TIME CAN BE REWRITTEN
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
This chapter has been rewritten. Please enjoy!
OoOoOoOo
Rose
"Run!"
It was funny how just one word got her blood pumping, Rose thought as she ran after the Doctor, his hand still clutched tightly in her own as she held onto it like a lifeline.
She barely held back a smile as she was led into a lift, trying not to stare as the Doctor pulled the arm off one of the dummies.
Realising she was staring, Rose asked softly, trying not to sound too eager or knowledgeable, "How were they moving? Was it some sorta prank?"
The Doctor stared at her for a moment as if he was expecting her to break down in hysterics, before he grinned and said "Nah, how would it be a prank?"
Rose shrugged, "I dunno, could be robotic or something?"
The Doctor looked mildly impressed at her answer, more so than he did the first time, and said in a slightly less patronising tone, "That makes sense, well done! But nope, they're pure plastic." He tossed the arm over to her.
Rose tried not to be too prideful that she had impressed him again, but she clearly failed when he smirked at her with amusement dancing in his blue eyes.
"Why were you down here?" He asked curiously.
Rose paused, trying to remember before she realised she still had a bag of money clutched tightly in one hand, "The lottery money…" At the Doctor's confused look, she continued, "For the Chief Electrician." Rose felt a wave of guilt wash over her as she couldn't remember the mans name.
The Doctor looked slightly more sympathetic as he read the guilt on the young girls face and he said gently, "He's dead."
Rose nodded sadly as they stepped out of the lift, not knowing what to say.
"Hold on," The Doctor moved her to the side as he used the sonic screwdriver to disable the lift, "Mind your eyes."
The Doctor glanced at her before he ran off ahead.
Rose almost smiled, always with the running. She shouted after him, jogging to catch up, "What were they?"
The Doctor seemed to ignore her for a moment before he stopped in front of a door and turned to her, "They're made of living plastic, living plastic creatures and they're being controlled by a relay device on the roof which would be a great big problem if I didn't have this," He pulled a bomb out of his pocket as she raised an eyebrow, he led her out of the door into the alleyway, "I'm gonna go upstairs and blow it up, and I might well die in the process, but don't worry about me, no, you go home. Go on. Go have your lovely beans on toast. Don't tell anyone about this, because if you do you'll get them killed."
Rose just stared as he shut the door behind him, as if anyone could forget you, Doctor, the door swung open again as the Doctor poked his head out and asked softly, "I'm the Doctor by the way, what's your name?"
"Rose, Rose Tyler."
The Doctor grinned, "Nice to meet you, Rose Tyler, run for your life!"
"Be careful, Doctor!" She couldn't help but shout as he shut the door for a final time. Rose then turned and ran across the road, spotting the Tardis on the other side, she stopped next to it stroking the panel gently with one hand as she felt her nudge against her mind, warmth spreading through her.
Disbelief laced her voice as she whispered, "I'm really back."
She felt echoes of amusement in her mind from the Tardis, she pressed her face against the wood closing her eyes as she felt tears of happiness well up in her eyes, "See you soon, girl."
OoOoOoOo
As soon as she entered the flat, she took the phone off her mum, regardless of her protests and wrapped her up in a hug, tightening her grip as Jackie asked, "Oh, sweetheart! I've been worried sick, why didn't you call? That store of yours blew up not even an hour ago!"
Rose couldn't help the tears as she let out a nearly hysterical giggle, "Sorry mum, it was a bit of a shock, only just got across the road before it blew up."
Jackie pulled her back into a bonecrushing hug at that confession, "Sit down, love, I'll go make you a cuppa."
Rose grinned as her mum started brewing up whilst going on about compensation, Jackie Tyler would never change, not even when she'd faced Slitheen or Cybermen.
Jackie set the mug down on the table before starting to phone her friends to let them know Rose was okay, or to get advise on what compensation she could get, Rose thought with a fond exasperation.
Mickey came in as Jackie was exaggerating on the phone and rushed straight over to her, wrapping her up in a hug as if she was about to disappear, "I came as soon as I heard, are you okay, babe?"
He pulled away, placing a hand on her cheek and stroking it gently, love and concern clear on his face.
Rose looked away guiltily, remembering how she led him on because he was a safety net for her, but that wasn't fair, not for either of them.
"Rose, you okay?"
She smiled sadly, "I'm fine, Mickey, really, I wasn't even in the shop-"
Jackie cut her off, "It's Debbie on the other end, she knows a man from the mirror – five hundred quid for an interview!"
"Oh, that's brilliant! Give it here," Jackie rolled her eyes as Rose hung up.
"Well, you've got to find some way of making money, your jobs kaput and I'm not bailing you out." Rose was saved from the lecture again as the phone rang again.
Mickey chuckled as Rose pulled a face at him, he picked up her mug and inspected it, "What're you drinking? Tea? Nah, that's no good, you're in shock, you need something stronger."
"There's a match on ain't there?" Rose asked, a smirk playing on her lips.
Mickey fumbled for an answer for a moment, "Well, that's not the point," His sheepish expression turned hopeful as he added, "We could catch the last five minutes?"
Rose snorted, "No, go on, I'm fine – get rid of that, though," she pointed to the plastic arm lying on the other couch.
Mickey grinned as he kissed her goodbye.
He picked up the arm, waving before he pretended to choke, "Bye-bye!"
She snorted and rolled her eyes as she thought – Mickey Smith, Defender of the Earth.
OoOoOoOo
Rose groaned as her alarm woke her up, she wacked the off button, nearly knocking it off the stand as she heard her mum call out, "No point in getting up sweetheart, you've got no job to go to."
She put her arm over her eyes, smiling to herself as she remembered what happened. Reliving her own past, she wasn't sure how much she could change or if she should, but she was sure the Tardis or Bad Wolf would warn her if she was going to cause a paradox again, she felt a pang of guilt in her chest as she remembered saving her dad and causing the Doctor's death the first time. She remembered his accusations that she had planned it, she had cried herself to sleep that night, or tried to until the Doctor had found his way to her room, he had walked in and stood awkwardly in the doorway until she noticed him, as soon as he saw her tearstained face he rushed to her side and wrapped her up in a hug, that broke the floodgates and set her off again, crying into his chest as she curled her fingers into his leather jacket. Eventually her sobs had subsided and she just mumbled apologises to him. The Doctor had just tightened his grip on her and said, "I know, I forgive you." With all his understanding kindness. The kind her pinstriped Doctor hadn't seemed to understand.
The pulled herself out of her memories and got up and dressed, looking forward to the day ahead of her with her first Doctor.
She sat at the table in the small kitchen as her mum pottered around, playing with an apple as her mum kept droning on about jobs.
"You know, I've been thinking of going travelling," Jackie paused and sat opposite her, "I've got money from my job and well, now I have no job, so perfect timing really."
Jackie looked concerned as she asked, "What's brought this on, sweetheart?"
"I just… I don't want to be the highschool drop out for the rest of my life, stuck in a dead-end job with no future, that's… it's not me, mum."
"If that's what you want darling, I can't stop you," She paused as if she wanted to add something, but stopped herself, smiling sadly at Rose "Be careful, sweetheart."
Rose tried not to grin as she said, "I will, mum."
As her mum went to get dressed, she eagerly waited for the Doctor's arrival, almost jumping as she heard the screws dropping out of the cat flap. She grinned, pulling her hair out of her face as she knelt and poked at the cat flap, pushing it back to reveal the Doctor who frowned at the sight of her.
She jumped up and opened the door quickly.
"What're you doing here?" The Doctor asked, confusion plastered across his face.
"I live here."
The Doctor nearly rolled his eyes at her tone which clearly implied his question was stupid, "Well, what do you do that for?"
"'Cos, I do!" Rose shot back, "Why'd you unscrew it?"
The Doctor opened and closed his mouth, "Must've got the wrong signal," he looked down at the sonic screwdriver, "You're not plastic are you?"
She batted his hand out of the way as he went to knock on her head.
"How could I be plastic, I'm not a shop dummy, unless you can't tell the difference?" She raised an eyebrow at him.
He did roll his eyes then, "Right, bye then."
"Oh no you don't!" She grabbed his jacket and pulled him inside the flat, "You, inside. Right now."
The look of utter confusion on his face nearly made her giggle as she shut the door, her mum shouted, "Who is it?"
Rose poked her head into her mums' room, "It's about last night, just give us ten minutes."
She sighed as her mum yet again went on about her deserving compensation to the Doctor. She snorted as she heard him say "Oh, we're talking millions," clearly not paying attention.
"I'm in my dressing down," Rose then heard her mum say flirtatiously, oh no, please god no.
"Yes, you are."
"There's a strange man in my bedroom."
"Yes, there is." The Doctor was clearly not getting the hint.
Rose walked back and grabbed his arm, glaring slightly at her mum as she scolded, "Not the time, mum."
The Doctor seemed to realise the situation Rose had saved him from as he allowed her to drag him into the living room, "Don't mind the mess, do you want a coffee?"
"Might as well, thanks. Just milk."
She walked into the kitchen and observed him discreetly as she made the drinks.
He picked up a gossip magazine, seeming not to notice her gaze on him, "That won't last, he's gay and she's an alien," He threw it back down, picking up a book and flicking through it, "Sad ending."
He turned and picked up an envelope, "Rose Tyler," He threw it back down and looked in the mirror, "Ahh, could've been worse," He started messing with his ears, "Look at me ears."
Rose bit her lip to stop from laughing.
He started shuffling a pack of cards as he sang, "Luck be a lady," making them all go flying, "Maybe not."
She snorted, turning around to finish the drinks as he glanced at her, a blush rising on her cheeks as he caught her watching him.
The Doctor turned then, his attention caught by a scuffling noise behind the couch, "What's that then? You got a cat?"
"We did 'av…" Rose trailed off as she watched the arm jump out and latch onto the Doctor's neck. She rushed over and tried to pull the arm off him, falling back as the Doctor managed to throw it away from him. She crashed back into the coffee table as the arm attempted to latch onto her, the Doctor rushed over to her from the couch, grabbing his sonic screwdriver from his pocket and stopping the arm.
Rose sighed in relief as he took the now motionless plastic away from her, "It's alright, I've stopped it. There you do, you see?" He tossed the arm back over to her, "'Armless," He chuckled.
Rose quirked an eyebrow, whacking him with the arm, "D'ya think?"
He scowled at her, rubbing his arm "Ow!"
He grabbed the arm back and took off out the flat, running down the stairs. Rose rolled her eyes and ran after him.
"You can't just go swanning off!"
"Yes, I can. Here I am, this is me, swanning off. See ya!" He waved the arm sarcastically.
Rose scoffed, "That arm was moving, it tried to kill us!"
"Ten out of ten for observation!"
She tried not to groan in frustration at how difficult her Doctor was being, "At least tell me who you are?"
"I told you! The Doctor."
"Blimey, it's like getting blood out of a stone," Rose muttered, she saw his lips twitch slightly at her comment before she added, "Doctor what?"
"Just the Doctor."
"The Doctor."
"Hello!" He answered happily.
She snorted, "Is that supposed to be impressive?"
"Sort of," He smirked at her.
"Come on, you can tell me. What's going on, are you the police?"
He frowned, "No, I was just passing through, I'm a long way from home."
"How comes those plastic things tried to kill us?"
"It was after me not you!" He looked at her, "The only reason it fixated on you, is that you met me."
"So, the entire world revolves around you?" She asked, an almost playful edge to her voice.
The Doctor grinned, liking this girl despite himself, "Sort of, yeah."
"Who else knows about it?"
His face fell a but then, "No one."
"You're on your own?"
Rose stopped and the Doctor looked at her, meeting her large hazel eyes. A deep sadness reflected in them, compassion swirling with the golden flecks as they looked at each other, it was like she could see who he was and what he had lost. But no, she was just another human, a stupid ape, who couldn't possibly understand, "Well, who else is there? I mean, you lot, all you do is eat chips, go to bed, and watch telly! When all the time underneath you, there's a war going on!"
Rose almost smiled, she took the arm off him, "Start from the beginning."
He raised his eyebrows.
"This living plastic, how did you stop it?"
"The thing controlling it projects life into the arm, I cut off the signal. Dead."
"So, that's what? Radio control?" She hated having to play dumb, but honestly, she couldn't do anything else, not if she wanted to have her Doctor back.
"Thought control," The Doctor glanced at her, concerned, "Are you alright?"
"Yeah. Who's controlling it?"
"Long story."
"What's it all for?" Rose could barely hold back her grin as she remembered the following conversation, "I mean, shop window dummies? Is someone trying to take over Britain's shops?"
He laughed, surprised by her answer and she joined him, giggling as he answered, "No."
He smirked at her then and added, "It's not a price war."
She couldn't help the carefree smile as she looked at him, but he stopped suddenly and turned to her seriously, "They want to overthrow the human race and destroy you. Do you believe me?"
"No."
"But you're still listening."
"Tell me, Doctor, really… who are you?"
He sighed, "Do you know like we were saying? About the Earth revolving? It's like when you're a kid. The first time they tell you that the world's turning and you just can't quite believe it 'cause everything looks like it's standing still," he grabbed her hand and held it, "I can feel it. The turn of the Earth. The ground beneath our feet is spinning at 1,000 miles an hour. And the entire planet is hurtling round the sun at 67,000 miles an hour. I can feel it, we're falling through space, you and me. Clinging to the skin of this tiny little world, and if we let go," he dropped her hand, "That's who I am. Now forget me, Rose Tyler." He took the arm off her, "Go home."
As if I could. She stayed and watched as the Doctor entered the Tardis before she turned around and walked back to the estate.
OoOoOoOo
Rose sighed, as she walked up the steps to where Mickey's flat was, this was going to be difficult, but better than stringing him along for over a year. She knocked on the door, "Hey, Mick…ey," she trailed off as she stared at what should have been her former boyfriend staring at her, how did she not notice how obviously plastic he looked last time?
When all the living plastic did was stare at her, unblinking, Rose asked awkwardly, "You wanna go out for pizza? I was thinking we need to talk?"
"Pizzaaaa! P-p-p-pizza!"
Did she really neglect Mickey so much last time, she didn't notice that? She could feel guilt well up inside her as she tried to replay how the dinner went last time, it was so obvious now that she looked at it, but at the time, she had been so oblivious.
Once they were at the restaurant, she tried to follow what she remembered of the original conversation, focusing on herself. Eventually trailing off as the plastic stared at her, not blinking and grinning in an inhuman way, that seriously increased her guilt at the way she had treated Mickey in the past, and how she had allowed the Doctor to treat him.
The plastic leaned forward and grabbed her hand tightly, "So, where did you meet this Doctor?"
"I never mentioned a Doctor?" She attempted to play oblivious, clearly failing as the grip tightened.
"Because, I reckon it started back at the shop, am I right? Is he something to do with that?" He pulled her closer when she didn't answer, "What was he doing there?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"You can trust me sweetheart, babe, babe, sugar, sweetheart," Slipping into a weird voice, "You can tell me anything, tell me about the Doctor and what he's planning, and I can help you, Rose," His voice lowered, almost slipping into a threatening tone, "Because that's all I really wanna do, sweetheart, babe, babe, sugar, sweetheart."
Rose swallowed thickly as she waited for the Doctor to appear, trying not to wince as the grip tightened further.
"Your champagne?" He offered it to the plastic, and she tried not to look relieved as the plastic pulled her again.
"We didn't order any champagne." He said shortly, "Where's the Doctor?"
She glanced up at the Doctor then, who winked at her, "Doesn't anyone want this champagne?"
"Look we didn't order an-" Finally, the plastic looked up, "Ah. Gotcha."
Rose quickly pulled her hand away and stood up as the Doctor shook the bottle of champagne, "Don't mind me, I'm just toasting the happy couple. On the house!" He aimed the bottle at the plastic as the cork popped out and hit it squarely on the head, his forehead absorbing the cork before the plastic spat it out.
"Anyway," The plastic sneered before his hands turned into clubs and he started to smash his way through the table towards the Doctor.
Rose moved out of the way as the Doctor grabbed the plastics head and pulled it off. A man screamed as the Doctor grinned as the talking head, "Don't think that's gonna stop me!"
Rose smashed the fire alarm, pressing it as she yelled, "Everyone out! Out now!" The headless plastic started to smash its way through the tables as it tried to reach the Doctor, as Rose led the way through the kitchens, "Get out! Get out! Get out!"
The Doctor took over and led the way out of the back exit, shutting the metal door quickly and locking it with the sonic screwdriver.
Rose ran to the gate and pulled the chains as she shouted, "Open the gate! Use that tube thing!"
The Doctor didn't glance at her as he responded, "What this?" He held it up, "This is a sonic screwdriver," He paused, unlocking the Tardis, "Tell ya what, let's go in here."
He entered the Tardis, leaving the door slightly ajar for her, Rose barely held back a grin as she tried to contain her excitement. She saw the plastic had begun to smash its way through the door and ran to the Tardis, shutting the door firmly behind her and leaning back against the door as she took everything in, looking around in awe, remembering how she had thought she would never see this beautiful girl again.
She could feel the warmth and happiness emanating from the Tardis, seeming to wrap her in a mental embrace of pure delight as she closed her eyes, overwhelmed by the feeling. She was brought back to the present, by the Doctor clearing his throat, giving her an odd look.
She felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment, and she asked, "Won't it get through?"
The Doctor decided to put the puzzle of the Tardis' reaction to Rose Tyler away in the back of his mind and focus on the issue in front of him, as he turned back to the console, "The assembled hoards of Genghis Khan couldn't get through that door, and believe me, they've tried. Now, shut up a minute," He wired the plastic head to the console, "You see, the arm is too simple, but the head's perfect, I can use it to trace the signal back to the original source," He turned back to Rose then, "So, where do you want to start?"
"Um…" She hesitated, "The outside's smaller than the inside?"
The Doctor frowned at the reversed statement, though the Tardis seemed amused, "Yes."
"She's alien?"
"Yes," He paused, "How'd you know she's a she?"
Rose shrugged, "I thought all ships were female?"
He nodded, "Makes sense."
"Are you alien?" She asked before he could say anything else.
"Yes," The Doctor stared at Rose before he added, "Is that alright?"
Rose grinned, "Yeah," She looked around again, "Your ship… she's beautiful."
The Doctor grinned at her, "She's called the Tardis. T-A-R-D-I-S, that's Time and Relative Dimension in Space."
Rose nodded, still in wonder that she had this chance to fix things, she glanced over to the console and saw the plastic had started to melt, "Doctor, the plastic's melting!"
He turned around quickly, "Oh, no no no no no NO!" He moved around the console, pressing buttons and pull levers frantically.
"What're you doing?"
"Reviving the signal, it's fading! Wait I've got it…" The Doctor trailed off as he looked at the screen, "No no no no no no no, NO!" The Tardis shook as she attempted to follow the signal, "Almost there! Almost there! Here we go!"
As the shaking stopped, the Doctor ran out of the Tardis, Rose followed behind, "We've moved, does she fly?"
"Disappears there, reappears here. You wouldn't understand," Came the short answer.
Rose merely arched an eyebrow as she challenged, "Try me."
He looked at her, considering her for a moment, "Maybe later."
She nodded, cocking her head to the side, "Is Mickey alive? The man the plastic copied?"
"It's a possibility," He said, then he glanced at her curiously, "You don't seem that worried."
"I guess, I figured you wouldn't've pulled his head off if it would kill the real him, and I didn't want to consider he might be dead. Endless optimism me!" She joked weakly, forgetting at this point last time, she had thought Mickey was dead and had argued with him.
The Doctor didn't notice her inner conflict as he was surprised at how much faith this girl had in him, she hadn't panicked because she assumed, he was good and wouldn't have risked hurting him, honestly, he hadn't even considered it. He tried to quell the guilt inside of him, the voices that whispered 'murderer' in the back of his mind.
"If you're an alien, then how comes you sound like you're from the North?" Rose asked, trying to break the uncomfortable silence.
He folded his arms indignantly and looked away, "Lot's of planets have a North!"
"What's a Police Public Call Box?"
He looked at her again, "It's a telephone box from the 1950's," He patted the Tardis fondly, grinning, "It's a disguise."
"In the 1950's," She snarked, but at his defensive look, she smirked and added, "I like it, very retro," He grinned and relaxed as she added, "So, this living plastic, what's it got against us?"
"Nothing, it loves you. You've got such a good planet, lots of smoke and oil, plenty of toxins and dioxins in the air… perfect. Just what the Nestene Consciousness needs. It's food stock was destroyed in the war, all it's protein planets rotted, so Earth… dinner!"
"So, how do we stop it?"
The Doctor grinned as he pulled a vial out of his pocket.
Rose snorted, "First a bomb and now this? What else do you keep in there?"
He chucked, "This is anti-plastic."
Rose arched an eyebrow, "Anti-plastic?"
"Anti-plastic! But first I've got to find it." He walked over to the wall and turned to face Rose again, "How can you hide something that big in a city this small?"
"Hide what?"
"The transmitter. The consciousness is controlling every single piece of plastic, so it needs a transmitter to boost the signal." He stated looking around.
"What's it look like?" Her eyes were fixed on the London Eye behind him.
"Like a transmitter, round and massive. Slap bang in the middle of London," He paced around, getting more agitated as he spoke, "A huge circular metal structure… like a dish…" He faced Rose again, "Like a wheel. Close to where we're standing. Must be completely invisible."
Rose bit back a smirk as she nodded towards the Eye.
"What?" He turned around, completely non-plussed.
Her lips twitched as she nodded towards the Eye again.
"What is it? What?"
He turned around again, "Oh…" He looked at Rose a gleam in his eyes, as he grinned, "Fantastic."
He grabbed her hand tightly as they took off running across London Bridge towards the Eye. Rose felt her heart pounding as she ran, barely concealing her excitement, the Doctor, also grinned like a madman.
The finally came to a halt in front of the Eye, "Think of it. Plastic, all over the world. Every artificial thing waiting to come alive. The shop window dummies, the phones, the wires, the cables…"
"The breast implants," Rose couldn't help the joke, snorting at the mental image it conjured.
The Doctor's lips twitched slightly, but he otherwise ignored her as he continued, "Still, we've found the transmitter. The Consciousness must be somewhere underneath."
Rose ran over to where the manhole was and shouted over her shoulder, "What about down here?"
He grinned at her, "Looks good to me!"
She beamed back at him as the rushed down the steps, the Doctor removed the cover and red light and smoke poured out. She followed him down the ladder as quickly as she could, through another door into a chamber and down some steps. The Doctor pointed to the huge, orange, wobbling mass in the middle of the chamber, "The Nestene Consciousness, that's it. Inside the vat. A living, plastic creature."
"Could you find it somewhere else to live?" Rose asked, pitying the creature slightly, "Find it another food source?"
She saw surprise play out over the Doctor's face, "What? You don't just want me to kill it?"
She shook her head, "You've got to give it a chance, that's what makes us human."
The Doctor looked both shocked and amused at her reply, "Right you are, Rose Tyler." He walked down the steps and leant over the railings a little as he spoke, "I seek audience with the Nestene Consciousness under peaceful contract. According to convention 15 of the Shadow Proclamation."
Rose's eyes widened as the heard the Nestene Consciousness' response this time, rather than unintelligible noise.
"Thank you. That I might have permission to approach?"
Rose looked around for Mickey and saw him cowering near a rail, "Doctor, you were right! They kept him alive!"
The Doctor glanced at her, his lips turning upwards, "It was the best possibility, keep him alive to maintain the copy."
Rose grinned and nodded, trying to comfort Mickey as best she could, until the Doctor needed her help. She looked up as two of the shop dummies approached the Doctor from behind, "Doctor, look out!" It was too late as they grabbed him and removed the anti-plastic from his jacket.
She stood up, watching the scene below concerned as the Doctor shouted out desperately, "That was just insurance! I wasn't going to use it!" His voice was almost pleading as he added, "I was not attacking you, I'm here to help. I am not your enemy. I swear, I'm not… what do you mean?"
Rose jumped slightly as doors opened behind her, revealing the Tardis.
"Oh, oh no – honestly, no!" The Doctor replied anxiously, "Yes, that's my ship. That's not true! I should know, I was there," Rose's heart broke hearing the raw pain in the Doctor's voice as he spoke, "I fought in the war – it wasn't my fault! I couldn't save your world! I couldn't save any of them!"
Rose tried to hold back her tears, not able to bear hearing the pain and guilt in his voice, as though it were his fault, "What's it doing?"
"It's the Tardis! The Nestene has identified its superior technology – it's terrified! It's going to the final base. It's starting the invasion! Get out, Rose! Just leg it! NOW!" This time Rose could hear the genuine panic in the Doctor's voice, the fear that he was helpless to stop the invasion, another war.
Rose ran over to the chain quickly, she grabbed the axe and started hitting. Last time, she had wasted precious moments being a coward – not this time. The chain finally came loose, and she grabbed it, taking a breath before she jumped off the ledge, swinging over the Nestene Consciousness and kicking the shop dummies holding the Doctor hostage into the vat, anti-plastic and all.
The Doctor pulled Rose to him gently as landed in his arms, letting go of the chain, he looked at her for a long moment before he grinned, looking into the vat, "Now we're in trouble!"
Rose beamed back at him, happiness pouring off her as he took her hand and led her back to the Tardis.
OoOoOoOo
Rose barely noticed as Mickey rushed out of the Tardis, terrified as she calmly followed him out, waiting for her mum to pick up the phone.
"Rose!" Came the happy response, "I was just gonna phone! You can get compensation! I said so, I've got this document thing off the police – don't thank me!"
Rose laughed happily, hanging up. No panic this time, and hopefully no deaths.
She glanced over to where Mickey was cowering against the bins, "Mickey, it's alright. You're alright." She wrapped her arms around him, regretting the first time when she had seemed to forget, his first experience with an alien was being kidnapped. He whimpered, clinging to her like a child.
She turned around slightly and saw the Doctor stood in the doorway of the Tardis, "Nestene Consciousness?" He clicked his fingers, "Easy!"
Rose grinned and teased, "You were useless in there! You'd be dead if it wasn't for me!"
He smiled genuinely then, "Yes, I would. Thank you." He cleared his throat, "Right then! I'll be off! Unless, uh… I don't know… you could come with me."
Don't. Not yet. She heard the ethereal voice in her mind, Rose hesitated.
"This box isn't just a London hopper, you know, it goes anywhere in the universe, free of charge."
Before she could say anything, Mickey cut in, "Don't! He's an alien! He's a thing!"
"He's not invited." The Doctor glared at Mickey, "What do you think? You could stay here and fill your life with work and food and sleep, or you could go, uh… anywhere."
Rose bit her lip, her desire to go clear on her face, "Is it always this dangerous?"
The Doctor smiled, "Yeah."
She stood up but couldn't take a single step before Mickey threw his arms around her legs, "Yeah, I can't… I've gotta go find my mum, so…"
"Okay, see you around." The Doctor stared into her eyes for a long moment before he disappeared back into the Tardis, the doors shutting behind him.
Rose sighed, her heart racing, what if she made a mistake? What if he didn't ask her again? She looked down at Mickey and pulled him to his feet, "Mickey, I am so sorry, I wanted to do this before, but with the stupid living plastic and everything," She breathed out, "I don't think we should do this anymore, you and me, I love you, I always will, but you're more like a brother, a best friend and I can't lead you on, not anymore, I am so sorry Mickey…" Her voice broke, her eyes tearing up at the thought of losing his friendship.
Mickey looked devastated, he had no idea Rose had felt like that, "I thought, I thought we were good?" He asked, his voice trembling.
"We were, but you deserve better, much better than I can give you, I am so sorry Mickey." She kissed his cheek before pulling back, just as she heard the Tardis rematerialize.
The doors swung open as the Doctor popped his head out, "By the way – did I mention, she also travels in time?" Grinning at Rose expectantly, before he headed back inside, leaving the doors wide open for her.
She didn't glance back as a wide smile appeared on her face and she ran towards the Tardis.
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Let me know what you think of the changes!