DW Fanfic: Doppleganger...PG-13 Parts 1-4/?
TITLE: Doppleganger
RATING: PG-13
FANDOM: Doctor Who
PAIRING: 10/Rose
WARNING: Alternate Universe
SUMMARY: Set after Doomsday...Rose is stuck in the parallel universe and discovers a Doctor in her reality but is he like her own?
DISCLAIMER: DW doesn't belong to me. Making no money off this.
Chapter One
Rose’s eyes snapped open. She sighed as she reached over and shut off the alarm. Day had dawned and with it another mind-numbing workday at Torchwood. She hated her job with a passion. After traveling through time and space with the Doctor it was hard for her to settle into the normal routine of going to work, coming home, eating and sleeping that other working adults did on a daily basis. After being stranded in the alternate universe and having to live her life like everyone else; she finally understood the Doctor’s aversion to domesticity. She would trade anything now for one more journey with the Doctor. One more chance to travel in time. One more planet to visit and one more monster to run from. But, sadly, she knew that would never happen. The Doctor was gone forever and she was left to pick up the pieces of her shattered life as best she could and move on like the Doctor wanted her to.
But that doesn’t mean I can’t make a fuss about my situation. She thought to herself as she headed downstairs to the kitchen.
“Mornin’ love.” Jackie said as she entered the kitchen.
Rose smiled at her and her “dad”. Pete looked up from his newspaper and gave her a polite smile. Rose returned it. Even though Pete looked like her father, she knew he would never truly accept her as his daughter. She was a stranger to him and that’s all she ever would be. No matter how loving she was towards him, he would never fully accept her as his own and the thought of that made Rose’s heart ache. She didn’t belong here. She had no place here with her mother and Mickey and this man who had reluctantly took her in. The only place she belonged was with the Doctor in his TARDIS. That was her true home and knowing that he might never come back made her even more depressed. Her life had gone from being an adventure to something she had to trudge through until the day she closed her eyes and mercifully left this plane of existence. Sighing, she sat down and accepted the plate of food from her mother. She ate quietly; painfully aware that all eyes were on her now; studying her, evaluating her, making sure she was all right. It irritated her to no end. She knew they were wondering if she was thinking of committing suicide and to be honest she had entertained the thought many times. But she knew that the Doctor wouldn’t want her to do that. He would want her to be strong and face life head on and find some happiness out of it. Although, right now that seemed like a pretty tall order.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
“Have a good day, love.” Jackie said, kissing her cheek as Rose tried to slip past her out the door. “Don’t work too late. I don’t get to see you that often anymore, you know.”
“I know.” Rose replied. “But since I’m the so-called alien expert I get stuck with a lot of the work.”
“Well, that ain’t right.” Jackie said angrily. “I don’t care how much of an expert they think you are. They need to give you a break. You ain’t gonna be good to anyone when you drop dead of exhaustion.”
Rose sighed.
“I’ll talk to Ianto and see if I can get my work load eased a bit.” She said. “I don’t know how much good it’ll do though since Ianto depends on me and my knowledge of aliens. We have a delegation coming from Phraxia 10 and he wants me to go with him and welcome them to Earth. Plus, there’s a few other alien sightings we have to catalog and also a lady supposedly saw this demon hound somewhere near Nottingham and I have to travel there to check it out and…”
“No! You do not have to travel anywhere!” Jackie said angrily. “You tell Ianto or whoever is in charge that they need to lay off ya and give you a break! I don’t see you enough as it is and I don’t want you droppin’ dead of a heart attack from overwork! You tell them enough’s enough. You hear me, young lady?”
Rose nodded wanting to get the conversation over with. She was tired of hearing her mother going on about the amount of work they gave her. In truth, she always had the option of declining any assignment she was given; but the more she worked, the less time she had to think about the Doctor. She knew her mother worried about her being a workaholic and what it was doing to her health, but she really didn’t care anymore. This was her life and she was old enough to live it the way she wanted to.
“I gotta go, mum. I’ll be late.” Rose said.
Jackie nodded. She embraced her daughter and held her tight.
“Just remember what I said.” She said in her ear.
“I will, mum.” She replied.
Jackie released her from her embraced and smiled at her. She sighed and leaned against the doorframe as Rose silently turned and walked down the sidewalk towards the car.
“Oh Rose. I hope someday you do get over the Doctor.” She said softly. “Otherwise I’m afraid you’re gonna end up dying of heartbreak.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Rose stood up, stretched her back and headed towards the cafeteria to eat her lunch. She smiled at her coworkers as they waved and called out to her. She paused a moment and waited when she saw her friend Randy hurry towards her.
“Hey, it’s the alien expert.” He said.
He laughed as Rose rolled her eyes.
“So, you help ET phone home today?” he asked with a twinkle in his eyes.
“Nah, I just beamed up Scotty and went through the Stargate. The usual stuff, you know.”
They nudged each other and giggled as they headed towards the cafeteria.
“Wonder what they’re having for lunch today?” She asked Randy.
“Eh, probably dog food.”
He laughed as Rose made a face.
“Nah, probably not dog food. That’d be too good for us.” Randy said with a mischievous grin. “Probably chopped up a diseased horse and made it into meatloaf or something.”
“You are disgusting, you know that?” Rose said as Randy snorted out laughter. “Honestly, I don’t know why I put up with you.”
“Because I make you smile?” Randy said.
Rose thought for a moment and then nodded.
“Yeah, you do.” She said.
“Good, especially since there isn’t much to smile about around here. Especially with Dictator Ianto running the show.”
“I heard that.”
Rose and Randy stopped short. They slowly turned and saw Ianto standing behind them.
“Oh, hi boss!” Randy said nervously. “I didn’t realize you were back there!”
“No, obviously not, Henderson judging from that last comment you made.” Ianto said eyeing him.
Randy swallowed hard. He glance over at Rose.
“Meet you in the cafeteria.” He said.
Rose’s mouth dropped open as she watched him quickly run away. She looked back and saw Ianto was staring at her intently.
“Hi…Mister Jones, sir.” She said hesitantly.
“Ms. Tyler.” Ianto said nodding at her. “I’m so glad I happened to catch you. I have another assignment for you.”
Rose groaned.
“Look, Mister Jones, I really can’t, okay. My mum isn’t too happy with my workload as it is and I…”
“I understand your mother’s concerns, Ms. Tyler. However, you have proven yourself time and again and there is no one else I can trust to handle this.”
Rose sighed. Her mum was not going to like this.
“What is it, sir?” she asked resigned to her fate.
Ianto smiled.
“I need you to welcome another delegation this afternoon and to sit in on a meeting with them.”
“It’s not the Phraxians?” she asked.
“No, this delegation has come to Earth on the spur of the moment.” Ianto replied. “They are looking for a criminal that has fled here and need our help to catch him.”
“Oh yeah? Where are they from and who is this criminal they’re after?” Rose asked.
Rose’s heart almost stopped beating as she heard Ianto say...
“The delegation is from Gallifrey and they said the criminal was someone called the Doctor.”
Chapter Two
Rose glanced up again at the clock for the hundredth time. The meeting with the delegation from Gallifrey was going to start at 1 and ever since Rose had gotten back from lunch she had been checking the time constantly eager to get in there and find out what they had to say about the Doctor.
The Doctor. He was here in this universe. She could hardly contain her joy.
Would he look the same?
Would he know her?
What had he done to make his people call him a criminal?
So many questions spinning around in her head; it was all she could do to keep her mind on the paperwork in front of her.
For the first time in a long time she felt hopeful. If she couldn’t be with her Doctor, then maybe this Doctor would take her in. The thought of traveling with the Doctor again and escaping the dullness of the 9 to 5 workday made her so ecstatic she couldn’t help but let out a girlish squeal.
“Oi!” Randy said peeking over the cubicle at her. “If you’re gonna sit and squeal over the latest pop star instead of doing your work, would you mind keeping it down for the rest of us?”
“For your information, I’m not squealing over a pop star.” Rose said looking up at him.
“Oh, what are you squealing over then?”
Rose’s smile was as wide as her face.
“I think I’m going on holiday.” She said. “A very long holiday.”
Randy raised his eyebrow.
“What? The workaholic is actually going to take time off?”
He leaned his head into her cubicle and narrowed his eyes.
“You are Rose Tyler, right? You aren’t an alien replicant or a robot of any kind?”
Rose giggled.
“No, I’m still the same old Rose Tyler.”
“Damn, and here I though we were getting an upgrade.”
Rose flinched at the word upgrade.
“Well have fun.” Randy added. “I envy you. I wish I could get away from dictator Ianto for awhile.”
“Ahem.”
Randy looked over and saw Ianto standing by his cubicle.
“Oh, hello sir.” Randy said sheepishly.
“I heard you talking about your desire for a holiday, Mister Henderson. Keep making snide comments and you’ll be taking a permanent one. Is that understood?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good.”
Rose bit her lip as she heard Randy sit down. Ianto gave him a stern look and then moved on to Rose’s cubicle.
“Ms. Tyler, we are ready for the meeting.” He said.
“Yes, sir.”
Rose quickly gathered up her things and walked with Ianto towards the conference room.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Rose could barely contain her laughter.
She and Ianto stood in front of the Gallifreyan delegates and she couldn’t believe the outfits they were wearing. All of them wore long, red robes that almost touched the floor and jet black skullcaps on their heads. They looked completely goofy and it took all the control Rose had not to laugh right in their faces. Was this what people wore on the other Gallifrey as well? If it was, she was glad the Doctor never wore it.
“Councilor Thanis, welcome.” Ianto said to the leader.
“Thank you, Mister Jones. It is an honor to be here.” Thanis replied.
He gestured to the other two members of the delegation.
“These are my associates; Councilor Bartok and Councilor Mantua.
“We are happy to have you here.” Ianto replied.
He looked at Rose.
“This is Rose Tyler. She is an expert on aliens and alien civilizations.”
“It is a pleasure to meet you.” Thanis said nodding at her.
“It is a pleasure to meet you as well.” Rose replied.
Ianto gestured to their seats. He and Rose waited until they were all seated before sitting down.
“Would you like some tea?” Ianto asked. “I can call for Owen. He’s our tea boy.”
“No thank you, refreshment is not necessary.” Thanis said. “We wish to get down to business. Earth may be in danger at this very moment, so there is no time for pleasantries.
“Very well.” Ianto replied. “Then please tell us about this…Doctor.”
Thanis pulled a small black disc out of his robe. He sat it on the table in front of Rose and Ianto and pushed a button. Rose’s eyes widened with delight as a 3D holographic image of the Doctor hovered above it.
It was the Doctor.
Her Doctor; trench coat and all.
She could barely keep her composure. Even though it was only a hologram she couldn’t stop the tear that fell down her cheek. It had been several months since that day on the beach and every day since had been Hell on her. She had longed to see his face again, hear his voice, feel his arms around her and now here he was. A duplicate of her Doctor that she could touch and kiss and caress.
And better yet, he was here on Earth.
She prayed to God he was near.
As she stared at the holographic image, she suddenly realized there was something not quite right about his face. She couldn’t put her finger on it though. She stared at the tiny hologram for a moment, and then she finally noticed.
His right eye was completely white.
“Um…Councilor Thanis?” she said hesitantly.
Thanis looked at her.
“Yes, Ms. Tyler?”
“Is…there any way you can zoom in on the face?” she asked.
Thanis nodded. He pushed a button on the disc and the image changed from a full body view to the Doctor’s face.
Rose stared at the white eye and the scar that ran from the middle of his forehead down to his right cheek. Other than that, he looked exactly the same as her Doctor.
“Um…what happened to his eye?” she asked pointing to the hologram.
“He lost it during a battle on Arcadia.”
Rose’s ears perked up at the mention of the name.
“He was battling someone who had a sword and he managed to wound him and damage his eye before the Doctor killed him. The eye was replaced with a cybernetic version that can gather information about his surroundings and feed it directly into his brain. He also has limited laser capabilities with it in addition to the laser blaster he carries.”
Rose raised her eyebrow. That was another difference. Her Doctor never used a blaster unless he was forced to.
She stared at the hologram and noticed the hardened expression on his face; so different from the warm, loving look she was used to.
“Um…does…he travel with anyone?” she asked.
“No. We are not aware of any others that travel with him.”
Would he let others travel with him? Rose wondered.
“What exactly has this Doctor done?” Ianto asked.
“He is accused of several counts of genocide, murder in the first degree, piracy, and violating several of the Time Laws. The man is extremely violent and will resort to anything to get what he wants including murdering innocent civilians. He had been imprisoned on Gallifrey along with his TARDIS…”
“I’m sorry.” Ianto interrupted. “His what?”
Thanis opened his mouth to speak when Rose cut in.
“TARDIS,” she explained. “It stands for Time And Relative Dimension In Space. It’s the Doctor time machine.”
She glanced over at the delegation and instantly regretted speaking up, because now they were all looking straight at her.
“And how exactly do you know this, Ms. Tyler?” Thanis asked. “We have never been here before and we know of no other Gallifreyan who has visited in the past; so how exactly do you know about the TARDIS? He escaped his cell on the day of his execution and managed to get back to his TARDIS and escape. Are you one of the ones aiding the Doctor and hiding him on Earth?”
He narrowed his eyes at her.
“Speak!” he commanded. “What exactly do you know about the Doctor?”
A/N: Spoilers for Season 3 in this chapter!!!
Chapter Three
Rose groaned inwardly as four pairs of eyes bored into her. She should have known by now to keep her mouth shut.
“Well?” Councilor Thanis said. “How do you know about the TARDIS?”
Rose debated on whether she should tell them the truth. Would they even believe it?
“Out with it?” Thanis said when Rose didn’t respond. “Are you working for the Doctor?”
“N…No, I’m not.” Rose sputtered out.
“Then how do you know about the TARDIS?”
Rose shifted uneasily as she tried to think up a plausible answer.
“Rose Tyler is an expert on alien civilizations. I believe it is her job to know about things like this TARDIS.” Ianto said.
Rose stared at him thanking God that he had spoken up. She felt like throwing her arms around him and kissing him for that.
“Um…yeah,” Rose added. “I’ve studied all kinds of alien cultures and I’ve come across mentions of the TARDIS before. I remembered that it was an acronym that stood for Time And Relative Dimension In Space.”
The Councilors looked at each other.
“So you know nothing about this Doctor?” Thanis asked.
“Nothing about him personally. I know some basic facts about the Time Lords and that’s it.” Rose replied.
She paused praying that her answer was convincing enough. She let out a sigh of relief when Thanis nodded and continued on.
“Anyway,” he continued. “That is precisely what it means. It is a way for our people to travel through time and space and normally we use it to observe history, but the Doctor uses it for his own evil ends. We have had to send several Time Lords back into history to fix the damage that he has caused. We thought we were finally rid of him but as I said, someone helped him escape from Gallifrey and we are sure he is hiding here on Earth. We would like permission to search for him and we also would like your assistance. The Doctor is dangerous and we need all the help we can get.”
“Torchwood would be glad to assist you. I will put several of my men at your disposal and of course Rose will be happy to help as well.”
He gave her a pointed look. For once, though, Rose didn’t mind being given the extra work.
“I will help in any way I can.” She said.
The Councilors nodded.
“Thank you. And now we must bid you farewell. We need to go back and report to our superiors so we can begin the search. Time is of the essence and every moment we waste means the Doctor has more of a head start. He must be found before he causes irreparable harm.”
The Councilors rose and shook Ianto and Rose’s hand.
“We shall meet back here in the morning. In the meantime, if you see the Doctor, do not approach him alone. He will not hesitate to kill anyone who gets in his way.”
Ianto nodded. They stepped aside as the delegation went past them.
“If you have any plans, cancel them.” He said to Rose. “This search takes priority over all your other work or social functions.”
Rose nodded. She watched as Ianto followed the delegation out the door.
“Oh Doctor, I hope to God this is all just a misunderstanding.” She murmured. “I’d hate to find you again after all this time and find out you’re nothing but a psychopathic monster.”
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
(Meanwhile…in another universe….)
“There, that oughta hold me for awhile.” The Doctor muttered as he dropped a heavy book on one of the tables in the TARDIS library.
Reaching into his jacket, he pulled out his glasses and put them on. Settling down in the chair, he opened up the book and coughed softly as dust flew into the air. Putting his elbow on the table, he rested his chin in the palm of his head as he began to read. He had gotten a few pages in when he suddenly heard someone clearing their throat. He looked up and saw Martha standing in front of him.
“Um…sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb ya.” She said sheepishly.” Um…I was just wondering where the kitchen was again?”
“Go down the hall, turn right and it’s the third door on the left.” He said gesturing to the door.
Martha nodded. She hesitated a moment and then inched around the table. The Doctor stiffened as he felt her come up behind him and rest a hand on his shoulder.
“Whatcha reading?” he heard her ask.
“It’s a history of the Dogon race.” He replied.
“Dogons? What are they like?” Martha asked.
The Doctor sighed. Martha meant well, but sometimes he wished to be alone with his books and his thoughts.
Rose would know. He thought to himself. She knew when I was in here that I was not to be disturbed.
He chided himself. Martha was only asking where the kitchen was. Still, he wished he had kept to his promise to take her on one trip and one trip only. He was beginning to resent her presence and her not so subtle attempts to flirt with him. He glanced over at the hand on his shoulder and resisted the urge to fling it away.
And now because of her and her stubborn insistence on knowing everything about me I’ve ended up telling her more about me than I wanted her to know. I should have just left her sitting there on New Earth. It was only one trip. Just one trip. Why didn’t I drop her off after we went to 1599? Why did I have to take her into the future? Why can’t I just resist the urge to take people along with me everywhere I go?
Because you’re afraid of being alone.
But I am not alone. Boe said so.
That wasn’t what he meant. He wasn’t talking about another Time Lord. If any Time Lords were alive, you would know it; wouldn’t you?
“Doctor?”
The Doctor was jolted from his thoughts. He looked up at Martha who was staring down at him with a concerned look on her face.
“You okay?” she asked worriedly.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just…there’s a lot I have on my mind, Martha, and I’d really appreciate it if you’d just leave me alone for awhile.”
He smiled at her.
“I’ll tell you about the Dogons later, I promise. But, right now, I need some alone time.” He said gently.
“Okay.” Martha said nodding. “I’ll go get myself a snack, then.”
The Doctor nodded.
“You want something?” she asked.
“No, I’m fine. Just go ahead and help yourself.” He said politely.
He stiffened again as Martha squeezed his shoulder and put her hand back down at her side. He sighed as he watched Martha go back around the table and out the door.
“Dammit, I can’t keep this up. One more trip and then that’s it. She’s going back to her time.” He muttered.
Oh, who are you kidding? You need her. You need someone with you to keep you company and keep you from going off the deep end just like Donna said. You aren’t about to drop her off.
The Doctor shook the thoughts out of his head and went back to reading. As he read, he suddenly found that he was reading the same sentences over and over about ten times before he would go on to the next one. Finally, he gave up and slammed the book shut.
“Bollocks! I can’t keep this up! I have to stop thinking of her!” he muttered to himself. “She’s gone! It’s over! She’s probably moved on now! Probably found a boyfriend or she’s back with Mickey now. She’s happy! She didn’t need you just like Sarah Jane didn’t need you. Sarah Jane moved on. She probably moved on. Now it’s time for you to move on as well.”
He shook his head.
“Except…I don’t want to move on.” He murmured to himself. “I want her here with me. I wanted her with me on the moon and when we met Shakespeare and when we went back to New Earth. I keep bringing her up around Martha and I know how rude and thoughtless it sounds but I don’t care. I love Rose and I want her here instead of Martha.”
A tear fell down his cheek.
“Oh God,” he moaned. “Why didn’t I follow my first instinct and let go when Rose did? Why didn’t I just follow her into the void? Then, Pete would have caught us and we both would have ended up on the same side. I would have been without my TARDIS but I would give it up in an instant just to be able to hold her in my arms again.”
He let out a sob.
“Oh, Rose. Please don’t forget about me. I’ll try to find a way back to you, somehow. If it takes me a thousand years I will figure out how to cross the void and get you back. Just have faith in me, please.”
Lowering his face into his hands, he wept softly as Martha watched, anguished, from the doorway.
Chapter Four
(Back in Pete’s World…)
The Doctor slowly opened the door of his TARDIS and peeked out. He waited while his cybernetic eye scanned the surroundings.
He relaxed when he heard a robotic voice saying no life forms detected in his mind. Opening the door, he stepped outside.
“I made it.” He muttered to himself.
He snorted as he looked around.
“Stupid backwater planet. They’ll never find me here.”
He smirked.
“All I gotta do is lay low until those idiots stop searching for me and then I can move on to another secure location.”
He closed the door of the TARDIS and looked at it. Thanks to his chameleon circuit, it now looked like an ordinary tree. Satisfied that it was undetectable, he turned and headed off in search of shelter.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
“Well, well, what do we have here?”
The Doctor reached the top of a hill and looked down at a quaint little cottage. He grinned as he noticed a light burning in one of the front windows.
“Good a place as any to hide out.” He muttered to himself.
He brought his hand up to reach into his jacket pocket and paused as he noticed the tattoo on the inside of his wrist. It was a red seal of Rassilon that was given to those facing execution. He scoffed at it and pulled his shirt cuff up over it before he reached into his jacket and brought out a small eye patch. Putting the eye patch over his cybernetic eye, he headed down the hill towards the house.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
“I’ll get it Mary!” John said, rising from his easy chair when he heard someone knocking.
He strolled through the kitchen and paused at the front door.
“Who is it?” he yelled.
“Um, I hate to bother you, sir. But I’m traveling on foot, and I’m looking for lodgings for the night.”
“Try the inn. There’s one in town about a mile from here.” John yelled back.
“That’s too far. I’m tired. I’ve been walking all day. Can’t I just spend the night with you?”
“I’m sorry, sir. There’s no room. You’re just gonna have to keep on walking until you reach the inn. Now good night.”
John turned away from the door and headed back to the living room. Suddenly, there was a loud bang behind him and he turned to see the man coming through the open door. He stared at him in shock as he put a long, silver device back in his coat.
“I tried to be nice.” He said.
John gasped as he withdrew his blaster from a side holster and pointed it at him.
“I require lodgings and food.” He said. “You will provide them for me or you will die. Is that clear?”
John nodded.
“John, who’s at the…”
Mary paused in the kitchen doorway and stared at the man.
“Don’t scream or both you and your husband will die!” he said pointing the blaster at her.
He kept the blaster trained on them while he calmly closed the door.
“Now, that that’s sorted out. I believe I will have some dinner.” The Doctor said with a smirk.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Jackie and Pete looked up as Rose entered the kitchen.
“Hello, honey, you’re home early for a change.” Jackie said, delighted.
Rose nodded and sat down beside them. She smiled at her sister, Ariel, as Jackie spooned some mashed peas into her mouth. She looked over at Pete and nodded a hello to him. Pete smiled at her and went back to eating his dinner.
“So, I’m assuming you told them that you need to take a break since you’re home early.” Jackie said.
Rose hesitated wondering if she should tell her the truth.
Couldn’t hurt, I guess. She thought. After all, if it does turn out to be a big misunderstanding and the Doctor is like the other one and if he asks me to go with him…
“Actually, I just got another assignment today.” She said.
Jackie and Pete exchanged glances. Jackie sighed.
“Rose, you’re gonna work yourself to death.”
“No, I want this assignment.”
“Yeah, that’s just it. You want every assignment you can get so you don’t have to think about the Doctor.”
“Mum, the Doctor is here.”
Jackie paused.
“What?” she said.
“There’s a Doctor in this reality. He just came to Earth today and my boss wants me to help track him down.”
Jackie and Pete looked at each other.
“Why do they want you to track him down?” Pete asked.
Rose sighed.
“They think he’s a criminal.” She said. “They said he’s committed murder and genocide and piracy and God knows what else.”
Jackie and Pete looked at each other.
“And has he?” Jackie asked.
“No, I don’t think he has. It’s just his people getting things wrong. The Doctor has killed before but it was always bad guys that deserved to die. That’s all it is and his people are twisting things around. He told me once that they thought of him as a renegade and that’s why he left Gallifrey.”
“But what if they are telling the truth, Rose?” Jackie said. “This Earth isn’t the same as the other one. What if the Doctor is different from your Doctor? What if he really is evil?”
“NO! I don’t believe that, not for a moment. I’ve been thinking about it all day and I just can’t see him doing the things they’ve accused him of doing. He isn’t like that, mum. He could never be like that!”
“Rose, luv, you really need to think about this logically.” Jackie said, laying a hand on her arm. “Until you know for sure he isn’t a criminal, you need to stay away from him. He might hurt you.”
“He’d never hurt me.” Rose said emphatically.
“Are you sure about that?” Pete said. “You don’t know this reality. Your mum is right. Things aren’t exactly the same here as it was on your Earth. Even if this Doctor isn’t a criminal, what makes you think he’ll want you to travel with him?”
“He…He has to say yes to that.” Rose said weakly. “I…He has to know who I am. Maybe there was a Rose and he lost her the same way my Doctor lost me.”
“There is no other Rose.” Pete replied. “The Rose in this reality was my other Jackie’s yorkie.”
“But what if my double was born to another family? What if I did exist and the Doctor did find me and we did travel together and I ended up missing or killed.”
“Rose, be sensible and quit grasping at straws!” Pete shouted. “You need to start thinking with your head instead of your heart; especially if this Doctor is the opposite of yours. You’re letting your love for the Doctor blind you to the fact that he might hurt you or at the very least not want you with him. Things aren’t the same here, Rose! Accept that!”
“NO!” Rose cried out as she leapt up from her chair. “The Doctor isn’t evil! I’ll never believe that! You’re just afraid that he might want me back and take me away! I’m going to help search for the Doctor in the morning and I pray to God I find him because I’d rather be with him than sitting here with you!”
Jackie and Pete watched as Rose ran out of the room.
“Stop her!” Jackie said when she heard the front door slam. “She’s making a mistake!”
“What am I supposed to do, Jacks; chain her to her bed? She’s an adult!”
“She’s your…”
“No, for the hundredth time, Jackie, she is not my daughter! She is yours! If you want to stop her, be my guest. But I’m not gonna get involved! If she wants to go running after the Doctor. That’s her business!”
Jackie leapt up from her chair. Glaring at Pete, she pushed it in and stomped out of the room. Pete sighed and shook his head as he heard the bedroom door slam.
“Jesus, and I thought life with my other Jackie was Hell.” He muttered
RATING: PG-13
FANDOM: Doctor Who
PAIRING: 10/Rose
WARNING: Alternate Universe
SUMMARY: Set after Doomsday...Rose is stuck in the parallel universe and discovers a Doctor in her reality but is he like her own?
DISCLAIMER: DW doesn't belong to me. Making no money off this.
Chapter One
Rose’s eyes snapped open. She sighed as she reached over and shut off the alarm. Day had dawned and with it another mind-numbing workday at Torchwood. She hated her job with a passion. After traveling through time and space with the Doctor it was hard for her to settle into the normal routine of going to work, coming home, eating and sleeping that other working adults did on a daily basis. After being stranded in the alternate universe and having to live her life like everyone else; she finally understood the Doctor’s aversion to domesticity. She would trade anything now for one more journey with the Doctor. One more chance to travel in time. One more planet to visit and one more monster to run from. But, sadly, she knew that would never happen. The Doctor was gone forever and she was left to pick up the pieces of her shattered life as best she could and move on like the Doctor wanted her to.
But that doesn’t mean I can’t make a fuss about my situation. She thought to herself as she headed downstairs to the kitchen.
“Mornin’ love.” Jackie said as she entered the kitchen.
Rose smiled at her and her “dad”. Pete looked up from his newspaper and gave her a polite smile. Rose returned it. Even though Pete looked like her father, she knew he would never truly accept her as his daughter. She was a stranger to him and that’s all she ever would be. No matter how loving she was towards him, he would never fully accept her as his own and the thought of that made Rose’s heart ache. She didn’t belong here. She had no place here with her mother and Mickey and this man who had reluctantly took her in. The only place she belonged was with the Doctor in his TARDIS. That was her true home and knowing that he might never come back made her even more depressed. Her life had gone from being an adventure to something she had to trudge through until the day she closed her eyes and mercifully left this plane of existence. Sighing, she sat down and accepted the plate of food from her mother. She ate quietly; painfully aware that all eyes were on her now; studying her, evaluating her, making sure she was all right. It irritated her to no end. She knew they were wondering if she was thinking of committing suicide and to be honest she had entertained the thought many times. But she knew that the Doctor wouldn’t want her to do that. He would want her to be strong and face life head on and find some happiness out of it. Although, right now that seemed like a pretty tall order.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
“Have a good day, love.” Jackie said, kissing her cheek as Rose tried to slip past her out the door. “Don’t work too late. I don’t get to see you that often anymore, you know.”
“I know.” Rose replied. “But since I’m the so-called alien expert I get stuck with a lot of the work.”
“Well, that ain’t right.” Jackie said angrily. “I don’t care how much of an expert they think you are. They need to give you a break. You ain’t gonna be good to anyone when you drop dead of exhaustion.”
Rose sighed.
“I’ll talk to Ianto and see if I can get my work load eased a bit.” She said. “I don’t know how much good it’ll do though since Ianto depends on me and my knowledge of aliens. We have a delegation coming from Phraxia 10 and he wants me to go with him and welcome them to Earth. Plus, there’s a few other alien sightings we have to catalog and also a lady supposedly saw this demon hound somewhere near Nottingham and I have to travel there to check it out and…”
“No! You do not have to travel anywhere!” Jackie said angrily. “You tell Ianto or whoever is in charge that they need to lay off ya and give you a break! I don’t see you enough as it is and I don’t want you droppin’ dead of a heart attack from overwork! You tell them enough’s enough. You hear me, young lady?”
Rose nodded wanting to get the conversation over with. She was tired of hearing her mother going on about the amount of work they gave her. In truth, she always had the option of declining any assignment she was given; but the more she worked, the less time she had to think about the Doctor. She knew her mother worried about her being a workaholic and what it was doing to her health, but she really didn’t care anymore. This was her life and she was old enough to live it the way she wanted to.
“I gotta go, mum. I’ll be late.” Rose said.
Jackie nodded. She embraced her daughter and held her tight.
“Just remember what I said.” She said in her ear.
“I will, mum.” She replied.
Jackie released her from her embraced and smiled at her. She sighed and leaned against the doorframe as Rose silently turned and walked down the sidewalk towards the car.
“Oh Rose. I hope someday you do get over the Doctor.” She said softly. “Otherwise I’m afraid you’re gonna end up dying of heartbreak.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Rose stood up, stretched her back and headed towards the cafeteria to eat her lunch. She smiled at her coworkers as they waved and called out to her. She paused a moment and waited when she saw her friend Randy hurry towards her.
“Hey, it’s the alien expert.” He said.
He laughed as Rose rolled her eyes.
“So, you help ET phone home today?” he asked with a twinkle in his eyes.
“Nah, I just beamed up Scotty and went through the Stargate. The usual stuff, you know.”
They nudged each other and giggled as they headed towards the cafeteria.
“Wonder what they’re having for lunch today?” She asked Randy.
“Eh, probably dog food.”
He laughed as Rose made a face.
“Nah, probably not dog food. That’d be too good for us.” Randy said with a mischievous grin. “Probably chopped up a diseased horse and made it into meatloaf or something.”
“You are disgusting, you know that?” Rose said as Randy snorted out laughter. “Honestly, I don’t know why I put up with you.”
“Because I make you smile?” Randy said.
Rose thought for a moment and then nodded.
“Yeah, you do.” She said.
“Good, especially since there isn’t much to smile about around here. Especially with Dictator Ianto running the show.”
“I heard that.”
Rose and Randy stopped short. They slowly turned and saw Ianto standing behind them.
“Oh, hi boss!” Randy said nervously. “I didn’t realize you were back there!”
“No, obviously not, Henderson judging from that last comment you made.” Ianto said eyeing him.
Randy swallowed hard. He glance over at Rose.
“Meet you in the cafeteria.” He said.
Rose’s mouth dropped open as she watched him quickly run away. She looked back and saw Ianto was staring at her intently.
“Hi…Mister Jones, sir.” She said hesitantly.
“Ms. Tyler.” Ianto said nodding at her. “I’m so glad I happened to catch you. I have another assignment for you.”
Rose groaned.
“Look, Mister Jones, I really can’t, okay. My mum isn’t too happy with my workload as it is and I…”
“I understand your mother’s concerns, Ms. Tyler. However, you have proven yourself time and again and there is no one else I can trust to handle this.”
Rose sighed. Her mum was not going to like this.
“What is it, sir?” she asked resigned to her fate.
Ianto smiled.
“I need you to welcome another delegation this afternoon and to sit in on a meeting with them.”
“It’s not the Phraxians?” she asked.
“No, this delegation has come to Earth on the spur of the moment.” Ianto replied. “They are looking for a criminal that has fled here and need our help to catch him.”
“Oh yeah? Where are they from and who is this criminal they’re after?” Rose asked.
Rose’s heart almost stopped beating as she heard Ianto say...
“The delegation is from Gallifrey and they said the criminal was someone called the Doctor.”
Chapter Two
Rose glanced up again at the clock for the hundredth time. The meeting with the delegation from Gallifrey was going to start at 1 and ever since Rose had gotten back from lunch she had been checking the time constantly eager to get in there and find out what they had to say about the Doctor.
The Doctor. He was here in this universe. She could hardly contain her joy.
Would he look the same?
Would he know her?
What had he done to make his people call him a criminal?
So many questions spinning around in her head; it was all she could do to keep her mind on the paperwork in front of her.
For the first time in a long time she felt hopeful. If she couldn’t be with her Doctor, then maybe this Doctor would take her in. The thought of traveling with the Doctor again and escaping the dullness of the 9 to 5 workday made her so ecstatic she couldn’t help but let out a girlish squeal.
“Oi!” Randy said peeking over the cubicle at her. “If you’re gonna sit and squeal over the latest pop star instead of doing your work, would you mind keeping it down for the rest of us?”
“For your information, I’m not squealing over a pop star.” Rose said looking up at him.
“Oh, what are you squealing over then?”
Rose’s smile was as wide as her face.
“I think I’m going on holiday.” She said. “A very long holiday.”
Randy raised his eyebrow.
“What? The workaholic is actually going to take time off?”
He leaned his head into her cubicle and narrowed his eyes.
“You are Rose Tyler, right? You aren’t an alien replicant or a robot of any kind?”
Rose giggled.
“No, I’m still the same old Rose Tyler.”
“Damn, and here I though we were getting an upgrade.”
Rose flinched at the word upgrade.
“Well have fun.” Randy added. “I envy you. I wish I could get away from dictator Ianto for awhile.”
“Ahem.”
Randy looked over and saw Ianto standing by his cubicle.
“Oh, hello sir.” Randy said sheepishly.
“I heard you talking about your desire for a holiday, Mister Henderson. Keep making snide comments and you’ll be taking a permanent one. Is that understood?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good.”
Rose bit her lip as she heard Randy sit down. Ianto gave him a stern look and then moved on to Rose’s cubicle.
“Ms. Tyler, we are ready for the meeting.” He said.
“Yes, sir.”
Rose quickly gathered up her things and walked with Ianto towards the conference room.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Rose could barely contain her laughter.
She and Ianto stood in front of the Gallifreyan delegates and she couldn’t believe the outfits they were wearing. All of them wore long, red robes that almost touched the floor and jet black skullcaps on their heads. They looked completely goofy and it took all the control Rose had not to laugh right in their faces. Was this what people wore on the other Gallifrey as well? If it was, she was glad the Doctor never wore it.
“Councilor Thanis, welcome.” Ianto said to the leader.
“Thank you, Mister Jones. It is an honor to be here.” Thanis replied.
He gestured to the other two members of the delegation.
“These are my associates; Councilor Bartok and Councilor Mantua.
“We are happy to have you here.” Ianto replied.
He looked at Rose.
“This is Rose Tyler. She is an expert on aliens and alien civilizations.”
“It is a pleasure to meet you.” Thanis said nodding at her.
“It is a pleasure to meet you as well.” Rose replied.
Ianto gestured to their seats. He and Rose waited until they were all seated before sitting down.
“Would you like some tea?” Ianto asked. “I can call for Owen. He’s our tea boy.”
“No thank you, refreshment is not necessary.” Thanis said. “We wish to get down to business. Earth may be in danger at this very moment, so there is no time for pleasantries.
“Very well.” Ianto replied. “Then please tell us about this…Doctor.”
Thanis pulled a small black disc out of his robe. He sat it on the table in front of Rose and Ianto and pushed a button. Rose’s eyes widened with delight as a 3D holographic image of the Doctor hovered above it.
It was the Doctor.
Her Doctor; trench coat and all.
She could barely keep her composure. Even though it was only a hologram she couldn’t stop the tear that fell down her cheek. It had been several months since that day on the beach and every day since had been Hell on her. She had longed to see his face again, hear his voice, feel his arms around her and now here he was. A duplicate of her Doctor that she could touch and kiss and caress.
And better yet, he was here on Earth.
She prayed to God he was near.
As she stared at the holographic image, she suddenly realized there was something not quite right about his face. She couldn’t put her finger on it though. She stared at the tiny hologram for a moment, and then she finally noticed.
His right eye was completely white.
“Um…Councilor Thanis?” she said hesitantly.
Thanis looked at her.
“Yes, Ms. Tyler?”
“Is…there any way you can zoom in on the face?” she asked.
Thanis nodded. He pushed a button on the disc and the image changed from a full body view to the Doctor’s face.
Rose stared at the white eye and the scar that ran from the middle of his forehead down to his right cheek. Other than that, he looked exactly the same as her Doctor.
“Um…what happened to his eye?” she asked pointing to the hologram.
“He lost it during a battle on Arcadia.”
Rose’s ears perked up at the mention of the name.
“He was battling someone who had a sword and he managed to wound him and damage his eye before the Doctor killed him. The eye was replaced with a cybernetic version that can gather information about his surroundings and feed it directly into his brain. He also has limited laser capabilities with it in addition to the laser blaster he carries.”
Rose raised her eyebrow. That was another difference. Her Doctor never used a blaster unless he was forced to.
She stared at the hologram and noticed the hardened expression on his face; so different from the warm, loving look she was used to.
“Um…does…he travel with anyone?” she asked.
“No. We are not aware of any others that travel with him.”
Would he let others travel with him? Rose wondered.
“What exactly has this Doctor done?” Ianto asked.
“He is accused of several counts of genocide, murder in the first degree, piracy, and violating several of the Time Laws. The man is extremely violent and will resort to anything to get what he wants including murdering innocent civilians. He had been imprisoned on Gallifrey along with his TARDIS…”
“I’m sorry.” Ianto interrupted. “His what?”
Thanis opened his mouth to speak when Rose cut in.
“TARDIS,” she explained. “It stands for Time And Relative Dimension In Space. It’s the Doctor time machine.”
She glanced over at the delegation and instantly regretted speaking up, because now they were all looking straight at her.
“And how exactly do you know this, Ms. Tyler?” Thanis asked. “We have never been here before and we know of no other Gallifreyan who has visited in the past; so how exactly do you know about the TARDIS? He escaped his cell on the day of his execution and managed to get back to his TARDIS and escape. Are you one of the ones aiding the Doctor and hiding him on Earth?”
He narrowed his eyes at her.
“Speak!” he commanded. “What exactly do you know about the Doctor?”
A/N: Spoilers for Season 3 in this chapter!!!
Chapter Three
Rose groaned inwardly as four pairs of eyes bored into her. She should have known by now to keep her mouth shut.
“Well?” Councilor Thanis said. “How do you know about the TARDIS?”
Rose debated on whether she should tell them the truth. Would they even believe it?
“Out with it?” Thanis said when Rose didn’t respond. “Are you working for the Doctor?”
“N…No, I’m not.” Rose sputtered out.
“Then how do you know about the TARDIS?”
Rose shifted uneasily as she tried to think up a plausible answer.
“Rose Tyler is an expert on alien civilizations. I believe it is her job to know about things like this TARDIS.” Ianto said.
Rose stared at him thanking God that he had spoken up. She felt like throwing her arms around him and kissing him for that.
“Um…yeah,” Rose added. “I’ve studied all kinds of alien cultures and I’ve come across mentions of the TARDIS before. I remembered that it was an acronym that stood for Time And Relative Dimension In Space.”
The Councilors looked at each other.
“So you know nothing about this Doctor?” Thanis asked.
“Nothing about him personally. I know some basic facts about the Time Lords and that’s it.” Rose replied.
She paused praying that her answer was convincing enough. She let out a sigh of relief when Thanis nodded and continued on.
“Anyway,” he continued. “That is precisely what it means. It is a way for our people to travel through time and space and normally we use it to observe history, but the Doctor uses it for his own evil ends. We have had to send several Time Lords back into history to fix the damage that he has caused. We thought we were finally rid of him but as I said, someone helped him escape from Gallifrey and we are sure he is hiding here on Earth. We would like permission to search for him and we also would like your assistance. The Doctor is dangerous and we need all the help we can get.”
“Torchwood would be glad to assist you. I will put several of my men at your disposal and of course Rose will be happy to help as well.”
He gave her a pointed look. For once, though, Rose didn’t mind being given the extra work.
“I will help in any way I can.” She said.
The Councilors nodded.
“Thank you. And now we must bid you farewell. We need to go back and report to our superiors so we can begin the search. Time is of the essence and every moment we waste means the Doctor has more of a head start. He must be found before he causes irreparable harm.”
The Councilors rose and shook Ianto and Rose’s hand.
“We shall meet back here in the morning. In the meantime, if you see the Doctor, do not approach him alone. He will not hesitate to kill anyone who gets in his way.”
Ianto nodded. They stepped aside as the delegation went past them.
“If you have any plans, cancel them.” He said to Rose. “This search takes priority over all your other work or social functions.”
Rose nodded. She watched as Ianto followed the delegation out the door.
“Oh Doctor, I hope to God this is all just a misunderstanding.” She murmured. “I’d hate to find you again after all this time and find out you’re nothing but a psychopathic monster.”
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
(Meanwhile…in another universe….)
“There, that oughta hold me for awhile.” The Doctor muttered as he dropped a heavy book on one of the tables in the TARDIS library.
Reaching into his jacket, he pulled out his glasses and put them on. Settling down in the chair, he opened up the book and coughed softly as dust flew into the air. Putting his elbow on the table, he rested his chin in the palm of his head as he began to read. He had gotten a few pages in when he suddenly heard someone clearing their throat. He looked up and saw Martha standing in front of him.
“Um…sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb ya.” She said sheepishly.” Um…I was just wondering where the kitchen was again?”
“Go down the hall, turn right and it’s the third door on the left.” He said gesturing to the door.
Martha nodded. She hesitated a moment and then inched around the table. The Doctor stiffened as he felt her come up behind him and rest a hand on his shoulder.
“Whatcha reading?” he heard her ask.
“It’s a history of the Dogon race.” He replied.
“Dogons? What are they like?” Martha asked.
The Doctor sighed. Martha meant well, but sometimes he wished to be alone with his books and his thoughts.
Rose would know. He thought to himself. She knew when I was in here that I was not to be disturbed.
He chided himself. Martha was only asking where the kitchen was. Still, he wished he had kept to his promise to take her on one trip and one trip only. He was beginning to resent her presence and her not so subtle attempts to flirt with him. He glanced over at the hand on his shoulder and resisted the urge to fling it away.
And now because of her and her stubborn insistence on knowing everything about me I’ve ended up telling her more about me than I wanted her to know. I should have just left her sitting there on New Earth. It was only one trip. Just one trip. Why didn’t I drop her off after we went to 1599? Why did I have to take her into the future? Why can’t I just resist the urge to take people along with me everywhere I go?
Because you’re afraid of being alone.
But I am not alone. Boe said so.
That wasn’t what he meant. He wasn’t talking about another Time Lord. If any Time Lords were alive, you would know it; wouldn’t you?
“Doctor?”
The Doctor was jolted from his thoughts. He looked up at Martha who was staring down at him with a concerned look on her face.
“You okay?” she asked worriedly.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just…there’s a lot I have on my mind, Martha, and I’d really appreciate it if you’d just leave me alone for awhile.”
He smiled at her.
“I’ll tell you about the Dogons later, I promise. But, right now, I need some alone time.” He said gently.
“Okay.” Martha said nodding. “I’ll go get myself a snack, then.”
The Doctor nodded.
“You want something?” she asked.
“No, I’m fine. Just go ahead and help yourself.” He said politely.
He stiffened again as Martha squeezed his shoulder and put her hand back down at her side. He sighed as he watched Martha go back around the table and out the door.
“Dammit, I can’t keep this up. One more trip and then that’s it. She’s going back to her time.” He muttered.
Oh, who are you kidding? You need her. You need someone with you to keep you company and keep you from going off the deep end just like Donna said. You aren’t about to drop her off.
The Doctor shook the thoughts out of his head and went back to reading. As he read, he suddenly found that he was reading the same sentences over and over about ten times before he would go on to the next one. Finally, he gave up and slammed the book shut.
“Bollocks! I can’t keep this up! I have to stop thinking of her!” he muttered to himself. “She’s gone! It’s over! She’s probably moved on now! Probably found a boyfriend or she’s back with Mickey now. She’s happy! She didn’t need you just like Sarah Jane didn’t need you. Sarah Jane moved on. She probably moved on. Now it’s time for you to move on as well.”
He shook his head.
“Except…I don’t want to move on.” He murmured to himself. “I want her here with me. I wanted her with me on the moon and when we met Shakespeare and when we went back to New Earth. I keep bringing her up around Martha and I know how rude and thoughtless it sounds but I don’t care. I love Rose and I want her here instead of Martha.”
A tear fell down his cheek.
“Oh God,” he moaned. “Why didn’t I follow my first instinct and let go when Rose did? Why didn’t I just follow her into the void? Then, Pete would have caught us and we both would have ended up on the same side. I would have been without my TARDIS but I would give it up in an instant just to be able to hold her in my arms again.”
He let out a sob.
“Oh, Rose. Please don’t forget about me. I’ll try to find a way back to you, somehow. If it takes me a thousand years I will figure out how to cross the void and get you back. Just have faith in me, please.”
Lowering his face into his hands, he wept softly as Martha watched, anguished, from the doorway.
Chapter Four
(Back in Pete’s World…)
The Doctor slowly opened the door of his TARDIS and peeked out. He waited while his cybernetic eye scanned the surroundings.
He relaxed when he heard a robotic voice saying no life forms detected in his mind. Opening the door, he stepped outside.
“I made it.” He muttered to himself.
He snorted as he looked around.
“Stupid backwater planet. They’ll never find me here.”
He smirked.
“All I gotta do is lay low until those idiots stop searching for me and then I can move on to another secure location.”
He closed the door of the TARDIS and looked at it. Thanks to his chameleon circuit, it now looked like an ordinary tree. Satisfied that it was undetectable, he turned and headed off in search of shelter.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
“Well, well, what do we have here?”
The Doctor reached the top of a hill and looked down at a quaint little cottage. He grinned as he noticed a light burning in one of the front windows.
“Good a place as any to hide out.” He muttered to himself.
He brought his hand up to reach into his jacket pocket and paused as he noticed the tattoo on the inside of his wrist. It was a red seal of Rassilon that was given to those facing execution. He scoffed at it and pulled his shirt cuff up over it before he reached into his jacket and brought out a small eye patch. Putting the eye patch over his cybernetic eye, he headed down the hill towards the house.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
“I’ll get it Mary!” John said, rising from his easy chair when he heard someone knocking.
He strolled through the kitchen and paused at the front door.
“Who is it?” he yelled.
“Um, I hate to bother you, sir. But I’m traveling on foot, and I’m looking for lodgings for the night.”
“Try the inn. There’s one in town about a mile from here.” John yelled back.
“That’s too far. I’m tired. I’ve been walking all day. Can’t I just spend the night with you?”
“I’m sorry, sir. There’s no room. You’re just gonna have to keep on walking until you reach the inn. Now good night.”
John turned away from the door and headed back to the living room. Suddenly, there was a loud bang behind him and he turned to see the man coming through the open door. He stared at him in shock as he put a long, silver device back in his coat.
“I tried to be nice.” He said.
John gasped as he withdrew his blaster from a side holster and pointed it at him.
“I require lodgings and food.” He said. “You will provide them for me or you will die. Is that clear?”
John nodded.
“John, who’s at the…”
Mary paused in the kitchen doorway and stared at the man.
“Don’t scream or both you and your husband will die!” he said pointing the blaster at her.
He kept the blaster trained on them while he calmly closed the door.
“Now, that that’s sorted out. I believe I will have some dinner.” The Doctor said with a smirk.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Jackie and Pete looked up as Rose entered the kitchen.
“Hello, honey, you’re home early for a change.” Jackie said, delighted.
Rose nodded and sat down beside them. She smiled at her sister, Ariel, as Jackie spooned some mashed peas into her mouth. She looked over at Pete and nodded a hello to him. Pete smiled at her and went back to eating his dinner.
“So, I’m assuming you told them that you need to take a break since you’re home early.” Jackie said.
Rose hesitated wondering if she should tell her the truth.
Couldn’t hurt, I guess. She thought. After all, if it does turn out to be a big misunderstanding and the Doctor is like the other one and if he asks me to go with him…
“Actually, I just got another assignment today.” She said.
Jackie and Pete exchanged glances. Jackie sighed.
“Rose, you’re gonna work yourself to death.”
“No, I want this assignment.”
“Yeah, that’s just it. You want every assignment you can get so you don’t have to think about the Doctor.”
“Mum, the Doctor is here.”
Jackie paused.
“What?” she said.
“There’s a Doctor in this reality. He just came to Earth today and my boss wants me to help track him down.”
Jackie and Pete looked at each other.
“Why do they want you to track him down?” Pete asked.
Rose sighed.
“They think he’s a criminal.” She said. “They said he’s committed murder and genocide and piracy and God knows what else.”
Jackie and Pete looked at each other.
“And has he?” Jackie asked.
“No, I don’t think he has. It’s just his people getting things wrong. The Doctor has killed before but it was always bad guys that deserved to die. That’s all it is and his people are twisting things around. He told me once that they thought of him as a renegade and that’s why he left Gallifrey.”
“But what if they are telling the truth, Rose?” Jackie said. “This Earth isn’t the same as the other one. What if the Doctor is different from your Doctor? What if he really is evil?”
“NO! I don’t believe that, not for a moment. I’ve been thinking about it all day and I just can’t see him doing the things they’ve accused him of doing. He isn’t like that, mum. He could never be like that!”
“Rose, luv, you really need to think about this logically.” Jackie said, laying a hand on her arm. “Until you know for sure he isn’t a criminal, you need to stay away from him. He might hurt you.”
“He’d never hurt me.” Rose said emphatically.
“Are you sure about that?” Pete said. “You don’t know this reality. Your mum is right. Things aren’t exactly the same here as it was on your Earth. Even if this Doctor isn’t a criminal, what makes you think he’ll want you to travel with him?”
“He…He has to say yes to that.” Rose said weakly. “I…He has to know who I am. Maybe there was a Rose and he lost her the same way my Doctor lost me.”
“There is no other Rose.” Pete replied. “The Rose in this reality was my other Jackie’s yorkie.”
“But what if my double was born to another family? What if I did exist and the Doctor did find me and we did travel together and I ended up missing or killed.”
“Rose, be sensible and quit grasping at straws!” Pete shouted. “You need to start thinking with your head instead of your heart; especially if this Doctor is the opposite of yours. You’re letting your love for the Doctor blind you to the fact that he might hurt you or at the very least not want you with him. Things aren’t the same here, Rose! Accept that!”
“NO!” Rose cried out as she leapt up from her chair. “The Doctor isn’t evil! I’ll never believe that! You’re just afraid that he might want me back and take me away! I’m going to help search for the Doctor in the morning and I pray to God I find him because I’d rather be with him than sitting here with you!”
Jackie and Pete watched as Rose ran out of the room.
“Stop her!” Jackie said when she heard the front door slam. “She’s making a mistake!”
“What am I supposed to do, Jacks; chain her to her bed? She’s an adult!”
“She’s your…”
“No, for the hundredth time, Jackie, she is not my daughter! She is yours! If you want to stop her, be my guest. But I’m not gonna get involved! If she wants to go running after the Doctor. That’s her business!”
Jackie leapt up from her chair. Glaring at Pete, she pushed it in and stomped out of the room. Pete sighed and shook his head as he heard the bedroom door slam.
“Jesus, and I thought life with my other Jackie was Hell.” He muttered