The Doctor felt slightly guilty for lying to Rose, but he needed to sort things out with those kids. He couldn't have people running about asking questions about him.
Arriving back at the TARDIS, he aimed his well loved tool, the sonic screwdriver, at the navy front doors. The strange vwrr-ing sound it emitted didn't attract more attention than just a fleeting glance from any of the passers-by.
--- --- --- --- ---
Katie squeaked in muted surprise as Daniel abruptly grabbed her wrist and towed her towards the door. Hannah stood up quickly and followed, managing not to fall on her face. Oliver was on Hannah's sneaker-clad heels, yelling after Daniel and his sister.
"We need to pay! We can't just leave!" He dashed back through the door, left a few pounds on the table and ran to catch up with the other three.
"So where is it, then? Katie? Where'd you see it?" Daniel was excited, but his anxious attitude hadn't yet disappeared.
"Over… over this way," Oliver answered, panting from running after his friends, and gestured back towards the center of the square. They hadn't bothered to wait for him while he prevented thievery.
Daniel looked to Katie for confirmation, and after her nod, marched off, still towing her by the wrist.
--- --- --- --- ---
Finished with his examination of the TARDIS, the Doctor continued to fiddle with the sonic screwdriver. After finding the setting he needed, he held the device out in front of him, and began to follow its erratic bleeps. He had been following a meandering path for a while when he noticed a familiar face running out of a café.
"That's one of them. Oliver, I think his name was. What's he up to? He tucked the sonic screwdriver back into his pocket, and began to inconspicuously follow the teenager.
--- --- --- --- ---
Hannah was about to chase after her slightly crazed boyfriend, and managed to take a step forward before greeting the pavement face-to-face. Slightly confused, she moved to a sitting position to examine the purpose of her fall. It wasn't unusual for her to trip over nothing, but she looked around anyway.
"Damn shoelaces," she thought to herself, reaching down to retie her right shoe. "I'm always tripping over them. I really ought to tie them tighter. Or not wear tennies as often."
Finished tying, she began to struggle to her feet. An outstretched hand entered her field of vision. Without thinking, Hannah accepted the hand, and was hoisted to her feet. Her meager balance not yet reclaimed, she toppled forward into the arms of her assistor. She looked up into his face, a blush creeping into her cheeks, and smiled embarrassedly. His gentle face seemed vaguely familiar, but Hannah didn't think she'd met him before. She was certain she'd remember those ears.
--- --- --- --- ---
"Mum, how'd you get here? Not that I'm not happy to see you, but aren't you worried about running into yourself?" Rose knew the Doctor was behind this, he'd pretty much said so, but she couldn't piece together how he'd done it. She'd been with him the whole time.
"You're quite a heavy sleeper," Mickey commented with a small smile, "You didn't even notice us. Well, you didn't notice me. This one," he hitched a thumb at Jackie, "couldn't leave well enough alone."
"Oy! Watch it!" Jackie exclaimed, whacking Mickey across the back of his head. "At least I don't moon around with my girlfriend's mother all day, whining about how much I miss her."
Rose giggled, and glanced over to see Mickey turning his collar up to hide his embarrassment.
"I accidentally woke you up once. I just wanted to check on you, see how you were doing, you know. I tried being quiet, I really did, but there's so much stuff lying about your room, and I fell over things you left on the floor. You really ought to do something about that. Anyway, you sort of woke up and saw me. You said my name a couple of times, kind of confused, I think. But once you started talking to me, I just couldn't leave, could I? Leave you sitting there all by yourself with no one to explain things…" Jackie explained, sounding more like she was talking to herself than to anyone else.
"Oh, I remember that, sort of. I tried telling the Doctor about it, and he said it was just a dream. He said I must be homesick," Rose replied, her voice quiet. Jackie quickly enveloped her in another rib-cracking hug.
"I've missed you too, love," Jackie mumbled, and with a nod to Mickey, added, "We all have," Jackie's tacked on phrase made Mickey tug his collar up higher.
"A'right, enough with lovey-dovey stuff. Who knows when that Doctor'll come back for 'er," Mickey commented gruffly, still lurking behind his collar.
"Yeah, let's go! I don't want to waste time!" Rose agreed excitedly. She followed Mickey through the amusement center front doors, Jackie's arm wrapped around her. No matter how hard she tried, however, Rose couldn't shake the feeling that she shouldn't have let the Doctor walk off by himself. She glanced over her shoulder hopefully one last time, but saw nothing of consequence as she was towed through the doors.