I want to thank My Beta TheBigCat she is simply brilliant as the Doctor would put it. I also want to take this time to thank everybody who is following this story now its an amazing feeling to know that somebody likes your story so much that they want to know when its been updated. I also want to thank everybody that has Reviewed me the last couple of days. Its amazing to check my email and see all of the notifications. well hear is Chapter 12 please let me know what you think as always and Allons-y
They stayed hidden in the shadows, Rose watched as she ran out of the room right after Cassandra had the jukebox play Tainted Love. Her face had been a mix between panic and shock. Oh, if only she had known this would not have been the strangest thing she would see.
Rose looked across the room. Her old Doctor was staring at where her younger self had run off to with a look of worry on his face. He had started to go after her but was interrupted.
Rose had never known at that point that he had cared enough to at least try and talk to her.
She glanced at the man next to her, standing just far enough away where he would not touch her. It was strange seeing them both in the same space- the one she had started to love and then the one she had fallen for completely. How different and yet the same both men were. She knew they were the same person but still, his words brought her out of her musings.
"We can mingle if you like."
She noticed that the other Doctor had vanished.
"We won't be back for a bit."
She shook her head and leaned against the column. She stared at him intently, her eyes never wavering from his. When she spoke it seemed like a million years had gone by.
"So. Your face healed up."
"Yup," he replied, popping the 'P' just a bit longer than necessary, trying in vain to see where this was going. "How's the hand?"
He knew it was fine, but what else was he supposed to say?
"Better, but you still should have left it alone. It would have been fine."
"But you were hurt, Rose. I hate it when you're hurt!"
She laughed harshly. "Only physically!" she said softly.
Rose saw the hurt singe in the Time Lord's eyes but ignored it. She turned her attention back to the room seeing the younger them once again entering.
'My old Doctor' she sighed just a bit, as he left the room again.
Rose stared at herself walking over to Cassandra, a quick grin lighting her face as she watched the looks of anger and disgust wash over her young face.
She heard the man next to her mutter, "I told you to play nice and what do you do? You go and pick a fight with a piece of skin!"
"Well, she made me mad, going on about being the last human…" Rose replied.
"What are you saying to her?"
He wanted her to remember he had missed this exchange the first time around.
"Cassandra said I could use some work- be a bit flatter. She said I had a bit of a chin." Rose turned her head as she spoke, to spare a glance at him.
"What was your response to that?
"I told her I would rather die than live like a bitchy trampoline."
He grinned widely at her and let out a quick laugh. "You would have said that. No wonder she went after you in New New York- she was out for revenge!"
"Well, it didn't help that you blew her up, by calling her back here!"
"She blew herself up. I just pressed the button."
They grinned at each other for a moment- just like old times; the banter coming naturally. She caught herself and turned back to the action. He was still smiling. She could feel it searing behind her.
"Stop it," she said loudly.
"Stop what?" he replied cheerfully.
"Stop staring at me."
"I'm not," the Time Lord said, so innocently that she almost believed him.
"Just don't," the hurt was creeping into her voice.
She felt his gaze drop from her. Rose missed it immediately. None of that now, she told herself firmly. She went back to observing the room around her. It was a bit boring now, without the other pair of them there to watch.
Rose sunk down behind the pillar and sat on the cold floor. She felt him sink down next to her, close enough that she could reach out and touch him if she wanted.
It seemed all so strange to her. Here was the man that had consumed her every thought for the last two and a half years. She had thought if she ever saw him again that she would be happy- a little mad, sure- but mostly happy. Instead she felt nothing but anger.
"I didn't think I was going to be this angry with you," Rose said suddenly, without meaning to. "I thought it would be easy- give you a slap that you deserved and then we'd be back like we always were. But it's not. I think I'm madder at you now than I ever was. In my world all I had was a memory of you. You didn't even say goodbye, just left me."
Rose stopped talking. She had said more than she had meant to. She mentally gave herself a hard shake.
The Doctor stared at her for a few moments, searching her face, before looking back at the wall in front of him.
Well, she was talking. That was good. Better to air those emotions then keep them bottled up.
"You're right to be mad at me, Rose. I was stupid. I'm sorry. I should have said goodbye instead of running, but it hurt too much. I thought you'd be fine, truly, or I would have never left. I thought you would be happy. I know now I was wrong. I'm truly sorry Rose."
Rose wished she could believe him but she couldn't. If time had taught her anything it was the fact that the Doctor lies, and that the word 'sorry' was just something he said to make himself feel better.
"Well, those words don't fix bullet holes, Time Lord, and they don't work on me. Try saying them to someone who gives a fuck. I don't want your apologies after all this time. Shove them up your arse, Time Lord."
He sat there silently. She had cursed at him, telling him that his sorry meant nothing. How was he to respond to that? He had meant it with every fibre of his being, and still she did not believe him. That hurt. He would have to show her and keep telling her regardless. She would believe him, eventually. He hoped.
"I meant it, Rose. Really, I do."
She silenced him with a look.
He threw back his head against the pillar in exasperation but wisely stayed silent. The Doctor continued to observe Rose out of the corner of his eye. She had turned to watch the goings on in the room again.
It was almost time for Cassandra to make her final appearance. They had missed a good chunk as they sat there talking, both of them not feeling the panic or the room heating up as their conversation grew more and more serious.
Rose stood and stretched, feeling her muscles loosen as she did so. He did the same. They both glanced at the window just in time to see the sun expand and engulf the planet below.
"S' beautiful," she said breathlessly. She stared at the window in awe and rapture, a bit of her old self bleeding through.
The man next to her said nothing though as he thought to himself, 'yeah it is'.
The Doctor's view was not on the window however but firmly on the women standing next to him. He dare not let his eyes linger too long on her face, lest she notice.
So he tapped her lightly on the shoulder and said, "it's time to go."
Rose nodded and they headed for the TARDIS.
He entered first and jumped to the console starting to flip switches. Rose watched him run to the ship. She stopped before she followed and took one last glance behind her trying to memorize every detail of her old Doctor. She smiled a bit, and then hurried back to the blue box.
It had been fun to revisit her first trip but she had a sudden urge for chips. She giggled silently in her mind. Must be flashback cravings.
She threw herself in the ship and closed the door with a snap, already heading for her room, when a voice stopped her.
"You think it'll all last forever, people, cars and concrete, but one day it's all gone. I can't take you home again and I know you don't want to go. But I think you understand what I was trying to tell you that day a lifetime ago."
The TARDIS came to a shuddering stop.
The Doctor stepped out of the doors letting her see Earth for the first time since she had been given back to him.
"People, cars, and concrete," he repeated, gesturing in front of him. "They all disappeared for you that day on the beach, just like they had for me until you came into my life and showed me them again. I'm going to help you, Rose Tyler, just like you did for me, if you'll let me."
Rose just stared at him.
"I can smell chips," she said finally, an ironic echo from the past.
"Yeah." He was smiling again.
She sniffed deeply. The chips in the other world were nothing like these.
"I want chips, and this time you can pay, Time Lord."
The Doctor smiled and reached into his jacket pocket. "I have it covered this time, don't worry. Allons-y, Rose Tyler."
