Chapter Seven
Tell It To Her

This next song started with synthesizer and guitar chords, mixed with drums. The Doctor frowned. Why did this sound like—?

Then the vocals kicked in, and he nodded in recognition. Ah. Pat Benatar. Of course.

I'm the one you put all your stories on.
She's the one you keep it a secret from.
She believes you, just like I did at the start
When you wrapped up my heart
And played with my emotions.

Tell it to her,
Cos I don't want to hear it.
Tell it to her.
I know why she would.
There's a fool born every minute.
When you're in it, it feels so good.
Why don't you tell it to her?

For some reason, his mind flashed back to the time he'd taken Rose and Mickey to a 51st century spaceship that had time windows into 18th century France. Guilt slammed into him at the memory of how he'd treated Rose. He'd thrown her away as soon as he met Reinette, better known as Madame de Pompadour. Oh, he really had been a fool for doing that. And tell her what, exactly?

She don't know the darker side of you.
She don't know what your love will put her through.
Your sweet talkin' makes her feel so safe and sure.
But that won't change what you are,
And I'm the one who knows it.

Tell it to her,
Cos I don't want to hear it.
Tell it to her.
I know why she would.
There's a fool born every minute.
When you're in it, it feels so good.

Why don't you tell it to her?
Cos I don't want to hear it.
Tell it to her.
I know why she would.
There's a fool born every minute.
When you're in it, it feels so good.

You're the one who had it all and wanted more,
But you can't do it to me anymore.

Tell it to her,
Cos I don't want to hear it.
Tell it to her.
I know why she would.
There's a fool born every minute.
When you're in it, it feels so good.

Why don't you tell it to her?
Cos I don't want to hear it.
Tell it to her.
I don't want to hear it.
Tell it to her.
Go on and tell it to her.
Tell it to her.
There's a fool born every minute.
Tell it to her.
Go on and tell it to her.
Tell it to her.

Oh, wasn't that whole song just the truth? Reinette, although she'd seen inside his mind, truly hadn't known his darker side. Rose had been with him to talk him out of killing the Dalek, had seen him kill the Sycorax leader without even blinking, had seen him stand coldly by as Cassandra died twice. Reinette had seen him as her lonely guardian angel; Rose saw him as a man (well, sort of). And face it, Rose had every right to be jealous of Reinette: the French woman was rich, beautiful, the King's mistress, had snogged the Doctor . . . Oh.

He really was a git. No wonder Rose had been so snippy with him when he finally showed up to save her and Mickey the Idiot.

Part of that conversation floated through his head now:

"Oh, look what the cat dragged in. The Oncoming Storm."

"You sound just like your mother."

But Reinette had meant nothing to him, had just been a momentary distraction from his feelings for Rose.

He'd done everything he could since then to make up for leaving her on that ship, but obviously she hadn't quite forgiven him.

Or maybe, once again, he was reading too much into this song. Even though it fit that situation perfectly. . . .

Not wanting to dwell on it any longer, the Doctor quickly switched to the next song.