Hey, no intro just straight into it...

Rose lay on her bed facing the ceiling as she listened to the sounds of the TARDIS rejoining the Vortex. She'd been here so long she actually had to concentrate to hear it otherwise it fell into the background noises that were the TARDIS. She couldn't help but wonder if she would have trouble falling asleep in the silence of the flat. Maybe if she made a quick recording of the sounds to help...no that would just break her heart each night when she listened to it. She would have to do it cold turkey.

There was a knock on her door.

She wondered half-heartedly if the Doctor had made sure Mickey was on board before they left. She hoped so because she had a feeling Mickey wouldn't let her live down leaving him stranded on the other side of the universe for a very long time. She could just imagine him using it as an excuse every time for years. "I did that huh? Well you left me on the other side of the universe"

There was another knock.

She didn't want to work at a shop again. She knew and had seen too much to go back there. Maybe she could call Sarah-Jane, find out what she was doing and help her out. At least that way she'd have someone to talk to about all her adventures. Of course there'd be Mickey too, because she was pretty sure he wouldn't stick around without her. But she knew Sarah-Jane would understand better. After all, she'd had her heart broken by the Doctor as well.

There was a third knock on the door.

Rose didn't bother looking over when it opened. She already knew who it was. Mickey didn't knock and when the Doctor did he was already halfway in the room.

"It is customary for one to invite a person in when they knock," Reinette spoke sternly as though reciting a lesson to someone who should know better.

Rose gave a soft laugh. "Yeah? Well I figured if I didn't invite you in my might realise I didn't want you to come in," she replied.

Reinette shuffled, not used to being spoken to so rudely. Taking a breath she raised her chin, deciding to do as she'd set out to. "You have hurt the Doctor's feelings. You should apologise," she said with a nod.

Rose sat up, staring at her as though she'd just grown a second head. "I should apologise?" she asked incredulously.

"Yes," Reinette replied, raising her brows at Rose's surprise at the fact. "You live in his...house, you should give him the respect he deserves."

Rose couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Respect him? I'll respect him the second he respects me!" she retorted.

"You think he does not?" Reinette asked, frowning now. She indicated the seat nearby. When Rose just stared at her, she asked, "May I sit down?"

"Yeah, you don't need to ask," Rose replied, frowning at her. "And yeah, I do...that is I don't think he respects me."

"What makes you think he doesn't?" Reinette asked once she was sitting comfortably, in a position that made Rose want to stretch her own back with how stiff it looked.

"What makes you think he does?" she retorted.

"He thinks very highly of you," Reinette replied.

Rose scoffed, "He barely thinks of me at all."

"He thinks of you constantly!"

"Oh yeah?"

"Yes!"

"Then why hasn't he spent more than a few minutes with me in the past three days?" she argued.

Reinette looked down at her clasped hands. "You think he's been too attentive to his other guests."

"That's one way of putting it yeah," Rose replied. "But it's alright, I'll be back home again soon and he can be...as attentive as he likes," she added.

"You're leaving?" Reinette asked, looking up at her in shock.

"No Reinette, I just have my bag packed and sitting on my bed every day," she replied sarcastically. At Reinette's frown, she sighed. "That was sarcasm. Yes I am leaving," she told her.

"But you can't!"

"And why not? He's got you now, doesn't need me hanging around does he?"

"You're leaving because of me?" Reinette asked, even more surprised.

"Of course not...well...not entirely," Rose mumbled, scraping her toe on the floor, unwilling to admit to the other woman how jealous she was. "I mean it wouldn't be so bad if we were still having normal adventures. These last couple trips have just been boring holidays. The whole point of travelling with the Doctor is he almost never goes to the same place twice, you're always discovering new and wonderful things, battling some monster or other to save the day," she gushed wistfully before turning her gaze back on Reinette. "You had all this false bravado at the palace. The Doctor is worth the monsters," she gave an over posh impersonation. "What monsters have we faced since you've been on board?

"I know," Reinette spoke softly.

"Don't try deny it!" Rose replied automatically, her argument already ready. "You were all I would not have it any other way. One may tolerate a world of demons for the sake of...sorry?" she asked, having just registered what Reinette had said.

"I said I know," she said slightly louder. "I know I'm not as strong as you Rose Tyler. I have seen the monsters you have faced with him and just the thought of them makes me tremble. But you and the Doctor seem to take delight in overcoming your fears together."

Rose blushed slightly. "Well it's like you said. It's easy to face monsters with him by your side," she mumbled.

"But you have faced so many on your own! I saw it in his mind. He is so very, very proud of you. I might achieve greatness on Earth, but you do it in the heavens!"

"I'd never thought of it like that," Rose mumbled, feeling extremely childish now.

Reinette smiled at her. "And for that he only loves you more, just as much for the things you don't wonder as much as those you do." She paused for a moment before continuing, "He only brought me to these places because they made you so happy. I have too much to achieve on Earth and in too little time to stay longer than these two days. The Doctor told me this before we left Paris." She waited for her words to sink in before finishing. "You can't leave, he would be lost without you." She stood and made her way to the door.

Rose looked up at her as she opened it. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

Reinette smiled back at her. "I can't envy you Rose, because I do not have the strength to do the things you have. It appears I am only a mistress in the heavens just as on Earth," she finished before leaving.

Rose looked at her own reflection in the mirror once more. "When did you become such a bitch?" she wondered aloud, before half laughing. "That'll be you talking to yourself again." She fell back on her pillows, grabbing one to her chest.

So the Doctor had planned it all, except it hadn't been for her, it had been for Reinette. Two days...that means...they weren't going back to London, they were headed for Paris!

She shrugged off the leather jacket before darting for the door. Bursting out the TARDIS she frowned for a moment. Spaceship of the 51st century, guess it's as foreign to me as 18th century France, she thought trying not to smile as she realised this is probably how the Doctor had felt about Scotland...except for him they'd be familiar rather than foreign. Mickey, the Doctor and Reinette were standing there, all shocked by her sudden appearance.

"Just thought...I'd come say goodbye," she mumbled, looking extremely embarrassed.

Reinette just smiled though as she pulled the younger woman into a hug.

"I'm so sorry," Rose mumbled into her shoulder.

"What ever for?" Reinette asked, as they pulled apart.

Rose looked at the floor once more. "You know, being so horrible and everything," she mumbled.

Reinette laughed softly. "It took the Queen more than two days to warm to me," she replied, glad to get the younger woman smiling at her once more. "Though I'm glad you did so faster. I don't think I could have managed any proper adventures."

Rose smiled warmly back. "The Doctor only travels with the best. And even if it was only for two days, that still includes you," she told her firmly.

"Women," Mickey mumbled, glancing over at the Doctor.

"Like a different species," he agreed. "Well, I guess this is goodbye," he said slightly louder as the two women glared at him.

Reinette moved towards the fireplace.

"Go say a proper goodbye," Rose told him, bumping his shoulder with her own.

He frowned down at her, completely confused by her transformation. "You sure?" he asked gently.

"Course, now hurry up, she's already ahead of you," she told him with a stern look as the fireplace turned.

The Doctor smiled before heading towards the fireplace himself, turning to Mickey as he pulled the leaver. "Seriously, don't know how human men cope!' he told him with a manic grin as he disappeared.

Rose headed back into the TARDIS chuckling as she pulled off the sweater.

"You sure you're alright with that?" Mickey asked as he followed her.

"Wouldn't have told him to go if I wasn't," she replied.

Mickey frowned at her. "So you don't mind that right now they could be--"

"Mickey," she quickly cut him off. "I said I was alright with it. I didn't say I wanted to know the details of what's going on behind that fire right now," she told him, causing him to laugh as she headed to her room, deciding the sweater belonged in her own wardrobe.

There you go. Now I can be really evil next time I bring in Reinette cos I made her lovely in this one, even if it's only me that agrees with me on that one ;) Anyway, hope you enjoyed it.