Rose poked her head tentatively out of the TARDIS' door, half expecting to be somewhere else, somewhere unexpected. She smiled as she saw that it had once again landed right around the corner from her apartment, right where the Doctor had planned. For once, the TARDIS actually did exactly what he wanted. She briefly looked up at the ship, her mind wandering for a moment.

TARDIS, or "Time And Relative Dimensions In Space." It was a wonderful machine, really, albeit a little on the quirky side. The Doctor had told her a while ago that it was actually supposed to blend into its surroundings by means of a Chameleon Circuit. That's what most TARDIS ships did. But the circuit in his had busted long ago, trapping it in the rather humorous shape of a blue, 1950's police box. Rose, however, liked it all the same. She really couldn't imagine it any other way, and she was pretty sure the Doctor felt the same. Otherwise, it might've been fixed by now.

Rose stepped out into the cool, afternoon air, stretching and looking around at the familiar sights as the Doctor followed behind her.

"Must be nearly winter," she noted.

"It's October, I believe, if the dial on the TARDIS is to be trusted anyhow," the Doctor absently replied, locking the TARDIS door behind him.

"Feels like. Oooh! I love this time of year!"

The Doctor smiled. "It's not bad."

"What season's your favorite?"

He shrugged. "I dunno. A season with excitement and adventure."

Rose laughed. "With you, that's any season."

"Then that's my favorite," he grinned mischievously. "Any season." He received a playful punch for that.

The Doctor finished with the door and came up beside Rose, hands in his tan trench coat's pockets. She looked up at him expectantly and laughed as he playfully wiggled his eyebrows at her.

"Stop it," she chuckled, lightly pushing him.

They began to walk together down the street, and around the corner. It was a normal day as far as Rose could tell. Kids ran about the street, playing with balls and bikes. School was obviously out for the day. A group ran past Rose and the Doctor, giving them both a casual wave as they did so, laughing and giggling.

Rose looked at the Doctor, who seemed to have a distant look in his eye as he watched the children around him. She put her arms around him, jerking him back to reality.

"Were you a child once?" Rose asked him.

"That's a bizarre question," the Doctor cocked his head. "What brought that on?"

"Just the way you were watching the kids, I was wondering if you had a childhood."

"I was actually thinking about something else. But everyone, everything, is a child at some point. I'm no different."

"Did you have a mum and dad?"

"Of course. There has to be both of those to create a kid."

"No, I mean, were they around when you were a kid?"

"Oh, well. I'd really rather not talk about it."

"Oh come on! Why not?"

The Doctor sighed a little. "It's the past. It doesn't matter."

Rose watched him for a second more, but then let it, and his arm, drop as they approached the door to her apartment. He always acted in that manner, and that's the way he was. She knew that, and accepted it. All the same, it still frustrated her.

Rose was the one to knock on the door when they reached it. It was just a few moments of waiting before the door flew open.

Jackie Tyler, a middle-aged woman who looked almost like an older, shorter, version of Rose, was the one to answer the door.

"Whatever it is you're selling, I don't…want any," she trailed off when she saw who was standing at her doorstep. Her eyes widened and for a moment, she was speechless. Then, her face broke into a broad smile. "Rose!" Jackie pulled her daughter into a tight hug, one Rose returned happily. "And the Doctor!" she pulled away, giving him a hug, which made him grunt a little. "What are you two doing here?" she stepped back.

"Oh, just thought we'd stop by," the Doctor grinned. "Have a cup of tea, chit chat a little. You know? The usual."

"There's no funny business going on this time, is there?" Jackie whispered to Rose. "You know how much I want of that."

"No mum, no funny business. I just wanted to see you," Rose smiled.

"Isn't that sweet?" Jackie grinned. "Your timing couldn't be better! Do come in! Come on, come in and sit!"

Rose looked to the Doctor, who shrugged innocently, before the pair followed the bubbling mother inside. The Doctor immediately took to a soft cushion on the couch while Rose went into the kitchen to help Jackie with tea for the three of them.

"So, mum, what did you mean by 'your timing couldn't be better?' Coming from you, that sounds awful dangerous," Rose asked as she pulled cups from the cupboard.

"You're one to talk! But I meant what I said," Jackie filled a kettle with water and set it on the stove. "I been meanin' to take a vacation for a long time. When's the last time you can remember either of us going on a vacation?"

"I dunno," Rose shook her head truthfully. "Been years."

"Precisely. I don't want a long one, really. Just a little touch of one. A day somewhere, you know? Nothing fancy. But either I've never had the funds or I just didn't feel all that motivated to go. Recently, however, I came into some money."

"How?"
"Never mind that! The Devil's in the details, he is. But anyway, I did an' I told myself, I said 'Jackie, you need a holiday, you do.' So, I bought some round-trip tickets to go to the beach for a couple of days."

"Really? That's wonderf-wait. You said 'tickets,' as in more than one. Plural. Why?"

"For three, of course!"

"Three?"

Jackie smiled at her daughter. "I had a feeling, or rather, a really strong hope, that you'd be here for my trip. Of course, I bought one for the Doctor too. Can't leave him behind, can we?"

Rose smiled a little in return and leaned in close to her mom's ear. "He was an afterthought, wasn't he?"

"No!" Jackie abruptly, and loudly, objected, startling the Doctor in the other room. "Yes," she sheepishly whispered back. "But only a slight one! At least I remembered him before it was too late to do anything about it, right?"

Rose chuckled. "I suppose. So, when is this trip? Soon?"

"Why, it's tomorrow. That's why I was saying you're great with timing, although I was thinking you wouldn't make it," she paused. "You two are coming, aren't you? You aren't just here and then off again, are you?"

Rose lovingly hugged her mom. "Of course not! We're coming! We came to visit you anyway, or I did. Even if he doesn't want to go to the beach, I will. I've always wanted to go to the beach. You know that."

Jackie's smile stretched from ear to ear. "Glad to hear it!"

"What are you two plotting in there?" the Doctor called. "I have to say, it makes me a little nervous."

Rose smiled at him, bringing the cups with her into the living room and sat beside the Doctor on the couch.

"Mum's invited us to go to the beach with her tomorrow," Rose informed him.

"She what?" the Doctor jumped.

"She's taking a vacation and has a ticket for each of us too."

"How'd she even know we'd be here for it?"

"Just a hope she said. So, you're coming right?"

"Rose, I'm not much of a beach person, really. Can't you two go without me?"

"No can do sweetheart," Jackie interrupted, bringing the pot with her as she came to sit on the chair. "I have three tickets, and I don't want any of them to go to waste."

"Blimey, can't you give one to your boyfriend or something? I'm sure he'd love to come along."

"No, honey," Jackie shook her head, pouring tea into cups. "You look like you need a break almost as much as I do."

Always the mother, Rose thought to herself. Her mom was a mother first and foremost, even to someone like the Doctor. He was a nine-hundred year-old alien, and yet, she acted like she was his mom.

"Then I'll relax here. I'm sure this place would be more relaxing anyway."

"Oh, come on!" Rose tugged his arm. "You'll love the beach! I know you will. It'll be great."

"Rose, I-"

"Please? For me?"

The Doctor looked down at Rose's hopeful face, and with a long sigh, consented. "Alright. I'll go with you two to the beach tomorrow."

"That's the spirit!" Jackie smiled, handing him his cup of tea.

"Just don't expect me to like it," the Doctor pointed stated. "Especially you," his finger shook a little at Rose.

Rose laughed. "You'll love it!"

The Doctor fell quiet, just watching the two females chat and laugh together. He just let them, not really feeling a part in it. His heart sank a little. He was a ghost, a very sad and blue ghost, he realized. They tried included him, but that just made his feeling worse. He just sat and watched sadly, an ominous feeling weighing heavily upon him.