Chapter 3:
Losing Something Part 1/Aliens in London
By: Izzy
Rhiannon awoke to being shook, when she opened her eyes she was met with a pair of light brown eyes staring at her. She blinked for a bit trying to wake up because she felt like she was still dreaming. David Tennant was laying in her bed staring her in the face, with curiosity filling his eyes. Once the shock wore off she remembered what happened yesterday and started to feel panicked.
"No my Thief didn't regenerate," David said with his Scottish accent. "I'm the TARDIS."
"Wait, what?" she exclaimed as she sat up and he sat up with her. "I didn't know you could do this."
"Neither does my Thief," he said. "I like to keep him guessing." He stood up where she could get a good look at him, he was David, dressed in a graphic tee that said 'Trust me. I'm the Doctor'. She had to laugh when she read it. "I found this image in your memories. I hope it is fine."
"Yes, just funny," she said trying not to laugh anymore. "Because he plays the Doctor on the TV show."
"I know," he said. "I thought this form would be good for you." Rhiannon frowned and he grew concerned. "Do you want me to change?"
"Yeah, 'cause once he regenerates then it would be too confusing. Well since your a girl how about," She thought for a bit trying to think of someone the TARDIS could be, then it dawned on her. "You can take the form of my sister, Jessica." The image of David glowed gold and then was replaced by the image of a woman of mid height, long brown hair the same shade as Rhiannon's, wearing a happy bunny graphic tee that said 'Whatever', and a pair of blue jeans.
"Hello," Jessica's image said sounding just like her little sister.
"Hello," Rhiannon said. "Well now I will have to call you Jess."
"Why's that?" Jess said. "You could always call me 'Sexy' the Doctor does." Even though she was in the form of a human, Rhiannon still knew that the TARDIS was not used to things that humans felt or did. After all she had seen the episode of 'The Doctor's Wife'. Good episode though.
"Well now that you are in the image of my sister, let's not and say I did," Rhiannon said.
"Naming me after your sister than?" Jess smiled.
"Yup," Rhiannon said popping her 'p'.
"You know you can't tell the Doctor you spoke to me," Jess said. "Because I'm not to talk to him until then."
"But I promised him that if he asked I would tell him anything." Rhiannon said as she stood up to change.
"Oh, your outfit from your time is clean," Jess said as she pointed to a dresser that hadn't been there last night. "I also gave you more clothes. Fixed your glasses."
"You are going to spoil me," Rhiannon teased as she put her glasses back on. She thanked her lucky star that she can see OK without them but she still has a 'blind spot' where everything is blurry in it. But the TARDIS was just before the 'blind spot'.
"I will only give you what you deserve." Jess said. "Also your bathroom is ready and through that door. Are you wanting your morning walk?"
"No, I think I will pass on it today," Rhiannon laughed. "I have a feeling that I will get a lot of exercise just from being around the Doctor." She pulled her phone and psychic paper out of her bra, since she didn't have pockets, she sat them down on her night stand.
"Yes," Jess said. "He does do an awful lot of running." They both laughed.
"I am going to shower and probably go cook breakfast for everyone." Rhiannon said. "And as long as the Doctor doesn't ask me I will not tell him that I can talk to you like this." She walked into the bathroom, she was blown away by it. Everything was white and silver. An automated shower that all she had to do was set the temperature and it would stay that temperature, an automated sink with a touch-less soap dispenser, and a the knobs were all beautiful. To her this bathroom was futuristic but she knew that to Jack and the Doctor would call it retro.
After her shower, she dressed in a sleeveless black shirt, her elbow length gloves, a pair of black leggings, with blue jean shorts and a pair of ankle boots. She put her hair up in its usual messy bun. After dressing, she made her way to the kitchen, she wondered if Rose was up now or if she was still sleeping. "Rose is just now waking up," Jess said appearing beside Rhiannon making her jump.
"Don't, do that," Rhiannon said as she held her chest. "I 'bout jumped out of my skin."
"I'm sorry," Jess said. "But do you even know what everyone will want for breakfast?"
"No, however I know if I make a bunch of stuff I know how to make then I am bound to find out." Rhiannon said.
"I could tell you," Jess offered.
"But that would make the Doctor ask how I know," Rhiannon said as they arrived in the kitchen.
"True," Jess said. "Well if you need me I'll be around." With that Jess disappeared again, so Rhiannon got to work making food. She made banana pancakes, blueberry pancakes, and chocolate chip pancakes. She also made eggs, bacon, and toast. She hoped that they would like something from this assortment of food.
The Doctor was the first to enter. "I didn't know you cooked," he said with a smile. "It smells good."
"Yea," she said smiling at him as he sat down. "Coffee or tea? I made both."
"Tea," he said. "Two sugars." She pored his tea and put two sugars in. She then placed it in front of him.
"My mother taught me how to cook," she said with a large smile. "I love to cook. When I had a place of my own I had a rule; No one left my house hungry."
"I can see that," he said as he looked at all the food on the table. "Wait are those banana pancakes?" He pointed to the plate of banana pancakes.
"Yea," she said. "I also made blueberry and chocolate chip pancakes too."
"Chocolate chip pancakes?" Rose asked sleepily. "That sounds amazing." She made her way to the table slowly and sat near the Chocolate chip pancakes. "Is there coffee?"
"Yes," Rhiannon said. "Sugar? Cream?"
"Three sugar no cream." Rose said. After getting Rose's coffee to her Rhiannon sat down and ate breakfast with them. She loved cooking as she had told the Doctor, but what she didn't tell him was she had dreamed of opening her own restaurant. She knew he could pull strings and make it a reality, but right now she wanted to keep moving. She wanted to run like the wind.
After breakfast, "Doctor, I want to go see mum," Rose said. He nodded and moved to the console room, leaving Rhiannon and Rose to clean up.
"Do you love, the Doctor?" Rose asked after she knew he was far enough away, making Rhiannon spit out her coffee.
"Wha- wh- why would you ask me that?" Rhiannon said stammering over her words like a teenager with a crush.
"The way he looks at you," Rose started. "He likes you."
"He only takes people he likes," Rhiannon said simply. "Or at least that is the impression I got from him."
"No," Rose said shaking her head. "He likes you."
"Imposable," Rhiannon said as she started to clear the table of the left over food. "There is no way he could like a broken thing like me."
"He's broken too," Rose said. "I think you two would make a good couple." She smiled at Rhiannon and started helping Rhiannon with the cleaning of the table.
"No," Rhiannon shook her head. "You two would be the perfect couple." She laughed as Rose made a face at her.
"I have Mickey already," Rose reminded. "I love Mickey."
"And no feelings for the Doctor at all then?" Rhiannon asked.
"I view the Doctor as like a big brother." Rose said. Rhiannon stared at Rose in disbelieve. "What? You act like I was suppose to be with in love with him."
"Well, how would I know that?" Rhiannon said acting offended.
"So," Rose said, bring more plates from the table to the sink. "If you don't like the Doctor like that, than what's your ideal man?"
The Doctor had got to the doorway and stopped cause he heard what Rose asked and was curious to her answer. Not because he wanted to be the ideal man for her, no he just wanted to help her find happiness. "I never said, I didn't like him like that." Rhiannon said. "But what do you mean 'ideal' man?"
"Would you want him to be from money?" Rose asked. "Where would you want him from? What would you want him to look like? Act like? That sort of thing."
"I don't care about money," Rhiannon started. "And I don't care where he's from. But having a British accent would be a bonus." He could hear Rose laugh. "And looks are also a bonus, but if I got to choose I would like a man with a great smile, and taller than me. For some reason I can't stand short men." Rose laughed again, and this time he couldn't help but laugh a bit too. "And act? I would want him smart, funny, kind to my friends because to me friends are family too, and I would want him to treat me as an equal."
"So the Doctor?" Rose said. "Your ideal man is the Doctor."
"Yea, I guess I did just describe him, didn't I?" Rhiannon laughed and the Doctor stood in the hall shocked.
"Tell me about your husband." Rose said quietly almost so quiet that the Doctor couldn't hear.
"Well, I met him at my job," Rhiannon said. "When I first talked with him it was on a whim." She laughed. "I was 19, and I was so naive that I never did anything on a whim. I was waiting for my mum to come get me. I don't have my license. Anyways, once I got in the car I guess I was grinning like the cat that just ate the canary, because my mum asked me if something good happened and I told him I met a man. She asked me what he was like, my response was interesting." She laughed hard again. "I will tell you more after you go see your mom."
"Oh! You!" Rose said. Then the Doctor heard a light smack. He took that as time to go in.
"We're here." He said with a smile from ear to ear on his face. "Come on, hurry up!" He walked back to the console room, with the two girls in toe.
"Oh, I forgot something," Rhiannon said. "I'll just be a sec."
"I'll wait on you if you'd like." Rose said.
"Nah, go visit with your mom," Rhiannon said as she disappeared into the hall of the TARDIS. She entered her room and Jess was waiting on her. "What's up?"
"Tell him what today is," Jess said.
"I don't even know what today is." Rhiannon laughed. Then she moved to her night stand where she had left her phone and her psychic paper. She looked at the phone and saw the date. 'March 26th' She froze. "He doesn't need to know."
"Yes he does," Jess said. "You need to tell him." Rhiannon sighed, she knew that Jess was right, but I was going to be hard. "It's not my place to tell him. But if you don't tell him by the time you get back I will tell him."
"I'll do it," Rhiannon said. "Has anyone ever told you that you're pushy."
"Yes." Jess replied. Rhiannon walked out of the room and out of the TARDIS. Neither the Doctor or Rose was outside, then she remembered where they were. She started to laugh hard. Jackie slapping the Doctor. She found it funny every time not because of the face that someone had the nerve to slap him. It was the way he acted, like a whinny kid.
Once she was able to stop laughing she when to the roof of the apartment building, well flats whatever. She sat on leaned on the railing of the roof waiting for the Doctor and Rose to get there. Quickly she got bored trying not to think to hard on what day it was so she starts to quietly sing the theme from Firefly. She heard the Doctor and Rose talking as they came up the stairs.
"Oh, hi Rhiannon," Rose said as she got to the top of the stairs.
"Hey, guys." Rhiannon smiled.
"Hello," the Doctor said as he followed Rose. She jumped up on the center of the roof and he stood close to Rhiannon.
"How'd things go?" Rhiannon asked.
"Mental," Rose said. "I can't tell her. I can't even begin. She's never going to forgive me. And I missed a year. Was it good?" She looked to the Doctor for the answer.
"Middling." he said.
"Wait, 2005?" Rhiannon said as she thought for a moment. "He's right. Not much happened 2005."
"You're both so useless." Rose laughed.
"Well, if it's this much trouble, are you going to stay here now?" he asked. Then turned to Rhiannon. "And Rhiannon don't tell me you want to visit your mother now.
"Nope," she said popping her 'p'.
"I don't know. I can't do that to her again, though." Rose shook her head.
"Well, she's not coming with us." he said.
"No chance." she said.
"I don't do families." he said.
"She slapped you!" she said.
"Rose's mom slapped you?" Rhiannon acted surprised, but couldn't hit her amusement.
"Nine hundred years of time and space, and I've never been slapped by someone's mother." he said.
"Your face." she said.
"It hurt!" he exclaimed. Rhiannon started to laugh hard as he rubbed his cheek. "Next time Rhiannon, you're going with Rose."
"You're so gay." Rose laughed. "When you say nine hundred years?"
"That's my age." he said.
"You're nine hundred years old?" Rose sounded like she couldn't believe it.
"Yeah." he said.
"Well you look good for nine hundred." Rhiannon winked at the Doctor.
"My mum was right. That is one hell of an age gap." Rose said. "Every conversation with you two just goes mental. There's no one else I can talk to. I've seen all that stuff up there, the size of it, and I can't say a word. Aliens and spaceships and things, and I'm the only person on planet Earth who knows they exist."
Suddenly a large spaceship made honking noises and it sputtered as it flew over their heads. They watched as it crashed into Big Ben and finally landed in the Thames. "You were saying?" Rhiannon teased.
"Oh, that's just not fair." Rose said. The Doctor ran off and Rose followed. Rhiannon didn't want too because she knew they would be back. She stayed on the roof and just watched from there. She knew he would probably be wondering why she did follow and that would be simple. A crashed ship means road blocks.
About two hours later Rose came back up the stairs. Rhiannon didn't even notice she was too busy singing again. She was singing her namesake song again. Rose found it beautiful, but a bit sad when Rhiannon sang it. Not because Gwyneth had asked Rhiannon to sing it just minutes before Gwyneth had died, but because as Rhiannon sang it this time she was crying. "Rhiannon," Rose said. Rhiannon stopped singing and wiped her face.
"Hey, Rose," Rhiannon said. "What brings you up here?"
"I was looking for you," Rose said. "You're welcome downstairs in my Mum's flat."
"I know but with the crash, I am sure that your flat is full of people right?" Rhiannon asked.
"Yeah," Rose said as a puzzled look graced her face. "But what does that have to do with anything?"
"I have a hard time with large groups of people in tight places," Rhiannon said. "I freak out in churches." Rose laughed and so did Rhiannon, but then as the laughter died down Rhiannon frowned again.
"There's another reason," Rose said. "Are you avoiding the Doctor?"
"N-no," Rhiannon stammered again. "I am avoiding people in general, but I was not kidding about the people in tight places."
"Why are you avoiding people?" Rose asked with great concern.
"Because today is March 26th," Rhiannon said.
"And?" Rose said confused.
"March 26th of 1987 is the date I was born," Rhiannon said.
"So it's your birthday." Rose said with a large smile.
"I always lose something around my birthday." Rhiannon said sadly. "March 26th of 1996 my Grand-papa died," Rose's smile disappeared. "I also have lost friends on my birthday, either to their own stupidity or to death. " Rhiannon sighed "But what hurts the most is March 25th of 2015 the day Matt and Jenny died."
"Your husband and child," Rose said. Rhiannon nodded. Rose wished she could help Rhiannon the hurt in her eyes was enough to cut through anyone. Rose could see it eating at Rhiannon's soul. "So March is a bad month for you."
"You could say that," Rhiannon said. Rose was surprised at the strength in Rhiannon, Rose knew that if it were her she would be crying by now. So much pain in one woman. "I have a hard time with July 4th too."
"What happened July 4th?" Rose asked.
"July 4th was Jenny's birthday," Rhiannon said sadly.
"If you need to cry I'm here for you," Rose said as she moved closer to Rhiannon. Rhiannon hugged Rose but still didn't cry. They stayed like that until it was starting to get dark. "Let's go back to the Doctor." Rhiannon nodded and followed Rose down to the flat were he was. Rhiannon saw how many people were in there and she shook her head.
"I can't," she said. "I'll stay out here, if he needs me."
"I understand," Rose smiled. "I want you to meet my Mum, but I can bring her to you." Rose disappeared inside, before Rhiannon could even say no, after a bit Rose reappeared with Jackie. "Mum, this is the woman I told you about that we travel with."
"Hello ma'am." Rhiannon said with a small bow and an offer for a handshake. Rose could still see the pain fresh on Rhiannon's face. "My name is Rhiannon Jane Riwitis."
"Hello," Jakie said. "I'm Jackie Tyler." She took in the look of Rhiannon and noticed that she may have miss judged the Doctor. "You're not much younger than me. Are you with him?"
"If you mean in a dating context," Rhiannon said as she lowered her hand. "Than no. I just lost my daughter and husband two years ago in a fire. I'm not ready to move on yet."
"Oh," Jackie said. Rhiannon could tell that Jackie felt bad.
"I think I know why you're asking," Rhiannon said. Jackie looked confused. "I said I was once a mother. You are worried that the Doctor is going to take advantage of Rose." Jackie looked at Rhiannon with wide eyes. "But you don't have to worry about that. He is a stand up guy."
"Are you sure?" Jackie asked still fearful for her daughter.
"Yes, he will do all he can to keep her safe," Rhiannon smiled. "And I, myself have come to see Rose as a little sister. I know you don't know me, however I hope that you will believe that I do all I can to protect my family." At first Jackie was unsure what to think. She felt in her gut that she could trust Rhiannon but at the same time Jackie felt like they weren't telling her something.
"Alright," Jackie said. "I'll hold you too that." Rhiannon was surprised that Rose was quiet through out that whole talk. "You can come inside."
"No thanks," Rhiannon said shaking her head. "It's too crowded in there for me."
"Well I will bring you some tea then," Rose said as she grabbed Jackie's hand and pulled her back inside, leaving Rhiannon once again with her thoughts. Rhiannon noticed it was getting dark. Which meant that any minute that the Doctor was going to come out of the flat and want to leave to go and investigate the alien body they found. Rose came back outside with the tea in hand. "Here." She handed the mug to Rhiannon.
"Thanks," She said as she took the mug. "I will finish telling you about my past but I think I will tell you both at once."
"Well that means you'd have to restart," Rose laughed.
"I don't mind," Rhiannon smiled. She sipped her tea slowly.
"Well I'm going back in," Rose said. She turned around and there was the Doctor. "And where do you think you're going?"
"Nowhere." he said. "It's just a bit human in there for me. History just happened and they're talking about where you can buy dodgy top-up cards for half price." Rhiannon laughed as she took a drink so the tea came out her nose. They gave her a strange look but continued talking. "I'm off on a wander, that's all."
"Right." Rose said rolling her eyes. "There's a spaceship on the Thames and you're just wandering."
"Nothing to do with me." He said. "It's not an invasion. That was a genuine crash landing. Angle of descent, color of smoke, everything. It's perfect."
"So?" she said still not believing that he was just on a wander.
"So maybe this is it." he smiled. "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 small and made of clay. Now you can expand. You don't need me. Go and celebrate history. Spend some time with your mum."
"Promise you won't disappear?" she said as Rhiannon cleaned herself up the best she could.
"Tell you what. TARDIS key. It's about time you both had one." he said as he pulls two keys out of his inner jacket pocket and hands one to each of them. Rhiannon shoved hers in her pocket with her psychic paper. "See you later."
"No worries," Rhiannon said as she handed Rose the half full mug of tea. "I'll keep an eye on him." Rose nodded and took the mug back inside. Rhiannon ran off to the TARDIS to catch up with the Doctor. "Hey."
He turned to see that Rhiannon had followed him. "What are you doing?" he asked.
"Well I don't like crowded places," Rhiannon said with a smile. "Can't stand them really, so I thought why not go on this 'wander' with you." She did air quotes. He unlocked the TARDIS and ran around the console.
"Sometimes I think that you know more than you let on," he said but didn't press the issue. Which she once again thanked the Goddess. He punched in coordinates. The TARDIS moaned and made other noises that sounded like she was complaining.
"Don't let me forget there is something I want to tell you, later," she said as he hit the console with a rubber malt. She sighed knowing she was going to hear about letting him do that. The TARDIS moaned and wheezed letting them now that she landed.
"What is it you want to tell me?" he asked as he moved to the doors.
"Well I don't think that now is a good time to tell you," she teased quietly as he opened the door and squeezed out. She squeezed out behind him, though her squeezing through was much easier than him.
"Okay," he said quietly. He then pulled out his sonic and used it to open the door. The sonic made a loud noise. "Shush!" Rhiannon couldn't help but giggle softly.
They walk down the hall a bit and encountered a large group of Red Berets that Rhiannon recognized as UNIT members. The UNIT members just stared at Rhiannon and the Doctor, she sighed knowing that they would grab for their guns next. Just as they do so there is a loud bang heard from the morgue. "Defense plan delta!" the Doctor shouted at the solders as he ran to the course of the noise. "Come on. Move! Move!" Rhiannon followed the solders hoping that she could save the poor creature. When they got to the room Toshiko was in shock.
"I swear it was dead." she said still in shock.
"Coma, shock, hibernation, anything." the Doctor said. "What does it look like?" There was the sound of metal hitting the tile floor.
"It's still here." Rhiannon said low as she moved to help the Doctor. He gestured for the soldiers to leave the room, then knelt by Toshiko. Trying to get closer without scaring whatever it was. Rhiannon put her hand on his shoulder. "Can I try?" He stood up and nodded, wondering to what she would do. She got where he was and moved slowly to the filing cabinet. Just then a pig popped its head out from the cabinet. Her face turned soft and all the pain that had been on her face left. "Hello, little one." She spoke as if she were talking to a child.
It seemed to work the pig, slowly approached her. He couldn't help but smile, she was so good with things like this. She showed no fear that most humans do, and she treated all as they deserved to be treated. With the exception of him. She didn't know what he had done. He wondered if he told her if she would leave. The thought of her leaving scared him. The pig must have sensed his fear and it squealed and ran out the door to the soldiers. "Don't shoot!" he called out to the soldiers as he ran after the pig, but it was too late in their fear they shot the poor thing.
"How dare you!" a very mad Rhiannon said as she came from behind him. He was almost as mad as she was but he knew he needed to stop her from getting arrested. Because she walked straight passed the body of the pig and right into the face of the soldier that shot it. "It was scared! How'd you feel if someone shot you for being scared!"
"Rhiannon," he said her name softly as he placed his hand on her shoulder. That was all she needed to calm down. He could feel her anger leave her. She turned and nodded to him. They took the pig back to the morgue. Where Toshiko was waiting for them to come back. As he farther examined the body he saw that it was just an augmented Earth pig. "It's an Earth pig."
"I just assumed that's what aliens look like, but you're saying it's an ordinary pig from Earth." Toshiko said.
"More like a mermaid." he said. "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 must've been terrified. They've taken this animal and turned it into a joke." He looked at Rhiannon and noticed that she was not even looking at him as he spoke. She was looking at the pig with great sadness in her eyes. He grabbed her arm lightly and nodded toward the way they came. She nodded.
The walk back to the TARDIS was quiet. He knew that she was not used to death and felt bad that she had to watch something else die, that she had to feel something else be so afraid then die. He felt emotions a little but she seemed to feel them much stronger than he did. He put them into the vortex. He walked over to the jump seat where Rhiannon had sat once they were back inside the TARDIS. He hugged her without saying anything.
All the strength she had all day faded from her and she let herself cry. She cried and shook in his arms as he just held her not saying anything. She wrapped her arms around the Doctor, pulling him as close as he would let her. To her surprise it was as close as humanly possible. They stayed like that for a good while, until she realized that they should be stopping the Slitheen. She sniffed and pulled herself from the Doctor's grasp.
"I'm fine," she said. "I'm going to go and straighten up so we can figure this out." She smiled at him and he fully let her go. He didn't say anything as he searched her eyes for something. She wondered what he was looking for. He finally nodded so she went to her room. Jess appeared with a sympathetic look on her face. "I'm fine Jess."
"No, you're not," she said. "You need to tell him everything soon."
"Like he will want to hear the sob story of some stupid ape," Rhiannon said with a bit of anger in her voice, not at the Doctor but at the TARDIS aka Jess for suggesting such an act.
"He will listen," Jess said. "You're interesting to him." Rhiannon shook her head and moved to her bathroom and washed off her face. After she was done she walked back into the console room to see Rose standing on the side of the console closest to Rhiannon, and Mickey standing on the opposite side of the console. Rhiannon assumed that the Doctor was under the grates of the TARDIS fixing something. If she remembered it was so he could find out where the ship came from.
"So, what're you doing down there?" Mickey asked. Rhiannon rolled her eyes.
"Ricky." the Doctor started but was interrupted.
"Mickey." Mickey said. She rolled her eyes again, she couldn't see what Rose saw in him at this point.
"Ricky." the Doctor said in an aggravated tone. "If I was to tell you what I was doing to the controls of my frankly magnificent time ship, would you even begin to understand?"
"I suppose not." Mickey said sheepishly.
"Well, shut it, then." the Doctor said rudely.
"Some friend you've got." Mickey said as he walked over to Rose.
"He's winding you up." Rose smiled at Mickey. He frowned and she felt bad. "I am sorry."
"Okay." he said.
"I am, though." she said.
"Every day, I looked." he said sounding whinny. "On every street corner, wherever I went, looking for a blue box for a whole year."
"It's only been a few days for me." she said. "I don't know. It's, it's hard to tell inside this thing but I swear it's just a few days since I left you."
"Not enough time to miss me, then?"
"I did miss you." she said. Rhiannon took this moment to make herself known to the couple.
"Oh," Rhiannon said loudly getting the attention of the couple. "She missed you. She didn't shut up about you. Mickey this, Mickey that. It was enough to make me sick." Rhiannon fakes like she is going to puke.
"I didn't talk about him that much did I?" Rose said as she looked at Rhiannon.
"Nah, just pulling your leg," she said. She offered Mickey a hand for a handshake. "I'm Rhiannon Riwitis."
"I'm Mickey Smith, but you already know that," he said as he shook her hand.
"Yup I know who you are Mickey-sama no baka." Rhiannon said with a smile and she heard from under the console floor a laughing Doctor. Because while the TARDIS didn't translate for Mickey or Rose, the Doctor knew what she said and found it funny.
"What did you just call me?" Mickey asked.
"Lord Mickey, it's Japanese," Rhiannon said with a large smile. It may be in her eyes a bad day but she was going to try and make the most of it, and stage one was picking on Mickey. After all it was like he wore a giant target on his back.
"Got it! Ha, ha!" the Doctor declared as he jumped over to the monitor. "Patched in the radar, looped it back twelve hours so we can follow the flight of that spaceship. Here we go. Hold on. Come on." Rhiannon was the first one to shift so she could see what he was looking at. "That's the spaceship on its way to Earth, see?" He pointed at the monitor. "Except. Hold on. See?" He pointed again. "The spaceship did a sling shot round the Earth before it landed."
"So," Rhiannon said. "It came from Earth in the first place. I don't like that idea."
"What does that mean?"
"Whoever those aliens are, they haven't just arrived, they've been here for a while." he said clarifying for Rose. "The question is, what have they been doing?"
The Doctor switched the monitor to the CCTV so he could get a feel for what's going on. "How many channels do you get?" Mickey asked. Rhiannon rolled her eyes again. Mickey always got on her nerves until after he went into the other universe, then she found him kind of boss.
"All the basic packages." the Doctor replied plainly. A random thought came to Rhiannon's mind, wondering if he got Anime Network. But she pushed the thought aside in favor of what was going on right now.
"You get sports channels?" Mickey asked hopefully.
"Yes, I get the football," the Doctor said shaking his head. "Hold on, I know that lot." They watched as UNIT heads walked into a building.
"It is looking likely that the Government's bringing in alien specialists - those people who have devoted their lives to studying outer space." a woman's voice came through the monitor.
"UNIT." he said. "United Nations Intelligence Task force. Good people."
"How do you know them?" Rose asked.
"'Cos he's worked for them." Mickey pipped up. Rose and the Doctor gave him strange looks. "Oh yeah, don't think I sat on my backside for twelve months, Doctor. I read up on you. You look deep enough on the Internet or in the history books, and there's his name, followed by a list of the dead."
"That's nice. Good boy, Ricky." the Doctor said.
"If you know them, why don't you go and help?" Rose asked.
"They wouldn't recognize me." he said. He looked back to the monitor. "I've changed a lot since the old days. Besides, the world's on a knife-edge. There's aliens out there and fake aliens. We want to keep this alien out of the mix." He pointed at himself. "I'm going undercover. And er, I'd better keep the TARDIS out of sight. Ricky, you've got a car. You can do some driving."
"Where to?" Mickey said.
"The roads are clearing." the Doctor said as he started walking over to the doors. "Let's go and have a look at that spaceship."
The moment they stepped out of the TARDIS, police came running at them. "Do not move! Step away from the box and raise your hands above your heads." one of the officers shouted at them. Mickey sped off.
"Mickey-sama no baka." Rhiannon said under her breath as she raised her hands.
"Rose!" Jackie shouted and a soldier grabbed her. "Rose!" She struggled against the soldier. Rhiannon nodded to Jackie and she stopped fighting so hard.
"Raise your hands above your head. You are under arrest." the officer said.
"Take me to your leader." the Doctor said with a large smile. He raised his hands and the officers escorted the three of them into a limo.
"This is a bit posh." Rose said. "If I knew it was going to be like this, being arrested, I would have done it years ago."
'We're not being arrested, we're being escorted." Rhiannon said. "I've been arrested before but it was back home. I'm sure that it is not that different than being arrested in England." The Doctor looked at Rhiannon puzzled. "I was arrested because a roommate I had was on parole and I didn't know. Needless to say the cop made me mad and my mouth went off and they arrested me for obstructing justice. But it was thrown out for lack of evidence." He shook his head. It really didn't surprise him, she seemed like she would do anything for a friend. And he had seen a spark of her anger.
"Where are they escorted us to?" Rose said. Bringing him out of his thoughts.
"Where'd you think?" he said. "Downing Street."
"You're kidding." she said.
"I'm not." he said.
"10 Downing Street?" she asked. She looked excited.
"That's the one." he said with a smile.
"Oh, my God. I'm going to 10 Downing Street? How come?" she asked.
"I hate to say it, but Mickey was right." he said. "Over the years I've visited this planet a lot of times, and I've been, er, noticed."
"Now they need you?" she said.
"Like it said on the news." Rhiannon said. "They're gathering experts in alien knowledge."
"And who's the biggest expert of the lot?" he said.
"Patrick Moore?" she teased.
"Apart from him." he said.
"Oh, don't you just love it." she laughed lightly.
"I'm telling you. Lloyd George, he used to drink me under the table." he said. "Who's the Prime Minister now?"
"How should I know? I missed a year." she said.
"Don't look at me, I don't keep up with the politics of my own country," Rhiannon said. "The only reason I ever knew who was pres is because my parents would complain." They all laughed. The car came to a stop and the three of them got out and were led inside the building.
"Ladies and gentlemen, can we convene?" a man in a suit said, Rhiannon remembered his name was; Indra Ganesh. "Quick as we can, please. It's this way on the right, and can I remind you ID cards are to be worn at all times." He hands an ID to the Doctor and to Rhiannon. She looked at hers strangely and so did the Doctor. "Here's your ID cards." Indra looked at Rose. "I'm sorry, your companion doesn't have clearance."
"But I do?" Rhiannon asked.
"Yes, Rhiannon Jane Riwitis," Indra said. "You have the same clearance as the Doctor."
"We don't go anywhere without her." the Doctor said.
"You're both the code nine, she's not." Indra said. "I'm sorry, Doctor, and Miss Riwitis. She'll have to stay outside."
"She's staying with us." the Doctor said. He was still puzzled to how Rhiannon had clearance and Rose didn't unless they do something together in their future for UNIT. Which was unlikely but possible.
"Look, even I don't have clearance to go in there. I can't let her in and that's a fact." Indra said.
"It's all right. You two go." Rose said.
"Excuse me. Are you the Doctor?" a older woman said as walked up to them, Rhiannon remembered that that was Harriet Jones.
"Sure." the Doctor replied.
"Not now. We're busy. Can't you go home?" Indra said quite annoyed.
"I just need a word in private." Harriet said. The Doctor didn't hear Harriet, but Rhiannon did but she knew that Rose could handle Harriet.
"I suppose so." the Doctor said as he looked dead at Rose. "Don't get in any trouble." After that he walked to the next room where all the alien experts were. Before Rhiannon followed she looked at Rose and mouthed, 'Sorry' then she followed the Doctor. He put on the ID card around his neck but Rhiannon kept hers in her hand. She showed it to the guard at the door. The Doctor sat in an empty chair near the entrance for a quick get away if needed. Rhiannon sat in a near by chair and dropped her ID card on the floor and away from her so that way that it wouldn't hurt her.
The Doctor looks over the information packets that they provided. "Now, ladies and gentlemen, if I could have your attention, please." the General said. "As you can see from the summaries in front of you, the ship had one porcine occupant."
"Of course," the Doctor said as he stood up and walked toward the acting Prime Minster. "The really interesting bit happened three days ago, see, filed away under Any Other Business. The North Sea. A satellite detected a signal, a little blip of radiation, at one hundred fathoms, like there's something down there. You were just about to investigate and the next thing you know, this happens. Spaceships, pigs, massive diversion. From what?" He paced as he spoke and Rhiannon wanted to warn him about the ID cards but knew he would ask questions that she couldn't answer so she just let him talk on. "If aliens fake an alien crash and an alien pilot, what do they get? Us. They get us. It's not a diversion, it's a trap. This is all about us. Alien experts. The only people with knowledge how to fight them gathered together in one room."
The acting Prime Minster, Green, farts. "Excuse me, do you mind not farting while I'm saving the world?" the Doctor said as he turned back around to look at Green.
"Would you rather silent but deadly?" Green asked and laughed. The General removed his cap and reaches to unzip his forehead. Green continued to laugh as blue light filled the room and the alien wriggled out of the skin suit.
"We are the Slitheen." the alien that was pretending to be the General said.
"Thank you all for wearing your ID cards. They'll help to identify the bodies." Green said with an evil grin as he held up a remote activation switch and pressed the button. Just as Rhiannon remembered the ID cards emitted an electric shock that shocked the wearer. The Doctor fell to his knees as the shock was hurting him. Green laughed.
Notes: Well this was a bit harder for me than the others. Also I wanted to say sorry for my typos, but my beta reader went on strike because he is working two jobs and helping me with our daughter lol.