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She has been chasing him... That timorous beastie has been chasing him for the past hour and there seemed to be no way out of it.
The Doctor peeked his head out of his hideout in the kitchen, which was named as that in the last five minutes he had been staying there. For a moment the corridor was empty. He almost exhaled in relief, until it appeared...
The beast locked their gaze to the Time Lord and showed their teeth in delight to have found their prey.
"Gel!" the voice cried out.
"Oh, not again," the Doctor groaned, paced about in place and after a few skips, resumed his dashing through the infinite hallways of the TARDIS.
"Doctor!" The voice was nearing. Just a bit longer and he would be doomed.
"I'm telling you," he shouted back, his head turned, facing behind himself. "I like it as it is!"
"I just want to feel it!" An innocent voice. Heh, like hell it was innocent.
The Doctor quickened his pace. He had to get away, if he wanted to keep it safe.
"Don't run!" Desperate call, filled with amusement.
"Then don't chase me!" he shot back. He ran further inside, until he saw the dead end not that far ahead of him. Dead end? Since when the TARDIS had a dead end? "Hide me!" the Doctor pleaded his ship. The ship only gave him an amused hum.
"I can't believe it! You teamed up with her!" he narrowed his eyes in disbelief and after he saw that his path had ended, stopped right into his tracks. Before long, one pink and yellow human, reached him, just a few meters away.
"There kitty kitty," she sang. The Doctor was still facing the wall. He had been caught. No. He just couldn't accept it. But he was cornered. With no way out, since someone refused to give him a hand, or space for that matter. Alright, he just had to play his way out of it. With great reluctance he turned around to see a cheeky grin on her face.
"Rose Tyler," he said her name solemnly. "I'm telling you. This Time Lord brain of mine, needs my hair. And you're not allowed to mess with it." He pointed at her. "I have spent two hours readjusting them. Now you want to just ruin it?"
When he thought that he saw her understanding face, he began his rambling. "You see, I used this Transportant Shiny Glue Gel, which I have found in the black market of the planet Baldania. Everyone there is bald, can you believe it?" he cried, beaming at her nervously. Rose just crocked her head to her sides, considering his story.
"But from time to time there would be born a child with hair. And it's bad. Very bad. It's actually considered treason there, because they seek the shine of their heads. They believe if your head shines in the sun, you are nearer the God." He waved his hand dismissively. "So they invented those Transportant Shiny Glue Gels, where your hair gets glued together and shines in the sun!" He beamed at her. "Isn't that brilliant? Although." His face shadowed. "It got banned in no time too, so in the end only black market has them now."
"Hmm..." she hummed. "What's with the Transportant?"
"Oh, it's for hiding it. A click with your fingers and it appears at your hand. It's actually glued to your DNA. Very convenient. If I must say. Especially if you want to hide it from the curious eyes." He nodded approvingly, and with a snap of his fingers a bottle appeared in his one hand. "See? Isn't that genius?" He shook it to the sides, teasingly.
"Mm-hm!" Rose nodded with enthusiasm, her teeth showing from the corners of her lips, forming a grin. When their eyes met, Rose beamed at the nervous Time Lord. "Gel!" she exclaimed and lunged at him. 'Guess, she didn't buy it.
The Doctor somehow managed to evade her, but was now once again back to the running.
"Let it go. Let it go. Just let it go!" he whined, while running, forwards and sometimes backwards to face her.
"Never," she said, beaming at him. The Doctor just widened his eyes while taking a breath and continued his run.
Somehow the ship was becoming less and less helpful and the Time Lord was robbed of any possible rooms as a hideout and now they were back in the open, in the console room. Both standing across each other, grabbing the console, with their eyes locked. It reminded him of all those times before the adventure, but this time, he was protecting something. There was no way he could join Rose Tyler now!
"Jack! Tell her!" the Doctor tried to find his shelter on Captain's side, who was casually sitting on the jump seat. "She must have hit her head too much from the crash!" the Doctor cried. Jack just laughed out loud at them.
According to the TARDIS official events, they have just recovered from the crash land on Earth. Thus making everyone fall unconscious, leaving even the Doctor with a buzzing head. They really had a bumpy ride, as they hopped to February the 1st - that's where the only breach was, as the one at Bad Wolf Bay had been closed by the Image Doctor. And then they purposely crashed on Earth, making up this charade story.
And the only two, aware of the truth behind the parallel world, were Jack and Rose. Mickey Smith got his memories locked down as a punishment for asking too many questions of "How can it be my past/future self if neither of us were aware of each other?" And now he was back on Earth, as he told them, got a sudden urge to seek independence. Rose wondered whether the Doctor didn't plant that idea in his head to get rid of him...
"Ever since you woke up, you got all weird!" the Doctor accused Rose, pointing at her like a child.
"I've not got weird." She laughed. Well, it may have been a bit hard to restrain herself from launching herself right at him, considering that she was happy beyond belief to have finally heard the end of that sentence! The Doctor had actually finished his sentence! It still felt like a dream to her, and sometimes she would almost believe it was all only a dream, but to her total embarrassment, Jack was not shy to show her one of his meaningful looks that he saw their... little gesture at the beach.
"You did! Well, you're always weird. But this time it's more weird than just normal weird. It's weird of weirdness of Weirdtownia! You became all giddy and all," he cried. Oh. She really felt an urge to tease him.
The Doctor, being useful as sometimes he can be, told her nothing about the source of her time reset.
Something about...if he were to suspect her again and would seek the answer in his brain, he better find none. If his brain had no answer to her time resetting, then he would not know either. Better be safe. And how he found it strange that somehow she was aware of her original timeline, being all human and all. Wasn't she also wondering that? Sigh. She was left once again without the information she needed.
The least she was allowed to do was... play a little game. Right?
"I'm so not amused," she said in a low voice. The Doctor had to suppress the quivering mouth of his.
"There there! It's like some inner joke is going on here!" he cried, playing his part of being serious.
"Not remotely amused," she said, with a sly smile on her face, when she was edging towards him.
The Doctor snorted at that. And Rose found herself grinning. "I just want to feel your super Transpa-something gel," she said softly, while edging towards him, extending her hand.
"Transportant Shiny Glue Gel. And don't come closer!" He was backing away, with his hands put in defence towards her, when he composed himself. "Back off. Back off." He tried to sound serious.
"Are you seriously telling me to back off from you?" she asked incredulously, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh, well. The world is full of surprises," he exclaimed blithely. It was unlikely for him to refuse her something. Very unlikely in fact... He could very well give in, and let her mess with his hair. Of course he could, if she would try to show him one of her faces...Yeh, like those down... No no no, she was starting! If he watches for too long, he will be gone. That cannot happen.
Still holding his gaze intensely to Rose's puppy-eyes look, he found himself shouting. "ELVIS!"
That startled Rose, as she blinked and it also nearly made Jack fall off the chair.
"Wh-what?" she blinked.
"Let's go see Elvis, shall we? 1950s! The time before they called him 'the Pelvis' and he still had a waist. And the hair!" he exclaimed, gesturing to his head, manically. "The hair. It suits the era perfectly." When she tried to talk. "And don't try to put your hands on it. I would be thrown out with bed hair."
"I love your bed hair," she said lovingly.
"That's not the point." He dismissed her, then stopped. "You do?" He beamed at her, but when he saw her getting closer, he stopped himself. "Elvis!" he exclaimed again. "Great fellah, great music, just what we need!" He stood near the console to press some buttons.
"So we're going to see Elvis," Rose stated with amusement.
"Yes we are! So go on. Fetch some clothes, put something to suit the fashion and off we go! With a style!" He bounced at the console some more, and with the last fling of a hand, turn-jumped to face her, all beaming.
Rose laughed at his ridiculousness. "You're not getting away from this," she told him, pointing at him teasingly and slowly backing away.
"Did for now," he sang, beaming. He followed her with his eyes, leaning on the console with his hands, as she disappeared in the corridors. He widened his eyes, sighing a relief.
"Now. Finally a break to take." He trailed off. "How about you, big fellah? Fancy a trip to Elvis?" he offered Jack, looking at him.
Well, actually, he was planning this trip, having in mind it only being the two of them, but as Jack somehow stayed... It was not like he did not like his company...Just sometimes... It was nice, just being the two of them. The Doctor and Rose Tyler in the TARDIS. Did he seriously start thinking like that? What happened to the more the merrier? Sigh. Somehow his conciousness began to literally drown in Reinette's words. His soul. Rose in his soul. No no, better not go so deep now. He shook his head fiercely.
"Big Fellow?" Jack interrupted the Time Lord's inner conversation, looking at him expectedly.
"Mm? Oh. Oh! Right, that's from the Sycorax leader. The big spaceship above London this Christmas. Their leader just came out and roared at me what I was doing there. Funny big species." He chuckled at the memory, while flipping some switches.
"With Rosie?" Jack asked casually.
"Oh yeh. She even left me with her mother to go climbing the trees herself! Imagine that! Oh, I still didn't forget that. And nooow she wants to mess with my hair! My big hair!" he cried.
"So, to protect your hair you decided to drop her at Elvis?" Captain asked, amused.
"Well..." The Doctor circled his tongue inside his mouth, in concentration. "Can't let her have the luxury now, can I?"
"Luxury for what?" Rose's voice echoed in the console room.
"Oh, nothing nothing," the Doctor muttered, facing the console. "Finally done?"
"Says someone who has been adjusting his hair for the past two hours," she muttered under her breath, but knew that he would catch on.
"It's different! It's alien product. Not some stupid primitive Earth... gel... soup..." He trailed off, as he took in her appearance - polka dot pink dress with a blue jacket. Rose grinned at his reaction.
"Oh, Rosie! You look gorgeous!" Jack came towards her to hug her. "Were did we get so lucky to have such a beautiful woman onboard." He beamed at her. Rose chuckled at him.
"So are you, Jack." She beamed at him. "It's a bit strange seeing you without your coat though."
"Do you mean...?" Jack looked at her meaningfully.
"Handsome, yeh, yeh, you're very handsome." She laughed.
"I knew you had good eyes!" Jack said enthusiastically and stepped back from her, facing the Doctor now, who was looking at the scene with an unhappy expression on his face. He soon hid it under his nonchalant mask though.
The Doctor cleared his throat. "Well then...If we're all set off..." He pressed the last button and started walking towards Rose. When he was inches from her, he spun her around and walked her towards the door by her shoulders.
"Um...Doctor?" she tried softly.
"Take a look what's outside!" he exclaimed blithely and pushed her out the doors.
Rose staggered a bit as she was in her heels. She sprung around to face the retreating Doctor. "What's with the spinning?" she asked incredulously.
"Spinning is good!" he exclaimed blithely; his head peeked out the doorway. "Maybe it will get your head readjusted. Think about it. Good for a change. Now wait a sec," he said casually and disappeared inside the TARDIS again.
Rose just stood there dumbfounded. "Someone definitely hit their head hard," she muttered and readjusted her clothes, pacing about outside the TARDIS. She narrowed her eyes at the ship. That's a first. Never have been thrown out the TARDIS before.
To her amusement, the sound of an engine echoed from the inside of the TARDIS and second later, the Doctor rode out on a blue late-50's moped! Rose shook her head, grinning. The Doctor stopped just a few meters away from the ship - big sunglasses and a white helmet on his head.
"You goin' my way, doll?" Pulling Elvis-style expression and voice.
"Is there any other way to go, daddy-o?" She played along, putting on a pair of pink sunglasses - in an American accent. "Straight from the fridge, man!" she teased and walked towards the moped, laughing.
"Hey, you speak the lingo!" the Doctor sang in a delighted, high pitched voice. He tossed her a pink version of his helmet and she caught it, putting it on, moments later.
"Yeh well...me, mum, Cliff Richard movies every Bank Holiday Monday," she said while sitting behind him on the moped. The Doctor just pulled an I knew it face.
"Ah," he exhaled. "Cliff! I knew your mother'd be a Cliff fan."
Rose laughed at him. "That she is. But... What's with the chucking me out of the TARDIS back then?" she asked, pulling a serious voice. The Doctor turned around to face her. "That was rude, ya know?" She looked at him meaningfully.
"Was it?" he asked casually. "Sorry," he said sheepishly, grinning at her. Rose just rolled her eyes.
"Now then!" he exclaimed and made some engine sound.
"Doctor," Rose said between laughter.
"Mm?" he turned to look at her.
"There's still Jack out there." She pointed casually at Captain, who was casually leaning on the TARDIS. The Doctor sprung his head to face Jack.
"Oh. Right." It sounded like he just remembered him.
"'Guess it's time for my stroll, then." Jack pushed himself back from the TARDIS.
"Jack..." Rose looked at him a bit unsure.
"No place for me, Rosie." Jack just beamed at her.
"Yep, no place," the Doctor added casually.
"Well, then I'm not going." Rose started to get off the vehicle.
"No no no. Stay there." The Doctor somehow managed to put Rose back on the seat. He looked at Jack and sighed. "Oh, well." With visible reluctance he pulled his sonic screwdriver out and bleeped it at the empty space on the side of the moped. In a flash, a spare seat appeared, supported by another wheel.
"Oh, it had this?" Rose looked at it in astonishment.
"Yeh, well, perception filter. I prefer to only use two wheels." The Doctor grimaced at the seat like it was poison.
"You got some tricks, hidden up your sleeves, Doc. This is amazing." Jack quickly jumped in the spare seat, playing Mister Oblivious to the Doctor's huff.
Soon enough, the Time Lord pressed the pedal and they were off on the road. Jack watched their backs in amusement - Rose's hands curled up around the Doctor's waist as they drove. He could hear the Doctor's voice from the parallel world.
"And Jack...don't play with me. My self with a crack already has ridiculous thoughts about your friendship with Rose."
"Is your self suspecting that something is going on between us?" Jack asked in amusement.
"Don't even start."
Thinking back, how could Jack not play with the Time Lord. If he says not to, he wants to do it even more. Jack let himself being driven away, with a smirk on his face.
"So, what's the destination?" Jack asked from behind them.
"Ed Sullivan TV Studios, Elvis did 'Hound Dog' on one of the shows, there were loads of complaints. Bit of luck, we'll just catch it," the Doctor said through the engine sound.
"TV studios in, what... New York?" Rose teased him.
"That's the one!" the Doctor exclaimed happily.
After a red London bus drove past the end of the street, the Doctor stopped. A red post box and Union flag bunting hanging from rooftop to rooftop. The Doctor looked all bemused.
"Dinging that New York vibe!" Rose laughed it off.
"Weeell... " The Doctor trailed off. "This COULD still be New York, I mean this looks very New York to me." He looked around. "Sort of... Londony New York, mind.." He just couldn't accept another failure in his driving.
"You know it's impressive how much we try to go somewhere and always end up elsewhere," Rose teased.
"Oi! We did go to Ian Dury concert as we planned!" he cried.
"Yep, only to be thrown back to the TARDIS afterwards." Rose chuckled.
"Guys, I think we've arrived at the right time," Jack interrupted them. "All those flags tell me we're up for a celebration!"
"Yeh? At least someone agrees with me," the Doctor said blithely.
"Good for you." Rose laughed.
They drove some more, until they parked in the neighbourhood. Down in the road, they spotted a man, Magpie, throwing open the doors to his van. Two errand boys took out a television and carried it into a house. The house owner was looking on.
"There you go, sir, all wired up for the great occasion," Magpie exclaimed.
The Doctor, Rose and Jack walked past and stopped, after hearing the man.
"The great occasion? What d'you mean?" the Doctor asked nonchalantly, picking on his ear.
"Where've you been living, out in the Colonies?" Magpie glanced him suspiciously. "Coronation, of course." He said, closing the doors of his van. Rose looked at the man a bit uncomfortably.
"What Coronation's that, then?" the Doctor asked.
"What d'you mean?" Magpie stopped to look at the Doctor with a bemused expression. "THE Coronation," he just said.
"Oh, nice." Jack grinned.
The Doctor looked at the man with a blank expression, turning to Rose for help.
"The Queen's," Rose said softly.
Still nothing.
"Queen Elizabeth!" she exclaimed, hinting.
Then it clicked him. "Oh! Oh, is this 1953?!" the Doctor asked the man all happy.
"Last time I looked," Magpie said, walking casually towards them. "Time for a lovely bit of pomp and circumstance, what we do best."
Rose didn't notice how she backed away from the man in reflex, her expression guarded. Magpie seemed to feel a bit lost, so he turned his gaze away from her.
"Look at all the TV aerials..." Rose said while looking around at chimneys. "It's like everyone's got one. That's weird, my nan said tellies were so rare they all had to pile into one house," she said in a hinted voice.
"Not round here, love. Magpie's Marvellous Tellies, only five quid a box."
"Oh? So you practically give them away. 'Wonder why would a business man do that," she said in a stern voice, her gaze locked to Magpie.
"It's my patriotic duty." The man paced about a bit uncomfortably. "Seems only right that as many folk as possible get to watch the coronation. We may be losing the Empire but we can still be proud!"
"I'm sure you are very very proud of yourself," Rose said in a low voice.
"Uuum-" the Doctor inhaled. "Thank you, Mr. Magpie! Such lovely tellies." He then leaned his head towards Rose. "What's this all about?" he whispered.
"He's weird and suspicious," Rose said in a firm voice.
"Uh huh. As long as not as weird as you are - nothing to worry about," he sang blithely. Rose gave him a dangerous look. The Doctor just angled his head to the sides, in amusement.
A sudden woman's shouts distracted them.
"Someone help me, please! Ted!"
A man with a blanket over his head was being bundled into a black police car by two suited men. The Doctor and Rose, followed by Jack ran over to them.
"Leave him alone, it's my husband!" the woman pleaded.
"What's going on?" the Doctor asked, concerned.
The blanketed man was pushed into the back seat, as Tommy ran out of his house. "Oi, what are you doing?!"
"Police business, now get out of the way, sir!" D.I. Bishop told them.
"Who was that?" Jack asked.
"Must be Mr Gallagher..." Tommy said, looking inside the car.
Just as fast, the car started driving off, leaving Mrs Gallagher in despair.
"It's happening all over the place. They're turning into monsters..." Tommy said carefully.
"Tommy! Not one word!" Eddie shouted at Tommy, as soon as he stormed out of the house.
Rose gave the man a warning look, but he was oblivious to that and just dragged Tommy inside.
Not wasting any more seconds, the Doctor put on his sunglasses again and ran over to the moped, kicking it into life.
"All aboard!" he exclaimed, when Rose was sitting in her place behind the Doctor and Jack already jumped in his spare seat.
The trio came round the corner on the moped, following the black car, just to stop short of the market stall.
"Lost 'em! How'd they get away from us?" he wondered.
"Surprised they didn't turn back and arrest you for reckless driving, have you actually PASSED your test?!" she joked. The Doctor was not listening, or pretending very well not to listen. He was good at not listening, when he didn't feel it convenient for him.
"Men in black? Vanishing police cars? This is Churchill's England, not Stalin's Russia."
Rose looked around the place. She was not sure where did the Doctor found them the previous time as she stayed behind at the second chase.
"They got some amazing teamwork," Jack said, nodding approvingly.
"Meaning what?' the Doctor asked, a bit confused.
"What would you do if you were left without the TARDIS and you had to hide?" Jack asked.
The Doctor narrowed his eyes. "I would ask Rose to cover up for me, I suppose..."
"Exactly," Jack exclaimed, beaming at them both.
"Ooooh." Rose seemed to get it. The Doctor looked at her questioningly. She then pointed her head towards the gate. When the Doctor sprung around to watch the workers, his face lit up.
"Oh. Oh. Very good. Very very good, indeed!" The Doctor beamed at the sight.
"Infiltration process?" Rose suggested, grinning.
"Right on schedule. Let's get back here after sunset."
"And in meantime?" Jack asked casually.
"Monsters, that boy said..." Rose said with a deeper meaning. The Doctor turned to face her. "Maybe we should go and ask the neighbours," she suggested.
"That's what I like about you. The domestic approach," the Doctor said sweetly.
"Is that a compliment or an insult?" she asked, concerned.
"Depends what you want to hear," the Doctor said.
"Well, not an insult would be nice," Rose said.
"Well then."
"But did you mean it as an insult?" She tried again, but the Doctor only kicked the moped back into life and they were off.
The door bell rang.
Eddie opened the door to the Doctor, Rose and Jack, who were wearing identical cheesy grins.
"Hiiiiii!" the trio sang in an adorable chorus.
"Who are you, then?" Eddie asked, regarding them suspiciously.
"Let's see then," The Doctor glanced the man over, Rose looking amused, Jack expectedly. "Judging by the look of you - family man, nice house, decent wage, fought in the war-" he muttered to himself. "Therefore, I represent Queen and country!" he spilled, holding up the psychic paper with a flourish.
"Just doing a little check of Her Majesty's forthcoming subjects for the great day," he spilled in one of his nine hundred per hour speed, making the man at the door all confused and slow on the uptake. "Don't mind if I come in? Nah, didn't think you did, thank you!" the Doctor barged inside at those words, followed by Rose.
Jack was last and didn't lose a chance. "Captain Jack Harkness. Nice to meet you!" He shook the man's limp hand enthusiastically and soon went inside after the pair himself.
"Not bad, very nice! Very well kept! I'd like to congratulate you, Mrs... ?" the Doctor leaned in towards the woman.
"Connolly," she said timidly.
"Captain Jack Harkness, Mrs. Connolly. You're in good hands," he whispered to her, winking. The Doctor gave him a look.
"Now then Rita, I can handle this." Eddie stood there all forced-gallant and all. "This gentleman's a proper representative!" he couldn't suppress his eagerness. Rose just perched herself on the arm of a chair.
"Don't mind the wife, she rattles on a bit," Eddie said.
"Well, maybe she should rattle on a bit more," the Doctor said, leaving both Tommy and Eddie shocked.
"I'm not convinced you're doing your patriotic duty," the Doctor continued, unfazed. He made a side glance towards the flags around the room, waiting to be put up.
"Nice flags. Why are they not flying?" he asked in one of those inspector's voices.
"There we are Rita, I told you - get them up, Queen and country!" Eddie said, after a brief uncomfortable pause.
"I'm sorry-" Rita said, but was shushed by the Doctor, who looked at the man sceptically, and began to move over to Eddie.
"Get it done! Do it now." Eddie talking.
"Hold on a minute-" the Doctor tried, but Eddie talked over him.
"Like the gentleman says -" Eddie tried but this time, the Doctor shushed him.
"Hold on a minute. You've got hands, Mr Connolly. Two big hands!" He glanced at his hands. "Why is that your wife's job?" He asked seriously. Rose watched the scene with full attention, Jack leaning casually on the wall.
"It's housework, innit?" Eddie asked, a bit confused.
"And that's a woman's job?" the Doctor raised an eyebrow.
"Course it is!" Eddie laughed.
"Mr Connolly, what gender is the Queen?" the Doctor asked, pointing the last words.
"She's a female," Eddie stammered.
"And are you suggesting the Queen does the housework?" the Doctor said in a half whisper, daring him to say it.
After a few uncomfortable seconds, Eddie spoke again. "No! Not at all!"
"Then get busy." The Doctor said, handing Eddie a string of flags while giving him an insistent stare.
"Right, yes sir." Eddie set about hanging the flags, feigning enthusiasm. Nobody in the room seemed to be fooled.
"You'll be proud of us, sir! We'll have Union Jacks left, right and centre!"
Rose suddenly rose from her chair, hands on hips, as the Doctor slowly paced back across the room.
"'Scuse me, Mr Connolly, hang on a minute! Union Jacks?" she asked with a business smile.
"Yes, that's right, isn't it?" Eddie paused in his work momentary to look at her.
"That's the Union Flag." She pointed her head at it like it was the obvious. "It's the Union Jack only when it's flown at sea," she scolded him.
"Oh... oh, I'm sorry, I do apologise!" Eddie tried to humble himself. The Doctor glanced from her to Eddie.
"Well, don't get it wrong again," Rose said, smiling widely. "There's a good man. Now GET TO IT!" With a force in her voice to make some impact.
When the man went back to work, Rose gave the Doctor a coy smile. Even he looked slightly bewildered! Jack only felt pride for her, as he took his place at the armchair.
"Right then!" the Doctor exclaimed as he sat on the sofa. "Nice and comfy, at Her Majesty's leisure!" With Rose right next to him.
"Union Flag?" the Doctor sang quietly to Rose, with a grin still on his face.
"Mum went out with a sailor," Rose said breathlessly, beaming at him.
"Oohohohoo! I bet she did!" he sang. "Anyway," Now lauder, speaking to the room. "I'm the Doctor, this is Rose and you've already met Jack there." He pointed to Jack casually, who saluted.
To his utter disbelief, Captain Jack Harkness would have never thought there would be a time when he would feel like a third wheel, but today, more than any other day, that seemed to be the case. There was obviously nobody who could come between the Doctor and Rose-
"And you are?" The Doctor glanced at the boy.
"Tommy," the boy said.
"Well, sit yourself down, Tommy," the Doctor said warmly.
"With exception of helping people," Jack noted as he saw the pair shift aside, making a space for Tommy to sit in between.
Truly, if the Doctor from the parallel universe wouldn't have personally asked Jack to stay, he would have already left by now.
"Did you say you were a doctor?" Rita asked the Doctor, somewhat reluctantly. She was already sitting on the chair, close to the trio on the sofa.
"Yes I am."
"Can you help her? Oh please, can you help her, Doctor?" Rita pleaded with her eyes.
Eddie, overhearing this last part of the conversation, interrupted.
"Now then Rita, I don't think the gentleman needs to know-"
"No, the gentleman does!" the Doctor cut him off.
"Better listen to him. This one is influential." Jack winked Eddie meaningfully, pointing at the Doctor.
Not being able to hold it in anymore, Rita started crying, and Rose moved forward on her seat to address her.
"We'll help. Don't worry." She soothed the woman, wrapping a comforting arm around her. The Doctor watched them with a concerned frown.
"Hold on a minute! Queen and country's one thing, but this is my house!" Eddie looked down at the flags in his hands, chucking them down. The Doctor proped his head on his forearm and balled fist, appearing calm but giving the distinct impression that he's restraining himself.
"What the- what the hell am I doing? Now you listen here, Doctor! You may have fancy qualifications, but what goes on under my roof is my business!"
"All the people are being bundled into-" the Doctor said scathingly.
"I am talking!" Eddie shouted.
"And I am not LISTENING!" the Doctor raised his voice even louder than Eddie's and was literally spitting in his face, as he loomed over him. "Now you, Mr Connolly, are staring into a deep, dark PIT of trouble if you don't let me help!" Eddie only blinked, flabbergasted. "So I'm ordering you - SIR! - to tell me what's going on!"
Jack could only be glad that he was not on the receiving end of the Oncoming Storm. Sadly, this Doctor seemed to not take him as well as the parallel Doctor. One wrong move on Rosie, and he felt like he would be thrown out in the Vortex. When he turned his head, facing Rose, he was taken aback by Rose's complete non affect by the Doctor's outburst.
Once again Captain was questioning his place in there. He had to keep reminding himself...
"Everything is changing. Events play out way differently than those from our original timeline. Timelines... Time itself is spinning around in one big messy yarn ball, and no one knows which end will appear next. You were never there with us, Jack. And I don't know how things will turn out there...I might not even survive it, we barely did it the last time as it is. I could be lost, and Rose would be all alone... Keep her safe, Captain. She's all I have. And I trust her with you, if I'm not there."
The sound of something banging could be heard from upstairs. Everyone's eyes rolled upwards, listening.
"She won't stop," Eddie said with a degree of fear.
The banging continued, even louder.
"She never stops," Eddie said.
"We started hearing stories," Tommy started, taking attention of the Doctor. "All round the place. People who've... changed. Families keeping it secret 'cause they were scared. The police started finding out. We don't know how, no one does. They just... turn up, come to the door and take 'em. Any time of the day or night."
"Show me," the Doctor said.
The group appeared in a dark room, only the figure of Tommy's gran, lurking near the window could be seen.
"Gran? It's Tommy." As he opened the door wider, allowing the Doctor and the others behind to come inside the darkened room.
"'S all right Gran, I've brought help." With that Tommy stepped a little further inside the room, turning on the light. A faceless elderly woman stood in the middle of the room. Rose grimaced at the sight. She remembered Tommy's gran, she was a kind woman. Now seeing her without her face again was shocking. How she must have appeared herself to the Doctor...
"How did that happen?" Jack exclaimed, taking in the sight. The Doctor simply stared with a furrowed brow. He then took a few steps further, closing the distance between the gran and himself.
"Her face is completely gone," he said with an air of fascination.
"Scarcely an electrical impulse left. Almost complete neural shutdown, she's ticking over, like her brain has been... wiped clean." He was talking while scanning the face with his sonic.
They were interrupted by the crash of the policemen entering the house.
"We've got company..." Rose said urgently.
"It's them, they've come for her!" Rita breathed with horror filled eyes.
"What was she doing before this happened?" the Doctor asked hurriedly. "Where was she?"
Rita hesitated, not being able to think of a place and the policemen burst out inside the room.
"Hold on a minute!" the Doctor pulled his hands up in defence, trying to buy some time. "There are three important, brilliant-" He was holding a finger. "And complicated reasons why you should listen to me." He inhaled. "One-" But was shut off by the burly man's punch in the Doctor's face, leaving the Time Lord unconscious on the ground.
"Doctor!" Rose yelled.
"Big mistake, round man," Jack exclaimed, pointing a weapon at the men.
"Jack, they're policemen," Rose half-whispered, while kneeling near the Doctor, slapping his cheeks to wake him up.
"Good thing I'm not the local boy then," Jack said cheesily.
"What is that thing in your hand? Do you even have the licence for that?" One of the policemen furrowed their brows.
"Certainly didn't ask you for one. Now back off!" Jack ordered the men, as they tried to get near the gran.
"What, what... this is outrageous!" Eddie exclaimed. "Since when people representing the Queen has the permission to carry guns?"
"The Queen's representatives?" the policeman asked. "This bunch seems to have more than one crime in their files."
"Surely not as bad as hiding faceless people in the police headquarters," Rose said in a low voice.
"Uh," the Doctor's voice from below took everyone's attention.
"Doctor! You all right?" Rose asked him. He suddenly sat up, taking his surroundings.
"Ah, hell of a right hook! Have to watch out for that! One kind of a welcome. That was rude! And they say I'm rude..." He stood up, facing the men. He then spotted them frozen to the spot, looking warily behind him. He turned around.
"Jack, what's with the gun?!" the Doctor cried in disbelief.
"They knocked you out," Jack said defensively.
"I'm touched," the Doctor said humorously.
"Who are you people?" the policeman demanded.
"Weeel, it's a long story, if you want to hear it...?" The Doctor looked at the men meaningfully.
"You're the one in charge here?" the policeman asked.
"That I'm," the Doctor said in an authoritative voice.
"You're coming with us then," the policeman said, turning around to walk away. The Doctor made his way for the door.
"Doctor." Rose tugged on his arm.
"It's alright, I'm just using the front door for the infiltration." He grinned at her. "You two keep an eye on things here." He gestured for them and went off.
to be continued...