Info: A Three-way [heh] crossover between BBC Class, Doctor Who, and Torchwood.
Summary: The Temporal Hellmouth at Coal Hill Academy is unstable, a weak point in time and space; so what if it spat out someone who could help the CHA kids?
"Yer a Horcrux," the young Headmistress sighed, massaging the bridge of her nose as she thought about what to do.
The Temporal Hellmouth, they had finally settled on a name, was quiet, most likely due to Headmistress Rose Wolfe's presence.
"Yer a bloody Horcrux an' the Doctor left ya here!" Rose's hands twitched as if they were trying to throttle something, or rather someone.
Dotted around her office were the five students and one teacher.
They watched this strange alien, or something like that as the woman had yet to disclose more than some cursory personal information, pace the space.
"Right, right," she finally spoke, though it was more of a growl, "well, Miss MacLean, you've just hit the jackpot."
Rose turned to the student, eyes glowing gold and looking more like a wild goddess than a mortal.
April met the gaze.
"I can break the connection," Rose continued, "an' hopefully it won't kill ya."
"Hopefully." Ram Singh repeated incredulously.
He was waved down, "Don't worry, I can bring 'er back if she dies; gimme a few days, 'm gonna have ta call in some friends an' set up some paperwork…Probably build some shelter out there too…"
"What?" Tanya Adeola said.
Again, Rose waved, "We're dealin' with livin' shadows aren't we? So we have ta do this somewhere without shadows; some place where the sun never goes down an' somewhere there can't be collateral damage, but we can't get off planet, best place fer that would be somewhere in the Arctic Circle. I can spin it as a field trip, sponsored by an anonymous donation fer some sort of science thingy; Quill here can be a chaperone, an' 'm bettin' Charlie wants ta come with ta see this whole thing done with. We'll be bringin' a doctor along, the medical sort, an' another friend of mine, works fer Torchwood, well he used ta."
She took a breath, "Some other friends of mine can babysit the TH. But ta make this look legit we'll need ta bring along more kids than MacLean an' Charlie-boy."
"I'll go," Ram declared, eyes hard and determined, "Dad already knows about everything."
"I will go too," Matteusz Andrzejewski said calmly, "my parents do not care what I do."
Rose nodded, "Which means, Miss Adeola, you'll be stayin' here ta help hold down the fort."
When the girl looked ready to object, Rose stared her down, "Not only are ya underage but the team that'll be sent here won't know the school. I need someone ta stay back who does. There's no way in hell yer mum will let ya go so yer stuck here."
The girl huffed, rolling her eyes, but nodded grudgingly.
The Headmistress clapped her hands, a wide smile suddenly on her face, "Good, good talk. Back ta class with ya, don't worry, leave things ta me. Go on. Shoo," she ushered them from her office and closed the door behind them, only to lean against it and heave a sigh.
If she ever ran into the Doctor again, she didn't know whether she'd kiss him or kill him.
She sighed and shook her head, heading for her desk and the phone; honestly, leaving the poor girl tied to that tyrannical monster, hoping that the Shadowkin would be too afraid of his own mortality to attack Earth again. She was beginning to wonder if the Doctor was going senile.
"Right," they were about to load into the small chartered plane, and Rose marched up and down like she was inspecting the troops, "This plane'll take us inta the States, then we'll refuel an' pick up a cardiologist, and head up into Canada, an' from there up inta the Pole."
She paused for breath, "Jack's gonna be our pilot an' he's promised not ta treat it like his car. This trip shouldn't take much more than a week; we have temporary housing up an' waitin' fer us courtesy of UNIT. There'll be WIFI an' satellite phones, so ya can call home."
She stopped and pulled herself up to her full height, "It's 'bout ta be make yer Mamas proud time. March!"
With that the group filed into the plane.
"GOOOOD MOOOOOOOOOORRRRNNNING!" the intercom sparked to life as everyone was settled and the plane sealed, "This's Captain Jack Harkness speaking and welcome to Screwed-by-the-Doctor-No-Not-That-Way-Sadly Airlines, your favorite airline for fixing the Time Lord's mistakes. This'll be a multi-stop trip and we will be picking up one more passenger along the way. Now, this plane has been retrofitted with alien tech so we shouldn't go down but if we do, don't panic. Bad Wolf will get everyone out just fine. Please stay seated during takeoff, there will be no smoking or drinking while flying; cellphones must remain off as well. We will be taking off as soon as we get the all clear. So sit back, relax, and prepare yourself…"
Rose had rolled her eyes through most of the speech but had a small smile. She was sitting in her seat, one leg folded over the other, seemingly perfectly at ease.
Charlie was looking rather green already, holding tight to Matteusz's hand with all his might, and Quill was hardly doing any better, her knuckles white on the reinforced armrests of her seat.
April was pale and shaky, but that was more from the nerves of what she was about to undergo, taking deep calming breaths, her chest heaving.
They taxied down the runway, gaining speed, before lifting off smoothly into the blue sky.
"You may now move about the cabin," the captain spoke but nobody moved.
After a few minutes of silence only broken by panting, Rose spoke, "Let's play a game, shall we?"
She leaned forward, grinning ferally, "Here's the deal, as long as we're in the air, ya get ta ask me any question an' I'll answer truthfully as long as it's my story ta tell an' it won't wreck the timelines."
"Any question?"
"Well, ta get anything useful you'll have ta ask the right questions but yeah," she leaned back, hands folded almost demurely in her lap, "So, who's first? Who's gonna be brave enough?"
"Who are you?" Quill demanded.
"Pity. 'm Rose Wolfe."
"And who is Rose Wolfe," the other woman demanded, "there's nothing, no records of you."
"Rose Wolfe is who I am now."
"Now?" April caught on, "Who did you used to be then?"
"I was born one Rose Marion Tyler," Rose replied calmly.
"Are you an alien?"
"I was born on Earth."
"Are you human then?"
"Somethin' like that," Rose bared her teeth.
"How old are you?"
"I just celebrated my five hundred and nineteenth birthday last month."
"Oh my god!"
"You don't look that old!"
Rose sighed, "The Doctor is over two thousand an' he doesn't look a day over sixty; his wife died by age three-fifty, but she was half human an' sacrificed herself ta save people, an' her father spent two thousand years as a plastic robot. Jack's over three thousand years old, half of which he spent buried alive. Just because we don't look old doesn't mean we aren't."
"Oh my god."
"Nope, just Bad Wolf," Rose winked.
"Who's Bad Wolf?"
"A friend."
Charlie's eyes narrowed, "Wait…we…back…home, we were made to study other cultures; there was a story, a myth repeated everywhere…The Wolf and the Storm."
Rose's lips quirked into something between a smirk and a smile as she chuckled.
"Well?" April demanded, "Tell us the story!"
Charlie looked at Rose, who nodded, and cleared his throat, "It was a…love story, a warning. It changed a bit based on culture but the main of it was that…" he trailed off.
"Once upon a time," Matteusz began for him and earned a smile in return.
"Once upon a time, there were…two beings of time and space and reality. Life and Death, Creation and Destruction…they went by many names but they shared abilities so all of them could apply to both. One didn't quite care for the mortals when they came into being but the other, its' mate and opposite did. The Storm was interested in how such ephemeral creatures existed and so arranged to be born as one. He became a great hero, a monster, a healer, a killer. Most of his abilities were locked away while he was mortal but still planets learned to tremble when he visited." Charlie took a breath but before he could continue, Quill picked up the thread;
"For when he visited it was a boon and a punishment; people would die, people would live," her voice was quiet as it rose and fell over the words she spoke, eyes far away, "People would be freed and imprisoned. Then came a day, a year, a century, a millennium when he was captive, trapped, unable to escape. All his ingenuity and cleverness would fail him and he would die at long last, slaughtered by creatures just as mad and blood-soaked as him."
"His opposite had seen that this was to happen, for they were blessed with visions of time, and had engineered a mortal vessel for themselves. And took it's title from fairytales and legends, 'Bad Wolf'."
Charlie gave a shuddering breath, "But the vessel was doomed to die; the might of the Wolf was too much. Fire and power would burn away mortal flesh and soul and breath. The Storm saw this about to happen and, once safe, gave his life for the vessel's. He stole away Bad Wolf, releasing her back into the ether." Charlie's voice trailed off again.
"He burned fer her, fer his pink an' yellow human," Rose spoke quietly, with an almost brittle voice, "an' he died but he lived. He thought he had saved the mortal, that she remained unchanged but she wasn't. Bad Wolf had changed her, turnin' her inta something like the age old Storm. Bad Wolf had given her vessel a gift an' a curse. Immortality. An' so, when the Storm left the mortal ta a normal mortal life, he assumed that she would live out her life, seventy, eighty, ninety, a hundred years at most, an' then die as mortals do. The Storm did not, could not, know that the mortal would not age; that she could not die, though she tried various methods as her entire bloodline died out one by one by one until she was all that remained. Bad Wolf reappeared then, speaking to the mortal while she roamed the earth an' then the stars alone."
She swiped a hand over her suddenly tired face, "Bad Wolf an' the Mortal became one; no longer two beings sharin' a form. A new creature, a new being, wielding all the power of Bad Wolf yet with a mortal perspective. An' then came a crack in reality an' time an' the being was able ta return ta the universe of their birth. Where they found they were needed. Perhaps one day, the Wolf will meet the Storm again."
There was silence as the mortals digested the story before someone spoke, "You're the Wolf aren't you?"
"Yes," came the calm admission.
"Who's the Storm?"
"I can't tell ya that but I can say that you'll know him when ya meet him."
"The Caretaker!" April burst out suddenly, gaining looks, "The man that brought Charlie and Miss Quill to Earth, he's the one that told us about the Hellmouth thing, gave Ram his new leg!"
"The Doctor," Charlie corrected, clearly thinking, "It would fit. It is him isn't it? He's the Storm isn't he?"
"Yes."
"Can't you go find him?"
"I could."
"Then why—?"
"It's been at least eleven hundred years fer him, maybe more."
"You loved him."
"Yes."
"Do you still love him?"
"My life would probably be easier if I could hate 'im."
There was a moment or two of quiet before Charlie spoke again.
"How are you going to save April?"
"Well, I have two plans so far; first is that I just snip the connection a little towards the Shadow King. It'll be tricky, a bit dangerous, an' it'll leave her with some…extras but it's the easier of the two."
April cleared her throat, "Extras?"
"Oh, some extra strength, especially if angry, maybe a small sensitivity ta sunlight, ya might burn easier an' that sort of thin', ya might even get ta keep those nifty swords of yers," Rose smiled, "If ya do keep the swords I'll be enrollin' ya in classes in order ta handle 'em properly."
"And the second plan?" Ram questioned.
"Ah, now that one's more medical. If we use that plan, we'll induce hypothermia an' then stop the heart an' brain. She'll be dead an' if she dies…"
"The alien will die too," Matteusz said.
"'xactly; keep her dead fer a few minutes, let the connection break naturally, an' then we bring her back. The Shadow King dies, April gets to keep livin' an' doesn't have ta share her heart with anyone."
Rose leaned back slightly, "Mind ya, that's only the first two plans I've come up with; we'll be thinkin' up some more, we like ta work with more than a plan an' a backup plan. I might be old but I ain't a genius or anythin' like that ya know."
"You're like a goddess or something right?"
"Closest mortals can understand, yeah."
"Then why stick around Earth?"
"Rose Tyler was born on this Earth an' she still has friends here."
"Okay, well, then why stick around Coal Hill?"
"I suppose it's 'cause it's something ta do," Rose shrugged, "besides, ya guys needed help."
"The Hellmouth's been quiet," April pointed out.
Rose bared her teeth in a manner clearly not a smile, revealing that her canines had lengthened slightly, "Yeah, that's 'cause of me. Everythin' that wants ta come through senses somethin' much bigger an' much nastier than 'em waitin' on this side an' they don't wanna pick a fight they can't win."
Her power flared out, causing everyone in the cabin to shudder as the tiny, primal bits of their brains screamed at them that a huge predator was looking at them and licking their lips.
Rose pulled back her power, curling it around herself like wings, but the damage was done.
Something about her power tripped whatever connection April had with the Shadowkin King; the teen collapsed in her seat, gasping and sputtering for breath as her eyes like up like lava.
Instantly, Ram had her in his lap, leaning against his chest as he had his head on her shoulder, hands in hers, and was talking to her softly.
Her head was thrown back, against his shoulder, as she tried to arch but he held her fast, though gently.
Charlie had gotten to his feet, running to the small kitchenette to get a bottle of cold water and a wad of napkins which he brought to his classmates.
Ram threw a leg over April's as they kicked out, resting his calf against both of her shins, starting to seem more like an octopus than anything, not stopping the soothing rambling he had going as he pressed a kiss to her neck, to behind her ear, to her temple, to her crown and starting over against as he mumbled almost nonsense.
She came out of the fit, limp, shaking, and with sweat beading her forehead like she had just run a marathon with no warning or prep time.
"He—knows!" she gasped out, eyes darting to the Wolf even as Ram wetted the napkins and applied the cool, makeshift compress to her forehead, "He…knows…who you are," she continued shakily.
Rose's eyebrow quirked up, "Oh?"
The woman did not seem worried; rather, she seemed almost excited at the prospect of being found out.
April nodded slightly, "He's…terrified."
"Good," Rose bared her teeth in another not smile, moving to her feet fluidly and saying conversationally, "Do you know what some of Bad Wolf's oldest titles are?"
Twin swords, almost like broadswords but a bit longer and much thinner, appeared in her hands, burning so bright they were almost painful to look at.
She went through a set of stances gracefully, chaining them together into a fluid dance, making it clear she knew how to use the weapons.
"The Light," she gave the title without pausing her movement, "The First Star, the Burning Life Fire. The Life-giver. The Life-taker." She slowed to a stop, her weapons disappearing in a blink, "April, if ya have a 'nother fit before we get ya sorted out, tell the King of the Shadowkin that 'm waitin' fer 'im. That if he wants the universe, he'll have ta go through me first. An' I don't play games, I don't give a shit 'bout morals; he comes here, or worse, makes me hunt 'im down, an' I'll wipe his people out."
"Genocide." Matteusz gasped, only to get golden eyes on him as Rose snorted, supremely unimpressed by his compunctions.
"No, this'll be a preemptive strike," she said, taking her seat, "One race fer millions more. One race that's made it clear that it won't rest until it's subjugated the universe. I don't abide by beings, creatures like that. As long as they stay in their realm, though, I will be kind an' leave 'em in peace. An' I don't give a shit what ya think of me or what I do. Call me a monster if ya want, no skin off my nose. My job's ta keep the universe safe, but more importantly ta keep the Earth safe an' I don' care if I hurt yer precious little feelings in the process."
She looked back to April, who was half asleep in Ram's lap, "An' ya can tell the King that too."
Rose softened and looked at the young prince and his bodyguard, both the last of their respective kind, of their shared planet, "An' I won't need that cabinet of yers ta do it. You'll have justice, both of ya. It won't bring 'em back, an' it won't make ya feel better, trust me, but it'll be justice. Not revenge."
She licked her lips, "Been awhile since I did somethin' like that though an' 'm hopin' it won't come down ta it. Never did like doin' things like that."
Rose caught sight of Ram looking slightly uncomfortable with the now fully asleep April in his arms and smiled gently. She raised her hand, snapping her fingers.
One of the two sofas on the plane revealed a pull out, already made-up and with a small type of railing around two of the bed's edges.
Ram nodded his thanks, gathering up April and standing up to settle her onto the bed.
Rose snapped her fingers again and the teen was in a set of pajamas and tucked in securely.
They had stopped over in a small airport in one of the so called flyover states; the plane was being refueled and checked over and Doctor Holloway had been delayed, so the group checked into a small hotel for the night.
There wasn't much to do in the town either; there were more cattle than humans, it was that sort of place, but once everyone was checked in Rose allowed them to explore, but only after upgrading their mobiles and issuing prepaid cards with a limit of a thousand American dollars along with a warning to not cause waves.
Jack had stolen Quill away, laughing as she put up a fight, determined to get the woman to loosen up. The fact that he was dragging her towards the nearest bar was lost on no one. Rose had worn a tolerant, fond smile as she trailed after them, intent on keeping her flamboyant friend out of the trouble she knew he could find.
(After all, when they had both been much younger, mortal, she had been right beside him finding that trouble and laughing through it all.)
Charlie had never seen earth farm animals up close and so Matteusz had sniffed out a working farm that allowed visitors and had set out to surprise his boyfriend. He liked lifting the prince's spirits, fleeting though that may be, and wanted the world for him, a man who had lost so much.
Ram and April just wandered, hand-in-hand, taking things easy.
"C'mon Ram!" April laughed as she tugged him towards a thrift-shop and he rolled his eyes but went along as she led him into the shop.
A bell twinkled as the door opened and then closed behind them.
The sole shopkeeper, an older woman with silver hair and laugh lines around her eyes, smiled at them brightly, "Hello, need any help dearies?"
"No, thank you," April replied just as brightly, "just looking."
"First time in the States?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Enjoy yourselves then, holler if you need anything."
April walked along the racks of old clothes, her fingers trailing through fabric and history.
Ram took a seat on a stepstool, keeping an eye on his girlfriend in case of another fit but smiling as she moved gracefully.
Then she grabbed something off the rack and ducked behind said rack.
"You alright?" he made to stand but her head popped back up.
"I'm good, Ram," she grinned at him, shrugging off her jacket and laying it over the rack, before bending back out of view. Her shirt joined the jacket, and he had to remind himself that she was wearing her sports' bra under both.
He heard hangers rattle and shake and her trousers joined the shirt and jacket, she wore boxers underneath though and thankfully those didn't appear.
She moved back into sight, revealing her new outfit.
The entire thing was an explosion of color; while the bell-bottoms were a light blue, almost faded, color, there were embroidered flowers going up the outside seams and nearly to her hips which the jeans hugged.
The flared bottoms covered a pair of leather sandals and bare feet.
But the shirt, the shirt was something else entirely; it hung loose on April, the wide sleeves being held into form by buttons near her elbows and wrists, slits revealing skin between said buttons. The shirt hung down a bit lower than most might, looking almost like a very short dress rather than a shirt, over the buttons of the hip-hugging, low riding jeans.
The shirt was flower printed, the buds dyed pink and yellow and red, sunflowers, roses, daisies, and tulips.
Around April's neck, the longest reaching below her breasts, hung several loops of brightly colored beads.
In amongst the beads was nestled a peace medallion.
On the bridge of her nose sat a set of smallish, perfectly circular sunglasses with green lenses and what looked like gold wire frames.
She was also wearing a huge, mischievous smile and looking over the spectacles.
"How do I look?" she asked, spinning with a flourish.
"Far out, babe," he grinned back, standing up to take her hand and then spinning her, "groovy, baby, groovy."
She turned and landed against his chest with a giggle.
He ducked his head and kissed her sweetly.
Neither voiced the worry that her time was limited; instead, they took, savored, every moment they could, enjoying themselves and each other before they faced battle once again.
She pulled back, taking his hand and dragging him into the clothes racks and she was intent on dressing him up.
"Ya can't have any doubts, any darkness in yer heart," Rose explained, "or else it could screw things up worse. So, I took a little trip inta the future, while ya guys were sleepin', an' got some patches that could help with that."
She showed them the small patches, almost like clear nicotine patches but with either 'Honesty' or 'Serenity' printed on each.
"We're gonna have a little heart ta heart," she continued, "I got enough fer everyone but only April needs ta confess whatever she's holdin' back. The ones that say honesty will make ya speak the truth; ya can't truly lie but ya could hide stuff by speakin' carefully an' it won't make ya talk, if ya keep yer mouth shut ya won't be forced ta say anythin'. The ones that say serenity will force ya ta remain calm; it'll mute yer emotions pretty decently. Ya won't get angry, ya won't get happy, or sad, or scared or anythin'; you'll be at peace, ultimate calmness will flow through ya."
"I'll do it," Charlie said, "and so will Quill."
"I hear and obey, Master," Quill sneered.
"So will I," Matteusz said, "I have nothing to hide."
"Neither do I," Ram agreed.
"In vino veritas?" Jack snorted from his spot.
"They're all underage Jack," Rose pointed out, "'cept Quill, an' 'm in charge of their safety. Besides, there's not enough booze in the galaxy ta get me drunk, an' yer flyin' the plane as soon as Grace gets here. Plus I don't wanna be cleanin' up yer brains."
"Cyanide in my pocket for a reason," her fellow immortal replied.
Everyone ignored that quip.
"I do not understand though," Matteusz said, "I understand the reason for the Honesty patch but why the serenity?"
"It's easier ta stay logical, ta speak whatever you're scared of sayin' when you're calm an' collected. I don't wanna have ta break up any fights or anythin' like that." She shrugged, "Anger speaks too quickly fer logic ta keep up an' fear makes mountains outta mole hills. Love ties tongues an' hatred poisons words."
She gave a small, sad smile, "Trust me."
She began moving, applying patches to necks in smooth, gentle motions. She stuck two of each patch on the aliens and three Serenities onto Jack just in case.
The good captain sighed and rolled his eyes but kept his mouth shut.
There was quiet for a few minutes before someone spoke up, "I don't feel any different."
"Takes time," Rose snorted, "could take up to an hour."
She then twitched violently, almost a shiver but not quite, as her eyes briefly crossed, "Oh dear."
"Rose?" Jack called out worriedly.
"Nothing, nothing ta worry 'bout." She replied, "The Doctor's got himself inta a bit of a spot but I'll have that sorted out in two ticks. You're in charge 'til I' get back."
She twirled and disappeared in a shower of sparkles.
"She's annoyed, wonder what he's done now."
The TARDIS welcomed her and she pressed a finger to her lips, "Ssshhh, don't tell 'im 'm back. Not yet, yeah?"
Rose tiptoed through the timeship, coming to the Doctor's bedroom and slipping in to find him curled up, dead asleep in the tightest curl she ever seen a biped in, in bed.
She tiptoed to his bedside and gently, carefully uncurled him while also sending him into a much deeper, dreamless sleep.
With him flat on his back, she brushed his forehead to see what exactly was damaged; working gently, she opened his eyes one by one to see unresponsive pupils before she bent over him and kissed him.
Exhaling, she gave him enough spare energy and directed that energy to heal the damage in his brain and eyes. It was a simple thing for her to do, as easy as putting a plaster over a paper cut.
She pulled away, giving a sad smile, and left his room. Manifesting gold paint in a paint-can and a paint brush, Rose looked up at the TARDIS and said, "Sorry, ol' girl."
The ship gave her permission and Rose exited the ship and rounded the side.
Setting the paint can down, she dunked the brush into the liquid and then, in flowing, handwritten, large lettering, painted her calling card onto the side of the TARDIS.
Once satisfied, and having willed the paint dry instantly, she destroyed the paint, can, and brush and headed back to America in a single step.
"How was my timing?" she asked Jack while dusting her hands off and then taking her seat
"Five minutes, give or take," he replied easily, "You left the words?"
"Yep," she popped the p on purpose, "'m not chasin' after 'im again, Jack, 'm done; if he wants me back, he'll have ta come after me this time."
Jack merely nodded his agreement.
"Humans," Rose said softly, "have this neat idea called parole; it basically means early release from a prison sentence under some conditions. Now, I do think ya deserve some punishment fer yer crimes but I cannot stand the idea of slavery. So, here's the deal Andra'ath Quill; I pull that little bugger outta yer head an' you agree ta my terms of release. If ya try ta double-cross me, well I'll just kill ya dead wherever ya are. 'member, ya can't hide from me."
Quill sneered at the other woman, "And what are your demands?"
"Well first, ya continue livin' with Charlie-boy 'til at least six months after his graduation from Coal Hill, acting as his legal guardian, an' you will not force him ta use that cabinet nor will ya ever take any revenge on 'im fer yer slavery. You will remain a teacher there until he graduates too. After those conditions are met, ya are free ta quit yer job an' leave the country but ya will not leave this planet or this time period an' ya will check in with me twice every month. Ya will inform of where you live an' of any moves ya make, Ya may never take up yer gun in anything other than last resort self-defense or the defense of others. Those are the conditions."
Quill glared at her superior, obviously searching for loopholes or deception, before slumping, "I…agree."
Rose grinned, "Fantastic."
The once-human snapped her fingers and a contract appeared from thin air and unfurled itself over the coffee table between them.
Another finger snap materialized a quill which floated over to the soon to be freed slave.
A trembling hand took hold of the quill as the owner pointed out, "There's no ink."
"S'it's a Blood Quill," Rose explained, "It'll use yer blood fer ink; this way, if ya default the contract will burn ta ashes an' I'll know."
Quill hesitated.
"Go on," Rose coached, "One little signature an' you're free, well, almost free. Dot yer Ts an' cross yer Is. Make yer choice. 'im a very busy woman an' I haven't got all day, it won't cost much. 'm not takin' yer soul or even yer voice!"
Quill put the quill to the paper but didn't write.
"If ya want ta cross a bridge, my dear, ya have ta pay the toll, so take a gulp, take a breath an' sign the scroll!"
Quill seemed to gather herself, nodded, and scribbled her signature in her own scarlet blood.
The scroll began glowing, rolling up and disappearing with a blink of near painful light. The Blood Quill crumbled to dust.
Rose smirked, eyes glowing like twin suns, like divine light, like golden fires of both heaven and hell.
"Now ya might feel a pinch!"
And with a single snap of her fingers, she held the creepy little creature known as the Arn.
Quill screamed at the sudden removal, blacking out and sliding down in her seat.
"I could've done that safer," Rose admitted to herself before shrugging and looking at the squirming, squealing, squirrel-like animal, "An' what should I do with ya? I know!"
She manifested a very large, luxury rodent habitat and put the Arn into it.
Rose snapped again, healing any damage done to her patient and then bringing the woman to consciousness.
"Feelin' good?"
Quill groaned before her eyes caught sight of the habitat.
"That's…"
"The Arn," Rose nodded, "Thinkin' 'bout calling 'im Commando, what d'ya think?"
"You cannot honestly be thinking about keeping that…thing as a pet!"
"Why not, gets lonely ya know; figure if it gets hungry I can make a run ta the butcher's for some brains. Shouldn't bother you any, it's not in yer head is it? An' it's the last of its kind too, so 'm keepin' 'im."
"ENOUGH!" the voice thundered, roared, howled as the Earth shook like some titan of yore had awoken and was drawn by their stalemate.
The figure appeared, wreathed in golden light so bright it was painful to look at, and landed on her feet.
"Enough," she repeated, "I stay my hand in this matter no more."
Trainers crunched stone and sand as she moved to be in the midst of the grouping.
"Hello!" she greeted the monks brightly, ignoring the Doctor's strangled sounds, "welcome ta Earth. I see you've met the Doctor an' his companions. Now, I know yer new 'round here so lemme introduce myself. Rose Wolfe, defender of Earth an' the Doctor, at yer service."
"Do you have power?" the head monk rasped.
"Yep, sure do," she nodded, hands clasped behind her back and rocking on the balls of her feet like a child might, "an' I know yer comin' an' offerin' a hand but if ya will look at the clocks…"
Everyone did so, to find that the Doomsday countdown was gone.
"Yeah, that was me; neat little trick ya tried ta pull," she continued, gaining attention again, "makin' people think world war three was 'bout ta break out, classic distraction fer the little warmongers. Now, usually I leave this stuff ta the Doctor, hands off but I'll tweak things ta where he gets ta where he's needed, 'cause he's very good at this sort of thing but ya would be messin' with time an' the Earth," her golden eyes flared like suns, "an', 'm sorry, but those are my business. So, I've cleaned up the mess 'bout ta start Armageddon, happened ta just be human error, easy as pie ta fix really, an' ya aren't needed ta swoop in an' save the day. So, Ta! Buh-bye! Toodles!"
Her face changed, turning absolutely feral and malicious, "Get off my planet. Run away, far far away an' then further still. An' if ya ever come back without my permission or mess with the Doctor, I will end yer entire species. Got it?"
The head monk hesitated, "You speak from love."
"'Course I do," she snorted, "I've faced down a fleet of Daleks, three times, fer love. You guys? Not even worth my time, but you've messed with what's mine an' I do not like when people do that."
She looked at her watch almost theatrically, "'m gonna be kind, I'll take the humans an' the Doctor outta yer ship here, an' give ya, ooh, ten earth minutes ta get outta our orbit. If you're not gone when the time's up, 'm gonna ta it as an declaration of war an' deal with ya myself."
With a snap of her fingers she sent everyone outside, saying, "Yer ten minutes start now.", then followed.
She appeared next to the Doctor and shielded her eyes against the desert sun to watch the pyramid take off.
She tracked it until it left the atmosphere then she simply extended her senses to make sure it left orbit entirely.
The Doctor made to grab her arm, pain and hope and fury clear upon his face, but she danced out of his reach.
"Sorry, Doctor," she told him, "but I gotta get back ta work an' ya should really check in on that vault of yers. Look, if ya wanna talk then come ta Coal Hill 'round five. If 'm not supervising detentions, I should be free fer a few hours."
She stood up on her toes, kissed his cheek, and then turned and walked away, fading from view with each step.
In turn, she faded into existence walking into the school she Headed just in time to see an all-out brawl happening in the hallway.
Ram and Matteusz were tag teaming against a gang of four other boys, blocking a beaten Charlie who was leaning heavily against a row of lockers.
Quill was trying and failing to break up the fight, she was too outnumbered and emotions were too high to actually let her do anything more than try to minimize any damage done.
As Rose watched, April and Tanya snuck behind the boys to extract Charlie and almost got him out when a stray punch hit April's head. She was knocked out instantly and dropped like a stone.
Rose decided it was time to intervene.
She whistled sharply, the sound echoing in the hall and making everyone pause.
"Miss Adeola, Miss Quill, escort Mister Smith an' Miss MacLean ta the nurse, everyone else ta my office an' wait fer me. I wanna know the exact reason why ya turned my school inta a boxing ring; I will be pullin' the security footage an' callin' yer parents. This's absolutely disgraceful an' 'm deeply ashamed of whoever started this. Now, march!"
Her voice was calm and even but held enough of an angry undercurrent to make the students and teacher obey her instantly.
Rose took a couple breaths, strengthening her grasp on her temper, before heading to the Nurse's office.
The nurse was not in that day but all the teachers had keys so Quill had been able to let herself and the three teenagers sent with her.
The headmistress slipped in, closing the door behind her, to find Charlie holding an ice pack to his rapidly bruising eye as April was coming around on the gurney.
"Okay, I wanna know 'xactly what happened," Rose said, dragging a wheeled stool to where she could face Charlie, "'m gonna need you to write a formal statement fer the record but right now I wanna get yer side of the story. Start from the beginning."
Charlie gave a shuddering breath, "I was returning from break, retrieving the materials I'd need for my afternoon classes when the four of them cornered me. I politely tried to escape however they began to make disparaging comments about my…romantic interests. When I would not react to their words they simply decided to…try 'beating the homo outta me'."
"Who are 'they' Charlie, I need names."
"Jameson, Johnson, Piers and Martin; I don't know their first names."
"Alright," she nodded, "so they started the fight. Did you try to fight back?"
"Yes, but four against one…"
"Understandable, numbers were on their side, then what?"
"Matteusz was released from his class and found them beating me. I was on the floor against the lockers. He distracted them."
"With ya so far, where did Ram come in in all this?"
"He and April were returning from their lunch off campus and ran into us; he told her to go get Quill then waded into the fight. I think she must have phoned Tanya on her way to Quill because Tanya made it before they did. Then Quill arrived and tried to help."
"If I had been allowed to kill them I would have been successful," Quill spoke up mildly.
"That's when you arrived, Miss Wolfe."
"Right, okay," she nodded again, "if what yer sayin' holds up, an' I think it will, I'll be able ta keep ya outta trouble."
She twisted around to face Tanya, "What did ya see?"
"Not much," the girl admitted, "April did text me, said the boys were in a fight by Charlie's locker. I thought it might be an alien thing so I asked to go to the toilets and hurried over there. She showed up with Quill then you got back."
Rose nodded again, standing up and moving to April.
She healed any damage the girl may have suffered before helping her sit up, "Well, April?"
"Me and Ram were coming back from lunch," April answered, holding her head as the residual pain slowly disappeared, "and we heard Matteusz shouting, in Polish and English, so we ran to him and saw what was going on. Ram told me to get Miss Quill while he tried to help. I texted Tanya while I ran. I got to Miss Quill's room and ran in; she shouted at me for interrupting but I told her what was going on. She swore, dismissed her class, and followed me back. We had just gotten there when you showed up."
Rose sighed, snapping her fingers; four blank incident reports materialized along with four black biros.
"Okay, you four fill those out fer me while I sort out the boys. Quill, stay with 'em, I'll get someone ta cover yer classes."
With that taken care of, she headed back to her office to find the six boys separated in the front office.
"Laura, see if Michael can cover fer Quill an' pull the footage fer locker 912," she told her secretary, who nodded, before turning to the students.
"Any of ya wounded?" she demanded harshly, "In need of immediate medical care?"
Every one of them shook their heads and from her glances none of them had much more than fat lips, blackening eyes, and busted up knuckles.
"Right, now Mister Smith and Misses Adeola, MacLean, an' Quill have told me what happened so 'm here ta see if yer stories match up. Once I hear everyone's story, then I'll start dealin' out punishment. You're lucky 'm not callin' the cops, hopefully I won't have ta call 'em either."
She opened her office door, "Singh, yer up first."
Ram stood up and entered her office, she followed and closed the door behind them.
"'m…different now," she told him, looking at the amber-brown liquid in her cup so she didn't have to look at him, "Rose Tyler's dead, she's been dead fer a very long time Doctor."
She chuckled sorrowfully, darkly, "'m her, but 'm not. Ya know, the first few decades were the hardest fer me, I think. It was ironic, wasn't it? That I finally had you, a you who was able to grow old an' die with me an' I couldn't grow old or die at all."
She drew a deep draw from her cup, "In the end, another sick twist, he was the first ta die, of 'em I mean. Cancer. It was nowhere then suddenly it was everywhere. Blink of an eye. It was like his human body kept trying to Regenerate back to normal an' ended up killin' 'im."
Another pull before she continued, "He went ta sleep one night an'…just didn't wake back up. Mum wanted ta bury him, but I knew better; he made me promise, see, promise ta burn him ta ash. So I did; made a pyre fer him, doused it all in petrol, an' lit the match myself. I kept burnin' him, down ta bone then I ground whatever I couldn't burn inta dust."
She sighed, even as the TARDIS refilled her cup, "Then Mum went an' died next an' you'll never guess how. Go on, guess."
"Rose…" the name was murmured, pain and sorrow laced through.
"Hit by a car. She was hit by a CAR, Doctor," the cup she had been holding shattered in her grasp but she wasn't injured by the shards, "all because my little brat of a brother wouldn't wait a goddamn minute an' dashed out. Oh, that little—"
"Rose!"
"Ya don't get it; Mum an' Pete, well they didn't have much time fer me," she seethed, eyes bright and deadly like nuclear mushroom clouds, "Mum tried, she did. But me an' Pete never really got on an' then Anthony came along. The miracle son, second chance. But I was an adult right? Could take care of myself; could do that alright. Didn't matter that I was barely eatin', barely speakin', spent all my time either asleep or workin' ta get back ta ya. Nah, I was fine. Well, fine enough ta not warrant more than a second chance. Tony had everythin' he wanted, didn't have ta work fer anythin' an' I was the only one who even attempted ta discipline him."
She gave a dark bark of laughter, "Got in trouble fer that too, an' Tony hated me 'cause I'd face down this worst temper tantrums without even blinkin', let alone givin' in. I told 'im I've seen scarier stuff before breakfast. The last straw fer me was when he tried feedin' my TARDIS key down the rubbish disposal 'cause I wasn't givin' him—I don't even remember what it was anymore. He knew what it meant ta me so of course he tried ta use it ta break me."
Rose gave a dark smile, "I broke his wrist, he wasn't able ta sit fer a week straight, an' I bawled Mum an' Pete out so badly the hospital was 'bout ta call the police. Pete wanted ta press charges but I threatened ta spill some of his secrets so we made a deal; he'd give me one of the flats he owned in the city, fer free an' in my name, he'd pay all my expenses fer life, set aside a small inheritance which I quickly invested, I'd never have ta deal with Tony ever again, an' I'd be my own boss in Torchwood."
She sighed, "I think it confused the Metacrisis, he took the name James Donald Smith, but once he heard what went down he was on my side; he tore strips off Mum, lemme tell ya that."
The Doctor sat there, drink forgotten in stunned horror as the life he had wanted from her turned out to be nothing but smoke and mirrors.
"So, two years after ya left us on that beach, James died. At least it wasn't too painful for him but he was hurtin' a bit. Then, two years after he died Mum died. Tony was eight so he was definitely old enough ta know not ta run in the streets. Pete crawled inta the bottle an' tried dumpin' Tony onta me," she gave another dark smile, "I told him ta fuck off, that if he tried dropping the little bastard onta my doorstep I'd call the cops ta report an abandoned child. After several nannies quit because of the little monster an' Tony got kicked outta his nice, expensive school fer bad behavior, Pete finally shipped him off ta a boarding school. Tony OD'd just after his twenty-fifth birthday an' had at least four bastards of his own with as many women. Good riddance ta bad rubbish."
She paused, "His kids actually weren't that bad, really; I flitted in an' out of their lives, helpin' out when needed. One of their stepdads was abusive, liked beatin' on his stepkid when life didn't go this way. Those kids knew how ta contact me if it was a real emergency, so when they landed in hospital they finally called in Auntie Rose an' told me the truth. Strangely, Stepdad disappeared within the next week but he left a note sayin' how sorry he was an' don't go lookin' fer him."
"Rose…"
"I didn't kill him, Doctor," she assured him, smiling ferally, "I just called in a few favors. I have absolutely no idea what happened ta the bloke. But that doesn't bother me, honest."
She waved, "Anyway, I kept a close eye on things after that. I kept tabs on all my nieces an' nephews until the bloodline completely died out a couple centuries later."
The Doctor's face twisted in sorrow, "Centuries? Rose, I—"
"I hated ya fer a long time, Doctor," Rose told him, "in fact I loathed ya. I was blinded by hatred. Still loved ya, but hated ya even more. There was a stretch of time where I knew that if I saw ya again I'd shoot ya dead where ya stood. I hated ya fer leaving me, fer running away again an' I hated what ya turned me inta. I wished I had never even met ya. But," she added, seeing the pain on his face, "I grew outta it; by my three hundredth birthday I could admit ya never knew what had happened ta me, that it wasn't yer fault. Still might've hurt ya if ya showed up then, but I wouldn't've killed ya."
"I'm sorry," he said, almost brokenly.
"I know, but the past's in the past yeah?" she shrugged, "By age three-fifty, give or take a few years, I was handpicked ta head a new initiative. Earth had managed ta invent interplanetary travel an' somehow the folks in change heard 'bout me. I had been travelling the world fer a long time, spent time in a monastery or two, ya know the deal; eat the food, learn the beliefs, say the wrong things, thwart evil as needed. By that time, Tony's bloodline was long dead so I had no ties holdin' me down."
"They hunted me down an' gave me the job on the understandin' that once I got 'em trained up an' outta the solar system, I'd get my own ship an' my freedom. Nearly took a couple centuries ta get 'em there but I managed. I was 'bout ta take off when Bad Wolf woke up. Nearly killed us both, the only way ta survive was ta merge ourselves together."
Rose gave a harsh laugh, "Passed out, fever, we were literally burnin' through each other, an' woke up a year an' a month later. I have all of Rose Tyler's memories an' emotions but with the power and perspective of Bad Wolf."
"How did you—?"
"I almost literally ran across a crack, got sucked in, an' it spat me out at the school. Once I got my wits 'bout me, figured out where I was, I called Jack. Quill found me, explained what was going on with the Hellmouth thing. So, like I said, I called Jack who got me in contact with UNIT who got me in contact with the Board who installed me as Headteacher on the understandin' that I'd be the Giles ta the kids' Scooby Gang an' that I'd handle anythin' that comes through. Until I can patch that thing up, 'm stuck in place," she shrugged before glaring at him, "an' I've been cleanin' up yer mess."
"Bad Wolves," he announced into the lecture hall, "a running theme in human stories, why?"
The chalk clacked on the chalkboard as his hand drew something without his permission.
"Sir!" someone called out, "Why have you drawn a rose?"
He paused, turning to look at what he had drawn and realizing that, yes, it was a rose.
"You need ta leave, now," he didn't even flinch at her sudden arrival but he did flinch at the look in her eyes and the way she carried herself.
Wide and wild, there was stark terror and rage in them as she moved like an apex predator backed into a corner with no way out who would take at least one of her enemies down with her.
"Now, Doctor," she repeated, ignoring everyone but him, ignoring the black-hole hanging above them like it was nothing, "everyone, get inta the TARDIS, take the Smurf here too. Ya need ta get out."
"What's on this ship, Rose?" he demanded softly, mind racing; she was immortal; she was all-powerful, what could scare her so badly? Just how much danger was everyone in?
"You need ta leave, Doctor, please," she repeated, begging him now, "they know yer here, he knows yer here."
"Who knows? What is on this ship?"
"Potts, Nardole, Missy, an' you, the blue bloke, get inta the TARDIS this instant," she whipped around to order, a command from on high that could not be disobeyed.
The four started into movement, even Missy heeded the woman's words without a fight, and they all filed into the TARDIS.
"Maximum shields, ol' girl," Rose told the ship, a tremble in her usually steady voice, "throw everythin' ya can inta 'em an' keep everyone inside."
"Rose," the Doctor took her by the shoulders, forcing her to meet his eyes, "What is going on here?"
"Daleks, Mondassian Cybermen, an' the Master," she whispered, glancing down at her feet meaningfully, "they're all on board an' the Master's already seen ya, on the cameras," she looked up, eyes skirting around the room to each camera. "An' I wouldn't put it past the Daleks either."
His hearts started racing, his throat went dry; it was one of his worst nightmares come to life.
"All the crew, the ones that went down the ship," she continued hurriedly, watching the lifts keenly, "they bred, the time dilation, days up here are years down there, that's all the life-signs; their descendants bred like rabbits but their little civilization is dyin' now, been dyin' fer years so now they're bein' Upgraded. They know there's monsters in the floors above 'em, sent exploration teams that never came back, lost contact, so they're gearin' up fer survival, fer a war."
"Daleks…"
"Group of a hundred or so, maybe more, can't get an accurate headcount without tippin' 'em off that 'm here," she confirmed, "most in stasis, small group of guards awake."
"And the Master?"
"Luck, he landed here randomly after him an' ya sent Rassilion an' his group packin'. He's hopin' ta use the two against each other but yer his way out. He'll stop at nothing ta get inta the TARDIS. Ya have ta leave, Doctor, run."
One of the lifts had been activated, floor numbers slowly counting down as the lift came up through them.
"The people, they're already doomed, fixed point, can't help 'em, I looked," she was watching the one lift now, the numbers speeding up, "but you guys can get out. Ya have ta hurry now. I'll handle everythin' here, I'll clean up."
"Rose…"
"I can take of it, Doctor," the numbers were faster again, already in the triple digits instead of the quadruple.
"Rose, I—"
"Doctor," the numbers sped up again, now under five hundred, "Doctor," her voice was shaky as she stared up at him, "If ya ever trusted me, if ya ever loved me, listen ta me now. Get gone. Ya hear me? I can't do what needs ta be done with ya onboard, I need ta know yer safe."
Under three hundred now and flying.
He stared down at her then nodded, "Promise me, come back to my office when you're done. I need to know you're alright."
"Promise ya, Doctor," just hit the double digits, "I swear it, just go, now. I'll help the TARDIS get back ta Earth."
Under seventy five, the numbers were beginning to blur in their speed.
He turned on his heel and ran away, to the TARDIS who had a door open for him; he turned, just as he entered his wonderful ship, for one last glance as the lift hit the single digits.
Rose was beginning to glow, making stars look dim and cool in comparison; the door slammed shut just as the light turned painful to look at, searing eyes.
The TARDIS took off, her flight shakier than any previous, except for maybe that first side trip into Pete's universe. She shook as if she were about to be pulled apart at the seams and screamed like she was being murdered.
Then he felt it; a tidal wave across the timelines, the temporal equivalent of a hundred thousand atomic bombs being dropped on one square foot of space.
He and Missy shrieked as one, their delicate finely tuned temporal senses lighting up white hot.
All their other senses shut down, bodies trying futilely to stop the overload as time became Wrong and then just as quickly Right in a way that was never meant to be.
So lost in his pain and instinctive terror, he did not realize that the little piece temporal wrongness and rightness that was Rose Wolfe blinked out of existence, tearing time apart for the briefest of moments before returning.
Both the Time Lord and Time Lady welcomed the cool darkness of unconsciousness as it overtook them, even as they screamed their throats bloody and raw and the TARDIS finally landed safely.
When the Doctor awoke, he was in his bed.
"Shoulda warned ya," came Rose's tired voice, "sorry."
He tried sitting up but only managed to roll onto his side to face her; she was in a very large, overly stuffed armchair, legs up over one armrest and she was wearing one of her old sets of pajamas.
"Didn't think," she continued, "last time I did that there weren't any Time Lords in the universe with me."
"What," it hurt to talk, he tasted blood from his throat as he desperately swallowed, "what did you do?"
"I kamikazed 'em," she explained, blinking slowly, "blasted a hole in time an' space, shunted 'em ta where an' when they needed ta be, forced the Master ta Regenerate inta the Mistress and sent him—I mean her ta where she needed ta be. I didn't think 'bout how ya two would see it. 'm sorry."
"Kamikazed—"
"Yeah, killed myself; won't, can't stay dead but if I do things right I can basically end an' restart time in seconds. Bomb-style; I go boom an' I can choose what I change. I can't change much but if 'm smart what I can change will change everything."
She actually yawned, "Have ta be careful though."
"Where're we?"
"Missy's vault, safest place I could think of, made ta keep her in after all, Potts' on board still an' I brought my kids on…"
"Your kids?"
"Yeah, the Coal Hill kids, 'member 'em? I might've yanked open the Hellmouth so 'm not leavin' 'em. I put 'em in a few unclaimed rooms, in the guest corridor. Quill's locked down in hers. The Cabinet's in lockdown in Jack's old room, nobody's getting' in there but me or you, fingerprint an' iris scanner, heart detector fer ya, power sampler fer me, blood scanner, thirty seven passwords that ya have ta get on the first go or be completely locked out, the works."
She yawned again, jaw cracking, "Ya know, I haven't been tired in ages," she stood up, staggering slightly, "Get some rest, Doctor; 'm gonna go crash in my old room, we'll figure out what ta do later if we have ta do anything else."
With that, she glided from his room like a spirit departing some scene and he turned onto his back, staring at the ceiling.
"Miss Wolf," Laura called out, "delivery."
Thankful for the respite from the endless paperwork, Rose got to her feet and left her office to find a bouquet of blue flowers that clearly did not come from Earth and a nose-less dog plushie.
She smiled softly, bending to sniff the flowers and found that they smelt like hot cocoa.
"Rosie has a crush," came a familiar voice and Rose looked up to see the grinning face of Jack.
"Thought ya figured that out centuries back, Jack," she retorted teasingly.
"Still need a knife," he agreed.
"You are takin' me on a date, Doctor," came the voice; he wasn't even flinching anymore at her sudden appearances.
"Yes, alright, anywhere particular?" he grumbled half-heartedly.
"School dance, in two days, after what happened at the last one 'm gonna stay on hand an' I refuse ta be swarmed by boys thinkin' with their willies an' not their brains."
She huffed, rolling her eyes as she plopped down in the seat that she had claimed as hers, "Lose the cape an' you'll be good. I'll pick ya up 'round 'bout six thirty, dance starts at seven. An' if ya try flyin' off I'll drag ya back here myself."
"Wouldn't dream of it, Rose," he replied sincerely; it wasn't often she asked for favors, well favors beyond, "Hey, can ya check out planet XYZ in such an' such time period, gettin' some wonky readin's off it. Thanks!"
She was still as jeopardy friendly as ever but she was also a big girl who happened to have phenomenal cosmic powers.
Besides, he had to admit that the temporal gouge at Coal Hill was mostly his fault and it was the least he could do to be back-up for her.
And taking her dancing, well, that was just a bonus.
She glided through the students, her charges, like the goddess she was.
Wrapped in an evening gown, open backed, that clung to every curve and was made of what looked like her own golden power manifested into silk, he now understood why she needed him as a buffer.
With tenderness and care, she made sure everyone was having a good time and not making any mistakes too big for one night.
She made her rounds, purifying the now tainted punch with a wave of her hand and repaired the now slightly torn banners and ribbons, before returning to him with a tongue-kissed grin.
He took her for a dance then, a waltz so perfect they could have won awards for it; in fact they had, two lifetimes ago.
Despite the passage of time, despite the changing of bodies on his part and the ascendance on hers, they danced as one, matching step for step, move for move, as if it was a regular occurrence,
Her golden eyes, as she looked up at him with pinking cheeks and that smile that was only for him, swirled into brown and it was like they were on the TARDIS again as he proved that, yes, he could still dance.
Time blurred, which was saying something for a Time Lord or a Time Goddess, until Rose froze.
"Uh-oh," she said whirling away from him to call out, "Quill, eyes out!"
The other woman nodded sharply before Rose gathered her gown up and took off at a decent speed, despite wearing three inch high heels, out of the auditorium and down the hall that housed the Tear.
The Doctor was right on her fabulous heels
The Tear that was flaring.
Rose dropped her gown and threw her hands out; they were already glowing and matched her eyes.
"No, no, no, not now!" she was chanting as she fought the Tear.
"Rose?"
"Somethin's comin' through," she murmured, "can't stop it; Doctor, get ready!"
That was all the warning he was allowed before she stopped resisting whatever it was; there was a sound like a belch and out flew a young woman.
She looked human enough; blonde, light-skinned, and two blue eyes, with ten fingers on each of her two hands, two legs and two feet.
She rolled and rolled down the hall before coming to a stop face up and gasping for air.
The Tear closed up, as closed as ever that was, behind the woman.
"Dammit!" the woman groaned, sitting up and cradling an arm.
The Doctor had gone ghostly pale and was actually shaky.
Rose moved to the woman and knelt down, "Hello, welcome ta Earth. My name's Rose."
She spoke kindly, reaching out to heal the newcomer.
"Jenny," Jenny replied, "how d'ya do that?" She flexed her newly healed arm in awe, looking up at the woman with curiosity.
"'m a woman of many talents, Jenny." Rose smiled, helping her up, "Now, what're ya; if ya don't mind me asking."
"Do you know a woman named Donna Noble? She lives on Earth." Jenny asked back.
"Not really," Rose replied, shrugging, "but my friend here does. Why d'ya ask?"
"Oh, family friend. Who's your friend then?"
Rose linked her fingers with the Doctor's, drawing him in, "He's the Doctor."
Jenny froze, "The Doctor, as in THE Doctor?" She suddenly sounded like a lost, scared little girl.
"Jenny?" the Doctor said, disbelievingly, hopefully.
Rose arched an eyebrow but said nothing as the two embraced and Jenny was babbling at him a mile a minute.
Gently, she steered them to an empty classroom before leaving to inform Quill that she was handling things and then returning.
"Rose!" the Doctor said brightly, "I need you to meet Jenny, my daughter."
Rose nodded, "Thought so, Donna told me 'bout her. Hi, Jenny; 'm Rose an' I used ta travel with yer Da, a very long time ago."
Rose looked at the Doctor, saying, "Look, there's still an hour or so in the dance an' I can't leave Quill on her own so if ya wanna duck out just say so."
The Doctor looked indecisive but Jenny piped up and asked, "What's a dance?"
Rose blinked before grinning in an almost predatory way, "Oh, you're definitely staying then."
She snapped her fingers and Jenny was suddenly wearing a blue sundress and sandals that laced up her calves. Her ponytail was now a French-braid.
"A dance, Jenny, is a type of party," Rose explained, "this one, the one we're goin' ta, is fer kids that go ta this school. Lucky fer us, 'm the boss here so I can sneak ya in no problem. I put yer clothes inta my office, we'll grab 'em after. Just stick close; I have a few students that ya can talk ta, one isn't human either so the others will overlook any…quirks. If ya get overwhelmed, tell me an' I can take ya ta an empty classroom or somethin', alright?"
She linked arms with the younger blond and off they went, with the Doctor trailing behind them.
Jenny looked around the auditorium with some anxiety; she had never seen so many people in one group.
"Everything alright, Miss Wolfe?" a boy came to them, looking worried.
"Ah, Charlie, just the man I was lookin' fer," Rose smiled kindly, "everything's fine, but I want ya ta meet Jenny. She's just come ta Earth, through the Hellmouth, but she's friendly. Never been ta a dance before. I'll tell ya all the story later. Mind takin' her under yer wing tonight?
Charlie grinned back, and bowed to Jenny, holding out a hand, "Of course, welcome to Earth Jenny. I go by Charlie Smith amongst the humans. If you'll grace me with your presence tonight I'd be honored."
Jenny looked at Charlie, then to Rose who nodded and then to her father who also nodded, before taking his hand.
Charlie led her away, into the crowd and to his friends.
"You don't have to go," the Doctor repeated again as she packed her book-bag.
"I wanna go, Dad," she repeated back, "and Rose pulled a lotta strings to get me in. I gotta learn to pass as something, might as well be human."
"Pass?"
"Well, I can't really go around saying "Hi, I'm the third to last Time Lord and you know that bloke who's pissed off half the universe? He's my Dad."
She rolled her eyes as she slipped into her boots, "I love you Dad, but I'm not suicidal."
There was a knock at the front door of the flat and the Doctor answered it to find Ram and April waiting.
"Good Morning, Sir," April chirped, "Miss Wolfe asked us to pick up Jenny."
"'m right here," Jenny called, "Gimme a sec!"
The Doctor sighed grumpily and invited the teenagers in, wondering briefly how his life had gotten so domestic.
April turned to the Doctor, holding out an envelope almost shyly, "Message from Miss Wolfe."
The Doctor took it, with a resigned air about him, and opened it to pull out the letter.
"Dear Doctor," it started, Rose's handwriting still barely more than chicken-scratch after all this time;
"Stop being a worrywart," and she still had all that Tyler Tact, "Jenny'll be fine. All she has to do is think my name and I'll be at her side. Now, knowing what I know about her and you, I have to warn you; if she comes to the school with any sonic devices or weapons, even a pocket knife, I'll have to suspend her and she could possibly be expelled. She's under all the same rules as every other student and I will be rifling through her pockets before I give her her timetable. I will be…angry if you send her in with contraband. You remember Mum slapping you? I will make that look like a tickle."
He winced; yes, he recalled getting smacked and with the sort of power Rose commanded now...
He shook himself slightly and he continued reading;
"Now, as for you; do not coming storming into my school without a damn good reason. You are going to be treated as any other parent and I will not stand having you unleash the Storm on one of my teachers, even Quill.
Now wish her a good day and good luck, if she's anything like you, she'll probably need it.
Sincerely, I know you and your bullshit Doctor,
Rose Wolfe, Headteacher Coal Hill Academy 2014—"
He snorted at her sign off but decided to trust her, this was Rose after all.
Jenny was almost ready to go, she was just pulling on her leather jacket, so he went and kissed her forehead, wished her luck, and retreated to the TARDIS to try to get a handle on his burgeoning panic attack.
Behind him, April was quizzing Jenny to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything important.
"Books?"
"Yes."
"Mobile phone?"
"Got it."
"Lunch money?"
"Yeah, Bill spotted me."
April shot a look to Ram who quickly excused himself.
"Jenny," April began quietly, "do you…uh…bleed?"
"Yes, of course. Every time I cut myself."
"No, not that way; I'm trying to ask do you menstruate?"
"What's that?"
"Uh," April's face flamed but she ploughed onward, "well, once monthly, a healthy human woman will bleed from her…uh…vagina for about a week tops, unless she's pregnant."
"Humans lose blood from down there?" Jenny's eyes were wide and round in shocked horror.
"Only women; it's normal, natural," April rushed to assure her.
"What about clothes though, blood's awfully hard to get outta fabric."
"There're methods to…contain or…soak up the blood; I'm guessing you don't menstruate?"
"No! Never! That's horrific! Hasn't anyone found any way around that design flaw?"
"There're ways but they have side-effects," April gave a nervous grin, "never mind that; c'mon, let's get to school."
The rest of the group met them and escorted Jenny to the office where Rose was waiting.
"Mornin' Jenny, turn out yer—where d'ya get that jacket?!" the normally calm woman suddenly shouted.
Jenny looked down at the jacket she was wearing, "Dunno, the TARDIS gave me it."
Rose sat down abruptly, a shaking hand over her eyes, "Right, alright, sorry, just gimme a minute here."
Without much thought, she held her free hand palm up and what looked like a holographic display started.
"RUN!"
A man with a leather jacket grabbed her hand and tugged her behind him.
"I'm the Doctor. Nice ta meet ya Rose, now run!"
A mad grin, manic blue eyes, a bomb.
The building explodes; he has to be dead.
The man that saved her.
He's not dead; at her front door, telling her to stay away from him.
He's not human; blue box bigger on the inside.
The offer; she couldn't go with him, not with her mum and Mickey waiting.
The man leaves; she has just made the biggest mistake of her life.
He's back.
"Did I mention it also travels in time?"
The children watched as Rose's memories played like a movie, a clip-show.
"She's a tree."
"A traditional Earth ballad."
"I'm talking to a twig."
"There's me."
"You look beautiful, for a human."
"We go down fighting, yeah?"
"I'm so glad I met you."
"Me too."
"Did you know this was gonna happen?"
"Nope!"
A genuine smile now; he's happier.
Dalek. A Dalek.
Broken soldiers, the both of them.
Fear; not of him, never of him, of what he could become.
Bad Wolf again; words following them? No, can't be. Coincidence.
"Only take the best. I've got Rose."
The fight, oh god she broke something that can't be fixed.
She gets him killed.
He forgives her.
"Mummy, are you my Mummy?
"He insults species when he's stressed."
Jack Harkness, the flirt with a good heart
"Everybody lives!"
Dancing in the TARDIS.
Jenny had to sit down, unable to tear her eyes away from the memories presented; her dad, so broken and yet being pieced back together by a human not much older than she was physically.
Margaret de-ages, an egg; that's the TARDIS' power.
Bad Wolf; Bad Wolf; everywhere.
Game show.
"You are the weakest link, goodbye!"
Daleks.
He tricks her!
Must open the TARDIS; please forgive her, she has to get back to him.
Bad Wolf; power.
Bad Wolf; a message.
"I am the Bad Wolf; I create myself…"
"I can see everything, all that is, all that could ever be."
"That's what I see, all the time, and doesn't it drive you mad?"
"My head…"
"Come here…"
"Is killing me…"
"I think you need a Doctor…"
He's not making sense; he's babbling, making it sound like he's dying. He can't be dying. No.
"You were fantastic, Rose; and ya know what? So was I."
He explodes in fire and light and then he's gone; another man, claiming to be the Doctor, wearing his clothes.
The images stopped there and the display disappeared as Rose placed her head in both hands and openly wept. It may have been centuries ago for her but the wound had never really closed.
It was her fault that that him had died.
She only looked up, eyes puffy, red-rimmed, and brown, when she felt something slightly heavy being laid across her shoulders.
A familiar, welcoming, comforting scent surrounded her.
"I think," Jenny started, sounding on the verge of tears herself before she stopped, gulped and continued a bit stronger, "I think he'd want you to have his jacket."
"Jenny, no, I can't—it's yers now. He'd want you to have it."
"He never even met me, Rose. He clearly thought the universe of you."
"He would've adored ya, Jenny."
"Good to know," Jenny gave a watery grin, "but I'm serious, jacket's yours; think the TARDIS planned this, really."
Rose gave a weak giggle, hands coming to curl around the jacket, "Maybe…Jenny, are ya sure?"
Jenny nodded, "Yeah, 'm sure. Dead sure…You helped him, I don't know if he'd've made it long enough to create me if he hadn't had you," she frowned slightly, "Honestly, when I was…born, Dad was broken too; Aunt Martha and Uncle Jack said losing you broke him again. I think he's happier now, maybe because you're back even if you don't travel with him."
She shrugged, "Not sure, have to ask Uncle Jack."
Rose inhaled a shuddering breath.
"Why are some humans different colours?" Jenny asked innocently one day, causing her friends to choke on their lunches.
"Jenny!" Tanya scolded, looking around just in case, "Think about how you say things like that!"
"What, what did I say?"
"Some people are…touchy about the subject," April explained gently.
"We're touchy because for centuries we were slaves," Tanya snorted, "ya see Jenny, the skin colour doesn't mean jack but for some idiots anyone not the same colour as them are lower class citizens, not even human to the worst of them."
"Then why the different colours; in other species different colours mean something, like castes or jobs."
"The different skin tones are actually a holdover from when humans first evolved," April explained calmly, "you see, darker skin protects better from the sun so the more sun a region gets the darker the native population tends to be."
"But that's all history now," Ram put in, "humans mixed so much over the centuries, wars and trade and stuff like that, that there's white people, the people with pale skin like you, April, Charlie, Quill, Miss Wolfe, and Matteuz, where they'd've never naturally been and black people, someone like Tanya, where they'd've never naturally been either."
"Then's there's people like Ram, who's neither black or white; see, the closer you get to the equator the darker humans tend to get while the closer to the poles the whiter they get. It's not a hard rule, there're exceptions of course. Ram's ancestors came from India, their ancestors probably came from around the Middle East, which is pretty much smack dab in the middle of everything. Plus when the…er…colours mix you can get a pretty good range of…er…shades."
"Plus there are people with no colour at all; albinos, they have none of the pigments that cause skin colour…or eye colour…or hair colour…"