Disclaimer: Don't own the characters, setting, and kind of not even the plot, as you will find out in this chapter, if you don't already know. In fact, half of this chapter isn't actually mine either.

Sorry it took so long for me to update, but I wanted to write more of chapter 4 first. It may be a while before that's up too, but I'm getting there. Thanks for all the reviews! I'm really enjoying writing the story, and I hope you're enjoying reading it too! You have no idea how happy it makes me when I get even just one review, so thank you so much! There are quite a few things from a Doctor Who episode in this chapter, so it might get a bit dull, but hang in there!

A few notes to my reviewers:
-Dollybelle'olwhatserface: I think you've it right about the ID wallet. I'm saying nothing more.
-Lady Clark-Weasley: I pretty much have to bring Martha in a bit, since she's pretty key to the plot. But since I hate the Doctor/Martha pairing, she's not going to be in it much. (Don't worry though - there's no character bashing involved.)
-Hope you all enjoyed Silence in the Library! I thought it was okay-ish, but I can't WAIT for Forest of the Dead - it's going to be ace!

Chapter 3: Not Quite The Expected Assignment

"So, how's the nutter?" Mickey asked, and Rose cringed.

"Don't call him that." she told him, elbowing his side as they walked down the pathway to the building's entrance. In return, he hit her leg softly with hi briefcase, and she grinned.

"And since when do you bring a briefcase to work?" she laughed at him, and he mocked offence.

"Since I'm a professional, Rose Tyler. And since I actually domy paperwork." he smiled back, and she groaned, holding open the door for him as they entered the Torchwood tower.

"Oh, but it's so dull! Five years ago, I was exploring the universe in a little wooden box, and now I spend half my life in suit, sitting behind a desk, writing about it!" her smile dropped for a moment when she realised what she was talking about, but then she grinned again to cover it up. Anyone else wouldn't have noticed, but Mickey knew her well enough to see that she couldn't mention the subject without thinking about him.

"Anyway," he said, steering them round a corner in the hallway. "What's up with that guy? Is it a parallel Doctor, or what?"

Rose froze. "I hadn't thought of that." she said, frowning. "No, it can't be. And even if it was, why would he be saying he worked here?"

Mickey shrugged, and Rose continued walking. "Well, your dad's called him in." Rose turned her head to look at him as they entered an empty lift. "Yeah, 'cause he thinks that virus from a couple of weeks ago might've wiped him off the system."

Rose didn't speak, considering the possibility, and Mickey pressed a button. The lift started moving before Rose spoke. "But what was he doing outside? He said…he woke up outside, or something. Then he was looking for the medical room, then he fainted."

"Exactly." Mickey said, as if she had just proved his point. "He's a nutter."

"But you saw him!" Rose insisted, as the lift doors pinged open and they stepped out. "It was him, and you know it."

"Rose, lots of people have look-alikes." he sighed, leading her down the corridor.

"But it wasn't just that; it felt like -" she cut off and stopped walking. "Hold on, our offices are that way." she pointed down the corridor in the opposite way to which they were walking, but continued following Mickey.

"Pete wants to see us. Some kind of assignment." he said simply, and Rose let her arm fall to her side.

"Really? Like, another field trip?" she smiled. "Great!" As much as she loved the explorations her job at Torchwood gave her, she had to feign most of her enthusiasm. The reason was simply that truthfully, she still worrying about the mysterious John Smith. Mickey seemed to buy it though, so she didn't say another word until they got to Pete's office.

They reached Pete's office and knocked on the door patiently. The door was opened by the secretary, who ushered them in, but they froze when they saw who was sat in the visitor's chair. Pete looked up as they walked over, sitting up straight in his chair behind the desk. Mickey took the chair furthest away from John, and Rose was left to take the seat next to him, not taking her eyes off Pete.

"Okay, good morning you two." he said wearily to Rose and Mickey, who nodded back quietly. "This is John Smith - he's the man who claims to have worked here for five years. Now as you know, when we checked the system for his records a few days ago, we couldn't find his. But of course, after that 'Storm' virus two weeks ago that wiped out all the records, we couldn't be sure. So when you asked us to check the system a second time," he indicated to Rose, "We did, and we found all his details there, along with another woman's records. And it's just like he said, he's worked here for years. We don't know how these two record entered the system, but don't worry, we're investigating that separately. Sorry, it's just that with all that's happened recently, we couldn't be too sure." The last sentence was clearly an apology to John, but neither him, Mickey or Rose spoke.

'If he worked here in the first place, why are you bothering to tell us that he still is working here?' Rose felt like asking, still looking firmly at Pete, though she could see John's eyes flitting to her direction every so often.

As if Pete had read her mind, he continued immediately. "The only problem is that he appears to have been absent for quite a while now - a few months, in fact - with a severe medical condition. According to your medical file, you were due to start back at Torchwood on Tuesday, which was the day you fainted, outside. Is that right?" John nodded his head in confirmation, and Pete continued. "But, what with the virus that took out half the system, followed by that attack last week, well…you've missed quite a lot, Mr Smith."

Pete turned to Rose and Mickey to see their reactions, and could almost feel Rose's eyes boring into him, as if asking him to get to the point. "So, after a lot of thought, the board decided that as long as the hospital agreed, he should be allowed to start back at work today. And the hospital has agreed."

Rose felt her heart lurch. 'Mr Smith's going to be working here?' she thought to herself, trying not to let her thoughts show on her face. She made to get up, but Pete stopped her with a look and she lowered herself back into the chair.

"That's not all. Since you've been away for such a long time, Mr Smith, your position at Torchwood has unfortunately been replaced, and in light of the recent events, we're sorry to say that we're unable to retract that person." As if expecting an outburst, Pete seemed to prepare himself for one, but John merely nodded, quite calmly.

"Okay." he said unsurely. "Well, that brings me to you, Miss Rose Tyler, and Mr Mickey Smith." he nodded to each of them in turn, and John smiled professionally to them both, though Rose still refused to look him in the eye. "I believe you may have already met Mr Smith here, which is one of the reasons why I believe this to be a good idea."

Rose could feel her brain about to explode with tension when Pete hesitated. "Mr Smith's records state that when he worked here, he was a field agent, and quite a good one at that. So…the board and I have decided that for the time being, Mr Smith, you should work alongside our two best field agents, which I'm sure you know, are these two here."

Rose felt her eyes widen. "What?" she gaped, without meaning to sound so rude.

Mickey didn't speak, but Rose guessed he was thinking the same as her.

'He can't be serious.' she thought to herself, over and over again. 'How can he possibly think this is a good idea? How can I work with someone who looks this much like the Doctor? Though, thankfully, he doesn't act him at all.' Rose shook the thoughts out of her head frustratedly. 'What am I thinking?'

"Now, we've already discussed your accommodation," Pete was saying to John, though he direct the next part at Rose and Mickey, "So the only thing left for me to say is that Kate, your former partner will not be working with you for a few months." Mickey looked heartbroken, and he continued, smiling slightly. "Don't worry, she's not getting fired or anything - she's getting trained for that job she applied for in management."

Rose realised that she was staring at the desk uselessly and stood up, slightly out of sorts. She walked around the chair. "Okay." she muttered, fumbling with her jacket buttons. She turned and walked out the door. "Fine! Whatever."

She heard Mickey offering to "go talk to her" as the door shut, and a second later, he appeared behind her as she sped down the corridor. "Rose!" he said loudly, but she continued walking. He caught up with her and there was a pause before he spoke again. "I guess that assignment wasn't a field trip then." he said sheepishly.

"What was he thinking? He can't expect us to work with this - with him." Mickey didn't say anything. "What?" she asked at his unusual silence.

"It's just…" he began sheepishly. "You don't think it's really…him - do you?" Rose bit back the tears forming in her eyes. He stopped walking. "Rose?" he asked, grabbing her arm and forcing her to stop.

"I don't know, Mickey! I…I don't know." She covered her mouth with her hand, not allowing the tears to show. "I don't know what's going on. And it's horrible. And I don't know if I can work next to someone who looks that much like…like him." she almost whispered the last word, and Mickey pulled her into a friendly hug.

"It's alright. We'll get though this. Promise." he said soothingly when they broke apart moments later. Rose breathed in and out deeply, and then, taking Mickey's hand, they walked back to their offices together in silence, with one face but two names on their minds.

- - - - - - -

Martha checked her watch for the fifth time that minute and sighed. She sat bolt upright on the bed and checked her watch yet again. Letting out a frustrated groan, she ripped off the watch and threw it across the room, then let herself fall back on the bed with too much energy to spare.

She stood up and walked out of her room, made her way through the many corridors of the TARDIS and found herself back in the console room. It hummed welcomingly to her, and she smiled weakly.

"He said wait a week, right?" Martha found herself asking to the empty room. "'Wait a week, or it'll look suspicious.' Don't know if I'll be sane for that much longer." she muttered, walking over to the screen attached to the centre mechanism of the TARDIS. She looked around her, thinking of the last moments she had spent in this room.

"Did they see you?" he grabbed her shoulders urgently.

"I don't know." she replied, not knowing what else to say.

"But did they see you?!" he yelled.

"I was too busy running!" She made the excuse easily because it was partly true.

"Martha! It's important - did they see your face?"

"No, they couldn't have!" she decided, if only to make herself feel less guilty.

"Off we go!" He pressed buttons and pulled levers in random orders. The screen in front of him beeped angrily. "They're following us!"

"How can they do that? You've got a time machine." she asked as he pressed buttons on the side of the screen.

"Stolen technology. They've got a Time Agency vortex manipulator." He turned the screen towards him and ran a hand through his hair as he realised. "They can follow us wherever we go. Right across the universe. They're never going to stop."

She remembered crossing her arms, wanting to interrupt - wanting to ask him what he was going on about. "Unless - I'll have to do it. Martha, you trust me, don't you?" he asks her urgently.

"Of course I do." she replied.

"Because it all depends on you." She froze, terrified and confused. What was going on?

"What does? What am I supposed to do?" she asked.

"Take this watch. 'Cause my life depends on it." he told her. She was confused, but what he said next threw her completely.

"This watch, Martha. This watch…is me." he said, holding up a beautiful fob watch. What was that supposed to mean?

"Right, okay. Gotcha." she smiled, thinking it was some game he was playing. Then he rushed away though, and she remembered his worried look. She ran around to him. "No! Hold on - completely lost."

He didn't waste time teasing her - he was too serious. "Those creatures are hunters - they can sniff out anyone." he explained, and her eyes widen with fear. "And me being a Timelord, well, I'm unique. They can track me down across the whole of time and space."

She gaped. "And the good news is?" she joked, trying to lighten the situation, but he continued to press buttons, pull levers, everything he did when he was trying hard not to think about something.

"They can smell me, but they haven't seen me. And their lifespan are running out. So, we hide. Wait for them to die."

"But they can track us down." she told him, as he had told her seconds ago.

"That's why I've got to do it. I have to stop being a Timelord." She frowned with disbelief. How can that be possible? "I'm going to become human." She remembered his expression when he said that - he tried to seem fine about it, but she could see how much it scared him.

She walked around the console and looked up at the device. That device that had shocked her so much.

"Never thought I'd use this." he had said, watching the machine as it lowered from the ceiling. "All the times I've wondered."

"What does it do?" she had asked quietly, standing back from it as if that was the monster, not the creatures following them through the vortex.

"Chameleonarch." he had said, spitting venom with the word. "Rewrites my biology. Literally changes every single cell in my body." He had taken the watch and seen her terrified expression. "I've set it to human."

"Now, the TARDIS will take care of everything. Put it into life story for me, find a setting and integrate me. Can't do the same for you. You'll just have to improvise." She hadn't said anything, trying to focus on remembering what he had said. "I should have just enough residual awareness to let you in."

"But, hold on, if you're gonna rewrite every single cell…isn't it gonna hurt?" she asked, finally speaking up.

"Oh yeah. It hurts." he had said. And it had done - she could remember it so vividly. She had watched him writhing in pain, standing back but wanting to dart forward and rip the machine off him.

His screams still echoed through the room when she let her mind wander - his cries filling her mind with his pain. She closed her eyes and tried to make the memory disappear.

She flicks through the settings, picking the Earth theme just to be on the safe side. There are so many of them to choose from - ranging from 1913 to 30076. She picks one out, at random. She thinks it's one for the present day, but she's not sure. She wants to go back and choose another, not wanting to be around her family and friends when she has to watch out over for the Doctor, but it's too late. The one she picked is final. That's where the TARDIS is taking them - her and the man in a crumpled heap on the floor. She panics as the TARDIS jolts suddenly, and she's sure she pressed a bunch of buttons she shouldn't have, but she's too worried to care. She won't go near the Doctor until she has to. He had said "I'll be unconscious for about an hour after the change. Take me outside, wherever we end up. Just leave me outside the TARDIS; let me think I've fainted. I won't notice the TARDIS and I won't remember what's happened."

So that's what she had done. She had dragged his lifeless body outside, in the dead of the night, tears streaking down her face silently, and reluctantly left him outside as she retreated to her room. She hadn't returned to the console room for days. Every time she had done, all she could see was his inanimate body slumped on the ground; all she could hear were his yells, sounding throughout the room.

She pressed a few buttons randomly and a familiar face showed up on the screen.

"Is this working?" the image asked clearly, tapping on the screen. "Martha! Before I change, here's a list of instructions for when I'm human." She had remembered him recording them as she paced back and forth, wringing her hands, trying not to think of the task ahead of them.

"One," he began, and she listened intently. "Don't let me hurt anyone. We can't have that, but you know what humans are like." She smirked amusedly. "Two, don't worry about the TARDIS. I'll put it on emergency powers, so they can't detect it. Just let it hide away. Four, no - wait a minute - three, no getting involved in big historical events. Four, you. Don't let me abandon you. And five - very important, five - don't let me eat pears. I hate pears. John Smith is a character I made up, but I won't know that; I'll think I am him, and he might do something stupid like eat a -"

She sighed and fast-forwarded the tape.

"And twenty-three. If anything goes wrong, if they find us Martha, then you know what to do. Open the watch. Everything I am is kept safe, in there. Now, I've put a perception filter on it, so the human me won't think anything of it. To him, it's just a watch. But don't open it unless you have to. 'Cause once it's open, then the Family will be able to find me. It's all down to you, Martha. Your choice." and with those words, he left everything up to her. She was about to turn the video off when he spoke again. "Oh, and…thank you." he said simply, and her heart fell as the screen return to the Gallifreyan symbols.

"I wish you'd come back."

Sorry if I bored you with all the stuff in the second part that's from the episode, but I thought it would be important to put it in. And now you all know the truth (if you hadn't guessed it already): that I have stolen the plot from Human Nature and Family of Blood, and merely twisted it so I can rewrite it for my own story.
If you didn't catch it, the hint from chapter two was when Rose emptied John's suit pockets out. She found "a piece of string, a number of pens, a key (he could have sworn that Rose shivered when she saw it), a few wires, an old fob watch, and the leather wallet." Yup, it's that all important watch. It was also mentioned in chapter 1 as "his fingers closed around a small metal disk."

So, now that my 'surprise' is pretty much over, what do you think? The next chapter will be a lot more exciting and interesting, so stay tuned! Oh, and I promise this isn't going to be just another boring parody, with exactly the same storyline as the episode. For starters, Latimer isn't in it. And then we've got Rose's family, and Torchwood, and there's loads of other stuff to come. Review please!