The Dancing We Don't See

Chapter Nine: Boy Meets Girl

Last Time: The Doctor wants to take Rose on the perfect date. Instead of asking her what embodies the perfect date for her he decides to prove he's 'so impressive' and decides to use time travel to discover what the perfect date is for himself.

As this chapter starts the TARDIS and crew are at the Powell Estates.

The Present

"We're here. All right, Jack there's only one rule you need to remember." The Doctor announced as the TARDIS landed at the Powell Estates

"Ask her name before I ask her to play naked games with me and a few dozen new friends?"

The Doctor simply glared in response but the TARDIS rocked sharply under Jack's feet sending the ex-time agent to the floor.

"I told you before, Jack, the TARDIS almost always sides with the Doctor." Rose chided as she helped him off of the floor.

"I'm her favorite." The Doctor said sounding smug. "Now, as I was saying, there's only one rule you need to remember: Consider this like a school field trip-use your inside voice, mind your manners and look but don't touch."

"Yes, Dad."

"None of your cheek or I'll leave you with Bev for the next three decades." The Doctor warned, Jack shaking a patronizing finger in his direction.

"Is that bad?" Jack asked Rose curiously. He'd heard several stories about Jackie from both the Doctor and Rose. He'd also been told several stories about Jimmy but had never heard anything about a Bev.

"Not if you worship the Cenobites." Rose answered cryptically.

Jack was about to ask Rose what she'd meant by that comment when his attention was caught by the two women standing in front of the TARDIS. From her appearance the woman in front could only be Jackie Tyler.

The garishly dressed woman behind her who was continuing to loudly bemoan her date from the night before was most likely Bev, Jack guessed. When Jackie confirmed his guess by telling the woman to "Shut it, Bev, and say hello to Rose," he decided that not worshipping the Cenobites, whatever they were, wasn't such a bad thing.

"Are you off then? We haven't even had tea?" Jackie objected as the Doctor stood to leave. The Doctor barely restrained himself from rolling his eyes and pointing out to Jackie that he had been sitting in the Tyler flat for two hours and that was more than enough time spent with Jackie and Bev tea or no tea. Keeping in mind that he was doing all this for Rose he replied.

"I'm sorry Jackie. I don't mean to be rude but I have an errand I must run."

Turning away from Jackie the Doctor favored Rose with a gentle smile. He didn't speak but she heard his voice whisper across her mind.

"I'll be back soon, my Rose."

Rose stared at him in shock. The Doctor had told her that his people were telepathic but had never exhibited any signs of telepathy before now. Before she could recover enough to ask him why he'd done that the Doctor said goodbye to the room in general and was gone.

Alone in the TARDIS the Doctor set the controls for a journey to the recent past. More specifically he was going on a trip to Rose's past. He wanted to find out what constituted Rose's idea of a perfect date and who better to ask then her younger self.

The Past

"My Lord look at those ears."

At Shireen's sharp exclamation seventeen year old Rose Tyler turned away the window display she'd been studying at looked in the direction that Shireen was pointing.

The man walking toward them was tall and thin. He seemed to be made up of all sharp angles. His ears were a bit on the large side but they suited him. He looked a bit like a military man with his extremely close cropped hair and his attire. There was also an air of menace and power about him that suggested he was a solider of sorts. He looked liked the kind of man you wouldn't want to meet alone in a dark alley, Rose decided with a shiver.

As if he was sensing her train of thought the man stopped walking for a moment and gazed at her directly. Those blue-gray eyes that had added to his air of menace a few moments before softened and Rose quickly revised her opinion of him. She wouldn't mind meeting him alone in a dark alley-he was looking at her as if he would protect her from anything else that might be there.

The look in his eyes was so unexpected that Rose couldn't stop herself from smiling at him. She was rewarded when his eyes softened even more and he gave her a small shy smile in return.

"Someone developing a fancy?" Shireen asked archly as she noticed Rose's smile.

"Shut it."

"What would Mister Jimmy think?" Shireen asked dramatically.

"Shut it, Shireen." Rose snapped.

"I think Mister Jimmy might even want ol' big ears there for himself perhaps you two can work out a schedule." Shireen continued blissfully ignoring Rose's demand for silence and the glares she was sending.

"Oy." Rose protested ready to begin her own tirade on Shireen's current boyfriend.

Rose would have said more but at that moment someone clearing their throat indicated that she and Shireen were no longer alone.

"Excuse me ladies, would you like to take a survey?"