XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
Chapter 8 - More Secrets
Later that evening, the Doctor brought a lot of strange, assorted parts out of the room where he had been running his experiment. He was back in his jeans and a dark orange t-shirt. She noticed that he was wearing his glasses. His hair stuck up as if his excitement had charged it. Rose had insisted he put his hand in the sling to try to prevent him from using it as much. It was oblivious the pain medication was working, Rose just hoped he wouldn't overdo it and hurt his hand worse.
"Okay, Rose Tyler. I have us a project we need to complete." he told her as he sat a box full of parts down on the coffee table.
Rose was sitting on the couch, across from the table. She was wearing some pajama bottoms and a pink blouse. Her hair was all twisted up on top of her head.
"I only have one good hand." he said as he pointed to himself. He then he pointed at her, "But you, my dear, have two good hands. I'm going to show you how to make a 'bigger on the inside' box and teach you all about Dimensionally Transcendental Physics...otherwise known as Time Lord Science."
"Well, all right then!" Rose exclaimed. "I hope I don't disappoint!"
"Hang on, let me get something." he went into the kitchen and returned with a cereal box and a box of matches. "Okay, let's see if I do a better job explaining it this way instead of with a candy tin." he mumbled as he walked into the room.
"Alright. The basics are very simple. See these two boxes?" he said as he held up the cereal box in his good hand, and tried to hold up the matchbox in his splinted hand.
Rose nodded.
He continued, "What's the same about them? And what's different?"
"Their shape and their size?" she said, wondering where he was going with this.
He smiled showing all of his teeth. He was so proud of his pink and yellow girl. "Oh, Rose Tyler. You are so clever. You are going to understand this."
Rose rolled her eyes at him. "Whatever, continue."
He handed her the box of matches. "Hold this a minute," he told her. He then walked to the other side of the living room and lay the cereal box in the window on its side. "Okay, now. Do they look the same size?"
Rose compared them and thought for a minute. "Well, yeah. But -"
"RIGHT!" he exclaimed. "Imagine this room is another dimension." He tried to wave his hands around. Having his arm in a sling had to be annoying to someone who liked to talk with their hands as much as he did. "Like as if ...we are 2D, and there is a box that will hold only 3D things. What you do is to take that flat dimension and fold it over and over and over. Packing it tight...using something like the two boxes, or points since they appear alike, as anchors to hold it together. The more you fold it, and the more points you have, and the bigger it will be on the inside!"
Rose wasn't following but smiled at his excitement.
"Now, this is just a simple box." he told her. "Don't try to wrap your head around making this work on something like my TARDIS. It is a considerably different technology. Simple, huh?"
She laughed at him, "Yeah... simple!"
And he sat down next to her on the couch and poured everything out of the box onto the coffee table. The box was just a bit bigger than a shoebox that Rose had gotten some boots in once, but made of some sort of metal.
The Doctor instructed her as to what to do with each step. She honestly had no idea what she was doing, but he seemed extremely pleased with their progress. Most of the time was just her holding something as he sonic'ed it.
They had been at work for 1 hour and 43 minutes when Rose's cell phone rang. It was Jackie.
The Doctor continued to work on the box, while Rose informed her Mom that she was feeling better and that Doctor Fletcher said she was healing nicely. Jackie didn't know that Rose had already healed up completely, of course.
Rose tended to pace when she talked on the phone. It had always made him smile. They chatted away for 24 minutes and 38 seconds about this and that. The Doctor finally heard Rose tell her, "Okay, see you tomorrow." as she hung up.
"She has no idea about the attack?" the Doctor asked Rose.
"No. Thank goodness, too. I don't even want to think about it." the Doctor stopped working for a bit and looked at Rose as she sat back down on the couch next to him.
"You alright?" he asked her.
Rose seemed absent-minded for a moment. She shook it off and replied, "Yeah. I'm alright. It's just been a long day."
He studied her face for a moment. She looked at him and noticed his eyes looked concerned. She leaned over, took his face in her hands, and kissed him lightly on the lips. "I'm fine. Really."
"I know what you need!" he exclaimed as he jumped up and grabbed her tablet. "Retail therapy!" he said as he handed her the tablet.
"What?" she laughed.
"Yeah," he told her. "I'll finish this up. I'm nearly done. I want to do a few of my jeans while I'm at it tonight. I want you to go online and buy me some new shirts."
"That I can do!" she told him as she took the tablet. "I should get you some more jeans as well."
He sat back down next to her on the couch. "Why?" he asked her seriously.
"Because I love how you look in them." She gave his lips a quick kiss.
He blushed a bit and smiled, as he went back to work on the box.
Rose found a local store that would deliver whatever she bought by noon the next day. She quickly went to the section and found some oxfords in various colors. She had the Doctor pick out the ones he wanted. She continued shopping online for 1 hour and 48 minutes. He only interrupted her to hold something his when hand wouldn't allow it.
The Doctor looked over and asked her, "Are you still shopping? Geez, woman!"
Rose didn't take her eyes off of the screen. She was chewing her free thumb. "Yeah, I'm getting some stuff we might need on our trip. I'm sure you are going to probably need some swimming trunks. What sort do you prefer to wear?"
"I like to swim in the nude." he teased her.
"Well, you're in luck then. I've found some that leave very little to the imagination."
He became serious and looked over at the tablet. "No way!" he said in a high-pitched voice, as he shook his head. "Not in a lifetime. Not in a Time Lord's lifetime! Never."
Rose was laughing hysterically.
He shook his screwdriver at her, "I'm sure there's something a bit more...modest. Shame on you, Rose Tyler."
Rose clicked a few places on the tablet as she giggled, and chewed her thumb. "Okay." she announced. And spun the tablet around to show him. His face screwed up in disapproval at that selection. "Do blokes wear stuff like that?"
Rose clicked a few more places on the tablet. Seeming satisfied, she declared, "Found it!" He looked at the screen.
"That." he pointed at the screen. "I could do." But..." he clicked a few places on the tablet. "In this color."
Rose looked at the screen and clicked, "Add to cart."
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
The Doctor continued to work long after Rose had fallen asleep that night. She woke up alone in bed. She picked up her phone to see what time it was. '4:49 am' it blinked. She got up and walked down the hall into the living room. There, she found the Doctor laying on the couch. His splinted hand was out of the sling, and he had laid it high upon his chest. His other arm was draped across his eyes. His glasses were pushed upon his forehead.
Rose leaned over and rubbed his chest to wake him. He uncovered his face and looked up at her, realizing where he was. "Rose? Are you alright?"
Rose simply shook her head no, and took his hand. She pulled his hand to suggest that he get up and follow her into the bedroom. He obeyed and silently followed her, taking his sling off and dropping it into a chair as they walked past it.
Once they got into the bedroom, Rose climbed into bed. The Doctor walked to the other side of the bed. He sat his glasses on the nightstand and removed his trousers, then dug around in the pocket for something. He pulled out his pill bottle and opened it. Like he was drinking from a cup, he popped one of the pills in his mouth and swallowed it. He then climbed under the duvet, took Rose in his arms, and went to sleep.
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
The morning brought with it a beautiful sunny day. Rose had opened the windows throughout the house to allow the breeze to blow through. She held her lovely cup of tea in her hands just as there was a knock at the front door.
She sipped it as she walked over to welcome Pete and Shakes into the home.
Shakes closed the door behind them as Rose said, "Good morning, Shakes!"
Shakes smiled at Rose. "Good morning, Miss Tyler. How are you today, ma'am?"
"Wonderful!" Rose proclaimed. "Please come in! I've just got the kettle hot."
Pete was looking around the house as they took a seat in the kitchen. "Where's the Doctor?"
Rose was busy pouring some tea into glasses for them. "Asleep still. He was up late last night doing some stuff."
Just as she said that the Doctor appeared in the doorway. "Important stuff!" he assured them as he walked into the kitchen.
He walked over and shook Pete and Shake's hands' in turn. Rose handed Pete and Shakes their cups of tea, then handed the Doctor a cup.
"Thank you, love." he smiled.
Rose blushed, took her cup, and sat down with Pete and Shakes.
"Chelsea has worked out a holiday that I think we can all live with. I wanted to run it by you two and Shakes together. First, Shakes will be in charge of all security, of course. He's going to pick three other men that we can trust, to go with you. We've booked you on a cruise leaving Sunday morning."
"Wow! That soon? It's Friday, right?" Rose asked. "My days have all ran together, lately."
Pete smiled. "Yeah. That's understandable." He continued. "Jackie has scheduled a photographer to come to the house to take some family photos tomorrow morning at 9:00. I think we should have you two get packed up and ready to go today, and you stay at the mansion until you leave on the cruise. You'll sail to New York. Stay there two days before you head down to DC. We will publish the family pictures for the media here while you are gone to create the illusion that you never left."
Shakes spoke up. "Where to after Washington?"
Pete said, "I figured I'd let them decide. Let them just explore. But, always publishing pictures of where you have been days later to make it appear that you are still there."
The Doctor stood at the counter, drinking his tea and shaking his head in approval. "Sounds good." He suddenly became animated. "Alert Robert Newman to hang two lanterns in the steeple. The British are coming!"
Pete and Shakes laughed. Rose just smiled at him and shook her head. "You are mad."
"I've secured a flat for you both in London. Everything will be moved starting tomorrow afternoon."
The Doctor's eyes jumped open, wide in surprise. "Blimey, you work fast!"
Pete chuckled. "It was necessary. I'm fond of you both. Plus, I value my face and already know I've got a Prentice slap for sure if Jackie ever finds half of this out."
The Doctor sympathized. "Remind me to tell you about a Tyler punch sometime."
Rose chewed her thumb and smiled.
Pete laughed under his breath. He looked at Shakes and nodded his head. Shakes stood up to leave. "Dr. Smith. Miss Tyler. I'll be outside."
"Thank you, Shakes." Rose acknowledged. "Oh, Shakes!" she suddenly remembered. "I don't believe I've ever heard your first name. What is it?"
"Oh! It's William ma'am. But, everyone calls me Shakes." he told her. "Please let me know if you need anything."
The Doctor saw him out, raising his eyebrows as he looked at Rose as if to say, "I told you so!" Then returned to the kitchen with Pete and Rose and sat down at the table. As soon as he sat down. Rose started laughing. "You are so bad!"
Pete looked dumbfounded. "Dare I ask?" he inquired with a smile.
Rose told Pete, "There's this very famous author/playwright where we are from named William Shakespeare. He lived around..." she looked at the Doctor for help.
He sat in the chair, trying to cross his arms with his splint on. It wasn't working. "Right around the 1600s." he affirmed. He gave up trying to cross his arms and ran his good hand through his hair.
"People quote from his works all the time." she explained.
"Oh." Pete realized. "Like Heminges and Condell." 'To be or not to be.'
The Doctor looked shocked. "What?" he asked seriously. "What?!" he got more excited. He rubbed his hand through his hair with obvious annoyance. "Those...those..." he shook his head as he gritted his teeth. "...apes."
Pete spoke to the Doctor. "Brought you something you're going to like," he handed the Doctor an envelope. "Turns out that GPS patent you told us about does exist here. I cut a deal with him to continue funding his research if he'll supply these to all of our agents at Torchwood. Rose being first of course."
"About time something went our way!" the Doctor exclaimed.
I've spoken to the dentist at Torchwood and he will be ready anytime today for you to come in and have it installed. I'd like you to handle the installation, Doctor." Pete shrugged. "It shouldn't take but ten minutes he assures me."
The Doctor was looking at the contents of the envelope. "Got it! Easy stuff!"
Pete then pulled another envelope out of his jacket pocket. "Also, do you two recognize either of these two men?" He asked as he lay a picture on the table in front of them.
They both looked at it. "No." Rose told him.
"What's up?" the Doctor asked.
"We got a tip that there was another hit put out on you, since the other one was unsuccessful. We believe these two men have taken it. One way or another, I'd feel a lot better having you at the mansion until you depart for your trip."
"Remain vigilant and please use good judgment while you are on this holiday. Don't wander off. Don't draw attention to yourselves. We are prepared to change your identities if needed. I've already taken the paperwork that you filled out when you first came here, and put it in my safe at the mansion. We aren't much closer to finding out what's going on than we have been all week. And boy what a week it has been." he said as he stood up.
He buttoned his jacket as he told them. "Feel free to bring anything to the mansion that you don't want the movers into. We have plenty of space, and it will be safe there."
"Thanks." Rose told him.
"Yes, thank you, Pete." the Doctor said. "We'll get all packed away here, and see you this afternoon. I'm curious to know what you've done that you are going to need our support to keep Jackie from killing you."
Pete smiled and laughed under his breath. "Oh, she's not going to be happy about it at all. Tony on the other hand is going to love it. See you both tonight."
The Doctor closed the door behind Pete. "What do you think that's about?" he asked Rose.
"I have no idea." she said through a smile.
The Doctor was rubbing his hand through his hair, making it stick up even worse than it already did. "What would Jackie hate, that Tony would love?" the Doctor wondered aloud.
"A dirt bike? A trampoline?" Rose suggested.
"A cookbook?" the Doctor interjected.
Rose playfully smacked him. He caught her hand with his good hand and pulled her close. He kissed her lips softly. "So, it's our last day in this house. How about we pack everything? Then head to the dentist, then to Pete's?"
Rose shrugged her shoulders within his embrace. "Sounds alright to me. The dentist though..."
"I'll be with you. You heard Pete. And it's simple. He's just going to take your crown off. It slides right out. Then I'll put this chip in the hole with some compound, then he'll put back on the permanent tooth. No shots. No drilling. No reason to worry." he leaned down to kiss her again.
"Oh! Before I forget!" he suddenly broke apart from their embrace. "I made you something." He lead her over to the couch where he had fallen asleep working. "I know you love this purse, so I made it bigger on the inside for you."
"Oh, that is ridiculously cool," she exclaimed. "I've never thought about having something like this of my own."
The Doctor stood there, looking at her, smiling like a loon. "Not bad, huh? Not bad at all. Oh! And, I also made this suitcase bigger on the inside, too. I figure we can put all of our stuff in it. That way, we only have to keep up with one bag. I did a few pairs of my jeans as well and I finished the box."
"What's going in the box?" she asked him.
"My experiment that I had in the other room. It's already in there. Put it in there last night."
"With a broken hand?"
He looked at her like she had dribbled on her shirt. "Well, yeah. I still have one good hand."
She shot him a look that could kill. He started running his hand through his hair again. "Besides, I had to put a small gravitational field on it, so it would always orientate to its' own floor. That way, it won't get messed all up when it gets jostled about. I did that to the suitcase, as well."
Rose thought for a minute. "All in one night? I think even Thomas would be impressed with your efficiency."
The Doctor looked deflated. "Now why do you have to go and cuss at me, Rose Tyler?"
Thomas Trout was an extremely hard man to please who worked at Torchwood. Rose had wanted to punch him in the face whenever they met but had managed to restrain herself so far. She wasn't sure how many more snotty comments of his she could take before she did lash out at him.
Rose asked, "What is even this 'experiment' you have been working on so much lately?"
The Doctor looked away from her face, put his hand back in his head, and thought for a moment. Should he tell her about his attempt to grow a TARDIS? He wasn't sure how it was going to like being put in this box and hauled around. It could still go pear shape, then he would have let her down.
"A personal chef!" he exclaimed.
She looked shocked. "What?"
"That's what Pete's getting that Jackie will hate!"
Rose tossed her hands in the air, exasperated. "You're like trying to nail Jell-o to a tree," she told him. "I'm going to pack."
Just then, there was a knock at the door. Rose opened it. Shakes stood there with a delivery guy who looked very intimidated by his surroundings. "Did you order some clothing, Miss Tyler?"
"Oh, brilliant. Perfect timing!" she exclaimed. The delivery boy and two agents brought three large boxes into the living room. Rose and the Doctor thanked them as they shut the door.
The Doctor looked at the boxes. "Blimey, I might need to get another dimension for all of these clothes."
"Relax, it's not that much. Help me open everything."
They had a good time opening the boxes and going through the new things. The Doctor now had five new oxfords of his favorite colors, some t-shirts of the same colors, a bag of pants, socks, jeans, bath robe, swimming trucks and a long, trench coat. It looked just like his old one, but it was just a shade darker.
"Oh, I love this." he told Rose.
Rose had four new dresses, some new jumpers, a new evening gown, bathing suits, and some lingerie. As soon as the Doctor saw the lingerie, "I expect a private fashion show featuring those bits so I can pick my favorites."
Rose smiled at him, "Certainly."
His ears went red as he went to get a clothes basket so they could wash everything one quick time before it was packed away for the trip.
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
Everything was packed. Rose had even taken down all of her pictures she had hung on the corkboard in her room. She had taken them all the pictures and things the Doctor had brought her when he first arrived and put them in a small box in their 'bigger on the inside' suitcase.
They were headed to Torchwood for Rose's dentist appointment. Rose was wearing a small blue dress and had her hair pulled up in a messy bun. The Doctor had wanted to put back on a suit, but Rose told him it would be alright to just wear his jeans. He had gotten used to wearing them and enjoyed them more now that these pockets were bigger on the inside like his suits' were. This clever box holding his precious experiment was in his pocket. He was also wearing his arm sling, again.
They walked into Torchwood Tower and went straight to the dentist's office. As soon as Rose checked in, they took her immediately back. As she lay down in the chair, the Doctor pulled a rolling chair up to her. "It's alright. I'm here." He then leaned down and snogged her.
The dentist walked in and cleared his throat to make his appearance known. The Doctor and Rose broke apart, and giggled. The Doctor stood up and shook the dentist's hand. "Good to see you again, sir." the Doctor told him.
"Good to see you, too. Doctor Smith. Miss Tyler." the dentist replied. The dental assistant came into the room. The dentist turned to her and said, "Oh, Grace. I'm sorry, but Doctor Smith will be assisting me with this. I'll just be a minute. Go have a cup of tea." She nodded and left. He shut the door. Shakes and one of his men were standing outside the door.
"Have you ever done this before? " he asked the Doctor as he put on his mask.
"No, not exactly this. But something like it." the Doctor said as he put on his mask with one hand. Rose saw them masked and held her hand up to touch the Doctor's leg.
"Can you not wear a mask?" she asked.
"Sure." the Doctor agreed. It really didn't make much sense. He was just snogging her for heaven's sake. He took it off and threw it in the trash.
The entire thing was over in 8 minutes 16 seconds. The dentist stood up and removed his mask and gloves. He shook the Doctor's hand, and patted Rose on the shoulder. Rose had to lay there for a few minutes waiting for everything to dry. While they waited, the Doctor took out his phone and typed up some information. He smiled as he turned it where Rose could see it. It was a map with a blimp on it. She realized it was working. "Now, I'll always be able to find you," he told her as he leaned down to kiss her again.
Shakes opened the door. "Doctor Smith, sir. May I see you for a quick moment?"
The Doctor stood up and went into the hallway. Rose sat up as he left. Shakes closed the door.
Shakes took the Doctor by the elbow and walked him a few feet away from the door. "Sir, we have a situation. Someone drove by and shot into the house. Some firebombs were thrown into the structure. It's currently on fire. The fire services are not convinced they can save any of it."
The Doctor felt like someone had punched him in the gut. They had been at the house less than an hour ago. What would have happened had they not been there? Thank goodness they already had everything valuable on them, or in their suitcase. What would Rose say? How was he going to tell her?
"Doctor Smith. We need to move you and Miss Tyler as soon as possible." Shakes instructed him.
"Right." the Doctor still seemed to be in shock. "We're ready to go. Please don't inform Miss Tyler. I'll handle that. Take us straight to the Tyler mansion. Inform Director Tyler about the incident, immediately."
"Yes, sir. Director Tyler is being informed now." Shakes told him.
The Doctor, with his good hand on his hip, shook his head in agreement as he came back in the room with Rose.
Rose was sitting in a chair and stood up as soon as he came in. "What was that about?"
He brushed it off. Tossed his head to the side. "Nothing, just some paperwork they needed. Shakes took care of it for us. Ready to go?"
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx