Chapter 5
'So, how's about we go get those fish n' chips now?' The Doctor called to his friends, looking at Rose as he used a more loving tone. Rose smiled and Amy began to lead the way, always eager for a date with her wonderful Rory.
Suddenly, the Doctor stopped and turned to Rose with his serious face on. Oh no, something must be wrong, he's never serious! Rose thought to herself. As her expression turned worried, the Doctor smiled and wrapped her in a big bear hug that swung her up into the air, similar to something her leather-clad doctor may have done, had he not regenerated as early as he did. 'Oh Rose, with all that has been going on since the TARDIS disappeared, we never got to catch up! I've missed you so much, I didn't get to say that before… did I?' He set her down, still holding his arms lovingly around her.
'Oh, Doctor, are all your thoughts this sporadic now?' Rose smiled up at her beloved. 'But no, you didn't get a chance to tell me that before. Nor did I tell you.' Her smile grew. 'I've missed you too.' They looked into each other's eyes, deep in thought, as the yell of Amy startled them out of their trance.
'Hey, you two! Some of us actually want food!' Amy called jokingly and waved them towards the door of the hub. The broke apart and followed after the stubborn, headstrong redhead and clasped their hands together. The two, though neither would admit it, were unwilling to stop touching the other in fear that this was all a dream and losing contact would make this world dissolve into reality.
Amy smiled at them and linked arms with her Rory and the four of them sauntered out of the hub.
Jack watched the Doctor leave before grabbing a drink from the fridge and sitting down in his office. Gwen followed him in there and stood in front of him. 'Jack, weren't you going to go with them?' she asked curiously. Jack took a long gulp from his can before answering in a monotone voice. 'Gwen, They're probably the only couple that can make me feel like a third wheel. And I don't like the feeling.' He took another sip.
Gwen laughed to herself, never expecting the words 'third wheel' come out of his mouth. 'Well, why don't you come downstairs and eat some Chinese with me? Tosh, and Owen are already down there and Ianto should be back soon. I'm sure they'll be glad to share with you.' Gwen smiled at him, hoping he'd accept.
Instead, the stubborn fellow sat quietly, leaving Gwen without an answer. She heard the door downstairs open, signalling Ianto's return with the food. 'I'll ask Owen to save some for you then?' she called as she walked out of his office and down to the others.
Rose and the Doctor walked out of the hub hand in hand, both hoping and willing the TARDIS to be sitting there, right where they parked her. Sadly, that was not the case. As Amy and Rory walked with purpose towards the small café, the Doctor and Rose walked to the spot the TARDIS should be sitting. As they approached, the doctor dropped Rose's hand and raised his hands towards the spot. 'Where is she?' He exclaimed. Rose stopped next to him and shared his confusion, grabbing his hand again in a comforting gesture.
'I bet she's trying to tell you there's something else here you need to do.' Rose suggested quietly in a soft, reassuring voice. 'Isn't that usually what she wants when she brings you somewhere? She wants you to do something.' Rose looked up at him to see him pouting like a young child. She couldn't hold back her laughter, and the Doctor looked at her with a hurt expression.
'What's so funny? The TARDIS is gone!' He said to her.
Rose giggled some more before composing herself for an answer. 'It's your face! She'll come back when we need her, I promise you. Why don't we go eat before Amy comes over here and drags us there?' They both turned to see Amy standing in the door of the café, an impatient look upon her face.
This cheered the Doctor up. 'Yes, I suppose we shouldn't keep Mrs Pond waiting any longer, should we?' He interlaced his arm with Rose's and together they sauntered slowly towards the cafe, all the while making Amy more impatient.
They followed the redhead into the café and sat down in a booth together- Amy and Rory on one side and The Doctor and Rose on the other. The Doctor simply glanced at his menu, but never picked it up to study it. Rose glanced at him questioningly after she decided what she wanted. Amy and Rory chose quickly, and when the waitress came back, Rose learned of the Doctor's new tongue.
'Sir, what would you like?' She asked him in a flirtatious tone. Rose glared at her, but she seemed to hardly notice the girl.
'I'll have fish fingers with custard.' He replied to her simply, not paying her much mind at all.
The waitress asked Amy next, then Rory, and finally Rose. She repeated Amy's order of fish and chips and then turned to her favourite man sitting next to her. 'So… what is this about fish sticks and custard?' Rose asked in a light-hearted manner, her eyes gleaming up at the Doctor.
'They're good! You should try it.' He replied to her with a fake look of hurt on his face. The waitress brought out their drinks and they all began their conversation once again.
The Doctor spoke first, commenting on the happenings of the TARDIS. 'Well, we're stuck here for a while. There must still be something here that we need to do, because the TARDIS isn't back yet. I bet it'll find us once we finish our meal.' He tried to speak optimistically, as if they should be excited for this.
'That is, if it doesn't find us before.' Rose replied to him jokingly. Amy and Rory turned to her with looks of laughing agreement on their faces.
The waitress came back and started distributing the plates, giving the Doctor his custard in a blue bowl on the side next to Rose. They all began eating as the waitress walked away. Rory silently chowed down on his food, while Amy and Rose leaned over the table and quietly conversed, too quietly for the Doctor to understand them.
They leaned back in their seats and Rose started conversation with her Doctor. 'So, Doctor, what exactly does that taste like?' She gestured to the fish fingers and bowl of custard. The Doctor, biting off another chunk, looked at where she was indicating.
'Try it.' He replied simply, sliding the blue bowl closer to his Rose and handing her a finger from his plate. Rose took it with a smile on her face, in her unique way with her tongue between her teeth. She dipped the fish finger in the bowl of custard and took a bite, not doubting the taste buds of her Doctor.
She smiled larger as she learned why the Doctor enjoyed the fish and custard together, and the Doctor smiled back when he recognized her reaction. 'That's delicious!' Rose said to him when she had finished chewing. 'Why did you try it in the first place though? I never expected them to go together.'
Amy laughed. The Doctor answered Rose's question simply with, 'Regenerated, I was hungry. It just spoke to me.'
Amy frowned and then turned her head seriously to the Doctor. 'You know, that reminds me! You still owe me a box of fish fingers and custard! You did take them from my freezer, after all.'
Everyone but Rose laughed at Amy's request. The Doctor turned to Rose and whispered in her ear, 'I first met Amy when the TARDIS crashed into her garden when she was a child. I had just regenerated.' Rose laughed along with the rest of them, surprised at the new Doctor's way with children. She assumed it must have had something to do with the even more childish personality that he gained when he regenerated.
They all enjoyed the rest of their meal, filling the time with stories of where they had been to bring Rose up to date. Rose asked the Doctor yet another question once they had finished. 'Doctor, you do have money, don't you?'
'Of course I have money! Not… Earth money, but money.' The Doctor looked offendedly at Rose, as if her question was one that needed no answering.
Amy smiled and shook her head as she pulled out her own wallet to pay for their meal. 'You'd better return this favour sometime, Doctor.'
As the four of them walked out of the café, a loud crash from their right caught their attention. They all swivelled their heads to see a trashcan topple over, revealing a small, bony, clearly malnourished German Shepherd type dog. The white coat of the creature was matted and brown with dirt and mud, and the ribs on it were clearly visible. The thing looked as if it could hardly walk, it was so weak. Rose and Amy, both with compassion in their hearts for the poor creature ran over to it.
'Amy, you don't know where that thing's been! It probably has fleas!' Rory yelled after her as she began to pet the scared, cornered creature. Rose looked into the dog's eyes and felt a connection- she couldn't describe it to anyone, but she knew she had to save this dog. From behind them, the familiar noise of the TARDIS sounded as it materialized in the alleyway.
The Doctor jumped at the chance to get his TARDIS back, leaping to the door as soon as it was fully formed. 'Come on Rose, Ponds!' Rory followed inside and Amy reluctantly stood up from the dog and followed as well.
'Rose, come on. It's just a stray, it'll fend for itself.' She called to Rose. Rose shook her head. 'No Amy, there's something special about this dog. I don't know what it is, but there's something about him.' The Doctor poked his head out of the TARDIS, and upon seeing his Rose Tyler still crouched by the animal, stepped completely out of his blue box.
'Rose?' He questioned her. Rose kept facing the stray as she spoke. 'Doctor, can we take him with us?'
The Doctor was baffled- she had never been much of an animal person to him. 'Why?' was all that he could think to say.
Rose looked up at him this time with a pleading look on her face. 'I don't know why Doctor, but I just know we need to help him. I can just feel it.' The Doctor recognized the feeling she meant, as he had felt it himself several times a long time ago and nodded to her. 'Very well, but you get to feed him.'
Rose smiled at him. 'Thank you Doctor!' She turned back to the mutt. 'Hear that boy, you get to come stay in the TARDIS with me. Isn't that great?' The wolf slowly approached Rose, sniffed her, and then licked her face as if he was a dog. She laughed and the canine followed her timidly as she walked into the TARDIS.
Upon her entrance into the TARDIS, Amy gawked for a moment before running to the bathroom and starting up the water to give the mangy animal a bath. If there was one thing Amy knew, it was to try not to question the Doctor because usually, he's right. Rose slowly led the animal to the nearest bathroom, in which she found Amy awaiting her.
When the dog entered the bathroom, he froze up, glancing nervously at his leader- Rose. Rose slowly reached towards him, but he lowered himself to the ground, seemingly fearful of the noise. Rose crawled to him and pulled him forward gently by his front paws, showing him that this was not a scary place. The dog, now within a few feet of the tub, stood up and curiously bent over the side.
He saw the curious clear liquid, but seemed to recognize it. He slowly put one foot over into it, then another. Rose grabbed his back legs and lifted the rest of him into the tub. Once in, he collapsed into the water, as if to relax. He got himself all wet, then looked up at Rose with an expectant glance.
Rose beamed at the clever dog and dug around in the cabinet. The TARDIS, as always, had put the items they needed in there- dog shampoo, conditioner, and a brush for his fur. Rose pulled out the shampoo and began lathering the dog. He stood up and gave a sort of smile, as if he was enjoying the bath.
'I think he must have been a pet.' Amy commented. 'Otherwise, he wouldn't be so comfortable with this.' Rose was thinking something different, but she didn't share with Amy.
They finished cleaning up the dog around nightfall and, with a burst of confidence, the dog followed Rose to her bedroom with a wagging tail. Rose set some blankets on her floor for the pooch and climbed in bed. The dog curled up happily in the soft blankets and wrapped himself in them. Rose closed her eyes and fell asleep with the certain thought that this was not a dog. It was a boy, and the TARDIS wanted her to help him. She didn't know how it was possible, but she was certain of this. A warm body pressed against her own and she opened her eyes to see the clean white dog curled up on the bed, cuddling against her side. With a sigh of care for the creature, Rose fell asleep.