Donna found Rose in the kitchen with a mug of tea. The moment Rose had moved the TARDIS into the vortex, she let out a large groan and pretty much disappeared. No matter how many times Donna had tried to go and find Rose she had always found herself back in her bedroom. Rose had mentioned that the TARDIS was alive, so Donna decided the ship must want her to sleep.
"So going to tell me what that was about last night?" Donna asked, hands on her hip.
"Headache, one big, mean evil headache" Rose muttered darkly as she took a sip of her tea.
"Well take an aspirin for it!" Donna said rolling her eyes as she began to make coffee for herself.
"Can't I'm allergic" Rose said. "Nothing I could do but sleep it off. And with the little need of actual sleep it took ages to actually fall asleep"
"So that's why you disappeared last night" Donna said pouring the now boiled water in her mug. "What gave you the headache?"
"The Ood, poor things they didn't mean too" Rose said draining the last of her tea.
"But you're better now?"
"Oh yeah I'm fine" Rose said reassuringly as she got up and helped herself to a biscuit from the biscuit tin, not the healthiest breakfast but she felt that she needed the sugar.
"I was thinking that I'm going to need to learn how to drive the TARDIS" Donna said suddenly causing Rose to choke on her biscuit.
"Wha-wha?" Rose got out as Donna patted her back.
"I need to learn to drive the TARDIS" Donna said calmly.
"Why?!"
"Because what if you're ill or injured? What if you're stuck and it's just me? I can't just depend on you and you're always going to need a backup driver" Donna said.
Donna has a point Rose. Rose looked up at the TARDIS ceiling, raising an eyebrow.
"She does?"
Think about it. How long did it take to teach you? And that was without the Doctor's help, besides we don't need another Rose Tyler looking into my heart, if you knew how to drive the TARDIS we could have avoided that.
"Could we have really? If we avoided that I might be dead by now and I wouldn't be a Time Lady?" Rose pointed out.
"What? You're not making sense Space-Girl!" Donna squawked.
"Shh...I'm talking to the TARDIS" Rose said quietly.
"Oh"
True we couldn't avoid that, but honestly I don't want Donna Noble looking into my heart, she terrifies me!
Rose sniggered slightly. "All right, all right. The TARDIS agrees with you Donna so after breakfast I guess we'll start"
"YES! High five!" Donna turned to the TARDIS wall and held her hand out. A cupboard door went flying into her hand. "Ow! What was that for?"
"You wanted a high five, the TARDIS doesn't have hands so she used a door" Rose said shrugging.
"Bloody ship should have used something softer! Donna grumbled.
DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW
"I can't believe I'm doing this!" Donna shouted.
"No neither can I" Rose muttered watching Donna carefully. "Whoa careful" she grabbed the hammer and hit the metal on the side quickly and then pulled up a leaver. "Left hand down, now left hand down" Donna pulled the leaver down sending them to the side a bit. "Getting a bit to close to the 1980s be careful I was born in that decade"
"What am I going to do put a dent in them?" Donna asked sarcastically.
"Well someone did" Rose said reading the monitor. Suddenly her phone rang, she paused, her phone never rings not since her Mum got trapped in the parallel world which meant...
"Hold on! That's a phone!" Donna said looking shocked. Rose pulled out the mobile from her pocket. "You got a mobile? Since when?"
"Donna I've always had it, remember you went of with it the day we met" Rose said raising an eyebrow, Donna looked sheepish and Rose turned away to read the ID...Martha Jones, Martha was calling, Martha! Was she calling to ask if she could come back? "Hello?" she said into the phone.
"Rose? It's Martha and I'm bringing you back to Earth"
DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW
Martha turned round to see the TARDIS finished materialising; she stood with her back straight as the door opened. Rose stepped out and it took all of Martha's control to not gasp, the young girl looked older. She no longer wore the hoodies and light coloured jeans. She now wore complete black with a dark green t-shirt under her leather jacket, her blonde hair was in a darker shade and her amber hazel eyes looked older than ever. Rose stared at her and Martha knew she looked different with her hair straightened and down.
"Martha Jones" Rose said quietly.
"Rose" Martha managed to get out, still trying to not let her concern show just yet, for all she knew Rose might resent her for leaving. After all Jack left as well and he said Rose wasn't in good shape when he left. She was missing you was his exact words.
They slowly walked to each other when suddenly the pair opened their arms for each other and embraced tightly.
"Oh you haven't changed a bit!" Rose exclaimed letting her go.
"You have! Your clothes are different"
"Oh you know, can't stay in hoodies forever" Rose said still grinning. "How's the family?"
"Not so bad" Martha said. "They're recovering."
"What about you?" Rose asked gently. Before Martha answered a redheaded woman stepped out of the TARDIS and stared at her with curiosity, Rose turned to see what Martha was staring at.
"Didn't take long to replace me and Jack" Martha said teasingly.
"I would never replace you!" Rose said. "You're my best friend! Martha this is Donna Noble, Donna this is Martha Jones"
Donna swallowed part of her felt jealous. Though Rose had never talked about Martha in their adventures during the so called evenings she had told Donna stories and Donna had to admire Martha but she had also thought...that...well...that she was Rose's best friend. Childish as it was she wanted to be Rose Tyler's only best friend...and then here is Martha Jones who probably called to come back.
"Nice to meet you" Martha said politely holding a hand out. Donna took it and gave it a firm shake before letting it go.
"You too, Rose has told me a lot about you" Donna said.
"I dread to think" Martha said laughing a bit.
"No nice things, your adventures. She's just finished telling me the story about Lazarus" Donna said reassuringly.
"Martha Jones is that an engagement ring I spy on your finger?" Rose butted in. Martha grinned and waved her hand in Rose's friend. "Oh lovely, who's the lucky man?"
"Tom, Milligan from that year. I told you about him. He's in paediatrics he's in Africa now."
"A doctor who likes to go to mysterious far away places" Rose said. "Don't tell me his skinny and dark haired as well? I might start to think you're trying to be me"
Martha laughed "great minds think alike Rosie Pose"
"Oh good god how much time have you spent with Jack since I was gone?" Rose groaned.
"A couple weeks here and there. Just got back from the funeral"
"Funeral? Don't tell me Jack decided to throw a funeral for himself!" Rose said looking slightly amused but also worried.
"No two members of his team died. Tosh and Owen" Martha said.
"No! No poor Jack, he must be heartbroken" Rose whispered.
"Don't go after him. He doesn't want your sympathy Rose, he barely wanted mine. Let him come to you, which won't be long, knowing him." Martha warned Rose nodded while Donna looked confused. She knew about Jack but she didn't' know a Tosh or an Owen. She was also feeling a bit left out.
"Dr Jones report to base please, over" a female voice crackled over the walkie talkie Martha had strapped to her waist.
"Oh I almost forgot" Martha said pulling the walkie talkie out. "This is Dr Jones, operation Blue Sky is go, go, go. I repeat this is a go" she began to walk out of the alley with Rose and Donna trailing after her.
They watched large military land rovers and trucks drive past being guarded by marching soldiers with red caps on their heads, carrying large guns.
"Raise that barrier" someone shouted. "We're UNIT! Leave the safeties out lads this might get hostile. All workers lay down you're tools and surrender"
"Section one to track six. B section go and search the ground floor" Martha ordered.
"What are you searching for?" Rose asked as Donna watched in horror as the workers were being hustled away by the soldiers who were holding guns to their heads.
"Illegal aliens" Martha replied. Soon there was some hassle going on between the workers and UNIT officers and she ran off leaving Rose and Donna by themselves.
"Is that what you did to her?" Donna asked quietly. "Turn her into a soldier"
"I don't that was me as such" Rose said "I think that was due to her experience from that year"
"What year?" Donna asked.
"I'll tell you one day just not now" Rose promised. Martha strolled back to them with a grim look on her face. "You're qualified now!" Rose said noticing the badge on Martha's jacket. "Congratulations"
"UNIT rushed it through given my experiences in the field" Martha said. "Here we go; we're establishing a field base on site. They're dying to meet you" she said winking to Rose as she led them to the large black lorry.
"Oh dear, that does not sound good at all" Rose murmured to herself.
"Operation Blue Sky complete, sir" Martha said as she entered the room. "Thanks for letting me take the lead. And this is Rose Tyler" Rose followed in staring at the computers and people that were working. "Rose this is Colonel Mace"
Colonel Mace saluted Rose. "Ma'am!" he said.
"Oh please don't salute" Rose said blushing slightly.
"But it is an honour Ma'am. You have been recommended by not only Dr Jones here but Ms Sarah Jane Smith, Captain Harkness and ex-Prime Minister Harriet Jones. After the demise of the Doctor it has been said that you are in his equal in every way"
"Oh I'm not" Rose protested.
"I think the Doctor would be proud of you Ma'am" Colonel Mace said. "The Doctor used to work for us in the seventies, technically he never resigned."
"Come on Rose you knew about this, you've been on board the Valiant. We have massive funding for the United Nations all under the name of Home Land Security" Martha said leading them round the controls.
"A modern UNIT for a modern world" Colonel Mace continued.
"And what that means arresting ordinary factory workers? In the streets? In broad daylight? It's more like Guantanamo Bay out there!" Donna snapped "Donna by the way Donna Noble, since you didn't ask. I'll have a salute"
Colonel Mace turned to Rose who nodded slightly; he turned round and saluted Donna. "Ma'am!" he said.
"Thank you" Donna nodded.
"So tell me" Rose said. "What is going on with this factory?"
"Yesterday 52 people died at the exact same circumstances across the world in eleven different time zones" Colonel Mace said as the map appeared on the screen and the deaths popped up labelled. "Five AM in UK, six AM in France, eight AM in Moscow, one PM in China-"
"You mean they died at the exact same time" Rose said.
"Exactly. 52 deaths at the exact time worldwide"
"How did they die?" Rose asked.
"They were all inside their cars" Colonel Mace said.
"They were poisoned" Martha elaborated. "I checked the autopsies. No toxins whatever it is left immediately"
"What have the cars got in common?"
"Completely different makes but they are fitted with ATMOS and that is the ATMOS factory" Martha answered.
"What is ATMOS?" Rose asked.
"Well come on even I know that!" Donna said. "Everyone's got ATMOS"
DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW
"Stands for atmospheric admissions system. The ATMOS in your car reduces the engine admissions to zero"
"Zero? No car at all?" Rose asked looking impressed.
"And you get SatNav thrown in and free shopping vouchers" Donna added "if you introduce a friend, bargain!"
"And this is where they're making it Ms Tyler, shipping it across the world. Seventeen factories across the globe but this is the central factory that is supplying them"
"And you think ATMOS is alien?" Rose asked.
"It is our job to check that possibility Ms Tyler" Colonel Mace said. They were led through the factory past the workers still being taken in by the UNIT soldiers to a secluded spot where a device was laid out. "And here it is, the ATMOS system laid bare. It's made and ready for every type and make of car"
"You must have checked it for yourself?" Rose said.
"We did and we found nothing. That's why we needed an expert" Martha said.
"Really? Who did you get?" Rose asked absently, she saw Donna, Martha and Colonel Mace look at her. "Me? ME? I'm no expert, all that stuff I've done is because the TARDIS made me study and through sheer dumb luck. Honestly!"
"Rose you're brilliant at this" Martha said. "The TARDIS might have pushed you into learning but you remember it all, you saved the world all the time. You know the science."
She gave Rose a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder before leaving with Colonel Mace.
"Ok so why would aliens be so keen to clear out our atmosphere?" Donna asked.
"Very good question" Rose murmured as she studied the ATMOS.
"Maybe they want to help" Donna suggested, suppressing the glee that Rose thought she had asked something good. Being round Martha had made her feel small and insignificant.
"Do you know how many cars are on planet Earth?" Rose asked. "Eight hundred million imagine that, controlling eight hundred million weapons.
DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW
Rose examined the ATMOS carefully; Donna getting bored went off when Colonel Mace and Martha came back. So far all Rose could find was that the device was a little ahead of its time. Suddenly Donna stomped back in looking rather satisfied with herself, Rose prayed to all gods and deities that she hadn't slapped anyone.
"Oi you lot!" she called "all your storm troopers and Sonics, rubbish, should have come with me"
"Why where have you been?" Rose asked.
"Personnel" Donna replied "that's where the weird stuff is happening, in the paper work. Because I spent years working as a temp and I know my way round an office blindfolded. And the first thing I noticed is an empty file" she held up a blue file.
"Why what's not inside it?" Rose asked.
"Sick days" Donna flipped it open to show nothing inside. "Hundreds of people work in here, no one is sick! Not one hangover, man flu, sneaky shopping trip, not ever! They don't get ill"
"That can't be right" Colonel Mace took the file of Donna.
"You've been checking the building but you've been checking out the work force" Donna said.
"I can see why she likes you" Martha commented. Rose and Donna shared a grin and for a moment Donna felt gleeful and smug. "You're good"
"Super temp" Donna shot back.
"Dr Jones set up a medical post, start examining the workers, I'll send them through" Colonel Mace said handing the file to Martha before walking out.
"Well then, Donna think you could give me a hand?" Martha asked. Donna walked up to Martha as Rose ran off after the Colonel.
DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW
Donna began to move the furniture as Martha began to write on some paperwork, when she looked up and asked something that had been on her mind for a while. "Do you think I should warn my Mum? About the ATMOS in our car"
"Better safe than sorry"
"I'll give her a call" Donna said.
"Donna. Do they know where you are? I mean you're family do they know you're travelling with Rose?"
"Well not really, although my Granddad sort of waved us off. I never explained"
"You just left him behind"
"Yeah"
"I didn't tell my family, kept it all a secret though Rose had encouraged me to speak to them...but I refused. It almost destroyed them"
"In what way?"
"They were imprisoned, they were tortured, my Mum, my Dad and my sister. It wasn't Rose's fault, in fact she herself was practically imprisoned and tortured and she saved them in the end...with a cost. But you need to be careful because you know Rose is...wonderful, brilliant, friendly but she is like fire, stand to close and people get burnt"
"Is that why you left her?" Donna snapped not wanting to show her fear. "I saw her after you and this Jack bloke was gone and she was probably worse than before! She's told me about your adventures and I know I haven't done lots yet but I thought at least I would be her best friend, I'll never leaver her, hurt her, but here today it's like you're more important and yet you're telling me to leave-"
"Donna, Donna you're not making any sense! All I'm trying to do is warn you to be careful" Martha shook Donna a bit and studied Donna's face. "You have no need to be jealous, Rose might call me her best friend but good god that girl is best friends with the universe...well minus the villains"
"Just being silly" Donna murmured.
"It's ok" Martha said letting go of Donna.
DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW
"Good luck Ma'am" Colonel Mace said saluting Rose.
"I thought I said no salutes" Rose said frowning.
"Now who's giving orders?" Colonel Mace muttered under his breath as he walked off.
"Oh he is a cheeky bugger" Rose said to herself.
"Rose!"
Rose turned to see Donna running down the ramp. "Oh good we're just about to leave, come on off to the countryside!"
"I'm not coming with you" Donna said quickly. "I've been thinking, I'm sorry...I'm going home"
"As a visit or home forever?" Rose asked dreading the answer.
"Oh just for a visit, I just need to warn them about the ATMOS and explain to them properly" Donna said. "You didn't think I would go home did you? After what I've seen, besides didn't I tell you when we met up that I couldn't go back to a normal life?"
"Ready when you are Ma'am" the UNIT officer said.
"You can give me a lift" Donna said "come on!" she pulled Rose to car and the pair got in, snorting with laughter.
DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW
"Remind me again, what are you doing exactly?" Mickey asked frowning as the Doctor continued his work with the sonic screwdriver, a television and the dimension cannon.
"I'm using the dimension cannon to connect to the TARDIS monitor so I can send a video message to Rose. I only just missed her the last time and I don't know if I can go to the right world just yet"
"Mate you didn't miss her you were to bloody scared to go up to her" Mickey said snorting.
"Was not"
"Was too"
"Not"
"Too"
"Not"
"Too"
"Not"
"Too"
"What are you ladies arguing about this time?" Jake asked strutting in with a large carrier bag and a box holding some plastic ups.
"The usual, the Doctor's denial of his fear that Rose won't accept him" Mickey said yawning.
"I don't have any fear!" the Doctor shouted.
"You do!" Mickey shot back.
"Quit it the pair of you and eat the lunch I got you" Jake said passing out the wrapped sandwiches from Subnet the best sandwich shop known to the westerners. "I got the smartie cookies for you as well Doc"
"Ooooooooh smartie cookies I love smartie cookies!" the Doctor babbled. "Not as good as bananas or jelly babies but they're good"
"Oh Christ Jake you created a monster" Mickey joked.
"Come on Doc get away from your super telly dimension cannon thing and eat lunch" Jake said rolling his eyes.
DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW
Rose ran the door bell and waited patiently for Donna to answer, hoping to avoid her mother since she never had a good experience with Francine Jones. Donna answered the door and the first thing that came out of Rose's mouth was;
"You would not believe the day I'm having" she said. "Come on we got a car to examine" she stalked over to Donna's mother's car and got onto her knees to look underneath. She then walked over to the hood and opened it up.
"I'll get us a vehicle" Ross Jenkins said.
"Anything without the ATMOS and don't point a gun it won't help" Rose said waving Ross off who began to run.
"Is it her? Is it her? Is it Rose Tyler?" a man's voice called out, there was a pause. "Ah! It's you!"
"Who?" Rose asked looking up to see a very familiar old man pointing at her. The newspaper seller on Christmas Eve. "Oh...it's you!"
"What! Have you two met before?" Donna squawked.
"Yeah Christmas Eve, she disappeared right in front of me!" the man said waving his hands at Rose.
"And you never said?" Donna said looking annoyed.
"Well you never said! Or you mentioned was that you saw two aliens and one of them saved your life while the other ate Lance, I never liked Lance"
"Neither have I" Rose muttered causing Donna to glare at her.
"Wilf Ma'am, Wilfred Mott" Wilf said introducing himself. "And you must be one of them aliens!"
"Yeah don't shout it out I don't need fanatics tailing me, had enough of those. Nice to meet you Wilf" Rose said shaking Wilf's hand.
"An alien hand" Wilf said in an awed voice.
"Donna?" Rose said starting to feel uncomfortable.
"She's not answering" Donna said shaking her head. "What is it Sontruns?"
"Sontarans" Rose corrected. "But what are they doing? Controlling the cars isn't enough for them, is no one answering?"
"Hold on" Donna murmured. "Martha! Hold on she's here" Donna passed the phone to Rose.
"Martha tell Colonel Mace that it's the Sontarans. They could be in the file. But if they're in the factory don't fire you'll get massacred. I'll be back soon. Have you got that?"
"Sontarans don't shoot" Martha said. "Got it" she then hung up. Rose stared at the phone briefly, Martha didn't sound like Martha at all, she wondered what was wrong.
Rose began to use the sonic screwdriver on the ATMOS again. "But you didn't find anything the last time" Donna pointed out.
"Well now I know what too look for" Rose said.
"The thing is Rose, Donna is my only grandchild and you got to promise to take care of her" Wilf said.
"She takes care of me Wilf" Rose said.
"Oh that's my Donna, she was always bossing us around even when she was a little girl, the little general we called her"
"Yeah don't start" Donna said getting embarrassed.
"And the boys she turned up with, she had one every other week. Hey who was the one with the nail vanish?"
"Mathew Richards. He's in Kilburn now...with a man"
Suddenly spikes shot out of the ATMOS. "whoa, temporal pockets" Rose muttered. "I thought there was something else in there."
"What is it hiding though?" Donna asked.
"Hello there what are you three up to?" a female voice said. Rose looked up to see the face of Sylvia Noble. "Oh its you! Rose what's her name"
"Yeah that's me" Rose said waving.
"What you met her as well?" Wilf asked looking confused.
"Dad it's the woman from the wedding!" Sylvia cried out "when you were made up with the Spanish flu, I'm warning you! Last time that girl turned up it was a disaster!"
Suddenly smoke came out of the ATMOS.
"Get back!" Rose shouted, jumping away from the car. "This will stop it" a spark shot through the smoke as Rose used the sonic screwdriver.
"I told you" Sylvia coughed. "She's blown up the car! Who is she anyway? What sort of girl blows up cars?"
"Not now Mum" Donna said.
"Oh should I make an appointment?" Sylvia asked sarcastically stomping off.
"That wasn't just exhaust fumes" Rose said sniffing. "It's some sort of gas"
"And is it aliens? Is it aliens?" Wilf asked.
"Is it poisonous? Because if they got poisonous gas in every car on Earth..." Donna trailed off. Rose looked round the street to see the ATMOS sticker on every car. Wilf climbed into the car.
"It's not safe, I'll get it away" Wilf said starting the car.
"Granddad don't!" Donna shouted. But the car doors slammed shut, the lights turned on and the fumes were released from the exhaust pipe. "Turn it off! Granddad get out of there"
"I can't!" Wilf said holding up the keys. "It's locked. It's them aliens again!"
The gases continued and soon every car was releasing them. Donna was screaming and banging on the window, angry tears falling fast on her cheeks. Rose attempted to get the door open with the sonic screwdriver but nothing worked. She attempted again to turn of the ATMOS.
She stood in the middle of the road frozen, not sure how to save the world at all.
"ROSE!"