Yes, hello, author here. Hope you guys are enjoying Bad Wolf Rising. I've not really been leaving notes because I'm super excited and happy about my stories. If you haven't noticed I have 4 ongoing stories. Between writing them as the mood strikes and school, I've been horrible about updates. Anyways, leave a review, tell me what you think. I like knowing i'm doing well. NCISBandGeek
"Ladies first." And Reina made a big production of choosing a slip of paper from the bowl holding all the girls names. On the screen's Rose saw the Doctor and Donna roll their eyes while Sarah Jane just tightened her glare at the escort and crossed her arms. It really didn't take that long to just pick a slip of paper.
Finally, Reina's hand re-surfaced and District 9 collectively held their breath. Opening the slip, Reina paused a moment, and then read the name on it.
"Rose Tyler."
Rose felt like time itself had stopped around her, maybe she hadn't heard right. She was just being paranoid, and then she heard her mother scream her name in terror and denial. And Reina called her name again.
The next thing that registered was that she had been staring at her father's bracelet and that of their own accord; her feet had moved her towards the end of the row near the Peacekeepers. Silently she looked up, risking looking for her mother, who was still crying out, in the crowd. She spotted her being held back by Mickey and a man she knew to be Donna's grandfather. She wanted to run over to the rope separating the families from the tributes, but she couldn't stop walking to the platform.
As she got closer she noticed the Doctor was staring at her, not with pity, not with cold distain (which she expected), but with something she couldn't identify. Sarah Jane and Donna were also staring at her, and it unnerved her. Then she realized they were studying her, looking for something. Not wanting to disappoint, she stood a little straighter and took the stairs up the platform with her head held high. And she saw almost imperceptible smiles and nods from the three, obviously whatever they had been looking for they'd all found it and liked it.
After Reina called the male tribute, Adam Mitchell, everything blurred together until she was ushered to the mayor's house and they let Jackie and Mickey in to see her. Seeing her sobbing mother and her best friend trying to hold back tears brought back her courage.
"It'll be fine mum, it'll be fine." Rose repeats, just hugging her mother, who she's never seen cry this much. After a few moments Jackie releases her daughter and wipes her eyes.
"Course you will, just like your father you are." Jackie smiles.
Mickey moves in to hug Rose. "You come back, you come back alright?"
"I will." She promises, looking Mickey in the eyes as he releases her.
"I'll take care of your mom, keep her out of trouble." Mickey gives Rose a goofy grin and Jackie slaps him in the arm. "Not that she needs it." Rose laughs at that.
"Mickey, if anyone could keep her out of trouble it's you."
As Mickey opens his mouth to respond, a Peacekeeper enters and shoves them out. "Time's up."
Jackie tries to fight, to get one last moment with her daughter, but Mickey puts an arm around her and says "Not today Jacks, not today."
As the Peacekeeper escorts them away, two people Rose was decidedly not expecting enter Henrick and Sarah Jane Smith; Henrick she may have expected a bit more over Sarah Jane, as she's never really talked to the woman outside of that one time in the store. And they'd practically bickered the entire time, over something really stupid that Rose couldn't even recall, then broken down laughing when Henrick had walked in and told them to knock it off.
Henrick just hobbles straight up to Rose and hugs her. "I'll make sure your mom and Mickey stay fed, don't you worry Tyler." He releases her and Sarah Jane passes him his crutch, which he'd dropped so that he could hug her.
"Thanks Henrick."Rose nods at him and he nods back, adjusting the crutch. And then he leaves, standing guard outside the door to give them some privacy.
Turning to Sarah Jane, she notices an aura of, something, surrounding her that she never noticed the first time, but now it was almost a physical force. And upon seeing the deep compassion in the older woman's eyes, she cries. She held it together talking to her mom, Mickey and Henrick, but Sarah Jane was something else entirely. And all Sarah Jane does is draw her into a hug and let her cry.
After a few moments, Rose pulls herself together a bit, pulls away from Sarah Jane and asks "What do I do?"
"Fight, you fight Rose." Sarah Jane responds, and pauses for a moment with a far off look in her eyes. Then she comes back. "And you remember that you're human, that you're doing what you do to survive."
Reaching into her pocked, Sarah Jane pulls out a pin with the image of a wolf on it and gives it to Rose.
"Take it Rose, belonged to an old friend." Sarah Jane smiles, watching as Rose inspects the pin.
"But I… I couldn't…" Rose tries to hand it back, but Sarah Jane stops her. Rose watches as Sarah Jane one handedly undoes the clasp on her father's bracelet and pockets it.
"That was your father's too, he used to come by to talk with the Doctor and not once did I see him without that pin." Sarah Jane takes the pin from Rose and pins it onto the dress. "I never talked with him as much as the Doctor did, but I know your father was a brilliant man. And you are definitely his daughter. If you get back, come find me."
With that Sarah Jane walks out, leaving Rose a bit confused, but feeling a little better about this whole cruddy thing. And then just to surprise her again, Sarah Jane turns around before she's out of earshot and calls "Don't worry, I'll return it to your mother." While tapping her pocked, and walks out, following Henrick as if nothing happened.
Before Rose can even react, some Peacekeepers move in and escort her out of the building and to the train. The last glimpse she has of District 9 is Mickey hugging Jackie as Donna's granddad and Sarah Jane make their way over. And the train leaves just as Sarah Jane reaches into her pocket.