Hey guys, thanks for all the fab reviews! You guys rock! Okay see this is where it MIGHT start making sense...or confuse you more. If you're worried about the latter, just flick over Chapter 1 again and that might help when you read this. Secondly, it took me aaages to decide to reveal Davey (who's PoV this is from), but there's more twists ahead so figured it may make it easier if at least you guys know who he is, even if the Doc doesn't. Thirdly? Enjoy!
I hated being at this pompous wedding. I mean why do we have to have this tedious ceremony in an overbearing church? We've got a perfectly fantastic garden at home and even Mickey's struggling not to yawn, and it's his wedding! I bit my lip to stop myself from laughing. It's not really his wedding, not so much as it is Martha's. Why can't aliens attack when you want them to sometimes? I'm finding I'm almost wishing they would now just to speed up the proceedings.
Looking over at Martha, I really can't see what he sees in her at all. Okay, she's kind of pretty, but at the end of the day that's just skin deep right? But I guess moving on would have been hard for him too. Looking slightly behind Martha, I catch Rose's eye. She gives me a smile and raises her eyes heavenwards ever so slightly, and I smile back – she's just as bored as I am.
As she returns her gaze to the couple, I continue watching her. My big sister...well sort of. Somewhere in the middle of my half-sister and a whole one...it's complicated. A lot in Rose's life is. Okay so we've definitely got the same mum, but our dad? Well that's a sort of. Her dad was Pete Tyler and mine is Pete Tyler and in a way they were the same person, if you count a version of yourself from a parallel universe the same. See? Complicated.
But she says I'm her little brother no matter what.
Rose Tyler, defender of the Earth, well I say Earth, the universe is more likely...well, this one anyway.
That could be a huge shadow to live under, but it's not. She's not like that at all. She's amazing! Fantastic even...but don't let her hear you say that, or it's...never mind, I'm getting away from myself here. I guess it's because she's only been back a week. Admittedly she wasn't gone nearly as long this time, but still, ever since that first long trip...I can't help but try work out exactly how long we were apart that time. It was horrible...but so was being at the end of her wrath at her return. Who would have thought the books would have annoyed her so much?
And then I notice her glance at Martha, scrunching her nose ever so slightly before looking away again. I know she doesn't like her and probably never will, though at least she's able to act civilly around her, which is a bit more than can be said for Martha, even if she says it's only 'cause it's what the Doctor would have wanted.
Mum says I have to like Martha 'cause she saved Rose's life once. For that I will always be grateful and I bite my tongue a lot too...but doesn't mean I have to like her.
As for Martha and Rose? Who knows, maybe in time they'll build a bridge over the chasm that's formed between them. Problem is, old habits die hard and that chasm was created the very first moment they met.
"You know when I got told I'd actually have a day off this week, the first thing I thought I'd wanna do was go with you to get your bunions sorted," Rose told Mickey sarcastically as they walked into the hospital. "And at the bloody hospital no less! Why go to the ones at work when there's a hospital just an hours drive away?" she ranted, glaring at the back of a man in full leather outfit and helmet who'd just barged past her.
Mickey slung his arm over her shoulder. "You know I'd recommend this place to anyone, and besides if I went at work everyone would know I have bunions," he told her as they went round to the reception area.
"Shouldn't have told me that," she replied, giving him a wicked grin.
He just smiled back, kissing the top of her head before going to check in. He knew she wouldn't breath a word of this to anyone at work...well except maybe Pete. He glanced over his shoulder at her as she sat and flicked through one of the magazines, knowing she wasn't taking in a word.
His smile faded slightly as he watched her. It had been a long time since he'd seen her smile. Not just a smile at something, but just for the hell of it, just because you were happy smile. And for that he hated Torchwood. He knew it was different now. It had to be now that Rose, Pete and him were running the place...well him and Pete mostly these days.
He knew that pretending she'd been throwing herself into her work more and more because she was enjoying it and finally adjusting was just pointless. Yes she'd adjusted, but she hadn't enjoyed a second of it. She loved her family and so would never really show them how bad she felt, but they all knew exactly where she'd rather be, or rather who she'd rather be with, even after all the time that had passed.
"If you'd just like to go through to consult room number 309," the woman behind the desk told him after going through the forms he'd passed her a moment earlier. He turned to call Rose, but she was already up, confirming that she hadn't been paying attention to the magazine that had been in her hands a moment earlier.
Rose sat in a seat next to the window as Mickey was seen to on a bed behind a closed curtain. "Oh great, now it's raining!" she moaned as she watched it coming down...but it wasn't. She groaned. "So much for a day off," she grumbled to Mickey. "You ready for some fighting?" she asked Mickey through the curtain.
"I'm not fighting rain with you again, babe. It just ends up with us getting wet and possibly a cold," he told her matter of factly as he pulled his shoes back on.
She just whacked the back of his head through the curtain. "Come on," she called as she strode out of the room.
Mickey couldn't help but smile. There was just something sexy about Rose taking charge. Slightly scary, but sexy all the same.
Just then there was what felt like an earthquake, sending them both flying against the walls. Once it had subsided Rose ran to the nearest window. "Oh you have got to be kidding me," she growled before turning back to Mickey. "Hope you've got your moon boots ready," she told him before heading off again.
"You're kidding right?" he asked, glancing out the window as he raced to keep up with her. "Not kidding then," he said as he saw Earth in the distance.
Rose ran up a set of steps before striding down a corridor looking as determined and in charge as ever.
"Don't! We'll lose all the air!" she heard someone shrieking from an open doorway ahead.
"But, they're not exactly airtight. If the air was going to get sucked out, it would have happened straight away, but it didn't," she heard the response just as she reached the door.
She just couldn't resist as she called out "No shit Sherlock," as she walked past.
"She means 'Why of course my dear Watson'," Mickey poked his head in the room long enough to tell the women before running to catch up with Rose again.
"No I didn't," she retorted with a cheeky grin.
He just rolled his eyes. "Be nice, that was Adeola's cousin."
"And why do I have to be nice to the office tart's cousin?" Rose retorted.
"Hey!" they heard a woman calling from behind them.
Rose ignored the voice, but Mickey turned around walking backwards to see who it was. "Uh 'cause she's following us?" he murmured from the corner of his mouth.
"Oh don't tell me you've got a thing for the office tart and now her cousin as well?" Rose asked teasingly.
"What? Course not," he replied, turning back to watch where he was walking and ignoring the knowing look Rose was giving him.
"Oy, I'm talking to you!" the woman called as she ran to catch up with them. She was stopped by two security guards that Mickey and Rose had just walked by.
Mickey gave Rose a pleading look, and she sighed, looking back over her shoulder. "She's with us," she called to the security guard nearest the woman. The security guard gave the woman one last scrutinising look before letting her pass.
"Who are you?" she asked when she'd finally caught up with them, and now struggled to keep pace.
"Who do you think?" Rose asked in return.
"I don't know, the police?" the woman asked, frowning.
Rose couldn't help but laugh, which wiped the pleased smile from Mickey.
"You're with the government aren't you?" she tried again, pointing an accusatory finger at them.
Rose rolled her eyes this time, though her smart remark was cut off by the juddering of the building. "Oh what now?" she asked aloud, going over to the nearest window to watch three tall cylinder like ships descending. "Oh great, what do they want?"
"Who are they again?" Mickey whispered so the woman couldn't hear.
She sighed as she gave him a look. "Judoon Mickey."
"Course, that'll be the Judoon," he said firmly, so the woman could hear.
"Equivalent of police crossed with thugs," she told the woman, rolling her eyes at the grateful look from Mickey, who she knew needed the explanation as well. "Come on," she called as she continued down the corridor.
"Where are we going again?" Mickey asked.
"Head of the hospital," Rose replied.
The woman frowned. "That's Mr Stoker."
"Yup."
"How do you know him?"
"Don't."
"Then how'd you know he's in charge?"
"Well one, you just told me and two, not only is it on almost every list of staff display, but there's an obnoxious portrait of him in the lobby downstairs."
"How do you know he'll see you?"
"Oh believe me, he's either going to be very grateful or very sorry to see me," Rose replied, shoving the door of his office open to find him being held by two slabs and an old woman advancing on him with a straw. "Damn it! I was so hoping for the latter today," she sighed. "Not interrupting are we?" she asked with an innocent face.
"Actually yes, I was just about to have a snack, if you'd like to come back later?" the woman told her with a steely look.
Rose eyed the straw. "Forget the old vampire dentures today?"
"If you're trying to imply I'm a vampire---"
"Oh I'm not trying, I'm saying you're a really old vampire who's actually lost her canines," Rose cut her off with a smile.
The woman glared at her. "I'll have you know little girl, there are vast differences between a common vampire and the mighty Plasmavore," she told her sternly.
"Plasmavore? Mickey you ever heard of the Plasmavore?" she asked.
"No babe."
"How bout you...nurse?" she asked turning to the woman.
"I'm a resident actually," the woman replied coldly.
Rose sighed. "Fine, have you ever heard of the Plasmavores resident?"
"Umm...no," the woman replied hanging her head.
"Neither have I. But I have heard of vampires, so you can't be all that high and mighty," Rose taunted.
"I wouldn't expect a measly human like you to know anything useful. The Plasmavores don't just suck blood, we are able to assimilate the blood we drink," she told her, an evil smile crossing her face.
Rose looked at her coldly. "And let me guess, that assimilation is what's going to get you past the Judoon out there?"
"Got it in one," the woman replied, not noticing Rose knew the name of the Judoon. "It looks like I have a few to choose from now doesn't it?"
Rose glared at her. "Oh if you're killing anyone today it's gonna be me," she replied, her voice icy.
"I couldn't think of a victim that would give me more pleasure," the woman smiled.
"Well what are you waiting for? A written invitation?" Rose asked, suddenly tauntingly. "If it's going to stop you killing the others, then kill me! Kill me!"
The woman smiled cruelly. "Don't bother with fake bravado, this shan't be a painless death," she warned.
"Is this your first time or something? Just do it already! Do it! Just do it!"
With surprising speed the woman had spiked the straw in her neck. Other than an initial flinch at the pain, Rose didn't move. It was an odd sensation, her heart pumping harder and yet still getting more and more light headed by the second. She'd tried to be strong, to fight without him by her side, but she couldn't do it any longer. At least now she was dying saving those she loved, defending the Earth and all that. She could even argue the Plasmavore had saved her a trip to the beach. And then she slipped into darkness.
The Judoon barged into the room just as she dropped Rose to the floor.
"Now, see what you've done? This poor girl just died of fright," she told them as she tucked her straw back into her handbag.
"Scan her!" the Judoon Captain told one of his men, watching as he pointed his device at Rose's body causing it to wip-wip-wip. "Confirmation: deceased," the Captain declared a moment later.
"No, but she can't be!" Mickey yelled out. "Let me through, let me see her!" he continued, trying to barge past the Judoon officers, but they held him back.
"Case closed," the Captain told Mickey with finality.
"But it was her!" the resident screeched, pointing at the Plasmavor. "She killed her, she did it, she murdered her---"
The Captain cut her off though, "Judoon have no authority over Human crime."
"But she's not Human," Mickey tried telling them.
"Oh, but I am, surely? I'm a patient of this very hospital. That nurse has even treated me," the Plasmavore replied, pointing a finger at the resident.
The resident just scowled at her.
"But she's not, she's assimilated..." Mickey trailed off. "Wait a minute, you drank her blood?" he asked, grabbing one of the Judoon devices and pointing it at Florence, causing it to wip-wip-wip once more. 'Come on Rose, you had to have planned this,' he thought to himself, 'you wouldn't just let her kill you for nothing!'
"I don't mind, scan all you like," Florence replied with an evil smile.
Just then the device made an ear piercing wreeeeee!
"Non-Human!" the Judoon Captain declared.
Florence's smile was replaced with a look of horror. "What!"
"Confirm analysis!" he ordered his troops, who all pointed their devices at her. Wip-wip-wip-WREEEEEE!
"But - that's a mistake, it's got to be, I'm Human! As Human as they come---"
"She gave her life so they'd find you," Mickey cut her off angrily as he knelt down beside Rose's limp form.
"Confirm: Plasmavore! Charged with the crime of murdering the Child Princess of Padrivole Regency Nine---" the Judoon Captain announced, ignoring the emotional turmoil of both parties.
"And she deserved it!" Florence cut him off. "Those pink cheeks and blonde curls, and that simpering voice, oh, she was begging for the bite of a Plasmavore!" she told the room, positively licking her lips.
"She doesn't like blondes very much does she?" the resident asked, trying to lighten the mood, but it went unnoticed by everyone. Looking down as Mickey held Rose in his arms, she realised this was what she was trained to deal with as she quickly went over, having to push Mickey - who seemed to be in a trance - out of the way before she could begin CPR.
"Then you confess?" the Judoon Captain asked Florence.
She glared at him. "Confess? I'm proud of it! Slab, stop them!" she exclaimed, but as they stepped forward to attack, the Judoon raised their weapons, destroying the pair in a blaze of red light, leaving nothing in their wake.
"Verdict: guilty. Sentence: execution!" the Judoon Captain declared before all Judoons pointed their weapons on Florence, who went the same way as the two slabs before her. "Case closed. Our jurisdiction has ended. Judoon will evacuate," he told the troops in the room before addressing his comms unit. "All units! Withdraw!"
As the room emptied, Mickey seemed to snap out of the daze he'd been in to look over at Martha doing CPR on Rose, only not proper CPR. "That isn't right," he told her, before taking over. It took longer than he would have liked, but she finally came round, half-choking as she began to breath once more. He beamed down at her as she recovered her breath. "You had me worried there for a minute!" he told her, as she tried to sit up, supporting her as she fell back.
She didn't know what to say to that, only that she felt extremely claustrophobic in the small room now. "Any chance of going outside?"
"There's a balcony not far from here," he replied as he lifted her up into his arms, much to her annoyance, even though she couldn't yet stand.
The resident frowned at the pair of them. "We're still on the moon!" she exclaimed as they exited the room. "Don't you have back-up that you can call? You must have a partner or something back on Earth!"
"Humans. We're stuck on the Moon running out of air with Judoon and a blood-sucking criminal and she's busy asking you personal questions!" Rose told Mickey affectionately.
He just glared at her. "The Plasmavore's been executed and the Judoon are withdrawing," he told her as he turned to push open the balcony door with his shoulder.
"So I see," she replied as they watched the ships rise, causing the Moon to shake. She was grateful when Mickey finally set her back down on her feet though, despite feeling rather woozy from blood loss. "How many people want to go to the Moon? And here we are!"
"Standing in the earthlight," he replied with a grin.
She rolled her eyes. "Oh that is cheesy! Even for you!"
He just shrugged, forcing himself not to mention that she wouldn't have thought so if someone else had said it, instead asking, "So you never been before?"
"Na," she replied. "Not a lot to see or do here is there?"
"You make it sound like you've travelled the universe," the resident replied snidely, causing the pair to realise for the first time that she'd followed them out.
Mickey turned to face her with a smile, though Rose just glared at the Earth, ignoring her. "Hi, I'm Mickey Smith," he said extending his hand.
"Martha Jones," she replied shaking his hand before turning to Rose, who continued to stare off at Earth. "And you are?" she asked coldly.
"It's raining again," Rose told Mickey with a smile, reaching her hand out, the water still just out of reach. "We'll be home soon and you can start on the paperwork," she added with an evil grin.
"Thanks," he replied sarcastically before giving her a pointed look and tilting his head in Martha's direction, just before the building shook once more as they landed back on Earth.
Rose would have preferred to ignore her. What real difference would it make considering the plan she now had to go back to tomorrow, but she knew Mickey wouldn't like that. "Keep yourself out of trouble. Sorry, got to dash, need to get this seen to," she told Martha, indicating the hole in her neck which had started trickling blood.
"Second floor," Martha told her with a scowl.
Rose snorted. "Like I'd trust my life in the public health system!" she rolled her eyes before walking back inside and headed back towards the exit, hoping neither of them would notice her using the wall for balance at times.
"Her name's Rose," Mickey said, looking slightly embarrassed by her rude behaviour.
Martha rolled her eyes. "Like I care," she mumbled.
"Umm, we'll need you to make a statement---"
"So you are with the police?" she asked cutting him off.
He gave her a grin as he shook his head. "Na, bit higher up than that. Anyway, stop by Canary Wharf around one tomorrow? I'll meet you outside," he told her before following in Rose's wake.
"Sounds like a cheap way to score a date," she called after him, not entirely upset considering how cute he was, even if his girlfriend was horrible.
I still don't believe Mickey was the one that gave Rose CPR. I mean a resident Doctor at a hospital versus a field agent from Torchwood. Not hard to guess which would have the better first aid skills! Rose said the scanners didn't recognise her as human 'cause she's not from this universe and that it would have worked even if Mickey had done it...
Just then the doors of the church burst open. "Stop the wedding!" one of the men that was running down the aisle yelled.
I watched Rose step forward, and couldn't help step up beside her. If this guy meant her harm, he'd have to get through me first!
"Doctor?" she gasped when he was only a few feet away.
The one that had yelled gave a huge grin, and I realised it must be him, the one she'd told me about all those years ago, and I couldn't help the huge grin that spread across my own face. Not quite the alien attack that I'd been expecting, but then they never really are, are they?
So how'd everyone like that? We started right back at the start again and finished...just before the end of the last chapter! Don't you just LOVE time travel? Hehe...
And how are you gonna react when you see this? A great big threatening button! A great big threatening button which must not be pressed under any circumstances, am I right? Let me guess, it's some sort of update matrix? Hmm? Hold on, what's feeding it? Reviews? Yeah, definitely. Reviews. Your reviews. With just a dash of irony. Ahh but that means...update control...update control! Oh! I haven't seen update control for...at least a week! You're controlling how fast I update!
Yeah, NO idea where that came from...okay I know it came from the Christmas Invasion before I get your sarcy comments :p But why mix it in here and now? No idea...but really, it fits nicely doesn't it? And we all know what the Doctor would do! ;)
Oh and before I forget...has anyone noticed how long the final ANs on this fic tend to be?...this fic now ties in the Evil Wish (well I say now, it always did, it's just you wouldn't know it till now) AND also from next week (possibly, probably, perhaps...something beginning with p) the Spin Off will be starting...even though it still doesn't have a name. Baring in mind it will have some HUGE spoilers in it for this fic...well...I'm gonna try minimise some of them...but anyway...if it does go up, make sure you read the next chapter of THIS one before you read the first chapter of THAT one or there most definitely WILL be a huge spoiler (yeah I'm trying to get you to tune in next week again too!) Right, another very long AN done (hope you liked it V ;))