Again With Feeling

Chapter 14: What Could It Be

The Doctor tried his hardest to ignore the number of humans that had steadily been pouring into the small flat all afternoon. He had parked himself in a large plush chair that his Rose favored. The same golden girl was curled at his side in the chair, leaning against him. She had spoken quietly to her mother when they had returned to the flat, but he kept getting the evil eye from the woman. He would never admit it out loud, but frankly speaking, Jackie Tyler was nearly more terrifying than any of the Daleks he had faced in the War. The only thing that seemed to keep her at bay was Rose bodily between them at nearly all times. Which he was thankful for and made sure his Rose knew, he keeping her mind against his, much like she was already at his side physically.

Rose leaned her head against his shoulder, watching as he flipped the channels back and forth between two stations in particular. Everything had faded into background noise to her as she thought about what was going to happen in the next few hours. This whole situation was going to get a whole lot worse before this time tomorrow. The next twenty four hours for the world was going to be tense. Her first thoughts had been on whether or not she or Mickey could potentially get in there before the siblings were able to seize power. Not seeing any way other than using the TARDIS and convincing the Doctor to kill, she figured it was likely best to just wait for an opening.

'Doctor,' Rose's mind pulsed against his.

'Rose?'

'I…' she sighed. 'How do I word this?'

'What is it? Just tell me- Oh! Or show me. That works too,' the Doctor turned his attention to Rose, her hand was in his as images flashed in his mind. Aliens in 10 Downing street, murder of a room full of people, a woman trying to protect Rose was the odd green, baby faced aliens. 'How?'

'Long story,' Rose began.

"Oi!" The Doctor suddenly called out, looking over at Jackie and one of her friends who had been talking loudly behind them. "I'm trying to listen!"

Rose covered her grin with her hand so her mum didn't smack her or the Doctor. In fact, Jackie's eyes narrowed at the Doctor as if daring him to yell again at her. Instead, Jackie starts loudly talking about someone asking her out while offering wine to anyone who wasn't the Doctor. The alien in question just shook his head and rolled his eyes.

'Can we go outside?' his thoughts nearly begged Rose.

Rose merely nodded at him and got up, waiting for him. When she looked back at the room behind them, she blinked a few times. She didn't remember this many people being in here last time. Or maybe it was that she didn't care. Shaking it off, she felt the Doctor take her hand as he walked past her and the two weaved out of the little flat. Once the door closed behind them, the both of them let out a breath of relief, as if they could finally breathe for the first time in hours.

"Blimey," Rose giggled a little as she shifted over to the railing, leaning against it. "I never thought I would say this, but it's way too human in there."

"You're tellin' me," the Doctor chuckled, stepping up to the railing and looking up at the sky. "So. Wanna tell me what that was all about back there?"

Rose chewed on her bottom lip a little, looking away from the Doctor. She did tell him she would explain a few things. She was still not sure how and what exactly to tell him. He watched her silently as she reached up and started toying with her earring. Her mind had suddenly shut him out, as if she was trying to sort it out before allowing him to see, to know.

"I-" she started to say but was cut off as Mickey suddenly burst out of the stairwell and rushed to them.

The poor man was brought up short, panting a little, at the double glare he received not only from the big eared Doctor, but from Rose as well. Apparently he had interrupted something. Given the situation, he didn't really mind. In fact, Mickey started grinning at him rather boyishly.

"Sorry, boss," he muttered to the Doctor, who arched a brow and crossed his arms over his chest. Mickey continued to grin at the pair.

The Doctor had positioned himself between Mickey and Rose protectively. It made Mickey chuckle to himself. Some things will never chance, he thought as he watched the pair of them turn towards him expectantly.

"Thought you'd like to know," Mickey addressed them both, "they found a body."

Rose looked up at the Doctor. Her memories of the last time trickled through her, at least the parts that stayed with her the longest. The part where he told her he wasn't going anywhere and had left. The way her heart broke a little when Mickey had told her he abandoned her. Shaking her head, she pushed those memories to the back. This wasn't the same man, the same Doctor.

"Where'd they take it?" the Doctor stepped away from the pair of humans to pace, arms crossed still over his chest.

Mickey shifted to stand next to Rose as they watch the alien pace. "News said they'd taken it to Albian Hospital. It's closest to the river."

"Did they say what spieces was?" Rose asked softly. She was rewarded for her question by the Doctor with a soft smile.

Shaking his head, Mickey turned to her, "No. Just that it's not terrestrial in origin."

The Doctor stopped his pacing and looked inside the flat briefly. Jackie had yet to notice he and Rose had snuck out. Too busy with her wine and gossip, he thought with a sneer. It was hard to believe that his clever companion came from that woman sometimes.

"What're we going to do, Doctor?" The question came from Rose.

"We?" the Doctor looked at her incredulously. "Who's this we?"

"You, me," she pointed out to him, with a look that was rather familiar to him. She was eyeing him like he had just dribbled on his shirt.

"There is no 'we' in this situation," he decided. Glancing at the younger man, the Doctor had to blink as Mickey ducked his head to hide the look of amusement on his face. Not understanding, the Time Lord looked back just as Rose was suddenly in his face again.

"Try that one again, mate," Rose warned him, eyes flashing at him.

"What I meant to say, ah," he backpedaled as best her could from the now angry woman in front of him. "I meant, erm, that you would likely want to spend a bit of time with your mum. And Rickey here!"

"It's Mickey," the other male offered without any heat. He was leaning against the railing now, clearly enjoying the hole the Doctor was digging himself into.

Rose said nothing, only continued to glare at the Time Lord. If he hadn't been able to feel her mind against his still, he might have honestly thought she was angry at him. But he all he felt was annoyance at being excluded. And fear. His expression softened now. Reaching out, the Doctor drew her to his chest and laid his forehead against hers.

"Rose," he murmured softly, "it would be best if you stayed here. With Mickey and your mum. Safer." Before she could protest, he silenced her with a finger against her lips. "Listen to me. I'm not leaving you, alright. You have a key of your own. I'm just going to go get a look at this 'alien'."

"It's not what you think, Doctor," Rose warned, gripping his biceps. "The body. It is terrestrial. The science behind it isn't." She frowned, trying to remember what he learned after this was over last time. "The real threat isn't in the ship. It looks like people. They hide inside people. And kill anything that tries to stop them."

"She's right," Mickey chimed in now.

The Doctor tightened his grip on Rose, his protective instincts kicking up at the thought that the real threat was hiding in plain sight. "Can you look after her for me, Mickey?"

Both Rose and Mickey were surprised at the request. Mickey dumbly nodded while Rose bristled again.

"I don't need protection!" she growled. "I want to stay with you!"

"You're not coming with me," the Doctor stated in a hard voice. "You're staying here, you are."

"The hell I am," Rose said, her tone booked no argument.

"You, stupid little-" the Doctor cut himself off with a snarl. Dragging his hand over the top of his head, he grounded out, "Why can't you do as you're told? For once! Let me protect you!"

Rose stopped at his words. He actually stopped himself from calling her a stupid ape. Blinking a few times, looking over at Mickey for help. He took a big step backwards from the two of them. He was not getting involved with this. Oh no, Mickey Smith was many things, stupid was not one of them.

"Doctor," Rose softened her voice, pleading with her tone and eyes, "let me come with you. It's not safe. Not really."

Nodding a little, the Doctor rested his hands on Rose's shoulders. "I know. It's safer here for the time being. I'm just going to hop over and take a peek at the body. Then I'll be back before you know it. I told you already, Rose Tyler, I'm not leaving you."

"Alright," Rose caved. Secretly she had wanted to go with him this time. She wanted to see firsthand what was in the ship when it came down.

"But before that," the Doctor drew back and crossed his arms over his chest, looking down at Rose with an intense look. "You are going to tell me what you know and how you know it."

"Look," Rose fidgeted a moment, glancing at Mickey a second before facing the Doctor. "I can't right now. But I can say the threat is hiding as humans. So, please. Be careful. Watch out for," she trailed off, looking at Mickey for help.

"Fat humans with gas problems," Mickey said simply.

The Doctor looked at the two of them like they had lost their minds for a second. "Gas problems?"

"Something about a compression field that allows them to shrink down and hide," Rose offered. "They are big, really big and ugly normally. You saw one when you looked into my memories."

Looking at Rose in a whole new light, he stepped closer to her. "How do you know this?"

Again, his golden girl glanced over at Mickey for help. He just raised his hands up and stepped back. Sighing softly, Rose lifted those beautiful warm brown orbs to meet intense blue. "Because I remember it, Doctor."

Whatever he was expecting, that was not the answer. The Time Lord started to draw back from her when Rose reached up and cupped his cheeks tenderly. "I told you I would explain to you and I will! But right now, we don't have the time! Lots of people are gonna die, Doctor, if we don't focus now."

"Boss," Mickey offered, looking as apologetic as Rose, "I know it's hard to hear, but trust us. Trust Rose. And ask Sexy to get you a bottle of vinegar. You'll need it."

"Go," Rose commanded him, still holding his gaze. "Go to the hospital, see what's there. Do your Time Lord thing. We'll be here."

Nodding slowly, the Doctor pulled Rose's small hands away from his face. He did not smile at either of them. His face was carefully blank, even as his eyes screamed of the Storm inside raging. Pressing his lips together, he looked down at Rose. He could feel her fear. It was too much, so he closed himself off as he stepped away from her. Still watching her, he watched as her face fell, hurt swimming in her eyes. Pressing her lips together a moment, she took a deep shaky breath and nodded.

"S'fair, I guess," she murmured.

"Do you know who the aliens are?" the Doctor asked the pair cautiously.

"I know their faces," Rose admitted, looking away from him. "Some of them, anyway. I never really got their names, except one. Margret Blaine. The others…" she just shrugged. "I never really saw them in their human disguise."

Clenching his teeth, the Doctor nodded. "Alright. Call me if there is any changes."

Mickey Smith nodded and wrapped an arm around the desponded, yet still determined to help Rose. Together they watched the Doctor enter the stairwell without another word. Rose moved out of Mickey's grasp to stand at the railing, watching the courtyard below. Eventually the Doctor exited. She watched him stride angrily across the cement covered clearing to the TARDIS.

He never once looked back at her.

Lowering her head and squeezing her eyes tightly closed, she missed when the Doctor turned back at the last moment. Mickey watched as the Doctor looked back at Rose, one foot inside the TARDIS, his hands braced on the frame of the door. Piercing blue eyes flicked to meet Mickey's gaze. Mickey Smith knew exactly what the Doctor was telling him. He didn't have to be telepathic to know. He didn't even need the words be spoken. He knew that look all too well. The pinstripe version of the Doctor had that look many, many times when Rose could not see it. He was demanding something of Mickey. It was always the same thing.

Slowly, Mickey nodded down at the Doctor. He knew, and he understood. It was something he never had to be told to do. But to see this Doctor, all big ears and leather, asking it of him. It made everything a little easier. The Time Lord offered a little flicker of a smile, the corners of his mouth moving slightly. Then he was gone.

Mickey would protect Rose. Always.

Rose Tyler lifted her head as the sounds of the TARDIS filled the night. They would always hear it, no matter what was happening around them. It was a sound burned into their minds, hearts and souls. AS the ancient ship faded away, Rose could feel the TARDIS reaching out to her, soothing her and offering her comfort.

We will be back, the ship whispered softly.

I'll be waiting, Rose returned.

"Well then," Mickey grinned, looking over at Rose with that boyish grin again. "Got a present for you."

The confused Rose, turning away from the now empty courtyard, she looked at her oldest friend skeptically.

"Don't look like that, Babe," her look only made him grin more. "You'll love it."

Reaching into his jeans pocket, Mickey withdrew what looked like an expensive lipstick tube. This only confused Rose more as it was handed to her with a wink and a grin, "Courtesy of a mutual friend."

"A mutual friend of ours," Rose began with a laugh, "got me lipstick?"

"Ha! No," Mickey laughed. "Told Jumpin' Jack Flash you'd say that. No, no, it's a taser. Go on, take a look."

At the mention of Mickey's nickname for Jack, she suddenly grinned brightly. Taking the lid off carefully, she noticed right away that the tube that would have housed the makeup held instead what looked like two clawed darts. There was a pretty pink gem-like button where the maker's tag would be on the outside.

"Says it'll shoot out when you push the gem," Mickey explained. "The two darts will stick into your target and give 'em a shock they'll never forget."

"Why make it look like this?" Rose asked as she recapped the thing.

"Two reasons," Mickey chuckled. "One, it can pass any metal detector and hides in your pocket or purse. If you'd ever carry one. And two, says he got the idea from some animated movie that's supposed to come out some years from now. Loves it, said one of the characters reminded him of you. Kept yelling out 'lipstick taser'. Total nutter, that man."

"Sounds like Jack," Rose sighed, putting the tube into her hoodie pocket, next to the present she was still holding from the Curator. "Anything else happen while I was gone a year?"

"Actually," Mickey beamed proudly. "I found Martha." Here his grin faltered a bit, "Unfortunately, she isn't looking for a man. Focused on her studies and all that. S'fine. At least I know where she is."

Rose nodded, leaning against his side companionably. "I know the feeling," she murmured softly. "What are we going to do about Mum and that Slitheen?"

"I got the vinegar already," Mickey laughed. "I'm ready for him. But I should head to my place. Gonna see if I can track down the names of the people the family killed and took over. You can join me if you like? I did promise to protect you, babe."

Shaking her head, Rose pushed her hair out of her face. All around them she could hear the people having parties to welcome the visitors from the great beyond. That mildly amused her, given her own personal history. Taking a deep breath, she stepped away from her longest and dearest mate.

"Nah," she grinned. "I'm going to do what the Doctor says. I think I'll stay here with Mum until he gets back. Call me if you learn anything?"

"For once in your life you listen," Mickey laughed. "Okay, I got you, babe."

The pair shared a laugh and a knuckle bump before parting ways to deal with their own missions until the Doctor came back. Both of them were hoping that this time, knowing what they know they would be able to avoid the deaths that would come in the next few hours. Thankfully, neither of them were mentally as young as they looked physically. They both knew all too well from experience, you can't save everyone. You just have to be willing to try.

Re-entering the little flat, Rose made her way back to the plush chair she and the Doctor had shared and settled herself. It was like no one had even noticed she or the Doctor was left. Jackie was seated on the little loveseat against the wall chatting away with her friends with a glass of wine in her hands. Rose watched her mother for a few more moments. A small smile graced her face as she just took the time to observe her mother. Tears stung Rose's eyes, making her blink a few times. Feeling stupid, she quickly stood up and hurried into her room. Closing the door, she leaned back against the wood, taking deep breathes to calm herself. It was like it was when she woke up in this little room and heard her mother's voice.

A knock on the door startled Rose. Stepping away, she opened it to see Jackie standing there.

"Can I come in?" Jackie asked softly.

Nodding, Rose stepped back away from the door and let her mum in. Sitting on the bed, Rose tensed up, waiting for the lecture or for her mother to lash out verbally now that the Doctor wasn't there to protect her. Instead, Jackie came in and closed the door. Silently, she sat next to Rose on the bed.

"I'm sorry," Jackie whispered surprising her daughter.

"Mum? What do you have to be sorry about?"

"I said some very," Jackie paused, refusing to look at her child. "Very hurtful things. I never really meant any of it. I just wanted to protect you. And you ran away because if it."

"Oh no," Rose rushed out, turning her mum to face her. "I didn't leave because of you. I swear it! I left because I had an opportunity. I had to take it."

"I just worry about you, alright?" Jackie suddenly cried out, tears bursting from her eyes. "You're my daughter. How can I not? First the explosion that nearly killed you. Then the next day, you were acting so weird. I didn't know what to do! Next thing I know, that man comes into our lives, all charm and smiles. And you're gone."

Not knowing what to say, Rose just hugged her mother. It was a surprise, it really was to see her mother breaking like this. Maybe she wasn't as mature as she thought she was if she missed all this surrounding her mum. Jackie clung to her as the tears fell.

"That night, oh god Rose," Jackie struggled to keep talking through the tears. "That night, it was like Hell broke free and I didn't know where you were! I got that call from you, you say you're leaving for a job. What else was I suppose to think? Mickey just says you're in safe hands, what the hell does that even mean? A year, Rose. Over a year, I got three phone calls from you. Then the post cards showing up randomly. They tell me nothing! Where were you, sweetheart?"

"Mum," Rose felt her own tears as she listened to her mother bare her heart. "I told you, I was traveling. I thought of you every day. I swear I did. I didn't think I'd be out of touch for so long. I really didn't."

"Do you know what scares me most, sweetheart?" Jackie asked, leaning back to wipe at Rose's tears with a thumb. "It's that you can't tell me where you were or what happened."

With a wet chuckle, Rose muttered softly, "You wouldn't believe me if I did tell you."

"Try me," Jackie said dryly. She wanted to know, wanted to understand.

Rose studied her mother for another minute or so. She thought about how this all played out last time, and the fact her mother would learn the truth one way or another before tomorrow came to an end. She could just tell her the truth. Knowing her mum like she did, Rose figured her would react one of three ways. Either she would not believe her at all and seeing the TARDIS would convince her. Which would lead her mother to call that blasted hotline. Or Jackie would just accuse her of lying again, they would fight, and results would be the same. Then again, there would be a chance that Jackie would think that the Doctor had brainwashed Rose, like she accused him of earlier, and lock Rose in her room. No matter how this turned out, her mum would be a believer and Rose would be with the Doctor. If he would still have her after everything was over and done with.

"Okay," Rose sighed, leaning back on the bed. "I'll tell you."

Jackie blinked a few times and turned to sit on the bed, facing Rose. She made sure to give her daughter her undivided attention. She was surprised that Rose agreed to talk to her, let alone tell her. Jackie had been so convinced that the Doctor had been controlling her child until Rose had slapped her. A part of the elder Tyler woman was very grateful to Rose for doing that. She didn't even want to think what almost came out of her mouth towards her child. Jackie could feel her cheeks heating up with the shame of her actions.

Clearing her throat, Rose turned towards Jackie. "I wasn't lying when I said the Doctor works for UNIT. He does. Sort of. He is their scientific advisor. Has been since about the 70's. That night, a year ago for you, Mickey and I helped the Doctor stop an alien invasion by a being called the Nestene Consciousness. The things you saw on the street were his Autons. Living plastic soldiers he could control. Unfortunately, we had to kill the Nestene in order to protect the Earth."

Jackie's eyes had gotten wider and wider as Rose spoke.

"After that, Mickey and I were taken from under the London Eye as it was collapsing above us to the ruins of Hendrik's. He offered to let me travel with him. And I said yes. He offered me all of time and space. Oh Mum, if you could have seen it. For a moment there, we were high above the Earth, just orbiting. You could see the curve of the horizon, the land dipping and peaking with mountains. Storms brewing over the ocean. The sky beyond was beautiful. Colors you would never think of danced across space. It was beautiful. If you saw it, you'd never want to go back either."

Slowly, Jackie nodded at Rose. Part of her wanted to believe her daughter. Rose was many things, a great many things. In her youth she had been a terrible liar, which was part of why Jackie had a hard time believing her now. But the description that Rose was giving her, it was harder to believe it was a lie.

"After that, the Doctor showed me how his ship, the TARDIS, worked," Rose was watching her mother now. Looking for signs that she was about to shut down or bolt. "It stands for Time and Relative Dimension In Space, by the way. She is a wonderful ship too. She can travel anywhere, in any time or place." Smiling fondly, thinking of the time and space ship, Rose continued. "The Doctor took me to the year 5 billion. There we crashed a party that was orbiting the empty Earth on a station called Platform One. There I met different aliens that were friendly. One you would have liked. He called himself the Curator."

Rose giggled as she described the Curator and Lute to her Mum. Jackie found herself smiling and laughing at the antics of the Doctor and the Curator. When Rose got to Cassandra, Jackie had to interrupt her now.

"Wait, let me see if I got this," Jackie asked, "a flap of skin with eyes and a mouth claimed to be the last Human and didn't even know the difference between a juke box and an iPod?"

Nodding, Rose laughed. "And an ostrich was over fifty feet tall and breathed fire."

Rose continued with her tale of the events of Platform One, answering when Jackie asked questions, taking it as a good sign. Grinning, Rose told her mother about the alien market they went to and pulled out the locket she gotten for Jackie. Handing it over, Rose beamed with pleasure as her mother ooh'd and cooed over the jewelry. Helping her Mum put the necklace on, Rose sat back and started to tell her mother about Charles and the adventures with the Gelth when her phone rang.

"Hold on, Mum," Rose said as she looked at the caller ID. "Hello?"

"Babe. He's back," Mickey's voice told her simply before ringing off.

Jackie watched as the expression on Rose's face changed. Her eyes and expression visibly brightened as she muttered an apology to her mother and then dashed out of the room as fast as her feet would take her. Now, Jackie was many things herself. Fanciful was not a word one might associate with the elder Tyler. Most people used words that were not so kind, but everyone agreed, Jackie Tyler was not a fanciful woman and was equally not prone to flights of fancy either. So hearing her daughter talking about space ships and aliens and time travel, it was a bit of a hard pill to swallow. If she were honest, while the story was entertaining, there was no way she could believe it was true. Even with a ship sitting in the Thames that had crashed earlier in the day into Big Ben.

Watching her only child go bolting out of their flat without thinking worried Jackie even more. Rose honestly believed what she just told her mother. Not for the first time since Rose had starting walking, Jackie wished her Pete was there. He'd have set this bloke calling himself the Doctor straight and gotten Rose to see reason. A thought struck Jackie, a part of her whispered that if Rose was telling the truth and this man really had a ship, he could easily spirit her daughter off again without warning. Frantically, Jackie ran out, after Rose.

Rose Tyler met up with Mickey just as the TARDIS was solidifying into view. Both them always found it funny how he always managed to park in the same spot every time. Hearing the sound of running feet, Rose turned and grinned at her mother as the TARDIS settled herself with a ground. Jackie's eyes widen even as the color drained out of her face.

"How-" Jackie tried to get out. Mickey just grinned like Rose was. "You! You knew about the Doctor? Why didn't you tell me?" She suddenly accused the grinning young man.

"Yep," Mickey grinned, as Rose darted forward to enter the TARDIS. "I told you, Jacks, Rose was in good hands. Safe and sound."

Jackie watched in numb disbelief as Mickey followed Rose inside.

Rose jogged up to the Doctor as he was hunched over the central console. He glanced at her and offered her a tight smile. She stopped a moment seeing that smile, her own falling. She had forgotten he was a little angry, and had closed himself off from her. Lowering her eyes a little, she swallowed the lump in her throat.

"You were right," he told her in a low voice. "It was a pig. Its head was opened up and genetically manipulated before it was strapped into a space suit and put in that ship. It must have been terrified. Not knowing what was happening."

Saying nothing, Rose stepped up next to him. His hands were gripping the edge of the console tightly, so hard in fact that his knuckles were turning white. She wanted nothing more than to reach out and cover his hand with her own, to comfort him. She wouldn't though. She knew she wasn't welcome that way anymore. While it made her heart constrict to know that, she knew that was a chance when she decided to not hide from him.

"The whole thing is a fake," the Doctor muttered, keeping his gaze on the monitor. "Everything was too perfect. I had thought so, but between the pig and you, I know."

"Funny way to invade a planet," muttered Rose softly.

"I was able to get a few names," Mickey called out, walking up the grating.

The Doctor spun around to face Mickey and saw Jackie staring with wide eyes at the inside of his beautiful ship. Narrowing his eyes at the other two humans, he turned to Rose glaring. "Don't you dare make this place domestic," he all but snarled at her.

That tone stopped Mickey in his tracks and look wide eyed at Rose who went pale. She knew that tone better than she wanted to know. She heard it three times out of this Doctor. Twice it was directed at a Dalek. Once it had been directed at her when she stupidly tried to save her father and accidently brought about the end of the world. Lowering her eyes, she stepped away from him and the console, moving towards her mother silently.

Mickey watched Rose withdraw and go to her mum. Looking back at the Doctor, he saw a look of hurt and regret cross the Time Lord's face before the other noticed the younger man was watching him. The Doctor schooled his expression and nodded to Mickey.

"What'd you find out?" the Doctor asked in a gentler tone. He caught Rose flinching when he spoke nicely towards Mickey but snarled at her.

"The acting Prime Minster is one of the aliens," Mickey reported. "Man called Green. Some low level elected official. Also located a Margret Blaine, she apparently is with MI5. Transportation. Couldn't find the others."

"Mum?" Rose's voice broke through the air distracting the two men.

The Doctor spun around suddenly on alert. He knew Jackie had come into the ship. He got to watch as she ran back out, looking horrified. Rose wouldn't look at him now. He had taken two steps towards her before he caught himself. As he watched, his hearts dropped as she ran after her mother. Leaving him behind. Opening and closing his mouth a few times, the Doctor stood frozen, staring at where Rose had just been standing.

"She'll be back, mate," Mickey offered softly. "She'd give you her forever if you would take it."

He said nothing as he stood there, anchored to his spot. He heard Mickey speaking but he wasn't really listening. Shaking his head, the Doctor turned back to the monitor and returned to the search he had been trying to do. Mickey had helped some, he now had two names that meant nothing to him but it was a start to figure out who the threat to his beloved Earth was.

"Do you know why they are here?" the Doctor asked Mickey softly, trying to focus.

Mickey only shook his head. "Sorry, Boss."

The Doctor was aware the moment Rose returned to the TARDIS. Gripping the sides of the monitor tightly, he fought the urge to turn around and go to her. He still wasn't entirely sure how to react to her admission that this was all something she remembered happening. A part of him worried and raged that she had used him for his ship. The TARDIS herself tried to comfort her Thief but he was ignoring her as much as he was closing off Rose's mental attempts to reach out to him. He was pretty sure the golden girl wasn't even aware she was doing in. Oh how hard it was for him to ignore. He was ignoring every instinct of his right now.

"Mickey," Rose murmured softly, "you should head out. You know what comes next. Keep an eye on her please? You know, in case."

The Time Lord stiffened at her soft words and Mickey looked over at the Doctor a moment before nodding at Rose and heading out. Rose looked at the Doctor, the man who would always hold her heart in his hands and sighed.

"Do you want me to leave?" she had to ask, had to know if he was going to kick her out. She would rather it be now.

"Do you want to leave?" came his reply.

"No," Rose answered honestly. "I don't. But what I want… it doesn't matter. Do you want me gone? If you do, I'll tell you what I know, then… I'll leave. Better to walk away now than be abandoned later."

Her tone had him spinning back around, staring at her. Did she just accuse him of abandoning her? He never-

"I never abandoned you, Rose Tyler," he grounded out in a hard tone.

"Not yet, you haven't," she returned, forgetting she never intended to tell him about that part of her past. "But you will. When you get a chance, you'll leave me, broken and alone on a godforsaken beach!"

"Whatever you remember, whatever you know or remember," the Doctor stalked towards her, "it wasn't me."

Looking away from him now, the Doctor tried to relax himself. To stop growling and snarling at her. He needed to stop jumping to conclusions like a stupid ape and focus. Turning towards the console again, he stumbled suddenly as his vision went black.

He was in a small room, like a closet or something. It was dark. He could feel Rose trembling to his right, gripping his hand tightly. To his left, someone else was there, clinging to his other hand. Someone yelled out 'Hannibal!' and the room started rocking. It was like someone had picked the room up and was shaking it like a dog would a toy, sending him, Rose and the other person tumbling. He felt Rose's distress as she rolled and hit a shelf of some kind. The Doctor reached for her, holding her back to his front. He tried to shield her as the room rolled and tumbled. After what felt like an eternity, the room came to a rest with a loud thump. Breathing heavily, he wiped at his eyes. During the tumble something wet had come free and splattered him in the face. The other person breathed out a sigh of relief that it was over. Light filled the room from where a part of it had been blasted away.

The Doctor checked the other occupant, making sure they were not too badly hurt. The other person let out a nervous laughter, amazed they were alive. Turning to Rose, still held tightly in his arms, he slowly began to notice she was completely limp. He called to Rose and got no answer. He tried to turn her, she was dead weight. He trembled now, his whole body shaking as he shifted himself to face Rose.

Her eyes were still open, staring at nothing. Half her face was covered with blood and looked partially charred. Looking at his hand in the light, the Doctor realized the wet thing on his face had been blood. Rose's blood. A noise came out of him now, a low anguished roar. His Rose, his beautiful, most precious girl, was dead. Her forehead was split open. He knew now what the little room was, it was a closet. He could see the details, but they were blurred.

"She was so brave," the other person murmured, reaching out to close her dull brown eyes for the last time.

He didn't believe it, couldn't believe it. She couldn't have left him! Mickey said she would give him her forever!

"ROSE!!"