Chapter Two: Getting Back to Normal

The next morning Jackie knocked on the hotel room next to hers as she loudly called for Rose to get up, the Doctor opened the door seconds later to announce that they were definitely awake already.

'Well, the two of you better be ready to leave within the hour, we need to be on the train back home by 10:30.'

'Gotcha, we will be ready then.'

Jackie walked back to her room and the Doctor turned back into his and Rose's room; Rose was sitting upon the window sill looking out over the valley and sea beyond, she hadn't said much since they had arrived at the hotel last night. The Doctor crossed the room to stand next to her and quietly laid a gentle hand on her arm.

'Jackie says, we will be leaving in an hour to head back to London.'

With a small laugh she replied, 'Yea, I heard. She's not the quietest speaker in the world.' For the first time since they arrived back in the alternate universe she smiled genuinely, he gave her a cheeky smile in return.

The rest of the morning moved on rather quickly, and they soon found themselves on the train heading back to London. During the trip Jackie announced that they would have to come up with a name for him because 'The Doctor' wasn't going to fly over very well when he went job hunting. He paled at the thought of actually having to work at an actual normal, mundane job...his immediate thought being 'I'll have to get a mortgage!' Rose laughed at his horror and told him that he was more than welcome to come live in her condo, there was plenty of room for them both.

'You should look into working at the new Torchwood, the brain of a Time Lord could be very valuable to improving the new company.'

'I thought Pete destroyed it when the Cybermen and Daleks crossed over into the other universe?'

'He did, but we had planned in advance to rebuild it and improve it way before we destroyed the current establishment. Torchwood can be operated with better care now that it has been relocated to a more private location and with people who have a better concept of how the balance of good and evil work throughout the universes and on how to deal with them more properly in the future than the people of Torchwood have in the past. Which is why you are the perfect person for the job.' Rose finished and looked at him for a moment trying to determine what he was thinking, even now as a human he could be an enigma and it made her smile softly.

'That's not such a bad idea, Rose Tyler...I might just do that. The upside being that I'll know exactly what I'm talking about.'

'The only problem is that no one understands you, Doctor,' Jackie butted in earning a brief glare from him and a laugh from her daughter.

'I'm offended, Jackie!'

'Hush you two, we have strayed from the topic at hand enough...the Doctor needs a normal name for his life on this new earth. So what are you thinking Doctor?'

'Naturally, my regular persona John Smith, however I shall keep my title of Doctor. My understanding of the work force of Earth is that there are many people who are called Doctor of something but are not necessarily doctors in the medical sense. I am educated enough to do most of Earth's jobs, so I shall be Doctor John Smith.'

'John Smith?! You have got to be joking? That is clearly a fake name, everyone uses it when they don't want to give their real name.'

'I happen to like the name, and obviously it is my fake name, my real name cannot be spoken.'

'Well, if that is the name he wants to use, mom then that is what we shall call him.' Rose looked up at him with light in her eyes.

Pete stood in the train station awaiting the arrival of his wife and daughter to return, his son Toby held fast in his arms; he hadn't wanted to let his girls go on such a dangerous mission, but stopping Rose from getting to the Doctor had been an impossible feat, and Jackie wouldn't be persuaded to not follow Rose across the Void. Upon receiving the phone call from his wife letting him know they were alright he booked them places on the train bringing them swiftly back home. As the train pulled to a stop in the station he rushed out into the cold night air to meet them as they got off. The two women and the Doctor finally emerged, Jackie ran straight for her husband and son and wrapped her arms as tight around them as she could; Rose and the Doctor followed close behind but at a more calm pace. Pete nodded at this new Doctor; Jackie had briefed him on what had happened on the beach the other day.

'Doctor, it's good to see you again.'

'And to you too, Pete.'

Pete gently pushed his son into Jackie's arms and moved to pull Rose into and embrace, glad to have her back safe and sound. Kissing her on the forehead he released her and let her step back next to the Doctor. Wrapping an arm around his wife's shoulders he led them to his military jeep out in the parking lot, after everyone got settled in he started the engine and made way back to his and Jackie's home.