Disclaimer: Nothing related to Doctor Who or the Harry Potter Series is mine. I swear. I wish I owned them, cuz then I might have a bit more money, but I don't.
Warnings: Book Two of Three (Main books anyway). Swearing. Sarcasm. I have only watched the new series, no knowledge of early Doctor Who. EWE, kind of...
Dedication: To the Writers and Producers of Doctor Who, thank you for giving me something else to obsess over, now that Harry Potter is long gone. And to the lovely people who encourage me to continue writing in their reviews. To the lovely people who encouraged me to post the next chunk. To my lovely reviewers, GryffinPuffGirl and Emaelin, thank you for everything you've said.
Book 2: Stories of A Shop Girl
Summary: A Death too soon. A woman who steps up to save the world.
Rating: Dark T
Genre: Adventure/Drama
A/N: So, this episode has a Weasley in it. Hope you all like it.
Part 1: Just a Replacement?
Chapter 5: A Visit to Downing Street
I look around the Powell Estate, after stepping out of the TARDIS. I turn back to the Doctor. "How long have I been gone?"
"About twelve hours after the phone call." I nodded.
"Oh. Right, I won't be long. I just want to see my mum." And pick up some of the herbs I forgot during my haste packing of my bag.
He stops me, placing a hand on my shoulder. "What're you going to tell her?"
I give him a smile. "I don't know. I called her from the year 5 billion, and came back to see Charles Dickens and it's only been twelve hours since we talked? Naw, I'll just tell her I went to France or something. See you later. Oh, don't you disappear!" I say, giving him a look, while I was walking backwards. He waved and I turned around, confident that he wouldn't swan off.
The walk back to Jackie's flat was familiar and short. I unlocked the door, and put my keys in the bowl. "I'm back! Sorry I didn't call. We went to France, can you believe it? Are you in?" I walk down the small hall, and see Jackie sitting at the table. She's staring me. "How've you been? What? What's the face for? I told you I'd be travelling."
The cups she's holding falls to the floor, smashing into small pieces. "It's you."
"It's Mia me, not um..." I trail off, awkwardly, unsure of what she's freaking out about.
"Oh, my God. It's you. Oh my God." She throws her arms around me. I take a glance at the table, which has various missing posters. The door gets slammed open, and I hear the Doctor's heavy boots running.
"It's not twelve hours, it's twelve months. You've been gone a whole year." I turn and look at him. "Sorry."
Jackie's furious. I talk her down from calling the police, and get her to sit down.
But she jumps right back up. "The hours I've sat here, days and weeks and months, all on my own. I thought you were dead, that the call was just a hoax, or someone trying to cover their tracks to..." She stops herself. "Where were you? Travelling. What the hell does that mean, travelling? That's no sort of answer."
"That's what I was doing." I said, trying to get her to calm down some.
She's still mad. "When your passport's still in the drawer? It's just one lie after another." She said, pointing a finger in my face.
"I haven't lied to you." I said. "I meant to phone. I really did. I just forgot."
"What, for a year? You forgot for a year? And I am left sitting here. I just don't believe you. Why won't you tell me where you've been?"
The Doctor decides to speak up on my behalf. "Actually, it's my fault. I sort of, er, employed Rose as my companion."
"Your companion? He takes you places and screws you on the side?" Jackie said, livid.
"No!" The Doctor and I yell together.
"Then what is it? Because you, you waltz in here all charm and smiles, and the next thing I know, she vanishes off the face of the Earth! How old are you then? Forty? Forty-five? What, did you find her on the internet? Did you go online and pretend you're a doctor?"
The Doctor's indignant. "I am a Doctor."
I knew that was the wrong thing to say. Jackie gets that look on her face. "Prove it. Stitch this, mate!" She slaps the Doctor, hard.
I talk her down and get her quiet, and she's crying holding me in the kitchen. "Did you think about me at all?"
"I did. All the time."
"One phone call, one more phone call. Just to know I didn't imagine it."
"I'm sorry, I really am."
She sighs. "So this is him then? I thought you said he had hair."
I snort. Typical Jackie. "He can change his face."
"Like that potion you drink?"
I smile. "Only his is permanent. He doesn't have to take it constantly."
The Doctor and I end up talking on the roof, away from Jackie, who's called the police to let them know I did try to call, but missed her the whole time. She's a lot better a liar than I am.
"She's never going to forgive me. And I missed a year. Was it good?"
"Middling." I snort.
"You're so useless."
He looks at me. "Well, if it's this much trouble, are you going to stay here now?"
"I don't know. I can't do that to her again, though."
"Well she's not coming with us."
"No chance."
"I don't do families."
I laugh. "She slapped you!" No wonder when the old (next?) Doctor talked about Jackie, he always looked terrified.
"Nine hundred years of time and space, and I've never been slapped by someone's mother." I snort. Apparently, Jackie started a trend, thinking of Martha's mother.
"Your face."
"It hurt!"
"Wait, you said nine hundred years?"
"That's my age."
"You're nine hundred years old." I was over a century old, but I had no idea about the real age gap.
"Yeah."
I smile. "My mum was right. That is one hell of an age gap." I sigh. "Every conversation with you just goes mental. There's no one else I can talk to. I've seen all that stuff up there, the size of it, and I can't say a word. Aliens and spaceships and things, and I'm the only person on planet Earth who knows they exist."
A spaceship decides at that moment to come from behind us, trailing black smoke and heading towards the Thames. It misses the bridge, and St. Paul's. It ends up in the river, almost completely taking out the Clock Tower. The tower chimes and the spaceship ends up in the river.
"Oh, that's just not fair." I said, getting up. The Doctor grabbed my hand and we ran to the road, which was already closed off by the army.
"It's all blocked off."
I sigh. "We're miles from the centre. The city must be grid locked. The whole of London must be closing down."
"I know. I can't believe I'm here to see this. This is fantastic!"
"Did you know this was going to happen?" I asked shooting him a look.
"Nope."
"Do you recognize the ship?"
"Nope."
"Do you know why it crashed?"
"Nope."
I sigh. Rolling my eyes, I say "I'm so glad I've got you."
"I bet you are. This is what I travel for, Rose. To see history happening right in front of us."
I grin. "Well, let's go and see it. Never mind the traffic, we've got the TARDIS."
"Better not, They've already got one spaceship in the middle of London. I don't want to shove another one on top."
I frown. "Yeah, but yours looks like a big blue box. No one's going to notice."
"You'd be surprised. Emergency like this, there'll be all kinds of people watching. Trust me. The TARDIS stays where it is."
I give him a look. "So history's going to happen, and we're stuck here."
"Yes, we are."
I sigh. "We could always do what everybody else does." I said, pulling him back towards the flat. At his look, I elaborate. "We could watch TV."
The Doctor planted himself in front of the telly, and ignored everyone else in the room, except to shush them.
Jackie's friend ends up coming over, and then more and more people show up. It turns into a little bit of a welcome home party, and I try to ignore it as best as possible. By mainly staying in Rose's room, packing a little more. I poke my head out when I hear the Doctor's combat boots go by. I follow him.
"Where do you think you're going?"
He turns and looks at me. "Nowhere. It's just a bit human in there for me. History just happened and they're talking about where you can buy dodgy top-up cards for half price. I'm off on a wander, that's all."
I give him a look, telling him I'm not buying it. "Right. There's a spaceship on the Thames and you're just wandering."
"Nothing to do with me. It's not an invasion. That was a genuine crash landing. Angle of descent, colour of smoke, everything. It's perfect." I frown. That shouldn't be perfect.
"So?"
"So maybe this is it. First contact. The day mankind officially comes into contact with an alien race. I'm not interfering because you've got to handle this on your own. That's when the human race finally grows up. Just this morning you were all tiny and small and made of clay. Now you can expand. You don't need me. Go and celebrate history. Spend some time with your mum."
I wish I could spend some time with my mum. "I was huddled away in my room, remember."
"Enjoy being human, Rose." I sigh, knowing he's not going to budge on this.
"Promise you won't disappear?"
He smiles, and begins fishing through his pockets. "Tell you what. TARDIS key. It's about time you had one. See you later." He said, handing me the key, and he walks off.
I return to the room, in time to see Jackie and everyone toasting to the 'Martians'. I sigh. Humans. That thought stops me cold. Oh dear. I've been travelling with the Doctor too long. I'm starting to think like I'm not human.
The room quiets, and everyone turns to me. Or rather, behind me. I turn and see Mickey.
I think quickly on the spot. "I was going to come and see you."
One of Jackie's friends wanders over drunk. "Someone owes Mickey an apology."
"I'm sorry." I say, assuming it's me.
"Not you." I turn to Jackie.
"Well, it's not my fault. Be fair. What was I supposed to think?" I frown, grab Mickey and drag him into the kitchen. I shut the doors, and turn to him, but he is livid.
"You disappear, who do they turn to? Your boyfriend. Five times I was taken in for questioning. Five times. No evidence. Course, there couldn't be, could there? And then I get her, your mother, whispering around the estate, pointing the finger. Stuff through my letter box, and all 'cos of you." I look down, focusing on my arm.
"I didn't think I'd be gone so long."
"And I waited for you, Rose. Twelve months, waiting for you and the Doctor to come back." Ridges were starting to form. I frowned. Why would that happen?
"Hold on." Jackie said, turning to Mickey. "You know about the Doctor? Why didn't you tell me?!"
"Yeah, yeah. Why not, Rose? Huh? How could I tell her where you went?" The ridges started forming, until they began spelling out letters. M – U – D – B – L...
"I need my potion." I said, getting up.
Mickey frowns, and gets in front of the door. "Not until you tell me where you went." He paused. "Might as well, 'cos you're stuck here." My heart sank. "The Doctor's gone. Just now. That box thing just faded away."
I blinked. My vision was going blurry. I couldn't tell if it was because the potion was wearing off, or if my eyes were filling with tears. Either way, I shut my eyes.
"What did he do to you Rose?" Mickey asked, voice going soft. I felt my hair start to change, and this part both Mickey and Jackie noticed. "What's happening?"
Jackie looked concerned. "Sweetheart, do you have anymore here?" I nod. "Alright. I'll go get you some then." She left the room, and closed the door behind her.
The last of the potion left and I looked at Mickey.
"What the hell happened to you Rose?"
I sigh. I should have told him earlier. "It's not Rose, actually."
"Did she die, and you're just a replacement, a drone or somethin'?" Jackie comes in, carrying a vial. I take it, and thank her.
She stops me from drinking it right away. "He deserves to know the truth."
"You knew about this Jackie. That this isn't Rose. She's dead, isn't she? He killed her and he'll kill all of us next." Mickey said. He started hollering, so I cast a silencing charm automatically, waiting for him to calm down. It only freaked him out more.
"Alright. I've taken away your voice. Jackie and I are going to explain things, and then I am going to give it back. Under no circumstances are you to yell. And then you are going to explain what you mean when you said the Doctor left." He glared at me, but nodded.
Jackie and I took turns explaining. I took over for her when she was about to cry, and I explained the technical stuff. When we were finished, Mickey looked emotionless.
I took the silencing spell off of him. "Alright, any questions?"
"How long? How long have you pretended to be her? How-" He trails off.
"Eighteen months before I left." I answered quietly. His lips tightened.
"I saw the box fade away. He's long gone." I downed the potion, stopping only long enough to drop the vial and make sure it worked before running out of the apartment and down the stairs, Jackie and Mickey hot on my toes.
"He wouldn't just go, he promised me."
I get to where the TARDIS was supposed to be, and fall to my knees.
"But he gave me a key. Only permanent companions get a key. Frequent flier privileges." I mutter, searching my pockets for the key. I bring it out, looking down at it. It starts to glow, and I feel the wind on my face, and hear the TARDIS materializing.
"How'd you do that then?" Jackie asked, dumbfounded.
I yank open the door, and he glances up from the controls. Seeing my face he starts talking. "Alright, so I lied. I went and had a look. But the whole crash landing's a fake. I thought so. Just too perfect. I mean, hitting Big Ben. Come on, so I thought let's go and have a look-"
I cut him off. "My mum's here."
He frowns. "Oh, that's just what I need. Don't you dare make this place domestic." Mickey comes running in, apparently shaking off shock.
"You ruined my life, Doctor. They thought she was dead. I was a murder suspect because of you."
He turns to me, giving me a look. "You see what I mean? Domestic."
"I bet you don't even remember my name."
"Ricky."
"It's Mickey."
"No, it's Ricky."
"I think I know my own name."
"You think you know your own name? How stupid are you?"
I check outside while the boys are fighting to see Jackie run. She takes off, and I try following her. Trying to explain, but I can't keep up. I go back to the boys.
"That was a real spaceship." I said, looking at the Doctor. I glance at the TARDIS, and see Bad Wolf spray-painted on this side inn silver. A shiver goes up my spine.
"Yep."
"So it's all a pack of lies? What is it, then? Are they invading?"
Mickey snorts. "Funny way to invade, putting the world on red alert."
"Stranger things have happened." I comment. Shakespeare and witches, Dickens and ghosts. A human trampoline who claims she's the last human, to name a few.
"Good point!" The Doctor said, ignoring my comment. "So, what are they up to?"
The Doctor runs into the TARDIS and Mickey and I follow. The Doctor ducks under the console, and Mickey frowns.
"So, what're you doing down there?"
"Ricky."
"Mickey."
"Ricky. If I was to tell you what I was doing to the controls of my frankly magnificent time ship, would you even begin to understand?"
"I suppose not."
"Well, shut it then." I roll my eyes.
"Some friend you've got."
"He's winding you up." I sigh. "I'm sorry."
"Okay."
I sigh again. "I am though."
Mickey looks close to crying. "Every day I looked. On every street corner, wherever I went, looking for a blue box for a whole year."
I give him a watery smile. I hug him, whispering in his ear. "Now you know how I felt." He nods, like he's forgotten who I explained I was. I pulled away. "It's only been a few days for me."
"Not enough time to miss me then?" I glance at him. Either he's taking this rather well, or he's still in shock a little.
"I did miss you."
"I missed you." He hugs me again, and whispers in my ear, "I figured something was different about you. Just didn't want to say. Friends?" He asked, I nodded.
We pull away completely from each other. "So, er, in twelve months, have you been seeing anyone else?"
"No."
"Okay."
"Mainly because everyone thinks I murdered you."
I frown. "Right."
"Got it! Ha, ha!" The Doctor said from the console. I jog over to the screen, and watch the image which has the trajectory of the spaceship on it. "Patched in the radar, looped it back twelve hours so we can follow the flight of that spaceship. Here we go. Hold on. Come on." He stops, focusing on the line that showed that the ship came from and landed on Earth. "It came from Earth in the first place. It went up and came back down. Whoever those aliens are, they haven't just arrived, they've been here for a while. The question is, what have they been doing?"
I frown and the Doctor begins pacing back and forth. I take the channel changer, and begin channel-hopping. Mickey leans down, watching.
"How many channels do you get?"
The Doctor replies automatically. "All the basic channels."
"You get sports channels?"
"Yes, I get the football." He glances at the screen and frowns. "Hold on, I know that lot."
The woman on the telly says: "It is looking likely that the Government's bringing in alien specialists – those people who have devoted their lives to studying outer space."
"UNIT. United Nations Intelligence Taskforce. Good people."
I frown. "How do you know them?" I'd never heard of UNIT before. "Are they like Torchwood?" He frowns, not having heard the name before. I frown too. Mickey answers my question.
"'Cos he's worked for them." At the Doctor's shocked look, Mickey smiles. "Oh yeah, don't think I sat on my backside for twelve months Doctor. I read up on you. You look deep enough on the Internet or in the history books, and there's his name, followed by a list of the dead."
"That's nice." The Doctor said. I frowned, knowing that it was probably painful, hearing about the dead for him. "Good boy, Ricky."
I change the subject. "If you know them, why don't you go and help?"
"They wouldn't recognize me. I've changed a lot since the old days. Besides, the world's on a knife-edge. There's aliens out there and fake aliens. We want to keep this alien out of the mix. I'm going undercover. And er, I'd better keep the TARDIS out of sight. Ricky, you've got a car. You can do some driving."
"Where to?"
The Doctor walked to the TARDIS doors. "The roads are clearing. Let's go and have a look at that spaceship." He opened the doors, and I followed right after him, only to walk into a police barricade.
"Do not move! Step away from the box and raise your hands above your heads." Mickey takes off, and I don't blame him. Jackie comes out of the flat and sees me.
"Rose!" She gets moved out of the way, and tries calling me again.
"Raise your hands above your head. You are under arrest." The Police said, and one of them comes up in front of us.
"Take me to your leader." The Doctor said, surprisingly with a straight face. I burst out laughing, and he gives me a grin. We get ushered into a police car.
"This is a bit posh. If I knew it was going to be like this, being arrested, I would have done it years ago." He smiles at me, and I try to blink back the memories of the last few times I was taken away forcefully.
"We're not being arrested, we're being escorted."
I blink. "Where to?"
"Where'd you think? Downing Street."
"You're kidding."
"I'm not."
"10 Downing Street?" I internally frown. Last I checked, Downing Street was destroyed in some sort of accident. Harry Saxon was upset. Or maybe it had been rebuilt? I really didn't remember.
"That's the one."
"Oh, my God. I'm going to 10 Downing Street? How come?" I pretend to be a regular human being, who hasn't had tea with the queen on a regular basis before being locked away in a freak show, and left for sixty years without air. He frowns, but ignores it.
"I hate to say it, but Mickey was right. Over the years I've visited this planet a lot of times, and I've been, er, noticed."
I blink. "Now they need you?"
"Like it said on the news. They're gathering experts in alien knowledge. And who's the biggest expert of the lot?"
"Patrick Moore?" I ask, grinning.
"Apart from him."
I laugh. "Oh, don't you just love it."
"I'm telling you. Lloyd George, he used to drink me under the table. Who's Prime Minister now?"
I snort. "How should I know? I missed a year." And I didn't pay attention to the Muggle Prime Minister. The car stops and the Doctor slips out. I follow. Cameras flash, and the Doctor waves. I laugh at him, and drag him inside, used to the cameras.
We end up in a large room with a bunch of experts.
"I say the Minister will hear about this!" A voice called, out and I froze, recognizing it. I turn and see bright red hair. Percy Weasley. What was he doing here, of all places?
One of the women stop everyone, and get people to quiet down. She gets everyone to wear the ID cards. A tall, large man comes over to us.
"Here's your ID card. I'm sorry, your companion doesn't have clearance." I snort internally. I'm tempted to ask him to call up the queen and ask her for my clearance.
"I don't go anywhere without her." The Doctor said, forcefully.
"You're the code nine, not her. I'm sorry, Doctor. It is the Doctor, isn't it? She'll have to stay outside."
One of the men in suits that were littering the room came up. "Actually sirs, she will have to come with us. Just a precautionary measure."
"Look, Doctor. I'll just go with them. It'll be okay." He frowns but nods. The man in a suit leads me away.
"Just through here miss." He said, pointing me to a door.
Inside, leaning against one of the tables, was Percy Weasley. I glanced around the room. Magical security.
"Here's the girl you asked for sir."
Percy nods, and dismisses the man. We are the only two left.
"So would you like to tell me why you are pretending to be a dead woman? Who's pretending to be a dead woman? And then you can tell me who you are."
I snort. "Honestly, Percy. We talked about Transfiguration classes during the opening feast in my first year. Good enough?" Percy got up in shock.
"You're alive."
"Time-travel." I answer back at him. He nods, understanding what that meant. I couldn't tell him the details, nor could he mention this to anyone else.
"Alright. I'll give you access, but I can't re-grant your clearance." He said. I nodded. "I will be nice and escort you out though."
I nod, and he leads me, until we almost bump into a redheaded woman. Percy nodded to her. She offered to lead me out herself. He left me with her, and she took my arm.
"Walk with me. Just keep walking. That's right. Don't look around. Harriet Jones, MP Flydale North." I nod, and she leads me past the front doors. "That friend of yours, he's an expert, is that right? He knows about aliens?" She asked. I immediately assumed she was talking about the Doctor, because I doubt she thought Percy was an alien expert. She leads me into the cabinet room. I have a vague recollection of this during my time as Amelia.
"Why do you want to know?" I asked, frowning at her. She starts crying and I try to console her. She gets out her story in sputters and spurts, and ends with:
"They turned the body into a suit. A disguise for the thing inside!"
I sigh. "It's alright. I believe you. It's, it's alien. They must have some serious technology behind this. If we could find it, we could use it." I get up and begin searching the room. I open a cupboard, only to have a dead man fall on me. "Oh, my God! Is that the-"
Just then the guy we were talking to earlier steps in. "Harriet, for God's sake. This has gone beyond a joke. You cannot just wander. Oh, my God. That's the Prime Minister!" I snort. I recognize Harriet Jones from the time spent being the future Prime Minister's wife. The old dead Prime Minister, his successor, and her successor's wife, all in the same room.
And then a large blonde woman comes in, looking at us. "Oh! Has someone been naughty?"
The assistant still seemed to be in shock. "That's impossible. He left this afternoon. The Prime Minister left Downing Street. He was driven away!"
The blonde woman smiled a creepy smile. I dropped the Prime Minister, and she looked at me. She turned back to the assistant. "And who told you that, hmmm? Me."
She reaches up to her hairline and starts unzipping something.
And all I can think about is the ironic Prime Minister thing.