A/N: I'm taking my time with this story, making sure I've said just what I want to before I post so I'll probably only post once a week.
Rose pressed her forehead against the window, letting the cool glass soothe the ache in her head. God! Two doses of paracetamatol and it still persisted as a dull throb. Probably just needed sleep. She sighed and rubbed her forehead knowing that wasn't likely to happen any time soon.
She shoved down the pain and counted the seconds between the streaks of lightening and the crashes of thunder that followed. Four seconds. Not long then before the oncoming storm made landfall. She smirked and let her thoughts drift to her own Oncoming Storm, no doubt pacing a hole in the hotel's already threadbare carpet.
She grunted and acknowledged that he had a right to be angry with her. Snogging and then slapping tended to do that to a bloke and God only knew what she might have done while she was out of it. She frowned, wondering again just what had happened on the beach.
Why wouldn't he tell her and worse, how had he gotten her mum to go along with the idea of keeping her in the dark? She dragged a hand through her hair and groaned. Really, if she wanted answers she was going to have to go and talk to him.
She straightened and took a step toward the door. No, he may have had a reason to be angry with her for slapping and then walking away from him but, well, his crimes were much greater and so was her anger. Her shoulders slumped and she sighed again. Angry or not, she really, really wanted to be with him …
"For God's sake, Rose, just go to him already!"
Rose pursed her lips. "Mum, for the last time, just leave it!"
The telly clicked off, warning Rose to brace herself for a Jackie tirade. Five, four, three, two –
"I will not just leave it! Rose Marion Tyler you're acting like a child! So you thought he'd left you with the copy or whatever the other one was, he didn't, you got what you wanted, so what is the problem?"
Rose gaped. "What is the problem? Mum! He lied to me! There was no reason to –"
She pointed a finger. "And now he has you doing it!" She narrowed her eyes. "Don't look at me like that, Mum, I know you're keeping something from me. More happened on that beach than me crying hysterically."
She paced around the room. "What aren't you telling me? The last thing I remember is watching the Tardis dematerialize." She rubbed her forehead as the pain intensified along with her agitation. "I remember feeling … shocked that he'd just left without saying good-bye and I was sad of course, and then …" her brow furrowed as she tried to remember. She shivered as a memory of intense anger crashed over her and a jolt of pain rippled through her skull. "I … I was so angry …"
"Rose?"
Rose jumped and whirled around as her mother's hand fell onto her shoulder. Jackie's face was lined with worry, her mouth tight. "What is it? What's wrong –"
"Nothing! Nothing at all." Jackie shrugged and turned away. "S'just, I thought you wanted to know why he tricked ya into thinking he was the other one …"
Rose rolled her eyes. "Tricked? Call it what it is, he lied! Why would he do that?"
"Oh for pity's sake, Rose! He's an alien, a right proper nutter of an alien. Who knows what goes through that big ol' brain."
Rose huffed. "Like that's an excuse? So, in future, any time he does something behind my back, lies to me, keeps things from me or … or decides leaving me is for my own good I should just blow it off cuz he's an alien?"
Jackie snorted and rose from the bed. "'Course not. 'S not what I'm sayin' at all. But there's lies and then there's lies." Jackie gave Rose a pointed look. "He lies like that and you give him a proper slap and his walkin' papers, but this?" Jackie pulled Rose into her arms and stroked her hair. "Sweetheart, I'm not sayin' I like the fact that he tricked ya but you don't even know the reason. He stayed Rose! Left his ship behind and everything! And it's obvious what he whispered to ya on that beach. Don't you at least want to know his reasons before ya kick 'em to the curb?"
Rose smirked. "Like I could ever do that, more fool me …" She groaned and walked to the door. "You're right, Mum. He is a daft alien but more to the point, I want to know what the hell he was thinkin' when he decided to pull this stunt and what he's not tellin' me now. Don't wait up …"
Rose strode down the hall, anger coupled with curiosity spurring her on but once in front of his door she found her confidence evaporating. Yes she was angry, had been angry with him the entire ride to the hotel.
But his anger had been palpable too. She'd calmed down, some, but if he hadn't there would undoubtedly be an unholy row and did she really have the energy for that right now?
She sighed and rolled her head back, stretching her neck and scrubbed her palm across her eyes. No, she really didn't. Between whatever happened on the beach and her crazy flight across dimensions, she was exhausted; mentally and physically and her head …
Rose blew out a breath and turned only to be brought up short by the door opening. She rolled her eyes and turned to see the Doctor leaning against the door frame, arms crossed, his lips curved into a lazy smile.
"Did you miss me?"
Smarmy git! Rose closed her eyes and bit her lip before she could say something guaranteed to start the fight she dreaded. But that smirk, that sexy smirk filled her mind and his standing there so casually … ooh, she didn't know whether to slap or snog that smirk off of his face!
She settled for fixing her expression into her stern, Torchwood commander face and looked down her nose at him. "Really Doctor, I am not amused."
Her heart fluttered as his oh so kissable mouth spread into an enormous grin and his big brown eyes twinkled like a thousand stars. "Oh! Well done, Rose. Could give old Queen Vicky a run for her money!"
He laughed and waggled his eyebrows at her and Rose was lost. Her lips twitched as she tried to hold back.
"Oooh, was that a smile?" He stepped closer and leaned down to meet her eyes. "Yep! That's a smile."
Rose rolled her eyes. "Stop it. I'm mad at you!"
He grinned and tugged her into his room. "Oh, but where's the fun in that?"
Rose allowed him to pull her into a hug and had to stifle a groan as her muscles relaxed and the ache in her head tapered off. It just felt so good to lean on him, to let everything go and just be.
Her stomach flipped as he pressed his forehead to hers and whispered, "Hello …"
Her arms tightened around him. "Hello."
They stood wrapped in their embrace for another long minute before Rose drew back and shook her finger. "This doesn't mean I've forgiven you or that I'm not mad any more. This is just a little time out because I –"
"I missed you too."
Rose sighed and melted back into his arms, pushing aside her anger and confusion to revel in the feeling of being against his lean body. She pressed her cheek to his chest and absorbed the comforting thrum of his dual heartbeats washing over her.
Oh how she'd missed this! The feel of his hands running up and down her back, the scents of cinnamon, wool, and something she never could place but was uniquely him … she loved him, no matter what he'd done or why; her heart undeniably belonged to the Doctor.
Rose stood within the circle of his arms; enjoying one more moment of peace before her rational mind had its way. She sighed, no more putting off the inevitable. She wiggled free, ignoring his noise of protest, and went to stand by the window.
"I …" she took a deep breath and summoned her Torchwood training. Calm, rational, separate from the emotions of the scene, another deep breath Rose, you can do it.
"I need some answers, Doctor."
He quirked an eyebrow and flashed that devil may care grin but Rose maintained her professional demeanor. He sighed and jammed his hands into his pockets, a sure sign that he was intending to evade.
"Oh all right, what do you need to know?"
Rose rolled her eyes. "Everything?"
Rose shook her head and reminded herself to stay calm and detached as he snorted and sent her a look that told her she'd asked a question that proved the origin of her species.
"How about we start with why you decided it was a good idea to pretend you were the clone?" She gestured toward his blue suit. "Why go to such lengths?"
He scowled. "He isn't a clone, he is me. I told you, same memories, same genius mind, same extra senses, just wrapped in a one hearted body …" he scratched the back of his neck and muttered. "For now …"
Rose frowned. "I've heard all of this before and you are avoiding my question. And what do you mean, for now?"
He waved his hand. "Not important –"
"Doctor! You brought it up so it clearly is! What does for now mean and does it have anything to do with why you stayed?"
He grimaced and stood straighter, staring down his nose at her. "Really Rose, does it matter why I stayed instead of him?" He paced across the room and back and then turned, pinning her with an accusing glare. "I mean, anyone would think you'd have preferred him over me!"
Rose glared at him. "You know very well that isn't true so stop changing the subject!" She dragged a hand through her hair and grimaced as the all too familiar nagging pulse began to flicker at her temples. "Doctor, just tell me why, start at the beginning and … oooh," she stamped her foot. "Just tell me why you stayed!"
He sniffed and looked out the window. "I told you why, back on the beach."
Rose closed her eyes and prayed for patience. "No, you told me you loved me. Not that I'm not … I mean …" She clenched her jaw and fought to keep herself from screaming in frustration. A deep breath and then another, repeat of her mantra … She sighed, feeling a bit more in control.
"Ok. You want me to believe that you stayed with me because you love me, right?"
His gaze flitted to hers, a quick nod, and then away again to look out at the churning sea.
A breathy laugh escaped her trembling lips. "Not that I don't think that is the best news I've heard in my life but …" Rose walked over and squeezed his shoulder. "Doctor, you've said the other you loved me too!"
Her jaw tightened and anger crept into her voice. "And today on that damned beach you did your best to convince me that I'd be just as happy with the human you so … so forgive me if I don't think that was your only reason for this, this charade."
His shoulders slumped as he sighed. Turning, he took her hand and met her eyes. He smirked and shook his head. "Rose Tyler, never could fool you, could I?"
She raised an eyebrow and shook her head.
He squeezed her hand and then dropped it to tug on his ear lobe. "Ahh, right then. From the beginning you said?"
Rose nodded and seated herself at the room's small table. She gestured to the chair across from her but he shook his head and began to pace.
"Hmmm, where to start … almost dying by Dalek? Cheating regeneration? Nah, you were there for those." He took another turn around the room and then stopped and propped himself against the door. His brown eyes met and held hers for several seconds before flitting to the view outside. He swallowed hard, rubbed the back of his neck, and cleared his throat.
"There uh … there might have been something in the timelines that suggests that um … I and not the MetaDoctor, have to be here and the Tardis confirmed it." He looked at her, shrugged and spread his arms wide. "So, here I am!"
Rose blinked. Had to be there? Timelines? Had he just - so there was a problem here, he was just preserving the –
She clutched her once again aching head and swallowed hard, forcing words passed her tight throat. "So, all of that … loving me – "Her lip trembled. "That was just rubbish, yeah? You didn't mean any of it! You were just doing your job, you …"
She stood up so quickly the chair tipped and crashed to the floor. Hands shaking as she fought for control, Rose stalked across the room to stand in front of him.
"You're … you are only here because your - your spidey-sense time thingy said you should, not because you wanted to be with me. You lied. You lied and manipulated my feelings –"She laughed. "What? Did you not want to waste time training a new companion- "her voice broke on a sob.
"Rose …,"
She swatted his hands away. "No! Don't Rose me, and don't touch me either!" She stepped back and bit her lip until she had her emotions under control. She blinked back tears and met his eyes. "Why did you pretend? Why not just say that you needed to stay here? I'd of helped you, just like always. Why make me think …"
Rose spun around and stumbled to the window, pressing her face against the glass as the tears spilled over her lashes. Damn her loss of control! So much she still needed to say but her throat was so tight she couldn't speak. She closed her eyes and let the tears flow down her cheeks.
She stiffened when his arms came around her, pressing his chest to her back. "Did—"She brushed the tears away and swallowed, forcing the words out. "Didn't I just say –"
"Hush. I'm going to talk and you are going to listen instead of just assuming." His hands moved to her shoulders. "You're very tense, and I noticed you rubbing your forehead." He nuzzled her neck and his breath ghosted across her cheek, making her shiver. "Are you feeling all right?"
She should jerk away from him, rant, hell, slap him! But his arms around her felt so good and she couldn't find the strength to do any of those things. "I'm a little tired. Just … just finish what you were saying, yeah?"
He dropped a kiss on the top of her head. "Good girl. I may have enacted a bit of subterfuge with the MetaDoctor, for a very good reason I might add, but I can assure you that I would never have said …" he cleared his throat. "It would have been cruel to say something like that and not mean it and you thinking that I would …" He gave her a light squeeze. "I'm making an effort not to be insulted, Rose."
Rose shook her head and whispered. "What am I supposed to think? You say something so wonderful while pretending to be someone else and now …" She snorted. "You can't even bring yourself to say it again!"
His arms tightened around her waist as he nuzzled her cheek. He sighed and brushed a feather light kiss across her temple. "I'm sorry, I'm rubbish at this type of thing you know that! Just, just know that I meant every word."
Rose closed her eyes, wanting to believe, to revel in the words and the emotions they triggered but something nagged at her, pulling her away from complete acceptance. She turned and met his eyes. "Just answer me this, if … if the time lines hadn't suggested it, would you have stayed or left me here with your clo—I mean the MetaDoctor?"
His gaze drifted away to look over her shoulder and Rose had her answer. She pulled free and tried to walk away but he stopped her. "Rose, you don't understand! He is me! He loves you too and you'd of been just as happy with him –"
She shook him off. "No I wouldn't, Doctor! I spent three years working around the clock to get back to you! I wanted –"she swallowed hard. "No, I needed you, this you, the Time Lord you."
He straightened and cocked his head, tongue pressing against the back of his teeth. "You said that before, screamed it actually." Eyes narrowed, he stepped closer and grabbed her chin, looking into her eyes. "Why so insistent you need the Time Lord me, hmmm?"
He continued to peer down at her with a look Rose recognized as his 'this is a curious, perplexing mystery that I need to solve' stare. The only things missing were the brainy specs!
And there he went again; all traces of the earnest lover gone as if he'd never existed. Spots appeared before her eyes as her brain erupted in pain. She blinked several times and pulled from his grasp. "Stop it! I'm not a specimen under a microscope!"
She snorted. More proof, if she'd ever really needed any that everything came before his so called feelings for her. Tears pricked her eyes and Rose turned away, fighting down her emotions because if he could shut off his feelings, if he even had any, then by God so could she!
Breathing through her nose, she summoned every bit of her training and willed herself to project nothing but calm indifference. She threw her shoulders back and tilted her chin. "I accept that you think you love me so let's just …" she waved a hand. "S'not important right now. Just stay on track and get back to your explanations, yeah?"
The Doctor's mouth dropped open. Had she not been fighting to hide her hurt and struggling to maintain her facade, Rose would have laughed at his utterly gob smacked expression.
He closed his mouth with a snap and met her gaze, his eyes blazing with emotion. "I don't think, I know! Just forget about it? Not important? Rose Marion Tyler, it's taken me almost five years to tell you I –"
"Doctor!" Rose held up her hand and bit her lip. Her heart was screaming at her to let him finish. Her body wanted to rush into his arms and accept what he was saying but her brain was fighting to remind her that they were just words and he wielded words like deadly weapons.
Logic won the battle. She turned away and took several deep breaths until she had her body and heart under control. She needed to stay focused, no matter how much she wanted to do otherwise.
She dragged a hand through her hair and then quickly lowered it when she couldn't control the shaking. "It … it isn't relevant. Just tell me about the time stuff because I'm too tired for any more emotional drama."
He pursed his lips and then opened his mouth, clearly intending to argue, but Rose held up her hand. "Please? We can sort us," she snorted and rolled her eyes. "Whatever that means, later. Just tell me why you stayed."
He scowled but Rose held his stare, refusing to back down.
"Fine then." A shutter snapped into place and all emotion left his face. He ran a hand through his hair and then nodded. "So, where was I? Oh yes, the timelines."
He shook his head. "Really Rose, spidey-sense time thingy?" He snorted. "Time sense, if you please. Anyway, while we were towing the Earth home I left the console room, do you remember?"
She nodded and ignored the pang in her heart that screamed she'd just hurt him deeply.
"Yes, well I left because the Tardis was nagging me to check the timelines. I thought she meant those concerning putting the Earth back where it belonged but … she kept nudging me to look at yours, mine, and the MetaDoctor's. "
He shook his head. "I'm not clear on what I'm needed here for but it is clear that one possibility for my future, the brightest one, is for me to be here, not the MetaDoctor. And it also suggested your best future was in this universe."
Rose frowned. "Umm, best future?"
He sighed. "I'm not explaining this properly. You see, time isn't a straight line. It's more like a great big ball of wibbly wobbly … stuff and the Time Lords, what we did, our purpose if you will, was to monitor that ball er … web of time, to make sure that it flowed properly and if it didn't we fixed it in a way that would cause the least amount of ripples to the rest of the web." He looked over at her, brow furrowed. "This, are you following me?"
Rose stared at him, open mouthed. He was talking, really telling her about himself and his people! In all of the time she had known him, this was the first time he'd actually shared something of himself.
She resisted the urge to pinch herself and cleared her throat. "Ye … yes, I think so, what did you mean about possibilities?"
His gaze softened and the smile he flashed was tender as he moved closer and stroked his thumb across her cheek. "Ah Rose Tyler, always asking the right questions. Really Rose, I was rubbish without you."
Rose blushed and allowed herself to lean into his touch. Drat the alien and his effect on her! She tamped down on the warm feelings he was arousing and forced herself to meet his eyes with a level look.
He held her gaze for a second, just enough for Rose to see the depth of his emotions before he retreated back to his usual mask of levity.
She gulped. Damn, what had she done? He was opening up to her, like she'd always wanted and now …
She reached out to grab his hand but he pulled away, shoving it into his pocket and launching into his standard lecture mode. He cleared his throat. "Yes, well it's …, the way I see time … it isn't like reading a book. I can look at the web of time and find the snags but, if that snag directly relates to me then it isn't clear what I should do about it or how it will turn out."
He tugged on his ear. "Gallifreyans, that's my species, are born with the ability to see time and we trained to become Time Lords and took on the responsibility of monitoring time but with that ability comes limitations."
He looked around the room and sniffed. "Safeguards really. Kept us in line. Dangerous thing, if Time Lords were all running around changing things to suit themselves."
Rose frowned, feeling like she'd lost the thread of the conversation. "Umm, Doctor? I'm not following. What kept you in line?"
His mouth twisted as he shook his head. "Our inability to see our own futures, of course. Come one Rose, keep up!"
She scowled. "Keep up! You didn't say anything about your not being able to see your own future."
"Sure I did! Possibilities, remember?"
Rose huffed. "Slowly, and using as few words as possible, explain what you mean."
He rolled his eyes. "I just did –"
He waved his hand at her quirked eyebrow. "All right, no need to get testy! Possibilities are what I see when I try and examine my own place within the web of time. Whenever I look into the web I see thousands of potential futures, for everyone and everything. If I sense a problem I can hone in on the anomaly and trace the problem back to its source then decide on a course of action that should result in the best possible outcome."
He snorted. "In the case of my own timeline, I can't do that. I can examine it but only see the biggest of pictures, does that make sense?"
Rose frowned and thought over what he'd just said. "Yeah, you're sayin' you can see the future for everything around you but when it concerns your specific future you can only see what might be."
He smiled. "Yep. As usual, my Rose, boiling it all down to basics." When she didn't return his smile he cleared his throat and continued. "So, I can't see my own future, weeell, I should say I can't see it clearly, just glimpses really, and that goes for anyone whose life is closely tied to mine. For instance, I can't see my companions' futures clearly either at least until they part company with me. Although, I've never been able to see yours from the time that I met you …" He frowned and scratched his head. "Never have figured that out –"
"So," Rose ignored his musing over her timelines, filing it for later in an effort to keep him on track. "Because you saw your timeline continuing in this universe you decided to stay. What made you think that was the best possible outcome?"
He smirked. "Like I said, always asking the right questions! Honestly, Rose, I can't tell you how much I've needed you over the last –"
His words warmed her heart. She buried them to savor later but flashed him a gentle smile before motioning for him to continue. "Focus Doctor …"
"Yes, well, it was the Tardis you see. She brought this particular possibility into focus."
Rose's brow furrowed. "How?"
He clapped his hands and grinned. "Ah, well you may ask! The Tardis can see all that is, all that was, all that ever could be, the same as me except she can see my future just as clearly as all of the others."
Hands in his pockets, he rocked on his heels clearly enthused on the subject. "It's very rare that she interferes like that. So, even though she didn't allow me to see the details she made it clear enough for me to see that it was the best possible choice for all three of us."
"Wow, I … the Tardis …" She shook her head, trying to process everything he'd said.
He grinned. "Told you she is a magnificent ship!"
Rose smiled and nodded but she was distracted. Something he'd said was prodding at her. She ran back through what he'd said about the Tardis. The words he'd used, they seemed so familiar but the reason was just out of her grasp.
Rose closed her eyes, concentrating on the feeling that told her she'd heard those words before. Searching her memory she gasped as a vision of her first Doctor suddenly flashed through her mind. He was staring at something that glowed so brightly she couldn't look at it.
She focused harder, drawing the image closer. His mouth was moving. She stared at the image before her mind's eye, shutting down everything else until it was all she could sense.
His gruff voice filled her ears as he cried out that it was all his fault.
Someone was speaking, the voice vaguely familiar, though it echoed, like they were far away.
She looked at her Doctor, his blue eyes wide and filled with both awe and fear. Rose ached to comfort him but all she could do was watch as he continued to speak to whatever the gold light was.
Rose gasped as a searing pain rocked her skull. Her heart pounded as the echoing words drew closer, filling her mind. Without thought, her lips formed shapes, repeating what she was listening to.
"The sun and the moon, the day and the night. I can see all that is, all that was, all that ever could be."
His mouth dropped open and then snapped shut as he swallowed hard. "But that's what I see, all the time! Doesn't it drive you mad?"
The light dimmed for a moment and someone sobbed. "My head, it's killing —"
"Rose!" She fought to see past the light, to see who was speaking with her Doctor. She struggled to hold on to the scene but something was drawing her away. She struggled, trying to get another look but –
"Rose snap out of it!"
"What …" she blinked and found herself pressed tightly to the Doctor's chest. She searched his face, noting his furrowed brow and wide eyes.
She licked her lips. "Ah, is something the matter?"
His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed. "You tell me."
Rose shook her head and pulled away as far as his arms would allow. "I … I don't know. We were just talking about the Tardis showing you your future and then …" She frowned, trying to recall what had distracted her so much that she didn't remember being in the Doctor's arms but all she could recall was an image of bright blue eyes filled with fear.
She rubbed her temples as the dull throb of her headache made its presence known. "You, you were … no, that's not right." She bit her lip and met his eyes. "I … I was looking at you, old you I mean, and you were …"
She shook her head and sighed. "Never mind, I'm so tired, must be seeing things." She rubbed her eyes. "And my head has hurt off and on all day and now it's really killing me."
He stiffened. "What does it feel like?"
She blinked. "What, my headache?" She huffed. "I don't know, like a headache, yeah?" She wiggled and he released her but continued to stare at her, his expression intense and troubled.
She frowned. What was wrong with him? She dragged a hand across her face and shrugged. She was too tired and her head ached too much to worry about it right now. Best just finish the explanations and go to bed.
"So, something the Tardis showed you made you stay here, yeah?"
"Rose. What did you mean, I was there?"
Rose sighed and shook her head. So much for staying on track. "Nothing. I mean," She shrugged and rubbed her forehead. "Doesn't matter, was just a – a dream yeah? Let's just get back to -"
"And do you often dream while wide awake, Miss Tyler?"
Rose huffed. God but her head was throbbing. Why wouldn't he let it drop? "No of course not! Was just a … a figure of speech. My headache is getting worse and I've had no sleep for days … I mean, only natural I'm hallucinating –"
"Rose, tell me what else you saw."
She frowned at his insistent tone. "I don't remember." She pointed a finger at him. "Besides, you're just trying to change the subject –"
"No!" He shook her. "I'm trying to find out what just caused you to zone out, make your eyes glow like a thousand suns and then talk about things that you should have no memory of!"
Her mouth dropped open and then closed with a snap. She glared at him. "What do you mean, I glowed? And why should I not have a memory of something?"
He waved her question away. "Never mind that now, just answer me. You said your head has ached off and on all day but now it is much worse. What happened right before the pain intensified? Come to think of it, has this happened before? Is this what Jackie was talking about? The reason you needed those pills?"
Rose grit her teeth against the pounding in her head. "Never mind? Never mind! You're keeping something from me, not that I'm surprised, that's all you seem to do! Answer me, why shouldn't I have a memory –"
"You answer me first."
She crossed her arms and tilted her chin. "You know what, Doctor? I'm not playing this game." She stalked toward the door. "In fact, I'm done playing any and all games with you."
"Where do you think you're going? We're not finished yet."
Rose snorted and reached for the door knob. "Oh, we're finished all righ—"
Her phone trilled. She bit back a curse as the Torchwood ringtone filled the heated silence. All she wanted was a soft mattress and she debated ignoring it but duty was ingrained in her. She sighed and jerked it out of her pocket. "Dorothy here," she snapped.
"Dorothy?"
"Not now, I'm busy." She groaned at the stammered apology coming from her phone. "No, not you, I was talking to someone else. What have you got?"
Rose turned her back on the Doctor as he tried to get her attention. She drew a deep breath and pushed aside her anger at the alien git and focused on her job.
"Yes, I see." Her eyes widened. "It did not! Wow, bet there are some unhappy campers in the comm. room! But no other damage, yeah?"
Rose rubbed her neck and fought to focus past the pain in her temples. "What were the readings again?" She clucked her tongue. "Hmmm, no, it's unexpected if it is. What did Malcolm think?"
Rose rolled her eyes as the Doctor sidled closer. She stepped farther away and returned to her call. "So, he suspects it's an after affect of the stars going out but he hasn't any theory as to why nor does he know what type it is."
She dragged a hand through her hair. "Well, without looking at it I can't form an opinion. Load everything on my laptop and send it with the jet. No, I can't see that there is anything we can about it and really, the world hasn't ended yet so I'm thinking it will keep until tomorrow."
She smiled at the response her statement generated and rolled her shoulders, releasing some of her tension. Teasing and joking about the end of the world was routine, and familiar. She'd never thought being reunited with the Doctor would fall second to problems at work as her choice of things to occupy her mind, but she had to admit that for right now, it did.
She sighed as the roaring in her head began to ease. Torchwood and the mini and major crisis it brought were a stress her body was all too comfortable with. Whereas she'd never, in all the time she'd traveled with the Doctor, faced the kind of emotional turmoil her already exhausted body had been bombarded with since she'd set foot on that blasted beach for what she hoped was now the very last time.
She snorted. Who would have guessed Rose Tyler would ever choose techno jargon riddled science geek reports over her Doctor. She shook off the mental wanderings and pushed her focus back to her current distraction of choice.
"Yeah, I should be back in London by one o'clock as long as the weather holds. Yeah, don't worry, I'll come straight in." She shot a warning glare as the Doctor once again entered her personal space. "Anything else?"
Her eyes widened even as she fought off a yawn. "Oooh, yeah, I'm interested! Anyone else looked at it? Hmmm, archives can't figure it out?" She snorted. "No that's not surprising." She cocked her head and processed everything that she'd been told about the situations at Torchwood. "Scarecrow? Just a thought, but have you checked the tech that came through the rift against those strange readings?"
She listened and then sighed. "Nah, figures you'd of thought of that." She smiled and shook her head. "Well, that'd be too easy, yeah?"
Rose yelped as the Doctor pulled out his sonic and aimed it at her phone. She rubbed the back of her neck as her muscles tightened. "Hey, if there's nothing else, I've got to go. Yeah? No, I'll still be in first thing." The sonic whirred and Rose scowled. "Listen, gotta run. You too. Dorothy out."
She pocketed her phone and glared at the Doctor. "Don't try that again, if I wanted you to know what was being said I'd of told you!" She shook her head and headed for the door.
"Rose, I have superior hearing, no need to use the sonic for that." He aimed it at her again and pushed the button.
Rose glared at him. "What are you doing?"
He huffed. "What's it look like? I'm examining you." He frowned down at something on the tool and then glanced back up at her. "What was that all about? And why are you calling yourself Dorothy?"
Rose turned. "I don't need you to examine me, I told you I'm fine, just a headache. Nothing some sleep won't cure." She dragged a hand through her hair. "And Dorothy is my code name. Torchwood phone or not, mobile lines aren't completely secure and no one knows I work for Torchwood."
He glanced up from the sonic. "What? Why?"
She shook her head and opened the door only to jump as he slapped his palm down upon the metal, slamming it shut. "We aren't finished, Rose. I'm worried about this sudden headache and I want to know what you saw -"
"And I want to know what you're hiding! Guess we'll both go unsatisfied!" Rose sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Doctor my headache has eased off some but I'm tired, bloody well exhausted actually, and I don't have the energy to fight with you tonight, so just drop it."
He grunted. "Then why do you insist upon starting the fight?"
She jerked away and glared at him. "I started it! Why you …" She clenched her hands into fists. Two deep breaths and a silent count to ten had her voice back to its regular octave.
She threw back her shoulders and forced all emotion off of her face. "Doctor. We will be leaving here at oh eight thirty. Be at the hotel entrance if you're coming." She strode to the door but stopped when his hand closed around her arm.
"Rose Tyler." He chuckled but his tone held no humor. "Well that's one way in which you haven't changed, just going to run off in a snit then?"
Rose swallowed back an angry retort and pulled the door open. She stepped through and then turned, meeting his gaze. "Think whatever you like, Doctor, but I'm gonna get some sleep so I can focus on my job." She smirked. "You of all people should understand the whole putting your job before everything and everyone else, yeah?" She met his eyes one last time and then closed the door.