Time Can Be Rewritten
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
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The Christmas Invasion
"I'm really glad I explained everything to Mickey now," Rose mumbled as the Doctor rushed through the doors of the Tardis, she pulled herself to her feet using on of the coral columns for balance. As she approached the doors, she just heard the Doctor exclaim, 'Merry Christmas!'
She stepped out, closing the doors behind her gently as Mickey and her mum stared at the Doctor in disbelief. Mickey stood as he noticed her, whispering incredulously, "Is this really the Doctor?"
Rose smiled wryly, "Yep. He turned into a pretty boy."
Mickey snorted, teasing, "Just your type."
"Shut up." She rolled her eyes at him, slapping his chest lightly, "I love him no matter what he looks like. He's my Doctor."
"Yeah, well, you better explain that to your mum before she calls an ambulance."
"Oh, God!" Rose looked down to where her mum was knelt beside the Doctor, she was staring at him curiously.
"Who's this then? And where's the Captain and that fella of yours?"
"Jack's in Cardiff and that's 'my fella' there, help me get 'im up to the flat and I'll explain."
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Rose ran her fingers through the Doctor's hair gently as he lay in her bed, she could feel her mum's eyes boring into her but ignored her as she considered what to do.
Last time, he had said that all it took was a cup of tea for him to fix whatever had gone wrong with the regeneration process, but they had taken turns to make him several cuppas throughout the day and he hadn't woken up. The Tardis hummed sadly in her mind, and the song she had heard in the back of her mind since Bad Wolf was conspicuously silent.
Jackie stood in the doorway staring as her daughter tended to the strange alien who could change his face… the alien who took her child on dangerous adventures, who lured her away with his spaceship and time travel… but as she looked at the blatant love on Rose's face, as she remembered how he sent her home despite everything, she couldn't hold onto her hatred of the Doctor. She walked over, and sat on the bed next to Rose, handing her a stethoscope, "Here we go, Tina the Cleaner's got this lodger, medical student. And she was fast asleep, so I just took it."
Rose smiled back and listened to one side of the Doctor's chest before moving to the other side, "Both working, and no he doesn't need to go to the hospital."
Jackie gaped at her for a moment, "Both? What d'you mean both?"
"He's got two hearts. He's an alien, he's gonna be a little different." Rose explained biting back a smile, she held out her hand, "Come on, I've got some stuff to explain to you and Mickey."
"Starting with how he changes his face."
"Yes, come on." She led her mum into the living room where Mickey was sat on the sofa, her mum went over to the armchair and Rose lay across the sofa, resting her head in Mickey's lap.
"Well, sweetheart?" Jackie prompted, "How can he go changing his face?"
Rose closed her eyes as Mickey started running his fingers through her hair, "The Doctor called it regeneration, he said it was a way for his people to cheat death," Her breath hitched, "They change every cell in their body, becoming an entirely new person with a new personality, but underneath… he's still my Doctor."
"How can you know?" There was only concern in her mother's voice.
"He'd already told me about it, he promised that his feelings would always remain the same and he wouldn't lie to me." She sat up, her eyes glistening as she remembered the last moments of her first Doctor, Mickey pulled her into his side, "When we opened up the heart of the Tardis, I absorbed the time vortex into my mind and became the Bad Wolf, but the power… it was burning my mind, the Doctor had to take it from me but by doing that, he sacrificed his life for me and regenerated," She sniffled, "He said before he changed, that it wasn't my fault, that he would have died regardless but…"
"Oh, Rose," Jackie rushed over and wrapped her into a hug, her respect for the Doctor rising as she realised, he put aside his own pain to reassure her daughter that whatever happened wasn't her fault, "If you believe he's the same man, I won't question it."
Rose gave her a watery smile. Even though logically she knew what happened had to happen for the Doctor to survive at all, she couldn't help feeling guilty. She held onto her mum's hands, Mickey's arm tightening around her waist as she said, "There's something else."
Jackie huffed out a laugh, "Well, whatever it is sweetheart, it can't be stranger than you being in love with an alien."
Mickey snorted, "You'd think."
Rose nudged him with her elbow, "When I was Bad Wolf, all I could think was how I wanted to give the Doctor forever," Jackie tightened her grip on her hands, "I bound myself to the life of the Tardis, I'll live for as long as she does." Her voice trembled, "I can keep my promise without worrying about aging or… dying."
Jackie gaped at her.
Mickey, already having been prewarned in Cardiff, just smiled sadly as he whispered, "I'm happy for you."
She smiled weakly at him, her smile faded entirely as her mum just continued to stare at her like she'd grown another head.
"Mum?" She looked at Mickey who just shrugged at her, Rose waved a hand in front of her face, "Mum?"
Jackie batted her hand away, her hands cupping Rose's face, "Is this what you really want?"
Rose smiled helplessly, "I want to be with him forever."
Her mum blinked back tears as she pulled her into another hug, "Well, if that's what you want, I can't argue, but you tell that man… if he ever does something to hurt you, I'll slap him into his next regeneration."
She giggled, tears running down her cheeks at their acceptance. Mickey grinned, sniggering as Jackie added, "And you have to visit, every year… Christmas especially, and birthdays!"
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"Harriet Jones?" Rose asked, winking at Mickey who grinned back, "Is she Prime Minister now?"
Jackie nodded, "I'm eighteen quid a week better off. They're calling it, 'Britain's Golden Age'." She smiled, "Keep on saying 'my Rose has met her'."
Rose grinned back, her tongue poking out between her teeth, "Did more than that. Stopped World War Three with her. Harriet Jones…" She trailed off, she remembered Downing Street fondly and she could only hope Harriet didn't slaughter the Sycorax this time, she didn't want the Doctor to destroy the woman's career after everything.
"Bet you haven't had to time to get Christmas presents," Mickey cut into her thoughts, "Wanna go shopping?"
She muttered back, "Didn't I tell you about the robot Santa's?"
He looked back sheepishly, "I'm curious, and I wanna see if I can handle this life of yours."
"You can." Rose stated firmly, "I told you, Mickey Smith, Defender of the Earth."
Mickey grinned back, "Don't know if I believe you."
"Yeah, well, come on then," She grinned at him, holding out a hand as she stood, he grasped it, "Murderous Santa's are waiting for us… And the sooner we deal with them, the sooner we can focus on the Doctor. It was something about tea, but I can't remember."
He threw his arm around her shoulders, "Don't worry. He'll be alright."
"It's not him I'm worried about." Rose arched an eyebrow, "The planet's about to be invaded, we need him now more than ever, otherwise… something's gonna happen that I don't know how to prevent."
"Something bad?"
"Not for us." She reassured, "But it shouldn't happen anyway."
Mickey opened the door as she shouted back, "Mum, me and Micks are going shopping!"
"Okay, sweetheart, don't be too late home, after he wakes up, I doubt we'll be seeing much of you."
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"So… can you tell me anything?"
"I don't think it's a good idea, but I will tell you about Jack."
Mickey rolled his eyes, "Captain Cheesecake?"
Rose snorted, "That's him. He died on the game station, same as last time, and Bad Wolf made him immortal," She smiled, "This time though, we gave him a gift, he won't have to lose his lover."
Mickey's smile looked forced as she looked at him, his voice bitter, "You really love them both, don't you?"
"What d'you mean?"
"You made yourself immortal to give the Doctor forever, you made the Captain immortal cos the thought of him dying was so unbearable AND you made his lover immortal, just so he wouldn't have to be alone for eternity."
"I can't imagine the Doctor or Jack dying… ever."
"That's what I mean." He laughed, "You don't even see it do you?"
Rose looked at him curiously, "I don't understand."
"I wasn't even a second thought to you."
She pulled him to a stop, "Mickey-"
"No," He cut her off, "I'm not angry or upset, you need Jack and the Doctor, you need them the way you've never needed me," His smile was brittle, "Where is Jack then, you said Cardiff, but why there?"
Rose was startled at the sudden subject change, she stumbled over her next words, "J-Jack's running Torchwood there, he's running it in honour of me and the Doctor, Bad Wolf also brought him back to his younger body," Mickey's jaw clenched, "I can't visit him until I change what I need to."
Mickey nodded, attempting to relax as he tried for another smile, "Well, you always have me."
She smiled weakly at him, not knowing what to say, until she noticed the song being played 'Good Tidings of Comfort and Joy', she grabbed his arm tightly, nodding over to where the robots were playing.
"Get ready to run." The robots turned to them and stopped playing, there was a few seconds of silence before one of the Santa's revealed his trumpet to be a flamethrower, the rest of them revealing their own weapons as Rose pulled Mickey away, ducking behind a stall, "We need to find a taxi…" Mickey led them away as the stall was blasted behind them. They didn't look back as the enormous Christmas tree collapsed, he dragged her down one of the streets and Rose motioned for a taxi to stop, they clambered in as it drew to a stop next to them.
Mickey threw some money at the driver before he and Rose jumped out and ran up towards the flat. Rose burst through the door, grabbing the phone off her mum, "Hey, Bev? Look, it'll have to wait." She hung up, handing the phone back to her mum before she said, "Sorry, but this is important, we need to get the Doctor out of here."
"Where'd you get that tree from?" Her blood ran cold as she realised in the midst of everything else, she had forgotten about the massive killer Christmas tree which was now standing in her mum's living room.
Jackie turned to look at them, "I thought it was you!"
"How can it be us?" Mickey asked incredulously.
Her mum shrugged, "Well, you went out shopping, there was a ring at the door and there it was!"
"Go to the Doctor's room, mum."
"What? Why?"
"Cos it wasn't us, and me and Mickey were just attacked, so please just go to the Doctor's room." The tree chose that moment to come to life, lighting up and starting to spin. "Go! Go! Go!"
Mickey dragged Jackie back into the Doctor's room as Rose slammed the door shut, "Help me move this," he helped her drag the wardrobe in front of the door, the three of them jumped as they heard glass shatter in the hallway. Mickey and Jackie held the wardrobe firm against the door as it started to shake. Rose grabbed the sonic screwdriver out of his leather jacket, cursing herself as she realised, she didn't know which setting would work, the tree was starting to break through.
Jackie's screamed, "I'm gonna get killed by a Christmas tree!"
Rose hated herself as she placed the sonic screwdriver in the Doctor's hand, not wanting to risk her mum or Mickey, she leaned down and whispered, "Help me." She drew back as the Doctor shot up suddenly and pointed the sonic screwdriver towards the Christmas tree, making it explode.
She grasped his other hand tightly as her mum and Mickey sighed in relief, the Doctor lowered the sonic screwdriver as he asked, "Remote control. But who's controlling it?"
The Doctor shot up out of bed, securing a dressing gown around him as the three of them followed him out onto the balcony. They saw three of the robot Santa's on the ground below them.
"That's them!" Mickey exclaimed, the Doctor said nothing as he raised his sonic screwdriver threateningly in their direction, Mickey laughed in relief as they backed off, teleporting away, "They've just gone! What kind of rubbish were they? I mean, no offence, but they're not much cop if a sonic screwdrivers gonna scare them off."
"Pilot Fish." The Doctor answered quietly.
"What?"
"They were just Pilot Fish." He repeated, before he coughed suddenly, throwing himself backwards against the wall. He fell against Rose as she and Mickey crouched down on either side of him.
"What's wrong?" She asked him urgently, hopefully this time he would tell her how to fix this.
"You woke me up too soon," His face contorted in pain, "I'm still regenerating. I'm bursting with energy," Golden light escaped from his mouth, "You see? The Pilot Fish could smell it. A million miles away. So, they eliminate the defence – that's you lot – and they carry me off. They could run their batteries on me for a couple of year-" He cut himself off as he lurched forwards, groaning in pain.
"Oh! Oh! Oh!" Jackie panicked, reaching out to steady him.
"My head!" The Doctor said through gritted teeth, "I'm having a neuron implosion. I need-"
Her mum cut him off frantically, "What do you need?"
"I need-"
"Say it, tell me, tell me-"
"Mum-" Rose tried to intervene.
"Painkillers?"
"I need-" She could hear the pain and frustration in her Doctor's voice as he kept being cut off.
"Do you need aspirin?"
"I-"
"Codeine? Paracetamol? Oh, I dunno – Pepto-Bismol?"
"Mum-"
"Liquid paraffin. Vitamin C? Vitamin D? Vitamin E?"
Mickey attempted to interrupt, "Jackie-"
Jackie's voice rose hysterically as she continued, "Is it food? Something simple? Uh – a bowl of soup? A nice bowl of soup? Soup and a sandwich? Soup and a little ham sandwich?"
"I need you to shut up!" The Doctor finally spat out.
Mickey snorted at the indignant look on Jackie's face as she replied, "Oh, he hasn't changed that much, has he?"
He lurched forward again, leaning heavily against Rose as she tried to steady him, panting he said, "We haven't got much time. If there's Pilot Fish, then-" He paused as he removed an apple from his pocket, he looked up at them curiously, "Why'd there an apple in my dressing gown?"
"Oh, that's Howard, sorry."
"He keeps apples in his dressing gown?"
Jackie shrugged, "He gets hungry."
The Doctor looked at the apple, confused, "What, he gets hungry in his sleep?"
"Sometimes."
He shouted out in pain again, sinking to the floor with a grimace, "Brain – collapsing-" He grabbed hold of Rose's hand tightly as he informed her through gritted teeth, "P- the Pilot Fish. The Pilot Fish mean… that something – something," He took a deep breath, warning ominously, "Something's coming…"
Rose ran her hands gently through his hair as he collapsed into her lap.
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She could hear her mum and Mickey talking in the living room as she got the Doctor settled back into the bed. She hated not knowing how to wake him up, hated having to make things worse for him, but she couldn't risk her mum trying to play the hero.
Jackie set down a cup of tea next to Mickey, handing another one to her as she came into the room, Rose slumped against the wall next to Mickey as her mum spoke, "It's midnight. Christmas day. Any change?"
She sighed, "He's worse. Just one heart beating."
Jackie placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently, "Well, we humans get along fine with one, I'm sure with his 'superior alien biology' or whatever he calls it, he'll be up on his feet in no time, both hearts working."
She huffed out a laugh and rested her head on her mum's shoulder, "I'm sure your right."
"Here we go." Mickey interrupted, the two of them looked over at his laptop, "Pilot Fish. Scavengers, like the Doctor said. Harmless – they're tiny, but the point is, the little fish swim alongside the big fish."
Jackie furrowed her brow in confusion, "You mean like sharks?"
"Great big sharks." Mickey confirmed, "So, what the Doctor means is, we had them," He paused as they watched the little fish on the screen, "Now we get that." An animation of a shark came on screen, snapping viciously.
"Something is coming…" Rose repeated the Doctor's words, "How close?"
"There's no way of telling, but the Pilot Fish don't swim far from their daddy."
They were cut off from saying anything else as Jackie said curiously, "Funny sort of rocks."
Rose and Mickey exchanged a look as they wandered over to look at the TV, "That's not rocks."
The image became clearer as the three of them leaned in, it was suddenly thrown into clarity with the Sycorax roaring viciously, making them jump back.
Rose leaned into Mickey, "Knew it was coming, still scary."
He snorted, turning back to his laptop, Rose perched on the edge of his chair as she waited for him to hack into the military, finally he said, "I've got access to the military. They're tracing a spaceship. It's big, it's fast, and it's coming this way."
"Whatever's coming, we'll stop it." Rose informed him confidently, "Me, you, the Doctor… we'll stop them."
He grinned at her, pleased despite everything at the confidence she had in him. Inwardly he cringed at the memory of when she first ran off with the Doctor, he had thrown his arms around her legs like a child and called the Doctor a thing, granted he had just been kidnapped by aliens himself, but he wasn't proud of it.
He was still worried he wouldn't live up to the image of the future Mickey she had in her mind, he still loved her with all his heart, and he didn't want to disappoint her. Mickey knew it was pathetic to pine after the girl who had ran off and abandoned him, and yes, he was now well aware why after Cardiff, but it stung, the girl he'd known his entire life had barely spared a thought for him once she'd found something better.
Mickey tried to shake himself out of it. After Cardiff he'd promised himself that he would move on and be happy for her. He remembered her telling him that she had been separated from the Doctor, trapped with no way back and after witnessing the effect of him sending her home to save her life, he could genuinely believe Rose would tear the world apart to get back to him. It wasn't a healthy mentality in his mind, but that's who Rose was, once she loved someone, she loved them with her whole heart, her entire world and being was devoted to them.
He nearly scoffed, so devoted she had ensured the Doctor would have her for as long as he lived. She had also ensured Jack and whoever his lover was, were granted the same immortality. Yet, he and Jackie were left behind, here on Earth. But he could admit she deserved it, someone who could give her the world and show her the stars. Mickey's feelings were still mixed, but he'd be damned if he would show her that, he would put on a smile and make sure she would never again lose her Doctor, not if he could help it.
"What are they? You never said." He whispered, making sure Jackie didn't hear.
"Sycorax. This is the first time we came across them."
"First time you've come across who?" Jackie piped up behind them, making Rose jump a little.
"The aliens, I've never seen them before." She could feel frustration bubbling up as she realised after everything, she still couldn't understand them. The Tardis hummed and Bad Wolf's song engulfed her, it was nearly deafening, she hadn't realised how silent it had been since the Game Station without hearing it. She closed her eyes allowing them to comfort her as she admitted, "I can't understand them."
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Rose started as Mickey set down a cuppa next to her, she groaned as she rotated her head to the side, her neck stiff from sleeping in the armchair.
Mickey smiled and asked gently, "You alright?"
"I've been better, you?"
"Well, could do without the aliens invading but you know, six of one." He grinned as she snorted, he sat on the arm next to her as she sat up and cradled the cup in her hands, inhaling the tea gratefully.
Rose felt utterly helpless, she couldn't do anything except wait for the Doctor to wake up. She felt useless, she didn't know how to fly the Tardis, the Doctor never taught her and Bad Wolf and said Tardis were being suspiciously silent except for the occasional comforting hum, she wondered if there was a fixed point somewhere in this adventure, but she couldn't see it.
She was pulled out of her pity party by a woman's voice pleading, "What is wrong with you? Jason? Jason?"
She exchanged a look with Mickey as she placed her cup on the table and shot over to the door, automatically grasping for his hand as they left the flat. Mickey asked, "Sandra?"
The woman turned to them, tears in her eyes, "He won't listen! He's just walking, he won't stop walking! There's this sort of… light, thing. Jason? Stop it!" She continued after him, demanding shakily, "Right now!"
Rose tightened her grip on Mickey's hand as they looked over the balcony and saw dozens of people walking, hypnotised by the same blue light.
"Are they gonna die?" Mickey's voice was shaky, "Is this the thing you wanted to change?"
"It's blood control. The Doctor said survival instinct is too strong, this is just a trick, to scare us into submitting. They won't die." She pulled him closer to her, heading back towards the flat as he relaxed at her explanation, "We should wake mum up and head for the Tardis."
OoOoOoOo
Rose settled down next to the Doctor on the floor in the console room as Mickey fiddled with the computer and her mum explored the kitchen. She was sure it was just for something to do as she had insisted on filling two flasks before heading down to the Tardis, she rolled her eyes as she thought about it, Mickey had sniggered, looking endlessly amused as Jackie went on a tirade about the possibility of allergies to alien food or drink, or it being poisonous to humans. She'd shot back that the Doctor wouldn't have anything toxic where she could find it, not without warning her beforehand but Jackie had completely ignored her.
She stroked the Doctor's hair gently as Jackie came back in with mugs from the kitchen.
"Positive they're not laced with poison then?" Rose asked dryly.
Jackie scowled at her daughter, "It's not unreasonable to think some alien foods might not be safe."
She rolled her eyes, "Well, don't eat or drink anything you don't recognise then!"
Mickey snorted, looking away quickly as both women turned to him. He cleared his throat, biting back his smile, "What do we do now we're here?"
Rose shrugged, "We wait."
"That's it?" Jackie asked incredulously.
"Yup." Rose popped the 'p' smirking slightly, "I figured we'd be safer waiting in 'ere than out there, but if you want to…" She gestured to the door knowing her mum wouldn't leave her and Mickey, or even the Doctor.
She was proven right as Jackie just rolled her eyes and relaxed into the captain's chair.
"Tea. Like we're having a picnic while the world comes to an end. Very British." Mickey grinned as he filled up their mugs before he gestured to the screen, "How does this thing work? It picks up TV, right? Maybe we could see what's going on out there. Maybe we've surrendered."
Rose laughed, "Harriet Jones, surrender? Doubt that."
"Seriously though, how do you work it?"
"Press a few buttons on it." Rose shrugged, she set her mug down next to the Doctor as she stood up and walked over to him, leaning over his shoulder as the computer bleeped.
Rose jolted as Bad Wolf broke her silence and informed her, they'd been teleported. She whispered to Mickey, "It's time." She turned to her mum, "Do not leave the Tardis, promise me, mum. Stay with the Doctor no matter what."
Jackie's eyes widened, "Why?"
"Promise me." Rose repeated firmly, "I need you to protect him while he's vulnerable."
Jackie softened and agreed reluctantly, "Alright, sweetheart."
"Coming, Micks?" She asked with false bravado, she was afraid he wouldn't wake up in time. Mickey just nodded, not able to say anything as nerves built up in him, "Mum, shut the door behind us."
Jackie stood up hesitantly and stood beside the door as Mickey let out a shaky breath, "Come on then, let's save the Earth."
She grinned at him, huffing out a laugh as he stumbled over the Doctor, Rose rushed forwards to steady him, neither noticed as her mug was knocked over, steam rising from the grates as the Doctor inhaled deeply.
Rose grasped his hand tightly in hers and smiled at her mum, putting as much confidence as she could into her expression, it didn't work as Jackie just looked conflicted, "Remember-"
"Close the doors behind you and stay with the Doctor." Jackie interrupted, "My memories not that bad."
She grinned, "You say that."
"Oi," Jackie sighed, "Well, get going then, the sooner you save the planet the sooner we can get home."
Rose grinned at her mum's attempt to lighten the mood. As they walked out, Sycorax quickly surrounded them, grabbing her and Mickey, dragging them away from the Tardis as the doors slammed shut behind them.
"Rose!" Harriet exclaimed, rushing over to them, embracing her tightly as the Sycorax moved away, "Rose! I've got you. My Lord. My precious thing." She pulled away, cradling Rose's face gently, "The Doctor… Is he with you?"
Rose beamed at her, "Yeah, he's just a bit injured after our last adventure, we just need to stall."
"Stall?" Harriet's shock was evident.
"You know the Doctor, ever the drama queen, he needs to make an entrance." Harriet relaxed a little, huffing out a laugh as Rose's blasé attitude, it was comforting in a way.
"As long as it doesn't end with missiles in our direction, I'm happy." Another familiar voice added dryly.
"Indra," Rose looked over at him, surprised for a moment before she wrapped him into a hug.
He sighed as he let her go, "You don't know how good it is to see you."
She grinned her tongue in tooth grin before the Sycorax leader interrupted them angrily, pointing at Rose. Indra looked down at the machine in his hands, scowling as he translated, "The yellow girl. She has the clever blue box. Therefore, she speaks for your planet."
"No!" Harriet stepped in front of her defensively, "She can't."
"Yeah, I can," She squeezed Indra's arm as she leaned towards Harriet, winking, "At least until the Doctor arrives."
Harriet stepped back reluctantly, Indra going to her side as Mickey walked towards her, "Don't you dare."
"Someone's gotta be the Doctor." She responded absently, trying to recall what she had said the last time, she knew she had given the Doctor just enough time to wake up and save them.
"They'll kill you."
"Never stopped him."
The doors to the Tardis suddenly swung open, cutting off any other words as the Doctor stepped out with Jackie close behind him, his eyes furious as he looked at her.
"Doctor…" Rose breathed out his name at the sight of him.
"You're in trouble now." Mickey smirked at her as Rose scowled at him, elbowing him in the side as her mum and the Doctor reached them.
"What were you thinking, sweetheart?" Jackie wrapped her into a hug, squeezing her tightly before she turned on the Doctor and whacked his arm, "This is your influence!"
"Oi!"
"Mum!"
Jackie rolled her eyes as Mickey sniggered, the Doctor pouting as he rubbed his arm. He looked to Rose a small smile playing at his lips as he asked softly, "Did you miss me?"
She beamed up at him but before she could say anything the Sycorax Leader roared in fury as he lashed his whip towards them both, the Doctor simply caught it and pulled it away from the Leader, throwing it carelessly to the side as he scolded, "You could have someone's eye out with that!" The Sycorax roared again and lunged at the Doctor with his staff which the Doctor snatched off him, snapping it over his knee and tossing the broken pieces to the floor, "You just can't get the staff. Now, you, just wait. I'm busy."
Rose snorted as the Sycorax Leader just stared at the Doctor incredulously as the Doctor pointed at him warningly.
The Doctor winked at her as he moved over to Mickey, who he greeted cheerfully, "Mickey! Hello!" He turned to Harriet and Indra, "Harriet Jones MP for Flydale North and Indra Ganesh! Blimey, it's like 'This Is Your Life'!" He turned back to Rose, beaming, "Tea!" He exclaimed, "That's all I needed! A good cup of tea! Superheated infusion of free radicals and tannin. Just the thing for healing the synapses…"
The Doctor paused, lowering his voice as he asked, "Now, first things first, be honest. Aside from being a 'bit pretty' and the 'really great hair'," A smirk teased the corner of his mouth, "How do I look?"
Rose bit back a smile as she made a show of looking him over, Mickey rolled his eyes behind the Doctor as she answered with a shrug, "Different."
Mickey cut in, "You don't have big ears anymore."
"Oi!" The Doctor shot Mickey an unimpressed look, he turned back to Rose, deadly serious, "Am I… ginger?"
Rose raised her eyes to his hair, "No, you're just sort of brown."
The Doctor turned away from her with a huff, looking put out, "Aww, I wanted to be ginger. I've never been ginger." He turned back to her, pointing violently, "And you, Rose Tyler…" He paused, his expression unbearably gentle, "You never gave up on me." He looked at his arm then and lowered it, "Oh, that's rude, that's the sort of man I am now, am I? Rude…" He trailed off as he pondered, "Rude and not ginger…"
Rose grinned at him as Mickey snorted and Jackie looked thoroughly bewildered by the drastic change in the Doctor.
Harriet and Indra also looked utterly confused as she interrupted hesitantly, "I'm sorry – who's this?"
"He's the Doctor." Rose stated.
The Doctor beamed at Rose as he confirmed, "I'm the Doctor."
"But what happened to my Doctor?" Harriet asked, even more puzzled, "Or is it a title that's just passed on?"
The Doctor walked towards them, "I'm him, I'm literally him. Same man, new face – well, new everything."
Indra looked astonished, "But you can't be."
"He is." Rose confirmed.
"Harriet Jones, we were trapped in Downing Street, and the one thing that scared you wasn't the aliens… wasn't the war… it was the thought of your mother being on her own."
Indra let out a startled laugh as Harriet gaped at him, "Oh my God."
The Doctor grinned at them, bending down slightly, "Did you win the election?"
Harriet grinned back looking pleased, "Landslide majority."
"If I might interrupt!" The Sycorax Leader spat at them.
Indra looked startled, "Hold on, that's English."
The Sycorax Leader seemed disgusted, "I would never dirty my tongue with your primitive bile!" The Sycorax Leader seemed disgusted at the thought, "I speak only Sycoraxic!"
Rose smirked, "It's the Tardis, she translates alien languages for you."
"Handy." Indra stated.
The Sycorax Leader snarled as the humans and Time Lord seemed to forget him again, the Doctor stepped towards him, "Yes! Sorry! Hello, big fella!"
The Sycorax sneered at the Doctor, "Who exactly are you?"
The Doctor responded with a fixed grin, "Well, that's the question."
The Leader roared, enraged, "I demand to know who you are!"
The Doctor roared back, imitating the Sycorax, "I DON'T KNOW!" He relaxed as he continued, "See, there's the thing. I'm the Doctor, but beyond that, I – I just don't know. I literally do not know who I am. It's all untested." He walked around, addressing everyone, "Am I funny? Am I sarcastic?" He looked at Rose, "Sexy?" She blushed as he winked at her, "Right old misery? Life and soul? Righthanded? Lefthanded? A gambler? A fighter? A coward? A traitor? A liar? A nervous wreck? I mean, judging by the evidence, I've certainly got a gob."
Mickey snorted.
The Doctor looked at the massive red button at the top of the stairs, "And how am I gonna react when I see this?" He pointed to the button with an insane grin, "A great big threatening button." He ran up the steps, laughing, "A Great Big Threatening Button which must not be pressed under any circumstances, am I right? Let me guess, it's some sort of control matrix? Hmm? Hold on, what's feeding it?"
He bent down and pulled open a small hatch to access the controls underneath, noticing the red liquid inside.
"And what've we got here? Blood?" Rose scrunched up her nose in disgust as he dipped his finger into it and tasted it, "Yeah, definitely. Blood. Human blood. A Positive. With just a dash of iron." He waggled his tongue around as he stood up, grimacing at the taste as he wiped his finger on his dressing gown, "Ahh. But that means… blood control-" He looked absolutely delighted as he exclaimed, "Blood control! Oh! I haven't seen blood control for years! You're controlling all the A Positives."
The Sycorax Leader's face fell.
"Which leaves us with a great big stinking problem. 'Cos, I really don't know who I am. I don't know when to stop, so if I see a Great Big Threatening Button Which Must Never Ever Ever Be Pressed…" The Doctor's lips quirked upwards, "Then I just wanna do this," He slammed his hand down on the button.
"NO!" Harriet, Indra and Jackie stepped forwards as they protested. Mickey grasped Rose's hand tightly, even though he trusted Rose, he couldn't help but be concerned.
"You killed them!" Jackie exclaimed in disbelief.
"What do you think, big fella?"
The Sycorax Leader scowled as he grudgingly admitted, "We allow them to live."
"Allow?" The Doctor scoffed incredulously, "You've no choice! I mean, that's all blood control is. Cheap bit of voodoo. Scares the pants off you, but that's as far as it goes. It's like hypnosis – you can hypnotise someone to walk like a chicken or sing like Elvis, you can't hypnotise them to death. Survival instincts too strong."
Mickey let out a breath as he loosened his grip on Rose's hand, she smiled slightly, squeezing his arm with her other hand as she leaned against him.
The Leader snarled at the Doctor, "Blood control was just one form of conquest. I can summon the armada and take this world by force."
The Doctor merely cocked his head to the side, "Well, yeah, you could, yeah, you could do that – of course you could. But why? Look at these people." He gestured to Rose and the others as he spoke passionately, "These human beings, consider their potential. From the day they arrive on the planet, and blinking step into the sun. There is more to see than can ever be seen, more to do than – no," He cut himself off, "No, hold on…" He paused thinking, "Sorry, that's 'The Lion King'. But the point still stands. Leave them alone!"
The Leader sneered at him, "Or what?"
"Or…" The Doctor glanced around, grabbing a sword from one of the nearby Sycorax before he ran down the steps into the empty space in front of the Tardis and raised the sword into the air, "I challenge you."
The Sycorax all burst into laughter.
The Doctor looked around calmly, "Oh, that struck a chord. Am I right that the sanctified rules of combat still apply?"
The Leader prowled towards him, slowly unsheathing his sword, "You stand as this worlds champion."
"Thank you." The Doctor shrugged off his dressing gown, "I've no idea who I am, but you just summed me up." He tossed the gown over to Rose and Mickey, the latter catching it with an eyeroll as Rose hid her smile in Mickey's arm. He turned back to the Leader, "So – you accept my challenge? Or are you just a cranak pel casacree salvak?"
Rose scowled as the Tardis once again refused to translate the phrase for her. She felt the hum of amusement in her mind as Mickey snorted.
The Leader hissed at the Doctor as they both knelt by their swords, "For the planet?"
"For the planet." The Doctor agreed solemnly.
They stood up to face each other, holding their swords at the ready before they ran at each other and began to fight. After a few seconds the Doctor was thrown aside as the Sycorax laughed. The Doctor straightened himself up and started the fight again, the Leader swinging his sword at the Doctor.
"Look out!" Rose couldn't stop herself from warning.
"Oh, yeah, that helped." The Doctor snarked back, "Wouldn't've thought of that otherwise thanks."
"Rude!" Rose muttered, rolling her eyes as Mickey sniggered.
"Bit of fresh air?" The Doctor asked as he hit a button and ran outside.
Rose dragged Mickey behind her as they followed the fight out, followed by Jackie, Harriet, Indra and a few Sycorax, the Leader caught the Doctor in the face, making him groan.
She stepped forwards, unable to help herself seeing him in pain, Mickey held her back as the Doctor held out a hand, "Stay back! Invalidate the challenge and he wins the planet."
He wiped his nose, running at the Leader again, clashing swords with him as they both grimaced with the effort. Suddenly, the Doctor was knocked backwards to the ground, the Leader took advantage immediately and slashed at the Doctor's wrist, cutting his hand off up to the elbow.
Jackie gasped in horror as they watched it drop. The Doctor turned back to the Leader looking stunned and annoyed, "You cut my hand off."
"Yah! Sycorax!" The Leader yelled triumphantly.
The Doctor got to his feet, "And now I know what kind of man I am. I'm lucky. 'Cos quite by chance… I'm still within the first fifteen hours of my regeneration cycle. Which means I've got just enough residual energy… to do this." He held up his stump and they all watched, astounded, as his hand grew back.
The Leader stepped back as he hissed, "Witchcraft!"
"Time Lord." The Doctor corrected.
Mickey grabbed one of the Sycorax' swords and tossed it over to the Doctor as he yelled, "Doctor!"
The Doctor turned and caught it, spinning it around in his new hand as he asked, "Oh, so I'm still the Doctor, then?"
Mickey grimaced, "Save the planet, then, eh, we'll see."
Rose giggled as the Doctor smirked at them before facing the Leader again, "Wanna know the best bit? This new hand…" He put on a Southern accent, "It's a fightin' hand!"
The Doctor ran at the Leader again and the fight commenced once more, the Doctor jabbing the Leader hard in the stomach with the hilt of his sword, before repeating the action twice more causing the Leader to groan as he fell to the ground.
The Doctor pointed the sword at the Leader's throat, "I win."
"Then kill me." The Leader spat out.
"I'll spare your life if you'll take this champion's command: leave this planet, and never return. What do you say?"
The Leader glowered at the Doctor as he ground out, "Yes."
The Doctor angrily jabbed the sword closer as he insisted seriously, "Swear on the blood of your species."
"I swear."
The Doctor's voice turned light as he pulled the sword away, "There we are, then! Thanks for that! Cheers, big fella!" He jabbed the sword in the ground.
"Bravo!" Harriet Jones started to clap.
Rose beamed at the Doctor as she ran to him, jumping at him as he opened his arms for her, she nuzzled into his neck as he locked his arms around her securely, her own arms gripping his shoulders tightly as she whispered, "That says it all. Bravo!"
His arms tightened around her for a moment before she dropped back to the ground, Rose grinned up at him as he kept his arms loosely around her waist.
Mickey snorted, "I mean, the man did lose a hand on his first go, it was just pure chance he grew another, I think we're giving him way too much credit."
Rose giggled into the Doctor chest as he looked utterly offended, "Oh, and you could've done better!"
"Well, since you mention it." Mickey couldn't help but taunt as he threw the dressing gown back over to them.
Rose smirked as the Doctor pouted, "Well, I think you were dashing."
He lit up, Mickey's comments all but forgotten, "Yeah! Not bad for a man in his jim-jams!" She bit her lip, trying to hide her amusement as she helped him put the dressing gown back on, "Very Arthur Dent. Now, there was a nice man. Hold on, what have I got in here?" Rose looked up at him, she felt high, she was so happy, "A Satsuma. Ah, that friend of your mothers – he does like his snacks, doesn't he?" He sounded exasperated as he wrapped his arm around Rose's waist, "But doesn't that just sum up Christmas?"
He tossed the fruit up and down with his free hand as they walked over to the others, "You go through all those presents and right at the end, tucked away at the bottom, there's always one stupid old Satsuma. Who wants a Satsuma?"
They heard a roar behind them, the Doctor didn't so much as flinch as she lobbed the Satsuma at a switch on the side of the ship, causing the ground beneath the Sycorax Leader to open, causing him to fall from the ship screaming.
Rose curled her hand into the dressing gown as the Doctor's smile dropped and his voice hardened, "No second chances. I'm that sort of a man."
Mickey wrapped his arm around Jackie's shoulders as he led her back into the ship behind Rose and the Doctor, Harriet and Indra following behind them, as the Doctor led them over to where the Tardis stood.
He addressed the Sycorax, "By the ancient rites of combat, I forbid you to scavenge here for the rest of time. And when you go back and tell others of this planet… when you tell them of its riches – its people – its potential. When you talk of the Earth, then make sure you tell them this: It – Is – Defended." He warned them firmly, before they were all teleported off the ship.
As the group materialised, Rose asked, "Where are we?"
Mickey looked around, "We're just off Bloxom Road. We're just round the corner, we did it!" He laughed and jumped up and down in glee before the Doctor held his hand out.
"Wait a minute… wait a minute…"
The spaceships engines started up and the ship took flight back up into the skies.
Mickey laughed gleefully as the Doctor grinned, "Go on, my son! Oh, yeah!"
Rose jumped on Mickey's back, "Yeah! Don't come back!"
"It is defended!"
Rose hopped off his back and hugged a very startled Indra as Mickey moved over to hug Jackie and the Doctor hugged Harriet.
They all turned to look up at the sky as Harriet asked, "Are there many more out there?"
"Oh, not just Sycorax. Hundreds of species. Thousands of them. And the human race is drawing attention to itself. Every day you're sending out probes and messages and signals – this planet's so noisy. You're getting noticed… more and more." The Doctor glanced down at Harriet, "You'd better get used to it."
He turned to Jackie, "Come here, you." He held his arms open as she threw her own around him, Rose and Mickey grinned at each other before they joined in the group hug laughing happily.
Jackie pulled back, "I have to say, I do prefer this version of you."
Mickey snorted as the Doctor looked startled.
"It was strange watching my nineteen-year-old daughter pine after a forty-five-year-old man."
"Mum!"
"What? It's true!"
"He's over 900 anyway." The Doctor shot Mickey a look that plainly said he wasn't helping, Mickey just smirked back at him. Hey, he could be petty.
Jackie just shrugged that off, "Well, you might have loved him when he was all dark and brooding, but-"
The Doctor and Rose both flushed as Mickey sniggered at them.
"Mum, please-"
Rose was cut off as suddenly a beam of green light shot up from the ground nearby, the same green light beamed up from another four points, the five points meeting in the middle as the energy shot up into space and destroyed the fleeing spaceship.
Rose covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes filled with tears, Mickey looked at her concerned, as the Doctor glared at Harriet, with everything on the ship, it had completely slipped her mind that Harriet had destroyed the Sycorax. Mickey wrapped his arms around her, Jackie looking to the sky in shock.
The Doctor's face was unreadable and unsmiling as he slowly walked towards Harriet, he hissed at her, "That was murder!"
"That was defence. It was adapted from alien technology. A ship that fell to Earth ten years ago."
"They were leaving!" Rose cut in, her voice trembling.
Harriet sighed, her eyes gently as she looked at Rose, "The Doctor said it himself, they'd go back to the stars and tell others about the Earth. I'm sorry, but you're not here all the time. You come and go. It happened today – Mr Llewellyn and the Major. They were murdered. They died right in front of me while you were recovering. In which case – we have to defend ourselves."
Rose flinched as she realised, she had completely forgotten about the other deaths. Mickey tightened his arms around her, scowling at the older woman as Rose tried again, "The Doctor sent them away."
The Doctor cut in disdainfully, "Britain's Golden Age."
"It comes with a price." Harriet shot back.
"I gave them the wrong warning. I should've told them to run – as fast as they can, run and hide because the monsters are coming: the human race."
"Those are the people I represent. I did it on their behalf." Harriet defended; Indra looked away guiltily.
"Then we should've stopped you." Rose said quietly but firmly.
Harriet looked startled, as she looked from the tearful girl who had helped save her life to the alien who was glaring at her, his jaw clenched in anger.
"What does that make you then, Doctor?" Harriet asked him, not able to look at Rose, "Another alien threat?"
The Doctor stepped towards her angrily, "Don't challenge me, Harriet Jones. 'Cos I'm a completely new man. I could bring down your government with a single word."
Harriet started at him in disbelief, "You're the most remarkable man I've ever met. But I don't think you're quite capable of that."
"No, you're right. Not a single word." The Doctor agreed, looking down at her silently for a few moments, "Just six."
"I don't think so."
"Six words."
"Stop it!"
"Six."
They stared at each other for a few moments before the Doctor walked around her and approached Indra, taking off his earpiece as he whispered to him.
He walked back over to Rose, Mickey and Jackie as Indra stared after him, confused.
Mickey and Jackie walked ahead of Rose and the Doctor as she grabbed his hand automatically and nuzzled into his shoulder, she felt his lips press against her head for a moment as they heard Harriet shouting behind them. This time, she didn't look back.
OoOoOoOo
They were barely inside the Tardis as Rose's arms wrapped around him, her face buried in his neck as she whispered, "I missed you."
He chuckled softly, pulling her tight against him, "I love you, Rose Tyler."
Her breath hitched as she heard the words she had longed to hear back on that beach, she looked up at him, tears prickling her eyes, "Doctor…"
The Doctor smiled at her gently, stroking her cheek, "You've heard me say it before."
She sniffled, shrugging slightly as she smiled, "I know, but you've had time in this body now."
He held her chin gently, forcing her to look at him, "You thought I'd change my mind."
"No." She tried to look away, but his grip was firm.
"Rose."
"I don't know." She sighed, looking up at him threw her eyelashes, "I know you wouldn't, but insecurities aren't logical."
He tilted her head up and leant down slowly, his eyes locked on hers, searching.
Rose's lips curved upwards as stood on her tiptoes meeting him halfway. She gasped as he suddenly picked her up and pressed her against one of the coral pillars in the Tardis. He pulled away, both of them breathing heavily as their foreheads pressed together.
"This body was born loving you, Rose Tyler."
OoOoOoOo
Rose tapped her foot against the floor of the Tardis as she waited for the Doctor to get ready. Eventually he sauntered back into the console room, Rose looked him up and down appreciatively, she did adore his pinstriped suit, his brown trench coat and converse.
Finally, she looked back to his face, which was staring back at her, very obviously amused by her 'checking him out'. She scowled at him as he smirked at her, heat rising in her cheeks as he asked, "I take it you approve?"
She rolled her eyes, her lips twitching, "You're gonna get a slap, you are."
The Doctor grimaced as he remembered the slap Adam had received.
OoOoOoOo
Rose lay on her bed next to the Doctor, her mum was bossing Mickey around whilst the added the finishing touches to Christmas dinner.
"You're so different."
The Doctor turned to face her, "Is that a bad thing?"
She smiled, "No, it's just different. You're still my Doctor, but you're the complete opposite of who you were before, it's weird." She scrunched her nose playfully as he snorted.
"So, where to next, oh mighty Time Lord." Rose asked teasingly.
The Doctor smirked, "I got a message on my psychic paper to see someone when I was getting ready…"
"Ah, so that's why you took an abnormally long amount of time to get changed?"
He squawked indignantly, "It wasn't an abnor-"
"You took over an hour to change into a suit and trench coat." She cut him off dryly.
He merely smirked at her, "You seemed to appreciate it."
Rose felt her cheeks heat up as she shoved his shoulder lightly, "Prat."
OoOoOoOo
Rose yelped as the Christmas cracker banged, the Doctor passed it over to her, "Oh, that's yours…"
"Mum, it's pink! It should be yours!" She beamed as she placed it on her head.
"Pink! Lovely."
Rose pointed to the TV, "Look, it's Harriet Jones."
They all turned to the TV as the Doctor took a pair of glasses from his pocket.
"Prime Minister, is it true you are no longer fit to be in position?"
Harriet responded curtly, "No. Now, can we talk about other things?"
The Doctor stood as he put his glasses on, looking sternly at the Television.
Rose bit her lip, drowning out the sound of the TV, she stared at him, she suspected he didn't need the glasses, but she had to admit he looked damn sexy with them on. She shifted in her seat.
Jackie suddenly interrupted her lust filled haze, "It's Bev. She says go and look outside."
The Doctor sadly took off his glasses and turned back to them, he smirked as he noticed Rose's very fixated gaze. She flushed and turned to her mum, "Why?"
"I dunno, just go outside and look. Come on, shift!"
OoOoOoOo
"What are they?" Rose asked as she leaned against the Doctor, her hand grasping his as her other wrapped around his arm.
"It's the spaceship breaking up in the atmosphere. This isn't snow, it's ash." He stared silently at the sky for a few moments before speaking again, "This is a brand-new planet Earth. No denying the existence of aliens now – everyone saw it. Everything's new."
She nuzzled against him happily as he rested his head against hers.
"I reckon you're mad." Jackie informed them suddenly, "The pair of you. It's like you go looking for trouble."
The two of them exchanged a look before the Doctor rushed over to Jackie, "Troubles just the bits in between." He put an arm around her as Rose grinned her tongue in tooth grin, "It's all waiting out there, Jackie. It's brand new to me. All those planets… creatures and horizons… I haven't seen them yet! Not with these eyes." He walked back over to Rose, pulling her close to him as he said softly, "And it is gonna be… fantastic."
Rose beamed up at him at the use of his old catchphrase, resting her head back on his arm as he grinned back.