Disclaimer: I don't in any way own the series Doctor Who . Those are the sole property of the BBC.
Return to Satellite 5 AU: "Bad Wolf", "The Parting of the Ways" and "Born Again".
Note: Sorry this chapter took so long but life has a way of disturbing things. As always I'd like to thank everyone who left reviews, marked as a favorite or follow. I hope this chapter was worth the wait.
Chapter Seventeen: Apart But Not Separate
Rose sat on her bed in her mum's flat. It didn't feel like home anymore, no home was with the Doctor in the TARDIS.
It had been a few days since Rose's return to the Powell Estates. The only things Rose had done beside cry were her daily visit down to the blue police box. She couldn't arouse herself to eat much either just bananas and biscuits for the most part. She slept poorly and every morning she'd been in the loo vomiting whatever she'd eaten the night before.
Rose chose to ignore the worried looks her mum gave her. They hadn't discussed the reason she'd been transported back since that first day. Rose knew her mum and Jackie Tyler wasn't one for letting things be. It was surprising really that she hadn't yet said anything on the matter.
Jackie had been grateful that the bloody old alien had sent her daughter home. She had no idea what he and her daughter got up to but it was usually dangerous. The older Tyler knew that her daughter edited her adventurous trips she'd had with the Doctor. Jackie had resolved herself to Rose's attraction to the madman in the blue box, but that didn't mean she had to like it... or him. She couldn't hold any ill will towards him at that moment however since her daughter, whether the silly girl liked it or not, had been returned to the relative safety of the Powell Estates.
The sounds of shuffling outside the kitchen alerted Jackie that Rose had finally gotten up. "Not trying to sneak out are you?"
Rose halted just at the doorway. "Wasn't sneaking. Is there any tea?"
"I just put a kettle on. Come in, don't just stand there like a lump." Jackie scolded. She could see how pale and hollow eyed her daughter had become after only three days. "Thought you were going to be a slug bed today. It's past eleven o'clock."
"I suppose I missed breakfast then." Rose plopped down into a chair as she watched her mother bustle about preparing tea.
Jackie gave her daughter a pointed look. "Yeah, not that you've been eating much of anything." The older woman placed a cup tea and a small plate of biscuits next to it.
Rose nibbled on a bit of biscuit, all the while avoiding looking her mum in the eye.
"Rose, I've been thinking maybe we should go on a little holiday. You know just the two of us. What you say?" The loud rapping at the door, called Jackie away without her daughter commenting to her question. "Alright I'm coming keep your knickers on."
Relief flooded over Rose at someone knocking at the front door. She suspected that it might be her ex-boyfriend Mickey since he'd been by everyday following her arrival three days prior. She winced had it really been three days already.
"Hey Babe. How are you?" Mickey Smith asked as he walked into the small kitchen area.
Rose smiled weakly at the handsome black man, as he sat down next to her. She swallowed back a wave of sickness. "Hi, Mickey. I'm fine."
Mickey unaware of the effect his close presence had on his ex-girlfriend leaned in to inspect her as to the truth of her statement. The young blonde woman went if possible even paler. "Naw you're not. Is this all you've had today?"
"Yeah, but I only just got up." Rose explained as she pulled away from the table, tea still in hand. She casually sipped the warm beverage in an attempted to settle her stomach.
"Aw that's no good. You've had that for the last two days. You need somethin' substantial, you do." Mickey declared enthusiastically standing up and making his way toward the hall.
Jackie silently agreed with the young man but didn't think her daughter was just yet up for anything she could produce.
He came back moments later carrying both Rose's and her mum's light-weight jackets.
"Come on then, we're goin' out. You've been holed up in here for days. You need some fresh air." Mickey stated handing the garments over.
Rose reluctantly took her hoodie as she wasn't up to explain that she hadn't been entrenching herself in the flat but going down to the blue police box. She glared at her mother in an effort to forestall the older Tyler from saying anything. Rose didn't want to have a row with either of them at that moment, since she still felt mildly sick, it wasn't anyway near as bad as when she'd been on the Game Station.
Jackie glared back, but didn't mention anything. "I'm sure a plate of good chips would hit the spot."
The Doctor made steady progress on the wiring for the Delta Wave. The workspace itself tended to be mind numbing but the alien and welcomed it. The repetitiveness made it that he had to concentrate harder so he'd have little time to dwell on his actions.
Unfortunately it wasn't as effective as he would have liked. The Doctor cursed his superior biology for that, his brain could multitask even if given the most difficult puzzles. He couldn't help mulling over everything that had led him and his companions to that point.
The Doctor consciously stayed away from the more intimate aspects, he knew it would push him into an unending pit of despair. His hearts hurt from Rose's absence both physically and mentally.
"How foolish to continue on when you are doomed to fail!" The Emperor of Daleks jeered breaking into the Doctor's thoughts.
The Doctor chose not to comment but let his enemies words spur him to work even faster. He had to complete the Delta Wave even if it killed all the humans nearby it wouldn't be in vain as the last of the Dalek Empire would be wiped from existence. He didn't know what his pretty companion, who he'd sent away, would be doing at that moment. He just hoped she'd remain safe along with their offspring.
Mickey held the door at the local chip shop for Jackie Tyler, she followed him in right after, sporting a large purse over one arm. "Such services, where'd you learn to be such a gentleman?"
"From my gran, as if you didn't know." Mickey commented.
Jackie gave the black man a small smile. "Well, it's doesn't always show does it."
Mickey sputtered unable to think of anything to come back with that didn't sound childish or downright rude.
Rose trailed in behind the two, having been drug there by them. "Mum, stop trying to wind him up. Mickey, she's just teasing." It wasn't the first time she had to referrer on the way to the shop.
"All right sweetheart." Jackie capitulated not wanting to antagonize her daughter over something so trivial. "So whacha' feel like?"
"Yeah, it's on me." Mickey Smith agreed readily, happy with the diversion.
Rose sighed and shrugged listly. "I'll take whatever."
Rose sincerely wished that her mum and Mickey hadn't forced her to go to that particular chip shop. It was the last one she'd dragged the Doctor to when she'd visited her mum. Besides, she needed to figure out how to get the TARDIS to function.
Mickey and Jackie gave each other looks of extreme worry. The day that Rose Tyler didn't crave chips, it meant there indeed something wrong with the world.
"Yeah, okay babe. I'll just get your normal. Why don't ya get us seats?" Mickey suggested a bit too brightly.
"Sure." Rose agreed, glad to have some space and time to think. The situation got even better when her mum offered to help Mickey.
Rose chose a table well away from the counter and the over protective pair. She sat next to the window, and gazed out it without seeing. Unconsciously, Rose pulled out her locket, gently she worried the surface in a circular motion.
Rose tried to concentrate on what she need to do, going over the list she'd made of the TARDIS controls, but her mind wandered to the Doctor's blue eyes, the sequences that he had to make the time-space ship move; her last look of Captain Jack led the blonde woman once again to return the Doctor. Rose jumped as her mum and Mickey Smith sat down opposite her at the table, drawing her attention back to the present. The sight and smell of the fried food made her stomach twist with nausea.
"Come on tuck in." Jackie urged even as she saw her daughter's face almost turn green.
Rose reluctantly pick up a bottle of vinegar. She squeezed a liberal amount onto her chips. Rose took one vinegar covered chip, biting into it carefully. As always the taste went beyond good, but once it made contact with her stomach Rose covered her mouth so as not to vomit.
"You alright?" Mickey asked around a mouthful of chips and coke.
Rose let her hand drop forcing a small smile for her friend. "Yeah, I'm fine."
Jackie watched her daughter appraisingly as she began to make conversation. "You know this place has gone up-market, it has. They have little tubs of coleslaw and everything, now."
Rose resumed gazing out the window tuning out her companions. Her thumb returned to the soothing action of rubbing the circular pattern on her locket.
"To tell the truth it's rather bad. Kinda tastes like hospital fare." Jackie rambled on still gazing at Rose.
Mickey soulful brown eyes followed Jackie's, sneaking a peek at his ex-girlfriend. He joined the older blonde woman with trying to lure Rose out of her own world. "Hey Jackie, have you given that new pizza place down on Minto Road a go?"
Jackie barely paid attention to what the young black man said. "They sell what?"
"Pizza." Mickey gave Rose's mum an odd look at her question. 'What else would a pizza joint sell.'
"Hmmm… that's good." Jackie replied distractedly. She couldn't shake the thought that it wasn't just melancholy that had her daughter feeling poorly.
Rose didn't so much as twitch, from her focused introspection, as her two companions continued their inane talk. Visions of what possibly could be happening on the Game Station, clouded over all other thoughts. Rose knew she couldn't afford to be distracted by such unproductive musing, but it was hard not to think about though. Suddenly her face fell, brown eyes dropped to her hand with which she continued caressing the warm metal jewelry, the sheer enormity of the task ahead of her had tears welling.
"How about delivery, do they do that?" Jackie asked absently.
Mickey nodded and chewed as he answered. "Oh, Yeah of course!"
Jackie couldn't stand it any longer, seeing her daughter so pale and lacking in spirit. "Rose luv, please you need to eat. It's not good to just be havin' bananas, biscuits and tea."
Rose quickly shifted her gaze to stare out the window in hopes of keeping the tears at bay, though her voice wavered in grief when she responded to her mother's pleading. "I know mum, but he's possible dying in the far future and I'm sitting here like a lump not able to do anything to help."
"That's so far off it's not like it's happened yet!" Jackie tried to console.
Rose finally faced her mum, the young blonde woman voice spoke of her inner turmoil. "But it has! Is! Right at this moment! There is a war happening and he's right in the middle trying to win it for us! He… They are defending Earth, and what am I doing. I tell ya what... nothing but sitting here trying to eat chips!"
"Now you listen." Jackie drew Rose's reluctant, brown eyes to her own.
"The Lord all mighty knows that from the beginning I couldn't stand that man, but right this instant, I love him… I'm sure you know why. He sent you back. He sent you to me. He did the very thing he couldn't promise. And this moment I love him." Jackie left out the part where she suspected Rose of being pregnant and the alien man's real intention for doing it. In the end Rose had returned no matter the reasons behind it. The older woman resumed eating her chips hoping that her daughter would accept the fact that she wouldn't be gallivanting off to who knew where anymore.
"That's it just forget about it, and do what? Huh mum what am I going to do? Do I go back to the shops… do the same routine sleeping, eating, go to work and maybe catch something on the telly. Is that what my life going to be just an endless cycle of uselessness?" Rose demanded frantically wanting to know if that would become her life.
"That's what all us other poor blokes do." Mickey grumbled.
Rose spreaded her arms out, clutching her locket tightly, as she emphasized her point. "That's not me...not anymore."
Mickey glared stunned and hurt by Rose's words. "You saying that 'cos now you think you're better than the rest of us?"
"Mickey Smith you know that's not true… That's not what I meant!" Rose cried out in impotency. The blonde woman closed her eyes taking a deep breath she made an effort to regain as sense of calm. It took quite a bit of energy considering Rose hadn't felt relaxed ever since she'd arrived back at the Estates.
Jackie couldn't help worrying about her daughter she'd never been so upset before. Not even when they'd rowed about Jimmy Stone or after when Rose had dumped the slimy arsehole.
Rose started again to explain in a more composed tone. "The thing is that life was better… Grand even. It wasn't about meeting aliens, seeing spaceships or… the whole time travelling bit… it was great yeah but it didn't matter. The Doctor taught and showed me what really living your life meant." Her shining brown eyes, connected with Mickey's drawing him into her explanation even more. "You've experienced it too, maybe not willingly but you can't say your not different from knowing him." Rose's passionate voice cracked with all the emotions she couldn't surepress.
Rose's grip tighten once again around her locket as she stood not able to sit still she paced forward and back. "That you don't stand listlessly aside, while terrible things are happening around you. You confront them. You be the brave one, while others crumb and shrink away. I can't be on the sidelines anymore… I just can't… I won't." The blonde woman raced out of the shop
Jack and Lynda walked onto the observation deck on floor fifty-six, the spot he'd not so long ago met the Doctor's newest companion. Jack led the perky blonde to the terminal. "Now Lynda, I'm going to need you to be my eyes and ears okay. Those Daleks are going to get in. You'll be able to follow their movements on this screen. I need you to keep me constantly updated."
"Right, what if they find me?" Lynda nodded acknowledging Jack's request, then imposed her own question to the Captain.
"Yeah, while the doors are made of Hydra Combination. Let's hope that is enough to be able to keep them out."
Lynda looked incredulously at Jack, her blue eyes held a degree of fear. "Hope. That's very reassuring."
"It's what we've got Lynda. We don't really have much." Jack briefly looked around the area, a little away from the console, he spotted a cubby. The small alcove looked barely big enough for an average teenage girl but if Lynda got scared she could possibly squeeze into it. "Look if it gets too hairy you could try to hide in there."
"Sorry that's all I can do for ya." Jack grimaced at the inadequate protection he could provide the poor woman.
His wrist unit beeped, Jack was grateful for the distraction, he turned away from Lynda. He had other preparation to finish. Speaking brusquely into the device, Jack masked the unease he felt. "Davitch, tell me what you know?"
The male tech nervously relaid the movement of the enemy. "Jack things are serious the fleet have accelerated."
Jack swore as he left a very frightened Lynda behind in the observation room. "Calm down Pavel. I'm on my way."
The slim saucier ships approached the Satellite and Earth, much sooner than they had originally planned on. The large metal ships loomed imposingly, like a cloud of evil in their vast numbers.
"Well everyone, the moment has come! The last battle!" Jack called over his wrist device as he hurried down the corridor of the fifty-six floor heading towards his comrades.
The Dalek fleet slowed coming to a halt, the Daleks flew enmass from all the surrounding ships. They glided effortlessly through the vacuum of space in single minded fanaticism of their target.
Rose stopped, her angered flight, had taken her outside to the Estate playground. Tired, the blonde woman sat at a bench in front of the basketball court.
Rose stared ahead, drained of everything she didn't even acknowledge, Mickey when he stood right before her. She had known that he would follow her but she had nothing else to say. So Rose continued to sit lost in her grief.
After a minute had past, Mickey finally had enough and broke the silence. "Your life is here now. And pining for the Doctor won't do you any good."
Rose frowned at her ex-boyfriend's choice of words. "So you think I should just forget about him?"
"Oh come on Rose. He made the choice. A choice for you to go on living."
Rose jerked sad brown eyes up to Mickey's as he doggedly tried to make his point. "Maybe its not the on going adventure you wanted but the kinda life that normal people have. The sort where average people marry, have kids… things we could have together."
Rose eyes were drawn away as Mickey's speech seemed to ramble. The court had huge white words spray painted across it, forming into 'Bad Wolf'. The blonde woman couldn't contain a surge of excitement and apprehension at the sight.
That phrase had been following her and the Doctor since the beginning. She abruptly stood moving past a bewilder Mickey Smith, her mind became transfixed as it tried to decipher the meaning of those two words appearing before her without the presence of the Doctor.
Mickey looked after Rose, unsure if the young woman had heard his reasonable arguments, but if the look on her face were any indication it hadn't.
Rose gazed around spotting even more graffitied words with 'Bad Wolf'. They were everywhere. "There all over. Look at them all." She rushed over to examine a group of them scrolling from top to bottom on a wall.
"Rose, what're you on about? Those have been there forever! Besides there just words!" Mickey shouted after Rose, as he chased after her.
"But their not… I'd figure they were a warning. But their much more. They connect me to the Doctor through time and space. 'Bad Wolf' in the future, the past and right here in the present." Rose cried out in dawning elation.
"Yeah okay. But what's it all mean?" Mickey asked sceptically.
Rose now charged with renewed energy, sprinted off towards the TARDIS. Her voice drifted back to a stunned Mickey Smith. "It's a message. A sign that there's a way back. That somehow I can rescue him."
TBC...