly, looking around, and Rose knew he was talking about humans from her own time.
"This planet used to be so beautiful," he continued, suddenly sounding quite sad and remorseful, "Before they destroyed it with all their technology and pollution."
But then he snapped back to his usual cheery self, and began to lead the way through the busy streets, seemingly familiar with this area. The two humans followed him, both eager to begin exploring.
Rose was fascinated by the four-armed aliens surrounding her, and in between taking in the sights and sounds of the shopping centre they were passing through, she had to stop herself from staring at them.
Although there was a great diversity in their species, and the tone of their purple skin varied, they were taller on average than humans, with majestic, slightly feline features. The double sets of arms altered their balance subtly, so that they weaved from side to side gently when they walked. Nobody seemed surprised by the three strangers, and after a while Rose began to notice other humanoid creatures in the multicultural crowd.
It turned out that Jack, like the Doctor, had been here before, and he was keen to check out some of his old haunts. Namely, two pubs and a large weapons store. Rose, however, was determined to allocate time for shopping, and they decided to split up. She was stunned when the Doctor agreed to accompany her.
"You? Shopping? With me?"
"Why ever not?" he said, grinning.
"Bad move!" Jack laughed, heading off down an alleyway. "She'll try to choose clothes for you!"
"No chance of that," the Doctor said, and they set off in the opposite direction.
As she window-shopped, Rose tried to discover what would force a 900 year-old Time Lord, who usually complained vehemently when dragged along into "mundane" and "boring" situations, into shopping with a 19 year-old human. Especially taking into account all their past quibbles about fashion sense.
"Actually, there's someone I want to try and find," he said, but refused to disclose more about this mystery friend. Rose pestered him furiously for the next ten minutes, to no avail. Only when she had lapsed into a sulky silence did he reveal : "Jack will like her."
Rose, surprised to actually receive an answer, stopped. "And what about me?"
"Well, she reminds me a bit of your mum. Talks a lot. About everything. And when she gets angry…"
"Watch your mouth!"
The Doctor stepped back out of Rose's reach, looking ever-so-slightly alarmed.
After meeting up with Jack, the trio were walking back through the city centre to the Tardis, after a long, action-packed (and, for Rose, shopping-packed) day, when there was a sudden loud yell. The Doctor spun around, grinning as he recognised the voice.
Approaching from behind was a female Myvian. She was strikingly beautiful, in an alien way, tall and slim. Her skin had a lilac hue, and her slightly feline-looking features were accentuated by a shock of short, glaringly white hair framing her face. Amber eyes burned at them.
"Doctor?" The tone was confident, but with a hint of uncertainty.
"Bella!" the Doctor replied enthusiastically, beaming.
"I knew it!" Teeth as vibrantly white as her hair flashed in her face, and the woman bounded forwards into the Doctor's arms. "I picked up the signal from the Tardis a few hours ago…" She laughed as he swung her in a circle, revealing to the watching pair that the spiked hairdo gave way into a long, shimmering white curtain of hair. Beside Rose, Jack was gaping.
All four of the female's hands gripped the Doctor's shoulders as she surveyed him. "Wow. You've changed a lot!" she exclaimed. "What've you been up to then? Hope you've been keeping off the tequilas now –"
"Oh, y'know," said the Doctor, a tad sheepishly, "Been here and there…" He raised his eyebrows, gesturing down at his body. "You like?"
"Love it! Very sexy.." She slapped his bum ostentatiously, raising her own bleached brows in response, accompanied with a coy look. The Doctor glanced over to Rose and Jack, who were now looking slightly jealously at the newcomer.
"Sorry, I'm being rude again," he said. "Rose, Jack, this is my old friend, Belliquiissima. Bella, Rose and Jack."
"Hello. Nice to meet you," Bella said, giving them both another dazzling smile, and a surprisingly firm handshake. Jack jumped when presented with two hands; he had been busy admiring Bella's navel, which was pierced with several spear-like silver pins.
An hour later they were all seated in a nearby bar, and Bella and the Doctor were still talking non-stop. Rose had at first decided to give them some space to allow them to catch up, but now she was bored with only Jack's company, whose only topics for conversation were Bella, Tequilas and more Bella.
Rose, too, was intrigued by the bold, vivacious and feisty Myvian woman. It transpired that Bella was part of an organisation akin to a police force on this planet. From what Rose had caught of the conversation, she was an adventurer and a bit of a dare-devil, but oddly enough she had never travelled with the Doctor. Rose shuffled across the seat, closer to him, hoping to join in.
"…and I think you should grow your hair. I liked it long before." Bella's accent varied between a Texan drawl and something vaguely eastern-European, perhaps Polish, thought Rose, trying to picture the Doctor with long locks.
"It's a pain, though. Someone set fire to it once!" Almost unconsciously he ran a hand through his tousled brown hair.
"Dead romantic, though…" Bella countered, seemingly engaged in a staring match with him.
"You should have seen his hair before this. It was cropped," Rose said, smiling.
"When?" Bella looked puzzled. "Hang on, are we talking more than one regeneration here? Exactly how long has it been?"
"Like I said, stuff's happened." The Doctor looked slightly uncomfortable. Rose doubted that Bella knew about the Time War. "I met you in my eighth incarnation, this is my tenth…"
Before very long, Bella had discovered the extent of his absence from Miiiya. "You promised you'd visit!" she said fiercely, and one of her hands shot out like a snake and slapped him.
"Told you she was like your mother," the Doctor muttered to Rose.