Chapter 12: Boomtown
Someone is telling Margaret that the design is not safe and could result in the death of millions. She tells him that he is obviously the expert.
"Her again?" Rose scowls.
"What can she possibly want this time?" Jack sighs. He gets no reply.
The man states he has checked the figures again and again, begging her to stop the project. Margaret comments that there is nothing more important that human life and asks if he thinks she is some kind of maniac.
"Yes actually." Martha snorts.
"Yet another plan to blow up Earth. Just wonderful." Rose rolls her eyes.
"Maybe just the town, not the whole Earth?" Nine tries for comfort but they both end up sniggering at the unlikelihood of that.
She asks if he has shown anyone but her and he denies it then comments he could barely believe the readings and notes that if he didn't know better he would have thought someone wanted the project to blow up.
"Blowing up the city? That's downscale from last time." Ten smirks.
"Well there is only her this time. The rest got blown up." Donna reminds him.
"Well then she should have learnt her lesson. Blowing up Earth doesn't go well for aliens." Sarah Jane smiles over at Ten.
"I don't mean to stumble onto all these plots. Last time I was just dropping Rose off to visit Jackie." Nine holds his hands up in defence.
"It's a good thing." Rose assures him.
"Besides, you stopping this meant I got to see Rose again." Mickey grins. Nine mock scowls at him.
He turns and screams as Margaret has got out of her body suit. Mickey arrives at Cardiff Central railway station and heads to the redeveloped Oval Basin. The Tardis is in front of the huge water tower. Mickey knocks on the door. Jack answers it. He asks who the hell Mickey is.
"You didn't tell me Mickey was coming then?" Jack laughs, glancing over at Rose.
"Or I did and you are trying to wind him up." She grins back.
"Doesn't sound like me." He winks.
"Of course it does." Donna snorts.
Mickey asks who the hell he is and Jack introduces himself before saying they aren't buying anything. Mickey forces his way past. Jack turns to Rose and says it must be Mickey.
"Alright, alright, maybe I was messing with Mickey Mouse." Jack grins at the accusing looks.
"Be grateful he was messing with you, could have been worse. He mighta started flirting with you." Nine tells Mickey in amusement.
"Now that I wish I could see." Rose bursts out laughing. Mickey rolls his eyes at her.
The Doctor asks how he is, getting his name wrong which Mickey corrects. Rose tells him the Doctor is winding him up and he replies she looks fantastic.
"That's my word." Nine tells him.
"You don't own the word." Mickey smirks.
"I might as well." Nine shrugs.
Rose and Mickey hug. The Doctor is up a ladder mending something, he doesn't look too happy.
"Awww, look at the green eyed monster." Donna laughs. Nine scowls at her.
"Time Lords…" Nine begins
"...Don't do jealousy." Rose finishes. "Liar." He mock scowls at her.
Jack comments it's sweet and asks why he doesn't get any of that. The Doctor replies to buy him a drink first.
"So I've got some chance then?" Jack winks.
"No, I just want a drink." Nine smirks.
"Hard work and a tease." Jack laughs.
Jack says he is such hard work and he replies he is worth it with a grin.
"Of course you are." Rose snickers.
"Thank you." He looks at her smugly.
"I meant hard work."
"Oi!"
"Do I have to buy you a drink first as well Rosie?" Jack asks her.
"Na, you can have hugs whenever ya want." She winks.
"Let's not be too generous." Nine cuts in.
Rose asks if Mickey found it and he produces her passport. The Doctor tells her she doesn't need one. She protests that she doesn't on Platform One but if they end up in Brazil they might need it and that she is now prepared for anything, grinning up at the Doctor.
"Psychic paper." Sarah Jane reminds her.
"Yeah, still wasn't used to that. Besides, it doesn't always work." Rose says, guessing the real reason she had asked Mickey to bring her passport and feeling slightly guilty.
Mickey comments it sounds like she is staying. There is an awkward pause as the Doctor looks slightly anxiously as Rose, then Mickey forces a smile and asks why they are in Cardiff and who Jack is. He comments he doesn't mind her hanging out with big ears to which the Doctor takes offence.
"Pretty sure you do mind." Donna raises her eyebrows. Mickey just shrugs.
"My ears are not that big." Nine protests hotly. Rose smirks and kisses him.
"They are just fine." She assures him.
"You would say that you're shagging him." Donna laughs. Rose, Nine and Ten all go bright red.
Mickey just shoots off he should look in a mirror and then says Jack is kind of, when Jack cuts in offering handsome. Mickey corrects he is more like cheesy. Jack asks if cheesy is good or bad. Mickey assures him it's bad but Jack then states that bad means good to which Rose shakes her head.
"Not usually." Martha laughs.
The Doctor cuts in asking if Mickey was saying he isn't handsome as he comes down the ladder.
"Very handsome." Rose whispers quietly. "No pretty boy, but handsome." He smirks proudly.
Rose tells Mickey they have stopped to refuel and explains about the rift. The Doctor, Rose and Jack all explain together, finishing each other's sentences. They finish off with high fives all round.
"Nice." Jack grins round at the other two then gets up to high five them both.
Mickey seems unimpressed, looking at the trio he comments they think they are all so clever. They line up and one after the other they all say yes finishing with Jack patting Mickey's cheek.
"We are so clever." All three say in unison. Jack plops himself down across Rose and Nine's laps.
"Oof. Jack get off." Nine grumbles.
"But we are such good partners." He smirks.
"Better with a little more space." Nine tells him trying to shove the Time Agent off him.
"You and Rose don't seem to need space."
"That's a special case." Rose cuts in. Adding her strength, the two of them manage to shove Jack onto the floor.
"Oi!" He protests, but he grins up at the pair stupidly.
"Sit down, not on us, and watch the film you clown." Rose laughs at him. Jack bounces to his feet and back over to the beanbags.
"We need some way to get some more exercise in here. Or Jack might not live to get out." Ten says, trying to hide his amusement.
As they emerge from the TARDIS, the Doctor says it should take about 24 hours to refuel. Mickey notes a women staring and Jack comments she is probably wondering what four people do inside a small wooden box. The three of them laugh but Mickey asks if he is captain of the innuendo squad.
"It was actually a fair comment to be honest. I think most people would wonder what four people are doing inside a box that appears to be that small. Charles Dickens thought it was bad when there was just two of us." Rose shrugs with a small grin.
Jack makes a 'whatever' gesture and they all start to walk away. Mickey protests, asking if the TARDIS doesn't get noticed. Jack asks why it looks like a Police box. Rose tells them it's a cloaking device. The Doctor explains how the chameleon circuit works and Jack asks why he doesn't just fix it.
"It'd be strange not looking at her as she is now." Rose frowns.
"Slightly less noticeable though." Martha notes.
"Yeah, then it might not have been sold in Ancient Rome." Donna adds with an eye roll towards Ten.
"You sold the TARDIS in Ancient Rome?" Sarah Jane looks confused.
"No, we left the TARDIS and some merchant thought he could sell it so he did." Donna explains in amusement. Everyone starts laughing.
"I love it." Rose shrugs.
"Me too." Both Doctors say in unison.
The Doctor says he likes it and Rose adds she loves it. Mickey then brings back his original point about it being noticed. The Doctor holds his shoulders and tells him that humans just walk past it and to stop his nagging. He heads off, Rose catches up, grabbing his hand and asks what the plan is.
"Seriously? You two wonder why people think you are a couple?" Donna gestures at the screen. "You act more coupley than my married friends." They both grin sheepishly.
Mayor Margaret Blaine is making an announcement, with the scale model of the power station centre stage. The banner above her reads - The Blaidd Drwg Project. She gives a speech then makes a toast to the future. Once she is done a journalist approaches her and introduces herself as Cathy Salt. Margaret says she doesn't do interviews but Cathy asks if she is aware of the curse.
"Curse?" Martha frowns.
"Well that other man said it's almost as if it was designed to go wrong." Mickey offers.
"He also said he hadn't told anyone that. Besides, a curse would have been going on for a while for someone to actually call it a curse." Ten shrugs.
Cathy explains that some of the project engineers have called it cursed. Margaret tries to wave this off as nonsense but Cathy points out lots of accidents that have occured. Margaret comes up with flimsy excuses for them all.
"Oh yes, I'm sure running someone over was complete accident." Rose scowls.
"I assume each of these people found out about the project potentially going very badly." Sarah Jane sighs.
"I wonder what she wants though? If it will only blow up Cardiff, it can hardly be to sell the Earth as molten slag." Donna comments.
"Unless she plans on using that to access the rift power somehow. Why else would she go to Cardiff?" Jack looks around wide-eyed. Ten gives him a smile.
Cathy points out that before Minter Cleaver died he posted his findings online.
"Good for him." Martha smiles.
She points out he was concerned about the reactor. Margaret notes Cathy has been doing her homework and says they should have a word in private.
"Oh no. Poor woman." Donna gasps.
Margaret says she needs to take a detour to the ladies and insists Cathy come with her. She dashes into a cubicle and there are squelching sounds causing Cathy to comment they got there just in time. Margaret urges her to continue while unzipping her forehead and Cathy notices the light under the door. Margaret says it's just the lights on the blink and Cathy continues to tell her what she knows and saying she will have to make the information public.
"Oh, that's about the worst thing she could possibly have said." Rose groans.
Cathy continues that he boyfriend thinks she is mad. She talks about the wedding next month and Margaret asks about it. Cathy comments that the baby clinched it and Margaret sits on the toilet as she asks if Cathy is with child. She wishes her congratulations and Cathy asks if she has any kids to which she replies a negative. Margaret says she had a big family once but they are all gone.
Nine and Ten both look down at this. Both knew that the Slitheen had to be stopped but neither of them appreciated the reminder of their deaths. Rose squeezed Ten's hand as she tried to snuggle closer to Nine. Sarah Jane also tried to comfort the Ten as she was on his other side.
"I'm alright." Nine murmured to Rose.
"No, you're not." She replies firmly. "You feel pleased you stopped her and guilty for killing them. You also feel guilty that you feel pleased. You don't need to keep pretending that you are fine when you're not. That goes for you too." She looks over at Ten as she knew he had heard her due to his excellent hearing. The corner of his mouth quirks up. While watching the trio act so close, Martha leaned into Mickey's arm without really realising it. She found him easy to talk to and she felt he could understand how she felt as he obviously had the same problem she did.
"You alright?" He asked her with a slight frown.
"Yeah, it's just hard sometimes. I want to be there comforting him and she has both of their undivided attention. I guess he would just realise there is more than one person in the room."
"I know, it's the same as me and Rose. Even in this," He gestures at the frozen screen. "She called me all the way to Cardiff and then spent pretty much all her attention on him. It's like the world around the ceases to exist sometimes." Mickey sighs, sad despite having come to terms with Rose's decision. He wraps his arm around Martha as the trio on the other couch finish their conversation.
Margaret says she might be a while and tells Cathy to run along.
"She's letting her go!" Jack exclaims in astonishment.
"Even Slitheen have motherly instincts I guess." Rose smiles slightly.
Cathy asks if she is ok and when Margaret says yes, tells her she will leave her details with her office. She departs leaving the sad Slitheen on the toilet. The camera switches to Rose, the Doctor, Jack and Mickey in a restaurant. Jack is telling them with a story. Mickey cuts in with a line and they all laugh until the Doctor spots Margaret's picture on a newspaper an old man is reading. He gets up and grabs it while the others keep laughing. Rose finally notices he has gone and he comments he had been having such a nice day, showing the others the picture.
"Well, seems like we at least had a bit of fun before disaster occurs. That seems like a rare occurrence." Rose laughs.
"Oi! I've taken you to plenty of nice places where we haven't had to run for our lives." Nine protests.
"Maybe one or two that didn't actually involve too much running." Rose agrees.
"There's no pleasing some people." Tells rolls his eyes playfully.
The four of them stride up the steps to the City Hall. Jack is telling them all which exits to cover and the Doctor asks him who is in charge.
"He is the Captain." Donna smirks.
"He's travelling on my ship, he plays by my rules." NIne tells her sternly. "But it is a good plan." He allows reluctantly. Jack just grins at him impishly.
Jack apologises and the Doctor says 'here is the plan' before pausing and going with Jack's plan.
Everyone laughs.
"Aww, do you just want to feel in charge?" Rose sniggers.
"Yes." He grumbles.
Jack tells them all to present arms and they all pull out a mobile. They all say they are ready. Jack confirms everyone has speed dial. Rose, the Doctor and Jack all head off in the designated directions but Mickey stands there confused for a second before walking off down his allotted area.
More laughter. "Ricky the idiot." Nine sniggers happily.
The Doctor speaks to the young man sitting at a desk by the door. He explains he has come to see the Mayor, asking him to tell her the Doctor has come for a visit, looking incredibly cheerful. He asks Doctor Who and he tells him to say just the Doctor, The man goes into the room and a teacup smashes. The man comes out again saying the Mayor is up to her eyeball in paperwork and he should make an appointment for next week. The Doctor asks if she is climbing out the window and the man nods, looking confused. The Doctor grins and heads into the room.
"Typical Doctor effect. People climb out of windows to get away from you." Rose teases.
"Only when they've upset me." Ten smirks.
"Afraid of the Oncoming Storm? If they knew you it would be Oncoming Teddy Bear." Rose snickers. Everyone except Mickey and Martha burst out laughing.
"Oi!" Both Doctors protest.
"He can definitely be Oncoming Storm if he wants to be." Donna mutters, remembering the Racnoss. Ten looks at her guiltily realising what she must be thinking about.
The Doctor phones the others to tell them where the Slitheen is going. Rose and Jack say they are on their way and Mickey just cries 'oh my god'. The young man comes out and wrestles with the Doctor as Margaret climbs down a ladder, telling him to leave the Mayor alone.
"He's dedicated at his job at least." Sarah Jane notes.
Rose runs into a clerk carrying a pile of papers, and Jack leaps gracefully over a tea trolley.
"Very athletic." Nine rolls his eyes but grins at Jack.
"Well, given all the exercise I get, I should be." Jack winks.
Mickey crashes into a cleaning woman.
"Oh Ricky." Nine shakes his head.
"Not all of us spend our entire time running for our lives." Mickey scowls.
Margaret reaches the bottom of the ladder and takes off her brooch. She starts to run but sees Rose coming towards her, snarls and removes her right earring. Then Jack comes running from the opposite direction. The Doctor finishes with Idris and sees her running in the only available direction - across the front of the building. He gets down the ladder as Margaret removes her other earring and puts it with the first and the brooch.
"Nice plan." Martha nods to Jack.
"Shame somebody was a little slow." Nine rolls his eyes.
As the trio run down an alleyway, past a doorway, Jack asks who was on exit four and Rose replies it was Mickey. Mickey then comes running out and the Doctor calls him Mickey the Idiot. Rose comments she isn't exactly going to outrun them.
"Well, she might outrun Ricky." Nine scoffs.
"Don't be horrible." Rose frowns at him. "This isn't exactly something he does everyday like us."
"So, you weren't this useless the first adventure we went on." Nine frowns back.
"Actually, I kinda was. I spent most of our first proper adventure together getting knocked out and stuck in a room with a sun about to kill me." She reminds him. Nine subsides but doesn't offer an apology.
Margaret vanishes and Jack comments that a teleport is cheating. Rose just smiles and says the Doctor is very good at teleports.
"Glad someone has some faith in me." Ten laughs.
The Doctor holds up his sonic screwdriver and Margaret reappears, running towards them. Vanish, reappear. Vanish, reappear. He says he could do this all day and she tells him it's persecution and asks why he can't leave her alone. She then asks what she ever did to him and he points out she tried to kill him and destroy the planet.
"You know, just minor things." Sarah Jane giggles.
"Nothing bad at all." Jack agrees.
Margaret asks about apart from that. Screen cuts to them all heading to the City Hall room where Margaret gave her speech earlier. The Doctor sums up her situation and asks why she is building the power station. She pretends not to know about the rift and Jack notes that if the station went boom the planet would too.
"So she's trying to blow up the whole planet again?" Martha asks.
"You'd think she would have learnt her lesson the first time." Jack rolls his eyes.
"Why though? Last time it was for money but I doubt that is her motive now as destroying the planet would kill her too." Donna frowns.
"We'll find out if we watch." Ten tells her, smirking. She glares at him.
"Watch it Martian man." Ten glares back at her as she definitely knows he isn't martian.
Rose asks if anyone noticed, saying there must have been someone in London checking this. Margaret says London don't care because it's in Wales and then pauses and comments she has gone native. Mickey asks why she would do that and Margaret protests that she has a name. Mickey says she isn't a she but an it. The Doctor pulls out the middle section of the model and turns it over.
"A tribophysical waveform macro-kinetic extrapolator?" Jack looks at the screen in surprise and awe.
"What's that?" Martha asks.
"It basically would shield her in a forcefield and allow her to surf to waves of energy created by destroying the planet." Jack explains.
"So it's a surfboard?" Donna raises an eyebrow.
"A pan-dimensional surfboard." He corrects.
Jack asks if it is an tribophysical waveform macro-kinetic extrapolator. The Doctor says he couldn't have put it better himself.
"Wow, now that it praise indeed." Jack smirks at Nine.
"You might not need to buy him that drink after all. Just talk technology at him." Rose snorts in amusement.
"Oi." Nine scowls.
Jack comments that she didn't build this and Margaret says she has her hobbies. Jack insists she didn't built it as it is way beyond her and she concedes it fell into her possession. Rose asks if it's a weapon and Jack explains what it does. Mickey is horrified she would blow up a planet just to get a lift. Margaret agrees it would be like stepping on an anthill.
"Well, we need to stop her so how to we do that this time around?" Rose asks Nine.
"She can't escape all four of us, we'll just take her to the TARDIS and once we refuel, drop her back off on her home planet."
The Doctor asks how she thought of the name and Margaret doesn't seem to know saying she chose it at random. The Doctor explains it means Bad Wolf.
Rose and Nine both glance at Ten who failed to hide his anxious look quickly enough.
"Bad Wolf? What does that mean, you guys keep hearing that phrase?" Donna asks, looking confused.
"No idea." Nine shrugs, keeping their attention away from his future counterpart. He assumes they will find out soon enough.
Rose is startled, saying she has heard that before. The Doctor notes the words keep following them but dismisses it as a coincidence to Rose's frustration. He says they will be taking Margaret home. Jack says that's like letting her go.
"Well given that she hasn't succeeded in her plan she hasn't done the Earth harm. She's killed people I know but the only other option is killing her and...I can't." Nine explains, voice trailing off at the end. Rose squeezes his arm.
Rose is excited to go to the planet, she starts trying to say it. The Doctor rolls his eyes and says it for her. She tried again and gets halfway so he says the ending. She finally manages to say it and they hug in excitement.
"Raxacoricofallapatorius." Rose grins widely as she says it alongside her screen self. "I did it!" Nine kisses the top of her head and then Ten pulls her in for a hug. The others in the room start trying to say it. Martha gets there first, quickly followed by Sarah Jane and Donna. Mickey and Jack both show off that they already knew how to say it.
Margaret interrupts, saying that they have the death penalty. The excitement fades quickly from the others as she continues that her family was tried in their absence and found guilty. If they take her home she will be killed. He raises his eyebrows and tells her it isn't his problem.
"You're going to keep her in the TARDIS overnight?" Martha asks.
"Nowhere else we can really keep her." Nine shrugs.
"So police box is actually being used as a police box." Donna notes with a smirk.
Night has fallen. Margaret is asking about the TARDIS and the Doctor states he wouldn't give her the secret. She comments that she almost feels better about being defeated as she never stood a chance. She calls it the technology of gods. The Doctor tells her he would make a very bad god.
"I doubt you'd be bad." Sarah Jane frowns.
"Oh but I would. I would be a very vengeful god. Even if I try and do the right thing, it wouldn't end well. The road to hell is paved with good intentions and all that." Ten tells her.
He adds they wouldn't get a day off for starters.
"Ok yeah, you'd be a horrible god." Rose sticks her tongue out at Ten who laughs.
He then asks Jack how he is getting on with the extrapolator. Jack tells him it's top of the range and asks Margaret where she got it from. She smiles and says an airlock sale. He dryly comments that it must have been a big heist. When the Doctor asks if they can use it for fuel he says no but it should know twelve hours off the time needed.
"Definitely stuck overnight then. Gives her a lot of time to plan an escape." Rose bites her lip worriedly.
"She would need the extrapolator or her plan won't work. I don't need much sleep so I'll be awake all night." Nine assures her.
Margaret says she's in no hurry. Rose comments the police box is really a police box.
Rose and Donna exchange grins.
Margaret points out they aren't just police. They will be taking her to her death, therefore making them her executioners. Mickey states she deserves it. She looks at him and says that he is very quick to say so. Asking how that makes them any better than her.
"Because we didn't try to kill innocent people or blow up a planet just to get a lift." MIckey states firmly. "It's her own fault she got the death sentence."
She then wonders how many of them can look her in the eye. None of them can. Outside, Mickey looks at the water tower. Rose joins him saying how cold it is. She then confesses that she didn't need her passport. Mickey asks if she wants to go for a drink, just the two of them.
Nine tenses up slightly beside Rose.
"I really don't want to be stuck in there all night with her." Rose tells him. "I know you don't either, so it's not really fair but I haven't seen Mickey in a while at this point." He just nods but doesn't reply.
He continues that as the TARDIS can't leave until morning, they could get a hotel and spend the night. Rose agrees, both of them are grinning like fools.
Nine, Mickey and Martha all scowl heavily at the screen. Rose tries to shrink down in her seat not really knowing what she is thinking in the future. Maybe trying to make the Doctor jealous? But it's not fair of her to use Mickey like that, he deserves far better.
"I'm sorry." She mutters, not really knowing which of them she is addressing. She and the Doctor didn't have a relationship going at the point in the film but that doesn't make her feel less guilty about it.
Mickey asks if that's alright and she agrees again. He asks if she needs to go and tell the Doctor. She says it's none of his business.
"Rose! You could at least have come and told me you were wandering off. Again!" Nine snaps.
"Sorry, I guess I knew you wouldn't like it and I didn't want an argument." She replies quietly. He takes control of his temper and remembers that this hasn't happened yet. At that point in time he had no claim on her like he did now.
"I know, but no matter how much I don't like it, I'd rather you at least told me where you were going in case anything happened." Ten tells her gently. She nods, her face red.
The Doctor watches Mickey and Rose on the scanner. Jack asks him what's on and he replies nothing.
"Does that thing let you hear our conversation?" Rose asks.
"No."
Margaret interrupts, saying she gathers he doesn't always have to wait around like this. She guesses he is always the first to leave, commenting he butchered her family and ran for the stars. The Doctor says he didn't butcher them and Jack tells him not to reply as that's what she wants. He insists that he didn't and then reminds Margaret she had a teleport. She tells him it only carries one, going on to say that she had to fly without coordinates ending up in a skip on the Isle of Dogs. The Doctor can be heard laughing in the background.
Laughter breaks out around the room.
"But she didn't have the extrapolator when she teleported out so where did she hide it?" Donna asks.
"It must have been in their ship. That wasn't blown up so I assume she retrieved it afterwards and then fled to Cardiff." Nine shrugs.
Margaret snaps that it isn't funny. The Doctor and Jack both grin and the Doctor says it is a little funny. She gives him a mocking smile and asks if she gets a last request. He says it depends what it is.
"That's not a good idea. She''s try and escape." Donna frowns.
Margaret says she grew fond of her human life and that a particular restaurant became her favourite. The Doctor asks if she wants a last meal. She asks if she has rights and Jack cuts in that she will try and escape. She snaps that she can never escape the Doctor so where is the danger. Then she asks how strong his stomach is and he replies it's strong enough.
"Why do you do this to yourself?" Rose sighs. "You're going to make your guilt far worse." Nine just shrugs beside her.
The Doctor points out that if she got away for even a second people would be in danger and Jack pulls out two bands. He says they both wear one and if she moves more than ten feet away she gets zapped by ten thousand volts.
"Weren't you the one just saying she might escape?" Martha looks over at him.
"Well yeah, I guess I just remembered I had those." Jack grins happily.
"Definitely not asking why you had those." Rose sniggers.
The Doctor turns to Margaret and invites her out to dinner as his treat.
"Honestly, Slitheen get dinner but I have to pay for my own chips." Rose laughs.
She says dinner in bondage works for her. And so Jack is left to carry on mending the Tardis whilst the two couples go out for their dinners. Margaret comments that they are on a date and he hasn't even asked her what her name is.
"How rude of you Doctor." Sarah Jane laughs.
"It's not a date." Nine and Ten mutter petulantly.
He protests that it is not a date before asking her name. She calls herself Blon Fel Fotch Passameer-Day Slitheen, adding that is what it will say on her death certificate. He says it's nice to meet her and then she goes on about the flat she used to live in, pointing it out through the window behind them. He turns to look and she puts some powder from her ring into the wine.
"You fell for that?" Mickey asks in amusement.
"Might as well let her try. Superior senses means I knew what she was doing." Ten smirks.
When he looks back around, The Doctor switches their glasses around. She says thank you and he gives her a sarcastic smile saying pleasure. She then asks what he knows about her species and he replies only what he has seen. Margaret asks if he knew that when her life is in danger a female Raxacoricofallapatorian can manufacture a poison dart in her finger. She points and a dart shoots out which the Doctor catches.
"You're just showing off aren't you." Jack sniggers.
"Well, I am impressive." Nine replies with a grin.
He casually comments he did know this and gives her another sarcastic smile when she says she was just checking. She says one more thing and they both look around before leaning close so Margaret can whisper. As a final resort the excess poison can be exhaled through the lungs. She starts to exhale and the Doctor uses a breath freshener stating that's better.
"How many times have you met Raxacoricofallapatorians?" Rose asks.
"Just the once, well twice then I suppose, but I've heard a fair bit about them." Nine tells her.
"We learn about most species in the universe during Academy training. Some new ones have come about since the Time Lords died but I'll have at least heard of pretty much any species." Ten explains to the group as a whole.
He decides on steak and chips. Screen cuts to Rose and Mickey walking outside. Rose is telling him about Women Wept and how the sea froze.
"Wow! I can't wait to go there." Rose beams excitedly.
"We go as soon as we drop Adam off." Ten smiles widely, enjoying her enthusiasm.
"It sounds beautiful." Martha comments.
"It is." Nine agrees.
When she pauses Mickey states he is going out with Trisha Delaney.
Mickey winces at his past self.
"What?" Rose looks over at him confused.
"I was trying to make you jealous." He sighs.
Rose now looks a little confused as she asks, Trisha from the shop. When Mickey confirms it she states she is nice if a little big. Mickey says she lost weight and Rose has been away. Then he asks more about the planet and Rose says that's it really.
"Well that's not awkward at all." Jack mutters. It's almost as awkward in the room with Mickey and Rose refusing to look at each other. Nine looks like he isn't sure whether to be happy or annoyed and the others are looking between the three of them not knowing what to say.
At the restaurant, Margaret describes public execution on her planet and the Doctor just watches her before saying he doesn't make the law. She retorts he just delivers it, asking if he will stay to watch. He looks reluctant as he asks what else he can do. She suggests dropping her off with some other members of her family.
"What so she can plan to blow up that planet too?" Martha scoffs.
The Doctor says she will just start again and she promises not to. He reminds her that there used to be a real Margaret and she is pleading through a dead woman's lips.
Rose squeezes his arm, knowing it is difficult for him to deliberately not save someone.
Margaret agrees she has gotten used to a human life and asks for a chance as she can change. He doesn't believe her. Back with Rose and Mickey, she is looking out over the sea as he asks what she wants to do now. When she says she doesn't mind he half heartedly suggests looking at hotels and Rose asks what Trisha Delany would say. He points to a spanish bar and Rose rounds on him saying he doesn't even like Trisha Delany. He gets angry ask what what she knows and Rose says she knows him and her and that would never happen.
"Jealous Rosie?" Jack asks.
"Confused I guess. Earlier he was talking about hotels and spending the night together, now he's trying to make me jealous by saying he is dating someone when it is obviously a lie. I don't like him lying to me. I probably also feel guilty for dragging him to Cardiff and giving him hope when I don't plan on staying around."
Mickey then shouts that he at least knows where Trisha is. Rose laughs and states this has nothing to do with Trisha, it's about her. Mickey yells that she left him. They were happy and she left him with a kiss to run off with someone else. He comments that he can't go out with someone because as soon as Rose picks up the phone he comes running. He keeps going, asking if he is supposed to sit for the rest of his life waiting for her because he will. Rose mutters a sorry and tries to reach for his arm but he shrugs her off.
"I am sorry Micks. You didn't deserve any of that." Rose looks over at him. He doesn't meet her eyes. Watching this brings up all his old emotions and he isn't sure how to deal with it. Nine holds her a little tighter. He wanted to be smug but couldn't quite manage it. He had never looked at it from Mickey's perspective before, he had just been so concerned about Rose returning to her old life and not coming with him anymore. Watching it this way he could see that no matter how Rose acted she had always planned on travelling with him and that security helped him to see how other people were affected by her choice to travel with him.
"It's alright. When we're done here you can go back and fix this so he can move on." He whispers in her ear. It is the first time he has truly voiced that he is certain she will pick him and it feels good. She nods slightly.
"We're gonna have to tell Mum about us too." She looks up at him and the corner of her mouth quirks upwards. He stifles a shudder about how domestic it is to be telling a girl's mother they are in a relationship. He considers domestics with Rose Tyler might just be acceptable, other than the matter of Jackie's hand which is most likely to slap him again once she hears.
"Can't we wait till I'm a pretty boy to do that?" He asks.
"No. I want her to know. Confirmation will help Mickey move on a little quicker too. I hope." He smiles at her certainty that Jackie should know.
At the restaurant Margaret tells the Doctor about how she let Cathy go and he tells her he does believe her, however that doesn't mean she can change. He points out that that's how they live with themselves. They slaughter millions but let one go every now and again. Margaret comments that only a killer would know that. She states that he always moves on because he dare not look back and that he plays with so many people's lives he may as well be a god. The pleads that once in a while you let one go so he should let her go. He looks at her sadly.
You don't play with lives, you save them." Sarah Jane says softly.
"You're right not to let her go and kill who knows how many creatures because she can." Jack smiles at Nine gently.
Outside, Mickey tells Rose he isn't asking her to leave the Doctor as it's not fair but he wants a promise that when she comes back she is coming back for him. There is a rumble and Rose asks if it's thunder. Mickey asks if it matters and Rose goes on that it's not thunder.
"The rift?" Donna asks, eyebrows raised. "Didn't you say that extrapolator wasn't compatible? Maybe that was her plan."
"She couldn't have known it wasn't compatible." Nine frowns.
"No but maybe it just needed alien technology, didn't have to be compatible anyway." Sarah Jane suggests.
At the restaurant Margaret is still pleading that her father forced her into this and that if she is a killer it's because she was born one. The Doctor doesn't appear to be listening to her but to the same rumble that Rose heard. He asks if she can hear it and she responds that she is begging for her life. The Doctor tells her to shush as the glasses begin to vibrate, then the plate glass window shatters. Customers scream.
"About time some running was involved. That little jog to catch her earlier has been it, surprising really." Rose laughs.
Outside, people run from the exploding street lights and Rose is shown running off. Mickey yells after her that it's the Doctor again and that it's always going to be the Doctor, never Mickey.
"Explosions everywhere, usually means the Doctor is involved, which is never good. Probably should sort that out before sorting out your relationship." Jack looks at Mickey.
Margaret can't keep up with the Doctor. She calls out about the handcuffs and he waits for her before taking it off. He tells her not to think about running away and she stays she is sticking with him, commenting some date this turned out to be.
"It wasn't a date." Nine whined.
"We know." Rose tells him in fond exasperation.
Energy is streaming from the Tardis into the sky. The Doctor states that the rift is opening. As they run towards it the ground cracks around them. Inside things are sparking and the Doctor asks what the hell Jack has done.
"Hey! I know what I'm doing, this wasn't my fault." Jack protests even without memory to back up his claim.
Jack claims it just went crazy. The Doctor says it's the rift opening. OUtside, Rose runs to the TARDIS, the ground cracking around her as well. Jack exclaims it's the extrapolator, even though he disconnected it, it's still feeding off the engine. The Doctor notes it will rip open the planet. Rose runs in and asks what's going on. Margaret rips off one arm of the skin suit and grabs Rose.
"Rose!" Nine growls.
"I'm fine." Rose shrugs.
Margaret says one wrong move and Rose snaps like a promise. The Doctor says he might have known and she tells him to shut up, then telling Jack to put the extrapolator at her feet.
"Fly boy?" Jack squarks indignantly.
Margaret tightens her grip on Rose and Jack looks towards the Doctor. Without taking his eyes off Rose, he nods to Jack who obeys. Rose chokes out that she thought Margaret needed to blow up the power station and Margaret explains that she programmed the extrapolator to go to programme B if she were arrested, which would lock onto the nearest alien power source.
"So this was her plan all along. She wanted to buy time for the extrapolator to start working." Rose scowls. Nine also scowls, realising that she had played on his hatred of killing to make a fool out of him.
Jack points out the rift will convulse and destroy the planet. Margaret says it will destroy them too as she steps on the extrapolator. The TARDIS console cracks open and bright line shines on Margaret.
"The heart of the TARDIS." Nine breathes.
"The heart?" Rose asks.
"The TARDIS is alive and telepathic, as you know Rose. That is her soul." Ten explains in a heavy voice. He realises how important this moment was. If Rose hadn't gotten the idea to rip apart his precious ship he would be dead and the Daleks would have won.
The Doctor says that in opening the rift the TARDIS would get pulled apart. Margaret is unconcerned as the Doctor continues proudly that the TARDIS isn't any old ship, she's the best in the universe. Margaret says it will make wonderful scrap.
"Oi!" Rose protests.
Rose asks what the light is and he explains it's the heart of the TARDIS. He tells Margaret to look at it. She relaxes and Rose gets free, Jack pulls her to his side. Then she looks up at the Doctor, smiling. He smiles a little in return. She thanks him and disappears into the light and the empty bodysuit drops to the floor. The Doctor jumps into action telling them all to close their eyes as he closes the console.
"What happens if we look into it?" Rose asks.
"I'm not sure, even I've never looked but the raw power would probably kill you." Nine warns.
He calls to Jack to help him shut it all down and for Rose to turn some switches. Energy stops pouring into the sky and he thanks everyone. Rose asks what happened to Margaret and Jack assumes she got burnt up. The Doctor corrects that he doesn't think she is dead and explains that the ship is telepathic and could maybe translate other thoughts. He finds an egg in the bodysuit and announces she regressed to her childhood.
"She wanted to be a child again?" Martha asks.
"A second chance I think." Ten smiles softly.
"So the heart of the TARDIS can translate our thoughts and make them happen?" Rose looks curious. Nine eyes her warily.
"Let's not try that out. It's not an exact science and experimenting could go badly wrong. Besides, to reach it you'd have to pull my ship apart and that's not allowed." He tells her sternly.
Jack repeats that she is an egg and the Doctor says she can start her life again. Jack comments she could end up worse and the Doctor tells him that that is her choice. Rose suddenly remembers Mickey. Rose runs out and across the cracked plaza, back to Mermaid Quay where ambulances are taking away the injured. Mickey is watching from the shadows as she goes up to a paramedic and asks a question. Mickey walks away. She returns to the Tardis alone.
"Oi! You could have at least let me know you were ok and not hurt." Rose looks at him angrily. He shrugs.
"Not like you stayed around. You asked one guy then wandered back to him and left me."
The Doctor says they are all powered up and can leave. He asks how Mickey is and Rose says he's gone. The Doctor says they will wait if she wants to go and find him and she says no he deserves better. He hesitates a second and then gets them ready to go. They plan to pop Margaret's egg in the hatchery and give her a second chance. Rose comments that would be nice and the screen goes black.
"So Slitheen all gone from Earth for now. Hopefully we can have a little time without someone trying to blow up Earth." Jack laughs. "Who's up for the next one?"
"Well it's still early we should get a few in before bedtime." Donna shrugs happily.
"If I remember correctly I'll be regenerating very soon so we'll probably take a break after that." Ten says.
"That's so little time with you." Rose frowns up at Nine.
"A whole year." He smiles slightly.
"Yeah and that's your Ninth body in nine hundred years, you aren't supposed to die after just a year." She protests.
"It was worth it." Ten smiles gently at her. "I promise."
"Let's just watch and see." She shrugs, deciding against pressing further. Jack nods and plays the next episode.
