A/N: FINALLY I can update! lol my internet's been acting so funky that it wouldn't even let me look at the login screen. Please forgive the delay :) You guys are just sooo great! I've never gotten so many reviews:) Great big internet hug Now I have to hope that I don't let you down with the chapters to come lol I know the title of this chapter is a little corny but you'll see it suits! lol Now here's a heads up, the next two chapters might be a little confusing, there is a reason for that. I put in 's to help tell the POVs apart but if you have any questions just ask and I'll be more than happy to answer. Oh and I'm thinking about putting in sneak peaks of the next chapters at the end of each one. This one will be the experiment, if you like the sneak peaks I'll keep them.
Now some shouts:
DoobreyFerkin hope this helps your imagination! haha
Andi in answer to your question about Rose finding him... wicked grin kinda sorta what happens
Jess x thanks and yes, I'd love to have the eps in advance. I've even thought of forking over $100 to get them here NOW lol but I'll appreciate it more if I watch Eccleston's version first (which I love) and keep zoning the internet for tidbits of the future :)
Tai I love long reviews! lol But I can't answer much of your question without revealing the plot. I can say you will find out exactly how he got it later on and that he doesn't realize how bad it is. Thanks and keep reading! I love my pretty A :)
Zan FINALLY lol
Starbucks was empty, but for the radiating blond sitting at the bar and her red headed friend behind the counter. Rose beamed at her old mate, mildly enjoying a blast from her past as she downed a whipped cream capuccino which she had received for free she might add. Sometimes there were perks to coming back from the dead. "And then he said... thank you for the-- consideration," Kally roared and Rose laughed heartily though she hadn't quite caught the joke.
"I'll tell you Rose, when you disappeared for so long we all thought you were dead... if you aren't dead why didn't you come back for your job?" she asked. Rose shrugged.
"I figured I'd been fired," Rose lied.
"So do you have a new job?"
Rose smiled brightly. "Yeah," she answered, averting her eyes. "It's great."
"What do you do?" proded Kally.
"Well, I work for this man as sort of an assistant."
"Ooo. Do I know him? Is he local?"
"No no! Haha, he's nowhere near local. In fact that's where I spend most of my time, I'm off working with him."
"Wow. So what's he like? I mean you gotta really be able to tolerate someone for a job like that." Rose thought about it, her grin playing at her lips again. Of course she and the Doctor got along and there wasn't any 'toleration' going on that she was aware of. Really, she couldn't get enough of him and his adventures. Everything was exciting with him around. But how to describe him?
"Well... he's very intelligent, like you wouldn't believe some of the things he knows and he's got the most awesome place! It's HUGE!" she said. Kally awed enviously.
"Is that it?"
"Just about. Not much to it," she lied again.
"Well is he attractive? Or is he one of them old men that grabs your bum everytime you turn around near 'em?" Rose laughed out loud. She couldn't even imagine the Doctor grabbing anyone's bum, much less her own. But was he attractive? She blushed involuntarialy. He always had been, even in his last older body he was bloody attractive. Only now he was more handsome than ever. Sometimes she had to physically avoid looking at him for fear of getting caught. He wouldn't let her live it down! It's not as easy as it looks... Behind her Rose eard the store door open and Kally looked over at the customer with a smile.
"Hi, how are you?" she called over to them. "Give me one second, Rose," she asked in a hushed voice. Rose started to nod.
"No need girls, I'm here for her," he interrupted, his voice more than familiar. She spun on her stool to face the Doctor grinning wildly at the look of surprise and laughter on her face.
"Ey! What are you doing here? I thought you said a week?" she said, returning his grin as he sat before her. Kally looked back and forth between them.
"Wait a tic, you know him?" she questioned.
"Yeah you could say so," he answered for her. There was a comfortable fondness in his eyes that Rose was used to, one that made all her insecurities of home dissolve in an instant. He was shelter for her, a friend and a protector and more wrapped into one human like package just for her. She beamed at him unknowningly.
"Um, Kally... this is... my boss... the Doctor," she hesitated. This clearly wasn't ground she'd trod upon before.
"Oh a doctor? You didn't say he's a doctor! I'm Kally!" she chirped. The Doctor glanced at Rose for guidance and the message in her eyes told him she didn't want Kally to know to know the truth about them so he played along.
"Nice to meet you Kally," he greeted with hand outstretched. Kally blushed and accepted it. "So what exactly did Rose tell you?" Rose's face turned pink whilst she anxiously went over everything she'd said. Was there anything that she might not have wanted him to know.
"Well she said that she's been working as your assistant out of town a lot and from my impression she likes you pretty well," she said. Rose felt him glance at her on this and couldn't help blushing. "She didn't tell me how cute you are," Kally added flirtaously.
"Kally!" Rose cried, not making eye contact with the Doctor. Oh he was loving this...
"Am I?" he flirted. His voice was purely conversational but the way his eyebrows lifted revealed differently.
"Yes very much so," Kally smiled. Rose knew the Doctor could have no interest in her friend, but still the fliratous display was bothering her. Almost laughing she tried to distract Kally from the Doctor.
"So why are you here?" she asked him, changing the topic. The Doctor's grin turned to her and the way she was hiding her face from Kally's view with her hand.
"Thought I might surprise you... Surprise!" he said enthusiastically. Rose laughed.
"Well I certainly am surprised."
"Are you only in on business?" inquired Kally.
"Sure are and if you two weren't too terribly involved I thought I'd take my assistant back to work," he chimed. Though thoroughly embarassed when Kally agreed to see her later, Rose followed the Doctor out. The sun was already setted below the horizon, leaving the light dull and the air crisp. As the door closed behind them she turned on him.
"Your assistant? And what exactly are you doing back so soon?" she pressed. He kept walking with his hands in the pockets of his coat and she again followed.
"Well you said I was your boss... and as your boss--"
"Don't even go there!" she scolded. "I had to tell her something. I couldn't exactly tell her that I've been gone exploring the universe now could I?"
"You could, though I don't think she'd believe you," he agreed. She smiled fondly at him, watching him as he walked.
"Right. So why are you back so soon?"
"Just thought I'd pop in," he replied, turning just in time to catch the look on her face. This time she blushed again. He smiled. He knew he'd love her reaction to his early arrival. Taking her hand they walked on. "And I could use the time to keep working on the Tardis without an alien threat hovering over our heads."
"Oh, alright," she responded. "How did you--"
"Know you were here?" he finished and she nodded. "I ran into you mother when I arrived. She said you had told her about meeting a friend at a coffe shop later, just guessed between it and the library."
"Oh... very deductive," she smirked. He saw her look at him from the corner of her eyes again. "Why are you walking funny?"
"Am I walking funny?" he asked without looking at her.
"Yeah, it's not much but sorta hunched and halting... are you alright?" she asked concerned.
"I'm fine, Rose," he stated firmly, still not regarding her seriously. She wasn't convinced but this wasn't the voice he would allow her to question. He clearly had no intention of telling her.
"Hey! Rose! Doctor!" a voice shouted from behind. They turned to see Mickey running down the street and he released her hand. No matter how hard he tried, the Doctor simply found Rose's dim witted boyfriend aggravating. "Sorry I took so long," he huffed. The Doctor's nose rose slightly.
"Sorry? I didn't know you were on the way," he replied.
"Oh he's talking to me," Rose explained. "We went to the library earlier. Did Caitlin give you the class work you needed?" she asked. They started walking again with Rose in the middle.
"Yeah, told me all about that class I missed earlier this week when I fell asleep at your place too," he nodded.
"Caitlin? You got a new girlfriend?" the Doctor asked. It was meant to be snippish but it came out quite friendly. Still he felt Rose's elbow jab him.
"No, me and Mickey went to school with her. They have classes together," she assured.
"So what's he doing here so soon? You aren't leaving are you? I thought you weren't leaving for another day," said Mickey.
"I'm using the time to fix up the Tardis. We won't be leaving until the said date," he promised cheerfully.
"Good cause I was looking forward to the carnival," he grinned at Rose. She smiled back.
"OH! Doctor you should come!" she wailed.
"To a carnival?" he looked disbelieving.
"Yeah! Should be fun and it'd be great if you could go with us!"
"Yeah great," Mickey groaned under his breath.
"Rose, I've been around the world hundreds of times and seen things you couldn't imagine. Why in the world would I go to a 21st century carnival?" he asked simply. He thought it sounded a bit mean, but he couldn't risk her catching him screaming in pain as the rollercoasters knocked him about.
"Oo gee," she laughed, "I just thought you might," she added and nudged him with her shoulder.
"I think I'll just stay and get the Tardis taken care of," he clarified. She looked at him closely and then nodded.
"Alright then," she replied quietly. He looked down at his watch.
"Oh my, look at the time!" he piped. "I've got some work to get done, see you in the morning?"
"Yeah, sure... in the morning," she nodded weakly.
"Later Rickey!" the Doctor waved as he dropped back and headed off to the left.
"THAT's MICKEY!" he shouted back. "I don't like him," he then told Rose matter-of-factly. She only barely heard him speaking though, her mind lost on other topics. Somehow she felt disappointed at the Doctor's lack of wanting to be around. He'd never really wanted to be around her family before but he did anyway just to stick with her and it made her feel special. All she could think now was that maybe she'd worn out her welcome with him. Maybe all her teasing and questioning and proding into his world had pushed things too far. She never had quite related to him the polite way strangers do, she didn't feel she needed to. They had always just seemed to click without trying.
"Rose?" Mickey's voice brought her back.
"Huh?"
"I asked you if you wanted to do a movie marathon tonight?" he repeated.
"Not tonight Mickey, I'm so tired. Let's just watch two, okay?" she was almost begging him. Had he forgotten the lack of sleep she'd had since the start of this vacation? And why couldn't she just say no to anyone anymore without feeling guilty for making a choice?
"Sure, sounds good. A horror and a comedy?"
"Make it two action features and you've got a deal," she smiled. He shook her hand and smiled so hard she thought his face might crack.
"I'll run to store later and pick some up," he assured and they fell into silence. Her mind was too busy sorting through the Doctor. This whole thing was beginning to be too suspicious. Why wouldn't he tell her what was going on? First he shoves her off on this 'vacation', then he shows up a day early looking like he's been hit over the head with a happy stick, then he lied about the way he was walking, and then on top of it all he acted like he the suggestion of going to a carnival with her was ridiculous. She was feeling pretty pushed out. Shoving her hands into her pockets she scuffed her feet the way her mum hated just to hear the sound. Seemed like nothing was going right anymore. Her mum seemed to all but hate the Doctor and force her to feel guilty over spending so much time away from home, Mickey openly despised him and was constantly tearing at her emotions over leaving him, and now the Doctor was behaving oddly. It had been bad enough before. At least bad enough that her mother and Mickey were beginning to notice it taking a toll on her. Her lies were plenty convincing to save face, but she was starting to wonder how much more she could take of it. She knew what she wanted. What she wanted was to be with the Doctor, flying through existence in the Tardis to another new adventure. But did he even want her there? He once complained that she was turning him domestic but she had tossed it off as playful banter. What if it wasn't? What if he was smiling and talking to her on the outside but hiding his true feelings inside like he did with strangers? The very thought threatened to tear her in two. She hadn't realized that what happened or what anyone else thought mattered so much until right now. She just wanted to live her life, why couldn't she do that? Why couldn't she just have a simple existence?
Scuff
Rose turned to see who was behind them as she walked and saw only street. Maybe it'd been an echo? Odd though how it had caught her attention so completely. And something unusually similar to it had happened earlier in the week after the Doctor left. Only then two strangers had practically barreled her over when she turned back around. To avoid it happening again she turned slowly this time and Mickey smiled at her.
"Hearing things again?" he asked jokingly. Earlier that week she'd been incessantly looking over her shoulder and he'd taken up teasing her everytime. Now she returned the smile and said with rattled, good natured laugh: "Yeah I guess"
The Doctor lay on the lumpy old couch Rose had once shoved into the control room with his head laid back over the top. He was breathing hard from the walk back. The wounds on his chest were beginning to be more of a problem than he thought. Rose had noticed his compensating for the pain despite his best efforts and that worried him.
"So I told her not to touch it, but she did anyway. Honestly I tell ya, children these days!" a deep feminine voice reverberated through the room. He looked up to the screen he put on the console and saw an over weight elderly woman bustle by. He'd set it up so that if Rose came by he could hear and see her coming before she caught him this way, but every woman that walked by had him startled. Fortunately this time, Rose and Mickey were behind that woman and he hadn't wasted the energy it took to look up. They were walking slowly, Rose with her hands in her pockets and Mickey chatting away about work. She smiled at him until she saw the Tardis. After that her eyes were glued to it. The Doctor watched her closely, trying to decide if she was going to come in or not. They stopped and Mickey glanced at the blue box too.
"sigh I can't believe you're really going off again," he said. The Doctor rolled his eyes and stood. Of course she was going off again, he was leaving and she certainly wouldn't let him go alone so Rickey the idiot needed to get over it. They'd been doing this for almost a year now.
"Of course I am Mickey, you know that. And I don't think it's going to change anytime soon," she replied, though inwardly she fought against thinking she was wrong.
"Well I know, but... it's so unreal sometimes, ya know?"
"Not really," she laughed sweetly. The Doctor smiled to himself as he began working to straighten out the wires in the control console. Rose really had adapted well to his lifestyle, at least better than any of his other companions, and she seemed to be loving every second of it. Flying off in the Tardis really wasn't the most unreal thing she could do anymore, he mused. "Listen, I think I'm going to talk to the Doctor for a minute if you wanna go on in?" she suggested. At that he moved to stare at the screen.
"Nah, I think I'll run get those movies for later," said Mickey.
"Okay, well I'll see you in a few then?" she asked. Mickey nodded and leaned in for a kiss when the screen went blank. He couldn't watch it, he couldn't even understand how or exactly what bothered him about it, but everytime he saw them that way it got to him. Perhaps it was the relationship itself? By keeping Mickey here waiting for her it was like a safety blanket and if she ever left him she could come back here. But then why would that bother him? He wanted her to be happy and not pushed. More than anything he wanted her to want to be with him instead of just going to keep him happy. It was just MICKEY! Could he possibly be jealous? As he moved back to the console the thought seemed to baffle him. What did he have to be jealous of? He wasn't jealous. So what then? Did he feel sorry for Mickey? Having to wait months on end for Rose to come back and light up his life for a few moments? He definately couldn't envy that.
The door to the Tardis opened and she came in. She was smiling and half waved at him when they made eye contact. Something about her smile wasn't all there, it was almost like covering up the darkness.
"Hey," she said quietly.
"Hello," he answered cheerfully. Remembering the screen he'd set up before she came in he moved past her to dismantle it before she had time to notice. "Need anything?" he asked, glancing up at her as he worked. She shook her head, twiddling with her fingers at the hem of her shirt. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah... were you watching me just now?" she asked, a twinkle of mischief in her eyes.
"No," he replied flatly and turned before he could see the mild disappointment on her face. She shrugged and leaned against the counter next to him.
"Okay. So I thought I'd come help out a little, what can I do?" Her eyes roamed the the room she had missed so much. "Blimey, what happened in here?" He looked up, following her eyes to the damage done on his latest mission.
"Bit of a run in, nothing serious," excused the Doctor, not seeing the way her eyes widened in worry. He was too busy thinking of all the wires that needed mending, the console that needed reformating and the walls that were falling down, none of which he wanted her to attempt and none of which he could attempt until his wounds were better. "The warnings could use some calibrations," he suggested and pointed to the red and blue buttons.
"Okay," she smiled, moving to take care of it. She glanced at him as she pushed a sequence of buttons on her right and went through the routine he'd taught her. The purpose was to make all the colors stop flashing and remain a steady blue or red, though it's whole effect eluded her. She was too busy going over the idea that maybe the Doctor had grown tired of her. What could she have done? In an instant her mind roamed everything they had been through together and she found her eyes wandering to him across the console. He looked so serious and focused, the same way he always did when he worked on the Tardis. She wasn't sure if it was because he had to be serious or because he wanted to be but either way she really loved the way his jaw set.
BLEEP She almost jumped out of her skin when she heard it.
"What was that?" she whispered. He looked up from where he was knelt on the other side and smirked at the anticipation on her face.
"It was a warning blip. You punched in the sequence wrong, don't worry, it resets after that beep so you can start from scratch," he assured, eyes back on the wires he was toying with.
It felt natural then. Him on one side, working at all the difficult things he refused to let her do, and her on the other doing her best she could to help. Even the silence was the way it'd been before she left; full but never heavy. They'd go for hours without speaking and not once feel awkward. She glanced at him again as he sorted through the wires quickly and then right back to the buttons. Red button, blue button, blue button, red button... send. Blue button, red button, blue button... send. She smirked to herself for being so worrisome. Sure she was scared that he'd leave her behind or that he secretly disliked her, but he had yet to give her solid proof of that so why stress? She wanted to look at him again only this time she hesitated.
BLEEP Her mildly frustrated grunt drew his attention yet again as she failed at the sequence. Everytime she looked at him she screwed it up. She had to pay attention! Now what did he tell her the function for these buttons were? Oh yes, resetting the emergency warnings for the Tardis. There was one for oxygen, one for temperature, one for the vortex gage, one for intruders... with all the buttons before her she was certain there wasn't anything the Tardis didn't have a warning for. It was too bad that he'd told her some of them were permenately broken. Warnings were good things to have when there was danger. But despite her best efforts Rose could not keep her mind off him. Or her eyes aparently. She glanced over at him again, this time noticing exactly how attractive he had turned out to be. Sure she had taken note of it before, especially after he had regenerated, but this time it was kind of different. Now she noticed precisesly how nice his hair was and acknowledged an odd desire to run her fingers through it, as well as the force she could see behind his now deep brown eyes. They had a power to them with this new body, a desire for life that could fill anyone with hope.
BLEEP "Bloody..." she half trailed the curse, glimpsing the full blown grin on his face as she ashamedly continued to try. In peripheal vision she saw him clearly scratch his nose with his knuckle before attempting to focus again. With all the beeping going on though his smile was almost plastered on. She wouldn't put it past him to know exactly why the darned thing was making noises. Rose fought a grin at the adorable look of bewilderment and cockiness mixed together on his features. It rather suited him nicely to her surprise.
BLEEP BLEEP "What did I do?" she asked hurriedly.
"Nothing-- yet," he teased. "The Tardis is just messing with you."
"Oh haha," Rose retorted and hit a few more buttons. This time he watched her do it, his hands stopped from their previous work. She knew it too and as if on cue: BLEEP
"Why don't, you just let me take care of that? Eh?" he suggested and stood. She blushed without realizing it and he laughed. She'd be all but caught in her distractions. "I appreciate the offer Rose, but right now I believe your mind is elsewhere," he added jovially.
"What do you mean?" she inquired, walking around the console to stand next to him. Her hand quickly found it's way to her hip in her "try me" stance. He recognized it but didn't understand it's unprovoked appearance.
"Well, you are home and Mickey's out there waiting for you... do you think it's fair though?" he asked abruptly.
"Do I think what's fair?"
"Keeping Mickey waiting for you like this when you're gone around the universe most of the time." His voice was casual, but she doubted his ability to take such a step back and observe. He never REALLY liked Mickey, as hard as he tried.
"Who says I'm keeping him waiting? I might have nothing to do with it." At this he shot her a look of displeasure.
"Rose, you've got everything to do with it. You kiss him," he stated and walked across the room for a wrench.
"Is that a statement or a question?" she demanded.
"Hmm..." tauntingly thinking it over,"... question!" he replied. He knew such a smart alek remark wouldn't go far, but it was fun to watch her get riled up. He came back to her side with the wrench and bent to use it.
"Wha- I- Why do you care?" she shot back. Standing quickly he walked to another cabinet to put away the wrench and retrieve some spare wire. She followed him. "Well?" He averted his eyes from her completely as he went back to close the panel he'd been working on. He'd asked her a question he didn't really want her to answer and now she was doing the same thing of him. What would she do with the truth? Did she even know what the truth was? "I don't see how it's any business of yours rather or not I kissed Mickey," she concluded, her voice deceptively conversational. He felt a sharp pain in his chest that pleaded with him to slow down, only he knew that if he did Rose would win this little tiff by backing him into a corner and batting those eye lashes of hers until she sucked the information from him and left him dry. A little pain never hurt anybody...
"You ride in my time/space machine, I save your life regularly and it's none of my business? It's only fair to ask a question," he defended and crossed to another far storage department wall. "Not that I patricularly wanted to know but now I think I do," he mocked. She followed on his heels, attention peaked whilst he struggled to maintain his healthy appearance and stride.
"That sort of thing is private you know," she informed. She watched as he opened one door after another in search of something, never looking her way. His chest was burning with pain now from all the quick movements he was making and the ups and downs of cabinet searching. "You don't tell me when you go off snogging."
"That would be because I don't," he turned to look her in the eye and then right back to the storage compartment doors. It's was becoming more of a challenge now than anything, who could provoke the most information out of the other without meaning to.
"So am I in trouble now because I pay attention to someone other than you? Tell me, what sounded so ridiculous to you about going to a carnvial with me?" she asked, still following him step for step, frowning deeply. She was so close that she could probably smell the guilt coming off of him. He shouldn't have been so harsh on her earlier. Could she hear his hearts beating rapidly? "And look at me when I'm talking to you!" she commanded. At that he huffed and whirled around to face her, desperate to alleviate the pressure she had on him some way. To his surprise he found her face hardly more than a foot from his and overestimated the turn. With a jolt of pain swirling in his head he teetered off balance, dropping straight into her.
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chap 3: A Long Day's Night "You keep saying that... Oh my god," she trembled and threw herself toward him. He prepared for a hug or a punch, but her hand tenderly pushed against the upper left side of his chest. When she drew it back the pale contours of her hand were stained with blood.
Ne? Please review if you like it and I'll do my best to keep it coming:)