Chapter 2: Rose
They all watched the screen as the TARDIS was shown hurtling through space and the word ROSE flashed across the screen. They all see an alarm clock going off at 7:30.
"Nice bed head there Rosie." Jack wolf-whistles. She glares at him, as does Nine. Ten simply shakes his head in fond amusement.
Rose gets up, dressed and kisses her mother goodbye. Her mother, who is also blonde, still in her dressing gown and lazing on the settee while watching TV. Rose heads off to work and it shows her working at Hendricks.
"Should have known. Only you would have been in the thick of it when those Automatons showed up." Sarah Jane laughed.
"That's me." Ten grinned.
The day passes. Rose moves piles of display clothes around the ladies wear section, meets Mickey for a snack lunch in Trafalgar Square then goes back to work.
Rose looks faintly embarrassed at the sight. She could tell Nine was rolling his eyes and she glances over at Mickey who looked slightly pained.
"It's ok. I got over it. Eventually." He reassured her as he caught her look. She breathed out a sigh of relief. Both Doctors were glad to hear Mickey admitting that he gave up on Rose. Nine because it irritated him having to watch the pair of them and Ten because he knew he loved Rose and couldn't stand watching her with someone else even if he had no right to care. He had never told her how he felt, she was entitled to have a boyfriend.
The tannoy announces the store will be closing in five minutes. As Rose heads out the guard shakes a clear plastic bag in front of Rose. She takes the bag and runs back to a lift and goes down to the basement.
"When is this?" Donna asks, wondering why they are watching this.
"When I first met the Doctor." Rose smiles.
Rose calls out for a man named Wilson. A door with a large danger of electric shock sign also claims to be the office of H P Wilson, CEO. Rose calls once more before hearing a clattering noise down the corridor. She calls out again but there is no response. She opens the door to a store room and turns on the lights. There are boxes of clothes, and dressed dummies.
Everyone holds their breath, wondering what on earth could be going on. It looks harmless, but they realise that if she met the Doctor here then it would definitely not be safe. Those who knew what happened simply smiled.
As she explores, the door slams behind her. Rose runs back but it won't open. She assumes it's someone mucking about. A male shop dummy turns to watch her, then approaches. She still thinks it's a joke. A second one starts moving behind it, then a third. Rose then assumes it must be someone named Derek.
I think I'd like this Derek." Jack grins.
"Probably. You'd cause so much trouble together." Rose admits.
More shop dummies start moving as Rose keeps backing away down the storage area. Finally they have her up against the wall, and the lead dummy raises its arm. Then a hand grabs Rose's wrist.
Both Doctors and Rose smile at the memory. Everyone else is relieved that the Doctor has finally shown up.
The Doctor tells her to run and everyone grins.
"Probably one of the most common things we do." Donna laughs.
"Being with the Doc is definitely better than any gym membership." Mickey agrees. All the companions grin and nod. Ten pouts but looks amused.
He drags Rose through the basement as the Autons follow, and into a lift. The lead Auton puts its arm through the closing doors. After several tugs the Doctor pulls it off, and the doors close. They watch the conversation in the lift.
"Yeah, that wasn't confusing at all." Rose shakes her head. "Great idea, it's not that."
"Well it wasn't." Nine defends. "But for a human that didn't know about aliens, that was a fairly good explanation."
"There you are with that 'for a human' phrase again." Rose grumbles remembering how pleased she had been he called her beautiful and then added that onto the end.
"Well, you are human." Nine grins into her hair, remembering the exact same thing. He had only added the extra bit to cover up his embarrassment at saying it out loud. Nothing could ever come of his relationship with Rose and he didn't want to give her false encouragement. Although, he mused, cuddling with her on a couch was certainly not giving the effect he was going for. With the news that he would lose her much sooner than he hoped he wasn't sure he wanted to keep her at a distance anymore. Given the look on his future self's face, he would regret it. Losing Rose was going to be one of the worst things he had ever been through, even now, with him burying his emotions deep down. He turns his attention back to the film and watches as they finish the conversation in the lift.
"Ow!" Ten cries as Martha hits him in the arm.
"That was harsh." She scolds him. "No need to be so blunt about it."
"Well he was." Ten defended. Both Doctors got a sense they would be defending themselves a lot if they kept watching. Martha shakes her head while Sarah Jane smiles to herself.
They emerge out the back of the building and the Doctor tells her to mind her eyes.
"Why? It's not that bright." Rose asks him.
"Because he's embarrassed it's only a screwdriver." Jack laughs remembering how reluctant the Doctor had been to admit to him that it was only a screwdriver when he, himself had a sonic blaster.
"Oi. My screwdriver has saved the day many times." Ten griped.
On the screen, the Doctor explains that they are made of plastic. 'Living plastic creatures. They're being controlled by a relay device in the roof, which would be a great big problem if I didn't have this. (a small bomb) So, I'm going to go up there and blow them up, and I might well die in the process, but don't worry about me. No, you go home. Go on. Go and have your lovely beans on toast. Don't tell anyone about this, because if you do, you'll get them killed.'
"Beans on toast?" Donna asks, amused.
"Yeah, you humans love beans on toast." Nine snorts.
"I don't." Sarah Jane smirks at him.
"Nor do I." Martha admits. Both Doctors sigh and everyone turns back to the film which seems to pause itself every time one of them speaks.
He shuts the door behind him, then opens it again. Introducing himself. Rose gives her name and he tells her to run.
"Well, that was a lovely introduction." Martha laughs.
"Better than mine. I just appeared on his ship in my wedding dress." Donna grins.
"Confused both of us." Ten grins back at her. "I've had many things appear on the TARDIS, a woman in a wedding dress was a first."
Rose makes her way to the main road, nervous of the dummies in the shop window. She runs across the road, nearly becoming a hood ornament for a black cab. The driver yells at
her to watch it.
"Yes, please watch it." Nine groans into her ear. "I know you are jeopardy friendly, but no need to encourage it." Rose simply pats his arm with a smirk.
A huge fireball takes out the upper floor of Hendrik's. Rose runs straight past an out of date police telephone box parked just in the alley between two other stores.
"You certainly know how to make an explosion Doc." Jack snickers.
"That's nothing. Mickey blew up Downing Street." Rose informs him. Everyone who wasn't there turns to Mickey in amazement.
"I was under boss' orders." He grins pointing at Nine.
"Well that makes slightly more sense." Sarah Jane admits.
"Oi!" Nine and Ten protest at the same time but both are smiling.
The screen cuts to the Tyler's flat. Jackie is on the telephone and Rose is slumped on the settee watching the news. Rose's boyfriend, Mickey, enters. He's upset she hasn't answered the phone and Rose tells him she is fine, not to make a fuss. Mickey wants to know what happened and she lies to him, saying she was outside when it happened.
"Good to know you do listen to me sometimes." Nine says as the corner of his lips lift in amusement.
"Quick start to the cover ups." Donna notes.
Jackie interrupts the couple saying the person she is on the phone to can get Rose an interview for £500. Rose sarcastically tells her that's brilliant before taking the phone from Jackie and ending the call.
"Nice. That woman is never off the phone." Ten sighs in fond recollection. Nine stares at his future self who sounds far fonder of Jackie than he is. He then wonders if Rose prefers his future incarnation. He wouldn't blame her, that pretty boy over his daft old face. It's quite strange, even for him, being bitter and annoyed with himself for something he hasn't done yet. She has seen what he will look like, will she want that version of him?
Jackie keeps talking until the telephone rings again and she answers it. It's another person asking about Rose and they go on about compensation yet again. Mickey realises Rose is drinking tea and wants to take her to a bar. Rose sees right through his attempt and notes he just wants to watch the football game. He starts to deny it but then admits they could catch the last five minutes. Rose tells him to go without her and to take the plastic arm out to the bin. They kiss, then Mickey picks up the arm. He pretends to be strangled by the arm, then leaves.
"That's why you didn't believe it was choking me?" Nine sighs and then he glares at Mickey who holds his hands up innocently. Rose grins up at him from her place on his chest and he can't help but grin back at her.
"Get a room you two." Jack calls. Martha watches the pair in a bit of confusion and disappointment. It is clear he is much closer to Rose than her, but it isn't the same Doctor she travelled with, so it's hard to be upset until she catches Ten staring at Rose with a longing expression on his face. Sarah Jane just smiles at the pair having finally gotten closure on her relationship with the Doctor. Rose blushes at Jack's comment and the tips of Nine's ears go red.
"You're just jealous you aren't invited as well." Rose retorts.
"Yes, I am." Jack winks at her.
Whistling, Mickey throws the arm into a rubbish bin, while somewhere nearby a couple are having a blazing row. It cuts to the next day where Rose's alarm goes off at 7:30 as usual. Jackie tells her there is no point getting up as she has no job.
"The best bit about you blowing up my job. No more stupidly early days." Rose beams.
"So glad to be of service." Nine tells her sarcastically.
"I bet you are." Jack sniggers and Nine's ears go a deeper shade of red. Ten coughs slightly and rubs the back of his neck.
Jackie is recommending places for Rose to work. She says Finches but Rose doesn't seem impressed with the idea of working in a butchers. Her mom thinks it will do her good as Henricks was giving her 'airs and graces'."
"Rose? Airs and graces?" Mickey laughs.
"Oi you." Rose raises an eyebrow at him but eventually joins in with his laughter.
Jackie goes back to talking about compensation while something rattles at the door. Rose calls her mom a liar, saying she had told her to nail down the cat flap. Jackie replies that she did it weeks ago while Rose doesn't believe her. Rose inspects the flap and finds the screws for the cat flap are on the floor. Then the flap moves. Rose opens it. It's the Doctor trying to look through. She opens the door. Rose tells him she lives here and he asks what does she do that for.
Everyone burst out laughing at his question. Both Doctors look slightly red in the face as they realise exactly how stupid he sounded.
"You call me the idiot." Mickey sniggers loudly.
Rose pulls the Doctor into the flat.
"Well done, Rose. Don't let him get away that easily." Sarah Jane laughs. She is still wrapping her head around the concept that this Rose didn't know her which was a shame as they had finally gotten past their issues.
"I'm never letting him get away." Rose stated smiling slightly. Nine squeezed her gently hoping she could read how grateful he was. Ten just looked on sadly knowing she wouldn't have a choice in the matter. Sensing his mood, Martha puts a hand on his arm but he doesn't notice.
Jackie asks who it is and then is shown in her bedroom putting on her makeup. Rose tells her he is part of the enquiry and Jackie immediately says she should get compensation. The Doctor appears in the doorway and absently agrees they were talking about millions. Jackie starts flirting until the Doctor simply says 'no' and moves further into the flat to talk to Rose.
"Oh my god. I can't believe she did that." Rose covers her face with her hands. Nine is also shuddering a little but Ten looks highly amused. He finds it much funnier to watch than he had at the time.
Rose asks if he wants coffee and the Doctor agrees telling he has it with just milk. The Doctor looks at the copy of Heat on the coffee table. Says it won't last as the guy is gay and the woman is an alien. Rose pays no attention to this and carries on making coffee. The Doctor flicks through a paperback and comments it has a sad ending while Rose keeps talking and suggesting they go to the Police together. She also says they found a body. The Doctor sees his reflection in a mirror, and behaves as if he's just regenerated and is just seeing himself for the first time.
"Had you only just regenerated then?" Sarah Jane asked him. Nine nodded.
"First time I'd seen it, no time to look with the Autons everywhere." He explained. The Doctor comments on his ears and everyone in the room except Nine and Rose snickers.
"You look fine." She assures him.
Rose keeps talking while The Doctor tries to shuffle a pack of cards. The pack of cards goes flying. Rose wants him to explain everything and the cat flap rattles. Doctor asks if they have a cat and she tells him they don't. Unseen by anyone else, the Auton arm grabs the Doctor by the throat and Rose keeps talking.
"You didn't even see." Nine moans, poking her in the side playfully.
"Well, I have to get used to ignoring you, might as well get some practise in early." She teased him.
"Quite right too." Sarah Jane agreed with a chuckle. Ten gave her a betrayed look and Nine did the same to Rose.
Rose comes in from the kitchen area with two mugs of instant coffee. The Doctor is still being strangled, but she takes no notice. She just comments that she had told Mickey to get rid of the hand and goes on to ask the Doctor's name. The Doctor manages to throw the arm off. It stops in mid air and grabs Rose's face instead. The Doctor pulls at it, pulling Rose down on top of him as they fall onto the coffee table and smash it. Jackie is using her hairdryer and hears nothing. The Doctor finally gets it off Rose with his sonic screwdriver, then jabs the device into its palm. The fingers stop flexing.
"Nice landing." Jack winks at Rose.
"It was." She agrees with a smirk.
"Not really." Nine grumbles. "Glass and wood everywhere diggin' in my back and you landing on top of me." He pretends to be annoyed and refuses to admit that he had actually quite enjoyed the sensation. He had decided to stop hiding his feelings from Rose but old habits die hard and all that.
"Well that certainly got your attention." Donna comments, feeling a little left out with how close everyone else seems, with the exception of Martha.
The Doctor tells her he stopped it and makes a joke about it being armless and Rose hits him with it.
"Ow!" Nine and Ten complain at the same time as their onscreen counterpart.
"That was a terrible joke." Martha laughed.
"Was not." Ten said, lifting his nose into the air.
Screen cuts to the two of them going down the stairs and out of the flats. Rose is arguing that he can't just swan off and the Doctor states that actually he can. She tries again to get an explanation but he gives her a sarcastic ten out of ten for observation and keeps moving. She finally cracks and just says he can't leave without telling her what is going on. The Doctor tells her he doesn't have to explain anything.
"So it begins." Rose sighs dramatically.
"What begins?" Nine frowns.
"The chasing after you trying to get some kind of explanation. Soon enough you will explain at ninety miles an hour using words no human can hope to comprehend in a split second before you look at me like I drooled on your shirt." Rose giggled.
"So he's always done that?" Donna asked with a tentative smile.
"Yep." Sarah Jane chime in. All the companions start laughing with the two Doctors look on with a scowl.
Rose threatens to go to the Police is he doesn't start explaining. The Doctor scoffs at her threat and she tries again to ask who he is. He simply says he is The Doctor. She asks Doctor What and he gives the same response. She then asks if he is the police which he shuts down before telling her he is a long way from home.
Ten and Nine look down at that. Rose puts her arm around Nine's middle and gives him a gentle squeeze which makes him give her a small smile. Martha puts her hand on Ten's shoulder and this time he acknowledges her with a tiny nod of the head in thanks.
Rose asks if she had done something wrong for them to attempt to kill her and the Doctor just asks if the whole world revolves around her.
"Earth might not but my world does revolve around you." Nine whispers in her ear, making her blush and bite her lip in joy. Rose knew she was falling for the Doctor but had told herself many times not to expect the same from him. They frequently held hands and he did everything possible to keep her safe but she had always sensed he was keeping a distance between them. She never expected him to feel the same way and to hear that he might return her feelings, even slightly, was a joy she could not express.
The Doctor explains that it was an accident she got attacked and that the Autons were actually after him. Rose then comments that he believes the entire world revolves around him.
"Mine does." Rose confesses to him in an undertone. She had tried to keep her feelings a secret but as he had gone first, it felt safe to allow him this knowledge. The manic grin he gave her in return was well worth the risk of admitting her feelings.
He agrees so she tells him he is full of it. He agrees again.
"You really are." Mickey agrees.
"I have good reason to be." Nine retorts, his wide grin still in place.
Rose asks who else knows and the Doctor admits he is the only one. Rose is surprised to find that he is on his own. Doctor scornfully asks who else there could be. He goes on to condemn humans for doing nothing but eating chips, watching telly and sleeping. Rose looks determined and tells him to start from the beginning. She asks how he plans to kill it and the Doctor tells her that he plans to cut of the signal controlling them. Rose assumes he means radio control but he corrects that it is thought control, quickly asking if she is alright. She tells him that she's fine and moves on to asking who is controlling it. They joke about whether they want to take over Britain's shops and the Doctor laughs, saying it's not a price war. He asks if she believes him and she admits she doesn't believe him and he calls her on the fact that she is still listening to him.
"You were intriguing even if it sounded like nonsense." She admitted in a quiet voice. He grinned at her.
"I never talk about nonsense." He whispers back making her scoff.
"You so do." He flicks her nose with the hand not wrapped around her back and she simply laughs.
Rose tries again to ask who he really is and he gives her an intense answer before telling her to forget him and go home.
"Not a chance of either, mister." She tells him. "You're not exactly forgettable."
"Definitely not." Martha and Donna both agree.
"Is that a good thing?" Ten asks nervously. The three girls exchanged grins and then say yes in unison.
The Doctor walks off towards the Tardis with the arm. Rose walks off towards another block of flats when there is a rush of air and a strange noise. She turns and runs back, and the Tardis has gone. Screen cuts to Mickey's flat and Mickey greeting Rose with a crass comment, making her tell him to shut up. They kiss. He offers coffee and she agrees but only if he actually washes the mug before asking to use the computer.
This causes everyone else in the room to look at him in disgust. Mickey looked faintly embarrassed and avoided people's gaze.
He then tells her she can use the computer, any excuse to get her in the bedroom. All the women glare at him for that comment and he shrinks slightly further into the bean bag.
Rose uses to hunt for Doctor, 17,700,000 results. Doctor Living Plastic 55,300 results. Doctor Blue Box 493 results. The top one says - Doctor Who? ...do you know this man contact Clive here. She clicks on the site and there is a fuzzy picture of the Doctor.
"What? You can find him on the internet?" Sarah Jane asked.
"I fixed that." Ten assured her with a smile.
Screen cuts to Rose and Mickey in his car in a quiet street. Rose tells Mickey she will be safe without him coming in with her. He isn't convinced, stating that a murderer would say he had a wife and kids. One of Clive's neighbours puts out his black wheelie bin and gives Mickey a nasty look. Rose knocks on a door across the street. A boy opens it. Rose asks to see Clive and the boys calls to his father that it's one of his nutters.
Nine coughs loudly trying to hide his laughter at the young boy calling Rose a nutter. Ten is less successful at hiding his amusement.
"I suppose that means the kid thinks only a nutter would want to find you." Rose snarks to Nine making Mickey snort with laughter. He stops laughing and gives her a hurt look. Ten pouts at Sarah Jane when she laughs and agrees with Rose.
A man comes to the door and introduces himself as Clive. Rose tells him jokingly that her boyfriend is in the car waiting in case he is murderer.
Everybody except Mickey snorts at her comment and Clive's reply as he waves to Mickey over in the car. Clive's wife comes out and asks who it is, he tells her it is someone asking about the Doctor. Caroline expresses surprise that it's a women.
"Knew I was more your type than Rose." Jack winks over at Nine who scowls at him.
"Well, she does seem surprised that a women would be looking for you." Mickey grinned over.
"Shut it Ricky." Nine muttered, annoyed.
In Clive's shed, he explains to Rose how the Doctor keeps cropping up throughout history. No name except the Doctor, but he thinks it is an inheritance. He shows her a picture of the Doctor at the assassination of President Kennedy. He then shows her one of a family in Southampton, explaining they cancelled the trip they had planned on the Titanic for unknown reasons. More pictures of the same Doctor, this time when Krakatoa exploded, Clive states the Doctor is a legend throughout history. He arrives with his constant companion. Rose asks who and Clive says Death.
Both Doctors look down at that statement. Both ashamed of the death and destruction they had caused in their long lives. Rose took Nine's free hand and boldly leaned up to kiss his jaw. He stiffened beneath her and she thought she had gone too far until he gave a dazed smile and squeezed her gently. Martha and Donna were comforting Ten but he was busy watching Rose with his former self. He knew from memory that he and Rose had never had that much intimacy when he was in that form, all his own fault of course, but still. Despite knowing the man on the couch was a version of himself, it was hard watching Rose so clearly in love with someone other than him, especially give how much he missed her. His former self hadn't had to actually lose her, even if he thought he had for a few brief seconds.
Out in the street, the wheelie bin moves closer to Mickey's car. The camera switches between this and Clive telling Rose that everyone is in danger if the Doctor is back. Mickey watches the bin move and gets out of his car. He goes to the bin and lifts up the lid. Clive is worried and tells her that she is in trouble if the Doctor is making house calls. Mickey shuts the bin lid and finds he is stuck to the plastic. It stretches as he pulls at it, then the bin growls, flexes, snaps and finally whips Mickey inside itself. Burp. Clive then states he thinks the Doctor is an alien from another world.
"Wow, he actually got it right." Donna looked impressed.
"That's not a good thing." Ten cautioned.
Rose returns to the car. Mickey is sitting behind the steering wheel. Rose thinks Clive is a nutjob and asks if Mickey wants pizza, failing to notice he is now plastic.
"I can't believe you didn't notice." Mickey complains to Rose.
"I was distracted." She blushed slightly.
"Someone else on your mind?" Jack winks over at her and she scowls back, making him grin.
"It's always him." Mickey rolls his eyes but his tone is teasing to her relief. She and the Doctor had been getting closer since they came to this room and she wanted to make the most of it. However she didn't want to flaunt that in front of Mickey, even if this version of him seemed to have accepted the fact she would never chose him.
"Yep." Rose confirmed quietly and Nine gives her a wide grin.
Plastic Mickey weaves off down the road and the screen cuts to the restaurant. Rose is still oblivious to the fact that Mickey has shiny skin and a fixed grin on his face. She is asking if she should try the hospital or get a job in the canteen.
"I really can't believe you still didn't notice." Martha rolls her eyes.
"Well, she has had a big shock in the last day or so." Sarah Jane defends Rose which earns her a tentative smile from the younger woman.
Rose mentions that she could do her A-levels as she dropped out of school thanks to someone named Jimmy Stone.
"Who is Jimmy Stone?" Nine asks her quietly.
"My ex." She said, unwilling to divulge more.
"You musta liked him to drop out of school for him."
"Careful, you're turning green." Rose teased to avoid the topic.
"I am not." He protested. "Time Lords don't do jealousy." He told her. Thankfully he didn't press any further.
Plastic Mickey turns the conversation back to the Doctor and Rose gets a little annoyed as she thinks he wasn't listening to her. Mickey keeps asking about the Doctor and she tells him she doesn't want to talk about it because she thinks he is dangerous.
"He is to his enemies." Sarah Jane states. Everyone else except the Doctors and Jack nod at this.
Mickey starts using sweet nicknames for her and Rose starts to realise something is wrong with her boyfriend. A waiter interrupts saying he has their champagne but Rose dismisses this, asking Mickey what's wrong. The waiter gets more insistent and finally Mickey looks up to see the Doctor standing there. He shakes the bottle and The Doctor releases the cage around the cork and it flies into Plastic Mickey's forehead. After a few moments, he spits it out. Plastic Mickey gets up and turns his hand into a chopper. Rose flees, screaming, as Mickey wrecks the table. The Doctor grabs the Auton and pull off its head. The rest of the customers scream. The body gets up and starts flailing around. Rose sets off the fire alarm.
"Good thinking. I didn't say that then." Ten smiles over at Rose who grins back at him.
"Thanks. Takes a lot to get a compliment outta you." She laughs.
"You tryin' to say I'm not nice?" Nine asks her.
"Yep." She pops the 'p' and grins at him smugly. Both he and Ten shake their heads but don't complain further.
Rose and the Doctor run through the kitchens carrying the head, while the body wrecks the restaurant before following them to the back exit. The Doctor seals the exit shut while Rose runs down the alley, past the Tardis. The end is secured by padlocked gates. Rose yells at him to open the gate but the Doctor unlocks the TARDIS and heads inside while the Auton hammers on the door. Rose yells that he can't hide inside a wooden box.
"Oi! She is not a wooden box." Ten huffs playfully.
"It is to people who don't know about spaceships." Jack laughs.
Rose tries the gate again then runs inside the Tardis. She stops, takes one look and runs outside again. A siren is wailing in the distance. She runs around the Tardis then when the Auton finally smashes through the metal door, she makes up her mind. The Doctor tells her that the assembled hordes of Genghis Khan couldn't get through the door and to shut up. He then goes on to say the head is perfect for tracking the signal while Rose comments that the TARDIS is bigger on the inside to which the Doctor replies calmly. She guesses it's alien and he confirms again. Her third question is whether he is an alien which he again confirms and then asks if that's alright. Rose says yeah.
"Well that was easy." Jack sniggers.
"I don't think anyone has believed me quite that quickly before." Ten laughs. "It was quite refreshing.
"Well, with the way you talked and what you said in the park earlier it just seemed right." Rose shrugged.
The Doctor explains it's called the TARDIS and tells he what that stands for. Rose bursts into tears. He seems to have expected this and reassures her it's just a culture shock. She corrects him that she is upset because she thinks they killed Mickey. The Doctor looks surprised and admits he hadn't thought about it.
"Oi!" Mickey rolls his eyes. Nine and Ten both shrug but Ten has a sheepish expression on his face while Nine appears not to care.
Rose is upset that he hadn't even considered Mickey when he pulled the head off the Auton and exclaims that it is melting. The Doctor is confused until he looks around and the plastic head is melting on the console, where it is attached by cables. The Doctor sets the TARDIS in motion. Rose asks what he is doing and he tells her he is following the signal. The TARDIS lands and the Doctor runs for the door. They appear right next to the Thames and Rose is surprised to see that they have moved. He briefly explains it disappears and reappears before telling her she wouldn't understand.
"She might have done." Mickey protests weakly.
"I'm sure she would, I just didn't have the time to explain in a way she could understand at the time." Ten explains. Rose smiled at him, feeling better knowing he didn't think her completely stupid.
"You're definitely not stupid. Even if you're stuck in the body of a stupid ape." Nine grins. She whacks him on the arm and he feigns pain.
They watch as Rose mutters about having to tell Mickey's mother that he is dead. She complains that the Doctor forgot about him again and that he must be an alien.
Both Doctors flinch at that.
"I'm sorry." Rose looks remorseful.
"Sorry? He forgot I could have been dead." Mickey grumbles.
"I know you care about every death, and at the time you thought he might be alive, although would have been nice if you mentioned that." Rose rolls her eyes at Nine who looks slightly better at her reassurance. He snickers at the last part.
"Musta slipped my mind." He smirks.
"A lot of things seem to slip your mind. Must be old age." Donna grins.
"Oi!" Ten yelps. Everyone laughs at him.
Everyone turns back to the screen as the duo continue to argue until Rose asks why he sounds like he's from the North. He retorts that lots of planets have a north. She then asks about the TARDIS' disguise and then moves on to why the plastic is attacking. The Doctor explains that it wants to feed off the planet and so Rose asks how they stop it. He holds up a vial and tells her it's antiplastic. He then wonders where to find the transmitter. Rose asks what it looks like and he says it's a round, massive, circular, metal structure. The Doctor turns and looks at what Rose is staring at on the south bank but the penny doesn't drop.
"Really Doctor? How oblivious can you get?" Jack sniggers loudly. Ten has facepalmed at his own stupidity while Nine's ears go red.
"I assumed they would make it invisible." He defends.
"Invisible to Time Lords, maybe." Donna agrees with a laugh.
He finally catches on to what Rose is looking at. It's call the London Eye. He announces that this is fantastic and they run over the bridge. The Doctor is talking about the plastic all over the world and Rose suddenly mentions the breast implants.
"I love the way you think, Rosie." Jack tells her with a wink.
"Not all of us have a one track mind." She tells him.
"Seems like you do." He gestures at the screen. She sticks her tongue out at him with a laugh.
The Doctor is looking for a place the alien could be hiding and Rose looks over the parapet and sees a large manhole entrance at the bottom of some steps. They run down and the Doctor opens up the hatch. There is red light inside. They climb down a short ladder into a brick-built area with lots of chains. From there they go through a door and down a flight of steps into a multi-level chamber. He tells her it is the The Nestene Consciousness. Rose tells him to just drop the vial in and be done with it but he tells her he is not here to kill it, but to give it a chance. He goes down to a catwalk overlooking the seething vat.
Everybody is holding their breath, except the ones who knew what happened. Donna, Martha and Sarah Jane all know travelling with the Doctor is never as easy as it seems, so they assume something is going to go wrong and Jack is looking solemn for once but knows they all get out alive.
The Doctor announces he wants an audience with the Nestene Consciousness according to convention 15 of the Shadow Proclamation. The stuff in the vat flexes. He thanks it and ask permission to approach. While he talks, the screen cuts to Rose who has spotted Mickey further down and runs to him, assuring him it will be ok. Mickey is horrified and tells her the liquid can talk. Rose is relieved and calls to the Doctor that Mickey is alive and he says it was always a possibility. Rose isn't happy he didn't mention that sooner.
"Thanks a bunch, boss." Mickey scrunches up his nose towards Ten who simply smirks at him.
The Doctor continues downwards and tells the liquid to shunt off. A sort of face forms in the vat of plastic. He continues talking and tells them to leave again when Rose cries out a warning and a pair of shop dummies grab the Doctor. One takes the vial of anti-plastic from his pocket. He quickly claims that it was just insurance and that he wasn't going to use it but the face is still talking. The Doctor is confused until a door slides back to reveal the Tardis. He continues pleading that he didn't do anything, that he wants to help and claims he couldn't save anyone.
Both Doctors look down at this. Guilt floods them both over their actions in the Time War and sadness for all the people they couldn't save, including their own people. Sarah Jane moves over to Ten and pulls him into a hug. She regretted that he had never come back for her but finally understood the grief he had gone through once the war was finished. He had needed Rose to help balm the wounds and she had done a wonderful job.
Nine tried to push Rose away from him, feeling like he didn't deserve her given what he had done. The guilt was with him always but this stark reminder was like a slap in the face. He couldn't taint Rose with his darkness. She wouldn't let him. He had removed his arm that had been wrapped around her shoulders to push her away but she had grabbed him around the waist and kept herself pressed into his side.
"I'm not going anywhere. No matter what you did, you are still my Doctor." She tells him sternly but quietly so the others can't hear their conversation.
"I destroyed them, Rose. My own people. I watched them burn to destroy the Daleks." Unable to push her away, he buried his face in her hair. She had very rarely heard him speak of the war and knew little about what had happened but his guilt was obvious.
"Whatever happened, do you not think a lifetime of guilt is punishment enough? You live a very long time Doctor, you deserve to be happy for some of it." She insists and he can't speak around the lump in his throat. Rose waves at the rest of them to continue watching the film so Nine can have a few moments to himself. Ten is still in Sarah Jane's embrace.
Rose asks what it is doing and the Doctor tells her it is terrified of the TARDIS. He tells her to run but she simply pulls out her phone and rings her mother. It cuts to Jackie coming out of the police station and she still goes on about compensation much to everyone's amusement despite the tense atmosphere.
"Trust Jackie." Ten mutters, rolling his eyes.
"You know Rose's mom well then?" Martha asks to distract him from the misery still written all over his face. Ten simply nods.
Rose cuts her off, asking where she is. THe screen keeps switching between them as Jackie tells her she's in town. Rose tries to tell her to go home but Jackie claims the line is breaking up and that she is going late night shopping. Jackie goes into Queens Arcade, which contains the Underground station entrance. The Consciousness starts throwing energy bolts around. The Eye lights up with energy.
At Queens Arcade, Clive is seen shopping when a shop dummy moves. Caroline claims she thought they were dummies and everyone stops to watch the show in all the store windows until one dummy smashes the glass and comes out. Jackie is coming down the escalator. An Auton's fingers drop and it shoots Clive.
"No!" Rose cries, upset that the man was dead. Nine looks up at her shout and sees the body. He then pulls Rose close to him, feeling helpless as he realises how many people he failed that day.
The plastic in the vat is getting extremely agitated. The Doctor tells Rose to run but she says the stairs have gone. The Autons try to push the Doctor into the vat. Rose and Mickey run to the Tardis. Rose announces she doesn't have a key and starts looking around for ideas. Back at the shopping centre, Autons start coming down the escalator, shooting at anyone. Jackie finally screams, throws away her plastic bag and runs. But outside the Arcade is just as dangerous. The Autons shoot a passing taxi driver. She hides behind the crashed vehicle, then three brides smash their way out of the shop behind her.
Rose looks upset at the close calls her mother was having, even though she knows she was safe in the end.
"I remember hearing about this chaos." Martha notes.
"Me too. I figured he must be involved." Sarah Jane laughs lightly, gesturing at Nine. She has finally let go of Ten and allowed him to sit back between Rose and Martha before returning to her own seat with Jack.
Rose stands up and looks at the Doctor, then runs round the chamber. Mickey tells her to leave the Doctor behind but she looks determined. She grabs an axe as the three brides prepare to shoot Jackie. Rose chops through the rope holding a very long chain to the wall and takes firm hold. She runs and swings out along the side of the catwalk, kicking the two Autons into the vat. The second one also drops the vial of anti-plastic into it. The golden Nestene screams as it starts to turn blue.
"You gave me a bloody heart attack doing that. And I have two of them so that should be impossible." Nine grumbled into her hair.
"You would have died if I hadn't." She reminds him.
"Your life is not worth mine." He sighs quietly.
"Yeah, it is." Rose replies just as softly. He lifts his head enough to look her in the eye and sees far more love than he ever thought possible there. It humbles and scares him. He kisses her forehead and smiles before returning his eyes to the screen.
The Doctor grabs her as she swings back and states that they are in trouble. Explosions start and the signals from the Eye stop. The shop dummies start to stagger then fall over. The Doctor and Rose run to the Tardis, where Mickey is holding on for dear life, and they all go inside. The TARDIS dematerialises. It then materialises on the Embankment by a row of shuttered kiosks and Mickey runs out, terrified. Jackie answers her mobile phone. She tells Rose not to leave the house and Rose hangs up happy to hear her mom is safe. Rose goes over to Mickey, who is trying to hide behind a pallet. The Doctor stays in the doorway of the Tardis. She turns to him and tells him he was a fat lot of good. He replies it was easy and she reminds him he would have been dead if not for her.
"Saved by a stupid ape." Nine grumbles playfully, regaining some of his good humour.
"Oi, you." Rose laughs, swatting his chest.
"What am I, your punching bag. First my arm now my chest." He complains, pressing his free hand to his chest in pretend pain.
"Yep. You have to have a use somewhere." Rose tells him smugly. He glowers at her and then grins lopsidedly.
The Doctor admits she's right and then says he must be off. He invites her to come with him. Rose looks torn and the Mickey speaks up, telling her not to go because the Doctor is an alien. The Doctor says Mickey is not invited and continues to make it sound enticing. Rose asks if it's always this dangerous and he agrees.
"Not always." Rose corrects herself. "Sometimes it's fun."
"I can't believe I had to work so hard to convince you." Ten pouts at her.
She says that she can't because she has to look after Mickey. (Who off screen complains about her stupid lump comment) and the Doctor lets it go, disappearing into the TARDIS which dematerialises.
"You said no?" Martha looks awed that someone could turn it down.
"Yeah." Rose shrugged. "Didn't last long."
The Tardis materialises and the Doctor pops back out, asking if he mentioned that it could also travel in time. At this Rose turns to Mickey and says thanks. He looks confused and asks for what to which she replies 'exactly', kisses him on the cheek and runs off into the TARDIS.
The screen suddenly goes black and everyone looks round at each other.
"Well that was interesting." Sarah Jane comments.
"Yeah, I just love watching all those people I've failed to save." Nine scowls, but he isn't really unhappy. This opportunity has brought him so much closer to Rose. He wonders if there are more to watch that could tell him what happens so he can work out a plan to save her. Rose notices the look and can tell what he is thinking so she kisses him on the cheek.
"If anyone can, it's you." She whispers in his ear and he smiles gratefully at her. As they talk a table full of food appears on the far side of the room.
"Let's all take a break and come back in half an hour." Jack suggests. They all nod and wander over. Ten makes sure to move over to Rose telling his former self that he has hogged all her attention so far. Nine agrees and goes to chat to Donna and Sarah Jane who are swapping stories about their times travelling. Martha and Mickey are chatting together and Jack moves to speak to Rose as well.
"Hey Rosie, looks like you had fun right from the start." Jack says. Rose nods.
"Never a dull moment." She agrees. "I can't believe you two are the same person. Your whole personality is different." She addresses Ten. He hasn't stopped talking her ear off for the past fifteen minutes. He looks sheepish and runs a hand over the back of his neck.
"Yeah, well I'm a whole new man, I just have all his memories. Except the ones from today. I've been told I have a bit of a gob." He admits with a grin.
"Clearly." Rose snorts in amusement. "So when do you regenerate?"
"I don't think I should say. I'm guessing we are going to watch it and I'd rather only relive it once." She nods and doesn't push him. "Did you at least manage to tell me it was going to happen?" He looks even more sheepish.
"Sort of. As it was happening." He avoids her eyes and both she and Jack burst out laughing.
