Chapter 9: Father's Day

Everyone agrees to do one more episode before stopping to have some lunch. The episodes are taking quite a while as it stops every time one of them starts talking. Mickey had grabbed the control earlier and presses the button to play the next one.

It starts with a full screen photo of a laughing, balding man that Rose's voice introduces as her father. Then a young Rose is shown.

"Awww, look at little Rosie." Jack cooes.

"Shut it, Jack." Rose glares at him but the effect is somewhat lessened by the blush staining her cheeks.

Jackie calls Rose over and shows her a photograph in an album of Pete Tyler. She mentions the day he dies.

Ten winces inwardly, realising what this is going to be about. Not one of the best days for him or for Rose. This wasn't going to be easy for her or his past self to watch and would probably be one adventure they avoided once they got back to their correct times.

The screen then cuts to the TARDIS where Rose is asking the Doctor if they can go and visit her dad. The Doctor is curious where this desire has come from and Rose avoids the question, saying she would understand if they can't due to laws of time. He assures her he can do anything, but he is worried about her. Rose says she wants to see him and he tells her that her wish is his command, but to be careful what you wish for.

"We can really go and see my dad?" Rose looks up an Nine excitedly. He stares back at her warily.

"It is possible but not advised. I can't go back on someone's personal timeline, and taking you to visit a younger version of yourself is ill advised even if you are a year or so old." He warns.

"I don't want to see me, I want to see him." She shrugs.

"He's your dad. If you see him, you probably won't be too far away." He replies.

The Doctor and Rose attend her parent's wedding. Pete gets Jackie's name wrong. Rose comments she thought he would be taller. Screen cuts back to Jackie and young Rose. Jackie talks about Pete's death, saying she wishes somebody had been there with him. Rose asks the Doctor if she can be that person. He questions the date and they take off. The Tardis has parked herself between a telephone junction box and a road sign, by park railings.

"Wow, you got the place right." Mickey laughs.

"I got everything right. I'm not as bad a driver as you lot make out." Ten tells them all. "Although it probably helps that the TARDIS likes Rose. If she's annoyed at me I never know quite where I'm going to land."

"It liked her so much, it kept her for a year instead of a few hours." Jack reminds him.

"One time. One!" Ten pouts.

"Didn't you tell me you failed the test to drive the TARDIS?" Martha raises an eyebrow at him.

"Weeeeell...strictly speaking, I might have done but it's for six people. I do rather well as just one." Ten rubs the back of his neck.

Rose comments that she had expected it to be a grim day and is surprised it's completely ordinary. The Doctor tells her the past is another country. They stand by the road as Pete's car arrives. Rose is talking about the fact he'd gone to get a wedding present. She says he got out of the car and crossed the road as they watch Pete's car pull up. As Pete gets out of the van, the Doctor takes Rose's hand. A beige car comes round the corner and straight into Pete. The driver shields his face with his arm and keeps going, leaving Pete and the broken vase in the middle of the road. Pete tries to move.

Rose buries her face in the Doctor's shoulder at the same time as she looks away on screen.

"I can't." She mumbles.

"I'm sorry, I should have known better than to take you there." Nine mutters quietly to her.

"I'm...I'm glad you did but I can't just watch him die."

The Doctor tells her to go to him but she doesn't move. They move around the corner as sirens approach and Rose says it's too late as he was dead by the time the ambulance arrived. She asks if she can try again.

"Rose that's a really bad idea. Two sets of us being there in unsafe anyway, but I don't want you to have to watch him die again." Nine tells her softly. Ten takes her free hand and squeezes it gently. He remembered being so angry and hurt, thinking all Rose really wanted from him was to use him to save her dad. He knew better now and could truly appreciate it from her point of view this time around. He was partly at fault too. He had given in to her because he couldn't stand saying no to Rose and he had done so without fully explaining the possible consequences of their visit. She squeezed his hand back but didn't remove her face from Nine's shoulder.

The Doctor and Rose look round the corner to see themselves by the kerbside. He tells her it's a bad idea having two sets of them and to be careful not to be seen by them. He tells her to wait until the earlier Rose runs off with the Doctor following her before going to Pete. Rose says she can't do this as Pete's care pulls up again. He tells her she doesn't have to do anything but this is the last time they can come here. As Pete gets out of the van, Rose runs forwards. The Doctor yells at her not to but she ignores him, dashing past their former selves and pushing Pete out of the way.

"Rose!" Groans Nine. She had looked up as the Doctor on screen called at her not to and grinned as she watched herself save Pete.

"What?"

"Do you have any idea what you've done? How bad an idea that is? The trouble that will cause?" He's torn between anger and horror.

"I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't have." She mumbles, putting her face back into his jumper.

"No, Rose, look at me." He gently tugs her chin up so she looks directly at him. "Messing with time is dangerous. A man alive in the world that isn't supposed to be is incredibly dangerous."

"It's not like he did anything special with his life." Rose protests weakly.

"You don't know what he would have gone on to do. The reason I change things is to put time right to how it should be. Don't you think it crossed my mind to go back and save my people? It's impossible." She nods and he holds her close. He wants to voice his other concern but doesn't quite know how to voice it.

The vase rolls away, unbroken. The earlier Doctor and Rose vanish. She stands up and realises she has actually saved him. Rose is very pleased, she introduces herself and then Pete mentions the wedding. She says she is going so he offers her and her boyfriend a ride. The Doctor hasn't moved from his spot by the wall and looks supremely unimpressed. Something with blood red eyesight flies over South London.

"Just what we need." Nine scowls deeply.

"What's that?" Rose asks.

"Two sets of us being there made it a vulnerable point in time. When you then changed time, well there are creatures who come to fix rips in time. They can't be killed. They devour until it's fixed." Ten explains grimly.

At the flat, Pete apologises for the mess and points them to the kitchen if they want tea. As he is waffling on he comes up with an idea for windowsill compartment and then excuses himself to the bedroom. Rose moves into the front room and looks at all the stuff her mum kept in boxes. She looks up and sees the Doctor is not happy and says she will tell Pete he isn't her boyfriend. The Doctor points out that when he offered to travel in space she said no but when he told her it was a time machine she said yes.

"No! I did not come with you just to save my dad." Rose sits up again and looks at Nine who refuses to meet her eyes. "I only said no the first time because I was overwhelmed, we'd all just almost died, Mickey was clinging to me and my head was spinning. As soon as you were gone I regretted it. I would have come with you the second time you asked whether it was a time machine or not."

"So you would be perfectly happy not going to see your dad when we get back to our time?" He asks, watching her carefully.

"Yes." She replies but there is a second of hesitation that stings him.

"Rose…" He lets out a breath of her name which was almost a groan.

"Well, we saw him at mum and dads wedding. That's all I meant. I'm definitely happy not going to that time." He nods his acceptance and returns his attention to the film.

Rose protests that it wasn't a big plan, it was a spur of the moment decision. The Doctor says he picked another stupid ape and that he should have known better. He states that it's not about him showing her the universe, it's the universe doing something for her. She argues that he goes around saving people and he points out he knows what he is doing.

"Well that's debatable." Mickey mutters under his breath to Martha.

The Doctor asks her if she thinks he hadn't considered going back to save his planet and his family. Rose argues that it's not like her dad is going to be a world leader or start World War Three. He tries to explain that a man being alive when he shouldn't be changes everything and Rose asks if he would rather Pete was dead. He tells her that is not what he is saying and Rose spitefully tells him that she gets it. She thinks he is upset because he isn't the most important man in her life.

Rose winces as her screen self says the last part. "I'm so sorry." She mumbles. Nine squeezes her gently, glad she isn't looking at him to see the hurt in his eyes and Ten takes her hand in both of his.

"It's alright Rose, we both said things we don't mean on this trip." Ten assures her quietly. "I promise we work it out. It's going to be uncomfortable for a little while but all is forgiven by the end." Both Nine and Rose relax slightly at that news.

The Doctor tells her to give him back the TARDIS key if he is so insignificant. She hands it over and he says she has what she wants so now he is going to go.

"You're not gonna leave her there are you? Stranded in the wrong time with a baby version of her already there?" Mickey asks furiously.

"Of course he isn't. He wouldn't do that. Besides, they were together when they met me, so obviously they work this out." Jack informs him. "She wouldn't have travelled with good looking over there either if he had left her there." He gestures over at Ten.

Rose tells him he doesn't scare her. She points out how lonely he is and that he will be back in a minute of hang around the TARDIS waiting, threatening to make him wait a long time. He leaves and she slams the door behind him.

Rose flinches again at how cold she is to the Doctor. She mumbles more apologies into his jumper.

"Give us a few minutes." Nine tells the group and drags Rose into their bedroom. He sits down on the bed with her in his lap and they sit silently for a minute.

"I can't believe I said that." Rose mutters angrily.

"Look, Rose, neither of us have done anything yet." His voice is thick with emotions and when she finally looks at him she sees the hurt swirling in his eyes. Not knowing how to fix it she pulls his hand up to her temple and he understands immediately. He glides into her mind and is surrounded by so many emotions. Taking a mental equivalent of a deep breath he begins to sort through, seeing her joy at finally getting to meet her father; the deep worry about the consequences he had mentioned. She was horrified by their argument and that she had used his vulnerable parts to hurt him. He tried to hide just how hurt he was by that but got the feeling that he was failing miserably. Mostly he was glad that there was a sorrow for her actions and he knew that she understood it couldn't happen. He was also relieved to find reassurance of what she had said about not coming with him just to save her father. He basked in her love for him like a warm sun.

Then he felt a sharp nudge against his mind. She was trying to get in but she wasn't strong enough to get around his barriers. He guided her inside as he had done just last night. His loneliness abating again as someone else filled his mind.

"You will always be the most important man or alien in my life." She whispers inside his head. He could feel the certainty behind her words and the love that she threw about so willingly. Just as she is withdrawing from the Doctor's mind Rose feels a hand on her cheek and suddenly she is in another mind. So similar from the one she was just in. The Doctor but not her Doctor. The shock and joy are bright burst of light but the pain and sorrow almost overwhelms her. Just as suddenly as it had come, the hand jerks back and the connection is lost. Back in her own mind she opens her eyes and sees Ten standing before them with his mouth open.

"What just happened?" Rose asks cautiously.

"I came in to see where you guys had gotten to and neither of you noticed me enter. I put my hand out to see if you were awake and then you were in my head." Ten explains, his voice hoarse.

"Oh, sorry. I was trying to get out of the Doc...this Doctor's mind."

"I know that now. It's just you guys said a few minutes and it's been an hour."

"Sorry. Lost track of time." Nine mumbles.

"I think we all agree you deserve it." Ten assures them both with a smile that doesn't meet his eyes, which haven't left Rose.

"Are you ok, Doctor?" She asks him.

"Yeah, I'm fine, great." He assures her and she raises an eyebrow. She kisses Nine and then stands up.

"Can you give us a second?" She asks Nine. He looks between them for a few seconds and the nods. He makes his way out of the room. "That pain? You have that with you all the time?" She asks him horrified. He refuses to look at her but nods. "I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault, Rose. I'm sorry you saw anything, I should have been more careful."

"He doesn't feel that much pain, even after the Time War?" She frowns gesturing at the doorway that Nine just went through. Ten sighs deeply.

"He hasn't lost you. What I feel now will be nothing compared to what he does if he loses you now." Rose looks up at him in a combination of horror and awe.

"No wonder you have two hearts with all that emotion locked up." She says with a small smile. He grins back and offers his hand. He takes it and they leave the room. They make their way back to the couch. Rose settles back down, leaning against Nine, whose arm wraps around her shoulders tightly. Ten slouches back next to her and Sarah Jane grabs his hand when she sees his sad expression. The atmosphere in the room is noticeably lighter.

Pete sticks his head around the bedroom door and asks if it's boyfriend trouble. The red-eyed thing flies over the area, then a man clipping a shrub suddenly disappears with a brief scream, followed by a woman pegging out the washing and a tramp drinking cider.

"What exactly are they?" Donna asks.

"They are called Reapers." Ten tells her grimly.

Indoors, Rose is putting peanuts back into their bowl. Pete has changed into his wedding suit. He asks Rose why she is tidying up and she says it's a force of habit. He tells her not to worry about the Doctor, lots of couples have rows. She protests that he is not her boyfriend, asking why everything things they are a couple.

"You really can't see it?" Mickey asks in astonishment. "You two just act like a couple all the time. An old married couple half the time and the other half it's like the honeymoon phase."

"Mickey Mouse has a point." Jack grins. "You two act far more like a couple than not."

"Well we are a couple now so the point is mute." Rose retorts.

She says she thinks he has left her and Pete calls her pretty. He starts to say that if he was going out with her but Rose cuts him off.

"Oh my god." Rose blushes a deep scarlett.

"I'm so annoyed i missed that." Nine laughs loudly. She elbowed him as best she could while tucked so tightly to his side and he barely notices as he is so busy laughing.

"It's not funny." Rose whines.

"Yeah it is."

"About as funny as Jackie flirting with you." Jack steps in. Nine stops laughing to glare at him. Rose sends him a grateful look and he winks at her.

He defends himself but Rose is having none of it and tells him they are not going there and she doesn't even want to think about there. He looks a little confused and says she knows how to flatter a bloke.

"Least you were a bit nicer to me." Jack laughs.

"You're not my dad." Rose points out, still bright red.

Rose changes the subject and asks if they are heading off. She offers him an arm and he questions whether that is a mixed signal. She says absolutely not and he says he should take her back to the loony bin except he feels like he has met her before.

"Sort of." Donna chuckles. "He'll regret that flirting if he figures out who you are."

At the church, the nervous groom is waiting for the bride to turn up. A few guests are scattered in the pews. Someone points out that quite a few people are missing. The guy's dad asks if it's just him or if it just got rather cold. The Doctor approaches the TARDIS and unlocks the door. Inside is just a wooden box.

"What?" Sarah Jane looks astonished. "How can the inside just disappear?"

"You'll find out." Ten mutters quietly.

He calls out Rose's name and dashes off. In Pete's car they talk about his business ideas and he reveals that he just does a little of this and that not a proper businessman. Rose calls him a Del Boy and he asks if she is related to his wife.

"I suspect she might be." Mickey snickers.

Rose then realises that Jackie will be at the wedding.

"This day gets better and better. I'm gonna have to put up with Jackie." Nine grumbles playfully. Rose swats his arm.

Pete asks if she knows Jackie and if it was her who told Rose about him. Rose tells him she had said she picked the most fantastic man in the world. Pete scoffs saying it must be another Jackie as his wife would never say something like that. The car that should have killed Pete is behind them. Pete turns a corner, it drives straight on then vanishes.

"But that was…?" Martha looks confused. "Where did it go?" Both Doctors look grim but neither seem inclined to explain.

Stuart's dad is using a proper mobile phone of the time. Guests are entering and the bridesmaids are just arriving. He is telling the person on the phone that the wedding is a disaster as half the guests haven't shown up. The groom comes out of the church and tells his dad to get inside. They do just as the bride arrives. Jackie is one of the bridesmaids. She hands over a carry cot with baby Rose inside while she helps the bride with her train.

"Awww! Baby Rose." Jack grins.

"Stuff it, Jack." Rose glares at him.

"You were kind cute." Nine grins.

Jackie calls her a little madam.

"Some things never change then?" Ten winks cheekily at her.

"Oi!" She slaps his shoulder.

"Ow!"

She asks where Pete is just as he drives around the corner. The beige car appears suddenly and drives towards them. Rose calls out dad as Pete swerves into the kerb. He comments it's the same car as earlier.

"It's just constantly appearing and disappearing." Donna frowns in confusion.

"You said a wound in time that those creatures are there to fix." Jack looks grimly over at Ten who nods. Everyone looks between them curiously.

Pete then registers that Rose called him dad but gets distracted by Jackie calling him the accident waiting to happen. She notices Rose who compliments her hair before getting a little distracted by seeing her baby self. Jackie assumes Rose is one of Pete's but he declares she saved his life. They argue and Rose asks if Pete was playing around. Jackie says it's none of her business and they continue fighting. Pete asks for a few moments with his wife, telling Rose to park his car properly.

Rose watches the argument in both fascination and horror. She knew her mum had quite an attitude but had always attributed that to losing her dad. It was strange to think that her parents had fought so much and so viciously. She considered that it was actually quite like some of the arguments that she had with her mum.

The red-eyed monster hovers over a playground. A woman is pushing her son on the swing. The boy calls to his friends but the boy on the slide and the two on the see-saw have just vanished. Then his mother isn't behind him anymore either. Mickey runs.

"Awww. You're a little cutie." Martha grins at the full grown Mickey who rubs his neck in embarrassment.

Pete and Jackie are still arguing when they see little Mickey come running around the corner yelling about monsters. He runs straight into the church as the Doctor runs up behind Rose yelling at her to get into the church. A large thing with bat-like wings appears in the sky. It hisses and starts to swoop. Rose screams. The Doctor pushes her to the pavement just in time to avoid its talons.

"Good timing." Jack breathes.

Two more appear as the Doctor ushers everybody inside the church. Stuart's dad tries to run away, but he gets pounced on. Another blocks Sarah's path to the church, but when she screams it flies off and pounces on the vicar instead. The Doctor gets the bride's party inside and slams the doors on the creatures. They can be seen flying around outside. He tells people to check all the other doors.

"Why can't they get inside?" Martha asks.

"The older something is, the stronger it is. Churches tend to be rather old and give greater protection against those creatures. Won't last forever though." Ten tell her.

Jackie wants to know what's going on and the Doctor tries to explain. When she doesn't understand he tells her to just do as he says and check the doors.

"I bet you enjoyed that a little too much." Rose laughs.

"Probably." Nine grins.

Jackie finally goes off and he states he should have done that ages ago. The groom comes over and says his dad was out there. The Doctor tells him he can mourn later once they know they will survive. He persists that his dad had a phone that kept giving him this voice. The Doctor tells him it's Alexander Graham Bell making the first phone call. The groom protests that someone must have called the police and the Doctor tells him they won't be able to help. Rose asks if it's her fault and he doesn't answer.

"It's mine too. I should have warned you about the consequences before taking you there. Especially before taking you the second time." Nine tells her quietly.

Outside the creatures take passers-by. Cars have crashed. A pram is overturned. Bicycle wheels turn then stop. Shoes blow with the autumn leaves. Inside, Pete is looking out the window and spots the beige car. He asks about it and the Doctor glances at it grimly before telling him it's not important.

"To fix the wound in time, he has to die doesn't he?" Rose asks in a whisper.

"Not necessarily, I might be able to work something out." He replies.

"You're utterly furious with me and yet you're risking all those people, to keep me happy?" She looks up at him in awe. He smiles slightly and kisses her forehead.

"You know me, don't like a solution that means someone has to die. Especially someone close to you."

Rose is standing by the altar when Pete comes out of the vestry. Pete asks what the Doctor meant when he said it's her fault. She just shrugs and says everything. He then realises that she is his daughter grown up and they hug. Meanwhile, a creature is head-butting a side door. The Doctor pulls the curtain aside and gets out his sonic screwdriver. The groom comes over and says he seems to know what's going on. The Doctor replies that he does give that impression.

"Really? You're usual go-to is to make it up as you go along." Donna looks at him, eyebrows raised.

"But I do it brilliantly." Nine grins widely.

"He does give the impression he knows what's going on, just doesn't mean he actually does." Mickey sniggers.

"Oi!" Ten protests. "I always know what's going on."

"Sure you do." Donna grins.

The groom asks if he can save them. The Doctor asks who they are and they tell him about how they first met. The bride states they aren't important and the Doctor tells disagrees, saying he's never had a life like they have. He tells them he'll try and save

them.

"Bit domestic for you isn't it Doc?" Mickey asks.

"Very domestic, doesn't mean I always enjoy all the running with no home to go to at the end of the day." Ten admits with a slight shrug.

Back in the Vestry, Rose and Pete are talking about how she got there. He asks that if the Doctor isn't her boyfriend has she got one back home, adding in that he's glad the Doctor isn't because he's a bit old.

"He has no idea." Jack sniggers.

Rose says she doesn't have a boyfriend and then Mickey comes running up and hugs her. Jackie comes up saying he just grabs hold of what's passing and holds on. She says god help his poor girlfriend.

Both Doctors, Rose and Jack snicker very loudly. "I hope she remembers that comment when the two of you start dating." Jack laughs.

"By the time he grew up, Mum approved of Mickey." Rose informed him, still snickering.

"Clearly. She approved so much she accused him of murdering you." Ten looks at her with a smirk.

"Well... you know mum's prone to being overdramatic." Rose shrugs. "Doesn't mean she don't like him."

"But surely, having known him this long, she's have noticed he really isn't the murdering type?" Martha frowns a little.

"Doesn't really matter with Jackie." Mickey tells her.

Pete tells her he was just talking to Rose and Jackie accuses him of clinging to the youngest blonde before stalking off with Mickey. Rose tells him not to tell Jackie about her. By the choir stalls the Doctor is talking to baby Rose when her older self comes walking over. The Doctor comments that Jackie gave him the baby to look after and how times change.

"Well, this time you aren't bringing her daughter home a year late, you actually look like you're in charge." Jack grins.

Rose tells him she thinks she imprinted herself on Mickey like a mother chicken. Then she reaches towards the baby and the Doctor stops her saying it would cause a paradox and probably let the creatures in. She comments that she can't do anything right and the Doctor agrees with her.

"Sorry." Nine mumbles into her hair.

"Na, you've got a point." Rose shrugs.

Rose protests that she's not stupid and he retorts that she could have fooled him. Then he apologises and says he wasn't really going to leave her. Rose says she knows and he confesses that he has no plan.

"You didn't even consider it as an option?" Rose asks him.

"No." He says firmly. "I may not be happy about what you did, but I couldn't stand making you watch him die again."

Rose is confident he will think of something. He points out that they might hold out for a while but eventually the creatures will get in. Rose is upset and he just asks if she is sorry. She tells him she is and they hug. When she pulls back, she asks if he has something hot in his pocket. She reaches inside and pulls out the TARDIS key, dropping it because it's hot.

"If the key is glowing, then it must still be connected to the TARDIS." Sarah Jane grins.

"But the inside of the TARDIS was gone." Points out Martha.

"I can use the key to bring it back." Nine grins widely at her.

He takes off his jacket to pick it up safely, announcing it's still connected to the TARDIS. Then they go back into the main part of the church and the Doctor asks if anyone has a battery. The groom picks up his father's phone, asking if it's big enough and the Doctor calls it fantastic.

"Can you reverse everything?" Donna asks apprehensively. Nine nods happily.

"Yeah, none of them will remember what happened."

In the corner Rose and Pete are talking. He asks why she came to this particular year. Rose avoids the question saying they just ended up there. He asks about himself in the future and Rose makes up a bunch of stuff. Pete realises that the things she made up don't sound like him. The Tardis slowly materialises around her key while outside the car keeps going.

"What about that car?" Jack asks hesitantly.

"It'll go on and finish whatever journey he should have been on. What Rose changed will stay changed." Nine feels Rose relax ever so slightly against him.

The Doctor assures Rose that what she changed will remain and Pete comes over saying they mean he will still be alive.

"You're dad's very quick on the uptake." Sarah Jane smiles over at Rose.

"She had the get her brains from somewhere." Ten winks. Rose slaps him lightly on the shoulder.

"Oi!" She protests but she can't stop a grin spreading across her face.

"Gets her violence from her mother though." Jack snickers.

"Don't you forget it." Rose glares at him.

Rose tells him it's her fault all this happened and he tells he that as he dad, it's his job for it to be his fault.

"Wish my dad had that kind of attitude." Martha mutters.

"Me too." Mickey agrees, squeezing her hand. "But at least you've still got your dad." He adds. She nods, this episode was making her much grateful for her family.

Jackie overhears them and is horrified at the idea that he is Rose's dad and Pete finally tells her who Rose really is. He takes the baby and hands her to older Rose. The Doctor calls out and grabs the baby, handing her back to Jackie, but he is too late and a creature appears inside the church.

"Oh just wonderful." Nine scowls.

"I'm sorry, again. I didn't even have time to react."

"Well, we did just agree you got your brains from Pete." Nine tells her trying for some humour. He can tell what will happen next and if it does then the only way to solve the mess will be for everyone to die, or Pete to die. Rose will be forced to watch her dad die again.

The Doctor shepherds everyone behind him, announcing himself to be the oldest thing in the church. Rose calls out to him and the creature pounces on him before flying over to the TARDIS.

"No! Doctor!" Rose cries. She buries her face in his shoulder, trying to reassure herself that he is still with her.

As it touches the TARDIS they all vanish, and the key falls to the floor. Rose runs to pick it up. It's cold.

"I killed you." She states in a numb voice. "One mistake after another and I killed you."

"I'm not dead Rose. I'm right here." He whispers. "And he's right there. I'm just fine." He points over to Ten.

As the creatures start scraping at the stonework outside, Pete watches the car drive around the corner again and again from the vestry window. He goes back into the church and over to Rose, who is sitting on her own. Pete tells her the Doctor had tried to protect him for her but as he is now gone, it's not his decision. Jackie finally accepts that Rose is her daughter and then Pete tells them he has to die.

"Oh." Mickey sighs. "I'm sorry Rose." She keeps her face buried in Nine's chest but mumbles something. Nine nods to MIckey to let him know Rose heard and appreciates his support.

Rose states that it's not fair and Pete points out he got hours of extra time with her. Then he asks if she will be there for him, thanking her for saving him. He goes outside, clutching the vase, and dashes to the corner where the car appears. The vase drops and breaks as the creatures vanish. The Doctor appears beside Rose telling her to go to him and she does. The screen cuts back to Jackie's bedroom and she is telling young Rose the revised version of events. Rose kisses her father's forehead and looks up at the Doctor. The TARDIS has relocated to outside the Tandoori across the road. The Doctor and Rose walk away. The screen goes black.

"Well that was fun." Donna says sarcastically.

"Let's take a break for lunch." Jack suggests. Everyone agrees. Rose has a quick conversation with Mickey before grabbing a pile of food and disappearing into the bedroom with Nine.

"S'not easy is it? Unrequited love." Martha comes up beside him.

"No. It's not. But she's happy." Mickey shrugs. "Took me a very long time to come to terms with that. I kept fighting for her without realising I was fighting a losing battle from the second they laid eyes on each other."

"It's the same with the Doctor. I love him but he never sent a second glance my way. It was always about Rose."

"I can't believe they weren't actually together until they got here." Mickey gives a short laugh. "They act so couply all the time I figured they'd actually made the last step at some point."

Over the other side of the room Donna and Ten were talking with Jack and Sarah Jane.

"If I remember rightly, you'll be coming in very soon." Ten grins at him. It was nice to have his friend back and be able to stay in the same room as him without his skin itching all over.

"About time too. We need something good-looking to watch. Except Rose of course." Jack smirks, winking at Ten.

"I'm sure it'll be great fun to watch, given that I'm sure you start of by flirting with Rose." Sarah Jane grins at him.

"Oh...well... actually we discussed business." He shifts around a little. He's well aware that the Doctor is possessive and doesn't actually know him very well yet. In the hospital it was rather clear that they had some chemistry and that Rose wasn't one he could chat up and shag but they had done some rather open flirting that he was sure the Doctor would not appreciate.

"She's had plenty of pretty boys around her." Ten shrugs, trying to ignore the captain's reaction and address his comment about nothing good-looking to watch.

"By plenty, you mean Adam." Donna snorts.

"You haven't seen the ones in-between these adventures." Ten pouts. "Every time I take her to a bazaar or beach she always manages to find a pretty boy willing to chat her up."

"Maybe you should have made a claim on her then." Jack raises an eyebrow.

"He has now" Ten reminds him a little wistfully. Half an hour later they all congregate back at the couches.