Chapter 5
The sound of the TARDIS materializing in her living room woke Jackie from a nightmare, her heart thudding in her ribcage like a frightened bird. She stood and straightened her hair, smiling at the thought of seeing Rose again. Of course, the girl never thought to call ahead, super-phone or not. She didn't have a scrap of food in the house!
Glancing at the early hour, Jackie decided to ring Mickey. After all, he had made her promise to call, whatever the time, when Rose came to visit.
"'lo?" Mickey's sleepy voice mumbled.
"Rose is home!" Jackie said, excited, "Get your lazy bum over here!"
"Be right there," he responded, sounding fully awake now. Jackie chuckled as she hung up the phone. Poor boy was still attached to her Rose, and rightly so.
Looking into the mirror, Jackie tied the robe around her waist, tisking a bit at the width of her waistline. As presentable as she needed to be for that rude Doctor and her only daughter, Jackie ambled into the living room.
-000-
Mickey and Jackie stood, staring at the sealed doors of the TARDIS in confusion. It didn't usually take Rose this long to come out.
Jackie sighed, "I'm going in the kitchen to put the kettle on. Holler if her Ladyship decides to make an appearance."
Jackie had barely gotten the tea bags in when Mickey's horrified voice reached her ears.
"Oh my God! Rose! What happened to her?" Mickey shouted.
Jackie ran into the living room, her robe fluttering behind her like a cape. She skidded to a stop, staring at her daughter in dismay. The Doctor carried Rose's limp body in his arms. Her face sported a livid bruise and she had obviously been crying.
"My baby," Jackie said softly, her hand pressed over Rose's forehead. She looked up at the Doctor, "Is she okay?" she asked, her voice tight with worry. She had seen Rose a bit beat up before, but she was always smiling and going on about her great adventures. She was so still, and the Doctor's eyes were so empty. "Doctor, is my daughter alright?" Jackie shouted, his response too slow.
"She will be," he said finally. "She passed out. She needs to rest." He nodded his head towards Rose's room and Jackie moved aside, letting him carry her to her bed, Mickey close on his heels.
They watched as the Doctor tucked her in, his hand smoothing her hair away from her face. He paused for a long moment, just staring at her, before he straightened and strode quickly from her room, quietly shutting the door.
The Doctor took three steps into the living room and then stopped, staring at the wall as if mysterious writing had suddenly appeared on it. Ignoring his, always, odd behavior, Jackie grabbed his arm and turned him to face her.
"What happened to her?" she asked.
The Doctor swallowed, "Sit down, Jackie," he finally said. Mickey paled and sat on the edge of the sofa, his hands clenched together in fear. This couldn't be good. Jackie stayed where she was, paling but refusing to sit.
"Just spit it out, you git!" she said, impatient with worry.
"Rose was raped," the Doctor said quietly, bluntly.
"Oh, God!" Jackie exclaimed, her hand over her mouth as tears welled up in her eyes. Mickey buried his face in his hands, hiding his expression.
Jackie's grip on the Doctor's arm tightened painfully and her jaw clenched as she looked up angrily at him, "You promised me you'd protect her!" she screamed, "Where were you? Who did this to her?"
The Doctor looked away, his blue eyes distant, his voice small as he answered her, "I did it," he said. He forced himself to look at her, "I raped Rose."
Jackie was silent as she pulled quickly away from him, the words barely registering. Then she slapped him as hard as she could.
"How could you?" she screamed, her voice rattling the windows, "She trusted you! I trusted you! She would have done anything for you! She loved you!" her voice grew quiet, tears wavering in her eyes.
Mickey strode forward, his fists clenched at his sides, enraged. "You hurt Rose," Mickey said lowly, his voice tight unto breaking, "No one hurts Rose." He was in the Doctor's face now, "I'll kill you," he growled, uncharacteristically confrontational.
Mickey punched him, catching the Doctor just below the rib cage, knocking the wind from him. The Doctor hunched over but didn't try to defend himself as Mickey swung again, this time catching him in the temple. The Doctor's vision blurred as blood ran into his eye. Mickey kept punching, fury fueling every blow.
"You didn't have to… she would have, willingly… She loved you!" Mickey grunted as he put his strength into the blows; anger at him for taking her away, anger at what he had done to her, angry at him for not fighting back.
It was the snapping sounds of breaking ribs that made Mickey pause, his knuckles raw and bleeding. He looked down at the man he had been beating. The 'Doctor'. Now the all-powerful alien stood before him, one hand trying to stop the blood pouring from his head, the other hand clutched around his ribs as he hunched over, leaning against the wall of Jackie's flat.
Jackie came up beside Mickey, her hand gripping his shoulder as she spoke, "Get out," she said quietly; her venomous gaze boring into the Doctor, utterly without pity.
The Doctor straightened slightly and shuffled over to the TARDIS in silence. The doors creaked opened and he stepped in without a backwards glance; any hesitation could be attributed to his injuries. And if the TARDIS' undulating wail sounded plaintive, that was just coincidence.
-000-
"He didn't have to bring me back, you know," Rose said quietly. Her mum and Mickey sat on the edge of her bed, hovering there ever since she had woken up, screaming. "He did though. And he didn't have to tell you what he did. I wasn't going to," she finished, blinking aside sudden tears.
"Oy!" Mickey almost shouted, "The bloke hurt you and you're still defending him! He's evil, Rose, don't you get that? He's just another chap that uses women and leaves them!"
"It's not his fault," Rose said, turning towards her mum as Mickey made an exclamation of disgust, "It really wasn't his fault," she insisted, "It was the trees. They affected him, made him lose control."
Jackie sighed, shaking her head slowly, "Rose, that's always their excuse. It is never them, it's the drugs, or the drink, or whatever." Jackie stood, brushing the tears from her eyes, "I'm going to bring you a cuppa. You just rest, Sweetheart."
As Jackie left, Rose turned her attention back to Mickey, "You understand, don't you?"
Mickey sighed heavily, "No, Rose, I don't understand. You still love him, even after what he did?"
Rose's mouth hung open slightly, stunned at Mickey's words. Still loved him? Did she love him?
"It's not like that," she stuttered out, "I don't… I mean, we never… He isn't like that," she finished lamely.
"Isn't like what?" Mickey asked acridly, "Because he proved he is just like any other bloke."
Rose winced and Mickey sighed, his tone softening, "I'm sorry Rose. I just hate to hear you take up for him."
"It was my fault," she whispered.
"What was?" Mickey asked kindly.
"What happened," Rose said, her eyes focused on the tattered edge of her bedspread. "I shouldn't have insisted we hide. We should have run to the TARDIS instead of the caves. I should have never been there at all. It's my fault."
"What?" Mickey asked in disbelief, he shook her shoulders gently, "Rose, that's not true! He's the alien. He's the one who was in charge. He should have checked the planet. He should have made the right choice. He should have protected you!"
"Maybe," Rose said in a small voice, "maybe I'm not worth protecting."
Mickey looked at her, aghast. "Rose, look at me," he said, lifting her chin and trying not to wince at her bruise, "You are worth everything. Don't ever think anything else." Mickey chuckled, "Heck, you're worth my life."
Rose looked at him in confusion. Mickey laughed, releasing her chin to rub at his raw knuckles.
"I beat up an alien that could have blown me to smithereens for all I know. But you're worth it, Rose. You're worth everything."
Rose looked at him, shocked, "You beat up the Doctor?"
"Hey, watch your tone!" Mickey said playfully, "I'm a right good pugilist when I have motivation!"
Rose hugged him, sinking into his soft, safe embrace.
