AN: WOW! 30th chapter already! I feel privileged that you guys enjoy my story and unique style of writing. This story is like my baby and I try to think of new ideas every day to help improve this story and the future ones I plan to write. Thanks for all the support, I feel sad that all I can give you guys is new chapters. Also, sorry for this being late, I haven't had much time in the past few weeks to write because I'm preparing for exams and such. With that being said, I hope you guys like the new chapter. Enjoy!
Chapter 30
The three of us run down the line of cars to try and see the impact sight, but it's blocked off by a platoon of soldiers and government officials. Even then, we can see little considering how far away from the actual ship we are. "We're miles from the centre. The city must be gridlocked," Rose comments. "The whole city's closing down," I say, squinting to see if there was any sliver of the ship peeking out of a background of army green and gray. No such luck. The Doctor is smiling like a child on Christmas morning. "I can't believe I'm here to see this. This is fantastic!" Rose gets suspicious. "DId you know this was going to happen?"
"Nope," the Doctor answers, shaking his head.
"Do you recognise the ship?"
"Nope."
"Do you know why it crashed?"
"Nope."
Rose sighs, visibly drooping. "Oh, I'm so glad I've got you." The sarcasm is almost dripping from her lips. They both look at me. "You know the drill guys. Spoilers." They turn back to the scene with slight scowls on their faces. I know that they're not annoyed at me, but it still saddens me that I can't help more. Rose tries to shake it off by suggesting we get closer in the Tardis, but the Doctor points out that it would only cause more pandemonium. Rose rests her chin on the wood police barrier. "So history's happening and we're stuck here."
The Doctor nods. "Yes, we are."
I just groan, drawing their attention. "Guys? 21st century. There are these cool things called TV's where people who are lazy learn about events," I explain slowly. They laugh and grab my arm as we rush back to Rose's flat.
00000
(Rose P.O.V)
The tension is high in the Tyler household, Rose notices. She guesses her mother feels guilty for slapping Alice earlier, because when she makes coffee, she places a cup in front of her. Rose notices not only that the Doctor doesn't get a cup, but also that Alice doesn't touch hers. Guess she hasn't forgiven Jackie yet, and Rose doesn't blame her. Rose is interrupted from her thoughts by the reporter speaking urgently.
"They've found a body. It's unconfirmed, but I'm being told a body has been found in the wreckage. A body of non-terrestrial origins. It's being brought ashore."
Rose feels uncomfortable as people hug her awkwardly. The small watching of the report has turned into a full-fledged "Welcome home Rose and OH MY GOD ALIENS" sort of party. Everyone is drinking wine and promptly ignoring the three time travelers sitting on the couch, glued to the Television. The reporter's voice continued to get continually more serious as the hour went on. "A body of some sort has been found inside the wreckage of the spacecraft. It has been brought to the nearest shore. Unconfirmed reports say that the body is of extraterrestrial origin. AN extraordinary event unfolding here live in Central London. The body is being transferred to a secure unit mortuary, the whereabouts is yet unknown. The roads in Central London are being-"
Rose startles as the channel suddenly switches. She looks over to see the Doctor wrestling with a toddler for possession of the remote. Somehow, the child has ended up on his lap. Rose giggles as Alice calmly plucks the remote out of both their grasps, earning two pouts pointed in her direction. She ignores them both, but pulls the child into her own lap as the news comes back on. "-Albion Hospital," the reporter states. "We still don't know whether it's alive or dead. Whitehall is denying everything, but the body has been brought here, Albion Hospital. The road's closed off. It's the closest to the river."
"Go on!" the Doctor prompts, obviously ignoring the fact that the man couldn't hear him.
"I'm being told that General Asquith is now entering the hospital. The building's been evacuated. The patients have been moved out onto the streets. The police still won't confirm the presence of an alien body contained inside those walls."
Alice quickly switches to another news channel. "Mystery still surrounds the whereabouts of the Prime Minister. He's not been seen since the emergency began. The opposition are criticising his lack of leadership, and-" the reporter spots something behind the camera and it swiveles to capture an official-looking car approach. "Hold on. Oh, that's Joseph Green, MP for Hartley Dale. He's Chairman of the Parliamentary Commission on the monitoring of sugar standards in exported confectionary. With respect, hardly the most important person right now." Alice sighs and carefully stands up, gesturing the Doctor to do the same. She lays down a now asleep toddler onto the couch and pushes through people politely to reach outside. Rose thinks it's not exactly as subtle as she wishes it to be. Rose glances to make sure that her mum isn't near, then follows them out.
"And where do you think you two are going?" Before the Doctor can answer, Alice says, "I'm just feeling a bit bad and wanted to take a stroll for some fresh air. I thought the Doctor might want to join me." Rose crosses her arm, deciding that the answer was way too fishy. "Right," she states. "There's a spaceship on the Thames and you're going to take the Doctor on a stroll."
"Technically, it's not an invasion, so I don't have anything to do with it. It was a genuine crash," the Doctor shrugs.
"So?"
"So, maybe this is it. First contact. The day mankind officially comes into contact with an alien race. I'm not interfering because you've got to handle this on your own. That's when the human race finally grows up. Just this morning you were all tiny and made of clay, now you can expand. You don't need me. Go and celebrate history. Spend some time with your mum."
Rose raises an eyebrow, but doesn't protest. "Promise me you won't disappear." The Doctor opens his mouth but Rose raises a finger, turning to Alice. "Actually, promise me you won't let him disappear." Alice mock salutes her with a snark "Aye aye, ma'am!" The Doctor just throws his hands up.
"Since you obviously don't trust me enough, here's a Tardis key. 'Bout time you had one anyway."
He presses the small key into her hand, smiling, and Rose can't help but mirror his expression. "See you later!" he calls, leaving Rose to return to the awkward party.
000000
As we head towards the Tardis, I'm strangely disappointed. The Doctor hasn't even mentioned giving me a key, but I am resigned to staying silent for now. However, I am getting one in the soon future, even if I have to pry it from his hot, regenerating hands. Just as we reach the door, I hear a faint voice calling, "Doctor! Wait!" but I ignore it. As soon as we get into the Tardis the Doctor starts fiddling with some buttons. I try not to pointedly stare at him with my arms crossed. Just as we take off, I nearly get hit by a flying metal object. Thank god for my weird reflexes. I open my palm to see a Tardis key hanging from a chain. I smile at the Doctor, who is hitting the console with a hammer. I pat him on the shoulder, saying, "I knew you'd come through, Doc." He simply smirks and returns to his assault.
After a very bumpy ride, we land with a very audible thump! He raises a finger to his lips as we exit the Tardis. We seem to be in some sort of storage room, but insanely cold. I pull my coat around me tighter. We step out, only to be surrounded by a bunch of guys with red hats on. They immediately point their guns at us. Before they can ask any questions, something bursts out of a capsule next to us and runs away. Someone screams. Before anymore panicking can start, the Doctor barks out, "Defence plan delta! Come on, move! Move!" He dashes out of the room, soldiers following, but I stay put, figuring that he can handle this on his own. The poor scientist (Toshiko? Yea, that's her name) is huddled in a ball by a table, a cut bleeding on her head. "It's alive," she whimpers. The Doctor comes back in to instruct more soldiers, but I try and help Toshiko as best I could. As I'm wrapping her head in some gauze I found, she suddenly grabs my wrist. "My god. It's still alive!" She seems to be going into a full-fledged panic attack.
After instructing her to take deep breaths, I look towards the Doctor, who was antsy to ask Toshiko questions, and gave him look that said "If you ask her now I swear I will kick you into the next decade". Finally, after calming down a bit, Toshiko says, "I swear it was dead." The Doctor looks happy that she's actually responding. "Coma, shock, hibernation, anything," he supplies. "What does it look like?"
We all turn around to hear some metal clattering. "It's kinda still here, Doc," I whisper. He nods, gesturing for a soldier to come in and protect Toshiko. We approach the source of the noise, a filing cabinet and peek behind it slowly to see….a pig.
I jump a little as it squeals and runs out from behind the cabinet. "Don't shoot!" the Doctor cries, chasing after it. I hear one shot, and I know it's over. The Doctor comes back in, looking annoyed. However, Toshiko doesn't notice and asks, "Is it…" The Doctor's look is enough of an answer. "All that, and it was just an ordinary pig," he mumbles. "Wait, what?" Toshiko looks thoroughly confused. "That was… I just assumed that's what aliens look like, but you're saying it's an ordinary pig from Earth."
"More like a mermaid," the Doctor clarifies. "Victorian showmen used to draw the crowds by taking the skull of a cat, gluing it to a fish and calling it a mermaid. Now, someone's taken a pig, opened up it's brain, stuck bits on, then they've strapped it in that ship and made it dive bomb."
"It's kind of like an intergalactic Ariel," I supply, using the mermaid reference. "Except it really didn't want to be part of their world." They're both staring at me. "Not the best reference?"
"Anyway," Toshiko continues. "It's a fake, a pretend, like the mermaid." She turns away from us to study something. While she continues talking, the Doctor suddenly seems to get an idea. He pulls me into the Tardis faster than Toshiko can say, "Doctor?"